Close Encounters of the Third Kind
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movie runtime: 02:17:14 (directors cut)
Comments
Lance was in Dog Day Afternoon back in '73. I'd thought that was his first role, though I can't recall if he was credited on that one. Great actor.
Ian Hunter (NewbieInOttawa)
2025-08-23 22:49:35 +0000 UTCI had completely forgotten, or I think never noticed in the first place, that Lance Hendrickson had maybe his debut in a nothing role as one of the end movie techs in this one. I'd always kind of first become aware of him as a James Cameron discovery in the first Terminator, some 6 years later I think. And then Aliens made him big in 1986. Didn't realize he ever had any roles as a 20-something back int he 1970s.
Cc Decc
2025-08-19 07:03:05 +0000 UTCHmm to your question there’s three factors to consider: 1. is it a big blockbuster movie or a smaller one?. 2. How many aliens are there? 3. Are they hostile or not? Usually say the entire race of an alien species is likely to be hostile for survival purposes and if they are say a large group with some advanced tech they tend to destroy. Blockbuster movies tend to feature these types of aliens and as they are meant to appeal to a nation or larger land mass that’s where you’d likely see more landmark destruction as that act gives audiences a sense of scale of the alien’s power and makes them the enemy for audience as well (destroy the White House / Forbidden city/parliament castle? You just made an enemy of every audience member even if on a lower level from that country. Smaller groups of aliens are usually about contact and tend be more remote in their arrival and such. There are exceptions here though (Fire in the Sky jumps to mind) where it a remote setting but the aliens were hostile.. predator also follows this
Sevnthdragon
2025-08-19 01:36:04 +0000 UTCI got dodgeball immediately with Hasselhoff. I'm so proud of myself!
Landon DuVall
2025-08-19 00:52:28 +0000 UTCI have loved this movie since I was a little kid. I may have seen it in the theater.
Andrea Tubby
2025-08-18 16:08:24 +0000 UTCI knew it was Mallrats when George made it clear with his look to the camera that it wasn't a marvel Stan Lee movie and the only non-marvel movie I knew him from is Mallrats and Michael Rooker confirmed it since i remember him licking choclate from his stink palmed fingers XD
The Real Andrew Kim
2025-08-17 22:57:24 +0000 UTCAs the ship opened up at the end I confess I was hoping for some reference to 'Space Doors!'
David Butler
2025-08-17 21:36:07 +0000 UTCWasn't most of that end scene shot inside an old airship hanger rather than an actual location on site? I remember watching a Making Of documentary about it years ago. Or are you referring to the base where they're taken after being captured on their way to the Devil's Tower?
Spacedone
2025-08-17 20:27:33 +0000 UTCI visited Devil's Tower. It really is this weird and majestic. I stayed on the campground where they filmed the government base.
Pepijn Schmitz
2025-08-17 19:53:22 +0000 UTCThis is such an intelligent movie. None of the tropes and clichés of modern movies. In modern movies Bigfoot guy would have the stereotypical old fart voice and sound like a madman. But here he sounds normal and serious. The result is much more effective.
Pepijn Schmitz
2025-08-17 19:35:57 +0000 UTCSo I’ve heard! Right?
PIG
2025-08-17 03:46:13 +0000 UTC…I think you might be commenting on the wrong post? Or am I missing something? (And I very well might be, so please correct me if I am! I had this on in the background so I might have missed a comment!)
Jeff K
2025-08-17 00:26:57 +0000 UTCNot nearly as scary as when I was shown this as a kid. I really liked it. That Spielberg guy sure knows his stuff lol
Jpsynergy
2025-08-17 00:01:06 +0000 UTCStan Lee and Michael Rooker, threw me for about 20 seconds because I confused Rooker for Michael Madsen. And I was really wondering there for a few did Stan Lee do a cameo in a Tarantino film?
Eversharpe
2025-08-16 22:24:51 +0000 UTCTotally agree. And they already spoke of going in different directions before kissing, so the idea of it being more than a physical response to a fleeting deep connection doesn't really show any proof for me.
CJGardner
2025-08-16 21:15:04 +0000 UTCYou just blew my mind
Jeff K
2025-08-16 19:14:47 +0000 UTCI saw this in the theater when it came out, and many times at home from VHS to Blu-ray and only now did I notice a guy looking much like a young Lance Henriksen at 2:12:45. And yes, it was Lance Henriksen.
Andrew T
2025-08-16 19:12:09 +0000 UTCBob Balaban, who plays the interpreter/cartographer, kept a diary throughout the filming of this, and it was published as Close Encounters of the Third Kind Diary. It is a really fun read about the behind the scenes stuff and is definitely worth a read if you can find it.
Karen Leah Quinn
2025-08-16 17:12:28 +0000 UTCI always saw the kiss as a friendly goodbye kiss after a unique shared experience.
