Gen Z and Gen X react to Close Encounters of the Third Kind | First Time Watching

[@ronaldjeffrey8712]

A big part of the popularity of this film at the time is that this was the first film where humanities first reaction to aliens wasn't to blow them up.

[@MrTickleTrunk]

Exactly, and they've seen lots of other movies along this theme as well nad their all structured in a more modern way they're used to.

[@ShortyLongstrokin]

This movie is a lot more enjoyable when you don't apply 2020s morals and expectations to a 1970s film.

[@tenjed4224]

Maps were the be all for all long drivers. It still is for many. You get to see the many different possibilities of travel, instead of the one or two ways a gps will show you. For that purpose, those working outside still keep physical maps.

[@MrTickleTrunk]

I'm so glad you reuploaded this. Look at the likes and comments. :D

[@tenjed4224]

Nicholson felt his greatest flaw - turning down this movie. Thus he did another movie many years later, called Mars Attacks. It was a b-movie with a ton of a list stars and ended up being one of the greatest sci fi films, ever.

[@txheadshots]

This movie never pretends to give answers. It is an art piece (much like the second half of 2001) that is intended to be visually stunning and leave people asking questions. As for why they were drawn to the mountain - everyone who had an encounter was drawn there... but not everyone succeeded

[@floydster23]

Why is everything so chaotic? It's a Spielberg film. This, ET, Jaws....his characters always talk over each other in a more natural way than most movies.

[@ShortyLongstrokin]

I never got that criticism of Spielberg's films.

[@chrischreative2245]

I come from a family of 8 so talking over each other and 4 diff convos at same time is normal 😁

[@nickstark8640]

It was nice to hear someone see the kiss for what it was. It wasn’t a romantic kiss at all. Like you said, he just wanted someone to understand. To know he wasn’t crazy.

[@denverkimberlin3275]

This movie is for entertainment purposes only, do not attempt to apply the scientific method in the analysis of this film.

[@meanstavrakas1044]

I saw that movie in the theater in 1978 when I was 8 years old. It was a very powerful movie and great then and it's a CLASSIC now. I visited the Devil's Tower Mountain in Wyoming in 2004. Thanks for posting!

[@JeanlucPerez-u3g]

The French guy IS François Truffaut , a French movie director , one of a greatest of all Times , Spielberg admire him a lot , so he gives him this

[@Matej_Sojka]

You are right that you are the wrong audience for this movie. Entire time you were asking when does the shooting start. The point of this movie is that a contact does not have to be that way. The reason why the guy was allowed on base and to leave with the aliens is that he was invited. The aliens sent the idea of the mountain to many people and most of those were chased away by authorities who wanted to have control over the situation. That he managed to get there impressed the people in charge enough to let him participate. He was not the only human to leave, he just joined the team that the humans had prepared. As for the people coming back, the authorities monitored what was happening and they had a list of the vehicles going missing over the years that were mysteriously found recently, so they had some idea of who might come back. The whole movie was a collection of real life stories of UFOs told as a handshake. The reason why the music was used was to show to each other and to the audience that the attempt to communicate is there. If shooting started the aliens could have just packed up and never come back. But that is not what either side wanted because this movie has optimistic outlook, not current bombastic nihilistic moral relativism.

[@philipholder5600]

A kiss doesn't mean an affair.

[@ThePharaz]

I saw the movie on its opening weekend. I took a bus with a friend, watched the first showing in the late morning, and stayed through 5 showings. Our ride never showed up because of a snowstorm. My friend's dad came out around midnight to pick us up. It was a scary ride home with traffic lights not working in some places and most roads not plowed. Spielberg did Ready Player One (2018) I had one of those tape recorders from the 1950s and had the old-style tubes. Unfortunately, once Radio Shack stopped carrying replacement tubes I could no longer fix it when some burnt out and I had so many tapes. When the window at the end was blown out it made me think of Harry Potter. The woman in the painting breaks a glass and says, "Amazing just with my voice." Are you complaining about the lack of Secret Service? I'm not sure they could protect a jar of peanut butter let alone a president. This was definitely a product of its time. Had you watched this in a theater back in the 70s you would have walked out going WOW! This would be like 50 years ago having an ice cream shop open with a dozen flavors and now Baskin Robins with 31 flavors. So the 12 flavors are disappointing now.

