Classic Ross Amico

Tag: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

E.T. at 40 A Sentimental Education

A four-handkerchief science fiction fantasy? Steven Spielberg managed it 40 years ago, and audiences went for it in a big way. “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” has been touching hearts with a great big glowing finger since the film’s release on June 11, 1982. And thank God for it. In a world that very badly needs to remember what it’s like to embrace its humanity, we could use more movies, more stories, more music like it. Never mind Flaubert. “E.T.” is a crash course in sentimental education.

We’ll talk about it tomorrow night on “Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner.” I confess, even though I was the one to suggest it, I am also a little reluctant to discuss it. But Roy and I certainly didn’t want the 40th anniversary of this cinematic milestone to pass unremarked. It’s the one movie where, depending on where the discussion goes, I may have to turn off my video. And maybe even the audio. If you have any baggage, “E.T.” will unpack it in a hurry.

Spielberg and screenwriter Melissa Mathison draw on everything from the Bible to “Peter Pan” to craft an emotionally honest bedtime story that taps into eternal truths about childhood, love, and parting. Remarkably uncynical, full of hope, and just downright beautiful on every level, “E.T.” is a blockbuster with heart. It’s also a remarkably vibrant time capsule of what it was it like to grow up in the 1980s.

Kudos to Carlo Rambaldi for his animatronic puppetry. Rewatching the film last night, I marveled at what they used to be able to accomplish before CGI became the default.

And John Williams has never been better. In terms of storytelling, the last 15 minutes of “E.T.” is as good as it gets at the movies. Reportedly Spielberg shut off the projector at the recording session in order to give Williams maximum flexibility in conducting the orchestra, and fine-tuned the sequence later, reediting the images, the better to allow the music to fully breathe.

This is the film that unhorsed “Star Wars” as the highest-grossing of all time and held the top slot for 15 years.

Is it Spielberg’s greatest movie? Yes. Yes, it is. I’ll argue why, on the next Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner. So bring your Reese’s Pieces to the comments section. We’ll be chasing rainbows and clapping our hands for fairies when we livestream on Facebook, this Friday evening at 7:00 EDT.

https://www.facebook.com/roystiedyescificorner

If you are one of those obstinate folk who has avoided “E.T.” all these years, and you plan to tune in for our conversation, for the love of movies, do watch it before we spoil it!

May “E.T.” live long in our hearts!

June 16, 2022
E.T. & Benevolent Movie Aliens

I’m one of those people who will dissolve into tears at the movies for no good reason. So when “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” opened on this date 40 years ago, I was a total mess. This simple story about the friendship between a boy and a stranded botanist from another world is elevated by John Williams’ most moving score. By turns tender, buoyant, and touching, Williams’ music provides the emotional underpinning of what may very well be Steven Spielberg’s best film. It earned its composer a much-deserved fourth Academy Award.

In terms of box office, “E.T” was the first film to surpass “Star Wars” to become the highest grossing of all time. The entire moviegoing world, and certainly the entire country, was unified by this emotionally honest bedtime story that tapped into eternal truths about childhood, love, and parting. Remarkably uncynical, full of hope, and just downright beautiful on every level, “E.T.” lit up the screens in 1982 like no other. It was a blockbuster with heart. I don’t know that, in the 21st century, a movie quite like it will ever land again.

This week on “Picture Perfect,” we recollect kinder, gentler times, with selections from films about benevolent visitors from other worlds. Friendly extraterrestrials have been out of fashion for quite a while now, as we seem to be mired in paranoia, conspiracy theories, and apocalyptic visions. But back in 1982, “E.T.” took the 1950s clichés of invaders from Mars and body snatchers from outer space and almost singlehandedly turned everything on its head.

Spielberg himself would take a crack at old school alien invasion, for sure, when he remade H.G. Wells’ “The War of the Worlds” in 2005. But during the Reagan Era, with the Cold War winding down, terrorism not yet so much in the news, and Americans not so openly contemptuous of their neighbors, cinematic E.T.’s were benevolent at best, or at worst, just trying to do their thing. They were there to be misunderstood and even imperiled by man until a warm, fuzzy, often poignant finale.

In Spielberg’s prior exploration of the concept of kindly visitors from another world, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977), there is an ambiguity for much of the film as to what exactly the aliens’ intentions are. In fact, there is at least one sequence that could very well give a child nightmares, and maybe parents too. Whatever tension is generated dissolves in the euphoric finale, centered around the communicative power of music. Like so many movies back then and so few now, “Close Encounters” doesn’t so much exhaust the viewer as leave him or her with a feeling of hope.

