Ever notice that every blockbuster movie has the same fundamental pieces? A hero, a journey, some conflicts to muck it all up, a reward, and the hero returning home and everybody applauding his or...

Since the UFO encounters are global phenomena, the film takes place all over the globe, including Mexico's Sonoran Desert, Mongolia, and India's Gobi Desert. Most of the early action is set in Munc...

EpisodicWatching Close Encounters is a lot like binge watching a season of your favorite TV show in one go. That's because the narrative technique it employs is episodic. Imagine your favorite TV s...

Science Fiction; Mystery; Family DramaBlinded by Science (Fiction)During Close Encounters' marketing campaign, Steven Spielberg was fond of saying that the film wasn't science fiction but "science...

It's the question everybody asks when they read the title Close Encounters of the Third Kind. So they watch the movie, realize it's a good flick, and then ask the rolling credits, "So…wait! What'...

How do you wrap up an alien invasion movie?If you're a typical Hollywood director, you start with a grandiose speech about humanity surviving against all odds, then you engage in a fierce last stan...

PGClose Encounters of the Third Kind is rated PG, but it's practically a G in our books. We're guessing the rating bump was likely due to situations that can be over little ones' heads and some pot...