Mothership Close Encounters Episodes

In this episode of Bad Dads Film Review, Sidey, Dan and Reegs review Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The discussion begins with J. Allen Hynek’s UFO classification system before moving through the film’s major set pieces: the Sonoran Desert opening, missing planes, Roy Neary’s roadside encounter, Barry’s abduction, Devil’s Tower, the musical alien language and the unforgettable mothership reveal. The dads discuss how the film uses translation, music, signs and images to build a hopeful version of first contact. They also put Roy Neary on trial as a Bad Dad for abandoning his family to board the alien ship, while considering whether his altered mental state gives him any defence. The verdict is a unanimous strong recommend: nearly fifty years old, still visually impressive, culturally iconic and full of Spielberg’s recurring interests in broken families, science, music, communication and wonder.