Speilberg and Close Encounters

I just recently rented Close Encounters (the 2 disk release) and while watching it remembered something I read somewhere about Speilberg getting a 12 page letter from a govt agency requesting that he stop production.

Is there any truth to this, and if so, what did the letter entail?

I'm not sure about that but I do remember that during the landing you can see Dr. J. Allen Hynek, a famous UFOlogist smoking a pipe. His name doesn't appear in the credits, but I checked it out on imdb, and he was in that movie. Close Encounters Credits
I always had a strange feeling that him in that movie has a very deep meaning....


-Jimmy-

Dr.Hynek was a scientific advisor and researcher for Project Bluebook. He began the study as a strict non believer and by it's conclusion he was a believer.

Then in 77 he was involved with Steven Spielberg and his "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" movie as an advisor.

He classified sightings with the following:

• Close encounters of the first kind -- Visual sightings of an unidentified object
  
• Close encounters of the second kind -- Visual sightings plus physical effects on animate and inanimate objects
  
• Close encounters of the third kind -- Sightings of occupants in or around the UFO

Originally posted by Jimmy910130
I'm not sure about that but I do remember that during the landing you can see Dr. J. Allen Hynek, a famous UFOlogist smoking a pipe...

...I always had a strange feeling that him in that movie has a very deep meaning

Well apparently he came up with the term "close encounter", so it kind of makes sense for him to be in the film. He was also a consultant for the film as well.

As for for the Government telling Spielberg to stop filming it. I've never heard that. I kind of doubt that happened, but maybe some one else has heard about that.

I know he was a technical advisor for the movie, but the seen with him smoking his pipe, I always THOUGHT it had a meaning, out of the movie, but that's just a THOUGHT. Oh, I don't think the gov't told Spielberg to stop filming, because all of his movies were personally viewed by presidents (sometimes). I remember when Raegan saw ET, he said something like,' There isn't 6 people in this room that don't know how real this is...'' or something like that.

-Jimmy-

Not only did the government Not tell Spielberg to stop filming,they told him if he lost money on the movie they would make up the diffence. They never had to that.

Spielberg also had access to top secret files at Wright Patterson Airforce Base. For those in the know, Close Encounters is more of a work of non-fiction than fiction.

The comment Reagan made to Spielberg was made during a screening of the movie for the President, summer 82.

"You know, I bet there aren't six people in this room who know just how true this really is."

That's exactly the comment I was referring to. Famous quote, for me atleast. I will always remember that. I think Spielberg knows A LOT more than the average Joe's of North America, or the wrold for the matter of fact...

-Jimmy-

Maybe I read that on the Project Serpo site, because there are similarities in the two stories in regards to the exchange program. If you notice, there are the same amount of astronauts going into the ship at the end of the movie as they state went to Serpo.

Originally posted by c3hamby
Spielberg also had access to top secret files at Wright Patterson Airforce Base. For those in the know, Close Encounters is more of a work of non-fiction than fiction.

Is there evidence of this? I would be interested to know if there is.

The comment Reagan made to Spielberg was made during a screening of the movie for the President, summer 82.

"You know, I bet there aren't six people in this room who know just how true this really is."

As I recall, Spielberg has since denied that this statement was ever made; I don't know what that means for the accuracy of the story, but it can't help.

Wow there must be more to that movie then a whole bunch of made up stuff. If alot of it is a recreation of the truth I should watch it a few more times.

Originally posted by Togetic

Originally posted by c3hamby
Spielberg also had access to top secret files at Wright Patterson Airforce Base. For those in the know, Close Encounters is more of a work of non-fiction than fiction.

Is there evidence of this? I would be interested to know if there is.

The comment Reagan made to Spielberg was made during a screening of the movie for the President, summer 82.

"You know, I bet there aren't six people in this room who know just how true this really is."

As I recall, Spielberg has since denied that this statement was ever made; I don't know what that means for the accuracy of the story, but it can't help.

Unless Spielberg was sworn to absolute secrecy regarding being given access to such files....I can't imagine that he would be free to speak outside of the creation of the movie after being given access to this kind of information.

Spielberg also had access to top secret files at Wright Patterson Airforce Base. For those in the know, Close Encounters is more of a work of non-fiction than fiction.

Where did you hear this? Maybe do you have a web link?

Originally posted by zeerox

Spielberg also had access to top secret files at Wright Patterson Airforce Base. For those in the know, Close Encounters is more of a work of non-fiction than fiction.

Where did you hear this? Maybe do you have a web link?

Maybe I do, maybe I don't....

(Bribes don't work on chat groups....)

Here's the info as found on the internet. It dances around the truth of the situation. It suggests that there is more to the story than Spielberg has admitted but I doubt a good skeptic is going to assert much validity to a mere website.

www.presidentialufo.com...

Originally posted by c3hamby


The comment Reagan made to Spielberg was made during a screening of the movie for the President, summer 82.

"You know, I bet there aren't six people in this room who know just how true this really is."

From what I heard, that comment was supposedly made during a screening of ET not Close Encounters. Although Reagan liked both films.

Also I remember reading they didn't try to stop him from making it completely but there was concern over the way the aliens were depicted at the end of the movie. Allegedly because it was a very accurate depiction.

Maybe if some people in the know gave him some tips off the record ?
If I ever met Spielberg, I'd certainly like to ask but I don't think he will talk about it.

I wonder why they would need 12 pages to say something...maybe it has all these little scenes they find shouldn't be used or something

BTW, I found Hynek last night!

Towards the end when the pilots start coming out, the camera pans back to the military people and a guy in a blue suit coat walks towards the camera and starts to pull out a pipe.

That's the man!

Spielberg also had access to top secret files at Wright Patterson Airforce Base. For those in the know, Close Encounters is more of a work of non-fiction than fiction.

I don't know about that, but it is obvious that the story is somewhat based on UFO folklore stories such as the Holloman AFB meeting, and exchange program lore...

Speilberg always was pretty deep into the subject...even his first movie as a kid was based on the "Battle of LA" incident, and Close Encounters is (admitted by him) in some ways a remake of that first attempt and then some.... Secret files wouldn't be needed, as it's obvious he's researched the subject often enough....

Spielberg certainly knew a lot about ufology. Besides having Hynek in the movie, my recollection is that the French character was based on Jacques Vallee, a well-known ufologist.

I can't remember now, it's been too long, but from what I thought I knew Spielberg started his career with one story. The powers that be however, thought there was just too much material to cover so they broke it into three scripts: Close Encounters, ET, and Starman...

I wish I knew where I got that from...

About 1/3 of the way thru the film when Roy (Dreyfuss) and his wife (Garr) are having a fight at home about what is happening, (before she splits and he builds the big tower in the living room) there's an interesting scene... They are kinda arguing thru the house but their 2 sons are having an argument of their own. The dialogue between the kids is secondary and "below" the main dialogue between Dreyfuss and Garr. The oldest is accusing the younger brother of "coming thru his window at night" and "stealing all his covers"... the younger kid gets pissed and starts yelling at him "YOU did it!...YOU did it". Sounds like the classic abduction scenario to me. My point is this was WAAYYY before abduction was on most peoples radar. That always got my attention.