The Journey to Planet Insanity - Movie TRailer

Leroy Tessina had a lifelong fear that aliens would abduct him. He was so worried about the possibility, he spent tens of thousands of dollars on everything from books about extraterrestrials to “alien insurance.” Meanwhile, indie filmmaker Blake Freeman wanted to make a movie about the paranormal. But he needed the right person to base it on. He discovered Leroy by lucky coincidence. Or was it? (Cue Twilight Zone theme music.) Blake and others ordered pizza during a meeting, and Leroy happened to deliver the food. When the bill came out to exactly $88.88, Leroy began talking about numerology. Before long, Blake knew he had his subject.

The resulting documentary, A Journey to Planet Sanity, tells the story of their road trip across America. As the first trailer shows, they went from city to city on a skeptical quest for the truth. They visited a UFO festival where a speaker stammered in response to Blake’s question about anal probes. They came across kooks like Prophet Yahweh, who claims he can summon UFOs at will. “I’m gonna call it a no-show,” he admits after a failed attempt in the second trailer, adding, “Even a no-show is a form of communication.” Then there’s Don Ray Walton, a self-proclaimed cross between a human, alien and angel. How could that be? Aliens artificially inseminated his mother, he told Blake, who just about face-palmed.

These people quickly made themselves look silly but one believer took more setting up. Blake and Leroy created shapes in a cornfield, then convinced an expert that they were made by aliens. The expert’s reaction when he saw the (clearly man-made) image from high above is priceless.

The film’s working title was Gawd Bless America, but its new name is better. The original sounds too close to Bill Maher’s Religulous, another tongue-in-cheek documentary. Both movies make fun of extreme beliefs but have vastly different targets. Journey doesn’t just ridicule wild claims, though—it also shows the real damage caused by false beliefs. Leroy wasted tons of money (he estimates up to $100,000) and years of his life. But at least he’s not worried about aliens anymore.

A Journey to Planet Sanity opens in theaters and on VOD on December 6. Watch the trailer below: