Official Denial (1994)

A man who claims to have been abducted by aliens is also abducted by a top secret government agency, the Majestic Group, who want him to attempt to communicate with the only surviving alien... See full summary »

Director:

Brian Trenchard-Smith

Writer:

Bryce Zabel

Stars:

Parker Stevenson, Dirk Benedict, Erin Gray

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Parker Stevenson	...	Paul Corliss
Dirk Benedict	...	Lt. Col. Dan Lerner
Erin Gray	...	Annie Corliss
Chad Everett	...	General Spaulding
Michael Pate	...	Wisdomkeeper
Christopher Pate	...	Sam Fools Crow
Natalie McCurry	...	Janine
Robert Mammone	...	Michael Novado
Peter Curtin	...	Jonathon Applegate
Regina Gaigalas	...	Dr. Melendez (as Gina Gaigalas)
Justin Monjo	...	Franklin Kolbe
Michael Edward-Stevens	...	Savage
Don Halbert	...	Sergeant Bridges
Christopher Mayer	...	Sergeant Gilleland
Chuck Perry	...	Situation Room Controller

Storyline

A man who claims to have been abducted by aliens is also abducted by a top secret government agency, the Majestic Group, who want him to attempt to communicate with the only surviving alien from a UFO shot down by the Air Force. Telepathically, the alien tells him it must be returned to its ship, where it will reveal a secret vital to the future of the planet.

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Plot Keywords:

ufo | alien abduction | military

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Genres:

Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 January 1995 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Space Visitors

Filming Locations:

Queensland, Australia

Company Credits

Production Co:

C.N.M. Entertainment Ltd., Jeffrey Hayes Productions, Wilshire Court Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The original title was "Progenitor."

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Quotes

General Spaulding: That dog won't hunt, Colonel.

User Reviews

Mostly Good

Official Denial has much to recommend it and also much that I did not like. The negative points were the risible aliens/spaceship/cardboard soldiers/"spirit world" native American, all of which appeared to be out of a comic strip. Also Dirk Benedict who was totally unbelievable as a bad guy. The special effects also gave the film a feeling of a childrens TV programme.

The positive side was the fine and sympathetic performance of Chad Everett as the General and also the ending which was quite ingenious. It was great to see the power shift from the Everett character to the Parker Stevenson character, who knew the secret at the end. The secret itself was a nice touch as well and ended the movie on a high note.

Erin Gray looked pretty throughout but was not entirely convincing as the long suffering wife with the "fruit loop" husband. Although she appeared worried she did seem to take it in her stride a little too easily. "My husband is a nut", "Ho hum", "Just another daily happening". That was not quite believable although she gave a good performance, as did Stevenson.

There were some good one-liners and a healthy cynicism about governments and the military. The plot was strong also and it did all come together at the end. All in all this is a film to watch a second time but certainly not a classic, for me.