How great is Close Encounters of the Third Kind?

[Guest]

I'm kind of making this post out of spite for all the HP threads. I wanted to bring up something a little bit more obscure. But I actually have some genuine opinions about it that I dug out of the back of my mind.

I grew up with Close Encounters, because my parents were putting Star Wars in front of me at an early age and they thought CE3K was close enough. So for most of my life, I just watched it for old times' sake and didn't really care about how good of a movie it was. Lately, though, I've found myself seeing just how much of a boring movie it is...which is odd for Spielberg. He's the master of pacing and keeping the audience's attention (or so it might seem). But the end is groundbreaking. It's beautiful.

(PS--Despite what some may believe about my religious beliefs, I DO like HP. It's not Star Wars or Indiana Jones, but it's definitely quality. Well-done and enjoyable. I haven't seen PoA yet, even though I own the score and really enjoy it. I haven't listened to SS or CoS lately, because I wasn't initially aroused by them that much. But PoA did make a good first impression. I probably would've seen PoA already if my umm..."female movie-watching buddy" had seen the first two.)

[nja 0]

The film does drags on at spots. Contemplating Williams' naming of this as his favorite of his own scores, I have always surmised it is for two reasons (besides being masterfully written):

1. The 20th century techniques used in much of the score- perhaps closer than any other score to the style of his concert works.

2. The way in which the score is so tightly integrated with the film and plot line. As THX-TLiJ mentioned, the last scene is brilliantly conceived from a cinematic perspective (even if the basic premise of the film is somewhat dubious from the start).

[Guest]

I wish more scifi movies got Ralph McQuarrie to design their spaceships. Of course, nowadays, people are going with CGI to make ships, not models. The advantage of using models is that they look like the shell of the real thing, but only smaller. With CGI, you don't get that kind of realism. Just look at Star Trek's evolution. Enterprise doesn't look nearly as good as late-TNG/early-DS9.

[A24 4,331]

I couldn't agree with you more, Lord 1138.

[Ollie 1,059]

CE3K is a masterpiece and may be one of Spielberg's best films and may be one of Williams best scores as well.

The film moves along at a very good pace, granted todays audience would find it boring because the aliens don't start blasting everyone in the first 5 minutes. But I love the way the film builds toward it's climax. I think Spielberg keeps the film moving.

The cast is well assembled and Dreyfuss stands out with his performance of Neary. Both Melinda Dillon and Teri Garr are great in their roles as well. Visually the film ranks up there with all of the great ones. The model work is outstanding and something you don't really see anymore.

[A24 4,331]

The model work is outstanding and something you don't really see anymore.

You can thank Douglas Trumbull for that. The man is simply great.

[Trumpeteer 302]

The film shows its age at times, and I'mnot talking about the effects. It just feels so 1977. But I still enjoy the film and marvel at the thematic development of JW's music and how Spielberg pulls us in during the final hour.

Jeff

[A24 4,331]

The film shows its age at times. It just feels so 1977.

This isn't necessarely a bad thing in my book.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

The film shows its age at times, and I'mnot talking about the effects. It just feels so 1977.

What exactly does that mean? Movies age, this films ages well.

As Mark says it doesn't move at a break neck pace, and people who are weened on Michael Bay, Fincher and others who love that 3-2-1 editing will find it very boring.

To me the film is beautifully paced, and the cinematography has never been surpassed for a Spielberg film, its simply astounding. I think all phases of this film are top notch. This was Spielberg's first best director's nod, and I can see why. Mark said all that needs to said about the acting, except for Cary Guffy, as Barry, just another in the great child performances Spielberg seems to garner from his casts.

This has always been one of my top films, and even I sometimes don't give it the justice it deserves.

I still feel the 1977 version is the best. If I could bottle the way the ending made me feel the first time I saw this movie, I would do so. No film that Spielberg has made, has quite the transcendent ending that this does. Its a wonderful experience on DVD, its a life affirming experience on the big screen.

John Williams has written a perfect score as well, and as I've always said, no film or score compliments the other quite as well as these two. Like the chicken and the egg, never quite sure which came first the score or the film.

This film isn't a rollercoaster ride, its more like walking through the Louvre, viewing the beautiful works of art, finally ending at the Mona Lisa.

[MrScratch 294]

I consider CE3K one of the greatest science fiction films of all time. It's not the "Best movie ever" but it is more than a really good film.

Jeff - who didn't vote

[MrScratch 294]

The film shows its age at times, and I'm not talking about the effects. It just feels so 1977.

It was filmed and released in the mid-70s and takes place in the "present day". What else should it feel like?

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

people who are weened on Michael Bay, Fincher and others

Mentioning Bay and Fincher in one breath....that's like doing the same thing with Zimmer and Williams...!

Marian - who thinks CE3K is great, but not greatest ever.

Heartbeeps

[Conrad Jarrett 0]

Has anyone here read Isaac Asimov's take on CE3K?

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

No?

Marian - watching Superman.

[Guest]

Don't tell me it wasn't good.

Dan--watching the Reds vs. the Cubs

[Romão 2,274]

The poll should have an option kinda like "I adore it, it's one of my favorite movies of all time".

It's a fantastic movie and contains a score that deserves all the praise it can get.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Has anyone here read Isaac Asimov's take on CE3K?

He thought it was, at the time, such a great film, seems like he said it will be the first billion dollar grossers which didnt happen, and wouldn't happen until 20 years later on a different movie.. His praise was dead on.

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

Don't tell me it wasn't good.

The beginning was good.

Marian -

[Hlao-roo 389]

He thought it was, at the time, such a great film, seems like he said it will be the first billion dollar grossers which didnt happen, and wouldn't happen until 20 years later on a different movie..  His praise was dead on.

I think you might be thinking of Ray Bradbury (who was effusive in his praise of it), not Asimov. When the film opened, Science Digest asked Asimov to write a review for them. He complied and panned it. In a later essay, he wrote, "[Close Encounters] is a marvelous demonstration of what happens when the workings of extraterrestrial intelligence are handled without a trace of skill."

[Guest]

"[Close Encounters] is a marvelous demonstration of what happens when the workings of extraterrestrial intelligence are handled without a trace of skill."

Of course only dork-scientists like him would give a hoot about "skilfully handling extraterrestrial intelligence." Of course, he thought it existed. Me? I'm more skeptical.

[Trumpeteer 302]

OK, I recently watched "A Streetcar Named Desire" and thought that it didn't look like it was taking place in the 1950s. That's a classic example of a timeless movie. Especially when the film has no set priod in which it's set. "The Godfather" is definitely a time period movie, so that's different.

"Streetcar" has no discernible time frame. Which is why I love the film even more.

"CE3K" looked and felt like it couldn't escape its 1970s feel. Some movies can't help but look that way, but some, like this one, probably could have.

Jeff -- probably not answering the question

[King Mark 3,631]

I like it a lot.I prefer the 1980 Special Edition,without Roy building the mountain in his livingroom,and with the inside the mothership sequence.

K.M.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

think you might be thinking of Ray Bradbury  

Your right, I was, I confuse the two, both being sci-fi writers of books I never really enjoyed.