Fire in the Sky (1993)

Director:

Robert Lieberman

Writers (WGA):

Travis Walton (book)
Tracy Tormé (screenplay)

Release Date:

12 March 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Alien abduction. November 5, 1975. White Mountains, Northeastern Arizona. Based on the true story.

Plot:

A group of men who were clearing bush for the government arrive back in town, claiming that their friend was abducted by aliens...

Plot Keywords:

Friend | Woods | Arizona | Alien | Snowflake Arizona

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

D.B. Sweeney	...	Travis Walton
Robert Patrick	...	Mike Rogers
Craig Sheffer	...	Allan Dallis
Peter Berg	...	David Whitlock
Henry Thomas	...	Greg Hayes
Bradley Gregg	...	Bobby Cogdill
Noble Willingham	...	Blake Davis
Kathleen Wilhoite	...	Katie Rogers
James Garner	...	Frank Watters
Georgia Emelin	...	Dana Rogers
Scott MacDonald	...	Dan Walton
Wayne Grace	...	Cyrus Gilson
Kenneth White	...	Buck
Robert Covarrubias	...	Ray Melendez
Bruce Wright	...	Dennis Clay
Robert Biheller	...	Ellis
Tom McGranahan Sr.	...	Dr. Wilson
Julie Ariola	...	Dr. Cayle
Peter Mark Vasquez	...	Ramon
Gordon Scott	...	George
Mical Shannon Lewis	...	Mary Rogers
Courtney Esler	...	Emily Rogers
Holly Hoffman	...	Cathy
Marcia MacLaine	...	Nurse
Glen Lee	...	Geiger Counter Man
Vernon Barkhurst	...	Bill Grant
Jerry Basham	...	Citizen
Teresa Fox	...	Citizen
Travis Walton	...	Citizen
Susan Castillo	...	Anchorwoman
Jane Ferguson	...	Lurae Jenkins
Nancy Neifert	...	Cathy's Mom
Charley Lang	...	Jarvis Powell
Lynn Marie Sager	...	Ida (as Lyn Marie Sager)
Mari Padron	...	Thelma
John Breedlove	...	Balding Man
Frank Chavez	...	Orlando
Louis A. Lotorto	...	Paramedic (as Louis A. Lotorto Jr.)
Ronald Lee Marriott	...	Digger
Shinichi Mine	...	Japanese Reporter
Scott M. Seekins	...	Emergency Room Doctor
Eric Wilsey	...	Claude
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dana Walton	...	Citizen
Natasha Henry	...	Alien (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Lieberman

Writing credits (WGA)
Travis Walton		(book "The Walton Experience")
Tracy Tormé		(screenplay)

Produced by
Todd Black	....	producer
Wolfgang Glattes	....	executive producer
Nilo Rodis-Jamero	....	co-producer
Robert Strauss	....	co-producer
Tracy Tormé	....	co-producer
Joe Wizan	....	producer

Original Music by
Mark Isham

Cinematography by
Bill Pope		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Steve Mirkovich

Casting by
Sharon Bialy
Debi Manwiller
Richard Pagano

Production Design by
Laurence Bennett

Art Direction by
Mark W. Mansbridge

Set Decoration by
John Goodson
Daniel Loren May		(as Daniel L. May)

Costume Design by
Joe I. Tompkins

Makeup Department
Ken Chase	....	makeup artist
Dennis Glas	....	additional makeup artist (as Dennis Glass)
Nina Paskowitz	....	hair stylist
Charlene Roberson	....	makeup artist: James Garner

Production Management
Patricia Blau	....	executive in charge of production: alien sequence
Wolfgang Glattes	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
J. Michael Haynie	....	first assistant director
Martin Jedlicka	....	assistant director
Rocky Lane	....	assistant director (as Rock Barlett Lane)
Michael Owens	....	additional unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
Donald R. Abblett	....	production painter
Barbara Affonso	....	set decoration supervisor: alien sequence
Aaron M. Albucher	....	art department coordinator (as Aaron Albucher)
Hip Amdahl	....	greens person
Tim Andreasen	....	propmaker
Bill Barr	....	construction supervisor: alien sequence
James Betts	....	paint foreperson
Robert Bonino	....	construction coordinator (as Robert 'Beans' Bonino)
Randy Bostic	....	lead person (as Randall Bostic)
Charles A. Carlsen	....	construction foreperson (as Charles Carlsen)
Chistine Chapman	....	painter (as Christine M. Chapman)
Charles J. Clark	....	painter
Scot Cummings	....	painter
Mike Cunningham	....	assistant property master
Tim Dent	....	property person
Ken Erck	....	set painter
Brian Gernand	....	set decorator: alien sequence
John Goodson	....	set decorator: alien sequence
Steven Curtis Husch	....	prop person (as Steve Husch)
Harley Jessup	....	art director: alien sequence
John Leimanis	....	set designer
Michael Owens	....	alien sequence designer
Steve Patterson	....	propmaker
Drew Pinniger	....	prop person
James W. Roberts	....	propmaker
Michael Ross	....	property master
Neil Saiger	....	propmaker foreperson
Mark Siegel	....	sculptor
Taylor Yingling	....	carpenter

