Paul Meehan’s new title delves deeply into the portrayal of alien abduction and UFO phenomena in cinema, covering decades of films and cultural shifts that reflect evolving public perceptions of extraterrestrials.
Certainly, the phenomena takes note of all the hysteria and sensationalism that is typical for such coverage. As such, UFO sightings and the development of the alien abduction narrative underline the basic features of abduction reports.
One groundbreaking news coverage that stayed in the public mind for years was the case of Betty and Barney Hill in 1961. “The Hill case established the narrative paradigms of the abduction scenario, including mental domination by the UFO entities, medical examination for reproductive purposes, communication via mental telepathy, and the imposition of missing time amnesia.”
Even before, typical feature films were made that not only mirrored the fears of “… telepathy, and the imposition of missing time amnesia.” As in characteristic American productions of the 1950s that imagine alien contact, such as The Man from Planet X (1951), The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), or The Flying Saucer (1950). As these early depictions mixed scientific exploration with a fear of invasion, which reflected the anxieties of the Cold War era. British films like Village of the Damned (1960) introduced a new layer of psychological horror to the alien contact storyline, often involving telepathic powers and the threat of alien-human hybrids. These films focused less on visual spectacle and more on the subtle terror of mind control and genetic manipulation. Those movies inform chapters 2, 3, and 4.
Generally, the evolution of the alien abduction motif in popular culture took root in the 20th century and gained speed particularly after a series of widely publicized UFO sightings. Among the early defining moments of the alien abduction narrative was the 1947 incident involving Kenneth Arnold, which brought the term “flying saucer” into public consciousness.
This event served as a catalyst for subsequent waves of UFO sightings, leading to the proliferation of a shared cultural image of extraterrestrial visitors. At some time in the 1950s, aliens in the movies became “the Grays” or “Little Gray Men,” namely small humanoids with big heads and gray skin, quickly to be found in episodes of for example, The Twilight Zone, as popular culture works fast.
Over time, these sightings would lay the groundwork for a broader abduction narrative that has remained embedded in popular culture to the present day. Soon, the phenomenon became a prevalent cultural motif, largely through the influence of books, television, films, and advertisements.
The 1970s saw a redefinition of alien encounters, both in terms of special effects and an updated fear of mind control, as seen in Spielberg’s brilliant 1979 Close Encounters of the Third Kind. This chapter muses on the influence of the real-life Travis Walton abduction case, which was widely publicized and subsequently adapted into film.
The following sections deal with cinematic representations of reptilian extraterrestrials, which have appeared less frequently in cinema but remain a key aspect of some conspiracy theories. Deep-seated fears about genetic manipulation and loss of human identity, i.e. concepts of alien-human hybrids are the main topic of chapter 7; based on both abduction accounts and films.
Sleep paralysis and horror elements during the actual film abduction are at the center of the next parts. In such films, the “… aliens conduct their business in a brisk and efficient manner and go to great lengths to maintain secrecy about their operations,” agues Meehan. The section explains how the sensation of being immobilized and the presence of ominous figures have been integrated into the cinematic portrayal of alien abduction, often blurring the line between psychological phenomena and extraterrestrial encounters.
While the book so far gave a useful overview of how lore, fiction and film making developed into the sci-fi genre abduction movie, chapter ten deals with recent versions of such procedures that in the 2000s even included comedy elements with references to Signs (2002), Dreamcatcher (2003), Dark Skies (2013), Independence Day (1996), Paul (2011), and the Resident Alien (2021) TV series. “As the 2000s progressed, the notion of alien abductions became passé and drifted into the realms of horror and comedy.”
The cultural significance of alien abduction narratives and their representation in film, has changed over the decades. Real cases and narratives have continually evolved to reflect broader societal anxieties, technological advancements, and shifting cultural paradigms.
Meehan suggests that alien abduction stories may serve as a metaphor for humanity’s fears and aspirations regarding the unknown, touching upon themes of existential vulnerability, the desire for transcendence, and the fear of losing control to a superior force. These narratives encapsulate both our hopes for contact with other species and our fears of being dominated or controlled by forces beyond our understanding.
Alien abduction stories have changed in tandem with societal shifts, reflecting different historical contexts such as the Cold War, the Space Age, and modern technological surveillance. Naturally, these narratives provide a unique lens through which we examine our cultural values, collective imagination, and even our technological aspirations, giving insight into how we perceive ourselves in the context of a vast, unknown universe.
This approach helps underscore the deep psychological resonance these stories have within us, illustrating their symbolic role in processing both our anxieties about the future and our dreams for contact and transcendence. Meehan connects this change to the psychological and emotional impact of alien depictions, explaining that the “Grays” represents both the familiar and the uncanny, which evokes fascination and, naturally, panic. These narratives have the ability to reflect our deepest fears, such as subjugation by unknown entities, as well as our loftiest dreams, like unity and understanding beyond our planetary confines, making them a potent tool for cultural self-reflection.
Review by Dr. A. Ebert © 2024
Paul Meehan. Alien Abduction in the Cinema: A History from the 1950s to Today. McFarland, 2023, 219 p.
