Watch the Skies: a cemetery screening

[innerSpaceman]

HAHAHA! You all missed out! Sorry to gloat. Not anyone's fault if they don't love this FANTASTIC movie that is Spielberg's Masterpiece, but there's just no accounting for taste.

Fortunately, there are TONS of Big Fans ... and they all showed up at the Cemetery last night. It was seriously the best screening of Close Encounters since 1977.

It was also the first time I've seen the 1977 version projected for an audience since the intial run of that movie just about 30 years ago. So freaktastingly excellent.

For the second time in a week, a movie exhibitor touted their special sound system (they also did it at the El Cap on Thursday for Sleeping Beauty), and indeed a special sonic set-up was done for the cemetery screening of CE3K.

They announced that Close Encounters is the loudest movie ever made (by decibel measure), and the sound was the best the cemetery has ever had.

The UFOs all had this great thrum that had such presence, and the Mothership had an astounding bass rumbling that literally shook the ground. It was the same effect as in the original theatrical run, but was far more effective outdoors than inside a theater. So even though we could see only four or five stars, this effect which dominated the finale of the movie made it the unique outdoor experience I was hoping for.


The other great sensurround elements were LIVE HELICOPTERS during Two, count-'em, TWO helicopter shots in the film. Hahahaha, Hysterical.

Um, no helicopters overhead for the entirety of the movie, btw ... just during these two shots when there were helicopters chasing our heros up the slopes of Devil's Tower. Better cooperation from the outdoor universe could not have been asked for.


And I could not have asked for a better cemetery audience. I haven't experienced this level of crowd reaction to the film since it premiered in 1977. And the 1977 version of the film seen by a large audience for the first time in 30 years made for an amazing event.


I never managed to hook up with alphabassetgrrl. And I'm so sorry more of you weren't able to attend. It was my Favorite Cemetery Screening EVER.