10 Terrifying Alien Abduction Movies of the 21st Century
What can be more terrifying than being abducted by an entity from another world or dimension? To be under the control of a presence literally and figurately so alien, you have no way of gleaning the machinations of their minds and intentions.
The world was exposed to the UFO and abduction phenomena in a serious way back in 1977 with the release of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Over the next three decades, only a few movies would plumb the depths of alien terror, such as author Whitely Strieber’s abduction account in Communion (the book is even more chilling) or Travis Walton’s Fire in the Sky.
The floodgates for celluloid abduction nightmares truly opened at the turn of the century. Suddenly, UFO/abduction movies were everywhere. Maybe it was the dawning of a new century, a new age, with the promise of reaching further into the stars, and maybe those stars reaching further into us. Or maybe it came from the adolescence of found footage flicks, which seem to dominate this strange and curious sub-genre. With 60 years of bizarre sightings and experiences under our collective belt, this could be our way of seeking answers.
No matter what the cause, for people like me, the 21st century has been a smorgasbord of high strangeness and extraterrestrial conundrums. Want to get me to drop everything? Tell me there’s a new UFO movie or documentary. Sure, they mostly explore the same material, but I can’t help being drawn in the way Travis Walton was sucked into an alien ship.
Because I watch them all, I thought it best to share 10 modern alien abduction movies that should scratch that ET itch. Ditch the tin foil hat and boil some potatoes. We’re about to stare into the abyss. Check out the trailers and head to your nearest streaming device. Things are about to get eerie.
10. The Fourth Kind (2009)
9. The Phoenix Incident (2015)
8. The Forgotten (2004)
7. Altered
6. Dark Skies (2013)
5. Phoenix Forgotten
4. The Gracefield Incident
3. Alien Abduction (2014)
2. Beyond the Sky (2018)
- Extraterrestrial
Can UFOs Save Us?
Civil unrest. Non-stop mass shootings. Protests. Riots. Pissing matches with Russia. North Korea resuming their nuclear armament in earnest. Skyrocketing fuel prices. Skyrocketing prices for goods on shelves because of the fuel price increase. Covid fears promoted daily. Yep, 2021 seems just about as shit as 2020. I’m beginning to think the Orange One wasn’t the problem.
We are.
Just as we’ve always been. We are a deeply flawed, troubling species and we’ve known it. This is why we’ve created and clung to the concept of beings greater than us that can deliver us from our inherent madness, whether in this life or the next.
If we were ever in need of saving, it’s now. Back in December of 2017, the New York Times published an article that confirmed the Pentagon has had a program dedicated to the study of UFOs, or as they now call them UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena), to separate it from the crackpot stain of UFOlogy. Since then, several videos taken by the US Navy have surfaced and Tic Tacs are now more than a tiny breath mint. There was even confirmation that we possess ‘Off-World Vehicles Not Made On This Earth‘ (click here to read the article in Popular Mechanics).
Just this past week, more videos have been release by the Pentagon showing strange, glowing triangular objects buzzing Navy craft and coming from and going into the deep ocean.
Despite all this, people are still wondering when there will be disclosure. News flash – it’s already happened. The problem is, disclosure is opening up more questions and not giving us the answers we crave.
I remember Ronald Reagan’s speech to the UN in 1987 where he said, “I occasionally think how quickly our differences worldwide would vanish if we were facing an alien threat from outside this world. And yet, I ask you, is not an alien force already among us? What could be more alien to the universal aspirations of our peoples than war and the threat of war?”
We are prone to wars, big and small. Even with the news that there may be something otherworldly in our skies and seas, we still roll in the mud of hate and distrust like pigs in shit.
Speaking of distrust, I find it odd that the UFO community is running with news being leaked from the same organization (the government) that supposedly has been manipulating us and our relationship with UFOs for decades. So, now we should believe them? Where do we turn for the truth?
Tom DeLonge, frontman for Blink 12 and To The Stars Academy, has said in the past he’s seen what we’re dealing with and it caused him to lose sleep for days. It so disturbed him, he’s chosen not to tell us to save us the stress and anxiety.
We’re already not sleeping! We’re so stressed, pharmaceutical companies can barely keep up with the demand for anti-anxiety and depression meds.
The question is, if these videos and revelations are real, do they represent a global threat or a get out of hell free card? Either way, we need it. Maybe this is the kind of shock necessary to dislodge our heads from our asses. Don’t release information with the slow drip of water torture. Tear off the bandage and let us wail and cry a moment. Sooner rather than later, we’ll settle down. Maybe we’ll come together. Or, and this is where my money is, most will be more concerned about the latest episode of American Idol or unfiltered pics of another Kardashian.
