# Aliens, Bigfoots, and Monsters… Remembering the Age of the Weirdumentary

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/aliens-bigfoots-and-monsters-remembering-the-age-of-the-weirdumentary/
- Published: 2026-10-31T13:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-31T16:51:57+00:00
- Original publisher: IGN
- Original article: https://www.ign.com/articles/aliens-bigfoots-and-monsters-remembering-the-age-of-the-weirdumentary
- Topics: Entertainment, Film, Horror, Offbeat, Paranormal, Weird & Viral

## Key points

- Sunn Classic made paranormal subjects into theatrical hits.
- *Chariots of the Gods* grossed over $25 million.
- Distrust and curiosity helped fuel the 1970s trend.

## Summary

Sunn Classic Pictures found success in the 1970s with theatrical films about UFOs, Bigfoot and other paranormal subjects, blending documentary claims with dramatised scenes. The article argues that these “weirdumentaries” appealed to audiences questioning accepted accounts of reality during an era of distrust in institutions and growing interest in occult and pseudoscientific ideas.

The company’s breakthrough was a re-edited, English-dubbed version of the 1970 German film *Chariots of the Gods*, released in 1973. Based on Erich von Däniken’s claims about extraterrestrial influence on early humanity, it grossed more than $25 million and received an Oscar nomination. Writer, producer and director James L. Conway recalls that cinemas offered one of the few ways to encounter such unusual subjects before the internet and social media.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.