E.T. The Extra Terrestrial

[acsenray 0]

I re-watched this movie after many, many years after listening to the episode. In fact it might be 30 years or so since I have seen it. I was really surprised how riveting and funny the first two acts were. I did kind of lose interest when E.T. got sick and the government showed up though.

I loved Paul and Amy pointing out the little blonde girl whom Elliott kissed had been trying to get his attention the whole time.

Drew Barrymore's performance was such a treat. 

[DannytheWall 196]

19 hours ago, sycasey 2.0 said:

Hard disagree. I think the movie draws power from the fact that it ends on the emotional climax. It wants to leave you in that place.

LOL for the record I'm not advocating for another 15 minute sequence that begins with a tile "One Month Later" or whatever. Although it sounds like a note that might have existed from some junior executive at some point. 

[DannytheWall 196]

ET hits more nostalgia buttons beyond just seeing the movie as a kid. 

The house's location was filmed very near my childhood home. Whenever we passed it or referred to the area it was as "Eliot's house." (Just watched High Noon which used Iverson Ranch which was also near my home. I can always recognize it immediately.) 

I was a Ride Operator for Universal Studios Hollywood during my college years. While my primary job was on the BTTF ride (and later, Jurassic Park) we had to be trained and we had to cover shifts for ET The Adventure as well. (Feel free to ask me anything!) 

I remember the ride was "unofficially" a sequel, of sorts, where you had to "help" ET get back to his home, the Green Planet, because "only his healing touch" could save it. So many questions and implications about the movie. LOL. 

The ride vehicles were these collections of bicycles on an overhead track so you could fly over the city and through hyperspace and stuff. There was another alien named, Botanicus, who was ET's mentor/teacher or something?, and he welcomed you to the Green Planet, with baby ETs and living plants that would dance and sing because their planet was saved. 

At the end, ET would greet you personally because you gave your name to a ride operator before the loading platform. And yes, bored or disillusioned employees might program "different" names to make ET say some "different" things. 

I'll always remember the specially-designed pine scent that was piped into the forest scene, making the whole ride smell pungent. It was either pleasant or nauseous depending on how long your shift and mandatory overtime was.     

[TheMominator 3]

I just listened to this episode and I wanted to answer Amy’s question about the Halloween party, where no one showed up. As I divorced mother, I can relate. Getting divorced is extremely isolating. All of your married friends disappear, like you have a contagious disease they don’t want to catch or you have become a threat to them because you might take their man.

[taylor anne photo 11311]

On 10/3/2018 at 2:20 AM, TheMominator said:

I just listened to this episode and I wanted to answer Amy’s question about the Halloween party, where no one showed up. As I divorced mother, I can relate. Getting divorced is extremely isolating. All of your married friends disappear, like you have a contagious disease they don’t want to catch or you have become a threat to them because you might take their man.

My mom said almost the exact same thing to me about the times when she was like two or three years out from being divorced. I was going to Catholic school at the time and any time she refers back to those years she says it was like she was contagious and no one ever treated her well. Society is such shit to single women and even more shit to divorced women.

[Ludofl3x 4]

Should ET have beaten Gandhi for best picture? THat's what it was up against, right?

 

This is the first movie I ever cried at. I was seven and have refused to watch it ever since. I also don't like that ET looks damp all the time. TO quote Al Swearengen, "like a just shit fucking turd." 

[sycasey 2.0 2301]

3 hours ago, Ludofl3x said:

Should ET have beaten Gandhi for best picture? THat's what it was up against, right?

Easily.

[Susan* 135]

12 hours ago, Ludofl3x said:

Should ET have beaten Gandhi for best picture? THat's what it was up against, right?

 

This is the first movie I ever cried at. I was seven and have refused to watch it ever since. I also don't like that ET looks damp all the time. TO quote Al Swearengen, "like a just shit fucking turd." 

I thought Missing and Tootsie were also better than Gandhi (as well as Das Boot and other movies not nominated for best picture), but I understand that movies like Gandhi are made to collect awards.  

I put off seeing E.T. because I figured it was an overrated kids movie.  I think I remember that it was hard to see after its original run -- it wasn't on cable or VHS for a long time?  I finally saw it on a theatrical re-release and thought it was genius.  Even so, I like Jaws, Close Encounters, and Raiders a whole lot more -- as a matter of personal taste/preference.  

[grudlian. 4725]

I don't think I mentioned this before but Paul and Amy make it sound like having a cornfield in your back yard is crazy. It's very clear they did not grow up in the midwest.