[@laurab68707]

This movie was scary, amazing and so fascinating when it came out in the 70's. I understand that todays audience doesn't think so. Oh well, to each his own. So sorry you didn't appear to enjoy it. The 70's, Steven Spielberg, amazing!!

[@ebashford5334]

A few points to clarify. The French guy was a scientist with expertise on UFOs (modeled after the real Jacques Vallee with another UFO iconic scientist, the real J Allen Hynek making a cameo in the final scene. Both those guys appeared at the UN for a formal meeting on UFOs) and it was an international effort for first contact. The authorities weren't killing animals, they were just using a knock out gas. The prevailing wisdom then and now is that extraterrestrial contact would or at least might be traumatic for humanity and cause chaos, thus the secrecy. However the French guy recognized that those people were selected and thus they allowed them to be there at the last minute. You're absolutely right that the movie doesn't hold up well and a lot doesn't make much sense (the 5 musical tones was silly) but it was just a thought experiment, thought provoking by being minimalist plot without high stakes conflict in the conclusion (peaceful aliens) but spectacular visually in the theater. And the kissing scene was just a goodbye Earth kiss in the moment and they had a shared profound experience. Also remember he's leaving his family, possibly forever so not a great dad either. He was really in love with the aliens over anything else, that was his calling.

[@jathygamer8746]

"Mike, you don't come to the Devil's Tower and talk to an alien like Mor Grenk like that!" "Fredo, you're my older brother and I love you, but don't ever take sides against humanity again." 🎥 💓 🍿

[@MATTHEW-rp3kq]

star man with jeff bridges and karen allen( animal house indianna jones) was excellent

[@crispyaaron]

I'd also recommend the miniseries Steven Spielberg's Taken

[@maschwab63]

Need to go to Devil's Tower KOA and watch this movie with the actual Devil's Tower in the background.

[@johnwriter8234]

When Dreyfuss shoveled dirt in kitchen window ... he should have been " BAKER-ACTED" ( Florida people know this)

[@RKnights]

And in the other 49 states

[@sonicmojo]

God I can't believe none of you guys ever seen this movie... what is wrong with the youth of today? When I was growing up this movie was a must watch! Not only that but it happens to be true on top of everything else! This is a fictionalized account of hundreds if not thousands of sightings that we've had on this planet for hundreds of years maybe even since time immemorial. The truth is we are not alone, we never have been alone and the universe is teeming with life!!! Peace brothers 🖖

[@MarioButter]

Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 90% positive, Audience 85% positive. IMDB: 7.6/10.

[@isabelsilva62023]

Claude Lacombe is played by magnificent french director François Truffaut, Spielberg took forever to call him because he expected Truffaut to say no. Also Truffaut rarely ever made suggestions although Spielberg welcomed the few he made, even though Spielberg was a beginner master Truffaut never "pulled rank" on him.

[@Rocket_Man232]

🔔 RAY @ 23:11 ➡ THAT WAS THE FUNNIEST THING A REACTOR HAS EVER SAID! (AND I'VE SEEN A LOT, I MEAN A LOT OF REACTION VIDS, SO THAT MEANS EXTRA, LOL!) YOU WIN THE AWARD! 🏆

[@thomasn3882]

"Don't you think I'm taking this really well..." I don't know why I laugh so hard at that line every time I hear it. Maybe it is the fact that her sarcastic delivery of the line is perfect.

[@MATTHEW-rp3kq]

headlights on vaccuums, when you just cant sleep and HAVE to vaccuum the living room lol

[@williamjones6031]

1. $2,500 globe in 1977. Imagine how much that sucker would be today. 2. That ATC has some serious pipes. 3. Is it just me, or does that kid have too many toys? 4. Love it. One of the top 10 movies to watch before you die. 5. I worked at a movie theater when this came out. Incredible 6. If it didn't change the outcome and since his marriage was over Roy and Jillian should have hooked up. 7. The odds of Roy finding Jillian in that chaos are as high as any of this happening. 8. "We're gonna need a bigger mountain".😱 9. Spidey, "Sup-bitches".😏

[@rick74]

Station wagons, at least as kids, you could fold down like the back part to sleep or lay in the back part. Or like growing up like if gone to the drive-in the kids could be in the back. Then if they fell asleep during the movie they could be just asleep in the back reasonably well for the drive back to the house.

[@FeltWarrior]

No. NEVER watch the director's cut first for any movie. There is a reason why they give out awards for best editing.

