Close encounters of the third kind (1977 movie) Essay

Close encounters of the third kind (1977 movie) - Essay Example Although countless films have been made, certain films stand out as being notable. One of these films is the 1977 Steven Spielberg classic, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Looking at the release date of this film from a big picture perspective, it arrived during a prime period for the alien premise. That same year George Lucas launched the most popular film franchise of all time with Star Wars, and only two years later, 1979 saw the release of Ridley's Scott's Alien and the first Star Trek movie. There are several factors that contributed to the proliferation of this genre during this time period. One factor was a dismal American Economy, which was struggling with both a high unemployment rate and rapid inflation. These sobering aspects of the real world gave rise to a desire that moviegoers had for an escape, and the genre that most reliably guarantees this release is the Science Fiction genre, especially alien visitation. The arrival of extraterrestrial beings is the most signi ficant game changer imaginable here on Earth and there is no better way to forget about our Earthly troubles if a film takes a moviegoer off the planet and into outer space. Another significant factor was the improvement of special effects technologies occurring within the industry.