We’re living in distressing and bewildering times, especially for the few who still possess the ability of independent thought and the pursuit of knowledge. With the more I see, the more I realize the American Dream of a better tomorrow for each succeeding generation is dead. We need a shakeup. Is whatever is behind the UFO phenomenon the cure we’re seeking? Or is it just another false god that will go the way of Zeus and his gang of idiots?
I don’t know.
A real life Independence Day, no matter how terrifying, could free us from our mental stagnation and imprisonment to hate.
Instead of waiting for a spacecraft to land on the White House lawn and an alien to ask to be taken to our leader, I think we need to find them and ask to meet with their leader. He/she/it has got to be better than anything we’ve produced.
What do you think?
Who Wants to SURVIVE WITH ME?
Greeting hellions from all corners of the globe. I have some cool new anthology new for you. I have a story included in an incredible collection called SURVIVE WITH ME. The lineup of authors is beyond stellar.
Horror greats like Tim Waggoner, Ron Malfi, Somer Canon and more have woven twistted tales of survival guaranteed to keep you up long past your bedtime. And it’s all edited by the man himself, Kennth W. Cain. Alien Agenda Publishing is destined to become a horror go-to, that’s for sure.
My story centers around a middle aged couple, UFOs and some very unwanted abductions. All based on a true story. Nah, I’m just kidding. Or am I?
Holiday time is here and we’re all just hoping to make it through to New Year’s Eve. Survival mode is in full effect. So come on, grab a copy and take some time out from shopping or cooking or yapping on Zoom with your in-laws. You’ll be glad you did.
WTF Is Going On? First UFOs And Now Nessie Are Real?
I never in a million years thought I’d see the day where topics like UFOs and cryptids get coverage in the so-called ‘real news’ (fake or otherwise, depending on your party affiliation). When the New York Times story about the Tic-Tac UFO buzzing the SS Nimitz gave us a left hook in December, 2017, I assumed that would be the sole dog treat thrown to us for a generation.
As my wife will tell you, I’m often wrong. Just a few days ago, the Old Gray Lady came back with a right cross, confirming that the government no longer denies the existence of UFOs – just don’t assume they’re from space. Cool, I can deal with that. This time around, Navy pilots reveal tracking strange objects in the northeast that would buzz through the skies at hypersonic speeds for up to eleven hours a day, every…single…day for a year.
Image courtesy of cnn.com
I’ve been devouring every article I can get my mitts on, and then in comes Nessie. A while back, a group of scientists set out to take extensive DNA samples of Loch Ness, promising that they would share their results in June. Well, we’re moments away from the big reveal, but the latest teaser suggests that Nessie may be real! A real what we don’t know just yet, but I’m extremely excited to see what they’ve found. Hell, even if they think it’s a giant catfish, it will be pretty damn cool to have an answer to the centuries old mystery.
But back to UFOs. If you’re looking to learn more about the Nimitz case and other recent military encounters, I highly suggest you bop on over to the History Channel and check out their 6 part series, UNIDENTIFIED. All of the players featured in the show are the ones behind this mini wave of disclosure.
What’a the big takeaway from all of this? When it comes to UFOs, this new stance is long overdue. Unfortunately, the stigma associated with those three letters has hampered serious investigation and acceptance. Those lights and craft in the skies may very well be part of an unknown yet natural phenomena. But the only way to find out is to take it seriously. I guess the best way to get the military to remove their craniums from their posteriors is to categorize them as potential national threats. If that’s the case, let’s assume they’re all of Chinese or Russian origin and put the pedal to the metal.
As for Loch Ness, I really don’t know what to expect. As long as they’re not the hungry monsters in my book, Loch Ness Revenge, all is good.
Which story has you more exited or intrigued and why? For my moolah, a real Nessie is cool, but real UFOs that defy our best pilots and scientists is a game changer. Let’s open things up and discuss, my crazy Hellions.
UFO Disclosure Came and Went
At the start of every year, the UFO community (which is as bizarre and inexplicable as the phenomena itself) asks if this will be the year for true disclosure. It always puzzles me because as far as I know, that was done decades ago. If you’re looking for the government or ‘experts’ to claim that UFOs are real and in need of further study, well, just dig into recent history. Disclosure came and went before I was even born.
From the acknowledgement of Project Blue Book, to the serious findings and proclamations by the likes of J. Alen Hynek, Nick Pope, countless pilots, police, military and even presidents (both in the US and abroad), it’s all there. We know that there have been strange sightings in the sky for centuries, if not more.
UFOs are real, and anyone who hasn’t been asleep for the past fifty years knows that.