[@txheadshots]

Much of the time, yes.. but some movies are better with the Director's Cut - Highlander and Blade Runner come to mind

[@karidrgn]

A film where the directors cut is better is the 1st Star Trek film. They pushed it out to theaters to make the anniversary before the sound effects and special effects were done.

[@SijoArtLapham6381]

The first McDonald's opened in 1955.

[@stuartanderws5705]

The fact that you didn't get it is also the point. We are so far behind them. The man was chosen by them not men picked by use. That's what life was like in the 70's. doors unlocked and played in the street all day till the street lights came on. and they live in the middle of no place. And the wife. self centred for the time. complete drama queen. PS the Directors cut was re shown in cinemas some years later with 25 seconds from inside the space ship. which I don't think you had.

[@philipholder5600]

Barbed wite has space between the barbs where you can hold onto.

[@roystoyscomics1361]

"Say hello to my little blaster...!!!!". Pew Pew Pew - Al Pacino The McDonald's brothers opened their first restaurant in 1937 adjacent to the Monrovia Airport. They later relocated to 1398 North Street in San Bernardino, CA in 1940. It started out as a barbecue restaurant but they sold more hamburgers than anything else. They later added french fries and Coca Cola to the menu. Eventually selling the chain of restaurants to Ray Krocs who turned it from a local to a national franchise. 😂

[@fullmoonprepping4024]

To be honest, wis wife Ronnie was not at all like him. She left him without trying to understand anything. SHE LEFT HIM! So I wouldn't caare if he got with the woman he travelled with. Or that he went on the ship at the end. Except for his kids.

[@pauljanetzke]

Oh Devils Tower National Monument is real. I have seen it. It is very inspiring and worth seeing if you have the free time in Wyoming. Music and mathematics are closely tied to each other and math is the only universal language. Cary Guffey, the kid that played Barry, went into the financial services industry and mages $170 million in assets and looks almost the same as he did at that age. You can definitely see it. It wasn't the story that made it popular, it was the effects. These were all practical effects and on location shooting. On the doves, if you listen closely, you can hear the sound of a sprayer, so they gassed the birds before they brought them out of the car.

[@MATTHEW-rp3kq]

the aliens were smart, they knew she sucked lol

[@MATTHEW-rp3kq]

first mcdonalds opened in 1955 lol

[@salsonny]

The scene in the truck is where they abducted him quickly

[@robertserrato3596]

I thought Moses was going to come out of the ship.

[@fjvmunsterman]

If you guys like movies like this, i suggest the movie "starman"(1984), "Maximum Overdrive"(1986), and the made for tv mini series "Intruders"(1992).

[@linkloudenback8359]

It’s supposed to be boring. This is alternative view of alien contact. With movies like Star Wars and War of the Worlds or The Day the Earth Stood Still or television shows like Star Trek that portray aliens as hostile and violent and want to take over the planet. This is supposed to say boring everyday people experiencing first contact with aliens and being overwhelmed with their emotions trying to accept the new reality of aliens. No problem about the existence of God or other deity.

[@tenjed4224]

Something I've spoken about, since this movie hit theaters as being the only big flaw and something speilberg also spoke about wanting to change - Dreyfuss leaving his family behind. I felt, from first watch in theaters that dreyfuss' character would never leave that wife and those kids behind, willingly. Spielberg thought that too and later said that was his biggest regret when making the film.

[@brendag5263]

Spielberg's inspiration for this movie was based on real accounts of people who have claimed to have encounters with UFOs and or aliens back at that time. Your confusion is because it is showing the unknown, the mystery, and leaving it up to the viewer to decide what purpose the aliens have in coming here. This was the first UFO alien movie with such special effects so it was a huge movie at the time. This is one of the few movies where the directors cut is not better because it just has long and unnecessary footage. The theater version is better. I was a kid when I saw this movie and I love it because it is different than other alien movies because it is more about the perspective of the human going through the experience of seeing UFOs and having contact with them and what it does to them in their personal lives. There is a version of this movie that shows inside the mother's ship by the way. It basically looks like a small city inside.

