Based on Real Life Experiences or Work of Fiction?

The movie The Fourth Kind is slated for showing on Nov 6, 2009 and promises a look at real-life alien abductions that have occurred in Nome, Alaska. Whether or not these abductions actually occurred is matter of debate as reporters and potential viewers scramble to locate evidence to support the claims.

A news report outlining the efforts of the FBI to solve the case of 24 missing persons or suspicious deaths in Nome, Alaska (population 3500) appeared in the Anchorage Daily News on June 30, 2006. According to author, Tom Kizzia, these unsolved cases prompted an investigation, as a serial killer on the loose was suspected. Although nine of the bodies were never found, the FBI concluded that excessive alcohol and extreme weather conditions contributed to these mysterious deaths.

Locals of Nome, Alaska expressed concerns that the FBI investigations were based on information provided by the Nome Police and that no attempts to interview Nome natives were made, possibly ignoring vital information.

Whether there is a tie between the Nome, Alaska unsolved cases and those of alien abductions brought forth in The Fourth Kind remains to be seen, but it does shed some light on the possibility that this based-on-fact movie may have more to offer than a Halloween thriller designed for box office ticket sales.

A quick review of the movie trailer reveals that The Fourth Kind is based on archival evidence of alien abductions in Nome, Alaska collected by Dr. Abigail Tyler; however, there reportedly is no evidence that Abigail Tyler ever existed. It does seem reasonable that if she appears on screen with her face disguised, that such a person may exist with a different name.

Some claim that the fact that the movie was not filmed in Nome, Alaska discounts the validity of its claims of alien abductions. The Fourth Kind was filmed in New Zealand; however, it should be noted that many movies are shot in locations other than the original site, while portraying real-life events.