E.T. Is 40 Today!

[Andy 4,141]

E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial celebrates its 40th anniversary today. 
 

40 years later and this little guy still has the power to fill me with childlike wonder and turn me into a blubbering mess.   It’s somehow easy to forget how huge the cultural impact was at the time. It unseated Star Wars at the box office. It inspired a song by Elton John  Neil Diamond and a Michael Jackson collaboration.  E.T. Dominated the summer of 82, and yet popular Internet culture seems to have diminished enthusiasm for such a sweet and sincere film.  I hear more talk about The Thing, Tron, and Blade Runner these days.   I saw it when I was Elliot’s age, and while my parents didn’t divorce, I really felt like I was him.  

 

Here is a picture of some of my collection of E.T. junk.   (The Speak And Spell is movie accurate and works perfectly)

 

Fun fact:  for the children’s record and book read along, Drew Barrymore was brought in to do the narration. She was directed in the recording studio by Steven Spielberg himself!

 

Remember when mail away Fan Clubs were a thing?

 

 

John Williams in the newsletter!

 

And remember those Flexi Disc paper records?  Evidently they isolated some of E.T.’s dialogue for this one. Fun!

 

 

Anyways, thanks for indulging me on this sentimental look back.  I love all things E.T. and would love to hear your thoughts and memories. 

 

Did you see E.T. In its first theatrical run?

[Bespin 8,484]

I saw E.T. in a theater when I was 8, it was a school activity.  I remember it was in english, so I didn’t understand anything!

 

I rediscovered it later in french (on TV I guess?) and I loved it.

 

E.T., you are still right there.

[Andy 4,141]

Interesting!  So were you able to at least get a sense for the emotional vibe given the score and performances of the last act, which has little dialogue?

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,433]

I've sadly never been able to see it when it came out though it has been a major part of my childhood and I still watch it regularly and listen to it once a month.

I was lucky enough though to see it last year in theater during a homage week to Spielberg which has been one of the highlight of 2021 for me.

 

I'll conclude by saying that if I had to choose a perfect movie E.T. would be my first choice for it uniqueness and timelessness!

 

[Bespin 8,484]

22 minutes ago, Andy said:

Interesting!  So were you able to at least get a sense for the emotional vibe given the score and performances of the last act, which has little dialogue?

 

I was 8, it was just fun to get out of school! 

[Bellosh 3,419]

From the ominous opening titles to the fanfare with the rainbow...a perfect score, and imo the best of all time. it's also the greatest "emotional" scifi film of all time.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I have seen this movie so much that there is literally not a month that goes by in my life where I do not at least once sing the little section of Elvis Costello's "Accidents Will Happen" that Michael sings while piddling around my house.

 

Greatest movie ever made with the greatest score ever writen.

[Bellosh 3,419]

I always found it funny that Spielberg wanted to remove the shotgun......dude....the most traumatizing part of E.T. as a kid back then.....was the defibrillators used on a dead E.T.!! 

 

I would cry my eyes out as a kid!  Couldn't wait until that part was over.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,552]

1 hour ago, Andy said:

Did you see E.T. In its first theatrical run?

Apart from its European premiere, at The Edinburgh Film Festival, in August, E.T. didn't reach the UK until 9th December.

I saw it the Empire Leicester Square, and a further 7 times, during its initial theatrical run. I saw it, again, in the Summer of 1986, then on its UK television premiere, on Christmas Day, 1990, and, again, at Easter, 2002.

I have lost count of the times that I have see E.T. on video, DVD, and Blu-ray.

 

 

33 minutes ago, Stu said:

...there is literally not a month that goes by in my life where I do not at least once sing the little section of Elvis Costello's "Accidents Will Happen" that Michael sings while piddling around my house.

 

#nothin' but health shit# 

 

 

@Andy, which Elton John song did E.T. inspire?

I know it inspired Neil Diamond's "Heartlight".

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,433]

12 minutes ago, Bellosh said:

I always found it funny that Spielberg wanted to remove the shotgun......dude....the most traumatizing part of E.T. as a kid back then.....was the defibrillators used on a dead E.T.!! 

 

I would cry my eyes out as a kid!  Couldn't wait until that part was over.

That and the Raccoon scene with frozen E.T.

