If Errol Morris, the wonderfully unconventional auteur responsible for such disarmingly offbeat documentaries as "Gates of Heaven," "Vernon, Florida," and "A Brief History of Time," decided to make a deceptively ordinary "average people who've been abducted by aliens and thoroughly examined by them relate their experiences on film" type of speculative UFO documentary it would probably be a lot like this engagingly quirky little winner. This movie focuses on the Aetherius Society, a group of devout and passionate UFO buffs who call themselves "contactees" and have been preaching salvation from outer space since the tense and clammy Cold War era 50's. Several members of the cult are interviewed; they make strikingly cogent remarks about the human race's self-destructive war-like nature, petty religious squabbles, the appalling lack of civility and communication in our society, the infamous Roswell incident, the American government's cover-up of information concerning the existence of UFOs, and their desire to educate the ignorant public about what's really going down. The contactees don't seem remotely like the naive, wide-eyed, day-dreaming out of touch with reality raving fruitcakes the media frequently presents to the masses. Instead they come across as regular, rationale and intelligent individuals whose uncommon beliefs and philosophies are not consonant with mainstream society.
Director/producer/editor/cinematographer Robert Stone made this obvious labor of love with a sharp eye, an open mind, a great deal of heart-warming compassion, and a refreshingly low-key, down-to-earth, unaffected style, mixing black and white newsreel footage (mostly showing the army's ludicrous efforts at dispelling theories about UFOs with phony scientific explanations), film clips (including "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians"!), golden oldie songs, and an intriguing believers vs. nonbelievers subtext into a unique, compelling and provocative whole. An unexpected and truly remarkable treat, this lovely jewel is tons better than most UFO documentaries because it steadfastly avoids the middle of the road and treads down some fascinatingly novel and unfamiliar paths that are an absolute joy to behold. A sweet and sparkling unsung gem.
Director/producer/editor/cinematographer Robert Stone made this obvious labor of love with a sharp eye, an open mind, a great deal of heart-warming compassion, and a refreshingly low-key, down-to-earth, unaffected style, mixing black and white newsreel footage (mostly showing the army's ludicrous efforts at dispelling theories about UFOs with phony scientific explanations), film clips (including "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians"!), golden oldie songs, and an intriguing believers vs. nonbelievers subtext into a unique, compelling and provocative whole. An unexpected and truly remarkable treat, this lovely jewel is tons better than most UFO documentaries because it steadfastly avoids the middle of the road and treads down some fascinatingly novel and unfamiliar paths that are an absolute joy to behold. A sweet and sparkling unsung gem.