Sound Department
Bob Baron	....	adr mixer
Pamela Bentkowski	....	supervising foley editor
Richard Burton	....	sound editor
Patrick Clark	....	boom operator (as Pat Clark)
Anne Couk	....	assistant sound editor
Greg Curda	....	foley mixer
Christine Danelski	....	foley editor
Ken Dufva	....	foley artist
Juno J. Ellis	....	supervising adr editor
David Lee Fein	....	foley artist
Hank Garfield	....	sound mixer (as Henry Garfield)
Douglas Greenfield	....	consultant: Dolby stereo
Michael Herbick	....	sound re-recording mixer
Frank Howard	....	sound effects editor
Joseph A. Ippolito	....	supervising sound editor
Scott D. Jackson	....	foley editor
John Leveque	....	sound effects editor
Donald O. Mitchell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Frank A. Montaño	....	sound re-recording mixer
Paul O'Bryan	....	assistant sound editor
Craig Sims	....	assistant sound editor
Thomas W. Small	....	assistant sound editor (as Thomas Small)
Karen Spangenberg	....	dialogue editor
Bruce Stambler	....	sound effects editor
Becky Sullivan	....	adr editor
Cary Weitz	....	cable person
Richard E. Yawn	....	sound effects editor (as Richard Yawn)
Steve Mann	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Robert Cooper	....	special effects puppeteer (as Robert A. Cooper)
Mike Gerzevitz	....	special effects technician
David Heron	....	key special effects: alien sequence (as Dave Heron)
Geoff Heron	....	special effects foreperson: alien sequence
Erik Jensen	....	special effects puppeteer (as E. Erik Jensen)
Matt Kutcher	....	special effects
Len Levitt	....	special effects puppeteer (as Leonard Levitt)
Mark Lilienthal	....	special effects (as Mark R. Lilienthal)
Alan E. Lorimer	....	special effects coordinator (as Alan Edward Lorimer)
Jules Mann	....	assistant model maker
Wendy Morton	....	special effects puppeteer (as Wendy Lou Morton)
Dan Nelson	....	special effects foreperson: alien sequence
Lambert Powell	....	special effects
Mark Siegel	....	special effects puppeteer (as Mark S. Siegel)
Paul Stewart	....	special effects
Lisa Sturz	....	special effects puppeteer (as Lisa Aimee Sturz)
Danny Wagner	....	creature maker
Harold Weed	....	model maker
Frank W. Tarantino	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Joel Aron	....	technical director
Don Bies	....	creature technician: alien sequence
Jean Bolte	....	creature technician: alien sequence
Jean Bolte	....	puppeteer: alien sequence
Bryan Dewe	....	creature technician: alien sequence
Bryan Dewe	....	puppeteer: alien sequence
Timothy Eaton	....	visual effects editor: alien sequence (as Tim Eaton)
Chris Goehe	....	creature technician: alien sequence
Chris Goehe	....	puppeteer: alien sequence
Clint Goldman	....	visual effects producer: alien sequence
Edward Hirsh	....	stage manager: alien sequence (as Ed Hirsh)
Wade Howie	....	digital effects artist
Guy Hudson	....	creature technician: alien sequence (as Sir Guy of Hudson)
Sandra Ford Karpman	....	computer graphics supervisor: alien sequence
Fireball Tim Lawrence	....	visual effects concept artist (as Tim Lawrence)
Jennifer Lee	....	optical line up: ILM
Jeff Mann	....	creature supervisor: alien sequence
Jeff Mann	....	puppeteer: alien sequence
Richard Miller	....	creature technician: alien sequence
Mark Moore	....	visual effects art director: alien sequence
Jim Morris	....	general manager: ILM
Molly Naughton	....	visual effects coordinator: alien sequence
Michael Olague	....	visual effects crew
Randy Ottenberg	....	model maker
Michael Owens	....	visual effects supervisor
Joshua Pines	....	scanning supervisor: alien sequence
Mike Smithson	....	lead makeup and puppet effects
Bruce Vecchitto	....	digital supervisor: alien sequence
Bruce Vecchitto	....	optical supervisor: alien sequence
Robert Weaver	....	digital artist
Harold Weed	....	creature technician: alien sequence
Steve Gawley	....	model maker (uncredited)

