Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) - Full Reaction

To be totally fair…..Ronnie couldn’t handle it…I get it.But she DID take the kids and left him high and dry. I don’t have the sympathy for her that some do. 🤷🏻‍♀️Anyway, we TRULY weren’t given an idea of when he would be back and all “normal” again. (Not sure Ronnie would believe him about that either). But, I mean Barry was gone perhaps only days. So who’s to say that Roy wouldn’t be coming back just as soon? Food 🥘 for thought! I just love this movie. Here to watch again. June 2025. Hi guys!!

Carol Rocha

After watching this I predict that you won't eat mashed potatoes the same again. You have to make a replica of devil's tower, I didn't make it up. It's a rule or something.

David Kent

Finally got around to watching this one. As it turns out I remembered almost nothing about this movie so it was enjoyable to watch. Plus I think being older I can appreciate the great filmmaking more than I would have the first time I watched this movie. I'm with Cassie, I'm not sure how I felt about that kiss and him leaving his family. Otherwise, a great suspenseful movie that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. P.s. Glad the channel is doing well enough to have your own theatre room. Looks super posh, I wish I had one. Though if I'm being honest, I prefer your normal setup as I couldn't see your reaction during the darker scenes.

Luke Godfrey

I'm old but still haven't watched so, so many movies and I've enjoyed watching along with Cassie some movies that probably everyone else my age has seen. Shawshank Redemption for example. I tried with this one but I had to give up after about 30 minutes. Not because of Cassie's reaction but because the movie stinks! So slow, so boring, so confusing, I could not possibly sit through another 100 minutes of this thing.

Jeff

It was also bad.

Kevin Charley

Great reaction. I must have seen this at 5 or 6 in the 80's and for 30 years I thought maybe I had seen a UFO close up over my backyard. 30 years later I saw this movie again and realized it was one of the big ones flying overhead. I could not tell movie magic from reality back at that age.

Brian's Dog

He had eyes to see and they did not. It's two completely different/contradictory views of reality and that's the kind of thing that drives families apart.

Stick Figure Studios

They're from a time when audiences had a bit more patience.

Stick Figure Studios

This comment is many times weirder than whatever you think about her editing

Nathan Steele

I saw that once and only once (in the theater). Not because it was bad. It was uuuuuuuunsettling.

Ortizmo2000

Need a tissue?

Ortizmo2000

editing so much so you look weird. Its ok to be a normal person. Isnt that your thing? genuine

Joe

the amount of cutting and editing in your intros is horriffic.

Joe

In 1916, a man named Clarence Saunders opened up the very first ever Self-Service Grocery Store, in Memphis, TN, called Piggly Wiggly. He invented the modern day grocery store that we still have everywhere today, from the basic layout, design and operation to shopping carts and even a printed receipt. If you ever go to Memphis, there is a full-size totally reconstructed original Piggly Wiggly Store replica, at the Pink Palace Mansion Museum. The Pink Palace Mansion was the unfinished dream home of Clarence Saunders. Legal troubles caused him to abandon the project and eventually gave the home to the City of Memphis, which turned it into a Museum of Science and History. https://moshmemphis.com/exhibits-collections/pink-palace-mansion/

Larry Darrell

This is one of my favorite movies. I cannot remember the first time I watched it. I must have been a little kid. I have watched it, and it's many versions, several times. My husband and I just watched it in the movie threare last month as they re-released it for one night. That was the first time I watched it in a theater setting....it was magical. I also live a few miles from the Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Museum and have seen the mother ship model several times.

Kelly Oehlschlager

Since I live in the Mid Altantic, for most of my life I thought Piggly Wiggly was a made up grocery store created for this movie. I only found out it was a real store about 10 years ago. I have still never seen one. It's such a cute name.

Kelly Oehlschlager

Piggly Wiggly is a grocery store chain, primarily located in the southeast. One of the oddest corporate brands ever. I have to ask also, you recognized Richard Dreyfuss as Mr. Holland; did you also recognize him as Hooper from Jaws?

BibbitduBois

I was watching a movie the other night (alone and not a reaction video) - and couldn't help but think "Oh my gosh" and "sweet mercy", along with a vision of our two favorite blondes, during a scene or two. I couldn't help but smile.

crazyivan

Well, regardless, I'm talking about it as a movie, as an alien movie, which was good

JPDotCom23

Just watched this for the first time in a long time (did skip around a bit to speed up the process). The print of it looked amazing; clarity, colors, cinematography. A slow burn for sure. I know it's been kind of debated who actually directed Poltergeist, but to me, this film especially is absolute proof that Spielberg had his hands all over that movie, if not directing the entire thing. Struck by how melancholy Encounters really is. Outside the ending with the intergalactic jam band, It's really, really sad. Absolutely a classic, though. The tension building is expertly done.

Chris Thom

That story is total dog s--. They bailed on a big contracted job and they made up a crazy story to distract everyone. Good movie though.

Chris Thom

Spielberg has been completely freaking rich for so long now. Maybe some day he'll completely fund his own super weird, experimental indie movie like Coppola.

Chris Thom

He always gets those daddy issues in. Especially in alien movies for some damn reason.

Chris Thom

It's always a frick. Unfortunately. Scream was the closest I saw. Pretty sure she was also about to call Ghostface 'a little bitch'. Or possibly did. Good times.

Chris Thom

I just never understood why they couldn't all do the weird hobby together. How often do you actually have contact with aliens? Sounds fun. Something to bond over.

Chris Thom

70's movies always show their age a bit. Different time/movie making precepts.

Chris Thom

my parents went to see this in the theater which mean my older sister and I got to see it too.. I was like 5. Scared the crap out of me.. ha

Ryan Towell

May I suggest 'Fire In The Sky', the true story of Travis Walton

JPDotCom23

I know I'm in the minority on this but I always found this movie to be boring up until the end. It was more enjoyable watching along with cassie though. Usually is.

Yaisu

And BTW that scene in the shower is another reason why I was recommending the directors cut.

Stick Figure Studios

Absolutely agree. Thank you fur saying this.

Stick Figure Studios

Yeah… the whole thing is a Catch-22. I want Cassie to have the best possible experience watching a film, which involves being in a dark room with no light shining in her eyes And I’m still paying to be able to see her face while she watches the film. I guess it all depends on how much She really cares about her experience with the film. Ultimately, I Hope she does whatever is the best for her.

Larry Darrell

Thanks for the Support.

Larry Darrell

Cassie is perfectly capable of saying "the other word", just like Pavel Chekhov is perfectly capable of saying "Vulcan vessel on incoming vector."

Clarence Newman

The only issue with Cassie's home theatre room is that when the movie is dark, her reaction camera de-rezs to what looks like 480 resolution and shows some optical artifacts, like what happened in "The Long Night" episode of Game of Thrones that everyone criticized for being too dark. It's a minor quibble. I'm certain the home theatre enhanced the immersion and heightened Cassie's reactions, so I'm in favour of more home theatre reactions in the future!