I think when people now talk about UFO disclosure, they mean they’re waiting for definitive proof of extraterrestrials. The problem is, UFOs and ETs are separate topics. We’re talking apples and oranges. Republicans and Democrats. To assume that all UFOS (and by this, I mean the 5-10% that can’t be explained by rational means) are flown by grays or Nordics or reptilians is to dig one’s heels in as much as an unyielding skeptic, therefore blinding oneself to what may truly lie at the heart of the mystery.
Yes, there seem to be strange objects in our skies from time to time. From Foo Fighters to discs, triangles, cigar, mother ships, scout ships, drones, and craft the size of football fields (funny how so many people use a football field as a unit of measure), exceedingly credible people have witnessed them and will swear to what they saw. We have proof in pictures, videos, radar returns and more. Again, UFOs are real.
Unidentified Flying Objects.
Not Alien Drag Racers.
This small yet gigantic distinction is what causes all of the problems. It’s what makes serious newscasters play The X-Files or Twilight Zone music in the background of a mass sighting report. It’s why people in authority cast ridicule on those who are earnestly curious about the subject and cry out for calm, rational study (as in Governor Symington, who mocked The Phoenix Lights when he was in power, but has since made a 180).
It all comes down to aliens. Mother fucking aliens. For a majority of UFO believers, they won’t be satisfied until an alien walks from a craft hovering over the White House and gives the President a high-five. Or having every media outlet crash through the gates of Area 51 and expose the various craft and bodies – alive and dead – they’ve been hiding in the desert all these years. And that makes them fair game for ridicule. Because no one knows who or what is behind these bizarre UFOs, and to make any assumptions and set them in stone is to not see the forest for the trees.
Late this past December, we were presented a powerful bit of disclosure that can and should be a game changer. In the words of many major newscasts and papers, The truth finally came out: the Defense Department has been studying UFOs for years under its Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program. In a jaw dropping expose by none other than The New York Times, it was revealed that the 22 million dollar program closely examined cases of UFO encounters with our military. Armed with both credible eyewitness testimony and compelling video footage, the US government has been trying to determine what these mysterious crafts are, how they work, and where they are coming from.
Make no mistake, the government admitting to a UFO program in such a way is a seismic event. The two videos (of a reported twelve), taken by the military, are hard to scoff at. That it was pushed for by Senator Harry Reid is yet another blast in the bombshell report.
And there is more to come. There are 10 other cases that will be revealed bit by bit. Yes, most of the information gathered by the AATIP is classified, but the fact that they consider the objects a potential threat (whether from an enemy nation or beyond the stars) should give us pause and demand to learn more. This is a big moment in our history, and I’m concerned that it will be swept away like so much confetti after New Year’s Eve.
We have to keep our foot on the gas in 2018. We need forward progress and not allow this to slip back into the shadows. Forget aliens! Something has always been out there. But what is it?
There is a ray of hope. Senator Reid is calling for a Congressional hearing on UFOs.
One thing I’ve noticed and abhorred is the amount of backbiting and charlatans that are allowed to attend serious conferences or given valuable air time. For my money, I think the powers that be intentionally give voice to the kooks (Ancient Aliens, anyone?) in order to relegate UFOS to the absurd, a mere form of entertainment.
This is the time when serious researchers, the military and organizations like MUFON need to band together, not hold their ground on misinformed opinions stated as fact. Intensely study the information and videos we’ve been given and collectively push for more. Leave your agendas at the door and take an objective look at the data.
Click the video below to watch an interview with the pilot who filmed his own bizarre encounter and his opinion on its origin:
Hell, even if it all turns out to actually be swamp gas and ball lightning, I want to know. Instead of being disappointed, I’d been fascinated by the incredible things that nature can do.
Renaming them unidentified aerial phenomena isn’t going far enough to cast aside the ridicule intrinsically linked to those three letters – UFO. We shouldn’t let this moment slip from our grasp. And we shouldn’t let the crazies or hard core skeptics lead the charge. Maybe this us the year we learn to set aside our prejudices and assumptions and really get down to business.
Do I think this will happen? No. As I get older, my faith in the rationality of man grows weaker. But there’s always a glimmer of hope. If anything, this should end the cry for disclosure. Now, let’s concentrate on the real questions and find some answers.
Interview with UFO Researcher and Author Ryan Sprague
For anyone who follows current trends in the UFO field, the name Ryan Sprague has been as ubiquitous as the phrase, ‘the truth is out there’. You can hear him on his podcast, Into the Fray, as well as a guest on just about every UFO/Paranormal podcast out there. You may have also seen him on TV on the Travel Channel, Science Channel and more. A New York playwright, he’s also the proud author of Somewhere in the Skies: A Human Approach to an Alien Phenomenon. I recently sat down with Ryan to talk about his book, the possible truth behind the UFO phenomenon and where to get the best hot dogs in New York.
