Anti-Islam Film Directed by X-Rated Director Alan Roberts?

As if the whole anti-Islam "Innocence of Muslims" saga couldn't get any more bizarre (or confusing), it does.

First of all we were told the director was an Israeli Jew by the man calling himself Sam Bacile. Then we come to find out that 'director' Bacile was not an Israeli Jew after all, but rather ex-con Coptic Christian Nakoula Basseley Nakoula. But Nakoula insisted he was only involved in the logistics, and now it turns out he was possibly telling the truth when he claimed he wasn't the director of the tacky film. According to Gawker, the movie- that we have since come to realize was actually dubbed in post production to add Islamic references- was actually directed by a  d-rated, "has been" director best known for several softcore x-rated films from the 1970s and 80s. Although this too could eventually change.

65-year-old Alan Roberts aka Robert Brownell directed "The Happy Hooker Goes Hollywood", and several others, but had more success as a film editor. If he did indeed direct this, I'm sure the notoriety wasn't quite what he had hoped for his career; because even though he was apparently duped like the majority of people involved in the production, when word gets out to the Muslim world, you know there will be a price on his head.

An Alan Roberts is listed as director on the film's casting calls and call sheets from the summer of 2011, back when it was innocuously called Desert Warriors..

Castmembers and crew told us yesterday that Roberts was brought on by producer "Sam Bacile" aka Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, and he muddled his way through a disorganized three-month shoot.

This is the same Alan Roberts listed in IMDB as the director of a handful of softcore porn movies and other low-budget films, according to acquaintances we spoke to today.

"I am sure it was the same Alan Roberts, as I remember him speaking about this project," said filmmaker David A. Prior, a longtime acquaintance of Roberts, in an email. Roberts is listed as a producer on two of Prior's films, 2008's Zombie Wars and 2007's Lost at War.

"He did work on [Innocence of Muslims]," confirmed a man who was Roberts' business partner in a post-production facility he ran, who asked not to be named.
The backstory behind how Roberts became director of Innocence of Muslims is still unclear, like so many things about the film. We've tried to reach Roberts, but his business associate told us he "turned off his phone" soon after protests broke out over the film and is laying low. But he said Roberts was "non-political" and did not have any apparent anti-Islam feelings. Roberts may have been duped by the film's producer in much the same way as the rest of the cast and crew. They believed they were participating in a period piece about ancient Egypt and had no idea the movie would be edited and dubbed into a piece of Islamophobic propaganda..

The rest at Gawker.

Note: "Desert Warriors" is not listed on imdb.com

Alleged "Anti-Islam" Film Had Islamic References Overdubbed- Original Title "Desert Warriors"

The story surrounding "The Innocence of Muslims- the supposed anti-Islam movie that prompted the protests in Egypt, and got the U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and 3 other Americans in Libya killed- is becoming more and more bizarre.

Buzz Feed has an article about how all the references to Islam in the 13 minute trailer were overdubbed, so I forced myself to watch it again- with that in mind- and sure enough, every single reference to either Mohammed or the Quran is definitely dubbed over.

Buzz Feed also seems to think that the movie is sourced from different videos, but the film was definitely shot last summer, and according to one of the actresses none of the cast and crew had any idea that it was an anti-Islam film.

Gawker interviewed Cindy Lee Garcia who says she was absolutely appalled with the final cut.  She told Gawker that they were all led to believe they were shooting a movie entitled "Desert Warriors", about the life and times of Egyptians 2,000 years ago.

"It was going to be a film based on how things were 2,000 years ago," Garcia said. "It wasn't based on anything to do with religion, it was just on how things were run in Egypt. There wasn't anything about Muhammed or Muslims or anything."

And "Mohammed" was actually called "Master George" in the film.

For example, at 9:03 in the trailer, Garcia berates her husband, who wants to send their daughter to Muhammed: "Is your Muhammed a child molester?" she says in the final product. But the words are dubbed over what she actually said. The line in the script—and the line Garcia gave during filming—was, "is your God a child molester," Garcia told us today.

Garcia, who filmed for three days last summer, also said "Bacile" told her he was from Egypt, not from Israel as he now claims.  After all hell broke loose, Garcia contacted "Sam":

"I called Sam and said, 'Why did you do this?' and he said, 'I'm tired of radical Islamists killing each other. Let other actors know it's not their fault.'"

She plans on suing him, as probably the rest of the 80-strong cast and crew plan on doing.

What seems obvious is that "Sam" planned on filming an anti-Islam 'spoof' without the crew and actors' knowledge, knowing he could make those changes in post production through dubbing.  They are not amused.

CNN published a statement by all 80 members of the production:

The entire cast and crew are extremely upset and feel taken advantage of by the producer. We are 100% not behind this film and were grossly misled about its intent and purpose. We are shocked by the drastic re-writes of the script and lies that were told to all involved. We are deeply saddened by the tragedies that have occurred.

Gawker also posts a link to the 2011 casting call, that was originally found on Craigslist.  It says they were looking for SAG and non-SAG actors, but it seems unlikely that union members were involved given the caliber of acting, and the fact that this was a non-paying gig. Cindy Lee is listed on imdb.com but the movie is not. And she's non union.