The UFOs and Aliens Of Steven Spielberg's Science Fiction Movies
How Does Director Spielberg Depict Unidentified Flying Objects?
This guy operates in a class, or more appropriately, a galaxy all by himself. He’s one of Earth’s most successful filmmakers, and one of the more focused on depicting alien visitation in his blockbuster films. Indeed, Steven Spielberg crafts incredible movies of every imaginable stripe, but he may just be the most UFO obsessed director in all of Hollywood history.
And while fellow science fiction minded auteurs such as George Lucas, John Carpenter and James Cameron also produce popular sci-fi fare such as Star Wars, Avatar, The Thing, and The Terminator movies, Spielberg’s more preoccupied with alien visitors to Earth, in the narrative vein of classic UFO’s bringing us those little green, or more traditionally, historically, little grey men visitors, or, simply, The Greys.
Yeah. Spielberg is where the aliens are.
Not only did he direct Close Encounters Of The Third Kind starring Oscar winner Richard Dreyfuss (The Goodbye Girl) and the Hallmark card like sci-fi family favorite E.T. The Extraterrestrial, but he also gave us the alien marauding War of The Worlds starring Tom Cruise. Spielberg produced Taken, an epic multi-part TV mini-series detailing the lives of families whose members are abducted by mysterious aliens from distant worlds, broadcast in 2002. It’s perhaps the most comprehensive fictional production to ever examine the alien abduction phenomenon. Certainly, it’s one of the most ambitious and well known, and took home that year’s Emmy Award for Outstanding Mini-Series
Face it, folks, Elliot and E.T.’s dad dearly loves his flying saucers.
Spielberg is known for his UFO’s, aliens and, of course also, his rowdy and ridiculously randy dinosaurs constantly fleeing Jurassic Park, wrecking untold, sequel haven havoc. What’s our early takeaway? The man uses aliens and dinosaurs to full effect in his genre generous work. Oh, don’t forget those enormous alien robots getting cosmic mileage! He also executive produced, Transformers.
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)
It’s the film which has become the gold, go to standard for UFO depiction in a feature film. Starring Richard Dreyfuss (Jaws) and chock full of still awe inspiring visual FX - not one computer used to achieve em - it’s the tale of several people becoming completely obsessed with UFO’s. Gee, I wonder what speculative minded guy connected to the production inspired such a central script element?
Spielberg is an exceedingly talented, natural filmmaker, and he may one day surpass this masterpiece with another alien visitation opus, though it’s doubtful. Everything from the memorable music, the stunning visuals, the perfect cast of actors right on down to the justly poetic finale will have you crying in fits of joy and exploding in playful laughter. This still resonates as the most human sci- fi film ever produced on what the UFO phenomenon does to humanity and our perceptions of our kind’s place in the vast cosmos.
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Released to movie theaters a half decade after his triumphant first UFO exploration, E.T. is like Close Encounters from the alien’s perspective. Little E.T. - despite his and Elliot’s intimate relationship, we never do learn his real name - is lost, alone and afraid. Come to think of it, he may be alone, naked and afraid like those survival reality shows trending lately. Bottom line: He desperately needs Elliot to phone home. Imagine the cost back then to do that? Good thing we all use flat rates these days to call our loved ones.
You won’t find heady, hardcore sci-fi here. No space battles, nor geeky gadgets to fetishize over. There’s no real explanation of who/what E.T. is or what he and his inquisitive species were doing before he got lost and left behind. Botanical experts on a plant analyzing mission looking for wicked herbs? Who cares. This one is all about a boy and loving bond with his space travelling friend.
Spielberg features many incredibly talented kids in his productions, but Henry Thomas playing Elliot has gotta be one of the most endearing for audiences to love and want to adopt. We never feel he’s acting. Since it was only his second movie role, and first as lead actor and star, that’s probably dead on accurate. His scenes relating to the incredible animatronic puppet employed to realize an authentic visitor from another world still will rock your cinematic world. Oh, yeah, another somewhat known actress of today gets props for playing Elliot’s kid sister, Gertie. It’s also her second film role. She goes by the name of Drew Barrymore. I do hope she’s doing well these days!
War Of The Worlds (2005)
As an enormously loyal fan of producer George Pal’s 1953 filmed treatment of author H.G. Wells classic story, I was skeptical when Steven Spielberg sought to tackle the same near hallowed ground.
Much like vintage boy bond, The Monkees, smoothly tune croon, Now I’m a believer.
I still prefer the 1953 version produced by visionary Pal, however, the Tom Cruise starring update impresses as an excellent, powerful filmmaking exercise. This is Spielberg’s most threatening alien visitation yet. Well, afterall, this is an invasion, and it’s an unflinching look at the possibility of a real star spawned force coming to destroy and or enslave our less advanced human race. The jarring, ultra realistic action and interpersonal dynamics simply overwhelm - making you feel as exhausted as one who really lived through such an alien attack. One personal note: Much of the opener of the film was filmed in Bayonne, NJ, my hometown. Seeing the Bayonne Bridge destroyed by aliens is a delectable, special treat for any resident.
Taken (2002)
Stories of everyday people being abducted by alien creatures - who can say who/what they really are - fascinate us all. These tales can also feel entirely bone chilling. Minding your own business - often times sleeping, going camping or simply driving a car - are some of the more common settings for other worldly kidnapping, which literally devastates lives and overturns whole communities. Betty and Barney Hill, Travis Walton and Whitley Strieber, just to name a few, are some of the more famous individuals embroiled in these fascinating, yet wholly disturbing occurrences
This mini-series will sweep you away with its dramatic scope and complexity. Its story spans decades - going from 1944 to 2002, using the famed Roswell crash as narrative backdrop. After viewing, you may not still believe in the abduction phenomenon, but you’ll boast a real grasp of the subject - both contextually and emotionally.
Steven Spielberg’s contribution to pop culture’s exposure to UFO’s and other more reality based sci-fi concepts is unparalleled. Sure, classic science fiction franchises such as Star Trek and Star Wars may arguably have more fans or even broader appeal, but with our own world becoming more tolerate to these ideas and even open about what Earth’s governments know about UFO’s, Spielberg’s work is becoming more topical, essential viewing. With the upcoming U.S. Congressional report due to perhaps reveal more than anyone could hope for about this truly earth shattering subject, fictional work like Spielberg’s appears ever more necessary and even vital.