The Great Escape (1963)

A number of new inmates arrive at a WWII German POW camp, a place designed to hold men who have attempted, and in some cases succeeded, in escaping from one or more of the many other POW camps. Naturally, the determined prisoners make their first priority a coordinated escape plan.
US actor Steve McQueen adorns the front cover of most home editions, even though he's just one small part of a superb ensemble male cast. McQueen does have a memorable role to play, but the best part of the film for me is a less action-orientated, more tragic scene than McQueen's legendary moment.
All things considered, everything about The Great Escape is... well... great, made ever more memorable by a famous Elmer Bernstein score.

5 socks full out of 5

Fire in the Sky (1993)

Based on the book The Travis Walton Experience, a supposedly true account of alien abduction, the story surrounds the mysterious disappearance of Walton (D.B. Sweeney), the subsequent investigation and controversy. Whether you are a skeptic or a believer of the incident, the film's key players are portrayed rather convincingly by skilled character actors Robert Patrick, James Garner and Noble Willingham. Straying from the book, the horrific abduction and probing sequences are pure nightmare fuel. The movie is a forgotten gem dismissed by skeptics of the account. While the abduction claims are fascinating, if taken as entertainment it is a worthy horror film elevated by impressive acting.

3½ Grand Illusions out of 5