[@KevynJacobs]

You're absolutely right, this movie is all about the visual effects. It is a sumptuous science fiction feast that wowed audiences in the late 1970s. But the story is definitely lacking. Critics have been saying for years that this is really just a movie about a marriage falling apart, against a backdrop of aliens. This movie is also a big deal because it released in late 1977. We were going though Star Wars mania at the time, the original film having released in May. The world was thirsty for more Science Fantasy movies with flashy effects and John Williams musical scores back then. Close Encounters came along at the right time to ride on Star Wars success, and when I was a kid the critics were always making comparisons between the two. Additionally, peaceful aliens was a change of pace from so many paranoid movies of alien invasions during the Cold War.

[@zvimur]

Look up miniseries "Taken", produced by Spielberg. Close Encounters meets The X Files, with a sprinkle of Martian Chronicles.

[@charlesmaurer6214]

Part two is known as ET by the same producer.

[@TairnKA]

The kid's mother had a limited contact with the aliens at the house and when they flew over her and the kid, enough to envision an image of the plateau, but not the detail of the sculpture. Where did you get the idea the "President" was there?

[@shawncat]

A wild hyena in North America is going to eat that kid, lol

[@Tony-wj5mp]

Julian, 2 fyi's... 1-There was an All Faith's conference in the 80's or 90's in which the possibility of sentient, intelligent life on other worlds was the topic. The decision was that if God was the creator of all that exists that would include alien life as well. It would be presumptuous and arrogant of man to think that they are God's only creations in that respect. 2 - The major Islamic countries had a similar conference except their's dealt with the problem of future Muslim astronauts facing Mecca for daily prayers. I'll look up those 2 events so you'll have correct info. Anyone out there with any relevant info please comment. Found a later conference Vatican Conference on Extraterrestrial.......11/10/09. Found thus article in Universe Today

[@thomasn3882]

I don't care what the Vatican says, the Bible says that anything "up there" is a fallen angel by definition.

[@joeychicago6436]

A movie within a movie, The inner movie, look at the older son, realizing his parents marriage is falling apart, dad abandoning the family that look on his face , I remember it at 10.

[@mikejankowski6321]

There is a version where you see inside the ship at the end. It is a short portion and it is just some more SFX eye candy, nothing of substance about the aliens and how they live. It was not the original theatrical production and it is not this directors cut. So what you asked for at the end lost out twice. There are a couple of things you missed/glossed over that other commenters have already addressed. Note that both Roy and Barry's mother got the mountain image in their minds, and Barry interpreted it as an ice cream cone. The little red light that followed behind was a nod to Tinkerbell from Disney's Peter Pan. I have always liked this as a feel-good movie, because Barry has an adventure and is reunited with his mother, all the "abducted" humans are returned, peaceful contact is made, and Roy gets his wish. There is mystery, drama, suspense, and real-life humor in this (scaring himself with the flashlight and the UFO going up at the intersection being tops). And the visual storytelling is magnificent. I still gave you a "like" for an honest reaction, even though I think you sort of missed the point and got dragged into the weeds on a couple things.

[@MATTHEW-rp3kq]

slenderman is here!

[@Ryan_Christopher]

15:38 Unless he was wearing a Personal Dosimeter at the time, there is no way a hospital can determine how much, if any, ionizing radiation he was exposed to, after the fact.

[@ronaldjeffrey8712]

"It's a cook book"!!!

[@RKnights]

🤣

[@andrewcharles459]

A forgotten classic. Sweet.

[@randallshuck2976]

For another film from him you should look up the 1995 movie, "The Langoliers" (spl). It is a very fun concept. It is unfortunately poorly written and directed, but it's still fun. This one is particularly interesting considering all the UFO news recently. Good reaction.

[@ianstopher9111]

By poorly written you mean poorly scripted? It was written by Stephen King.

[@randallshuck2976]

@@ianstopher9111 Yes. The book was incredible. The movie was okay but not as good as the book. Still it was a great concept.

[@johnw8578]

The cgi was awful in it. Not a terrible adaptation but okay. Tommyknockers is another one -- the miniseries started good and then sunk into awfulness.

[@randallshuck2976]

@@johnw8578 True. It's a shame when a great book can't be translated on film.

[@aliceharper707]

The hand signals are a method developed by a doctor named Kodaly who thought it would be an easy way to teach children about musical notes. I was a music Major back in the '70s music education major and we learned that method. It was a big deal back then. It never caught on.

[@ianstopher9111]

Let's see if there is a lot of backlash forcing them to take it down again.

[@RKnights]

No!!!! Lol

[@williambranch4283]

Flying Emerald City from Planet Oz.

