Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

Synopsis: Aliens fly over Muncie Indiana. Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfus) reacts by playing with his mashed potatoes.

Blurb From the VHS Jacket: [Uh oh...it’s the “Special Edition”] “Wunderkind director Steven Spielberg has filmed additional scenes and added previously cut material for this unique re-release of his UFO classic that convinced millions that ‘we are not alone’... Spielberg has replaced certain scenes with previously unreleased footage and expanded the dimensions of special effects with a breathtaking new ending that leads viewers inside the dazzling mothership.”

What Did I Learn?: If you manage to out-wit the US military as they hunt you down on a mountaintop, they’ll give you a free pass and let you wander into an alien landing ceremony unmolested.

You Might Like This Movie If: You can’t explain why you built that model mountaintop in your living room.

Really?: 1) I don’t want to give away the ending, but did Roy give much thought to his wife and kids when he made that decision? 2) The mothership sounds a lot like a tuba.

Rating: It’s a science fiction classic that inspired any number of later movies. Check it out as a companion film to this year’s “Super 8”. 8/10 stars.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075860/