Tell us about your path from accomplished playwright to author of Somewhere in the Skies : A Human Approach to an Alien Phenomenon and podcaster on Into the Fray Radio. If life is all about experience and diversification, you’re doing it right.
Well, I don’t know if I’m doing it right, but I am definitely trying to do it! And if people want to follow me on that journey, I couldn’t be happier and more appreciative of that. My stage and film writing began in college at Oswego State University (Where snow would reach my neck during most winters, and ropes were put between buildings to pull your way to class… no joke). My main focus was theater, but I just happened to take one playwriting course my sophomore year and I was hooked. I then dove head first into playwriting, and have since made that my main focus here in New York City where I’ve been living for the past ten years. I was also always fascinated by the UFO topic, having had a rather dramatic triangular UFO sighting over the Saint Lawrence River in Upstate NY when I was twelve years old. I started writing for several alternative print magazines about UFOs, and even began work on a stage play about the 1980 Rendlesham Forest UFO incident. I finally decided that I wanted to write a book and really get my own voice and thoughts on the the topic out there, and that’s how the book came about. After two years of research, it’s finally out on the shelves and I couldn’t be happier. As for Into the Fray, I am an avid podcast listener as I’m constantly commuting to and from Manhattan here in NYC, and there’s nothing better than listening to something on your headphones than to hear New Yorkers complain about their day. I remembered hearing a show about Bigfoot, a topic I never really took an interest in, and the co-host was so knowledgeable and passionate about the topic, and reminded me so much of myself when I talked about UFOs. That’s when I contacted the host, Shannon LeGro, and we started talking about how cool it would be the start a show where we literally taught one another about a topic we knew very little about. And it sort of culminated into what is now Into the Fray, featuring Shannon, Sam Shearon, and myself. We chat weekly about weird news, the paranormal, cryptids, UFOs, and even true crimes, bringing on guests and experts to join the conversation. It’s been an amazing ride, and we’ve really only begun!
I know a lot of people are calling you the bright young voice in the UFO field. You’re in your 30s, which makes you about 30 years younger than the familiar names that we’ve all come to know. Who are some of your biggest influences?
My biggest influence and the person I consider my mentor in this field is author and investigative writer, Peter Robbins. Robbins, along with Larry Warren, wrote the British Best-Selling book, Left at East Gate: A First-hand Account of the Rendlesham Forest UFO Incident, Its Cover-up, and Investigation. After reading his book, I immediately contacted him to discuss this deeply compelling case and we’ve become wonderful friends and colleagues ever since. My other influences really come from those who aren’t afraid to step out of the mold of nuts-and-bolts Ufology and dig a bit deeper to bring fresh perspectives to the phenomenon and the study of it. Those individuals include the late Mac Tonnies, who really inspired me to step out of the box and look at alternative theories on what UFOs may be and what the occupants who supposedly control them may represent other than aliens from outer space. Others who currently keep my own research fresh and exciting would have to be Greg Bishop, MJ Banias, and of course, Dr. Jaques Vallee. These researchers have (and continue) contributed so much to the field in terms of alternative ways of looking at and trying to explain aerial phenomena and the question of possible contact with non-human intelligence(s).
You’ve had your own UFO experience. On that, we share common ground. Care to describe it? How did you feel as it was happening? Did it change your worldview?
My interest stemmed from a sighting I had in 1995. I was twelve years old, and I was on a weekend getaway with my parents to the Saint Lawrence River, which runs all through upstate New York and separates The New York border from Canada. I was fishing off a dock one night, listening to Green Day on my headphones, and I notice three white lights reflecting in the water. I look up, and there’s this massive triangular formation about 300 feet above me. There’s this fuzzy orange/red sphere in the center of the formation. I couldn’t see any type of structure, but I also couldn’t see the stars behind this formation. I rip my headphones off and my disc-man goes flying down the dock, and I’m expecting to hear this thing above me, but there was nothing. All I could hear was the water hitting the dock. And I could feel this low vibration running behind my ears, down my neck, and into my chest. I yell for my Dad to come out and he sees this thing slowly disappear off in the distance. That night terrified me, and I became obsessed with UFOs after that. At the age of twelve, I started researching the UFO phenomenon and it opened the floodgates for me. I knew there was so much more out there than we’re told or conditioned to believe. Whether or not what I saw that night was alien or man-made technology, I may never know. But it challenged my perception of reality and what is possible. And it’s led me on a journey of both self-discovery and opened doors to opportunities I never would have imagined walking through. That sighting scared the living hell out of me, but I wouldn’t trade it in a million years.
What’s your take on the UFO phenomenon? Do you think we’re being visited by alien beings in physical craft, our future selves from other dimensions or time slips, a kind of mass hallucination or something so out there, we don’t even have a proper way of defining it?
