Yes! I wasn't sure if it wasn't too late to appreciate it for the first time, but I am glad to know that was always true, at least for you.

Never got the hype.

This is how I've always felt about E.T. I like Close Encounters but, like most Spielberg films, it needed a stronger editorial hand.

I was 1000% unsympathetic to the main character, which I assume was not the plan?

I saw someone recently (on Twitter maybe?) say how Close Encounters was a basic quest narrative, and therefore about the fantasy of leaving your family behind, but was honest about it.

Also seconding Consuela's enjoyment of Atomic Blonde. I don't love Pop Culture Happy Hour, but I have to credit them for getting me out to see that one when most other people seemed kind of meh on it. Some really gorgeous visuals. And it's always nice to have action scenes you can follow. It slightly bugged me that much of the soundtrack was a few years off but since I loved all the tunes it still worked for me.

Basically it's a lot like John Wick, but with the added metaphor of what it's like to be a woman in the workplace.

I saw someone recently (on Twitter maybe?) say how Close Encounters was a basic quest narrative, and therefore about the fantasy of leaving your family behind, but was honest about it.

Oooooh.

Oof, I'm exhausted. Not sure if I'll be ready for the movers this Friday. (I'm moving myself and Squeaky a week later.) I think I'll call the movers on Tuesday and see if I can postpone it until the following week.

I don't like ET either. In fact, except for Jaws and the Indiana Jones movies, I couldn't stand Spielberg until Schindler's List.

Just came back from seeing Close Encounters. I have no objectiveness when it comes to this film -- I consider it one of my formative movie experiences. Never got to see it in the theater before, but it is my dad's favourite film, and I remember watching it together with him for the first time on our old tube TV at home. I think I was 11 or 12-ish? When the spaceship turns sideways and you see all the lights flashing in its belly... MAGIC. And when the control panel and spaceship play the music together. And the extended light show at the end set to John Williams' music, oh man.

Gotta say, it held up pretty well for me. All hail practical effects! I've seen it a few times on TV since then but I'm glad to have made the trek to the theater to see it on big screen.

It occurs to me now I should have done a full ranking when I did my Spielberg blog project, but looking back, my Top Ten would probably look something like:
Jaws
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Schindler's List
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Jurassic Park
A.I. Artificial Intelligence
The Adventures of Tintin
Saving Private Ryan
Duel
Munich
The top two are rock solid. The others might change based on the day.

I really like most Spielberg films, but ET was too cutesy for me even at 13. And I may loathe Short Round more than Jar Jar Binks.

I haven't seen a ton of Speilberg, I guess- Never saw Jaws or Saving Private Ryan. I think Jaws would be to scary for me, because I found ET terrifying. I mostly remember all the white tents and people in hazmat suits.

My favorite is Jurassic Park and Schindler's List. Jurassic Park I loved the book as well. Schindler's List I really loved the exploration of Schindler and Amon Goetz and being very similar personality types (kind of indulgent players) and how can one become monster and one become a hero. I didn't like the girl in the red coat because that felt very on the nose to me-- Like something I would do, and it also reminded me of a very popular line of greeting cards in the '90s that we all colorized black and white pictures of children dressed up like retro looking adults.