Rod Reavern

I agree there appears to be a disturbing lack of empathy and harsh "modern-day" judgment for Roy in the comments, which is disappointing. Supposedly, societal progress has been made in understanding and empathy for people dealing with mental health issues. Apparently not! It's especially bewildering because we, the audience, saw what Roy witnessed and we know the UFOs are real, but people are still judging Roy as being wrong. For what? The unforgivable sin of "abandoning his family" by going off with the aliens after his wife took his kids and abandoned him first? If Roy hadn't joined the aliens and had gone back to his family instead, they would NOT have believed him -- not unless the government admitted the truth about UFOs and what had happened at Devil's Tower, which was never going to happen! If Roy had not shut up and gone on living like nothing had happened, his wife would've taken the kids and abandoned him permanently. Roy would've been forced to live a lie to preserve the "normalcy" of his uncaring family, and been alienated and miserable for the rest of his life. That is no way to live. Roy had no future with that family. Richard Dreyfus did an excellent job of portraying an everyman who had a profound revelation and struggled to deal with it, while receiving NO support from his family whatsoever. Whether the movie's depiction of Roy's family being so terrible was a product of the '70s or just a contrivance to justify Roy's decision to leave with the aliens, Roy made the right choice for Roy. I respect that.

Rod Reavern

Cassie, you need to see the Special Edition, maybe just the last ten minutes for a somewhat more satisfying ending......

JRCortez

To be fair though, there were a lot of dark nighttime scenes in this movie.

Marty McGee

It bums me out to read all the comments against Roy. Something was happening to him, and he didn’t know what it was. He was scared. He was hurting. He was having a mental break. He couldn’t stop it. He asked for help. No one wanted to help. Not even his wife. He was doing the only thing that made sense to figure out the answer to what was going on in his mind. He was afraid and alone. Especially after his family leaves him, in the worst and scariest moment of his life. But of course it’s all his fault. Everyone knows that We can choose When and Where we have mental breakdowns. We can even choose to not have them. I don’t know if Cassie will ever watch this film again or watch the Director’s Cut, so I’ll just post this scene from the DC. https://youtu.be/MgueNiK3fh0?si=BmAsRfe1dWW11XYs&t=2m51s Maybe I’m one of the few on this one, but when a husband says, “I’m really scared. I want you to help me,” and the wife hits the husband and yells, “All this Bullshit!… I just hate you!” Well… that’s not helping. When a husband asks his wife to, “just hold me. Put your arms around me. It will really help me,” and her response is, still yelling, “none of our friends call us anymore… you’re wrecking us! You’re Wrecking Us.” She doesn’t really care about him. She cares about the image of Them together… mostly, she cares about her image. And on her leaving him… that’s right. Her Leaving Him. His sickness was just a bit much for her. It was a little too inconvenient for Her Life. It looked really bad in front of the neighbors. Certainly embarrassing. Time to Split. Not dealing with this. I don’t want this. Do people still use the phrase when getting married… “In sickness and in health?” Wouldn’t be surprised if most people left that out these days. Everyone jumping on Roy for leaving his kids at the End of the movie. Everyone kicking and punching Roy for abandoning his kids in the End. I wonder where Roy might have ended up at… If, Ronnie had listened and tried to understand Roy. If, Ronnie had put her arms around Roy and held him. If, Ronnie had Not Taken His Kids Away from him. If, Ronnie had not left him alone, where he was going to dig himself deeper and deeper into a hole he couldn’t get out of. If, His Family had stayed by his side in his darkest moment. If, His Family had been by his side when the Mothership landed… would he have gone? Maybe his Family would’ve looked a Hell of a lot Brighter than the light coming from the Mothership. We’ll Never Know… after all, it’s only a movie ;-) ( I apologize for my rant. This is one of those rare moments where I got serious. I felt compelled to get this out. Sorry. )

Larry Darrell

Music is math.

Marty McGee

Cassie, I hope you watch this again, on your own, one day now that you know that no one gets hurt and there are no bad guys in this movie. Think of the alien’s actions as making first contact, like in Star Trek. This was their way of reaching out to a more primitive culture (us) to begin communication. None of the humans who returned looked harmed, just a little confused. Barry was even sad to see them go. So, they must have been nice to him. I think the aliens took people to learn about us before making official first contact. Think about how we take marine life out of the water to research them before putting a tracking device on them and putting them back in the ocean. They probably think they were abducted by aliens too.

Kelly Oehlschlager

Yeah, I never liked the wife’s response to what he was going through. I think even the idea of aliens being real was too scary for her to deal with. So she wanted to pretend that none of it was happening and wanted him to forget all about it. In doing so, she couldn’t be there for him. She was not open to talking with him about his experience, trying to understand what he was going through, or willing to work with him to help him figure things out. The only time I think he went too far was when he wreaked the house with dirt and bricks. Then is when I would have started to get scared about what was going on. I would have taken the kids to my sisters, but then would have come back to try and help him. Spielberg has said, after he had kids of his own, that he would not of had Roy leave his family behind like he did, at the end.

Kelly Oehlschlager

I think it had something to do with how he felt abandoned by his own father. But he later found out it was his mother that broke up the marriage. The Fabelmans tells the basics of that story.

Chris Thom

I don’t even have to watch it to know it was frick, not the other one😂

Cole Jennett

That wasn’t Teri Garr… it was Ronnie.

Larry Darrell

Sounds like a cold movie. Ronnie was not the most warm, loving, caring, understanding wife. She cared more about how Roy was appearing to everyone else, and even more how everyone else thought about her, than she actually cared about Roy’s, her husband’s, health and well-being. The phrase “in sickness and in health” comes to mind. I’m trying to remember where I’ve heard that.

Larry Darrell

The scene of Roy talking about taking his kids to see "Pinocchio" is actually not in this version that she watched (although there are some shots of a Pinocchio toy playing the melody to "When You Wish Upon a Star"). Cassie watched the original theatrical version and that scene first appeared in the special edition and was retained in the director's cut.

Stick Figure Studios

He doesn't abandon his children. His wife takes the children and leaves him. As for Spielberg, he was painting a compelling portrait of someone who was given a vision of something transcendent and, in spite of his best efforts to resist it, couldn't shake it (like a splinter in his brain) until he pursued it (although years later, after Spielberg got married and had kids, he said he couldn't make that same movie now).

Stick Figure Studios

So...just to be certain...when Cassie sees the alien for the first time, does she say "F$%@. F$%@. F$%@.' or does she say "Frick. Frick. Frick."? I tried turning on the closed caption subtitles, but they weren't available, and I need to know the answer to this question (just so I know if Cassie is human like some of the rest of us).

Steve Mercier

I haven't seen this since I was a kid but I gotta say after seeing it again, Roy abandoning his children pretty much ruins this movie. What was Spielberg thinking?

