48 years ago today on Wednesday 16th November 1977, the film that George Lucas was so convinced would make more money than Star Wars that he traded points, was released in North America. Featuring visual effects by many of the the team that had worked on Star Wars (1), with ships designed by the man who visualised the galaxy far, far away (2), starring the leading man who at the time was the star of the highest grossing film in the world (3), with a score by the composer who in 1976 had duuuh-duuuur’d his way to his second Oscar (4) and directed by the Hollywood wunderkind who was well on his way to cinematic immortality (5), the film not only ended its run with $309.6 million off a $19.4m budget, but it also nabbed two Academy Awards. If you haven’t guessed the film is Close Encounters of the Third Kind, a near perfect movie that – just like our first GFFA entry – has endured, entertained and kept us watching the skies for almost half a century.
(1) Including Dennis Muren
(2) Ralph McQuarrie
(3) Richard Dreyfuss, Star Wars was still amassing its record breaking fortune in November ’77
(4) John Williams
(5) Steven Spielberg
