Dan Aykroyd Unplugged On UFOs (speculation)

 

Picture: C     Sound: C     Extras: D     Main Program: C-

 

 

I like and even respect Dan Aykroyd, a great comic actor, lover of solid pop culture and even know he believes in extra-terrestrial life (no argument there) in a way that inspired his amusing and even charming Coneheads.  Unfortunately, Dan Aykroyd Unplugged On UFOs is a regressive work that tries to show “authentic” footage and come up with “facts” about that footage, but we have seen this all before and it is especially lame post-X-Files.  Also, no matter how serious he tries to act, especially smoking, everything comes across unintentionally funny.  How come UFOs never show up on digital High Definition video?  Hmmmmm.

 

The letterboxed 1.66 X 1 image is soft throughout, including and especially during the supposed flying saucers footage.  It has the production value of an old VHS or Beta cash-in quickie on the heels of the old Sunn Schick Classics speculation cycle that included UFO tales as possible fact.  Those were actually more competent.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is also surprisingly weak and is barely stereo.  Forget surrounds.  There are no extras, but 81 minutes was more than enough.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo