Out of the Blue - The Definitive Investigation of the UFO (2003)

Out of the Blue, which first aired on the Sci-Fi Channel, is an excellent, sound, and sober documentary that ends up being as much about the cover-up as the UFO phenomenon itself, which is only to be expected since the two cannot be separated until the dark veil of truth is finally torn asunder. While you can't even begin to examine more than a few of the most compelling UFO cases in such a short amount of time, the video does offer a good overview of the history of UFO activity and highlights a select number of important sightings and events from various parts of the world. A vast array of experts (scientists, astronauts, cosmonauts, physicists, pilots, military officers, government officials) are consulted, and many competent witnesses describe what they saw or experienced. Roswell, Rendlesham Forest, the 1976 Iranian air force encounter, and the more recent Phoenix Lights are all mentioned, but the scientific rigor of the presentation precludes any mention of more sensational topics such as alien abduction. Among the most significant (but less famous) events touched upon are Gordon Cooper's filming of a craft landing and taking off from a California military base in 1955 (the film disappeared after it got to D.C.), footage of a Trident missile being blown apart by laser-beam-like weapons from a UFO, and the disabling of 10-20 nuclear missiles in Montana missile silos by a UFO which hovered over the base in broad daylight).

The second half of the video really gets to the heart of the official cover-up, wherein, in America, a completely covert group even denies requests for information from presidents (Carter), senators (Goldwater), Congressmen (Steven Schiff of New Mexico), and FBI directors (including J. Edgar Hoover). While some provocative information has somehow been obtained via the Freedom of Information Act, the paper trail of government lies extends as far as the eye can see, typified by the infamous Condon report, an "objective" study led by an academic who made clear his unrestrained bias both before and after he wrote his bogus summary of the group's findings (findings which included several unexplained cases with a high probability of being extraterrestrial in origin). The government's contempt for and ridicule of those who would press them on the UFO issue is best typified by Arizona's disgrace of an ex-governor, Fyfe Symington, who - five hours after vowing a serious investigation into the source of mysterious lights seen by thousands of concerned citizens - held a live press conference in which he dressed his chief of staff in an absurd alien costume and had a big laugh identifying this "alien" as the culprit.