Because Klaatu, the band, derived their name, first album title and the concept for their hit song "Calling Occupants" all from this seminal piece of celluloid, it seemed an obvious fit for the music to be somehow showcased in this big-budget remake.
Alas, after many attempts at getting production studio 20th Century Fox to take notice, word was delivered last week directly to band member Dee Long from the studio that they are not in the market for outside music to be used in this film.
If we can be so bold, we believe that not showcasing material from either '3:47 EST' or the 'Hope' album is an unfortunate missed opportunity. "Calling Occupants" has never been used in a theatrical film before and if there ever were an appropriate expression of the song's theme it would be in the movie that inspired it.
We are asking any and all Klaatu fans -- and even just sci-fi fans in general -- to send letters of encouragement for the use of either Klaatu's music or the songs themselves (recorded by another artist or incorporated into the score) to the producers and music supervisors in the 'hope' that they will see the film's potential audience as wanting a say in its outcome.
Do not email the executives. This method will inevitably be considered spam and ignored. A good, old-fashioned snail mailed letter is the method that will have the biggest impact. Be thoughtful and non-critical about their choice to exclude the band's music but instead encourage them to reconsider. They can contact myself, Jaimie Vernon (president@bullseyecanada.com) or Neville Quinlan at Peermusic (nquinlan@peermusic.com) about obtaining more info about Klaatu and samples of their songs to strengthen the case.
Be creative...point them to the official website (www.klaatu.org) and the fanbased mailing lists on Yahoo, Klaatu.org and Facebook -- keep your eyes peeled for Dee Long's official "Day The Earth Stood Still" writing campaign group on Facebook shortly.
Here's who to send your letters to:
Mike Knobloch
Music Supervisor
20th Century Fox
10201 W. Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA
90035-2625
USA
cc your letters to Craig Renwick (Music Licensing) at the same address.
Also send a copy of the SAME letter to the "Day The Earth Stood Still" production office:
Earth Canada Productions, Ltd
"Day The Earth Stood Still"
c/o Erwin Stoff/Paul Harris Boardman
3500 Cornett Road
Building K
Vancouver , BC , V5M 2H5
CANADA
We thank all of you for the time you may take out of your busy lives to help spread the word about Klaatu.
John, Dee and Terry
KLAATU