Stunts
Laurence Todd Rosenthal	....	stunt performer
Chuck Waters	....	stunt coordinator
James Waters	....	stunts (as Jim Waters)
Webster Whinery	....	stunts
Scott Leva	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bert Arena	....	electrician
Richard L. Carden	....	dolly grip (as Rick Carden)
Henry Cline	....	first assistant camera
James Martin Cox	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Scott Crabbe	....	video assist operator (as Scott R. Crabbe)
Dick Dova	....	grip: first company, alien sequence
Jerry Enright	....	rigging lighting technician
Bob Finley III	....	chief lighting technician: alien sequence (as Robert Finley III)
James Fitzgerald	....	second assistant camera
Mark Gambino	....	grip
John Gazdik	....	camera assistant: alien sequence
Kurt Grossi	....	grip: first company
Chris Haarhoff	....	camera operator (as Christopher Haarhoff)
Glenn R. Hale	....	grip
Brad Jerrell	....	assistant chief lighting technician: alien sequence
David R. Kohn	....	electrician (as David Kohn)
James E. Krattiger	....	electrician (as James Krattiger)
Kim Marks	....	camera operator: alien sequence
Tony Mazzucchi	....	grip: second company (as Anthony Mazzucchi)
Carl Miller	....	camera assistant: alien sequence
Martin Schaer	....	camera operator
Tom Schurke	....	video playback operator
Gregory Schwartz	....	still photographer (as Greg Schwartz)
Mark Sonderskov	....	rigging electric
Joel Stirnkorb	....	rigging grip
Gary Tandrow	....	chief lighting technician
Gregor Tavenner	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Amy Vincent	....	second assistant camera
Kelly Way	....	electrician
Michael Whitehurst	....	grip: second company, alien sequence (as Mike Whitehurst)
Gary Yahn	....	grip

Casting Department
Barbara Harris	....	voice casting
Sunny Seibel	....	local casting
Jeff Tabler	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Margo Baxley	....	costume supervisor
Wendy M. Craig	....	costumer
Tom Numbers	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Timothy Alverson	....	assistant editor
Greg Dean	....	apprentice editor
Phil Hetos	....	color timer (as Philip Hetos)
Bret Marnell	....	assistant editor
Theresa Repola Mohammed	....	negative cutter
Stephen E. Rivkin	....	additional film editor

Music Department
Bob Bornstein	....	music preparation
Thomas A. Carlson	....	music editor (as Tom Carlson)
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor
Dell Hake	....	additional orchestrator (as Ardell Hake)
Stephen Krause	....	score recordist
Stephen Krause	....	scoring mixer
Ken Kugler	....	conductor
Ken Kugler	....	orchestrator
Kim Scharnberg	....	additional orchestrator
James Thatcher	....	musician: french horn (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Don Basset	....	transportation co-captain (as Don Bassett)
Wayne R. Campbell	....	transportation coordinator
Randy Musselman	....	transportation co-captain
Anthony C. Steere	....	picture car captain (as Anthony Steere)

