Latest news with #StrangeArrivals
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'I was abducted by aliens - there's a chilling reason they couldn't undress me'
The tale of Barney and Betty Hill, who claimed to have been abducted by aliens in 1961, is the subject of a new film, Strange Arrivals, starring Demi Moore and Colman Domingo Driving through the night on a remote New Hampshire road in 1961, Barney and Betty Hill were startled when a strange light in the sky appeared to follow them, eventually hovering directly above their car in the shape of a flying saucer. The newlyweds, returning home from a honeymoon at Niagara Falls, were soon alarmed by a loud buzzing sound — and then, seemingly in an instant, they were back home 35 miles away, unable to recall how they got there. Their watches had stopped, and their memories were hazy. This bizarre experience would become one of the first widely publicised alien abduction stories. At the time, no one had spoken publicly about such encounters. But the Hills — Barney, a 39-year-old postal worker, and Betty, a 41-year-old social worker — believed they had been taken aboard an extraterrestrial craft. Now, their story is being brought to the screen in the film Strange Arrivals , starring Demi Moore as Betty and Colman Domingo as Barney. Based on the podcast of the same name, the movie revisits the couple's terrifying night and the events that followed. READ MORE: Man claims he murdered his dad 'because aliens told him to' in chilling confession In interviews years later, Betty described undergoing a physical exam aboard the alien craft. She recalled the beings photographing her skin, examining her hands and feet, and testing her nervous system. Under hypnosis in 1964, she said they inserted a large needle into her navel as a pregnancy test — despite her protests. Barney died in 1969 of a brain hemorrhage at age 46. Betty later became a well-known figure in the UFO community, passing away in 2004 at 85. Their niece, Kathleen Marden — who was 13 at the time and now a veteran UFO researcher — insists her aunt and uncle were telling 'God's honest truth'. Kathleen recalls visiting the Hills two days after the incident. 'Barney was visibly shaken. Their watches had stopped working, Betty's dress was torn, and they refused to bring their luggage inside, fearing contamination,' she said. According to Kathleen, Barney reported his shoes were so scraped he had to buy a new pair, and Betty's torn dress showed signs of a struggle. During hypnosis sessions with psychiatrist Dr. Benjamin Simon, the Hills described being examined by humanoid beings aboard a disc-shaped craft. Barney spoke of floating toward the ship, while Betty described tissue samples being taken. Their account gained attention after being leaked to a newspaper in 1965, and was later adapted into the best-selling 1966 book The Interrupted Journey and the 1975 TV movie The UFO Incident , starring James Earl Jones. Despite initial scepticism, Kathleen points to supporting evidence: 16 eyewitnesses allegedly saw the same craft that night, and scientific analysis of Betty's dress revealed unusual elements. Still, Dr. Simon maintained that their memories may have stemmed from dreams and trauma — particularly for Barney, a Black man navigating the racism of 1960s America. Kathleen, who lived with the Hills for two years and serves as trustee of their estate, says filmmakers haven't consulted her. She's concerned the new movie might distort the truth. She says of Betty and Barney: 'They experienced anxiety as a result of this experience, but they had no major mental illness. 'I'm fearful Betty might be portrayed as a delusional individual and that her husband loves her so much that he comes to believe her delusion. 'I'm going to be very upset if that is the case.'
