CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977)
Okay, so this damn thing came out when I was 4, so its
longevity was definitely under scrutiny when I watched it again a few weeks
ago. Regarded as one of the best sci-fi movies of all time Steven Speilberg
allegedly came up with the idea for the film after being taken on an impromptu trip
to see a meteor shower by his parents. The plot basically follows two
storylines. One storyline is the scientists trying to figure out what the heck
those inside the UFO’s popping up all over, are trying to say. The other
storyline is basically Roy Neary (played by Richard Dreyfuss) losing his
freakin mind for almost 90 minutes. He eventually alienates his family and ends
up kissing some chick he barely knows, because they both have alien GPS taking
over their lives. Also, why are these UFO’s causing stuff to come to life all
over peoples households? No, I am not kidding. That is the freakin plot.
The slow burn descent into madness gives this movie an
almost Twilight Zone feel, and each progression in the film is made richer by
the fact that nothing is happening in a bubble. The actions and reactions of
the characters all around the events happening, to those who have had a close
encounter with UFO’s around the world, are very engaging and eerie at the same
time. Dreyfuss performance is simply incredible and Teri Garr is completely up
to the task as his wife Ronnie Nearly. Overall the direction is superb which
isn’t shocking. Everything about this film is absolutely beautiful. Probably
one of my favorite things about this movie is the fact that it’s one of the
rare times we see a movie, everyone knows where the aliens will land, and
somehow the military isn’t just shooting everything in sight the first chance
they get. I have kind of always been a “talk first” kind of guy, but that
really didn’t pan out in INDEPENDENCE DAY. If you like newer films like SUPER 8,
overseen by Speilberg, this film is where some of those ideas stemmed from.
Plot wise I have some issues with this one and some are
pretty glaring, so I can’t give it a 7 out of 7. One plot issue being that
there is almost no reason for the main character in the movie to be going so
crazy, that he drives his family nuts. Other people have similar experiences in
the film and basically end up like your typical resident artist in Sedona, AZ. That
doesn’t mean it is not a sci-fi must see.
Please check out the link below by clicking on the picture. Because no one should die buttonless. Until next time.
Comments
Post a Comment