The Paracast Newsletter
April 30, 2023
www.theparacast.com
Filmmaker Ron James Reveals the Secrets Behind the UFO Documentary "Accidental Truth" on The Paracast!
The Paracast is heard Sundays from 3:00 AM until 6:00 AM Central Time on the GCN Radio Network and affiliates around the USA, the Boost Radio Network, the IRN Internet Radio Network, and online across the globe via download and on-demand streaming.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVEN'T SIGNED UP FOR THE PARACAST+ YET? PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THE PARACAST+ SO YOU CAN SUPPORT THE SHOW AND ENJOY THE ULTIMATE PARACAST EXPERIENCE AT A SPECIAL LOW PRICE! We have another radio show and we’d love for you listen to it. So for a low subscription fee, you will receive access to an exclusive podcast, After The Paracast, plus an enhanced version of The Paracast with the network ads removed, when you join The Paracast+. We also offer a special RSS feed for easy updates of the latest episodes on your device. Flash! Use the coupon code ufo20 to receive a 20% discount on five-year or lifetime subscriptions. And PayPal now accepts cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, in payment. And if you don't want to use PayPal, we now also offer a second payment option, from Stripe, which accepts major credit or debit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay. For "qualified users," you can also take advantage of Pay Later options, so act now! For the easiest signup ever, please visit: Choose Your Membership Upgrade
This Week's Episode: Gene and guest cohost Curt Collins feature UFO documentarian Ron James, who provides loads of material about his current film, "Accidental Truth — UFO Revelations." Narrated by Matthew Modine of “Full Metal Jacket” and “Stranger Things,” the documentary dives into the truth of another intelligence engaging in humanity, where the viewer will “witness revelations from true government insiders that have never been shared with the public." The word "accidental" is used because some of the interviewees revealed more than they planned to reveal, according to James. He is also the Director of Media Relations for MUFON and the co-founder of MUFON Television, an online TV channel boasting what James says is the world’s largest collection of commercial-free UAP related material. In the early days of his career, he was involved at the highest levels of production for musical acts such as Guns & Roses, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Beach Boys, Earth Wind and Fire, Kendrick Lamar, and many more.
After The Paracast — Available exclusively for Paracast+ subscribers on April 30: UFO documentarian Ron James returns to reveal more secrets from his 2023 film,“Accidental Truth — UFO Revelations.” He also talks to Gene and guest cohost Curt Collins about the reactions of politicians behind closed doors to UAP evidence, and the ongoing efforts by the organization he represents, MUFON, to present their evidence to Congress. And just what is the “Midwest UFO Bar Test”? What about disclosure prospects? In his long career, James has won 19 national awards, including 4 EBE awards, The Telly Award and the Aegis Award for Excellence in Broadcasting four times. He currently produces his own shows including “Bigger Questions,” “Spacetime,” “MUFON Presents” and more, and maintains an independent movie and TV production studio in Los Angeles.
Reminder: Please don't forget to visit our famous Paracast Community Forums for the latest news/views/debates on all things paranormal: The Paracast Community Forums. Visit our new online shop for great branded merchandise at: The Official Paracast Shop, and check out our new YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheOfficialParacastChannel.
UFO Documentaries as Entertainment
By Gene Steinberg
One of our former cohosts, Christopher O’Brien, told the story of taping an appearance on the now-defunct “UFO Hunters” reality show from 2008, which featured William Birnes. As most of you know, Birnes and his wife, Nancy, edited and published “UFO Magazine” in its final years.
Birnes was also co-author of a highly controversial UFO book, “The Day After Roswell,” with Col. Philip Corso, about the less said the better.
Well, Chris is best known for his books about The Mysterious Valley, which focuses on the strange paranormal events recorded in the San Luis Valley of Colorado and New Mexico.
So Chris was interviewed for “UFO Hunters,” but the producers had the bright idea, without his knowledge, to move the location to Sedona, Arizona. Now maybe it was that town’s reputation as a hot spot for seekers of the paranormal, but it was hardly relevant to the truth.
Such are the faults of reality shows. Despite the category in which they’re found, they are often more in the realm of docudrama, meaning they may be based on fact, but more often than not, events are telegraphed, dramatized and altered for maximum entertainment value.
A more notorious UFO docu…well…reality show was “Hangar 1: The UFO Files,” from 2014. The producers boasted that the sightings they featured came direct from the files of MUFON, and the show featured some of the organization’s officials.
