Kecksburg (2019) User Reviews

Indie Film But Still Bad

[rahn_enterprises · 2/10 · 23 September 2020]

I know this is a micro budgeted indie film, I had no big expectations, but this film needs a lot of work. I hate to leave bad reviews because I know the work it takes to make any film, however it needed to be done.

One of my biggest peeves with this film is continuation, one scene will show daylight while next it's dark, then another it's raining.

One minute the car is in a field the next it's in blacktop.

Writing was bad, as another review mentions too many actors miscast, too many period errors, framing, lighting, focus way off.

I won't go down to a 1, only because I know it still had some hard work in some areas.

Sci-Die what?

[doktorwirefly · 1/10 · 17 September 2020]

This movie is so out of synch on the dialogue. Some of the actors look very young for their parts like a Colonel who looks and sounds about twelve. UFO's and alien obsession leaves me cold but this was bad. Badly done and delusional in the extreme.

Trash

[kevin75 · 1/10 · 5 November 2020]

From a filmmaking perspective alone this is terrible. Story, dialogue, continuity, visuals, sound, etc all terrible. I'm a huge ufo/alien buff I'll sit through them all, and this one was really hard to finish.

Please abduct me away from the dumpster fire

[walkertechie · 1/10 · 20 December 2020]

Good God this thing is horrible. And I mean a giant steaming, stinking pile of crap. Absolutely pitiful acting, none existent directinging, even worse writing and the negatives just keep piling on. I thankfully found this on Tubi, so it was free to view. And after the first 20 minutes, the thing stopped do to technical issues. The Gods we just in sparing me more of this tripe. Avoid at all cost

couldnt watch more than 2 mins

[fredodonnell · 22 November 2020]

So amateur bad in every dept cant even trust the reviews here

Garbage

[thewildrat · 1/10 · 6 April 2021]

Don't waste your time, this sucks big time. This must have been an amateur hour film.

HORRIBLE! DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!

[plonchar-1 · 1/10 · 10 April 2021]

Not worth a penny. This film is directed much worse than high school project films I've seen. I'm asking for my money back. The trailer looked Intriguing but stating that this move is based on true events is very mIsleading. I'm asking for my money back.

I had high hopes.

[passengerx3 · 1/10 · 23 September 2019]

I'm not going to rip this movie apart for anything I felt was wrong with the content in the movie. That's not up to me. My issues are more technical than anything. The fact that they made the film is an amazing on it's on its own. This movie needed someone who understood the craft of film making. The number one issue I have is something that happen through out the whole film... for a large part of the movie it was insanely out of focus. When shooting any kind of visual medium focus is a must. My second issue is eye line. It was hard to tell who was talking to who at times. My third issue (or 2.5) is the camera work. The framing is as if no one had ever used a camera before. The last one I'm gonna comment on is the lack of production design in the movie. Doing a period film can be very expensive. There are moments they lucked out with cars and clothing. However way too much modern stuff(no spoilers) make their way into the movie. Some of it could have been avoided (see camera work) but laziness or thinking no one would care seem to be the thinking. The editing is trash. Much like the camera work it's like they never edited anything before... I'm not going to go on and on.

I'm not sure who is giving this movie anything more than 2 stars that's not connected to the movie. I will watch this movie again in hope that some of the technical issues are fixed. The movie made me laugh a lot and the is saying something.

If you're interested in seeing this movie, what the hell go head and see it. If you watch the trailer you will definitely get an idea of what this movie is like.

Back In '73...

[skeebwilcox-575-686576 · 1/10 · 25 July 2022]

...me and three of my friends tried making a movie when we were twelve and thirteen years old. I see that with "Kecksburg", a group of twelve and thirteen year olds have succeeded in making a movie...

Kecksburg

[terror-6 · 8/10 · 22 September 2019]

Kecksburg is a movie about a real incident that happened in 1965. We get Cody Knott's take on what could have happened. Great performances and some really beautiful shot scenes. What starts out with some really quick cut scenes introducing some characters slows down and gives us a very good story of how our government will do anything to cover up what it doesn't want us to know.

I was there

[MarktheGeezer · 6/10 · 22 September 2019]

In 1965. There are three boys who go hunting in this film. I wasn't hunting, but I was in the woods that night. I saw the thing in the sky and it wasn't a meteor. Was it aliens like in this film? I seriously doubt that, but I wasn't offended that they went in that direction. It is a film, after all. If you want a documentary, watch Stan Gordon's. He's spent years researching it. Still don't understand why the reporter kissed the woman. He's much better looking than John Murphy. You can see the real man in Stan's documentary. The glare in the actor's eyes when he refuses to lie is intense. I believe that John Murphy was killed for what he knew in real life. All in all, the film was better than I expected. Most of the actors were decent to good and some of the shots were beautiful. Pittsburgh Dad makes a brief appearance as a fireman alongside some real Kecksburg firemen. The credits went by way too fast to read anything so I hope they fix that before the DVD comes out. I'll be buying it. Bought their T Shirts at the UFO festival the last few years. Have to admit I never thought they'd actually finish the film, let alone make something halfway decent and actually entertaining. One of the biggest crowds I've seen at the State Theater ever. It's a shame there were some technical glitches at the beginning with the movie freezing, but I got into the story and had a good time.

