In this new film, from the award-winning production company, Small Town Monsters, and director, Seth Breedlove, explore hundreds of years of terrifying reports of encounters with massive, winged creatures around the “land of Lincoln.” From Alton’s man-eating Piasa Bird legends to recent sightings in Chicago of a creature said to resemble Point Pleasant, West Virginia’s infamous “Mothman,” “Terror in the Skies” unlocks a centuries-old mystery.
I can fathom UFOs, maybe ghosts, but the concept of flying humanoids and prehistoric birds in the Midwest is a bit of a stretch. I love folklore and creepy stories but I had a really hard time getting on board with this. The majority of the “documentary” is based on the Thunderbirds of Illinois. The alleged Thunderbirds are large predatory birds dating back to prehistoric times and have been seen in depictions by Native Americans.
All the men being interviewed have beards. They aren’t experts on anything except believing things they hear with every testimonial compiled from shoddy eyewitness accounts and unverified history. Two men went on and on about how unique the landscape of Illinois is with its history and geography. I feel like they haven’t traveled much around the United States. In my current state of Pennsylvania, there are urban cities, forests, mountains, rivers, and farms which apparently those men think are only unique to Illinois. One interview mentioned that more people felt comfortable to come forward with their delusions due to other people coming forward with their delusions. Mass hysteria sometimes moves by word of mouth.
The dramatic re-enactments are hilariously bad. They are crudely drawn illustrations that I could spend a day laughing at and critiquing. During one dramatization, a pig is carried away in a large bird’s talons and the cartoon is replayed multiple times making it side-splittingly funny. There are lots of replays with the intention of trying to give the insane claims more veracity. Forget any possible scientific evidence, this documentary offers none whatsoever. One man claimed the lack of a body or bones is that all the shot birds are burned so that will excuse any possibility of actual proof! The only positive thing I can mention is its short running time. For a good conspiracy with actual stakes, I highly recommend YouTube footage taken from Navy pilots capturing some very fast moving UFOs.
Available on DVD and Digital HD June 7th
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