This is one of those movies that you're a little embarrassed to like and to watch, but you do. Your wife catches you with this playing, and you have to say, "I don't know what this is, it was just on." But every time you see it on the cable/satellite/uverse guide, you have to watch it. Maybe you even DVR it and keep it until you're out of space! Not me. I like this movie. Come on. Admit it. This is a scifi movie making fun of scifi movies and the people who watch them: us. In truth, this is no sillier than X-Files or Signs or Star Trek. It just doesn't pretend to be anything else. The Christmas tree lights in the alien tunnel, though, is my favorite subtle crossover reference.

Now that I've said all this, I've got to go look over at Netflix and see if it is available for streaming!

OUT THERE is a rubbishy little sci-fi comedy made as a spoof of the whole X-Files phenomenon. The subject matter is the usual: UFOs, alien abduction, government conspiracy. It's listed as a TV movie but feels more like an amateur production, merely following a couple around as they interview oddball characters. The camera angles are poor and the acting mundane. The only thing that makes this watchable in even a minor way is the presence of some cameoing stars. Billy Bob Thornton appears briefly alongside POLICE ACADEMY star Bobcat Goldthwait and a ranting Rod Steiger.

Imagine going to a garage sale and purchasing an old Kodak camera. When you get home, to your surprise, a roll of exposed film is found inside. Curious about what wonders may have been photographed, you have the film developed. Now it really gets weird, because your prints contain a nice assortment of family photos along with a few of a U.F.O. abduction. Who owned this camera? Where were they taken? What happened to the abductees? Pursuing this mystery drives the intriguing plot of "OUT THERE". Initially progressing as a somewhat logical investigation, the film eventually runs out of steam, and degrades into silliness. Nevertheless, recommended for it's originality. - MERK