So far so good, except that the show gained the reputation for putting too much spin on some of the cases it reported on. The critics weren’t impressed by the amateurish recreations, chintzy special effects, breathless commentary, and a less-than-strict adherence to the facts.
Alas, many of the people who are interested in UFOs receive much of their information from poorly-conceived shows of this sort. Another popular source, YouTube, is also highly unreliable.
For most people, unfortunately, books and magazines are no longer the primary sources of information about the phenomenon.
This doesn’t mean that all movies and TV shows should be ignored. With a proper amount of skepticism, they do have their value.
And there are some producers out there who do care.
One example is James Fox, who has spent most of his film career making UFO documentaries. Well, he did do a one season stint as a cast member on a 2012 TV reality show, “Chasing UFOs,” but it seems almost all of the performers were disenchanted with the project once it began.
But he’s best known for his own work, which includes “Out of the Blue” from 2002, “I Know What I Saw” from 2009, and his most recent works, for which he has been widely acclaimed.
So there’s “The Phenomenon” from 2020, a well-done primer on the UFO mystery, featuring such notables as the late Senator Harry Reid, once the Senate Majority Leader, John Podesta, a key figure in the Clinton and Obama administrations, and such well known figures from the UFO field as Jacques Vallee and Leslie Kean.
The film has a good musical score, decent and spare special effects, with a first-rate narration from actor and voiceover specialist Peter Coyote.
If you’re well versed in UFO lore, you’ve seen all or most of the featured sightings before. But the presentation is smooth and attention grabbing. And don’t ignore the closing credits. As with Marvel’s comic book movies, they are interspersed with extra content that didn’t fit into the final edit.
I’ve suggested to Fox that he offer a Director’s Cut, but after working on this project for a number of years, I suspect he was relieved to finally get to the finish line.
Last year, he released “Moment of Contact,” which covers the 1996 incident in Varginha, Brazil, reportedly the scene of a UFO crash where several strange beings were seen by the local populace.
A large part of the film concentrates on Fox’ journey through the city in search of interviews with key witnesses. He clearly had to work hard to get some people to come forward. So in one scene, after a few unsuccessful attempts, one of the witnesses finally locates the scene of his encounter, gets out of the car, only to break into tears.
Perhaps the most emotionally riveting scene occurred near the end of the film, where Fox and his crew try to interview a potential witness, only to be warned with some level of menace to leave the property.
Again, Peter Coyote is the narrator.
Now Varginha is a center for coffee production and export, but since the 1996 incident, they’ve also taken steps to attract tourists who follow UFO lore. So there are bus stops and a water tower that all resemble spaceships.
More recently, prolific UFO documentarian Ron James has released “Accidental Truth — UFO Revelations,” which mainly features interviews about alleged secrecy, hidden evidence and disclosure.
The cast of characters is a mixed bag. The most impressive include Col. John B. Alexander, who has been intimately involved in a number of secret government projects over the years, some of which may indeed be related to UFOs. There’s also Ralph Blumenthal, the former New York Times journalist who helped break the story about a secret Pentagon UFO study, and Luis Elizondo, one of the key figures in that study.
Among the most impressive segments were those featuring Michio Kaku, a theoretical physicist and long a presence on TV. His comments all seemed surprisingly favorable to UFO reality.
There are also some interesting segments featuring Christopher Mellon, a former Department of Defense official, and Congressman Tim Burchett, a Republican who represents Tennessee’s second district, who is deeply interested in UFOs.
In his interview scheduled for this weekend’s episode of The Paracast, James points to the fact that, in some of the interviews he recorded, a few of the subjects were unexpectedly forthcoming about what the U.S. government really knows about UFO reality.
Overall, it’s a slick production, but the choice of interview subjects is somewhat of a mixed bag of highs and lows, and I’ll refrain from mentioning the latter. A few controversial cases and evidence are presented, such as the MJ-12 documents, but with the proper disclaimers. I would have just left them out.
There’s also a first-rate narration from actor Mathew Modine, who, according to Ron, once saw a UFO. I’d like to know more about that sighting someday.
Oh, and Chris O’Brien is listed among the producers of “Accidental Truth.”
Of course, the best films aren’t of much value if few people see them. Fortunately the two films from James Fox and the latest from Ron James are getting high ratings. They were recently listed among the first five in the Top iTunes Movie Rentals Charts | Documentary for the U.S.
Way to go guys.
Copyright 1999-2023 The Paracast Company. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy: Your personal information is safe with us. We will positively never give out your name and/or e-mail address to anybody else, and that's a promise!
