Still Watching the Skies: Episode 140 “UFOria”

By Robert Reineke

This month, Nat, Cody, and Robert journey to rural America to talk about belief and UFOs in 1981’s/1985’s UFOria.

John Binder’s UFOria seemed like it had the ingredients to be a modest hit. And maybe it would have been one if released in 1981 or 1982 with its combination of ordinary people struggling with relationships, their own failings, faith, and UFOs. But in 1985, after the boom of Hollywood science fiction blockbusters in the 1980s, it didn’t stand a chance.

Buf if UFOria has slipped into cult obscurity, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t anything to discuss. The main cast, Fred Ward, Harry Dean Stanton, and Cindy Williams all had success on the big and small screen. Perhaps more in supporting roles, but that kind of makes their time in the spotlight more notable.

Fred Ward plays Sheldon a good old boy and erstwhile small-time con-man who thinks he has the charisma and star power to be the next Burt Reynolds or Waylon Jennings. Arguably he’s only conning himself. At least before hooking up with Arlene (Cindy Williams), a grocery store clerk who’s struggling with her faith and human weakness, but has a lot of faith in UFOs. She’s the angel on Sheldon’s shoulder.

On the other shoulder is Brother Bud (Harry Dean Stanton), Sheldon’s actual brother and a traveling evangelist who puts on a revival show but the only thing he’s really trying to revive is his bank account. Pretty soon we have Arlene’s sincere belief pitted against Brother Bud’s more organized religion with Sheldon being asked who he has more faith in.

That conflict also sparks a lot of discussion in the podcast as we debate the film, how it works or doesn’t, discuss the various actors, points in common with TWIN PEAKS, how it compares and contrasts with CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, and just what it’s trying to say about faith, religion, and America at the dawn on the 1980s. Not to mention a certain kind of American man of the time.

No need to believe in UFOs to enjoy the podcast; give us a play below or download the episode. Also, feel free to let us know what you think by commenting on our page at Facebook or you can Email Us at skiespocast@gmail.com as we appreciate feedback.

Time tracks:
0:00:00 – UFOria Discussion
1:02:21- Next Movie and Outro

Next month, we revisit William Gibson, cyberpunk, and Keanu Reeves, with Johnny Mnemonic. We hope you’ll join us.

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Robert Reineke

Robert Reineke was born in the dark era before cable television, but somehow survived based on a steady diet of Universal Monsters, Hammer Horror, 1950s science fiction, and Godzilla on his local UHF station. As a college student, he discovered the works of David Lynch and Akira Kurosawa which opened up different vistas for him. When he’s not doing useful things like heading up environmental investigations and cleanups or designing sewers, you can find him watching movies, writing about them, and talking about them. He’s a booster of the Milwaukee Film Festival. Somehow he puts up with young whippersnappers Nat Almiral and Cody Lang on the Still Watching the Skies podcast.