Close Encounters of the Third Kind Resources

Close Encounters came out 40 years ago, but it still holds a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. You can find out how the movie has stayed fresh here.

Ray Morton has written an extensive guide to the making of Close Encounters for any fan looking to know what Spielberg had for lunch on the 53rd day of production. Okay, maybe not that detailed, but pretty close.

Do you enjoy facts, data, details, trivia, factoids, and behind-the-scenes knowledge? Then we've found your Close Encounters page at the Turner Classic Movies website.

Close Encounters has accumulated about $116 million dollars in domestic box office. See what other financial mojo has bolstered the film's swagger at "Box Office Mojo."

Spielberg co-wrote the novelization with Leslie Waller, although one of those two names is mysteriously absent from the cover.

AMC Filmsite gives an extensive review as part of its Greatest Films series. It's less a review and more a novella's worth of reasons to check out the film.

Unless, of course, you did know some of the things on this Mental Floss list. In which case, curb your expectations accordingly.

Are the books always better than the movies? Jennifer Makowsky compares the Close Encounters novelization with its cinematic counterpart and suggests this might be the exception to the rule.

Did legendary film critic Roger Ebert like Close Encounters? Yes. How much did he like it? Visit his webpage to find out.

In her review, Angie Errigo argues that Close Encounters isn't just a great movie but a stand-alone study guide to Spielberg's body of work.

In this pre-release interview, Steven Spielberg discusses Close Encounters with Roger Ebert while keeping the final 43 minutes entirely classified. He is truly a forefather of the spoiler warning.

What can a filmmaker do with a mixture of salt water, fresh water, and white paint? You'll have to watch his "making of" documentary to find out.

In this interview, Steven Spielberg looks back on Close Encounters after 30 years.

Remember when movie trailers didn't give away the entire movie in roughly two minutes? Close Encounter's original trailer runs twice that and manages to spoil nothing. In fact, we only vaguely know what the movie is about, and we've already watched it.

Does Close Encounters make the cut? Let's just say 1941 won't be any competition.

Here's a ready-made playlist of the Close Encounters soundtrack. It's good stuff even if the first few tracks don't make for easy listening.

Actually that title kind of says it all, doesn't it?

Filmtracks provides its review of Close Encounters' soundtrack as well as its variants, in case you ever wanted to know how your Lacombe bootleg copy has held up.

The movie poster for Close Encounters explains what the three kinds of alien encounters are and that's it. You want to find out more? You'll have to see the film.

Less America's Next Top Model and more local arts and hobbies store, the Smithsonian's model of the mother ship is still a thing of beauty.

Here's a still image of Roy's famous mashed-potatoes sculpture, a scene that has seared itself into our pop culture consciousness just as Devils Tower implanted itself into Roy's brain.

We know the film's aliens look like children in masks because that's exactly what they are, but whenever we see this scene, we have to fight the urge to give our extraterrestrial visitors a Fun Size Snickers.

In this famous scene, Roy finally figures out what the mysterious image is.

Here's Truffaut and Spielberg on set.

Spielberg playing with child actor Cary Guffey.