Preview Mode Links will not work in preview mode

Full Cast And Crew


The stories behind and in front of the camera from your favorite films and streaming series of the 60's, 70's, 80's and today. Featuring the Columbo Cinematic Universe, notable guests, and never a commercial.  

Sep 19, 2019

Steven Spielberg's 1977 masterpiece "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind" stands out as a deeply weird major-studio picture and, for many movie fans and directors like J.J. Abrams and Denis Villenueve, their favorite Spielberg movie of them all.

Podcast Notes: Chris intro (00:01), putting Close Encounters Of The Third Kind in movie context (2:15), Being a Star Wars kid vs. a Star Wars kid (3:00), Aliens (4:00), Spielberg appreciation (4:15), the cute red dot of light UFO is so Spielberg (5:00), the great and naturalistic Air Traffic Control scene (7:20), Teri Garr and Dreyfuss 'Don't you think I'm taking this really well?' scene (12:45), Spielberg origin story of Close Encounters (15:00), the amazing Indian village singing scene w/ Bob Balaban and Francois Truffaut (21:00), J. Alan Hinnick, UFOlogist and his influence on Spielberg's approach to the movie and contribution of the title (24:00), Dreyfuss as Neary and Spielberg stand-in (26:00), Truffaut, Balaban and Dreyfuss in the interrogation scene (27:00),  Teri Garr is a colossally brilliant comic genius actor (23:30), Teri Garr's MJB Coffee commercial that got her the part in Close Encounters (34:00), Cary Guffey (Barry Guiler) turned in one of the greatest child performances in film history in his role as the kid in Close Encounters (36:00) Casting Cary Guffey stories by Melinda Dillon and Steven Spielberg (38:00), kids weird sleeping positions (42:00), Duck Dogers cartoon (42:30), casting Francois Truffaut stories from Steven Spielberg and Richard Dreyfus (45:00), Finding the landing zone set in Alabama on a disused military base and shooting on the largest set in film history (48:00), Melinda Dillon motel room set & Truffaut's reaction story (48:30), John Williams and his iconic score for the film (49:45), Matt The Engineer (51:00), John Williams and Steven Spielberg talk about finding the five tones for the Close Encounters Of The Third Kind theme music (52:00), Jason gets model-maker Dennis Muren's name wrong, sorry, Dennis! (55:00), remembering the glass-shattering scene from the Mother Ship landing sequence (57:00), the hidden R2D2 on the mothership (1:00:00), the Close Encounters Theme Disco Version (1:03:00), Alternative Casting stories (1:04:00), Steve McQueen crying casting story from Steven Spielberg (1:05:00), the insane and incredible living room grief scene from Michael Hanecke's 'Funny Games' (1:08:00), Latch Key TV (01:09:40), The Littlest Hobo theme song (1:11:45), Columbo Cinematic Universe appearance of Dukes of Hazard star Sorrel Booke in the Johnny Cash episode (1:15:30), George C Scott as Mussolini (1:18:00), Kate & Allie was a good show (1:19:30), Final Line Outro (1:21:20)