How 1970s Weird Documentaries Changed Cinema
For a decade, filmgoers couldn’t get enough of mystery documentaries — films about aliens, lost civilizations, psychic powers, and monsters in the woods.
In this episode of Things Visible and Invisible, host Gary Parsons explores how these “weirdies,” as he calls them, became a major pop‑culture movement that reshaped both documentary and science‑fiction cinema.
The Birth of the “Weird Documentary”
According to Gary, the craze began with “Chariots of the Gods?” (1970) — based on Erich von Däniken’s best‑selling book about ancient astronauts.
The film was a surprise hit and even nominated for an Academy Award in 1971.
That success opened the floodgates.
Soon, theaters were filled with films about UFOs, psychic powers, haunted houses, and legendary creatures like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster.
Audiences loved them — critics didn’t.
Many reviewers dismissed them as sensationalist or “for people with low intelligence,” but the public’s fascination only grew.
Influence on Hollywood
Gary points out that this 1970s “weird wave” had a huge impact on mainstream filmmakers.
You can see its fingerprints in:
Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982), which even references Chariots of the Gods
Ridley Scott’s Prometheus (2012), which reimagines the ancient‑astronaut idea
He argues that these documentaries fed directly into the science‑fiction boom of the late 1970s and early 1980s — films that mixed cosmic wonder with existential fear.
From Cinema to TV
By the late 1970s, the weird‑doc phenomenon had moved from theaters to television.
In the U.S., the hit series “In Search Of…” (1976–1982), hosted by Leonard Nimoy, brought weekly episodes about ghosts, aliens, voodoo, and lost civilizations into millions of homes.
In the U.K., Arthur C. Clarke’s Mysterious World filled a similar role — blending science, skepticism, and speculation.
Gary notes that many of the same producers who made theatrical “weirdies,” like Alan Landsburg, simply shifted to TV once they realized there was money (and ratings) to be made.
From Fringe to Mythology
Even though critics looked down on them, these documentaries created what Gary calls a “modern mythology.”
Instead of Greek gods and Cyclopes, we now have UFOs, Bigfoot, and alien visitors — stories that satisfy the same human hunger for mystery.
He argues that these myths never truly disappeared.
In fact, they’ve multiplied in the digital age, from Discovery Channel specials to YouTube documentaries and streaming series like The UnXplained hosted by William Shatner (who, fun fact, starred in one of the original 1970s “weird docs,” Mysteries of the Gods, in 1976).
Why They Still Matter
Gary believes that the 1970s weird‑doc movement deserves more respect.
It was a cultural snapshot of a world caught between science and superstition, rationalism and wonder.
While the films were often low‑budget and sensational, they captured a genuine curiosity — a desire to explore the unknown that still drives today’s media about aliens, conspiracies, and the paranormal.
Conclusion
The “weird documentaries” of the 1970s may have faded from theaters, but their influence lives on.
They shaped the way we tell stories about the unexplained — from Ancient Aliens to The X‑Files to modern streaming docuseries.
As Gary puts it, these films turned mystery into entertainment, and in doing so, created a new mythology for the modern world.
What Do You Think?
Do you think these 1970s documentaries were harmless fun — or did they change how we think about science and belief?