Scottish Sun
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
How church-going couple shocked world with 1st-ever UFO abduction story – and why aliens struggled to undress wife
It's not just US citizens like the Hills that little green men have visited - find out about UK close encounters, too 'TAKEN' How church-going couple shocked world with 1st-ever UFO abduction story – and why aliens struggled to undress wife DRIVING through the night on a remote mountain road, Barney and Betty Hill got the fright of their lives as a bright light in the sky grew then hovered right above their car – in the shape of a giant saucer. The American newlyweds — travelling home from a late honeymoon at Niagara Falls — were further alarmed by a sudden buzzing noise. Advertisement 7 Driving through the night on a remote mountain road, Barney and Betty Hill got the fright of their lives as a bright light in the sky grew then hovered right above their car Credit: Getty 7 Betty and Barney Hill, pictured before their honeymoon, believed they had been ambushed by aliens - in the first such abduction ever made public Credit: © Kathleen Marden 7 Betty claimed the aliens did not know how to use the zipper on her dress - pictured above - so they simply ripped it from her Credit: © Kathleen Marden Two hours after these strange goings-on in New Hampshire, they would find themselves safely back home, 35 miles down the road, but with only fuzzy recollections of that last stretch of the journey — and watches that had gone on the blink. It all sounds like a typical tale of an extraterrestrial encounter — but back in 1961, when postal worker Barney, then 39, and his social worker wife Betty, 41, believed they had been ambushed by aliens, no one had gone public with anything of the sort. Advertisement Now Hollywood movie Strange Arrivals is recreating the mystery and terror, with Demi Moore playing Betty and Colman Domingo — star of Lincoln and The Color Purple — as Barney. The title comes from a hit podcast of the same name that recounts the Hills' tale over eight episodes, and filming begins soon. Seven years after the alleged alien encounter, Betty claimed in an interview that she was given 'a fairly simple physical examination'. She said: 'They were taking pictures of my skin, also interest in my hands and my feet. 'They also did a test which they called checking my nervous system. Advertisement Shoved needle in navel 'Throughout the whole examination it would be like picking up some kind of a strange animal and looking it over, giving it a check-up and putting it back down again, without any intentions of harming it.' Under hypnosis in 1964, she also claimed the aliens shoved a 'long needle' in her navel to perform a pregnancy test. Betty said: ''They roll me over on my back. The examiner has a needle in his hand, and it's bigger than any needle I've ever seen. Watch terrified Russians blast at mystery rumbling 'UFO helicopter' over MOSCOW making beeline for Vlad…but what is it? 'The leader — he goes over and he puts his hand, runs his hand in front of my eyes and he says I'll be alright. I won't feel it. 'But I'm still sore from where they put that needle in. Advertisement 'I tried to tell them they shouldn't do it.' Betty remembered how her dress was torn in several places. As they were about to take her on to that craft, she fought for her life. Kathleen Marden, couple's niece Betty's husband died of a brain haemorrhage aged 46, in 1969, and she became a celebrity within the UFO community before dying at 85, in 2004. Now their 76-year-old niece Kathleen Marden, who was 13 at the time of her aunt and uncle's reported encounter and saw them two days later, insists the church-going couple never told anything but 'God's honest truth' about what happened. Kathleen, who has spent much of her adult life investigating some 6,000 UFO reports, tells The Sun: 'They had been immobilised and taken to this craft. 'Barney stated that he felt as if he was floating and only the toes of his shoes were bumping along the ground. Advertisement 'When he arrived home, he discovered his shoes were so deeply scraped that he had to purchase a new pair. 'Betty remembered how her dress was torn in several places. 'As they were about to take her on to that craft, she fought for her life. 'She kicked one of them and that tore the lining of her dress and the hem down one side. 'And when they removed her dress in the examination room of the alien ship they did not know how to undo a zipper. So they went to a tear in the lining.' Advertisement The Hills were an unlikely couple to be caught up in UFO speculation. Theirs was a mixed race marriage — Barney was black, Betty white — and they were deeply passionate about civil rights and religion. They railed against the racism they faced in 1960s America, and Barney helped teach people to read and write so they could pass a test to be allowed to vote. Science fiction books and films were part of popular culture in 1961 but none of that interested the couple. Kathleen said of their fame: 'Prior to this, they never talked about UFOs. Advertisement 'They were interested in civil rights and human rights.' 