Is it a religious parable? An environmental allegory? A paean to friendship? A critique of institutions? A story about a boy and his dog? A yearning for family? A fable about letting go and growing up?
Maybe all of these things.
A lot of ideas circulating during last night’s discussion of “E.T.” But it’s always a struggle to articulate. A different kind of movie and sometimes a difficult one to talk about. Watch the struggle here.
Next week, it’s a 100th birthday tribute to Christopher Lee (who was born May 22, 1922). Over the course of a very long and fortunate life, Lee enjoyed some unusual connections (he was a cousin of Ian Fleming and claimed to be a descendent of Charlemagne), exhibited some unexpected talents (Jussi Björling overheard him singing in a pub in Stockholm and wanted to take him on as a student) and partook in some extraordinary real-life adventures (what exactly he did during World War II remains shrouded in mystery, but it was not to the Nazis’ benefit). And of course, he churned out hundreds of movies.
Count Dracula. Lord Summerisle. Duke de Richleau. Comte de Rochefort. Count Dooku. Scaramanga. Rasputin. Saruman the White.
It will be a free-form chat around the wicker man on the next “Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner.” Bring a stake and some garlic to the comments section… and don’t look at the eyes, Rex! Hammer aficionado and lifelong chum Paul Miller will join us, when we livestream on Facebook, next Friday evening at 7:30 EDT!