Yesterday Junior and me watched Close Encounters of the Third Kind. A PG rated film so it was OK for a 6 and a half year old with me alongside.
I'd forgotten just how good it was too. Junior loved it and we both got quite emotional when the spaceships appeared each time, especially the Mothership towards the end. The end section was Spielberg at his best.
All in all watching Close Encounters together was a great experience and Junior keeps doing the hand signals and music a day later.
Looking up the film in my Space Adventure Collectables book I was surprised that the spaceships were never released as toys. All those lights were crying out for a mystery action battery operated glory back in 1977. Just a bendy, a game and a few books were released by the looks of it. Shame.
Have you had a close encounter readers?
Many years later Hot Wheels did the Dept. of Water & Power Ford F-250 pick-up truck from the film, with ladders. I will send you a photo.
ReplyDeleteCheers Paul.
DeleteGlad to hear that you both enjoyed the movie and Woodsy your revisit of it was a positive surprise.
ReplyDeleteFor me CE3K was a pivotal experience of youth, because it for the first time joined my favourite director with my favourite movie genre.
What made it even more special was the CE3K Special Edition that came out three years later in 1980. Spielberg trimmed the original movie and added new footage to the close encounter end sequence. "For the first time - we see The Inside!"
It may be unfathomable today to understand what a thrill and excitement it entailed to wait for this new edition ever since it was publicized more than a year prior to its release. The same kind of excitement that pertained to the two sequels of the original Star Wars.
Are there movies like that today, the likes one fervently waits for years ahead?
I know what you mean, Arto. I liked the special edition, but mourned the lost scenes of Roy frantically getting materials to build the model in his living room. In the revised cut, it's just there, fully finished. Interesting that given all the stick George Lucas has recieved for his re-jigs, Mr. Spielberg got off fairly lightly for his re-work!
DeleteI think the Avatar films probably fit that "waiting for Cristmas" vibe. When I saw the first one, I had my own ideas on how the story could finally resolve and it'll be interesting to see if I guessed right. I suppose I'll have to wait another five years or so to find out!
Waiting for Xmas movies. Hmm. Godzilla and ALIEN franchises for me.
DeleteI'll have to check out the various versions of Close Encounters. I wasn't aware of them until you guys mentioned them here.
DeleteIt's a brilliant movie with excellent effects and a great soundtrack. Very much one to see on the big screen, at the cinema.
ReplyDeleteI've never had an actual encounter, but when I worked for the BBC Visual Effects Department we were asked to examine a video of a dark, disk shaped, UFO to see if we could work out if it was a fake.
Neither us nor the Video Effects Department could see any way it had been done, so we concluded it was a real object, of some size, apparently hovering, motionless, in the sky above some fields, but below the clouds.
No idea what it was or how it stayed in the air.
Fascinating Mish. Who asked you to review the UFO film? Government?
DeleteI think it was just a member of the public, but we weren't told.
ReplyDelete