What the corpus says about Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

The 60 lines php artisan corpus:ask hands a model, in the order it gets them, and nothing else. The model writes a clerk's answer from these and only these.

What was said about it (17)

[The Big Picture · The Top Five Movies of 2022 · 1:31:29 · Sean Fennessey (0.85)] Close Encounters of the Third Kind ⇒ Nope (the host's read) · lineage · Sean says Nope is as much a Spielberg movie as any he has seen in a long time, with Close Encounters the usual touchstone, and notes the shared theme of looking up and trying to see. · "nope is as much a Spielberg movie as any movie I've seen in a long, long time."
[The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies · 0:19:05 · Sean Fennessey (0.85)] Close Encounters of the Third Kind ⇒ E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (the host's read) · theme · Close Encounters sets a template for science fiction and for stories about families and divorce. · "It sets a different kind of template for science fiction storytelling, for stories about families, for stories about obsession, for stories about divorce"
[Blank Check · Raiders of the Lost Ark · 0:25:05 · Brian Michael Bendis (0.70)] Raiders of the Lost Ark ↔ Close Encounters of the Third Kind · craft · The novelization written by Spielberg internalized the story, which Bendis loved. · "it internalizes the story for a young person who's only seeing externalizing it."
[The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies · 0:19:02 · Sean Fennessey (0.85)] Close Encounters of the Third Kind ↔ Schindler's List · contrast · Both are important, but Close Encounters in a different way. · "Close encounters, I think, is also important in a different way."
[The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies · 0:21:14 · Sean Fennessey (0.50)] Close Encounters of the Third Kind ↔ There Will Be Blood · contrast · Spielberg heroes are usually morally upright, unlike Daniel Plainview. · "There's not a lot of Daniel Plainviews in there."
[The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies · 0:48:18 · Bill Simmons (0.60)] Close Encounters of the Third Kind ↔ Jaws · contrast · Close Encounters moves too slowly for kids; Jaws is propulsive and not slow. · "the cool thing about Jaws is it's not slow."
[The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies · 0:19:28 · Sean Fennessey (0.85)] Close Encounters of the Third Kind ↔ War of the Worlds · verdict · Sean loves War of the Worlds but nothing in it beats Close Encounters, which did the work first. · "But the truth is, is there's nothing in War of the Worlds that is better than close encounters."
[Blank Check · Raiders of the Lost Ark · 0:51:00 · unknown (0.40)] Raiders of the Lost Ark ↔ Close Encounters of the Third Kind · industry · Before release Lucas and Spielberg considered swapping profit participation on Star Wars and Close Encounters. · "And they consider making a deal to swap profit participation."
[The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies · 0:20:48 · Sean Fennessey (0.85)] Close Encounters of the Third Kind ↔ Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope · industry · Close Encounters was overshadowed by Star Wars, released four months earlier. · "But I feel like close encounters sort of got overshadowed by Star Wars a little bit."
[The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies · 0:23:16 · Chris Ryan (0.70)] Close Encounters of the Third Kind ↔ Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope · industry · Lucas and Spielberg bet back-end points on each other's film, so each owns a piece of the other. · "And so they both bet back end points on whoever was more successful."
[The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies · 1:01:02 · Sean Fennessey (0.70)] Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ↔ Close Encounters of the Third Kind · industry · Star Wars (June 77) and Close Encounters (November 77) are both movies that will live for 100 years. · "Those are movies that are probably going to live for 100 years."
[Blank Check — Patreon · Eraserhead · 1:45:48 · David Sims (0.55)] Eraserhead ↔ Close Encounters of the Third Kind · industry · In the box office game, Close Encounters was the number one film in the Eraserhead period. · "Number one of the box office is a film that came out in 1977."
[Blank Check — Patreon · 2010: The Year We Make Contact · 0:28:46 · unknown (0.35)] Close Encounters of the Third Kind ⇒ 2010: The Year We Make Contact (the host's read) · tip of the hat · Casting Balaban reads as a nod to Close Encounters; the speaker finds 2010 more in its shadow than 2001's. · "And the Balaban casting feels like a real tip of the hat to that."
[Blank Check · Raiders of the Lost Ark · 0:25:54 · Brian Michael Bendis (0.80)] Close Encounters of the Third Kind ↔ Walt Simonson · craft · Walt Simonson drew the Close Encounters comic adaptation, whose behind-the-scenes showed directing versus the page. · "Walt Simonson doing the close encounters adaptation, and it is wonderful."
[Blank Check · Raiders of the Lost Ark · 2:37:11 · Brian Michael Bendis (0.60)] John Williams ↔ Close Encounters of the Third Kind · career · Williams delivered a career-defining score every few months: Jaws, Close Encounters, Star Wars, Superman. · "Jaws, close encounters, all the Star Wars, and then Superman"
[The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies · 0:22:39 · Chris Ryan (0.60)] Close Encounters of the Third Kind ↔ Steven Spielberg · career · Close Encounters carries Spielberg's parents' divorce; Dreyfuss's character is part Spielberg, part his father. · "And that Richard Dreyfus character being one part Spielberg, and like the idea of wonder and wanting to vanish, and one part his dad kind of abandoning his kids"
[The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies · 0:20:22 · Sean Fennessey (0.85)] Close Encounters of the Third Kind ↔ Francois Truffaut · people · A filmmaker, Truffaut, is cast as an actor and gives a great performance. · "Francois Truffau, who gives a great performance in this movie."