[@davidb1565]

All based on real events.

[@perrin6]

Great movie with some weaknesses. Cinematography and music are top notch, it‘s the most believable first contact alien movie with puzzling plot to keep audience mystified until resolution at end: they are here to meet in peace but scant answers give audience ability to imagine what happens next.

[@rick74]

Wait, so 24 billion already served by 1977😆😆?. McDonald's just be inflating their numbers, or how many served indeed by 1977?😆😆

[@gallendugall8913]

This movie is very pretty. The actors act their hearts out. The script is silly and poorly paced.

[@gallendugall8913]

If the aliens wake you up in the middle of the night playing kazoo at the foot of your bed that's a close encounter of the fifty second kind. Very unpleasant.

[@TheDanEdwards]

I always found _Close Encounters of the Third Kind_ to be slow. However, it got a lot of attention back in the day.

[@shawncat]

the aliens:"Humans are the other white meat!"

[@roystoyscomics1361]

@@shawncat "It's a cookbook!!!!!!" - To Serve Mankind - The Twilight Zone

[@williambranch4283]

Devil's Tower Wyoming. Dolphins exist, and they are superior to you - HHGTHG The aliens wanted him because of his artistic skills with potato salad ;-)

[@TheDanEdwards]

The classic cult 1970s movie is _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_ , from 1975. More interesting than _E.T._ for adults, though of course the latter movie was mainstream and Rocky Horror is cult through and through.

[@williambranch4283]

I think you guys are the Grey Aliens ;-) When I was first married, I had to teach my wife to lock the damn door :-(

[@philipholder5600]

She has no parenting skill? She has NO parenting skills? Let's see you do better in this scenario.

[@TheDanEdwards]

"Is that a stripper?"

[@Ghost-airlines]

😝😂

[@Ghost-airlines]

Its DEMONS dude…

[@TheDanEdwards]

So yeah, the story is kind of light. Back in the day when we saw this in the theater the big deal was the graphics, more impressive than what we were used to, plus the sound design (called noisy by Ray) was also impressive for the day. Today people are used to bombastic presentations so this film will seem a bit dull.

[@Ghost-airlines]

Close encounters of the BORING kind 🤣

[@RKnights]

It was tbh

[@Ghost-airlines]

@@RKnights i think it was also one of the first movies to deal with the subject so more of an experiment lol

[@Shoomer1988]

I always found it a little too uneventful. It's a thoughtful film and I admire it for what it is but yeah, it's a bit boring.

[@beatmet2355]

Y’all weren’t paying attention to the movie, evidently lol

[@corneliusoverton2617]

This is very much a 70s movie. They were into all sorts of hippy-dippy stuff. Telepathy, astrology, swinging (which is why Dreyfus kissing the other girl, wouldn't have been a big deal). The 70s was a boring, charming train wreck, that I can't look away from. Not my favorite movie, from that era, though. You want to try an interesting, underrated, instead of overrated, scifi, from the 80s, maybe give "Millennium (1989)" a chance. Go in completely blind, don't even look at pictures. You might be a little bored, in the very beginning, but then it goes to crazy town. It's rated fairly low (not sure why), so go in expecting schlock, but it's far more entertaining than the movie that put Spielberg on the map, IMO. I dunno, am I completely wrong on that, to those who remember that flick? I just think you'd guys like it, despite the low ratings.

[@joetengler9251]

Millennium is a great movie!

[@denverkimberlin3275]

In the words of the great science fiction writer Isaac Asimov, after watching this movie: "Why ?'

[@evanirvana500]

Why is it you younger generations need to have everything spelled out and handed to you? Not your fault I guess as video games, cell phones, modern cinema that relies heavily on CGI rather than psychological. Here you're supposed to come to your own conclusions,like The Thing, a masterpiece superior to anything today. But that's how they did it then. We didn't have the flashy special fx if today so they relied on other ways to excite and entertain and one way is to allow the audience to figure it out for yourselves. If you have to scientifically analyse everything don't watch the movie field of dreams. Your analytical brain would never get it 😂

[@meowenstein]

The older I get, the less I like Spielberg movies... all Spielberg movies.

[@zammmerjammer]

Spielberg got older too and his filmmaking matured with him. Watch "Munich"

[@anthonymiele4320]

Nope, yer totally right. This movie is boring and almost pointless. I never understood the hype.