[Andy 4,141]

Drew Barrymore’s real tears (thank you, Steven) completely sell the defibrillator moments. 
 

Ugh, my heart. 

19 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

 

 

@Andy, which Elton John song did E.T. inspire?

I know it inspired Neil Diamond's "Heartlight".

Whoops!  Did I say Elton John? Yep, I stand corrected.  Fixed my post, thanks. 

[bruce marshall 1,315]

I saw it the Monday after it opened.

THE greatest movie going experience of my life!

It was so transcendent, so mystical,  that I never watched it again. Nothing could ever duplicate that once in a lifetime event!

[Andy 4,141]

Wow, really?  Only once?  That’s serious discipline. 

[bruce marshall 1,315]

2 minutes ago, Andy said:

Wow, really?  Only once?  That’s serious discipline. 

I relive it thru the soundtrack and clips.

But, never a complete viewing.

[Andy 4,141]

I respect that.  Pretty impressive. 

[bruce marshall 1,315]

Iirc Spielberg got a ten minute standing ovation at Cannes!

There were articles by psychologists discussing the intense emotional reactions to the film.

I was far from the only one who had such  strong feelings.

It was truly a phenomenon!

[bruce marshall 1,315]

Another almost ' mystical'  occurrence....

Before seeing the film , I had seen the photo of " across the moon" and E.T. in the bicycle basket.

I got goosebumps and just KNEW I had to see it, even if it meant standing in line ( which I NEVER did!).

😍

[JoeinAR 1,949]

On 11/06/2022 at 11:19 AM, Andy said:

E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial celebrates its 40th anniversary today. 
 

40 years later and this little guy still has the power to fill me with childlike wonder and turn me into a blubbering mess.   It’s somehow easy to forget how huge the cultural impact was at the time. It unseated Star Wars at the box office. It inspired a song by Elton John  Neil Diamond and a Michael Jackson collaboration.  E.T. Dominated the summer of 82, and yet popular Internet culture seems to have diminished enthusiasm for such a sweet and sincere film.  I hear more talk about The Thing, Tron, and Blade Runner these days.   I saw it when I was Elliot’s age, and while my parents didn’t divorce, I really felt like I was him.  

 

Here is a picture of some of my collection of E.T. junk.   (The Speak And Spell is movie accurate and works perfectly)

 

Fun fact:  for the children’s record and book read along, Drew Barrymore was brought in to do the narration. She was directed in the recording studio by Steven Spielberg himself!

 

Remember when mail away Fan Clubs were a thing?

 

 

John Williams in the newsletter!

 

And remember those Flexi Disc paper records?  Evidently they isolated some of E.T.’s dialogue for this one. Fun!

 

 

Anyways, thanks for indulging me on this sentimental look back.  I love all things E.T. and would love to hear your thoughts and memories. 

 

Did you see E.T. In its first theatrical run?

I saw E.T. in May of 1982 in a sneak preview through a local radio. We were given scoring cards. I don't remember if we were told the title beforehand. 

To say my life changed that day is an exaggeration but my top three films were set that day and haven't changed since. E.T., Jaws, Superman.

I knew John Williams was a GOD but even he was elevated. 

The audience went wild. Laughter and tears were the live soundtrack.

 E.T. was a phenomenon.  The movie dominated 1982 and that resulted in a negative feedback against the film. I guess feeling that good is looked down upon. But every monsterous BO hit suffers from this eventually.

Steven Spielberg and John Williams were never better.

 

[bruce marshall 1,315]

Great story.

Iirc the film was only known as " A Boy's Life".

There was virtually NO pre- publicity for the film.

We all went in knowing very little.

During the screening, NOBODY got up to get snacks or go to the bathroom.

Nobody chatted.

It was like a church.

We all sat mesmerized

[JoeinAR 1,949]

1 hour ago, bruce marshall said:

Great story.

Iirc the film was only known as " A Boy's Life".

There was virtually NO pre- publicity for the film.

We all went in knowing very little.

During the screening, NOBODY got up to get snacks or go to the bathroom.

Nobody chatted.

It was like a church.

We all sat mesmerized

Ditto. There were those in the audience sobbing. I cannot confirm or deny that I might have been one of them. Williams music during the conclusion of the film wrecks  havoc with my emotions

[bruce marshall 1,315]

Tons of tears!

