Excellent but underrated film

Best movie ever!

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Released on DVD in January, 2007, "Night Skies" is an alien encounter film based on the UFO sightings in Arizona on March 13, 1997.I was hesitant to give this film a chance because the plot was so thin, as seen in the trailer: On the night of the UFO sightings a group of youths in an RV come across a man in a broken-down truck and then, frighteningly, have an encounter with aliens.After viewing the film, the thin plot and the resulting padding is the only real negative, unless you count the low-budget, which means a very confined location and only a handful of characters. But since that's what the movie's about (a small group of people in a remote location) that's not really a problem.Other than that the film delivers with: A serious, non-campy approach. Someone likened "Night Skies" to the "Friday the 13th" franchise with the exception that Jason is substituted for aliens. Although this is pretty accurate, "Night Skies" lacks the goofy entertaining vibe of most of the "Friday the 13th" sequels. In other words, the filmmakers and cast take the material serious. What would happen if a group of youths and a stranded man really came across some scary aliens and were abducted? This film shows you.A quality cast. Jason Connery is great as the sympathetic stranger with a troubled past. Jason is Sean's son, of course, and very reminiscent of Will Patton in "The Mothman Prophecies." Also on hand is Ashley Peldon; she's petite, beautiful and likable. Her character, Molly, senses something admirable and benevolent in the stranger, despite his past struggles. This shows that the writers at least tried to give the characters depth. The only unlikable character is Matt, the clichéd arrogant "alpha male" who thinks with his crotch and fists. All the actors do their part to convey a serious, frightening situation, not that I found the movie scary (though some may), but neither was I laughing (as with most of the "Friday the 13th" flicks).Although the soundtrack isn't all that noticeable it contributes to the serious, frightening vibe of the film. There's also a decent rock/metal song played during the closing credits "Dragon" by Feersum Ennjin, Paul D'Amour's band. Paul was the original bassist for Tool during the UNDERTOW period, which featured the devastatingly honest & potent "Sober." At around the hour mark I was thinking that this would be one of those lame alien-encounter movies that fail to deliver, but the final act gives you everything you might want in a movie of this nature. I won't say anymore. Let's just say that the film doesn't wuss out on the abduction factor and the F/X are pretty good.The film was shot in California (L.A. and Santa Clarita) and runs a lean 1 hour, 23 minutes, which is good since movies like this shouldn't overstay their welcome.FINAL WORD: "Night Skies" has a thin plot, confined locations and few characters, but it takes its subject seriously, has quality actors and, generally speaking, gives the viewer what you want from an alien-encounter flick.GRADE: B-

The movie has almost no relation to the story on which it is allegedly based. For more than an hour, it is nothing more than a would-be horror flick, with all the usual clichés of the genre. The aliens are nothing more than a gimmick, as much as I liked them. Come to think of it, they are the best actors in the movie! Otherwise, the acting is bad, characters are unbelievable, FX range from OK to cheap and obvious, and the overall feeling is of an overblown student film. I watched it at night, a time when I simply love cheap, trashy flicks and my mind yearns for ultra low production values and plenty of T&A, if possible. I'm talking about But even with my very lenient and liberal quality criterions for that kind of films, this movie is a flop on every aspect. If there were some T's, at least there was some redeeming points. Otherwise, a total waste of time.

Lately, I've been on sort of an alien movie binge. I've been trying to watch as many real-life alien sort of flicks as I can. Some have been okay, and some have been just plain old weak. And I must say this one definitely belongs in the latter category.Night Skies is the supposed true story of an alien encounter during the famous Phoenix Lights UFO phenomenon in 1996. Toss in a pretty much useless side-story with a bunch of young lovelies and you have the makings of a pretty weak movie.How weak is up to you. Right from the get go, for me, the acting and writing, felt like a slap in the face. The back and forth between the young adults was eye-rollingly weak. Night Skies didn't deliver really anything note worthy besides in the special effects department. And that also still felt ScfI Originial-like. It honestly felt like the only real reason they made this movie was because of the gooey stuff you see ALL OVER THE PLACE at the end of the film. "Wow, this stuff is gross, doesn't it remind you of that stuff in Fire in the Sky?" Even though there's a crowd for everything, I still become surprised when people vote a movie like this a 10 and say nothing but good things about it. Maybe they're just overly optimistic people? Maybe I'm just a dude that sees the glass half empty. I think it's a combination of that and probably just not seeing that many flicks.Night Skies isn't the worst movie in the world, but it's certainly nothing recommendable. I'd really only rec this flick out if there were other people out there who also want to see all the alien abduction movies there is. Lots of bad acting, really bad writing, weak directing, mixed with alright effects and loads of exploding windows, plus a moderately grim finale, you could do worse, but I'd recommend this as a party movie instead as a serious sit-down.

Yes, this was pretty awful. It's somewhere between a Dubya economics essay and waterboard torture. Only watched it because Blockbuster is closing all their stores and this is one of the few movies still left in a store.Low budget, horrible dialog, horrible plot, horrible acting, and extreme boredom combine forces with this one. It's so boring, could listen to any insurance seminar for days with a big smile on my face. When they'd say, "How can you stand it??" I'd say because I've watched Night Skies, I can take ANYTHING.When the price of gas rises, less seems to happen in U Know Where. With this movie, gas must have been $8 because absolutely nothing happens.