Nick Thousan

Watching Cassie waiting for the aliens to do something bad was a whole mood…we probably should have warned her. I love that music is a whole character in this film-John Williams must have had fun with that. I don’t know if anyone has pointed this out yet, but at the start of the movie Roy is talking about the family going to see Pinocchio and at end when they are getting ready to go on the ship John William’s score directly quotes “When You Wish Upon a Star’ for several bars. It’s one of my favorite musical Easter eggs in film.

Tinkerbell

Another great reaction. I laughed out loud so many times. Cassie you will definitely not make my first contact team. Still love though.

Naturekitty5309

One of my favourite classic sci-fi movies! Tangentially related, because I know Cassie is a fan of Kurt Russell, the air traffic control scene at the beginning now reminds me of an interview of Kurt Russell (an amateur pilot) that he reported witnessing the 1997 “Phoenix Lights” incident. The video is on YT, it’s a great story!

Rod Reavern

I saw this when I was 9 years old. It is still one of my favorites. I think you may be analyzing this too much......Spielbergs aliens are benevolent....and they were just trying to know us.

Stephen Minor

That's an interesting interpretation. I have a wholly different take myself. See my comment below.

Stick Figure Studios

He is an expert at “less is more” and “more is only good if its done right”.

Dan M

Spielberg learned well from Jaws that the less you show the more tension you create.

David Patterson

You can picture this whole film as a fantasy running through Roy's head as he is getting ready for work and his family causing chaos all around him. I use this film as an illustration of addiction. While others receive the vision and are able to live normal lives, others, like Roy, become obsessed. Jillian's love for Barry is strong enough to overcome the compulsion. Roy is so miserable in his life that he views his obsession as the only solution, even at the cost of his family. By getting on the ship, he is drinking/drugging himself to death. The aliens personify the abused substance. While they don't have any overtly hostile intentions, they have no consideration of the damage they are inflicting on the lives of those they affect.

David Patterson

There should be a wife cut of this where Teri Garr just sees Richard Dreyfus go nuts for no reason and we cheer when she leaves him.

Odd Thomas

Are you familiar with the island in the Caribbean, called, (OK.) that (Ru)ssia colonized? It’s a great vacation spot for old Classmates to get together and (slash) through the jungle with machetes, while (video)ing themselves like they were making a movie. The cost to stay there has been (slashed) down drastically since it got hit with a hurricane last year. The damages were in the amount of (7,296,681,183,785) dollars. One good thing did come of it though… all the commas dropped out of the investments on the island, which opened the doors for Theatrical companies from Hollywood to open up business, and be able to shoot movies there now. Which will be better for everyone involved. ;-)

Larry Darrell

Families in Spielberg films remind me of mine more than any other. (E.T., Hook, Catch Me if You Can, War of the Worlds and Close Encounters) That look that Roy’s oldest gives his Dad at the dinner table… I know that look. I know that emotion. There is a scene in the Director’s Cut that gives more depth to the family’s turmoil. I hope Cassie sees this one day, because it shows just how fractured the family was, before the Encounter. IMO, Roy and Ronnie were not good for one another. They both wanted different things and if those kids were anything like my brother and I, they would’ve realized that one day. Watch the scene in the Director’s Cut… they are realizing it then. As for Roy leaving at the end, instead of going back for his kids… I prefer this ending. It makes the most sense for his character. He was on a journey and he had to see it through. He had a Calling. Roy was never shown to be the “best” Dad, as evidenced in some other scenes in the Director’s Cut. It’s a Flaw in his character, that actually makes him more Realistic. Some people will identify with him and what he’s going through and others will criticize him and judge him against their own sense of morals. Roy’s not perfect… but who is? I’m not saying I would do what he did, but I understand it. And I like to think, if I was one of Roy’s kids, and found out what really happened with my Dad, that I would be able to forgive him… one day. Always thought it would be an interesting sequel idea, to have Roy come back one day, years later and reconnect with his kids. Might be a little hard to do on film, without recasting Roy. A sequel as a Novel would be cool. — You did not recognize Melinda Dillon, who played Jillian, as Ralphie’s Mom in A Christmas Story (1983). This must have been an oversight, because you have seen A Christmas Story before. Right?? I was thrilled to see you using your Theatre Room. I hope to see you use it more often. I did NOT have a problem with the lighting. Knowing that you didn’t have any extra light shining on your face told me that you were watching the film in a dark room, which is how most films of not all films are meant to be seen. It would still be awesome if you could watch films with Surround Sound, but obviously understand that would be working at cross purposes. Here at home, the whole living room was shaking when the Mothership arrived. Perhaps one day you can watch the Director’s Cut of the film, with full sound. There’s so much more detail in the sound, that you are missing with earbuds. If finding the time is tough… I guess there’s always retirement (-: please don’t let it be that long ;-) Your immediate reaction to the aliens and one that you held onto for almost the entire film. (2 hrs. 10 mins, it took for, “I think they’re nice.”) made Two films come to mind… The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) & The Vast of Night (2019) Thanks again Cassie. This was a Milestone Film. You’re Doing Great. This was Awesome.

Larry Darrell

Hahaha no shit! 😁 I didn't know that. It makes sense though. The three of them were thick as thieves when they were coming up.

Zane From Canada

Spielberg has said that he made this movie before he had children and he would not have Roy leave his family if he made it again.

Jay

Wow Cassie! You’re past movie experiences with alien movies has made you paranoid and RUTHLESS! Bring out the nuclear weapons!! 😂😂 This is the first time I’ve watched this movie and was laughing out loud. What a blast this was. Honestly though, I can understand why you were reacting like you did. It was pretty “Poltergeist-y” in the beginning. And Spielberg did a great job of building up tension and keeping the audience in the dark, with just little bits of info and clues scattered here and there. And you were right to have so many questions at the end. Because what they were doing here, why they took those people, what they did to them (if anything), and why were they so dang creepy about it all… is left up to interpretation. My take…they were just curious and wanted to make sure THEY were safe before revealing themselves. Just like some humans want and hope for there to be friendly life beyond our planet, so did they. And they found us. By the way, the ominous slow tones right before they opened up the platform to let the humans get off the ship, it was the dreaded two note “theme” from Jaws (dah dah, dah dah, dah dah). A little easter egg from Mr. Spielberg.

Dan M

Some of the special effects in this movie, specifically the clouds and mist scene before the mother ship arrives, are from the Ten Commandments. A nice Spielberg Easter egg.

Bill Hayden

John Milius was involved in the deal as well, with his film Big Wednesday. He got the best end of the deal, with points from both Close Encounters and Star Wars.

Larry Darrell

I’m for everything in the Theatre. Now if only we could solve the Surround Sound problem. That’s the Catch-22.