From me too!

[Andy 4,141]

That's really, really cool that you saw a preview.

[Jay 37,372]

IMAX trailer

 

 

[bruce marshall 1,315]

Just watching that trailer and hearing that music makes me sob uncontrollably.

Incredible.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Aw man, the closest theater to me that will have this is 2+ hours away!  I love ET, but I already got to see it in a theater about 15 years ago, and that was an actual original film print, way more special.

[Nick1Ø66 4,722]

On 11/06/2022 at 12:19 PM, Andy said:

E.T. Dominated the summer of 82, and yet popular Internet culture seems to have diminished enthusiasm for such a sweet and sincere film. 

 I hear more talk about The Thing, Tron, and Blade Runner these days. 

 

It's always surprised me that ET's pop culture footprint isn't bigger. It seems as if for a brief moment it was everywhere...literally the biggest film of all time from the hottest director of all time with an accompanying album from arguably the biggest pop star ever.  And yet today it's rarely spoken of (outside of threads like this) with the nostalgia that some other films of the era are. 

[bruce marshall 1,315]

It's not an IMAX film.

It's not a Cinenascope blockbuster.

It's a small scale, quiet, warm, loving  meditation on childhood.

That's why merch from the film never sold large numbers.

It's a film you discover.

A film that speaks to viewers soul.

It's a film that affects you so

profoundly ,  it's almost hard to talk about.

An internal experience.

It's as close to being sacred as any non- religious artifact can be.

 

 

 

[Nick1Ø66 4,722]

1 hour ago, bruce marshall said:

It's not an IMAX film.

It's not a Cinenascope blockbuster.

It's a small scale, quiet, warm, loving  meditation on childhood.

That's why merch from the film never sold large numbers.

It's a film you discover.

A film that speaks to viewers soul.

It's a film that affects you so

profoundly ,  it's almost hard to talk about.

An internal experience.

It's as close to being sacred as any non- religious artifact can be.

 

 

 

Yet for a long time it was the biggest box office hit in history.

[mrbellamy 6,291]

I wouldn't say I hear more about Tron than ET

 

I kinda wanna argue the opposite that it's more that ET's cultural footprint is so massive that it's just boring now to keep referring to it. 

 

Possibly apropos of nothing but I went to Universal Studios recently and they've discontinued the Back to the Future, Jaws, and Shrek attractions and yet ET remains. They must be keeping it for a reason. I guess the Hollywood one closed, though, but that was all the way back in 2003. 

[Andy 4,141]

I think it's just not in fashion now to have a film be so blatantly sentimental.  Popular culture is much more cynical now.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,552]

On 12/06/2022 at 7:05 PM, bruce marshall said:

I...KNEW I had to see it, even if it meant standing in line ( which I NEVER did!).

😍

I would stand in line, for this. There's always room in life, for this.

 

 

 

58 minutes ago, Andy said:

Popular culture is much more cynical now.

It's worse than that. All this offensive DCEU/MCU shit is nothing less than the continued self-flagellation, and juvenile catharsis, for 9/11, and it shows no signs of stopping.

There is nowt wrong with sentimentality. E.T. is a film about friendship, hope, and, above all, faith, and in these times, those attributes need to be shouted from the rooftops.

Like Stu, I have zero chance of seeing this, on the mainland. I can only hope that the traveling cinema which tours my islands, will show it. The print looks astonishing, with new detail in almost every shot, and I'm very glad that the rifle has been restored.

[bruce marshall 1,315]

Most SINCERELY religious and spiritual people, don't like to talk about it.

It's a deeply personal thing.

Speaking for myself, Ive never liked talking about E.T.

 

 

 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,552]

Hmm. I'd like to see that whole list.

[Nick1Ø66 4,722]

4 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

There is nowt wrong with sentimentality. E.T. is a film about friendship, hope, and, above all, faith, and in these times, those attributes need to be shouted from the rooftops.

 

Well said. ET is decidedly not a postmodern film, and is almost a throwback in that way. It's completely devoid of irony, and has an earnestness about it that you seldom see in films today.

[bruce marshall 1,315]

I would not describe the film as " sentimental".

 

" Pathos" I.e. a work of deep feeling , is more appropriate