In 1975, Steven Spielberg made a name for himself with a “little” small blockbuster ‘Jaws,’ which became one of the biggest blockbusters ever released. Two years later, in 1977, the filmmaker released what is now known for being one of the best science fiction/UFO stories ever - ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind.’
After its initial release, this sci-fi classic has been reissued many times. Now, on July 7 and 10, you can see this incredible film on the big screen at the Dietrich Theater!
For those who are not familiar with the film, this sci-fi adventure centers on a group of people who attempt to contact alien intelligence.
Roy Neary witnesses an unidentified flying object, and even has a “sunburn” of sorts from its bright lights to prove it.
Roy refuses to accept an explanation for what he saw and is prepared to do whatever is necessary to pursue the truth about these UFOs.
Over the years, I have seen ‘Close Encounters’ and, every time I have watched it, I keep forgetting how incredibly intriguing and memorable this film can be.
Everything about this film is very interesting - the story, the effects, the acting. The opening sequence alone is truly memorable starting from the flight controller listening to pilots who are seeing a possible UFO to seeing a bunch of WWII planes suddenly appearing in the middle of the desert that have been missing for decades.
One thing for sure is that the visual effects that were used for the UFOs are still really astounding, even for today’s standards. And, seeing the infamous ending featuring several of the ships (including the incredible-looking mothership) is truly awe-inspiring.
In between the hunt for the UFOs, we get to follow a few people whose stories and journeys all come together towards the end. Besides following the Roy character (Dreyfuss) and the scientist/government, we also follow a mother who’s looking for her recently abducted.
And, FYI - Did you know that the mother in ‘The Christmas Story also plays the mother of the abducted boy in this film?
‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ is honestly one of Spielberg’s best. This film is very memorable and still holds up today. So, make sure to check out this sci-fi classic on the big screen at the Dietrich soon - the show times are listed at the end!
The cast: Richard Dreyfuss as Roy Neary; Teri Garr as Ronnie Neary; Melinda Dillon (a.k.a. Ralphie’s mom) as Jillian Guiler; Bob Balabon as David Laughlin; Warren J. Kemmerling as Walsh; Philip Dodds as Jean Claude; Josef Sommer as Larry Butler; Cary Guffey as Barry Guiler and Francois Truffout as Claude Lacombe.
‘Close Encounters’ is written and directed by the legendary acclaimed filmmaker Steven Spielberg.
The film’s inspiration arose in Spielberg’s childhood, when he and his father watched a meteor shower in New Jersey. Before deciding to make this a full-length feature film, Spielberg first considered doing a documentary about people who believed in UFOs.
‘Close Encounters’ is rated PG and has a running time of 138 minutes. The film is showing at the Dietrich Theater on July 6 at 3:00 and 7:00, and July 10 at 7:00.
Make sure to keep on checking my Wyoming County Press Examiner reviews page on Facebook to see what else I plan on checking out since there are quite a few new releases and film festival selections coming up!
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