Are we alone in the universe? Pondering upon the vastness of the universe, we’d have to be incredibly self-centered to think we are the only life form in existence. And although we haven’t seen proof of our intergalactic brethren, there have been plenty of films and TV shows about their clandestine (and more demonstrative) visits to Earth.
Now we have an entirely new horrific vision about one of those alien visits and the havoc they cause in Dark Skies. Keri Russell and Josh Hamilton star as the married couple whose life becomes derailed by mysterious happenings caused by a disturbing malevolent force…and it isn’t a domestic disturbance by any means. This one is imported. Way imported.
To celebrate the release of Dark Skies this weekend, we have compiled a list of some of the best alien abduction stories we’ve enjoyed over the years. Come reminisce with us to get into the mood for this new, creepy tale about extra-terrestrials…and they’re not the good Reese’s Pieces-eating kind either!
The Fourth Kind
Bad things happen in Alaska, folks. Not to say that it isn’t a beautiful part of the world, and we certainly love our Dreadies from the north, but come on, you’re ripe for the pickin’s up there. Just look how those vamps took the place apart in 30 Days of Night. And then apparently the extra-terrestrials got wind of the goings-on in Alaska, and in The Fourth Kind we saw just what kind of damage they can do. This mockumentary is based completely around alien abduction and the damage and aftermath it caused to one doctor’s life. As part of the film was intended to be reenactments and part actual footage of the events, The Fourth Kind manages to conjure up some skin-crawling moments. And that whole owl thing…I’ve never been a fan of those creepy, round-faced bastards anyway.
Predators
Ever wonder what happens after an unsuspecting hillbilly gets sucked into an alien spacecraft tractor beam? You wouldn’t initially think of Predators as an abduction film, but that’s exactly what it is. However, what we get in Predators is what happens to the victims after they’ve been stolen away without a trace. The film received mixed reviews, but you have to admit it’s a great premise. The predators abduct the most skilled and vicious fighters from around the universe to hunt in training exercises. And what a unique cast. Aside from Adrien Brody you had Danny Trejo, Topher Grace (who didn’t appear to fit with the rest of the murderous characters…but surprise, surprise), Laurence Fishburn, Walton Goggins and one of the original UFC fighters, Oleg Taktarov. Nice to see the predators at play, unwinding with their guests.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Here’s an example of another type of abduction…the abduction of the personality. In Invasion of the Body Snatchers the aliens didn’t take anyone anywhere; they just stripped humanity of their… well… humanity. Whether you’re talking about the original from 1956 or the well-received remake from 1978 (both based on the novel The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney), both films dealt with the same general concept: the loss of our emotion. And in reality, if stripped of emotion, what are we? This may be a scarier concept than actual physical abduction because you can survive a good anal probing, but what becomes of you when you lose yourself?
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Just to prove that all alien abductions aren’t bad, Steven Spielberg brought us the iconic film Close Encounters of the Third Kind. And just in case you still didn’t believe that aliens weren’t necessarily our enemies, he followed it up, of course, with E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, but no one got snatched up into space in that one. Although Close Encounters did end up on a positive note, it was quite harrowing along the way. Richard Dreyfuss’ performance is one of the most memorable of his career (who could forget his mashed potato Devil’s Tower sculpture?). And have we ever really gotten that five-tone song out of our heads? Do-do-doo-do-doooo.
Fire in the Sky
Based on the real-life story of Travis Walton’s personal tale, Fire in the Sky does for alien abductions what The Amityville Horror did for haunted houses. That is, taking an incredible tale of a supernatural experience, one that is believable but not able to be proven, and making an incredibly powerful book and, ultimately, movie about it. Many fans of the genre feel that Fire in the Sky is indeed the scariest alien abduction film they’ve ever seen, and that’s an opinion that’s hard to argue. If you really dig this movie and would like to check out more on the real-life abduction claim, track down a copy of Travis Walton’s book, The Walton Experience.
“The X-Files”
Well, folks (and this one goes out to you younger readers), long before “The Walking Dead” was the must-watch genre show on TV, there was a little program called “The X-Files” that managed to hold our attention for a few years. In actuality, we all know that Agents Mulder and Scully and “The X-Files” was THE show for horror/sci-fi fans for a long time. And although the weekly episodes had our favorite agents chasing all kinds of supernatural baddies, there was that huge underlying story arc about Mulder’s sister and his belief that she was abducted by aliens. The series spawned a pair of movies that both landed in the “meh” department, but if there was ever a show that piqued our interests in alien abduction, “The X-Files” was it.
Dark Skies Synopsis
Dark Skies is a psychological thriller about a suburban couple whose lives become a nightmare when a terrifying alien presence enters their home each night to prey upon their children. Increasingly isolated from skeptical friends and neighbors, the couple are forced to take matters into their own hands to save their family.
Read our Dark Skies review!