I honestly believe all these theories as right. And wrong. And somewhere in between. We have spent the past seventy years studying UFOs in many different capacities and any type of singular answer remains just as elusive as it has since Kenneth Arnold’s sighting over Mount Rainier when the term “flying saucer” made its way into the mainstream. But what some may not be aware of is that what Arnold saw that day actually weren’t saucer shaped at all. A misquote in a newspaper ushered in this term, and for decades and decades after, people reported seeing flying saucers all over the world. This brings up the question of the mass hallucination you speak of. UFO researcher and author, David Clarke, termed this the “UFO Syndrome”. We tend to connect many things to UFOs, even if they have conventional or prosaic answers. This is when we must remain objective and open to the possibility that UFOs may indeed have nothing to do with aliens whatsoever. Could they merely be manifestations of our own minds that we’ve been so culturally ingrained and conditioned to believe are little green men from space? It’s possible. Could they in fact be humans from the future coming back to check on us? Possibly. The fact of the matter is, I have no fucking idea. But I’m going to keep taking the journey and see where the research leads me.
What do you think is the most fascinating but underreported UFO sighting of the past 60 years?
I would have to say that the 1976 Tehran UFO incident is the most fascinating sighting that I’ve personally come across. This case consisted of radar and visual sighting of an unidentified flying object over the capital of Iran. On September 19th, after several reports were phoned in to the local air traffic controllers, the Iranian Air Force was eventually called in to investigate. Two F-4 Phantom jets were sent up and observed a diamond-shaped craft, massive in size, floating effortlessly. The pilots reported losing instrumentation and communications as they approached, only to have them restored upon withdrawal; one of the aircraft also reported suffering temporary weapons systems failure, while preparing to open fire on the object. The case was later investigated by U.S. Intelligence as well, and information pertaining to the case is now available through the Freedom of Information Act. This is a documented case with ground radar, flight transmissions, and official documentation of unknown objects interacting with military aircraft. It also included pilot witness testimony and two government agencies from two different countries. Yet many people have never heard of it. It is certainly worth further exploration.
A lot of people are hooked on ancient alien theories. The show has definitely sparked some creative ways of looking at our past and linking events, places and people to UFOs and aliens. What do you think? Has the Earth been a way station for passing civilizations since time immemorial?
This is a massive can of anthropological worms that I simply haven’t focused my efforts or time researching. While I find the work of Erich von Däniken or Zecharia Sitchin very interesting and alluring, there simply isn’t enough proof, in my opinion, that this is the case. Now, I am not saying that IF aliens have visited our planet, that it began with a crash in 1947 in Roswell, but I believe we also do not give humankind enough credit of our vast intelligence and persistence to evolve and progress technologically. The idea that some sort of ancient extraterrestrial civilization has intervened in our history strips us of responsibility for that which we’ve created. It also opens an entire alternative history where these non-human intelligences have co-existed insidiously with us for countless centuries. Again, I have entertained the many theories brought forth by trailblazers in the ancient alien and ancient astronaut theory, but right now my attention is focused on moving my own sights towards the future of possible alien contact from a scientific standpoint, and even more ambitiously, from a consciousness standpoint. The only thing I know for certain, in terms of ancient aliens, is that if my hair ever grows to the towering heights of Giorgio Tsoukalos, someone please force me to get a haircut.
What’s the one thing the UFO field has been missing or needs to improve upon not just to gain legitimacy in the mainstream, but move it forward to finally finding concrete answers?
In my opinion, there needs to be a convergence of the UFO experience and the UFO study. This topic covers the most broad umbrella one can possibly imagine. Whether seen through the lens of science, philosophy, theology, anthropology, psychologically, sociologically, economically, or even academically, there is a place in our world view for the phenomenon of the UFO. That being said, we need to find a way to bring forward the most analytical and credible data from each of these camps, get the top researchers in one room together, and hash it out. Instead of saying that one viewpoint isn’t as important as the other, let’s work together to really look at what this phenomenon could represent. Let’s put a mirror up to ourselves and really ask the hard questions. There is some amazing scientific work being done on searching for extraterrestrial life right now by young, ambitious individuals. The same could be said in the fields of psychology and hypnotherapy in terms of possible alien abductions and/or contact with said aliens. While this may be extremely challenging, the outcome may be inevitably much more rewarding. We live in great times of uncertainty here in America and abroad. So maybe by coming together and putting that microscope on the human side of a possible alien phenomenon, we can glimpse into the heart of these mysteries and come out much more accepting of one another on the other side. As for concrete answers… I wouldn’t bet on it!
Here are just a few quick hits :
Favorite part of a UFO con.
