In 1961 Betty and Barney Hill was on their way home from a vacation to the Niagara Falls to their hometown of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It was the September 19th, approximate 10:30 PM and something happen, something went wrong. Two hours the couple woke up - and those two hours were lost in the labyrinth of their mind. But both of them sensed something wrong and a little bit later Betty called in the experience, what she could remember, as a UFO encounter... and then it all started. Through hypnosis and psychoanalysis they told very similar stories about being abducted by aliens, taken aboard a flying saucer and experimented on.
The case have gone to history as one of the most talked about, and according to some, the most convincing case ever. The thing is that neither Betty or Barney really wanted to use their newfound fame to make money. If someone asked them they talked about it, but they never seeked out to me neither famous or rich. Barney died of a stroke in 1969 and Betty of cancer in 2004. Interesting story, and I would say that the best way to experience this is to watch the excellent TV-movie The UFO Incident starring James Earl Jones and Estelle Parsons.
Yesterday I reviewed Curse of the Black Widow, which was the essence of cheese - The UFO Incident is possible the anti-thesis of that, this is one of the best TV-movies out there, a very serious character study of a conversial case. It's told mainly in scenes where Betty and Barney is under hypnosis or telling their story - sometimes together and sometimes alone - to a psychotherapist. Slowly the truth, or the dreams, unfolds in a very clever way. We're treated to more and more details and during the end there's a fullblown UFO, grey aliens and stuff like that. But we never really know if this is what they experience or if it's just the stuff of dreams.
No matter what you believe it's still a great, great story - and it's even better because James Earl Jones probably makes his best performance ever. He's totally into the character, which sometimes made me confused - because he's so real I could probably have bought the film if it was made like a documentary instead. Estelle Parsons is excellent also, but she has a special way of acting and it took me a time to get into her part of the story. At a first glance we're talking about over-acting here, but in all honesty, it's extremely realistic and looks like the real deal - because in real life this kind of behavior IS extreme. They both have such charisma together - which adds to the realism. I also think the second story of their life, them being a - for the time very rare - interracial couple. Something that was taboo at the time. This subject is touched upon several times, very subtle and very intelligent. It feels as much as a small, intimate drama about a couple's struggle for acception as a good old UFO romp.
As usual there's no official DVD release, so you have to get it some other way... ;)
"The case have gone to history as one of the most talked about, and according to some, the most convincing case ever."
I heard of this one, Phill Hall at Filmthreat wrote about this one but I have not yet seen it.
"But we never really know if this is what they experience or if it's just the stuff of dreams."
That´s the thing about alien abduction....merely dreams or reality?
"They both have such charisma together - which adds to the realism. I also think the second story of their life, them being a - for the time very rare - interracial couple. Something that was taboo at the time. This subject is touched upon several times, very subtle and very intelligent. It feels as much as a small, intimate drama about a couple's struggle for acception as a good old UFO romp."
Yeah, Hall mentions this as well......unusal for it´s time.
"As usual there's no official DVD release, so you have to get it some other way."
hahahahhahah.....like Phil Hall says....can be seen on numerous videowebsites.....good review and thanks Fred.
Posted by: Megatron | February 12, 2014 at 16:38
Thank you! Modcinema in the US have released a quite good-looking bootleg actually. But I'm sure someone have ripped that version and uploaded it fucking everywhere :)
Posted by: Fred Anderson | February 12, 2014 at 16:42
Fred: Not surprised....thanks for the info fred.
Posted by: Megatron | February 13, 2014 at 16:49
I totally agree with you,James Earl Jones made his best performance ever in this movie.
Posted by: Queen's | February 14, 2014 at 13:31
Yeah, he's SO into it! It's amazing to watch! I wish more could see this film.
Posted by: Fred Anderson | February 14, 2014 at 13:37
So, I would have been 10 years old when this aired. And did I watch it? Of course I did. And did it FREAK ME THE FUCK OUT FOR THE NEXT MANY YEARS OF MY LIFE?!?!?! Short answer, yes. Yes it did. I STILL am creeped out a bit even remembering how awfully creeped out I was as a kid watching this. *shudder*
Posted by: Smallerdemon | February 14, 2014 at 20:02
It must had been a trauma! It's still a pretty creepy movie, mostly because the acting is so intense!
Posted by: Fred Anderson | February 15, 2014 at 11:27