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| Available at Amazon.com |
Are we truly alone? It’s a question everyone must ask themselves at some point in their lives. There are planets out there that we know so little about. Some we don’t even know that they exist, and yet so many of us still doubt that there can be life forms outside of Earth’s atmosphere. To be so close minded is absolutely absurd when there is not an ounce of proof saying we are alone in this universe. There is not one shred of evidence saying that the planets which humans could not survive on can’t be inhabited by beings other then those found in the human race. Perhaps that is why those beings find it necessary to infiltrate Earth and show small signs that they really are out there.
UFO Hunters consists of a team that does exactly what the title of the series entails and they hunt down UFOs and all the information they can find about them. The team has some very reputable members including best selling author Bill Birnes, former NASA employee Ted Acworth, “UFO Magazine” publisher Pat Uskert, and intern technician Jeff Tomlinson. Together they travel around the world exploring the existence of UFOs and life outside of Earth. They head to known locations where activity has taken place, and head to where eyewitnesses and those who have had experiences reside. Being educated men; they don’t take everything they hear as truth for they also like to make sure some kind of evidence is there or that is comes from a reliable source.
Many occurrences have “happened” by evidence of blinking light patterns in the sky, small metal objects flying across the horizon, or even strange things moving around overhead that can’t be explained. There have also been sightings sporting true evidence such as crash wreckage or full ships, but those situations are often associated with stories of possible government cover-ups. One of the things I like about the team is that they will set out to debunk stories they are told or evidence they are presented with. Much like Ghost Hunters, it allows for viewers to get a sense of reality from feeling as if they aren’t just out there taking everything as solid truth. That is one of the better things the series offers, but it has problems in a good number of other areas. And this isn’t even always admirable as there are some things told to the team that seem incredibly far fetched yet they take the time to sit and think about them and take them as possibilities. A few are even laughable, but they still feel the need to discuss them.
There are a handful of episodes in this first season that are extremely enjoyable and can be taken very seriously. Dealing with Roswell, Stonehenge, or even with pilots who had to contend with UFOs trying to have a dogfight battle with them in the sky are the types of things that have been passed down through history and make cases for more research. But when you head out to speak to different cops and hear their stories of people reporting “seeing something strange,” then it’s just pointless and quite boring. Give me the crazy people out there that tell stories of being abducted and having strange tests done to them (see Randy Quaid in Independence Day). I want to see those freaks who do nothing but sit in their barn all day and night tracking stars in the sky and which ones should or shouldn’t be there. Don’t give me interesting research interlaced with incredibly dull. Give me that research and true investigation combined with the loony birds out there that probably have more accurate information then any scientist alive.
Episodes
Disc One:
The UFO Before Roswell: Two Air Force officers went to Maury Island, Washington where six unidentified objects crashed so that they could analyze the evidence in the area. This is a really good opening episode to get everyone associated with exactly what happens in the series.
USOs: In 1990, a pilot traveling in a single engine plane saw something flying below him, was surrounded in some form of light, and crashed. The team travels to the Catalina Islands to investigate the possible occurrence of USOs (Unidentified Submerged Objects).
Abductions: It has always been said that aliens abduct humans and implant objects in them so that they can be studied from afar. The team takes a look at the possibility of removing an object from a man’s leg after a possible abduction.
Crash And Retrieval: The team investigates a site where a UFO was said to have crashed and been discovered by the military of both the Mexican and American governments.
Disc Two:
Military Vs. UFOs: In 1956, a UFO was said have been seen flying towards the RAF Bentwaters military base where nuclear weapons were stored. A former British Prime Minister of Defense speaks on those claims and that of a possible cover-up. One of the better episodes in this season because we finally get into the shallow waters of a government trying to cover up UFO existence for some reason unknown to civilians.
Cops Vs. UFOs: Many times if people see something strange, they automatically call the police for help. This episode checks into the many accounts from police officers when strange sightings were reported for them to check out.
Reverse Engineering: A lot of attention is given to the famed Roswell crash location as we begin to wonder whether our technology is more advanced then the visitors from other planets. Could some of the planes and other weapons or vehicles used in the world today come from the technology given to us from visitors?
Disc Three:
UFO Vortexes: Many places around the globe are prone to more UFO sightings then others so the team finds it only makes sense to head out to locations such as New York’s Hudson Valley, Stonehenge, Arizona, Mexico, and Utah.
Alien Contact: A number of people believe they are privy to contact from other worldly beings so they have been recording their interaction on cameras, tapes, and other devices. The team visits with a man from Ohio, one from Virginia, and a woman from Vancouver to see if their findings actually reveal some type of communication. You won’t believe your eyes and ears.
Invasion Texas 2008: January of 2008 saw a huge amount of reports and sightings in Texas between Fort Worth and Houston. The team finds out eyewitness reports, materials, and anything captured that could help them further document these purported occurrences.
Disc Four:
UFO Dogfights: It isn’t always just enemy planes that battle it out with other jets in the sky during battle, but sometimes it’s a UFO duking it out. The team investigates claims from pilots that UFOs engaged them in dogfights.
Code Red: Someone always has to spot it first and if you’ve got the radar and tracking equipment to do so, then it could be you. The team sits down with some military officers that confirm tracking UFOs on radar before and raising security alerts because of their flights through restricted air space.
The NASA Files: Former NASA officers sit down with the team and go over what they experienced when working for the world’s largest space organization. A lot of information is given forth as to whether NASA knows a lot more about UFOs, beings from other planets, and much more.
The episodes are shown in 1.33:1 Full Screen format and they look great. There are interviews, flashbacks, recreations, computer generated scenes, and old footage so there is a bit of variation between everything, but all still looks good.
The episodes are heard in Dolby Digital Stereo Sound and all is fine on this front. The narration and interviews come through perfectly while only some background music and little sound effects make up the rest of the sound.
Additional Scenes – There are only three additional scenes dealing with the military, cops, radio waves, and UFOs of course. All three combined are only a little over eight minutes, but they’re not bad to check out.
I’m being generous here, but I’m willing to give UFO Hunters the benefit of the doubt because the History Channel usually doesn’t fail in many categories. Check out Monster Quest as a prime example to something that can go off almost without a hitch in its debut season. That is what I’m going off of here with the faults in this series, and hoping that they get not only better but get more interesting in the later seasons. Eliminate the dullness and throw in episodes that deal with more in depth looks at the people associated with findings instead of just looking at site after site where you’re hoping to find one small piece of evidence. The special features need to get a little better too, but that was my hope simply because the season provided so few enjoyable episodes. Make the next season a little better and more like the pilot and season finale from this first season and you’re on your way to another hit History Channel. Continue down the road you’re on and I say you hop aboard your flying saucer and skedaddle off to Mars or some such place.
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A&E Home Video presents UFO Hunters: The Complete Season One. Created by: The History Channel. Starring: William J. Birnes, Pat Uskert, Ted Acworth, Jeff Tomlinson, John Tindall, James Lurie. Running time: 611 minutes on 4 discs. Rating: Not Rated. Released on DVD: August 26, 2008. Available at Amazon.com
About Danny Cox