Larry Darrell

+1 for Fire in the Sky (1993). PS: it’s a True Story ;-)

Larry Darrell

Ditto

Larry Darrell

There was a Third Party in this deal. His name was John Milius. Jeremiah Johnson (1972) Jaws (1975)… Uncredited Apocalypse Now (1979) The Temple of Doom (1984)… Uncredited Red Dawn (1984) The Hunt for Red October (1990)… Uncredited Clear and Present Danger (1994) Saving Private Ryan (1998)… Uncredited Spielberg and Lucas read the script to Milius’, Big Wednesday (1978), and was sure that it was going to be a big hit. So, Spielberg and Lucas each gave Gross Points for their films, Close Encounters and Star Wars respectively, to Milius, in exchange for Gross Points on Big Wednesday. Big Wednesday flopped, and Close Encounters and Star Wars, didn’t. Milius got the Best end of the deal… points on both films. Big Wednesday failing was still a heartbreak for John Milius, since it was his most personal film. It has since gained a Cult Status though, and is definitely a film to see.

Larry Darrell

Ok, I had to stop this because what was on tv was not jiving with what she was watching, which means I now have to download this

JPDotCom23

“The sharp edge of a razor is difficult to pass over; thus the wise say the path to Salvation is hard.” — Katha Upanishad Bless You Stick

Larry Darrell

There's a lot of fascinating history in this movie. While Spielberg was making this, George Lucas was also making Star Wars. However, fresh off of the huge success of Jaws, Speilberg was the King of Hollywood and Lucas was still a relative unknown, but they were good friends. One day, Lucas came to the set to visit Speilberg, but he was depressed because he didn't think Star Wars would do well in the box office. To brighten his spirit, Speilberg bet him 5% of the proceeds of Star Wars against 5% of the proceeds of Close Encounters. We all know how that worked out. Lucas made good on the bet and Speilberg is still making money every time people buy or rent the movie. The movie is not intended to answer many questions, but to leave the audience wondering. In the end it is a peaceful attempt to communicate.

Alan Kobb

I hate to be a nudge... It would be nice if half of the reaction didn't take place in the dark.

Bill Hayden

Well said Jon.

Larry Darrell

They left him first..

Stick Figure Studios

Lol Cassie! Some of us have been "stewing" on this movie for 46 years 👽👽👽

Kuskesh Haramzadeh

Love the theater. You should use it more often. Especially this October.

Nick Thousan

This movie brought out your PTSD, Cassie. I didn't think it would freak you out so much. But, it has been a long time since I've seen this movie. I forgot how scary and creepy some of scenes could be. Good reaction, Cassie. It was good to see this movie again. I don't think I've seen it since the 80s. It makes you think. I don't know how someone could leave their wife and family like that. But, it would be tempting to take a ride with them.

Rick Williams

So, if they prefer yacht rock to hip-hop - they're our friends? And mathematics (or chemistry) is the real universal language. Not that we could understand each other anyway. Geez, if I was an alien, I'd be more than a little concerned getting to know us hoomans.

crazyivan

Ok, if you were in charge - what would you do? Tell everyone we don't know who these critters are, where they're from - or we're only 1000+ years behind them tech-wise, and couldn't protect anyone if they wanted to take our planet away from us? .......IF there are aliens visiting us, and IF they aren't willing to help us save Earth (from ourselves), then screw the little fokkers and shoot down every UFO we see.

crazyivan

That is an excellent question.

Tom Furze

Just as a side note, I love the theater.

Tom Furze

in the directors cut the wife was not a good wife, the children were brats, it was an easy choice for him, wished barry and his mom would've gone too

zynjams

it always confused me why they only took 2 women and a bunch of guys at the end.

zynjams

That's what I was thinking. This is first contact, just the beginning of human/alien interaction. Who knows where it goes from here?

Stick Figure Studios

Now that she has seen the source material, Cassie needs to watch Ernie Fosselius' parody short film trilogy 'Hardware Wars', 'Closet Cases of the Nerd Kind' and 'Pork Lips Now' as well as 'Bambi vs. Godzilla'

David Patterson

Nah…the government is totally honest and forthcoming and willing to share with everyone when it comes to top secret stuff like this…said no one ever.

Dan M

As Cassie would say, Fire in the Sky would hurt her soul. Such a good movie though. Perfect for Scary But Not Too Scary October.

Dan M

Just watched this on Kaiielle's channel...might wait a bit to watch it again. Speilberg's sonnet to crappy dads...and aliens.

Steve Mercier

This was my first time watching. So much is left to the imagination. Because of that, it's more wonderous, frightening, and makes you thirsty for more. Cassie, I had question marks over my head at the same times that you did. It wasn't a scary movie, and yet there were times I was tense. It wasn't overly complex, and yet there were times I found myself confused. Conspiracy theory may not have been the main push, but aliens and governmental coverups sure was an element. Thank you Cassie for watching this.

Tom Furze

A good movie starts when the movie ends - It leaves you with questions to think about over the days & weeks, and go back to the film and wonder at it again Also vote here for Cassie to re-watch the Indiana Jones trilogy with Carlie in the theatre 👇

Butt Head

Had no idea this was coming, didn't catch it at all. One of my favorite movies of all time. Just wondrous. I like to describe it to my friends as "A man has an unexplainable encounter and destroys his life and family trying to figure it out". It's too bad you watched the original theatrical version instead of the director's cut, but better than nothing :)

p0sthum4n

Here's something to think about. Close Encounters of the Third Kind is regarded as such an important film that the original model of the mothership is one of only two fictional spacecraft to be on permanent display in the Smithsonian Institute's National Air & Space Museum in Washington DC (the other being the original model of the USS Enterprise from Star Trek).

Donald Fleming

No doubt the government would move fast to cover up that event,Roy will be declared deceased,Roni and the kids would receive a huge payout hush money,everyone evolved would stay quiet till Popcorn in bed brought the story into the light♡

Celeste McAllister

Especially such a rich film like this.

Stick Figure Studios

And no, your ears weren't deceiving you. Williams folded the melody to "When You Wish Upon a Star" into the score.

Stick Figure Studios

Actually, some contemporary reviews of POLTERGEIST dubbed it "Close Encounters of the Paranormal Kind" because the ghosts spent so much of the movie offscreen.

Stick Figure Studios

I was 11 years old when this came out and yes, we had a lot of the same questions. What you need to keep in mind is that when it came out almost all "alien" movies previously were made to scare us. This movie presented a more positive vision of what an interaction with aliens could look like. That is what made this so special, and of course, putting John Williams' music center stage. Music is the universal language is it made sense that that is how we initially communicate with aliens.

KauaiKeith

I'm seeing a theatrical version as the first up "in the Caribbean." Maybe search the old ports of call.

Mike Lemon

Looking forward to seeing this reaction especially after reading you thought it was like watching Poltergeist lol. If this freaked a you out a bit, then you reacting to a film called Fire in the Sky could be interesting. But also looking for to watching it as it’s been a while since I’ve seen it.