Dan Holmes
2025-08-16 17:05:11 +0000 UTCThank you for watching the Director's Cut of this. I think this is a masterpiece and a master class in pacing and shot composition. Yes, it's bothersome that Roy leaves his family. And I've heard Spielberg say more than once that if he were to make this same movie years later when he had his own family, he likely would've changed the story to remove that aspect of it. On the other hand, that doesn't ruin the movie for me, just makes it slightly bothersome. (I also put "the kiss" in this category. While it's bothersome, it's also totally human and believable that at least in that moment, it happened.) I do love the slow burn of this movie. The different vignettes across the world, and then gradually the narrative becomes more focused. It reminds me of epic Stephen King books like "The Stand" and "IT" in this regard. I also love that it keeps presenting new visuals and new ideas all the way up until the very end of the movie. Two of my favorite moments: (a) When Roy and Jillian take off to the mountain and suddenly they're friends with a new guy, Larry. ... (b) Earlier on, it's revealed that Roy loves "Pinocchio." So at the very end when that small alien picks Roy and he's about to board the ship, John Williams incorporates "When You Wish Upon a Star" into the music score. (Aside: Jillian/the mom (Melinda Dillon) is also well known for being the mom in 2 80's classics, "A Christmas Story" and "Harry and the Hendersons.")
WastedPo
2025-08-16 17:02:02 +0000 UTCThe use of music reminds me of this video (https://youtu.be/fjvR9UMQCrg?feature=shared) - it shows how there is a seemingly innate human relationship with music; how we can naturally follow a pattern with minimal prompting. Pretty cool.
RogueRN
2025-08-16 16:32:18 +0000 UTC19:01 is a most amazing extreme-long shot in film history.
LengyelFlo
2025-08-16 16:16:02 +0000 UTCKnew what this clip was before I clicked. You can see him realizing in real time and it's great.
Helly R
2025-08-16 15:47:21 +0000 UTCIt's funny that you made the connection of Paul from, well, Paul, looking like the alien at the end. I have only watched this cut and not the full cut, but did you pick up on the fact that Devils Tower is where they're trying to get with Paul so that the other aliens could pick him up to go home?
Jeff K
2025-08-16 15:20:17 +0000 UTCIf you're curious about Spielberg's childhood, I'd suggest The Fabelmans (2022) it's sort of a biography, and it's a pretty good film with great acting performances!
Jon Johns
2025-08-16 15:09:17 +0000 UTCThis film have a big handful of flaws, but in regards to the father "going crazy"... I don't think the aliens wanted that to happen. If the "government" had simply put on all TV that if you've "seen" something in your mind, please report 'here', we want to help you. Or something. Otherwise, you go crazy! Anyway... Aliens don't know anything about trust issues, or the power to lie to the masses, I guess 🤷🏻
Jon Johns
2025-08-16 15:07:45 +0000 UTCIn 6 Bond movies from now (if OHMSS is the first) there will be a minor Close Encounters easter egg in Moonraker. Broccoli (Bond producer) wanted to use the 5 famous notes from Close Encounters and asked Spielberg for permission. A couple of years later Spielberg would ask the same favor for using a sample of the Bond theme in "The Goonies". Let's see if you notice it in let's say 2-3 months time ;)
davidov
2025-08-16 14:44:43 +0000 UTCI don't know if I can post a link - but there is a YouTube video of an interview with Steven Spielberg that offers a beautiful caveat to this film: https://youtu.be/ZspOEa1CP4A?si=4r0irFB0I5b0cErz
Tales of the Fantastic Podcast
2025-08-16 14:43:46 +0000 UTCI find it interesting watching youngster watch an old movie. 2025, at this point they have been programmed to view extraterrestrials as evil or dangerous. Having seen the movie, it was fun every time they were leaning towards dangerous. Also, it feels like I've watched Simone grow into a movie buff. She picks up things that a regular Joe would never catch. She should be a private investigator.
ShoNuff3000
2025-08-16 14:21:10 +0000 UTCSo glad you’ve seen this now. If you go back and watch Paul again you’ll get a lot more of the references. BTW, the girl with the fly in her mash must be Phoebe Buffay as the wife of Roy is her mum. And we know her parents split up and one parent living with space aliens for a bit makes perfect sense given the rest of Phoebe’s upbringing. Is my thoughts on this.
Jeff Norwood-Brown
2025-08-16 14:15:33 +0000 UTCIt’s official - G&S MUST react to The Monkey. They’ll hate it :)
Adam K
2025-08-16 13:57:27 +0000 UTCSince it didn’t come up in the trivia: this came out the same year as Star Wars, and Spielberg thought Star Wars would be the bigger hit while Lucas was convinced Close Encounters would be. So, they agreed to give each other a small portion of the profit of each others movies. Both were massive hits obviously, so they made millions off of each others movies despite not working on them.
Jeff K
2025-08-16 13:43:53 +0000 UTCYeah, the Fabelmans was fantastic.
Jesse Coombs
2025-08-16 13:28:31 +0000 UTC“I wonder if Spielberg’s parents fought a lot when he was a kid” George, you guys HAVE to watch The Fabelmans. It’s his most personal work, which is very much about his parents. I think it’s one of his best films, and it puts almost every one of his films into a new context.
Matthew Johnson
2025-08-16 13:03:33 +0000 UTCDon't worry Simone, we just assumed it was a dueling scar.
Spacedone
2025-08-16 12:45:07 +0000 UTCi don't think he'll make it in this business
SANAMDEEP
2025-08-16 12:43:47 +0000 UTCI think this Spielberg fella might have a real future ahead of him.
Jeff K
2025-08-16 12:02:37 +0000 UTC