Films put beside it more than once (2)

[pairs] Close Encounters of the Third Kind ↔ Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope · said 3 times in 1 episode
[pairs] Close Encounters of the Third Kind ↔ Raiders of the Lost Ark · said 2 times in 1 episode

Fun items about it (2)

[The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies · 0:22:54 · Sean Fennessey (0.80)] Close Encounters of the Third Kind · fun · Chris moved it up the list mid-conversation after realizing how many ideas are in it; the Lucas/Spielberg wager story. · "Maybe I might have fucked up."
[The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies · 1:01:06 · Bill Simmons (0.60)] Close Encounters of the Third Kind · fun · In the moment in the theater everyone left shell-shocked; 'are there aliens?' · "oh, my God, are there aliens?"

One hop out: what recommends the films most often joined to it (32)

[Blank Check · Dune · 0:22:17 · John Hodgman (0.85)] Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Dune (the host's read) · programming · Dune was positioned and released as the studio's answer to Star Wars, the next big space epic. · "Uh, this movie is released with the energy of, here you go, here's the new Star Wars."
[Blank Check · Raiders of the Lost Ark · 1:14:54 · unknown (0.40)] Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ↔ Raiders of the Lost Ark · programming · They devoted a whole episode to Crystal Skull. · "We devoted whole episode to it."
[Blank Check · Dune · 2:54:20 · unknown (0.40)] 2001: A Space Odyssey ⇒ 2010: The Year We Make Contact (the host's read) · lineage · 2010 was made because the novel sequel existed, a movie made just because they had to. · "Because Arthur C. Clark had come out with a 2010 novel."
[Blank Check · Raiders of the Lost Ark · 3:27:19 · unknown (0.40)] E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ↔ Raiders of the Lost Ark · programming · Next week's episode is E.T.; next the Patreon bonus covers Something Evil and Savage. · "I believe it's a movie called ET the Extra Terrestrial."
[Blank Check — Patreon · Eraserhead · 0:02:39 · Griffin Newman (0.30)] Eraserhead ⇒ Devo (the host's read) · lineage · Devo covered the Eraserhead song and played it live for a while. · "Devo covered that song?"
[The Big Picture · The Great ‘Avatar’ Debate · 1:26:04 · unknown (0.40)] Avatar: The Way of Water ↔ Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope · programming · After the Fox acquisition it felt like Disney would alternate Star Wars and Avatar releases. · "oh, they'll alternate every other year between a Star Wars movie and an Avatar movie."
[Blank Check · Raiders of the Lost Ark · 2:32:51 · unknown (0.40)] Sorcerer ↔ Raiders of the Lost Ark · programming · They will do Sorcerer one day. · "Source will probably do one day."
[Blank Check — Patreon · 2010: The Year We Make Contact · 0:02:34 · unknown (0.40)] 2001: A Space Odyssey ⇒ 2010: The Year We Make Contact (the host's read) · lineage · 2010 is the sequel to 2001; the speaker's reaction to the Kubrick film is the benchmark throughout. · "And I said, oh, you know, 2010, the sequel to 2001 and they were like, the what?"
[The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies · 0:08:33 · Sean Fennessey (0.85)] Ready Player One ↔ E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial · lineage · E.T. is in the book but was cut from the film by Spielberg. · "I think ET in particular does not appear in the movie and is in the book."
[Blank Check — Patreon · Eraserhead · 0:02:45 · David Sims (0.30)] Eraserhead ⇒ Modest Mouse (the host's read) · lineage · Modest Mouse is named among the bands who covered the Eraserhead song. · "Modest mouse. Modest mouse."
