Why, though, was the government, and the staff at Area 51, so concerned about an old mine, exactly? The answer is very simple: At an elevation of six thousand feet, the mine overlooks the Groom Dry Lake
Area 51 The Revealing Truth of Ufos, Secret Aircraft, Cover-Ups & Conspiracies
It was further revealed by the media in 2015 that the U.S. government had made the Sheahan family an offer of $5.2 million for the approximately four- hundred-acre piece of land that legally belonged to the family. It was either that or “face having the land condemned and taken through eminent domain.” Joe Sheahan was understandably furious: “Is it okay to bomb your citizens, hold ’em at gunpoint and then—just to add insult to injury—just steal their property?” He certainly had a point. He had another good point to make, too.
While most people would be happy with an offer of more than $5 million, the fact is that the figure didn’t come anywhere near the mineral worth of the mine itself.
The government was completely unmoved by the Sheahan family. They were given an ultimatum: accept the approximately $5 million or, in essence, lose everything. The date for the ultimatum was September 10, 2015. Joe Sheahan said of this: “So, isn’t it ironic that on September 11th, the United States government is going to finish the last act of what can only be described as a criminal act to take our property. On September 11th, I just find that ironic.
Sad.”Why, though, was the government, and the staff at Area 51, so concerned about an old mine, exactly? The answer is very simple: at an elevation of six thousand feet, the mine overlooks the Groom Dry Lake. Indeed, the mine is the only place owned by the public—the Sheahan family—that provided a panoramic view of the base. The seizure of the Sheahan family’s property and land went ahead just as the government warned it would. No wonder that so many people ponder on the issue of what really goes on at Area 51. When, in the twenty-first century, an American family can lose their home, their property, and their history all in the name of national security, it just goes to show that Area 51 really is the most sensitive, secretive, and enigma-filled, government-run, secret facility on the entire planet.
Two movies concerning Area 51 surfaced in recent years. In all probability, Area 51’s senior personnel frowned on both of them, just as they did on Independence Day in 1996. They were Street Eyes and Area 51, the latter title getting right to the point.
Area 51 is very much a “found-footage” film of the type that has on occasion been handled very well but on so many other occasions in downright crummy fashion. Area 51 falls into the former category. The movie has a curious history. Although it was not released until 2015, its origins date back more than half a decade. The initial work to bring Area 51 to life began in 2009, and various modifications were made in 2011. Reshoots of certain scenes were undertaken two years down the line in 2013. Everything came to fruition, however, in 2015. That’s when Area 51 was made available on demand and was shown in the theaters of the Austin, Texas-based cinema organization The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.
Area 51 stars Darrin Bragg, Ben Rovner, Reid Warner, and Jelena Nik as— wait for it—Darrin, Ben, Reid, and Jelena. That’s right: cast names and character names are the same—something done, no doubt, to emphasize the found-footage theme of the story. Like so many found-footage-driven productions, it all begins in bright and breezy fashion (for the most part) with the three twenty-something guys preparing for a road trip to Nevada’s most top-secret but world-famous installation: Area 51 of the movie’s title. From the outset, we learn of something slightly disturbing: in the build-up to the road trip, Reid’s personality changes dramatically. His mood and manner alters, he’s fired from his place of work, and he can think of practically nothing but UFOs. He’s a man on a mission but also someone caught in the grip of something sinister.
It’s when the trio meets Jelena that the story heats up: we learn that her now dead father worked at Area 51 and managed to smuggle out of the base a variety of items such as maps, documents, and much more. Wisely, Jelena has chosen to keep the materials hidden well away from the family home. She informs the guys that her father guardedly told her that it’s not so much what’s going on at Area 51 that’s important, but rather, it’s a portion of the facility that is below the surface that really counts.
The story continues that Jelena’s father spent much of his time obsessing about an elderly man who also worked at Area 51. The guys thank Jelena and, as a result of a bit of nifty and quite plausible detective work, soon find the home of the old man. They even manage to break into it while he’s not at home, steal his ID card, and get one of his fingerprints—both of which they hope will help them get into the base.
With the two potentially important things in hand, Darrin, Ben, and Reid are ready to head out to Area 51. It’s at this point that the “found-footage” angle is reinforced when the three friends meet several real figures from the world of ufology, specifically George Knapp (of Coast to Coast AM), UFO investigator Norio Hayakawa, and Area 51 researcher Glenn Campbell. It’s when the guys reach Rachel, Nevada—and the Little A’Le’Inn—that they hook up again with Jelena.