From ages, humans have been trying to find an answer to one of the most perplexing questions related to their existence – are we alone in this vast unending universe, or life exists beyond the planet earth in some unexplored parts of this cosmos. So far, we do not have any conclusive answer to this question.
But movies have never failed to give wings to our imagination. In fact, movies have played an important role in making the concept of UFO and aliens so popular. In this article, we have compiled a list of 5 outstanding UFO movies to watch on this UFO day. But first, let’s take a brief look at the history and significance of the World UFO day.
World UFO Day
UFO (Unidentified Flying Object) enthusiasts across the world have been celebrating the World UFO day on July 2 every year to create an awareness about the existence of UFOs and encourage people to come together and watch the sky for UFOs. The day is also celebrated to put pressure on governments to declassify the files on UFO sightings.
July 2 is chosen to celebrate the day as it is the date of the Roswell incident. 71 years ago on this date (July 2, 1947), Mac Brazel discovered a metallic object from a ranch in the northwest Roswell, New Mexico.
He informed the military authorities, who investigated the wreckage material. In the initial report, the material was mentioned as a mysterious “flying disk”. But later government scientists declared it as a weather balloon, which generated speculations about a possible cover-up.
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5 Best Movies About UFOs
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Cast: Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Teri Garr
Directed and written by none other than Steven Spielberg, this movie is considered a classic and a masterpiece. Released in 1977, this movie can still fill its viewers with a sense of excitement and awe with stunning performances and visuals.
The lead character Roy Neary, played by Richard Dreyfuss is a power repairman who has a chance encounter with a strange-looking vessel or spacecraft. This accidental encounter is followed by recurring visions of a mountain, which made him desperate to find out what he has experienced.
In this journey, he found a partner in Jillian played by Melinda Dillon. Jillian is a single mother who thinks that her son has been kidnapped by the aliens.
In the meantime, a group of scientists led by Claude Lacombe is shown investigating a case of possible human-alien communication. All these finally lead to a place near Moorcroft, Wyoming, where an unprecedented event in human history takes place, which is witnessed by both Roy Neary and Jillian.
Alien
Cast: Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kott
Directed by Ridley Scott and screenplay by Dan O’Bannon, Alien is a science fiction horror movie that was released in 1979. With a tagline, “in space, no one can hear you scream”, the Alien is a movie reckoned for its brilliant art design, special effects, and a scary and intelligent script.
The movie begins with a merchant vessel receiving an unknown transmission from a nearby moon LV-426. The ship’s computer awakens the crew as according to the company policy any potential distress signal needs to be investigated.
So, the commercial spaceship Nostromo lands on the moon and locates the spaceship from which the signal came. Three of the seven crew members go out to investigate the signal.
They find an alien ship and inside the ship, a giant extraterrestrial navigator frozen in its chair and a chamber full of large egg-like objects. When the repaired Nostromo finally takes off for the earth, its crewmembers discover that an alien life is also onboard. What follows next is a series of terrible deaths. In the end, the lone female member of the crew manages to make it to the earth after destroying the alien life.
The Independence Day
Cast: Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Vivica A. Fox
Released in 1996, The Independence Day is a science fiction action movie directed and co-written by Roland Emmerich. It is a movie about an alien invasion and is known for its spectacular special effects which made it win the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
As far as alien invasion films are concerned, the Independence Day sets the bar. The movie begins with an alien mothership deploying assault fortress saucers over some of the major cities of the world.
Following attacks by the extraterrestrial species, the international leaders decide to launch individual counterattacks. But air forces fail to damage the saucers as they are protected by force field.
Finally, David Levinson, played by Jeff Goldblum discovers a way to deactivate the force field by uploading a computer virus into the mothership. In the meantime, the entire world unites to launch a final counterattack on July 4, the independence day of the United States.
ET The Extraterrestrial
Cast: Drew Barrymore, Erika Eleniak, Debra Winger
ET is another masterpiece by Steven Spielberg. What is unique about ET is that unlike other alien movies, here the extraterrestrial life is a harmless being who just wants to go back to its home.
It is also the story of Elliot, the innocent boy who befriends the alien and helps it return home while protecting it from the government agents.
The movie begins with the landing of an alien spaceship in a California forest. A group of alien botanists emerges from the spaceship but then leaves in a hurry when government agents appear in the scene.
The aliens leave behind one member of the team, whom Elliot discovers and then befriends. Filled with many surprises, hope, and innocence, ET is a movie that gives priceless lessons about love, friendship, and humanity.
The Thing
Cast: Kurt Russell, Keith David, John Carpenter
Directed by John Carpenter, The Thing is about an alien life form that can imitate other organisms, i.e., it can take the form of almost any organism it touches.
An American scientific expedition comes across a Norwegian helicopter pursuing and shooting a sled dog. They witnessed the Norwegian passenger accidentally blowing up the helicopter and himself.
The scientists take the dog with them, but soon they discover that it is actually an alien life form that can assimilate and metamorphose into any form.
They also discover a large excavation site encompassing a flying saucer and a human-sized dig site. What follows next is fear, paranoia, and disbelief among the group members, as the alien life takes them over one by one.
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