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Ufologists Unite For ‘The Program’

If you’ve followed any of my coverage on The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch or Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch, then you know where I land on the topic of Ufology. This area of study is fascinating from a multitude of angles. On one side of the aisle are a group of dedicated researchers and experiencers who long for ‘D’isclosure and government transparency. The other side of the aisle is rife with grifters and disinformation agents; people who attempt to use this area of study to make a quick buck and then step back from the limelight. (There are more than just these two groups, but for brevity, it’s easiest to break the topic down like this.)

James Fox speaks at a NASA conference.
James Fox speaks at a NASA conference // Image courtesy of Lab 9 Films and Falko Ink

Ufology is a topic I have come to really admire in the past few years. While I’ve always believed there are things out there beyond our comprehension, I never really cared to dig too much into the topic. That’s when COVID hit. Resigned to my apartment, I found myself listening to old broadcasts of Coast to Coast with Art Bell. I started reading books by Brad Steiger, Nick Redfern, and Bruce Rux. From there, I’ve formed professional, and hopefully personal, relationships with big names in Ufology like Jeremy McGowan and Grant Lavac. Simply put, Ufology has taken over my life in the past few years. 

Cut to 2024. We’ve now had two highly televised congressional hearings on UAPs and ‘D’isclosure. Are we any further in the conversation than we were before David Grusch and company boldly sat before the United States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability? My answer to that question is somewhere between yes and no. 

Documentary filmmaker James Fox sets out to take a deeper look at that question. His latest documentary The Program, following his hit documentaries The Phenomenon and Moment of Contact, is a sobering look at who knows what, why they know what they do, and where we go from here. With an astounding roundup of guests, Fox asks the questions that many civilians find themselves asking… only we don’t have the outlet to ask the questions. 

One of my biggest issues with Ufology and ‘D’isclosure is something that can’t really be changed. This gripe may seem unimportant, but that is the use of acronyms. AAWSAP, AATIP, DIA, NIDS, NHI, OMG WTF. ‘D’isclosure remains a confusing entity for many reasons and one of them is the use of numerous acronyms. The easiest way to throw “common folk” off the track is to just confuse them. Throw five different acronyms at them in one sentence and you’ve lost me. I’ve stated this before in my coverage of Lue Elizondo’s cash grab Imminent. While it may make you sound smart to throw all of these alphabet agency names around, you’re hurting the people that you want to have backing you. 

James Fox approaches ‘D’isclosure in a way that the common person can appreciate and understand. Yes, there are acronyms that may need some Googling, but he doesn’t bash you over the head with them. Instead, Fox lets the narrative be led by the people who know and the people who are in charge of getting to the bottom of these questions. One of the things I appreciate about The Program is that Fox learns along with us. From what I can tell, Fox doesn’t start with a hypothesis and fills out a documentary around that fact, rather, he starts with a question and tries to get to the bottom of it.

What is that question? As stated earlier, it’s “Who knows what, and what do they need to know?” 

Fox includes many reputable talking heads in The Program. Thankfully, there are grifters in Ufology that I was hoping would not make an appearance… and they did not! These interviewees are grounded in their responses and don’t take anything to the stars. Many of them agree that this is an imminent issue that needs to be discussed but aren’t trying to make a quick buck off of it. 

I was hoping that David Grusch would make an appearance other than archival footage. The Program discusses the ongoing stigma of experiencers and David Grush has experienced the most backlash from his role in ‘D’isclosure (so I can understand why he may not have wanted to take part in this documentary). Fox is well aware that a stigma still surrounds this topic. So what is the answer? How do we get past this stigma? Would it help if the president came out and unequivocally stated that NHI (non-human intelligence) is real, or that we have recovered crashed UAPs? 

James Fox speaks with the late Senator Harry Reid.
James Fox speaks with the late Senator Harry Reid // Image courtesy of Lab 9 Films and Falko Ink

Believe what you will about him, but Chris Bledsoe has produced incredibly believable videos in the past few years since the release of UFO of God. It seems like Bledsoe is constantly bombarded by orbs on a daily basis. Why is it that someone like Chris Bledsoe can constantly post videos like this without pushback, but David Grush talking before Congress results in character assassination? 

I’ve gotten off-topic, so let me sum it up like this. James Fox’s The Program is an Ufology documentary that comes at the topic from a point of genuine care. At no point does it feel like Fox is forcing the documentary in a direction that isn’t genuine to what he wants to know. Seasoned Ufologists may not learn a ton that they haven’t previously known, but the information provided is a perfect package of up-to-date information for the layperson to refer to when attempting to do further research of their own. 

The Program releases digitally December 16 and can be viewed here. Do you want to believe? 

Written by Brendan Jesus

Brendan is an award-winning author and screenwriter. His hobbies include magnets, ghouls, and finding slugs after a fresh rain.

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