journal features

movie review - E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

Kokubunji, 2020.11.07

Today we watched a movie the kids only know from memes. We'd tried to watch it when The Boy was younger, but he panicked at the idea of an alien in the very earlier scene where Elliot - the main character - meets the E.T. This time, with him being twelve and his sister made of sterner stuff, we had no such trouble.

I hadn't seen this in maaany years, and I was not surprised to find it somewhat dated. I don't think that response of the officials made a lot of sense, and I didn't find the family's behavior during all of this stuff much more believable. Also, the pacing was uneven and some of the dialogue a bit blah.

I have to say, Drew Barrymore was unbelievable in this. Barely more than a toddler, and she was completely believable.

Recommended. But only for Science Fiction fans.

rand()m quote

One day you will take a fork in the road, and you're going to have to make a decision about which direction you want to go. If you go one way, you can be somebody. You will have to make compromises and you will have to turn your back on your friends. But you will be a member of the club and you will get promoted and get good assignments. Or you can go the other way and you can do something [...] for yourself. If you decide to do something, you may not get promoted and get good assignments and you certainly will not be a favorite of your superiors. But you won't have to compromise yourself. To be somebody or to do something. In life there is often a roll call. That's when you have to make a decision. To be or to do.

—John Boyd, US Air Force