Good evening ladies and gentlemen! If you people haven’t realized it by now, I am an absolute fanatic when it comes to the paranormal, and always have been. Meaning I have grown up watching paranormal TV and film, and believe me when I say that it absolutely runs the gamut from really, really good to really, really awful. With that said, I always get excited when I see that Small Town Monsters is coming out with a new project, and needless to say I was totally thrilled to have the opportunity to screen their upcoming miniseries, “On the Trail of UFOs”. If there’s anything better than a documentary from Small Town Monsters, it’s eight episodes of a docu-series. And that is definitely the case here.
Each episode of “On the Trail of UFOs” is of the same high quality as Small Town Monster’s standalone documentaries, with stunning cinematography, spectacular background music, and, of course, awesome information. If you go into this series expecting your typical UFO show, prepare to be totally blown away. Not only are classic UFO cases discussed, but each episode focuses on a different facet of the phenomenon. Two topics near and dear to my tinfoil heart - the orb/lightball/ghostlight phenomenon, and the Airship sightings of the 19th and early 20th century - are given considerable screen time, something not often done in UFO media.
Also, considering I’ve used the term UFO four times in the last paragraph, I also love the distinction made throughout the series - that of the term Unidentified Flying Object vs. the term Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon. Though I typically use UFO across my writing, videos, and podcasts, I’m an fan of UAP, as I think it really does sum up the broad scope of anomalous things in the sky better than UFO. An Ivan Sanderson quote always comes to mind regarding this distinction - when asked if he believed in Unidentified Flying Objects, his response was “I didn’t know they did (fly)”. The only point from the term UFO that applies to all anomalous reports is that they are unidentified - the labels of ‘flying’ and ‘objects’ only apply to a section of reports. This may seem like a small point, but it’s details like this which really take this series to another level.
Narrated by researcher and author Shannon LeGro, this series is a journey not only across the States, but also through the UFO phenomenon, and asks questions even more important than “What did you see?”. From personal accounts of changed lives to the pop-culture frenzy that was “Storm Area 51”, “On the Trail of UFOs” studies the effect the phenomenon has on people.
It also offers a wide array of theories regarding the age-old question - what are these things? This is due to the amazing blend of researchers, investigators, and experiencers interviewed throughout the series. Without discounting the extraterrestrial hypothesis, “On the Trail of UFOs” was a refreshing departure from the typical it’s-gotta-be-spacemen vibe that predominates UFO study. This Keel fanatic was absolutely thrilled to hear his theories regarding ultraterrestrials and the superspectrum brought up and considered seriously.
Another truly impressive aspect of this series is the UFO recreations. As someone who has had encounters with mysterious things in the sky, most film recreations leave much to be desired, and usually fall into one of two categories - too fantastic or too blasé. While some of the recreations in “On the Trail of UFOs” adhere strictly to the encounter described, others lean into a more stylized rendering, but needless to say every single one is beautifully executed.
Without giving too much away here, I’ll leave you with this. Watch it. Not only is the cinematography top of the line - as to be expected from Small Town Monsters - but the sheer amount of material covered is really quite spectacular.
Preorder “On the Trail of UFOs” right here: https://www.smalltownmonsters.com/shop/onthetrailofufosdvdbluray