Sunday, July 10, 2011

Movie Dude Close Encounter

In anticipation of the review this week of  It Came From the 70's by Connie Corcoran Wilson, we decided our second 70's movie would be Close Encounters:


Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 1977

Director: Steven Spielberg 

Cast: Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Teri Garr, Melinda Dillon


 
I think almost everyone should know the plot to Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Close Encounters was Steven Spielberg follow up to Jaws (1975). This is a science fiction movie about one group of people, out of many across the world, who have all had a close encounter with UFO's. There is an international team, which is also tied into the military in the USA, following the close encounters in an attempt to communicate with the aliens.

Richard Dreyfuss plays Roy Neary, an electrical lineman who has a close encounter of the third kind with an UFO. Neary becomes obsessed with what he saw and a vision he is having of what urns out to be Devil Tower. Teri Garr plays his wife, Ronnie Neary. Jillian, played by Melinda Dillon, is  single mother whose son is abducted. François Truffaut plays Claude Lacombe  a French researcher who is trying to communicate with the aliens.

FYI:
The Hynek System is commonly used to classify sightings of UFOs. Developed by J. Allen Hynek, the system categorizes experiences with UFOs and possible extraterrestrials on a scale of 'close encounters'. Hynek originally proposed three types of close encounter, but more have been added later 
Close Encounters of the first kind are when you see a UFO within about 150 yards.
Close Encounters of the second kind are when you see a UFO in the sky or on the ground and it leaves evidence behind such as scorch marks on the ground or indents etc.
Close Encounters of the third kind are when you see a UFO with visible occupants inside.
I learned to drive in a big old station wagon in the 70's. The first car I cruised the streets in at night when I was in high school was a station wagon. Because of that little fact, when Roy and Jillian took off cross-country right through the fence in the huge station wagon, I was saying to myself "Oh, yeah!"

It was decided by all of us that Close Encounters has a timeless quality. The movie is not dependant on current trends or events from when it was made.
It does not scream "this was made during the disco era of the 70's.
Even the special effects don't feel dated (with the exception of the tall alien at the end.) We all agreed that it was impressive that they could do all the special effects without computers.
Quotes for the night:

Roy Neary: "I guess you've noticed something a little strange with Dad..."

1 comment:

Memories of yesterday said...

I haven't seen that in ages. (((hugs)))