"...They see us."

E.T.'s back, and this time... it's personal.

Alien Abduction: The McPherson Tape (also known as Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County) is a first-person horror film similar in style to The Blair Witch Project, first broadcast on UPN back in 1998.

A remake of a lower-budget production that gained a viral-like notoriety in the late eighties, the story centres on a fractured American family who have gathered to celebrate Thanksgiving on the family farm. When all power to the house is mysteriously cut, three of the justifiably-spooked household venture out into the surrounding woodland to investigate...

On stumbling upon a landed UFO and two alien beings dissecting a cow with a precision laser, the guys inadvertently startle the Greys, who upon noticing them, quickly abandon their cosmic barbecue and track the terrified trio back to the house - where they use their supernormal abilities to gain entry and terrorise the family into submission.

The film, I'm happy to say, is still as creepy to watch today as it was when first broadcast. Stylistically, it's very similar to the first theatrical Blair Witch feature (released the following year) and also, the companion Sci Fi Channel mockumentary, Curse of the Blair Witch (which I strongly urge you to check out if you haven't done so already).

Sandwiched in between the 'discovered' footage of the McPhersons' harrowing ordeal, we are treated to snippets of interviews with various experts (also portrayed by actors) who give their opinions on the legitimacy of the content of the found tapes. The theory that the family were indeed attacked by aliens is not exactly a popular one, and is usually dismissed as being some kind of hoax or publicity stunt - a cunning narrative device to help paint an 'impartial' picture that appears to point to the constructed/fake portions of the film as being The Undisputed Truth. Clever stuff.

If you're feeling brave, the entire docudrama can currently be found on Google Video. More Ghostwatch-like reviews coming soon!