Search - Fire in the Sky on DVD

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 2/9/2024...

Based on true events, boring until the ending! Hit the 120X FF as needed!

Samuel K. (Solvanda)
Reviewed on 7/25/2018...

1993 movie based on the book "The Walton Experience" (nothing to do with Walmart.) The account is as follows: A group of Arizona loggers encounter a UFO and flee in terror after one of them is hit by a bright beam. The dude is found later in an awful state, and after all kinds of deliberations, we finally get to see a flashback of his alien abduction:

He awakens inside a slimy cocoon. Breaking out of its membrane, he finds himself in a zero-gravity environment. He is horrified to inadvertently discover that one cocoon contains the decomposing remains of a human body that has apparently been dissected and is still semi-conscious. Making his way to a neighboring area featuring what appear to be several humanoid space suits, he is apprehended by two extraterrestrial creatures. He is unwillingly hauled down corridors full of terrestrial detritus such as shoes and keys before arriving in a bizarre examination room. The aliens strip him of his clothes and cover him with an elastic material that pins him painfully to a raised platform under an array of equipment and lights in the middle of the room. Despite Walton's terrified screams, the aliens pitilessly subject him to a traumatic, excruciating experiment in which a gelatinous substance is shoved into his mouth, his jaw is clamped open, a device is inserted into his neck and he is forced to endure an ocular probe while fully conscious during the experience.

This fifteen minutes or so is where the director and producer excel. And you'll never get this part out of your mind. If I'd made this movie, I would have just filmed two hours straight of these UFO terror scenes. Then this would be a complete cult classic.

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Creepily effective, you judge if it's true

N. Durham | Philadelphia, PA | 12/21/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Based on the supposedly true account of alien abductee Travis Walton, Fire in the Sky is creepily effective in it's storytelling and presentation. D.B. Sweeney plays the logger who, along with his co-workers, witnesses bizarre lights hovering in the sky. Travis attempts to get a closer look, and is seemingly beamed aboard and never seen again until five days later. While the events in the film differ from Walton's own account, Fire in the Sky manages to get under your skin once Travis has a flashback of the events that transpired aboard the spaceship. The alien beings are surprisingly well designed, and the ordeal Travis goes through will make your skin crawl despite the film's PG-13 rating. It's not perfect, but the cast (including T2's Robert Patrick, Peter Berg, Craig Sheffer, and James Garner) makes it work. All in all, if you are one of the many people who zone out to the X-Files and UFO phenomina, give this a look."

Exceptional direction, cast, and realism

calmly | 01/21/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've seen this movie 3 times now over the past decade. I'm probably more impressed with each viewing.

The story is presented very clearly and with no wasted time. A strong cast has been assembled: this is no "B" movie. Reportedly it has only made $20 million domestically since its 1993 release which is a shame. I can only assume it wasn't marketed well.

I hadn't realized that one of the leads, Robert Patrick, had been T-1000 in Terminator 2 (in 1991). It is indeed hard to recognize him here from that earlier role. He's as convincing as possible as Mike, the best friend, of the abductee Travis. James Garner has a key role as an investigator. Henry Thomas, "ET"'s Elliot and by this time a teenager, is one of the loggers who witnessed the UFO. I hadn't recognized him either until this viewing.

The episode aboard the UFO, presented in flashbacks, was the work of "Industrial Light and Magic". It's eiree enough that, unlike Travis, you would think twice before stepping out to go up to a UFO.

As in the book, a great deal of emphasis is placed on the polygraph tests. It's easy to accept the movie as entertainment: in the book Walton is insistent on the truth of what he experienced. But a polygraph, as I understand it, is not scientifically accepted as a reliable lie detector.

Travis Walton participated in the movie production but accepted a completely different presentation of the abduction sequence than his book presents. His book's version, supposedly what really happened, would not have been as interesting. If you had been abducted, would you care that Hollywood used your story as input for a yarn that distorted what the aliens were like or would you want people to see what really happened. I wonder if many people who saw the movie didn't read the book and so came away not knowing how the aliens actually seemed to Travis.

But Hollywood didn't need a true story, just a story that they could present as if true.

Travis Walton has a web site which was operational at the time I am submitting this review."

A perfect alien abduction film

Eduardo Lino Costa | London United Kingdom | 10/14/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Fire in the Sky is one of the most memorable films of the nineties for me, It had it all, compelling characters, the right pacing for a thriller, and quite possibly the scariest conclusion one could hope for.
some of the things that makes this film great are the attention to the storyline, the acting, and without a doubt the creature effects, which will leave you absolutelly stunned that a film like this was made in the early part of the nineties, and the special effects look absolutelly real, where nowadays we get to see horribly executed CG creatures that , because of their cheapness become forgetable. Definetelly not the case here.
Another note, the film is suposedly based on a real story, and the story does pout forward arguments that leave the viewer wonderung weather it could have been possible, since it presents all the possible sides. Anyone who is looking for a film that will stay with you for long after you've watched it, then check this one out. THis is one of the highest possible recomendation i could give fans of sci-fi thrillers, or just horror in general."