UFOria Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.5

UFOria Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 7, 2026

John Binder's "UFOria" (1985) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary by John Binder and associate producer Jeanne Field, and remastered vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Conmen

John Binder’s directorial debut, UFOria, telegraphs a message that the best conmen have been aware of for many decades. In America, one can sell anything to anyone, and one can make big money by selling to the most gullible. For this reason, in America, the best conmen are not the ones who tirelessly work to perfect their tricks, but the ones who constantly improve their positioning. Selling tricks to anyone is not as profitable as selling tricks to the most gullible. Dealing with the latter is like shooting fish in a barrel -- great success is guaranteed.

After emerging in the desert, Sheldon Bart (Fred Ward), without using a map, quickly picks the right road to reach the trailer park where his old pal Brother Bud Sanders (Harry Dean Stanton) resides. While enjoying a cold beer, Bart learns from Sanders that he is making good money as an evangelist in the nearby town and great money selling hot cars. It is an almost perfect con. Bart is then thrilled to hear that Sanders wants a partner he can trust to expand the con and, soon after, retire in style.

But while becoming acquainted with the mechanics of selling hot cars, Bart bumps into Arlene Stewart (Cindy Williams), a lonely, deeply religious supermarket cashier, obsessed with UFOs and convinced that the area will soon welcome one. After getting Stewart drunk in a local bar and reminding her what it feels like to be loved by a man in her bedroom, Bart then becomes permanently distracted by her lovely personality and calming voice, jeopardizing his relationship with Sanders. Meanwhile, the local authorities launch an ambitious operation to take down Sanders’ illegal business, but bizarre reports about UFO sightings unexpectedly complicate their progress.

According to an old report published by Rolling Stone, UFOria was shelved for several years after its production ended in 1980, and then, following Universal’s acquisition of it, repeatedly mishandled because of difficulties related to its publicity campaign. (Apparently, top brass at Universal did not know how to properly market UFOria, and some even believed that it was best to abandon it to minimize losses). As odd as it may sound, it would have been most surprising if UFOria had not confused its owners because it is a genuinely different film, one that only the 1970s would have had the courage to produce.

More than half of UFOria stretches in different directions and promotes an adult sense of humor that makes it appear like a close relative of Larry Yust’s Trick Baby, another earlier gem about veteran conmen. However, the remaining material is unusual even by 1970s standards. Indeed, it bends unexpectedly, as if to give UFOria a cool genre identity, but then forces the audience to ponder several serious questions. For example, what exactly separates those who believe in the power of God from those who believe in the power of money, as they both recognize what brings true happiness in their lives? Is the strength of their conviction relatable to different interpretations of the same religion? Are these supposedly drastically different believers equally irrational people?

The final act also delivers an exclamation point that makes it pretty much impossible not to describe UFOria as a cult film, because there is another reset that bends even further. On top of this, it is very difficult to tell whether it is supposed to be taken seriously or meant to be a slap that permanently pulls the audience out of what has quietly become something of an acid trip.

*Kino Lorber's combo pack presents an exclusive new 4K restoration of UFOria, sourced from the original camera negative.

UFOria Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, UFOria arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release presents an exclusive new 4K restoration of UFOria, sourced from the original camera negative. The 4K restoration is also made available on 4K Blu-ray in this combo pack.

The 4K restoration and its presentation are terrific. On my system, the entire film had a healthy, very attractive, and convincing period appearance. There are certain areas of it with obvious fluctuations, but they are part of the original cinematography. (For example, in one of the sequences where the UFO is seen, the density levels drop significantly, causing obvious loss of detail). There are no traces of any problematic digital corrections. Grain exposure is very good and healthy. However, grain spikes and drops are also present in many different areas of the film. Color reproduction and balance are excellent. All primaries and supporting nuances are properly set and balanced. Image stability is excellent. I spotted a few small blemishes and marks, but there are no large cuts, debris, warped or torn frames to report. My score is 4.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

UFOria Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I viewed the new 4K restoration of UFOria, in its entirety, on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray. The comments below are from our review of the combo pack release.

The original soundtrack has distinct organic qualities. Different sounds and noises frequently flood the film, creating fluid contrasts that are not compatible with the type of dynamic intensity audiophiles find attractive. However, there are several sequences with small but interesting surprises, all of which are in the final third of the film. All exchanges are clear, sharp, and easy to follow.

UFOria Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - in this exclusive new audio commentary, director John Binder and associate producer Jeanne Field share a lot of interesting information about the mishandling of UFOria (inlcuding a famous disastrous screening in Peoria, Illinois), the numerous contrasting themes that are intertwined in it, Fred Ward and Harry Dean Stanton's performances, and the film's reemergence all these years later. The commentary is moderated by critic Daniel Kremer.

• Trailer - presented here is a remastered vintage trailer for UFOria. In English, not subtitled. (1 min).

UFOria Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you merge Trick Baby and Foes, you would get a rough replica of John Binder's directorial debut, UFOria, with one major omission. Whether intentionally or not, UFOria asks several very interesting, serious questions, too. It is a great little film, begging to be rediscovered after being misunderstood and mistreated by its owners. Kino Lorber's Blu-ray release presents a fantastic, exclusive new 4K restoration of it, together with a very informative new audio commentary by Binder and associate producer Jeanne Field. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.