John Williams’ approach couldn’t be more different than that for “E.T.” For “Close Encounters,” the avant garde syntax of the early, eerier sequences dissolves into unabashed lyricism for the film’s transcendent finale.

Looking back a quarter century, Klaatu, the “friendly” alien of “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (1951), may come in peace, but it is a message delivered with tough love. If mankind refuses to abide, his giant robot, Gort, will destroy the planet. At a time when Martians invariably meant trouble, this was actually progressive.

Bernard Herrmann’s score is one of his best, and certainly one of his most interesting. Always an eccentric orchestrator, Herrmann’s concept of extraterrestrial music incorporates violin, cello, electric bass, two theremins, two Hammond organs, a large studio electric organ, three vibraphones, two glockenspiels, two pianos, two harps, three trumpets, three trombones and four tubas. Overdubbing and tape-reversal techniques were also employed.

Finally, Ron Howard’s “Cocoon” (1985) is one of the more worthwhile of the seemingly endless procession of extraterrestrial films to be released in the wake of “E.T.” At least this one took a different approach by bringing aliens into contact with a Florida retirement community, with the unexpected result of rejuvenating its inhabitants. A modern take on the fabled Fountain of Youth, the film is a showcase for veteran actors Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Jack Gilford, and Don Ameche (who won an Academy Award). James Horner’s score is much sought after by collectors.

Klaatu barada nikto! Join me for the touchdown of benevolent extraterrestrials! We come in peace, so forget the tanks and bring a box of tissues, on “Picture Perfect,” music for the movies, this Saturday evening at 6:00 EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

June 11, 2022
1982 Summer of Fun Star Trek E.T. Anniversary

“Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn” opened on this date 40 years ago, as did Steven Spielberg’s “Poltergeist.” Even so, it was really “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial,” released the following week, I was most looking forward to. 1982 was, truly, the Summer of Fun.

On Thursday, Roy and I got to reminisce a little bit about our theatrical “Trek” and treks that summer, which bloomed gloriously during a brief, halcyon span between our sophomore and junior years of high school, when summers were still very much summer, full of possibility, laughter, and adventure.

Enjoy the full Khan-versation here. And be sure to stick around for the end, when we acknowledge my second anniversary on the show and join in a group “KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!”

When next we convene, the subject will indeed be “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.” That should give your tear ducts time to replenish after a poignant farewell to Spock. Turn on your heartlights in the comments section, when we livestream on Facebook. Our celebration of the Summer of Fun continues IN TWO WEEKS, FRIDAY, JUNE 17, at 7 PM EDT, on Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner!

https://www.facebook.com/roystiedyescificorner

June 4, 2022
Friendly Aliens in Film Scores Close Encounters ET

People of Earth! We come in peace!

This week on “Picture Perfect,” in honor of the 40th anniversary of the release of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (November 16, 1977) and the 35th anniversary of “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” (June 11, 1982), we listen to music from films about benevolent visitors from other worlds.

Friendly E.T.’s have been out of fashion now for quite some time. We seem to be mired in some neo-‘50s zeitgeist, as far as paranoia and invaders are concerned. But that certainly wasn’t the case back in 1982, when Steven Spielberg’s “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” almost singlehandedly turned everything on its head.

No more invaders from Mars. Spielberg would get to that a couple of decades later, when he remade H.G. Wells’ “The War of the Worlds.” No, during the Reagan Era, with the Cold War winding down and terrorism not yet so much in the news, cinematic E.T.’s were benevolent at best, or at worst, just trying to do their thing. They were there to be misunderstood and even imperiled by man until the warm, fuzzy, often poignant finale.

Spielberg had already explored the concept of the benevolent visitor from space, of course, with 1977’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” But there was an ambiguity for much of the film as to what exactly the aliens’ intentions were. In fact, there is at least one sequence that would have given a child nightmares. Whatever tension is generated dissolves in the euphoric finale, centered on the communicative power of music. Like so many films back then and so few now, “Close Encounters” doesn’t so much exhaust the viewer as leave him or her with a feeling of hope.

John Williams wrote the music for both “Close Encounters” and “E.T.,” and the two scores couldn’t be more different. For “CE3K,” the avant garde syntax of the early, eerier sequences dissolves into unabashed lyricism for the transcendent finale. “E.T” takes a much more intimate approach. The moving story of a friendship between a boy and a stranded space botanist is rendered in music that is by turns tender, buoyant, and touching. The score earned Williams a much-deserved fourth Academy Award. “E.T.” may very well be Williams’ masterpiece, and Spielberg’s too.