A fun movie about my hometown

[thehubbles-64663 · 9/10 · 22 September 2019]

This movie is about an event in my hometown. This movie did not have a huge budget and we were amazed with what they accomplished. It was a fun take on the events in Kecksburg and we enjoyed the movie at the screening. Thank you to the director for using a lot of local scenes and talent. It is a shame that a false negative review can be written diminishing the hard work of so many people.

Actually really pretty engaging

[jennifer_stockdale-87787 · 7/10 · 22 September 2019]

I tagged along with my husband to see this movie as he is a UFO enthusiast and I wasn't expecting to care about it one way or another, but I actually ended up liking it. I will say the sound was rough and that could be off-putting at times. Since I attended the premier, I am assuming they should be able to take a bit of time and clean it up.

The plot was interesting enough to hold my attention and there was a "real life" quality about that kind of pulled you into the story. The characters weren't always shown at their best angle, the lighting was not always perfect, you didn't always get the whole picture with a scene, but that's what kept me paying attention.

There was also an interesting mix of very professional actors and obvious first-timers, but again, it was kind of endearing and held my attention. Some of the characters were really well developed and I found myself really liking or really hating them.

The movie was a real-life mix of suspenseful, funny, bizarre and upsetting and it kept me wanting to find out how on earth everything was going to end up!

There was a post-credit scene that was really very funny (so be sure to stick around for it!).

Overall, the movie is not Hollywood polished, but it is no worse than some things I've seen on the Hallmark Channel and really had its own brand of charm.

Reimagined Kecksburg Story

[cropwithjoy-07372 · 8/10 · 22 September 2019]

As one of the films indigogo backers I got to attend the premiere in Uniontown. Super fun night and a film I will always remember. The costuming and props really took me back in time. Story was engaging but I don't want to spoil any of the twists and turns by getting into it here. Looking forward to a dvd release!

One of the better local indie films

[VioletRDP · 7/10 · 22 September 2019]

I work a lot in the Pittsburgh indie film scene. Local films range from abysmal to actually pretty decent and this was one of the latter. Pittsburgh has some outstanding talent that deserves more recognition. Many of them work as background in big films and TV series like Mindhunter, but get their chance to shine in independent films like this. The stars of Kecksburg are not local, but I saw faces I recognized like Steph Riker, Sonny Ziff, Jerry Pietrala, and more. While I wish they had cast locals in all the roles, the actors from LA and NY put in very strong performances. Maria Olsen is a horror icon and has a brief cameo as a doctor in an classic alien autopsy sequence. In case it isn't obvious from the trailer, there are aliens in Kecksburg, but the aliens aren't the bad guys. The director made a smart choice by not showing them too closely. We see just enough. The main man in black makes your skin crawl. He doesn't have many credits, so I am not sure if he is local, but I hope this gives his career a bump. As other people have stated, there were some weaknesses, but that is to be expected in this budget range. The biggest issue was the sound mix and that can always be fixed in post. I have no idea why they didn't do that before the screening. Most of the voices and some of the music sounded distorted. There were also some shots that just didn't seem to fit, like the crowd on the street when the fire truck goes by. Really cool vehicles and locations. I give anyone credit who actually finishes a film. It is hard and lots of people dream, but don't follow through. That's where Cody Knotts is different. He keeps trying and every film is better than the last. Plus, he always packs the theater like no other local director I have ever seen. I hope to get to work on his next project!

Kecksburg - A film that you want to see more than once.

[jpsilk-26378 · 9/10 · 22 September 2019]

First time that I saw this film, i liked it a lot. I knew I needed to see it again and wow, I was glad I did. Even better the second time. Just like in any classic film, there are some writing nuggets that you miss the first time but catch the next time that makes the film special. I love a movie with a great plot twist.Really looking forward to seeing the producers next project. The characters are very likable except the racist cop and certain government officials. Overall the acting was great. Well done to the cast and crew!

Indie film, but with a message

[SteveSWohlgemuth · 7/10 · 22 September 2019]

Saw this at the first showing in Uniontown, PA. This film should have had a 10 million dollar budget and it clearly didn't, but they made things work on the budget they had. There were some really cool shots which you don't often see in low budget films like this. The two stars, Murphy and Rosa, are strong actors and look very cinematic, while the girl in the radio station was cute and funny. The LBJ actor dominated every scene he was in. The sound was rough, though. Lots of dialog was sort of distorted or way too loud. I was pretty far up in the theater, so maybe it sounded better closer. I am a UFO buff and have read about what happened in real life. They took a few liberties, but they also incorporated lots of details from the historical event. It's a fun film, but it also has a serious message about the government and who we can trust.

