This is quite an odd video -- not for the subject matter so much as for the style of presentation. According to filmmaker David Sereda, he was so fascinated by a UFO-related conversation he had with actor Dan Aykroyd that he just had to interview him in front of the cameras, and this video is basically a conversation between the two about a range of issues related to UFO phenomena. Apparently, Aykroyd has long been interested in the subject and had recently interviewed a number of prominent ufologists for his own UFO-related show for Sci-Fi (before the series was abruptly and mysteriously cancelled before it ever made it to air). Aykroyd, it's important to note, does not pretend to be a scientist or an expert (even though Sereda bills him as one of the greatest minds on earth), and he really doesn't have any vast truths to communicate -- he's just, like so many of us, fascinated and well-read on the subject, a believer who wants to push the UFO debate more firmly into public awareness.
The production quality of the actual interview leaves something to be desired. I think both men were there facing each other, but the shots of Sereda show him against a white background while Aykroyd looms in front of a shadowy background, with all manner of strange close-ups and camera angles of him interspersed throughout. To my eyes, at least, the presentation sometimes takes on the look of a mockumentary, especially when Aykroyd lights up a cigarette.
Since the topics cover a wide range of issues, from space shuttle sightings to alien abduction to parallel dimensions to Men in Black and beyond, you almost need to have at least a basic background in the history of UFOs and alien literature to put some of what is discussed in a proper context. On the other hand, the conversational tone of the presentation may appeal to the uninitiated much more than a dry, scientific discussion ever could. Those of us who consider ourselves armchair ufologists may not gain a lot out of the discussion at all, as it mainly focuses on familiar sightings, events, and speculation. Some of the newer UFO videos presented here may prove interesting, as I saw several clips I had never seen before, but none of them are in any way explosive -- there's really no substantive evidence of any kind on display here. I also think the filmmakers made a big mistake by including a significant number of Billy Meier photos -- sure, these are some of the clearest UFO photographs ever taken, but the vast majority of ufologists view Billy Meier's "evidence" as thoroughly bogus.
Basically, I have to go down the middle on this one. You need to be able to put a lot of the subject matter in its proper context in order to closely follow the conversation, yet those who know enough to do just that probably won't glean a lot of new information from the presentation. In addition, the fact that many of the same videos and photographs are replayed several times over the course of the production gets a little annoying.
