Eyes of the Mothman

The centerpiece of this lengthy documentary by Matthew J. Pellowski focuses on the purported 1966 appearance in the area around Point Pleasant, WV, of a large winged creature with glowing red eyes that the press dubbed the Mothman (the subject inspired both John Keel's 1975 bestseller The Mothman Prophecies, and a 2002 Hollywood thriller starring Richard Gere). Eyes of the Mothman features a chronological account of the sightings and interviews with locals who claim to have seen the beast, while also examining various explanations—a mutation caused by toxins left in the ground from a weapons factory, the survival of a prehistoric species, even the result of a curse by an Indian chief named Cornstalk who was killed by settlers centuries ago. But the Mothman isn't the only oddity covered here: Pellowski also considers reports of UFO sightings and alien abductions in the vicinity, as well as the arrival of vaguely menacing, decidedly peculiar “men in black” who harassed people who said they had seen the Mothman. And it covers the Point Pleasant Bridge collapse that took nearly 50 lives and was attributed by some to the wrath of Cornstalk as well. While Eyes of the Mothman approaches its subject without condescension (using rather crude re-creations to bring the story to life), the end result is faintly ridiculous, although some may find the supernatural speculation to be of interest. DVD extras include an audio commentary, extended interviews, a “making-of” featurette, and a location featurette with psychic Susan Sheppard. Optional. Aud: P. (F. Swietek)