Dean Holt

That’s really interesting

Dan M

She watched the original theatrical version. There’s also the Director’s Cut and the Special Edition that have extra scenes it them. So if you watched one of those two, that’s probably why you couldn’t sync them up.

Dan M

And…I would think the aliens would still want to keep a certain level of anonymity to their presence on earth. If they used conventional methods of communication, any Joe Schmo may have picked up on it by accident. And if Joe Schmo has a big mouth, he becomes Chicken Little and starts yelling it from the rooftop, and panic ensues.

Dan M

These are all legitimate points that you brought up JPB. You would think that highly advanced beings form another world that have been watching us and studying us would know exactly how to communicate directly with us. But I think the best answer to these queries is…it would make for a pretty boring movie otherwise. The projected images, the use of longitude and latitude, and the use of music just add to the mystery and magic of the movie. I mean, that’s one of the reasons we watch Sci-Fi movies and fantasy movies, right …to escape the humdrum of everyday life, suspend our knowledge of reality, use our intellect to try and figure out what’s going on, and just enjoy the story.

Dan M

OK that answers one of my questions. I posted my comment before I had read any of the others, and I had never noticed the notes of When You Wish Upon a Star" in the soundtrack before! Shows how you can catch something new every time you see a movie!!

Mike LL

I never knew POTERGEIST was a remake of CLOSE ENCOUNTERS! 😂 This was fantastic seeing this film fresh again through Cassie's eyes. I, and I am sure many, had forgotten how frightening the beginning of the movie was. “That doesn't look like Richard Dreyfus!” Cassie said at the beginning. Cassie, you've forgotten how young he looked in JAWS! Neary didn't leave his wife and children. They (well, she) left him! Did I imagine hearing the notes of "When You Wish Upon a Star" in the soundtrack near the end? Was that my imagination? Never noticed that before. This was great seeing Cassie watch one of Spielberg's masterpieces. I am glad that Cassie got to see this movie in her in home theater. The reaction was only marred by the absence of lighting in the theater. Hopefully she and Ben will take this as the positive criticism it is, and fix that in the future. A great reaction, but you've got to be able to see the reactor!!

Mike LL

You we're probably watching either the "special edition" or, more likely, the director's cut (since the latter has essentially become the official version of the movie since it's release in 1997).

Stick Figure Studios

zynjams

cassie and sis movie

zynjams

You still hear "When You wish upon a Star" on the soundtrack in every version, but I do miss hearing it over the end credits (that is only available in the special edition).

Stick Figure Studios

@Shawn: Basically, yes. There was briefly a "special edition" of E.T. where they digitally augmented the original visual effects (and infamously replaced guns with walkie talkies), but Spielberg later disowned that version and now the original is really the only one available.

Stick Figure Studios

Hey Cassie, you sentiments at the end about "Roy" leaving his family are very similar to Spielberg's own after he had his own kids. He has been on record as saying that if this had been made later in his life after he had kids "Roy" may not have left. John Williams was also on the "Smartless" podcast not that long ago, and they talked about this movie specifically and he had an story about coming up with the notes that make up the message. It gets into musical theory a bit and setting up and resolving musical phrases, but the gist was that he ended the phrase in a particular way as it makes it sound like a question, and then the response late in the movie was ended in such a that it felt like a answer to the question. I am butchering that, but I did found it interesting. He and Spielberg have had such a great collaborative creative journey together.

Mojo One Thousand

This is actually the first time I've seen this movie in full since I was likely a kid, even then its very vague memory of that. While I love the visuals and I noticed lots of trademark Spielberg shots, I just never connected with any of the plot

Choof

Basically everything made before about 1980 should be watched in your theatre as that's how they were intended to be viewed. You'll find films that can seem a bit boring on the small screen come to life on the big screen

Butt Head

INTERESTING STORY: Back in 1977 Spielberg released this and George Lucas released Star Wars. Both men were convinced their movies would be critical and box-office failures so they made a wager with eachother. They agreed to give one-another 2.5% of their films percentage points. Needless to say both films were enormously successfully and Spielberg and Lucas made a lot of 💰 🤑 💸 . And you can probably guess which man got the better end of the wager. 😁

Zane From Canada

You may have the director's cut. It has essentially become the "official" version since it's released in 1997.

Stick Figure Studios

Those are good points. I haven't watched this movie in at least 5 years, I forgot that the music was communicated by the aliens in the beginning of the movie. Although the music can be broken down in mathematical terms and it is often stated in scientific circles that math would be the most likely way of communicating with alien lifeforms. Always more to mull over with this movie

Katie Jackson

I’m not sure what version I have. I’m sick today and don’t care to look. lol. But I DID have to re-Sync several times. This is one of my favorite movies. I love Richard Dreyfus. Stand By Me, What about Bob, The American President, Mr. Holland’s Opus….. so many more! I’m sad (but not surprised) that Cassie wasn’t pleased with the ending. Gosh, this movie was in theatres (& Drive-Ins) my senior year! It was sooo highly anticipated and I don’t think it disappointed many at that time. It was one of the best films of its time. I know it won a Grammy & a Golden Globe, but idk what others. There was always that question about Roy leaving his wife and children behind. I think we just concluded that he must’ve thought he had a higher calling? . lol. It will forever be a true classic as far as I’m concerned. And I think you always remember the note sequence 🎵 And 😊😎🫶🏻

Carol Rocha

THE FABELMANS is like the Rosetta Stone for Spielberg. You can trace the origin lot of elements from his movies to experience depicted in that film.

Stick Figure Studios

I second that idea.

Stick Figure Studios

The only possible better way to watch the movie would be at the foot of Devil's Tower itself.

Stick Figure Studios

I love that interview.

Stick Figure Studios

Daddy issues are all over Spielberg's filmography.

Stick Figure Studios

Well, she left him first.

Stick Figure Studios

She'll love that one.

Stick Figure Studios

love the T-shirt!

Matt Rose

please watch the goodbye girl starring Richard Dreyfus

zynjams

I can buy aliens. I can buy that they communicate through music. I can buy the time dilation with the pilots from 1945. But I simply cannot believe anyone leaving Teri Garr.

Mike Gallagher

I agree. The most recent PiB "theater" reactions have gotten worse and worse with the lighting. This reaction was almost totally ruined by not being able to see Cassies' face during segments. I'm sure they will fix this going forward.

Mike LL

@Katie Jackson I don’t think that explains it for a couple of reasons. First, the people to whom the aliens have selected and projected images of the Devil’s Tower are seen repeating the tune used at the eventual meeting, indicating the use of music to communicate was chosen by the aliens. Second, if they were well versed enough in our communication to broadcast coordinates in the form of longitude and latitude, why not just say, “Hey y’all, no need for the music, we speak English.”? All that said, your response raises additional interesting points. For example, since they clearly know and can communicate exactly where the meeting is to take place, why don’t they communicate that information to the people they’ve contacted? They project the image, but don’t give them the coordinates, even though it appears that these are the people they’re truly interested in. Anyway, it’s all minor quibbling on my part. The true answer to all these questions is, of course, that it serves the plot. If Roy knew exactly where to go from day one, much of his inner conflict would’ve been resolved immediately. If the aliens were shown to be able to communicate complex ideas easily, much of the film would simply have been little more than a ham radio conversation. These are issues meant to be resolved. As I say, I’m just quibbling. It’s part of the geek’s nature.

