Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Fire in the Sky Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 17, 2021

Robert Lieberman's "Fire in the Sky" (1993) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include new audio commentary by the director; new programs with actors D.B. Sweeney and Robert Patrick; new program with composer Mark Isham; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

One hell of a thing

On a couple of different occasions, I have mentioned that Sidney J. Furie’s The Entity is one of the most intense films I have ever seen. I discovered it many years ago, but I still vividly remember that windy winter night when its end credits appeared on my TV because it is one of only a few times when I have been genuinely spooked. Later on, I spent a lot of time researching the story that inspired the film. I read Frank De Felitta's novel and countless articles that I was able to pull out of different library archives. It is a crazy story, and what is even crazier is that there is an overwhelming amount of evidence suggesting, and perhaps even proving, that it is absolutely real.

Decades later, I recommended The Entity to a friend of mine who loved discovering ‘strange’ films as much as I did, and after she saw it, she made sure that I knew exactly how she felt about it. Simply put, she detested it, so we had a couple of very interesting discussions. I had not told her that I had thoroughly researched the story from De Felitta’s novel though, so once we started debating whether it could be real, she was genuinely surprised to hear my take on it. Her surprise then quickly evolved into something else and our discussions became quite heated. Ultimately, not only did I fail to convince her to do what I had done, which was research and learn more about the story and then form an opinion, but she actually felt inspired to discredit the information she was completely unfamiliar with because she was convinced that it could not possibly be legit. So, at some point after our discussions started, in her mind the process of rejecting had become a lot more important than the process of learning. Once I realized that it was so, I ended our interaction as quickly and as politely as I could. After that I don't believe we ever discussed films again.

A very similar but more elaborate scenario is described in Robert Lieberman’s Fire in the Sky, which was released a decade after The Entity. At the heart of it is a reconstruction of a peculiar case about a man who claimed that he was abducted by aliens in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests near Snowflake, Arizona in 1975. His name is Travis Walton and he apparently went missing for five days, causing the local authorities some very serious headache and, in the process, forcing Snowflake on the verge of mass hysteria. While Walton was missing, the guys he was with on the night of his abduction became murder suspects and in order to prove their innocence agreed to undergo polygraph tests. (All came back negative). When Walton reappeared, everyone that had become familiar with his case chose a side -- the believers studied everything Walton had to say while he slowly began recovering and argued that he and the guys he was with told the truth, and the non-believers declared that the whole thing was an elaborate hoax.

The cinematic reconstruction of Walton’s case is very attractive -- so much so that one can rather successfully argue that a few bits of it can be traced all the way to The Matrix -- but it is not the only thing that makes Lieberman’s film interesting. Indeed, the film just as effectively restages the clash of contrasting logic that all these years later still perfectly describes the nature of the division between believers and non-believers. (It is irrelevant whether the subject is alien life or supernatural activity. The clash remains the same). Consider the sequence in which Robert Patrick’s character, Mike Rogers, who was one of the guys with Walton (D.B. Sweeney) on the night when he was apparently abducted, addresses the town folks while they are gathered in the local church to demand that the sheriff does more to restore their old way of life. At the time Rogers and his buddies are largely seen as murderers and the majority wants them put behind bars so that the drama in the town can come to an end, which is why a lot is already being done to accomplish precisely that. A veteran detective (James Garner), for instance, is on the case and pursuing this very outcome. In other words, at this point it is already utterly irrelevant whether Walton was a hoaxer, or Rogers and the other guys were playing along with him, or aliens did land in Arizona and something really, really strange happened. The public perception of the situation is heavily skewed, perhaps irreversibly too, because the process of rejecting in the name of a desired outcome has become a lot more important than the process of learning and possibly finding out the truth.

Fire in the Sky Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Fire in the Sky arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment.

