'Disclosure Day': Are We Aliened-Out?

My fan crush on Steven Spielberg started with "Duel." In this 1971 Spielberg film, based on a short story in Playboy by legendary horror author Richard Matheson, Dennis Weaver is a salesman in a red Plymouth Valiant terrorized by a trucker in the ultimate road rage thriller. The made-for-TV movie was so successful, more footage was added and it was distributed to movie houses around the world.

Of course, that was only the start of a meteoric career that has given us blockbusters like "Jaws," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial" and "Jurassic Park," just to name just a few.

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So when his latest effort, "Disclosure Day," debuted at our local cinema, my expectations were sky high. But two hours and 25-minutes later, I exited the theater conflicted. On one hand, the actors, led by a bravura performance from Emily Blunt, were exceptional. The chase scenes, especially the car-train sequence, were thrilling. But the story, as much as I wanted to love it, fell flat. And to be honest, I'm not exactly sure why.

Yes, there are plot holes and actions by the characters that defy logic. But more than that, it could be a collective paranoia about deep-state, government cover-ups has peaked. In the almost 50 years since "Close Encounters," a sort of "UFO fatigue" has set in. After an almost endless barrage of "Ancient Aliens" episodes, Navy footage of UAPs, whistleblowers testifying before Congress and endless speculation about who or what might be visiting our small planet, all we are left with is little more than click-bait headlines and no real, credible evidence.

Sadly, gone was the wonder and awe that "Close Encounters" conveyed. These aliens weren't greeted with pipe tones and open arms, but were whisked away into hidden labs for ghastly experiments. Surely any advanced civilization "out there" somewhere would spread the word: Earth is a no-fly zone.

Despite it all, many of us hold out hope some benevolent, infinitely wiser beings will come and rescue us from ourselves, ensuring a brighter future for all Mankind. But even Rod Serling put a damper on that  in his classic "Twilight Zone" episode, "To Serve Man," from 1962:

​Despite it all, I side with the old guy holding that sign by the road in "Close Encounters," encouraging the aliens to "Stop and Be Friendly." It could happen.