Just Plain Bob

😂I thought that too! lol. 😆 Wow! I can’t believe that you’re STILL caught up in such details as the use (or misuse) of lat & long.. as the story was Mr. Spielberg’s to tell, and Lord knows we are not meant to know all the reasons he wrote the script as he did. I would, of course, assume that the obvious reason is so that this movie, especially the ending, is left to interpretation by the viewer. As Cassie said, she likes her endings tied up in a bow, which I knew. ☺️But sometimes Spielberg’s works don’t get a bow on them. 😎 I saw it first in theaters and had it on VHS, now DVD. Those logistics never entered my mind. My takeaway was more of an amazing event that took place, scary & disturbing at times. Then the safe return of many “missing” people, unharmed, and possibly able to answer some important questions (or maybe not, if their memory of the journey was wiped) - another thing left for interpretation. The story line about people being drawn to this particular site I always found very entertaining. Richard Dreyfus did an excellent job portraying a guy consumed with these visions—and can never be satisfied until he sees, and ultimately becomes a part of this historical moment in time. (He’s crazy to get on board, if you ask me) lol. I was totally in agreement with Cassie on this. Why did he leave a wife and children? But maybe he couldn’t explain it either. But we are at least left with a sense that we don’t have to “Nuke” them (or blow them up or whatever 😅🤣); that we might be able to have a peaceful dialogue with those we always feared. 😎🤷🏻‍♀️ One of my favorite movies. 🍿

Carol Rocha

They did have several humans including military officers on board there ship. They also always seemed to communicate on another level, like telepathy. As for their communication with lights and music, we initiated that. They just responded using the same means of communication. That's just always been my take with it though

Katie Jackson

For a little bit of context, a large portion of all of the 'scariness' of the movie (power failures, mysterious lights in the sky, 'sunburns', electrical appliances turning on by themselves, the mailboxes rattling) was all based on accounts given by people who claimed to have had a close encounter with an alien or an alien spacecraft in the past.

Donald Fleming

The Flight 19 training flight disappeared in the area off the coast of Florida known worldwide as the Bermuda Triangle. One wonders if some of the people who came off the alien mothership were also individuals who mysteriously disappeared in that same area.

Donald Fleming

not every alien can be ET. I felt bad for you being horrified at first , and I should feel bad, but don't, thought it was funny as it went. I had a good time. thank you.

Somehiguy

FYI, the disappearance of flight 19 (the old planes in the desert) is real. Never been found.

FischerMax98

YouTube kept recommending a video to me today from Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. I just started watching it, and for a large part of it, Vilmos Zsigmond is his guide. It's a pretty eerie coincidence that YT kept recommending me this today, few hours after I wrote a comment about him. The episode is mostly about culinary experiences, but he is also sharing stories about his early life in Hungary. Here's the link if anyone's interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS5Em7jBlI8

Gábor Árki

To be fair, Cassie's reaction to the aliens is understandable, as for years, the only interaction we've had with aliens in the movies has been them trying to conquer us or suck our brains out (War of the Worlds, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, Independence Day, Starship Troopers, Monsters vs. Aliens). And even when the aliens appear to have peaceful intentions, as in 'The Day the Earth Stood Still', something usually goes wrong that throws everything down the toilet. 'Close Encounters' was Steven Spielberg's attempt to break that cycle, where the aliens come to Earth with wholely peaceful intentions to show that they are not a threat, and that we can successfully make peaceful First Contact with them without someone throwing a wrench into the works. It is, of course, implied that Richard Dreyfuss' character was the only one that went with the aliens, as he was the only one of the group of volunteers that had actually had a previous encounter with the aliens earlier in the movie, but Spielberg later stated that, had he been married & had kids at the time he made the movie, he would not have had Dreyfuss leave with them & would have chosen someone else.

Donald Fleming

Interestingly enough, this would not be the only time Richard Dreyfuss & Teri Garr would star in a movie as husband & wife. A number of years later, they would end up in a similar role in a lesser well known movie that was less well received called 'Let It Ride'.

Donald Fleming

"That sounds ominous." Maybe just a little. Steven Spielberg tossed in a little bit of the opening theme from the movie 'Jaws' as a bit of an inside joke.😆

Donald Fleming

"What's the scariest movie you've ever seen?" Cassie: "Close Encounters"

Odd Thomas

That’s very interesting considering how he plays with the themes of his parents divorce in the fabelmans.

djKENTO

That's not in the TC either? I really like that shot. It's such a great one, especially if you know how "simple" it is using a small model ship and forced perspective.

Gábor Árki

E.T. has a now disowned Director's Cut that was only ever available on DVD afaik.

Gábor Árki

What an awesome way to watch this movie…under the open skies.

Dan M

Mr. Sandman was a little too powerful last night, and I couldn’t keep my eyes open to watch the premier. I had it in my mind to pull an all-nighter in order to watch this when it dropped, but the sound of raindrops tapping against my roof was a little too influential, and I drifted off to sleep. I slept like a baby though 😊 So now I’ll have to work my way through a gray, gloomy, and soggy Monday before I can enjoy this Spielberg masterpiece with you. I watched your intro, and was so happy to see that you decided to watch it in your theatre room. The sound, the music (and at times the silence), and the visuals are so much more effective under these circumstances. And yes, the way the story unfolds and the build up of tension does make it feel like your watching Poltergeist again. But that makes the big pay off at the end so much more satisfying. Anyway, I’m hoping this is not a typical Monday that just seems to drag on. I’m really looking forward to enjoying a nice dinner and nice conversation with my family, winding down, and then watching as you experience a true masterpiece in cinema.

Dan M

It's not a proper Speilberg movie that there's an absentee father or a dysfunctional family. 🤣🤣🤣 That's one of Steven's traits. Chief Martin Brody is probably the only one out of any that isn't. But you can do anything....when your the Chief of Police, 😂😂

Chris Retzlaff

I believe you are referring to the scene where Rory goes into the ship and it shows the interior......and plays When you wish upon a star. I like that version but only the first couple watches...

Chris Retzlaff

Assignment: Earth is easily my least favorite episode of the original series (which is my favorite tv show of all time). That said, Ms. Garr is delightful in it, just as she was in everything else I’ve ever seen her in.

Just Plain Bob

I think that would be an AWESOME way to watch this movie.