Other crew
Linda Bloom-Hedine	....	craft service
Rocky Brooks	....	production assistant
Ladonna Bubak	....	production assistant
Wayne Campbell Jr.	....	production assistant
Robert C. Campion	....	production accountant
Elle Chan	....	talent coordinator: alien sequence
Tony Criscone	....	assistant production accountant
Luis Delgado	....	assistant: Mr. Garner
Luis Delgado	....	assistant: Mr. Garner
Max Delgado	....	production assistant
Adam M. Duthie	....	production assistant (as Adam Duthie)
Jerri Ellis	....	assistant location manager
Joan Flannery	....	post-production accountant
Larry Garrison	....	unit publicist
Betty Gumm	....	assistant: Mr. Wizan
Joanna Guzzetta	....	location manager (as Joanna Guzetta)
Nelson Hall	....	body double: D.B. Sweeney
Thomas M. Henner	....	production assistant (as Tom Henner)
William R. Hetzler	....	production assistant
Patti James	....	assistant: Mr. Lieberman
Evan Kanew	....	production assistant
Peter Eric Kozak	....	production assistant (as Peter E. Kozak)
Walter R. McCormick Jr.	....	projectionist
Howard Miller	....	assistant: Mr. Sweeney
Jim Morris	....	general manager: alien sequence
Lesley Moussette	....	assistant: Mr. Torme
Ray Quiroz	....	script supervisor (as Raymond Quiroz)
Katharine Rager	....	assistant production coordinator
Brandon Ramos	....	production assistant
Pierre Remy	....	caterer: Tux Wagon Catering
J. Marc Strachan	....	location consultant (as Marc Strachan)
Debbie Tieman	....	assistant production accountant
Linda Warren	....	production coordinator
Donald Willeby	....	first aid
Michael Williams	....	production secretary
William M. DeLuca	....	mechanic (uncredited)
James Devin	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Daniel Veluzat	....	location liaison (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (presents)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1993) (USA) (theatrical)
• Fox Network (1995) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• CIC Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Paramount Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Computer Graphics Department (digital art: alien sequence)
• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) (alien sequence and special visual effects)

Other Companies

• Cinema Research  titles and opticals
• City of Oakland  thanks
• City of Roseburg, The  thanks
• Douglas County Department of Public Works  thanks
• Douglas Forest Protective Association  thanks
• Nina Saxon Film Design  title design
• Oakland Historical Preservation Commission  thanks
• Oregon Departement of Transportation  thanks
• Oregon Film & Video Office  thanks
• Tux Wagon Catering  catering
• U.S. Forest Service, Umpqua National Forest  thanks
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Germany:16 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #32261) | Singapore:PG | Australia:M | Iceland:12 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Canada:14+ (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Idleyld Park, Oregon, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The abduction portrayed in the movie actually had nothing to do with Walton's account. After being struck by the light, Walton remembers waking up on a table surrounded by three aliens, whom he described thusly: "Their bald heads were disproportionately large for their puny bodies. They had bulging, oversized craniums, a small jaw structure, and an underdeveloped appearance to their features that was almost infantile. Their thin-lipped mouths were narrow; I never saw them open. Lying close to their heads on either side were tiny crinkled lobes of ears. Their miniature rounded noses had small oval nostrils. The only facial feature that didn't appear underdeveloped were those incredible eyes! Those glistening orbs had brown irises twice the size of those of a normal human eye's, nearly an inch in diameter! The iris was so large that even parts of the pupils were hidden by the lids, giving the eyes a certain catlike appearance. There was very little of the white part of the eye showing. They had no lashes and no eyebrows." According to Walton's account, he leaped up from the table, grabbed an instrument on a nearby table, wielded it as a weapon, and swung it at the aliens. They filed out of the room. Walton walked into a room with a high backed chair in the middle and took a seat. Upon operating a set of controls, he deduced that he was in some sort of observatory. Suddenly, a man in a blue suit with a glass helmet came through a doorway. When Walton spoke to him, he didn't respond; he merely guided Walton through the doorway. The wordless man lead Walton through a doorway, out of a saucer-like object, into a hangar filled with other saucers, down a hallway, and into a room that featured three more humans. Walton's questions continued to go unanswered as they motioned for him to lie down on the table. One of the 'humans', a woman, placed a mask over his face and he immediately passed out. All of this was consciously recollected by Walton, and when undergoing hypnotic regression soon after the incident, he revealed no further information and stated that he felt as though delving any deeper would kill him.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: In the logging scene, one of the loggers is shown pulling the recoil rope to start his chainsaw. But the sound effect is of an engine being started with an electric starter, not a pull cord. In fact, all one-man gas chainsaws have recoil start.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Citizen:[truck just raced into parking lot] What the hell is that all about?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Penn & Teller: Bullshit!: Alien Abductions (#1.3)" (2003)

Soundtrack:

Sons And Daughters (Reprise)

Surprisingly good

This movie has a good plot, a good cast and a good feel to it. It is obviously a low budget movie, but one done well. The story is about an alien abduction, but instead of focusing on the aliens and what they did, the focus is on the people involved and how do they react "under fire".

You can call it a "TV psychological thriller" more than a sci-fi. I expected something dumb, instead I found not a masterpiece, but a good movie, one that was worth the watch.

James Garner had a really weird role, but he is old, so he gets what they throw at him; Robert Patrick does a good role and, even if he did play in some silly movies in his time, I think he is a good actor, one that can surprise if properly cast.