April 30, 2023
www.theparacast.com
Filmmaker Ron James Reveals the Secrets Behind the UFO Documentary "Accidental Truth" on The Paracast!
The Paracast is heard Sundays from 3:00 AM until 6:00 AM Central Time on the GCN Radio Network and affiliates around the USA, the Boost Radio Network, the IRN Internet Radio Network, and online across the globe via download and on-demand streaming.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVEN'T SIGNED UP FOR THE PARACAST+ YET? PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THE PARACAST+ SO YOU CAN SUPPORT THE SHOW AND ENJOY THE ULTIMATE PARACAST EXPERIENCE AT A SPECIAL LOW PRICE! We have another radio show and we’d love for you listen to it. So for a low subscription fee, you will receive access to an exclusive podcast, After The Paracast, plus an enhanced version of The Paracast with the network ads removed, when you join The Paracast+. We also offer a special RSS feed for easy updates of the latest episodes on your device. Flash! Use the coupon code ufo20 to receive a 20% discount on five-year or lifetime subscriptions. And PayPal now accepts cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, in payment. And if you don't want to use PayPal, we now also offer a second payment option, from Stripe, which accepts major credit or debit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay. For "qualified users," you can also take advantage of Pay Later options, so act now! For the easiest signup ever, please visit: Choose Your Membership Upgrade
This Week's Episode: Gene and guest cohost Curt Collins feature UFO documentarian Ron James, who provides loads of material about his current film, "Accidental Truth — UFO Revelations." Narrated by Matthew Modine of “Full Metal Jacket” and “Stranger Things,” the documentary dives into the truth of another intelligence engaging in humanity, where the viewer will “witness revelations from true government insiders that have never been shared with the public." The word "accidental" is used because some of the interviewees revealed more than they planned to reveal, according to James. He is also the Director of Media Relations for MUFON and the co-founder of MUFON Television, an online TV channel boasting what James says is the world’s largest collection of commercial-free UAP related material. In the early days of his career, he was involved at the highest levels of production for musical acts such as Guns & Roses, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Beach Boys, Earth Wind and Fire, Kendrick Lamar, and many more.
After The Paracast — Available exclusively for Paracast+ subscribers on April 30: UFO documentarian Ron James returns to reveal more secrets from his 2023 film,“Accidental Truth — UFO Revelations.” He also talks to Gene and guest cohost Curt Collins about the reactions of politicians behind closed doors to UAP evidence, and the ongoing efforts by the organization he represents, MUFON, to present their evidence to Congress. And just what is the “Midwest UFO Bar Test”? What about disclosure prospects? In his long career, James has won 19 national awards, including 4 EBE awards, The Telly Award and the Aegis Award for Excellence in Broadcasting four times. He currently produces his own shows including “Bigger Questions,” “Spacetime,” “MUFON Presents” and more, and maintains an independent movie and TV production studio in Los Angeles.
Reminder: Please don't forget to visit our famous Paracast Community Forums for the latest news/views/debates on all things paranormal: The Paracast Community Forums. Visit our new online shop for great branded merchandise at: The Official Paracast Shop, and check out our new YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheOfficialParacastChannel.
UFO Documentaries as Entertainment
By Gene Steinberg
One of our former cohosts, Christopher O’Brien, told the story of taping an appearance on the now-defunct “UFO Hunters” reality show from 2008, which featured William Birnes. As most of you know, Birnes and his wife, Nancy, edited and published “UFO Magazine” in its final years.
Birnes was also co-author of a highly controversial UFO book, “The Day After Roswell,” with Col. Philip Corso, about the less said the better.
Well, Chris is best known for his books about The Mysterious Valley, which focuses on the strange paranormal events recorded in the San Luis Valley of Colorado and New Mexico.
So Chris was interviewed for “UFO Hunters,” but the producers had the bright idea, without his knowledge, to move the location to Sedona, Arizona. Now maybe it was that town’s reputation as a hot spot for seekers of the paranormal, but it was hardly relevant to the truth.
Such are the faults of reality shows. Despite the category in which they’re found, they are often more in the realm of docudrama, meaning they may be based on fact, but more often than not, events are telegraphed, dramatized and altered for maximum entertainment value.
A more notorious UFO docu…well…reality show was “Hangar 1: The UFO Files,” from 2014. The producers boasted that the sightings they featured came direct from the files of MUFON, and the show featured some of the organization’s officials.
So far so good, except that the show gained the reputation for putting too much spin on some of the cases it reported on. The critics weren’t impressed by the amateurish recreations, chintzy special effects, breathless commentary, and a less-than-strict adherence to the facts.
Alas, many of the people who are interested in UFOs receive much of their information from poorly-conceived shows of this sort. Another popular source, YouTube, is also highly unreliable.
For most people, unfortunately, books and magazines are no longer the primary sources of information about the phenomenon.
This doesn’t mean that all movies and TV shows should be ignored. With a proper amount of skepticism, they do have their value.
And there are some producers out there who do care.
One example is James Fox, who has spent most of his film career making UFO documentaries. Well, he did do a one season stint as a cast member on a 2012 TV reality show, “Chasing UFOs,” but it seems almost all of the performers were disenchanted with the project once it began.
But he’s best known for his own work, which includes “Out of the Blue” from 2002, “I Know What I Saw” from 2009, and his most recent works, for which he has been widely acclaimed.
So there’s “The Phenomenon” from 2020, a well-done primer on the UFO mystery, featuring such notables as the late Senator Harry Reid, once the Senate Majority Leader, John Podesta, a key figure in the Clinton and Obama administrations, and such well known figures from the UFO field as Jacques Vallee and Leslie Kean.
The film has a good musical score, decent and spare special effects, with a first-rate narration from actor and voiceover specialist Peter Coyote.
If you’re well versed in UFO lore, you’ve seen all or most of the featured sightings before. But the presentation is smooth and attention grabbing. And don’t ignore the closing credits. As with Marvel’s comic book movies, they are interspersed with extra content that didn’t fit into the final edit.
I’ve suggested to Fox that he offer a Director’s Cut, but after working on this project for a number of years, I suspect he was relieved to finally get to the finish line.
Last year, he released “Moment of Contact,” which covers the 1996 incident in Varginha, Brazil, reportedly the scene of a UFO crash where several strange beings were seen by the local populace.
A large part of the film concentrates on Fox’ journey through the city in search of interviews with key witnesses. He clearly had to work hard to get some people to come forward. So in one scene, after a few unsuccessful attempts, one of the witnesses finally locates the scene of his encounter, gets out of the car, only to break into tears.
Perhaps the most emotionally riveting scene occurred near the end of the film, where Fox and his crew try to interview a potential witness, only to be warned with some level of menace to leave the property.
Again, Peter Coyote is the narrator.
Now Varginha is a center for coffee production and export, but since the 1996 incident, they’ve also taken steps to attract tourists who follow UFO lore. So there are bus stops and a water tower that all resemble spaceships.
More recently, prolific UFO documentarian Ron James has released “Accidental Truth — UFO Revelations,” which mainly features interviews about alleged secrecy, hidden evidence and disclosure.
The cast of characters is a mixed bag. The most impressive include Col. John B. Alexander, who has been intimately involved in a number of secret government projects over the years, some of which may indeed be related to UFOs. There’s also Ralph Blumenthal, the former New York Times journalist who helped break the story about a secret Pentagon UFO study, and Luis Elizondo, one of the key figures in that study.
Among the most impressive segments were those featuring Michio Kaku, a theoretical physicist and long a presence on TV. His comments all seemed surprisingly favorable to UFO reality.
There are also some interesting segments featuring Christopher Mellon, a former Department of Defense official, and Congressman Tim Burchett, a Republican who represents Tennessee’s second district, who is deeply interested in UFOs.
In his interview scheduled for this weekend’s episode of The Paracast, James points to the fact that, in some of the interviews he recorded, a few of the subjects were unexpectedly forthcoming about what the U.S. government really knows about UFO reality.
Overall, it’s a slick production, but the choice of interview subjects is somewhat of a mixed bag of highs and lows, and I’ll refrain from mentioning the latter. A few controversial cases and evidence are presented, such as the MJ-12 documents, but with the proper disclaimers. I would have just left them out.
There’s also a first-rate narration from actor Mathew Modine, who, according to Ron, once saw a UFO. I’d like to know more about that sighting someday.
Oh, and Chris O’Brien is listed among the producers of “Accidental Truth.”
Of course, the best films aren’t of much value if few people see them. Fortunately the two films from James Fox and the latest from Ron James are getting high ratings. They were recently listed among the first five in the Top iTunes Movie Rentals Charts | Documentary for the U.S.
Way to go guys.
Copyright 1999-2023 The Paracast Company. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy: Your personal information is safe with us. We will positively never give out your name and/or e-mail address to anybody else, and that's a promise!