Just Plain Bob

There are two scenes that are flip flop, I just paused and and had a break until it sync back up, last 35 mins is pretty in line

Chris Retzlaff

I shouldn't laugh, but 😂😂😂

Chris Retzlaff

Francois Truffaut is maybe the most famous French director of all time. Casting him then was like someone casting Spielberg in a major acting role today. There's a great clip of Spielberg being interviewed by James Lipton where he links the story of Close Encounters to Spielberg's parents and it's magical.

Odd Thomas

This is just now occurring to me, was this the only Spielberg movie with a Director's cut? I can't think of any others.

Shawn Kildal

If more people would just buy physical media they wouldn’t have to search around for a streaming solution. The blu-ray contains all versions of the film. Watching along is easy for me because I own the movie.

MotoDork

Our town still has a drive-in and I go there for some films.

MotoDork

Interesting that Cassie’s immediate, knee jerk reaction to contact with alien life forms was to advocate nuking them out of the sky. To be fair, she relented almost immediately and expressed a willingness to murder them using more conventional means. God help the poor sap that unwittingly cuts her off in traffic because his body will most likely never be found. Kidding aside, I’ve never been able to connect with this movie. I first saw it on VHS tape in the early 1980s. I saw it again in the late 1990s when the studio released the director’s cut. And now, 25 years after that last viewing, my reaction is the same: meh. It just does nothing for me and I’m not sure why. It’s an interesting story that’s well told and well acted. It should be the kind of movie I’d love. I just don’t. I also have a personal quibble and it’s the aliens’ use of longitude and latitude to communicate where they’ll be landing. How did they know the correct measurements? It would be easy to say that they’ve monitored Earth communications and understood our methods of geo-location, including the lengths/distances between each longitudinal and latitudinal line. But the movie goes out of its way to demonstrate that communication between our species is rudimentary at best, so it makes no sense that they’d have such intimate knowledge of our means of measurement of distances and locations. Anyway, for something lighter and more fun (although admittedly far less thought provoking), I’d recommend Cassie react to “Paul”, starring Benji (Simon Pegg) from the “Mission Impossible” movies.

Just Plain Bob

I saw this movie as a kid in the back of my dad's station wagon at the drive in theater. He had the vehicle parked backwards, popped the back open for us kids to watch from while the parents brought foldout chairs. Movies were much more fun and more of an event back in those days for sure.

Shawn Kildal

One of the hazmat soldiers quickly sprayed Jill's caged birds with the sleeping agent so that they would appear to her to be dead. You don't fully see the agent do it but you can hear the spray if you listen closely.

Brad P

The wife in the movie is Teri Garr. Cassie would know her from Young Frankenstein. She has stated her big break in show business was being a guest star in the original Star Trek series (the season 2 finale "Assignment: Earth"). The episode was designed to launch a spinoff pilot with her and the other guest star, but NBC declined to pick it up. Sadly, she has been suffering from MS for several decades

Shawn Kildal

It's hard to discuss the themes of this movie without mentioning religion. There's a lot of religious imagery throughout and the whole thing plays like a spiritual allegory.

Stick Figure Studios

I'd recommend a small fill light because if you're watching a super dark film we can't see you

Odd Thomas

Where you see inside of the ship? Interesting. I'm with Spielberg myself. I've never liked it and always felt that should be left up to the audience's imagination.

Stick Figure Studios

There's also a great scene in both the SE and the DC showing the Cotapaxi (a real-life ship that went missing) discovered in a desert.

Stick Figure Studios

@Clay F: This is very much a movie about the dissolution of a family and it is hugely inspired by. the divorce of Spielberg's own parents which had a huge traumatic impact on him. This was, for a while, his most personal film.

Stick Figure Studios

@Gabor: That's one of the reasons why I suggested the theatrical cut

Stick Figure Studios

It makes more sense in the directors cut. Spielberg considered this version essentially "unfinished."

Stick Figure Studios

There's even more Pinocchio references in the directors cut.

Stick Figure Studios

I have a lot to say about this movie. I was only a year old when it came out, so I didn't get to experience it in its original theatrical release, but I did watch it on TV at home as a kid. I only finally got to see it on the big screen when it was re-released for its 40th anniversary and it was awe-inspiring. As I said before, it is one of the most spiritual films I've ever seen. Essentially I look at this story as a metaphor for salvation. It is like a modern-day PILGRIMS PROGRESS: the book written in 1678 by the Puritan author John Bunyan as an allegory for man's journey toward redemption. In that story, the protagonist (aptly named "Christian") is an Everyman who is burdened/unsatisfied in his life and is given a vision of "the Celestial City" (i.e..Heaven) which he is compelled to pursue. As he cannot see the city to which he is bound, he is told to simply run towards the "shining light." He tries to persuade his wife and children to join him, but they cannot see what he sees and so they think him mad. Christian eventually leaves them to try to attain deliverance on his own. Roy Nearly is like Christian. He knows there is more to life than mortgage payments and soccer games. He is unhappy but cannot articulate why. Yet he is still filled with wonder and imagination, open to mystery and beauty, so he (along with other people like him) is given a vision of something greater, a vision that he cannot shake, like a splinter in his brain driving him mad. He tries to return to his ordinary life, but he can't. He also tries to convince this family of what he saw/felt but they can't see it and don't believe him.. eventually he must chase his dream alone because, ultimately, salvation is individual. The film is loaded with religious imagery.. The UFOs are like Angels of light (accompanied by John Williams' choral music), the Wyoming monument Devil's Tower is like a 20th Century Mt. Sinai where Moses went to "meet God" and receive the Law (it is no coincidence that the movie THE TEN COMMANDMENTS is playing on the TV in the background of the early scenes). The whole thing plays like an existential journey of one man's quest for fulfillment and enlightenment. As Pauline Kael wrote in her original review, "God is up there in a crystal-chandelier spaceship, and He likes us."

Stick Figure Studios

As for your question as to why the police didn't back up Roy's sighting, there's a deleted scene where the police chief yells at his officers for writing that they saw a UFO in their reports so they all immediately tear them up, much to Roy's dismay.

Brad P

I really do not want to talk about religion, but... Can you imagine someone who has only ever heard stories about people who believe in religion, who finally hears the story of the Bible? All the old testament scary vengeful stuff, and all the new testament hopeful kind miracles, and good messages? Images be all the questions they would have that lead only to a circle of answers that never answer anything, but everything is based upon faith? The unknown universe is kind of like that. Science can explain so much, but there is so much more that is unknown, but intriguing, but scary, but hopeful. And with everything that is unknown, it is what we each make of it; hopeful, or scary.