The “friendly” alien of “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (1951), Klaatu, may come in peace, but it is a message delivered with tough love. If mankind refuses to abide, his giant robot, Gort, will destroy the planet. At a time when Martians invariably meant trouble, this was actually progressive. Bernard Herrmann’s score is one of his best, and certainly one of his most interesting. Always an eccentric orchestrator, Herrmann’s concept of extra-terrestrial music incorporates violin, cello, electric bass, two theremins, two Hammond organs, a large studio electric organ, three vibraphones, two glockenspiels, two pianos, two harps, three trumpets, three trombones and four tubas. Overdubbing and tape-reversal techniques were also employed.

Finally, Ron Howard’s “Cocoon” (1985) is one of the more worthwhile of the seemingly endless procession of extra-terrestrial films to be released in the wake of “E.T.” At least this one took a different approach by bringing alien forces into contact with a Florida retirement community with the unexpected result of rejuvenating its inhabitants. A modern take on the fabled Fountain of Youth, the film is a showcase for veteran actors Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Jack Gilford and Don Ameche (who won an Academy Award). James Horner’s score is much sought after by collectors.

Klaatu barada nikto! Join me for the touchdown of friendly alien films, on “Picture Perfect” – music for the movies – this Friday evening at 6:00 EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

November 3, 2017
Friendly Alien Film Scores E.T. & Beyond

People of Earth! We come in peace!

This week on “Picture Perfect,” we listen to scores from films about benevolent extra-terrestrials. Friendly E.T.’s have been out of fashion now for quite some time. We seem to be mired in some neo-‘50s zeitgeist, as far as paranoia and invaders are concerned. But that certainly wasn’t the case back in 1982, when Steven Spielberg’s “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” almost singlehandedly turned everything on its head.

No more invaders from Mars. Spielberg would get to that a couple of decades later, when he remade H.G. Wells’ “The War of the Worlds.” No, during the Reagan Era, with the Cold War winding down and terrorism not yet so much in the news, cinematic E.T.’s were benevolent at best, or at worst, just trying to do their thing. They were there to be misunderstood and even imperiled by man until the warm, fuzzy, often poignant finale.

Spielberg had already explored the concept of the benevolent visitor from space, of course, with 1977’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” But there was an ambiguity for much of the film as to what exactly the aliens’ intentions were. In fact, there is at least one sequence that would give a child nightmares (at least by 1977 standards). Whatever tension is generated dissolves in a euphoric finale, centered around the communicative power of music. Like so many films back then and so few now, “Close Encounters” doesn’t so much exhaust the viewer as leave him or her with a feeling of hope.

John Williams wrote the music for both “Close Encounters” and “E.T.” (winning his fourth Academy Award for the latter), and the two scores couldn’t be more different. In particular, he absorbs the avant garde syntax of composers like Gyorgy Ligeti and Krzysztof Penderecki for the eerier sequences of “CE3K” before reverting to unabashed lyricism for the transcendent finale. For “E.T.,” he takes a much more intimate approach for a moving story of friendship between a boy and a stranded space botanist. I admit to feeling mild dread when first seeing the trailer for “E.T.,” already thinking Spielberg had traveled this route before. Little did I realize that within a few weeks I would assess it as his masterpiece (John Williams’, too), as I still do today.

The “friendly” alien of “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” Klaatu, may come in peace, but it is a message delivered with tough love. If mankind refuses to abide, his robot Gort will destroy the planet. At a time when Martians invariably meant trouble (1951), this was actually progressive. Bernard Herrmann’s score is one of his best, and certainly one of his most interesting. Always an eccentric orchestrator, Herrmann’s concept of extra-terrestrial music incorporates violin, cello, electric bass, two theremins, two Hammond organs, a large studio electric organ, three vibraphones, two glockenspiels, two pianos, two harps, three trumpets, three trombones and four tubas. Overdubbing and tape-reversal techniques were also employed. Now this guy was a composer!

Finally, Ron Howard’s “Cocoon” is one of the more worthwhile of the seemingly endless procession of extra-terrestrial films to be released in the wake of “E.T.” At least this one took a different approach by bringing alien forces into contact with a Florida retirement community with the unexpected result of rejuvenating its inhabitants. A modern take on the fabled Fountain of Youth, the film is a showcase for veteran actors Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Jack Gilford and Don Ameche (who won an Academy Award). James Horner’s score is much sought after by collectors.

People of Earth! Be there for the touchdown of friendly alien films, on “Picture Perfect” – music for the movies – this Friday evening at 6 ET. Or listen to it later as a webcast at http://www.wwfm.org.

Klaatu barada nikto!

August 7, 2014

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