The Filmography of James Fox: A Retrospective - Part 3: I Know What I Saw

James Fox's third entry into the UFO documentary genre, I Know What I Saw, makes it immediately clear just how passionate he is about bringing us the definitive movie on the subject. Prior to watching the films for this retrospective, I was unaware just how much material is shared between the films. Even despite its shaky quality, footage from 50 Years of Denial is used in both Out of the Blue and I Know What I Saw. This is far from a critique; in fact, it really helps put Mr. Fox's filmography in perspective.

This isn't just a guy coming back every few years when the subject is hot and regurgitating the same old content you can find anywhere. All of these films, from 50 Years of Denial to The Phenomenon, are a part of one big project that Mr. Fox has been continuously refining over the years. Each film is a little different, and there's always plenty of new content—but the reuse and re-framing of the older content is what I find particularly fascinating; it's still as relevant and compelling today as it was twenty years ago.

(https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1579236/)

 

 
The film begins with another examination of the Phoenix Incident. Most of the material here will be familiar to anyone who has seen Out of the Blue, as most of it is reused. There are a few new gems in here, though, the most notable being the testimony of commercial airline pilot Trig Johnston, who's dead serious description of a massive triangular craft further debunks the flimsy "planes in formation" explanation that took after flares were not enough to divert attention away from the event. And speaking of flares, Mr. Fox does actually address the infamous video of the "second event" that was left out of Out of the Blue: he acknowledges that the lights in the video are most likely flares, but this does not discount the earlier sightings that took place over an hour before the video was shot. Finally, the film is the only place I've ever seen the only known video of the Phoenix craft, which is otherwise incredibly difficulty to find. It's far too low quality to come to any significant conclusion; nonetheless, it's an important piece of history in the Phoenix saga and I'm glad it was featured, even briefly.

Similarly, the Bentwaters/Rendlesham incident is covered again, using pared-down footage from Out of the Blue. That film has the superior segment as it's a little longer and more detailed, but I Know What I Saw features a rather incredible moment in which Mr. Fox reunites two of the witnesses to the event, Col. Charles Halt and Sgt. Monroe Nevels, after almost 30 years. Watching the two recount the event together and agreeing on the details is just mind-blowing, and leaves absolutely no doubt in your mind of the authenticity of the event.

The third major event covered was absent from Out of the Blue and 50 Years of Denial because the story was still developing during the production of the film: Stephenville, TX. Like the Phoenix Lights, this is another one of my favorite cases. It happened to begin right as I was first discovering the UFO subject, and I remember following it for a week or two before the hype faded away. I also think this is a special case as it's really the last major UFO flap within the US. While I think it's been unfairly forgotten as it lacked any really special photographic evidence and it wasn't as major as say, Phoenix, I Know What I Saw makes a strong case for the importance of the Stephenville sightings. The most impressive testimony from the event is that of a local hunter's, who was lucky enough to have witnessed the craft from directly below. His description is very close to that of the Phoenix object, and, astonishingly, radar data from the event backs up his claims.

Interspersed through the in-depth looks at these incidents are witness testimony from a sizable group of high ranking, credible, former military and intelligence officials describing their UFO encounters to an audience of reporters and researchers at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. This 2007 conference is the heart of the film, and contains some of the best, most credible UFO testimony out there. Alongside US-based witnesses are a tale involving a Japanese airline pilot (although recounted by an American with a wonderfully strong New England accent) as well as a particularly convincing account from Iranian air force pilot Parviz Jafari, whose plane experienced malfunctions as it approached a UFO. He also appears to fancy himself an artist, as he has a rather nice painting of the incident as well. I'm always excited when a UFO witness has artistic talent and is able to illustrate their encounter, it adds a great visual to cases with no other photo or video material to use.

While there is some material shared between the two films, Out of the Blue and I Know What I Saw make great companion pieces. Out of the Blue is more of an overview of the subject while I Know What I Saw reinforces the reality of the phenomenon with incredibly compelling witness testimony. 

That being said, higher production values, superior sound and video quality, and the wide range of credible witnesses and sources give I Know What I Saw the edge over Out of the Blue. What really sets it apart from Mr. Fox's other films, however, is his presence in the film. Mr. Fox narrates his adventures alongside the Press Club panelists and UFO witnesses, giving this film a much more personal narrative quality. Anyone who has seen James Fox's appearances on TV and radio knows he's charismatic and an incredible storyteller, and he can easily hold an entire film on his own. While I love that they brought back Peter Coyote for The Phenomenon, I hope Mr. Fox has plans to return to the front of the camera in the follow-up!