A good movie on a small budget.

[abandcd · 8/10 · 23 September 2019]

What a great feeling to see a community pull together to bring a film to life! It has a nice mixture of seasoned and newbie actors/ actresses- and of all different ages. The story makes you ponder about what could have happened. The performances were believable and the characters consistent throughout. The sound needs some work but once fixed . The music score was appropriate and added to film. I liked the mix of serious, suspenseful and a touch of comic relief with a story line of this nature. There were a lot of period related details (1965). I appreciate the work and dedication it took to present this film. Thanks for a film about our history.

artistic take on an intriguing local story

[amyt4 · 6/10 · 24 September 2019]

There are many enjoyable charms of this feature--in its sets, lighting, character (particular affinity to John Murphy, Ann, and Clutch! great job. as well as the evil agent), locality, and the deeper look into an intriguing local story relatively unheard of by anyone. Great work by all the younger actors as well. The story kept me hooked and had just the right sprinkling of humor and twist. I have a great appreciation for the heart that this producer put into his newest work.

Who makes a UFO film about the Constitution?

[CallieZStern · 9/10 · 23 September 2019]

I expected this to be a fun sci-fi film about aliens in smalltown Pennsylvania. That could have been a fun, lighthearted movie, but that's not what they chose to do. Instead, Cody Knotts, who ran for office locally a few times, made a film which touches on very relevant contemporary themes: mistrust of the government, the assimilation of "aliens," and the meaning of the Constitution in the lives of everyday Americans. It has some funny moments, like Curt Wootton's (AKA Pittsburgh Dad) rant in the fire truck, but this is actually a dark film with a disturbing subtext. Scot Cooper is a very serious actor who carries the weight of his role well and makes us believe in the reporter's obsession with the case. His friend Clutch was sensitively portrayed by Scott Joshway. I'm not sure if the director cast so many actors with the same first name deliberately (there's at least two more Scotts), but they were talented actors. There's a great story here, but it could use a tighter edit. I did see it at the first showing, so hopefully they will take some feedback and make some tweaks.

Our government wouldn't do this

[alysle · 7/10 · 24 September 2019]

That's a quote from one of the characters in the film, but I sadly can't remember if it was the reporter or the fire chief. For years, the people of this small Pennsylvania town have tried to tell the world that yes, the government covered up something huge in 1965. Roswell gets all the attention, but Kecksburg has finally gotten the spotlight in this film. Don't expect blockbuster quality, but the story is engaging and there are some really strong lines.

Found it very interesting and can't wait to buy dvd

[tamaradare · 10/10 · 22 September 2019]

My husband and I attended the movie and we were looking forward to it. I thought that it was well put together and very informational. I compared the movie with the other documentaries and the movie went along with the eye witnesses. I was really into the movie, I loved the old cars and costumes. I am hoping that this movie will hit theaters and others can enjoy the direction of Cody Knotts. The whole cast and crew get 2 thumbs up and a standing ovation from us! I have been telling all of my friends and family how much we enjoyed the movie. Thank you Cody, cast and crew for well thought out, informative, thriller of a movie. We enjoyed it.

My "Take" on Kecksburg!

[judecifone · 7/10 · 22 September 2019]

I must say that I was very impressed! Two thumbs up for Cody Knotts & Emily Lapisardi, the entire cast, and crew!! This American event found its way to the big screen well-scripted along side a fantastic score by Luke Wenceslas Mayernik!

Alien/UFO adaptations are always a challenge at any level, but throughout this film I found myself enthralled by the storyline, as well as the camera angles, time period attire, and lighting!!!

** Szonja Oroszlan and Scot Cooper's conviction and dedication to their roles was quite evident, and very pleasing to watch!!

Some scenes were better than others, obviously every film has that, but based on the reactions from the crowd 90% of the on screen action was celebrated!!

This film was definitely worth every bit of my time and money!! Kudos 👏

Jude Cifone

Thrills. Laughs. But mostly fun!

[moammons · 9/10 · 22 September 2019]

Kecksburg is a great look back at the 1965 alien incident near Pittsburgh. Great costuming. Makeup. Intensity befitting the times. I loved it, and my two teens boys liked it. They had many questions about the social landscape I grew up in. Bravo! Can't wait to see the technical tweaks necessary after any first screening.

Amazing story

[hohnster-29733 · 10/10 · 7 September 2020]

Great movie amazing story. I can't believe no one has made a movie about this before. It's different from any UFO movie I have ever seen. Its different then any government cover up movie. I really liked it.