One morning, the little town of Newnan, Georgia, is thrown into hysteria when a UFO is reported over the nearby lake; even the personnel from the nearby Air Force base is mobilized. The only one remaining untouched by this hubbub is Sheriff Hall (Spencer), the big and punchy keeper of the local law; indeed, he does not believe in aliens, especially since layabouts like Brennan (Joe Bugner) use the excitement to commit all sorts of mischief. Still, strange things begin to happen to some of the citizens who share his point of view: a barber's chair begins to spin rapidly around its axis – along with its customer – and an ice cream cart suddenly disgorges its entire load (and more) onto the street after the vendor makes a joke about the aliens being hungry for his ice cream.