Meeting witnesses and experiencers who trust me enough to tell me their stories. There is nothing more galvanizing then sitting face to face and hearing the story straight from the individuals themselves. Those are the moments when it really hits me and I’m like, “Holy shit. This is really happening to these people. And there are things out there that we’ve only begun to understand.”
Favorite UFO/Alien/Abduction movie.
I’m going to have to go with three different films on this one which all hold special places in my heart and mind. The first is “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (1951), “Close Encounter of the Third Kind” (1977) and “Arrival” (2016) — Hunter : “I almost have the same top 3, with War of the Worlds replacing The Day the Earth Stood Still.
Dream guest to have on your podcast.
Jaques Vallee. No question. The man is a legend in the UFO field in so many ways. Also, I wouldn’t mind getting Chris Carter on just to be a fanboy for two hours straight. I am a self-professed “X-Phile.” —Hunter : “I think I’d be too tongue tied to interview Chris. Fanboy paralysis”
Gray’s Papaya hot dogs, yea or nay? (since you live in NY. And if you haven’t had one yet, I’ll treat!)
Had em. Loved em. But being from upstate NY, I have to represent Hoffman’s Hotdogs. And don’t even get me started on the coney snappy griller up in Syracuse, NY. If you’ve never had one, head up to the ‘Cuse and ask for one. Just imagine a sweet and spicy hotdog… with relish of course!
Best book you’ve read about UFOs.
Passport to Magonia by Dr. Jaques Vallee. Leslie Kean’s UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record is a close second. — Hunter : “Just read the latter, will pick up the former. Great picks!”
The one place you’d love full and unfettered access to investigate.
Either Dugway Proving Ground in Utah (Supposedly an Area 52 location) or Hangar 18 in Wright Patterson AFB in Ohio.
Please tell us about your book, where folks can find it and learn more about you and your amazing work.
The book is called, Somewhere in the Skies: A Human Approach to an Alien Phenomenon. It covers a wide array of my two year investigation into UFOs, close encounters, and possible alien abductions. But rather than focus on the where and when, this book covers the who and the why, really putting a microscope on those who’ve had the experiences, what they believe it to be, and what they might tell us about what we may be dealing with somewhere in the skies.
All of my UFO work can be found at: www.somewhereintheskies.com
You can hear me on the Into the Fray Podcast at: www.intothefrayradio.com
For my stage and film work, you can visit: www.ryandsprague.com
Book is Available in Paperback and E-Book on Amazon at the following link: https://www.amazon.com/Somewhere-Skies-Human-Approach-Phenomenon/dp/0967799589/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481577910&sr=8-1&keywords=somewhere+in+the+skies
11 UFO/Alien Movies That Are Out Of This World
I’m not afraid to admit I have an addiction. I can’t get enough movies about UFOs, aliens and abductions. No matter how bad, I’m compelled to watch them all. Lately, it seems as though a law has been passed decreeing that all UFO/Alien flicks MUST be found footage with a 10 shilling budget. I’m here to guide you from the darkness and into the light (you know, the one emanating from the underbelly of the Mothership).
Here are my favorite 11 (because anyone can do a top 10 list). I’ve put a quick synopsis followed by my own review for each. When you’re not watching the skies, put your peepers on these…
FIRE IN THE SKY
(Based on a true story) In 1975, logger Travis Walton (D.B. Sweeney) and his co-workers discovered a hovering UFO. Walton’s pals fled, but Walton was not so fortunate. Whisked aboard the strange craft, he was subjected to a painful, unearthly medical study.
The Travis Walton case is one of the most intriguing abduction cases of all time. The movie is very well done, tense and downright creepy, especially once we get a glimpse of the interior of the gross and trippy alien ship. 4 of 5 flying saucers.
HANGAR 18
Was a damaged alien spaceship really hidden by the government in the infamous Hangar 18? This film shows you how it might have happened. Aired on television as “Invasion Force,” but with a different ending.
I loved this movie when I was a kid. Plus, it stars Kolchak himself, Darren McGavin. It doesn’t hold up so well, but I can’t ignore the pull of nostalgia. 2 of 5 flying saucers
EXTRATERRESTRIAL
Still reeling from her parents’ divorce, April (Brittany Allen, Dead Before Dawn) is dragged by her boyfriend (Freddie Stroma, Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince, Pitch Perfect), and a group of his friends back to the cabin where she spent summers as a child. Her trip down memory lane takes a dramatic and terrifying turn when a fireball descends from the sky and explodes in the nearby woods. The group venture out to the crash site and discover the remnants of a ship from another planet, along with footprints that suggest its alien occupants are still alive. They soon find themselves caught in the middle of something bigger and more terrifying than anything they could ever imagine.
This is one bat crap crazy movie. And the more I watch it, the more I like it. I especially love the ending, the very point most directors in this little genre drop the ball. 3.5 of 5 flying saucers.
COMMUNION
(Also based on a true story) Whitley Strieber goes with his family and some friends to his holiday home in the forest. They experience some weird occurances, are they UFO activity? Whitley is abducted and then faces a horrible dilema; was I abducted or am I going mad? He sees a psychiatrist who tries to use hypnotic regression to discover the truth.
Now, this one holds a special place in my tin foil heart. Living close to where author Whitley Strieber had his experiences, the book and then this movie totally captured my attention in the 80s. I watch it at least once a year, every year, despite its odd construction. Hey, it stars Christopher Walken and a score by Eric Clapton! 4 of 5 flying saucers.
THE FOURTH KIND
Based on actual case studies, The Fourth Kind uses archival footage and dramatic reenactments to present the most disturbing evidence of alien abduction ever in this provocative thriller.
Set in a remote Alaska town, I admit I was one of the suckers who bought the line that the footage interspersed within the movie was real. No matter. Even knowing it’s fake, the movie still gives me chills. 3.5 of 5 flying saucers.
ABSENCE
Doctors are baffled when an expectant mother wakes to find her nearly-to-term pregnancy apparently disappear overnight. Police investigate the situation as a missing child, and only her husband and brother trust her version of events.
I’ll bet most of you have never heard of this one. I plucked it off of Netflix one day and was pleasantly surprised. It’s downright haunting and a found footage flick that gets it right. 3.5 of 5 flying saucers.
ROSWELL
In the summer of 1947, a rancher discovers the charred remains of an unidentified flying object in the desert near Roswell, New Mexico. 20 years and 350 eyewitnesses later… the truth about what he found is finally coming out.
No, this is not the TV series. I think we all know about Roswell and Area 51 by now, but when this came out, it was pretty riveting. I believe this was produced by Showtime. I had to wait to watch it on VHS because I couldn’t afford Showtime back then. It was worth the wait. 3 of 5 flying saucers.
SIGNS
A farm family wakes up to find a 500-foot crop circle in their backyard and are told that extraterrestrials are responsible. The circles begin appearing all over the world as the family grapples with the fact that Earth is being invaded.
By far, this is my favorite M. Night Shyamalan and Mel Gibson movie. It’s a movie about a broken family smack in the middle of one of the most terrifying alien invasions ever put on film. Very atmospheric and one of the few movies where old Mel is not the macho hero. Swing away! 4.5 of 5 flying saucers.
DARK SKIES
As the Barret family’s peaceful suburban life is rocked by an escalating series of disturbing events, they come to learn that a terrifying and deadly force is after them.
Another well executed film about a family in crisis. I actually jumped a couple of times when I saw it in the theater. The ending pulls no punches. Pretty bleak stuff. 4 of 5 flying saucers.
ARRIVAL
Linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) leads an elite team of investigators when gigantic spaceships touch down in 12 locations around the world. As nations teeter on the verge of global war, Banks and her crew must race against time to find a way to communicate with the extraterrestrial visitors. Hoping to unravel the mystery, she takes a chance that could threaten her life and quite possibly all of mankind.
Wow, wow, wow. Don’t expect over the top theatrics and insane special effects. This is pure storytelling woven with some high concept science. It’s taut, intelligent and at times, heartbreaking. A must watch! 5 of 5 flying saucers.
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND
Universally considered the best film ever made about alien visitation to Earth, Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind was nominated for eight Academy Awards®, winning for Best Cinematography. Power repairman Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) has an extraordinary encounter with a strange spacecraft while out on a call. Recurring visions of a mountain fuel an increasing obsession that drives him to an emotional breaking point.
This is the godfather of all UFO movies. So much of this has become part of our everyday culture. Beautifully shot with a fantastic performance by Richard Dreyfuss, at almost 40 years old, it’s still the one UFO movie to watch if you plan to watch only one. 5 of 5 flying saucers.
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The UFO Phenomena of Pine Bush, NY
Welcome to the 2nd installment of my MYTHS & LEGENDS series. Last month, I explored the strange world of Hollow Earth. This time around, I’m delving into something I personally investigated in the 1990s – The UFOs of Pine Bush.
If you were into UFOs and living in the lower Hudson River Valley in New York in the 80s and 90s, you were in paradise. Strange lights were spotted in the sky on a regular basis, creating one of the largest UFO flaps in history. From boomerangs to strange shaped craft the size of multiple football fields, all of them hovering in the night sky with nary a sound, Westchester, Rockland and Orange counties were a hotbed of the unexplained.
In fact, I had my own experience (along with hundreds of others) with a UFO casually floating over the New York State Thruway back in 1987. It was a life changing event for me, proof that life is truly stranger than fiction. I had a casual interest in UFOs before then, but I became laser focused thereafter. I picked up every book and magazine I could find on the subject, since the Internet was years away from altering our lives.