Jon Johns

I honestly don't have much to say! This was one of my late father's favorite movies back in the day! It's not one of my favorites, but I do enjoy watching it if it's put in front of me! The cliche' is basically alien abduction and what it would be like if we actually did make contact, in a more peaceful matter I guess you could say! Visually, the movie is stunning and the effects hold up really well to this day! You are right that the movie does seem a little disjointed and full of plot holes, perhaps that's the reason for the Director's Cut or the Special Edition! The only teeny tiney problem I may have had in this reaction was the moments when the screen went dark and we couldn't see your reaction, other than that, that's pretty much it! If I may make a suggestion on another movie to react to that also stars Richard Dreyfuss and Teri Garr, the comedy LET IT RIDE, another one of my father's favorites and it's hilarious! On a sidenote and forgive me for being so direct, did you hurt yourself Cassie? I noticed the little band-aid on the right side of your forehead, hope you're okay, forgive me for pointing that out lol! Good reaction Cassie, hope you're doing well, have a pleasant Monday, love and support always, you (and Carly) are the best, and God bless y'all🥰😇🙏🤗😁😉👍✌🌹

Wesley White

I watched the movie along with the reaction. I streamed the movie from Amazon in US and synced perfectly with your reaction. It's been a long time since I've seen or been in a Piggly Wiggly.

Clay F

Incoherent in a sense comes to mind, but still can be enjoyable if don't require all the t's crossed and i's dotted.

Clay F

Yeah, would be hard for me to leave my young kids. The wife didn't help much either by leaving him.

Clay F

Recall the Pinocchio music box on the train set… “When You Wish Upon a Star”… the tune is playing as Roy approaches the ramp to the mothership. This is a Pinocchio fantasy… the wish to become a real boy. Roy becomes the exchange for the alien left on Earth.

Cliff Adams

I agree on your review. As interesting as this movie is it seems disjointed or incomplete story lines. Important point to note. Ronny was played by actress Teri Garr. Well remembered for her role as Inga, Dr. Frankenstein's laboratory assistant/eventual wife in Young Frankenstein. And Richard Dreyfuss, was Mr. Holland, but maybe most remembered as Matt Hooper, the shark expert from the oceanographic institute in Jaws. He did receive an Oscar for his role in The Goodbye Girl. I'm guessing you have not watched it. Although you may want to. One other movie suggestion is 'Tootsie'.

Mike McLaughlin

Yay, I was hoping this would be up before next week starts.

YodatheHobbit

I suppose I'll have to settle for a YouTube version for now and maybe watch the full movie if I manage to get a physical copy in the future. The 4K Blu-ray seems to include all three cuts, and it was even on my list of eventual purchases, but I was waiting for a discount. Unfortunately, over the past few years, every studio has pulled out of the physical market here, and most movies have quickly gone out of stock. Importing is my only option now, but that comes with huge shipping costs - and if ordered from outside the EU - large import fees and taxes. And sadly I can only get an English cover version from outside the EU.

Gábor Árki

Loved the reaction! A tiny little light shining on you is a must! We need to see your reaction when the movie goes dark! That's it. A tiny little request!

Philip Alan

I suspected this aspect will probably bother Cassie as well. After learning about the differences between the cuts, I was hoping she would watch the DC version, partly for this reason. It includes extra footage that explores Neary's and his family's struggle with his obsession and frustration more deeply. While it doesn't change the ending or make his decisions easier to accept, it does provide more context for his obsession and struggle, unlike the theatrical cut where he simply leaves his family behind.

Gábor Árki

This is one of the reasons why I suggested the directors cut

Stick Figure Studios

same deal here, was watching along until when you first meet roy, then it just desynced really badly and I have no access to anything but my DVD collectors edition

Jack Mingle

Fuck those kids

Kevin Charley

Spielberg has said in later interviews that, after he had children of his own, he wouldn't have been able to let Roy leave his family behind and leave on the mothership.

Brad P

*SPOILERS IN MY COMMENT* WORST MOVIE FATHER EVER! I don't care what secrets of the great beyond lie inside that spaceship YOU HAVE A SON! STAY WITH YOUR FAMILY YOU ABSOLUTE LOSER! I hate Richard Dreyfus in this movie. Seeing should have been enough. I also appreciate that ET is kind of the flips side of this movie... a family without a father and an alien bringing them together.

djKENTO

Love this movie, sadly not available to stream in the UK (Unless you have an Apple Plus subscription) . It can be rented though if you have Prime or Apple TV

Neil

I love that they start with discovering the lost planes from Flight 19. It's a famous true Bermuda Triangle story, we still don't know what happened to them, it's such a weird but true story, a whole group of navy planes just disappeared after some strange and confusing communications via radio. I forget who it was, another famous director, but he said that Steven Spielberg once said that he always wanted to do more horror movies and more movies about aliens, because he really loves those stories, but he didn't want to be pigeonholed as a horror director, because sadly, horror movies and horror directors are looked down upon by critics and The Academy et al, they just don't appreciate the genre. In fact, it's a sad but true joke that whenever a horror movie is successful they will try to label it as a "thriller" instead of a horror movie, Silence of the Lambs is probably the most famous example of that, I consider it a horror, but because it was so well made, the Academy preferred to label it a Thriller. Hitchcock movies likewise. I personally wish he would have done more horror movies, he's really one of the best ever at building tension, even in his non horror movies. Hot take, I think if he'd done more horror movies he would probably have been one of the best horror directors ever, next to John Carpenter, but I guess he'll just have to settle for being one of the best movie directors ever in general, that man has a true gift for story telling. 👽

Joe D. MacGuffinstuff

Whopping output today. Thanks to everybody putting in the elbow grease.

Raieldon

Well, that's a rare occasion, but unfortunately, it seems I won't be able to watch this reaction because I just can't find the theatrical version anywhere. 😞 There seem to be too many differences to sync the DC with the theatrical reaction and the movie is only streaming here with the director's cut, and even in the Caribbean, that's the only version I'm able to find. So, I'm just taking this opportunity to recognize one of the most influential Hungarians in Hollywood filmmaking, cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond. He was among the people who transformed the way movies were shot during the Hollywood New Wave of the late '60s and '70s, championing naturalism, realism, and innovation in visual storytelling. He was born in a regional town in Hungary and taught himself photography as a teen. However, after World War II, the communist regime prevented him from pursuing his passion, as his family was labeled bourgeois. Eventually, a local commissar at the factory where he worked helped him gain admission to the Academy of Drama and Film in Budapest. During the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, he played a crucial role in documenting the events. He and his fellow students secretly smuggled cameras and film out of the school, risking their lives as many who tried filming the events were shot on sight by Soviet forces. They hid their cameras in bags while recording footage. After the revolution was crushed, he and several students escaped to Austria. They successfully smuggled much of the recorded footage we have of the revolution with them. He moved to the USA as a political refugee and settled in Los Angeles. For years, he tried to break into the film industry, starting as a lab technician and then working as a photographer and cinematographer on many low-budget B movies. His big break came with the 1969 film Easy Rider, followed by many other acclaimed movies. His work on Close Encounters of the Third Kind earned him the Oscar for best cinematography in 1978.

Gábor Árki

I believe there’s three versions of this movie. I know I’m about to get torched for this but I prefer the “alternate ending” version. *ducks* All the versions are good, but that AE one just hits me in the feels…..

JRCortez

First! Now for a real comment…..

JRCortez