7 Demi Moore and Colman Domingo will play Betty and Barney in Hollywood film Strange Arrivals - telling the story of the abduction 7 The Hills' niece Kathleen Marden, now 76, says the couple always told the 'God's honest truth' about their terrifying encounter Credit: Getty The retired teacher, who lived near the Hills in the New Hampshire coastal town of Portsmouth, and with them for two years when she was a student, also reveals Barney did not want anyone — even family — to know what had apparently happened on that mountain road at about 10.30pm. Betty, for her part, was so scared she at first refused to bring her holiday luggage back into her home in case it had been contaminated by the humanoids. Advertisement After she began having terrifying dreams about the incident, she and Barney turned to hypnosis to try to piece together what had happened to them — and recalled being briefly abducted and examined by grey men. An official investigation was then leaked to the media — and overnight the unassuming Hills became famous. Their story was adapted in 1966 into best-selling book The Interrupted Journey, and then in 1975 US TV movie The UFO Incident — featuring Star Wars actor James Earl Jones. When the pair first noticed that strange light high in the sky, Barney dismissed it as maybe a satellite gone astray — but as it got closer and larger, he pulled over his Chevrolet and got out to take a look. He did not like what he saw — and Kathleen says: 'He was running back to the car when something started to drop out of the bottom of this craft. Advertisement When they arrived home, both their watches were broken. They reset the watches, rewound them — but they never ran again. Kathleen Marden, couple's niece 'He went screaming back to Betty that they had to get out of there or they were going to be captured. 'And that was just before he and Betty heard a series of buzzing sounds striking their vehicle that caused it to vibrate and a tingling to pass through their bodies.' Beyond that point, the couple could not recall much else about the incident — believing the aliens plunged them into a trance-like state. A few days later Kathleen visited the Hills' home and, while there, overheard a conversation. She recalls: 'Barney had said to Betty, 'Don't ever tell anybody about this'. He didn't even want her to call my mother. 'Betty was concerned the craft had come so close to them that they were contaminated. They had not taken their suitcases into the house. And they took long showers afterwards.' Advertisement 'Took lots of samples' Kathleen also remembers Barney being in a state of shock. She adds: 'When they arrived home, both their watches were broken. 'They reset the watches, rewound them — but they never ran again.' Afterwards, Betty had dreams of meeting aliens — and believed they were flashbacks to what had really happened. But the Hills' full account emerged only two years later, as Barney's failing mental health and debilitating ulcers led him to seek medical help. During sessions with hypnotherapist Dr Benjamin Simon, who treated World War Two veterans, the couple recalled being examined by the aliens. They spoke about going up a ramp into a circular craft, while Betty talked about the aliens taking samples from her body and Barney recalled them putting a cap over his private parts. Advertisement Kathleen adds: 'They took lots of samples.' Barney reported his story to officials at the Pease Air Force Base in New Hampshire, and he and Betty contacted the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena — a US group that believes credible sightings are often covered up. But somehow, their account was leaked to a journalist on a now-defunct newspaper called the Boston Traveller in 1965. Kathleen says the couple feared losing their jobs as a result of their story going public, yet they did later speak to the Press about it — and their niece insists she has 'proof' their tale was genuine. She says: 'It's not possible they imagined this. There were at least 16 individuals who saw that craft in that location on the same night, in the same time frame.' Advertisement Years later she also sent Betty's dress for scientific analysis — which revealed rare earth elements. But Dr Simon had a different opinion. He believed everything beyond seeing an unidentified object had been just dreamt — and that being chased by a strange craft was Barney manifesting his fears as a black man in the prejudiced America of the time. The makers of the new movie have not spoken to Kathleen. She says: 'Even though I'm trustee of the estate — and the leading investigator on this case — no one has contacted me.' Indecent Proposal star Demi, 62, was up for Best Actress at the Oscars earlier this year for cult horror movie The Substance. Advertisement 7 After getting home, both their watches were broken Credit: © Kathleen Marden 7 The couple's story was adapted in 1966 into best-selling book The Interrupted Journey, and then in 1975 US TV movie The UFO Incident — featuring Star Wars actor James Earl Jones Credit: Alamy But Kathleen fears the star may portray her aunt wrongly. The new film is reported to be a romantic one and Toby Ball's Strange Arrivals podcast, that the film is based on, is sceptical about alien abductions. Kathleen says of Betty and Barney: 'They experienced anxiety as a result of this experience, but they had no major mental illness. 'I'm fearful Betty might be portrayed as a delusional individual and that her husband loves her so much that he comes to believe her delusion. Advertisement 'I'm going to be very upset if that is the case.'
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Demi Moore Joins Roger Ross Williams' Sci-Fi Thriller ‘Strange Arrivals'Demi Moore joins Roger Ross Williams' sci-fi thriller ‘Strange Arrivals'
(Picture Courtesy: Facebook) The much-awaited film ' Strange Arrivals ' has officially been announced, with Oscar-nominated actors Demi Moore and Colman Domingo set to lead, according to Deadline. The upcoming film will focus on science fiction and be based on the real-life story of Betty and Barney Hill , an interracial couple who claimed to have been abducted by aliens in 1961. According to the publication, the film is adapted from a podcast by Toby Ball and will be directed by Oscar winner Roger Ross Williams, known for Stamped from the Beginning. Operation Sindoor PM Modi meets NSA, chiefs of armed forces amid spike in tensions with Pak India's air defence systems shoot down Pak drones in J&K, Punjab & Rajasthan Several airports in India to be closed till May 15 - check list Jane Anderson, the Emmy-winning writer behind The Wife and Olive Kitteridge, has written the screenplay. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Scarlett Johansson Shows Off Her Jaw-Dropping Figure - See Photos 33 Bridges Undo Strange Arrivals is being produced by See-Saw Films and developed through their label "I Am That." The story follows Betty and Barney Hill, whose alleged alien abduction brought them sudden fame--but also deeply tested their relationship. According to Deadline, Williams, in a statement about the project, said, "As a director, to be able to work with actors at the top of their craft is a dream. Demi and Colman coming together for the first time to bring Jane Anderson's beautiful script that illuminates the human condition to life will be magic. I am also thrilled to work alongside the remarkable team at See-Saw. They have an amazing track record of making artist-driven stories, and we couldn't be in better hands." Moore was recently nominated for an Oscar for The Substance and stars in Landman on Paramount+. Domingo received an Oscar nomination for Sing Sing and is currently starring in Netflix's The Four Seasons. Production and release dates are yet to be announced. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . And don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
Demi Moore, Colman Domingo lead 'Strange Arrivals,' based on alien abduction case
Demi Moore and Colman Domingo are teaming up for a new film. The duo will star in the upcoming Roger Ross Williams-directed film "Strange Arrivals," production company See-Saw Films announced Friday. According to Deadline, the film is inspired by the true story of Betty and Barney Hill, an interracial couple who claimed they were abducted by extraterrestrials in 1961, on their way back from a trip to Niagara Falls. The best of Demi Moore Williams took to Instagram on Friday to share the news about "Strange Arrivals," writing in the caption that he was "so thrilled to be working with @see_saw_films on my second feature film, led by the incredible @kingofbingo and the phenomenal @demimoore." "I couldn't have asked for two more extraordinary actors," he continued. Williams praised Jane Anderson, the screenwriter for the project, and called her script "masterful," saying he "fell in love" with it the first time he read it. "She has brilliantly woven together history, science fiction, and a tragic love story," he added. "I couldn't be in better hands than with producers Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Samantha Lang, and Anne Carey." Williams also revealed that the film is based off "a wonderful podcast" of the same name by Toby Ball. Colman Domingo on the 'hopeful' message of Oscar-nominated film 'Sing Sing' Moore and Domingo were both nominated for Academy Awards earlier this year. Moore was nominated for best actress for her performance in "The Substance," while Domingo was nominated for best actor for his role in "Sing Sing." Domingo was also nominated in 2024 for the same category, for his role in "Rustin."
Perth Now
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Demi Moore to lead cast of new alien-themed romance after Oscar snub
Demi Moore has joined the cast of 'Strange Arrivals'. The 62-year-old actress will join Colman Domingo in the alien-themed romance film, which is based on the podcast by Toby Ball and will be directed by Roger Ross Williams, with Jane Anderson writing the script. In a statement on the project, Williams told Deadline: 'As a director, to be able to work with actors at the top of their craft, is a dream. Demi and Colman coming together for the first time to bring Jane Anderson's beautiful script that illuminates the human condition to life, will be magic. I am also thrilled to work alongside the remarkable team at See-Saw. They have an amazing track record of making artist-driven stories, and we couldn't be in better hands.' The plot is based on the true story of Betty and Barney Hill, a couple who, in 1961, claimed they had been abducted by extraterrestrials on the way back from their honeymoon. The pair enjoyed celebrity status off the back of the incident, and the upcoming film will explore the truth of what happened on that fateful night. For Demi, the new role comes after she was nominated for Best Actress at the Academy Awards for her role in 'The Substance' but lost out to 'Anora' star Mikey Madison. During an appearance at the Time100 Summit in New York, Demi explained: "I'm sorry to everyone who had hopes for me. Because I did feel a lot of collective disappointment that felt like it was even bigger than me." Despite this, the 'Ghost' actress remains hopeful that can still win an Oscar one day The Hollywood star - who appeared in 'The Substance' alongside Margaret Qualley - shared: "That would be nice. I can't say I'd be mad at it. But the question of 'Should I have won?' is certainly not the perspective of how I hold it. Because, I didn't [win]. I really do subscribe to this idea that everything in life is happening for me, not to me. "That doesn't mean there isn't disappointment, pain, or that things go the way I would like. But when I look at it through that lens, it allows me to step back and say, 'What is this trying to give me?'"