One of the books that gave me chills was Silent Invasion by the late Ellen Crystall. The book was the result of her years of research investigating an incredible wave of UFO sightings in Pine Bush, NY. The small town is located in Orange County, less than an hour’s drive from New York City. Unexplained lights in the sky were almost a nightly occurrence in Pine Bush from the mid 1980s until the mid to late 1990s.
Circular aircraft, cigar shaped objects, dancing lights, multiple bright orbs in formation, they were all there for the viewing. If you looked up and waited, the impossible would eventually present itself. I visited the town several times in the dead of night. At the time, it was mostly quiet farmland with very little interference from lights on the ground. The canopy of visible stars was jaw dropping.
That is, until some of those twinkling lights in the sky started to move, change color and swoop around the sky with eerie silence. Thankfully, there is plenty of video and photographic evidence to prove that some very strange things were happening.
I only saw a strange flickering light once. My friend and I were walking through an open field, the chatter of night bugs our constant companion. Suddenly, in the distance, we saw a small light move in a looping pattern. What was most unnerving was how every living creature in the field instantly went silent! The light disappeared, and so did we. Concerns about being shot by a farmer for trespassing were just as prominent as seeing a UFO.
The small town was flooded with visitors parking their cars on the side of the road, gazing at the sky. It got so bad, they passed a town law that forbid it. Sky gazing would cost you if you got caught. I didn’t blame them. They had fools like me walking in places I didn’t belong.
I’m sure some of the craft were from the military. Stewart Airforce Base was close by. But there are hundreds of other sightings that are so bizarre, it’s hard to imagine they were a product of the military machine 30 years ago.
What made Pine Bush so intriguing were the other paranormal events that were occurring. It reminded me of what was going on at Point Pleasant, WV during the year of the Mothman in the 1960s. There’s a cemetery in Pine Bush where people reported seeing ghostly apparitions. Strange hums and vibrations could be seen and felt. There were even sightings of Bigfoot! Kolchak would have been right at home there.
Something very, very strange was going on in Pine Bush for over ten years. Were we being visited by space brothers? Was it some kind of government mind control? Mass hysteria? One of the longest running and complex hoaxes in history? I simply have no idea. There is a website dedicated exclusively to the Pine Bush events. Check it out and decide for yourself. There’s even an annual UFO fair. If you’re in lower New York in May, you should come visit. Maybe we’ll run into each other.
Today, the town’s farms are being replaced by strip malls and the skies are no longer teeming with high strangeness. But no one can deny what went on there. We just can’t say what it really was.
Finally, We Get Down To UFOs!
I’ve been intrigued by the whole UFO phenomena since I was a little kid, being spoon fed stories about aliens and flying saucers by Leonard Nimoy on In Search Of. Throughout the 80s and 90s, I amassed a sizeable library dedicated to UFOs and aliens. I read everything from Missing Time by Bud Hopkins, to Abduction by John E. Mack and my favorite (since I live in the Hudson Valley of NY that has a long history of UFO sightings) Silent Invasion by Ellen Crystal. Her book was about the too-many-to-count UFOs seen in and around Pine Bush in upstate New York. I actually spent a few nights sitting in dark, silent farmland up there hoping for my own experience. My friend and I did see odd lights one night, but what was most disturbing was how all of the night creatures stopped their nocturnal music the instant those lights appeared. It made for an eerie ten minutes!
There have only been a handful of movies about aliens worth watching, and they are always my go-to when I have some time to kill and can’t decide what to watch. Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a slam dunk, but here are some others that feed my inner UFO freak.
Communion. Based on author Whitely Strieber’s personal abductions close to Pine Bush in NY and starring Christopher Walken, I’ve watched this like dudes in their 40s watched Star Wars. It’s not perfect, but Walken is awesome and it has its truly spine tingling moments.
Fire in the Sky. Another true story about the abduction of Travis Walton, a logger who was taken by a strange craft in front of his buddies and was missing for several days. The aliens and ship in this flick are downright dirty and strange and the cast delivers some remarkably strong performance. Everyone involved in the Walton case has passed multiple lie detector tests, which leaves us all wondering what happened that night.
The Fourth Kind. UFOs and abduction in Alaska. ‘Nuff said.
I’m happy to announce that The Monster Men have finally tackled the subject of UFOs. In this episode, I even talk about an experience I was fortunate to be a part of, as well as thousands of others in my area that night back in 1987. And, of course, we go into awesome alien/monster movies that will keep you up nights, and others that will make you want to pull an Elvis on your TV. Watch, enjoy, and let me know if you’ve ever had your own experience.
Hunter Shea 