The release is sourced from an older master that was supplied by Paramount Pictures. I think that it is a pretty solid master, though it is rather easy to tell that in a couple of key areas meaningful improvement can be made. For example, a proper new 4K or 2K master will introduce a more refined organic grain structure, but there is nothing wrong that I can see with the current grain structure. It simply has a slightly dated appearance. Furthermore, delineation and clarity range from good to very good, and in some areas even excellent. I specifically took screencapture #18 where even the tiny birds are exceptionally easy to recognize. Depth is very pleasing. However, once shadow definition is improved, some of the darker footage will look even better. The flashbacks from the spaceship feature a lot of unique stylization, so shadows, highlights, and colors can appear a tad distorted. The overall color balance is very, very good. The primaries and the supporting nuances are stable and look very lush. Obviously, I have to speculate that when the current master was prepared someone paid a lot of attention to ensure that color values are proper. Image stability is excellent. A few tiny flecks can be spotted, but there are no distracting large cuts, damage marks, warped or torn frames to report. My score is 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Fire in the Sky Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) and English: LPCM 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit). Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it.

I tested both tracks. The 5.1 track is the clear winner because there are quite a few sequences where it significantly opens up the audio field. It has a very fine range of dynamic nuances, which tells me that when the current master was prepared it was optimized as best as possible. It does not matter how old this master is, it was done right. Can the audio sound better? Well, with so many new masters receiving new Dolby Atmos tracks it is probably possible, but I think that the current 5.1 track handles the original soundtrack incredibly well.

Fire in the Sky Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - a vintage U.S. trailer for Fire in the Sky. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).

• Touched by Light: D. B. Sweeney on Fire in the Sky - in this new program, D.B. Sweeney recalls how he was attracted to Fire in the Sky, which he assumed could turn out to be his portal to a future Spider-Man directed by James Cameron, and discusses the original case that inspired the film as well as its visual style and tone. The program was produced exclusively for Via Vision Entertainment in 2020. In English, not subtitled. (16 min, 1080p).

• We Gotta Go Back: Robert Patrick on Fire in the Sky - in this new program, Robert Patrick, recalls how he was cast to play the character of Mike Rogers and what it was like to work with so many other famous actors during the shooting of Fire in the Sky. Mr. Patrick also has some very interesting observations about the hypocrisy of the town folks after Travis Walton went missing. The program was produced exclusively for Via Vision Entertainment in 2020. In English, not subtitled. (8 min, 1080p).

• Borrowed Time: Scoring Fire in the Sky - in this new program, composer Mark Isham recalls why and how he was approached by Robert Lieberman to score Fire in the Sky and explains how electronic and orchestral music are used to emphasize different types of qualities that are introduced by the narrative. There are some particularly good observations about the research work Mr. Isham did to discover unique world sounds. The program was produced exclusively for Via Vision Entertainment in 2020. In English, not subtitled. (12 min, 1080p).

• Fear From Above: The Practical Effects of Fire in the Sky - in this new program, Michael Owens (alien sequence designer and visual effects supervisor) and Haley Jessup (art director and production designer) discuss their backgrounds and explain how they entered the film business, and comment on their specific contributions to Fire in the Sky. Also, there are some interesting observations about different industry trends at the time when the film was in production. The program was produced exclusively for Via Vision Entertainment in 2020. In English, not subtitled. (21 min, 1080p).

• Audio Commentary - in this new audio commentary, director Robert Lieberman explains how Fire in the Sky was really a two-faced project merging a human story with a controversial story but presented as one, and discusses his approach to character building, the visual style and tone of the film, the important role of music, etc. The commentary was recorded exclusively for Via Vision Entertainment in 2020.

• Photo Gallery - a collection of vintage production and promotional materials for Year of the Dragon. With music. (5 min, 1080p).

Fire in the Sky Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Most people focus on the visual strength of Fire in the Sky and this is entirely understandable because it is a great looking film. But there is a human element in Travis Walton's story that gives the film a very different personality. Take a moment and ponder how it captures the division between the believers and non-believers, and whether it is in any way applicable to our reality. You don't have to agree with one of the sides. Focus on the logic that shapes up their thought-process and you will see that the film immediately becomes even more attractive, surprisingly relevant as well. Via Vision Entertainment's release is sourced from an old but strong master that was supplied by Paramount Pictures and features a very nice selection of exclusive new bonus features. It is Region-Free. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.