[Blank Check · Raiders of the Lost Ark · 0:12:58 · Brian Michael Bendis (0.90)] Raiders of the Lost Ark ↔ Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope · lineage · Bendis says his childhood pop culture was Lucas and Spielberg magic tricks, not Marvel. · "At this stage that wasn't Marvel was Lucas and Spielberg."
[Blank Check · Raiders of the Lost Ark · 2:34:57 · unknown (0.40)] Hook ↔ Raiders of the Lost Ark · programming · Hook is a movie they will cover and a defender will join that episode. · "We will have a defender on the episode."
[Blank Check — Patreon · 2010: The Year We Make Contact · 0:17:20 · unknown (0.40)] 2010: Odyssey Two (novel) ⇒ 2010: The Year We Make Contact (the host's read) · lineage · The film exists because Clarke published the sequel novel. · "Arthur C. Clark, of course, did publish a sequel to 2001 called 2010."
[The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies · 0:33:46 · unknown (0.50)] E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ⇒ Stranger Things (the host's read) · lineage · E.T. has been so imitated, in films and TV like Stranger Things, that the original feels less rewarding. · "so many people have like basically based entire film franchises or television shows Stranger Things off of that"
[Blank Check — Patreon · Eraserhead · 0:02:47 · David Sims (0.30)] Eraserhead ⇒ The Meteors (the host's read) · lineage · The Meteors are named among the bands who covered the Eraserhead song. · "The meteors would do it."
[Blank Check · Dune · 0:22:22 · John Hodgman (0.70)] Dune ⇒ Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (the host's read) · lineage · The Dune book's messaging is credited as one of the things that inspired Star Wars. · "And not only that, the messaging of this is one of the things that inspired Star Wars."
[Blank Check · Raiders of the Lost Ark · 3:01:39 · Brian Michael Bendis (0.90)] Raiders of the Lost Ark ↔ Jaws · programming · Bendis lives in Portland, where Raiders and Jaws play theaters every summer; his kids found both still work. · "I'm here in Portland where Raiders and Jaws plays on theaters, at least once a summer."
[Blank Check — Patreon · 2010: The Year We Make Contact · 0:18:44 · unknown (0.35)] Hannibal ↔ 2010: The Year We Make Contact · lineage · The sequel arriving a decade-plus later after audiences demanded it, over the original team's refusal, is called a real Hannibal situation. · "It's like a real Hannibal situation."
[Blank Check — Patreon · Thor · 1:07:56 · David Sims (0.40)] Thor ↔ E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial · theme · For Selvig, Thor is proof of aliens, his own E.T., and the reason he will not let go of him. · "Thor is like his ET."
[Blank Check — Patreon · Eraserhead · 0:02:53 · David Sims (0.30)] Eraserhead ⇒ The Pixies (the host's read) · lineage · The Pixies covered the Eraserhead song, on one of the John Peel records. · "Yeah, the pixies, it's on one of the John Peel records, I think."
[The Big Picture · The Top 10 Fantasy Films, The Toy Movie Hall of Fame, and ‘Masters of the Universe,’ · 0:23:25 · Griffin Newman (0.50)] Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Masters of the Universe (the host's read) · lineage · He-Man (and the 80s toy boom) was a response to every company having passed on Star Wars merchandising. · "so much of He-Man and the 80s for toys is a response to every major company passing on Star Wars that Star Wars is the whiff that no one can live down."
[Blank Check · Raiders of the Lost Ark · 3:27:19 · unknown (0.40)] E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ↔ Raiders of the Lost Ark · programming · Next week's episode is E.T.; next the Patreon bonus covers Something Evil and Savage. · "I believe it's a movie called ET the Extra Terrestrial."
[Blank Check — Patreon · 2010: The Year We Make Contact · 0:18:58 · unknown (0.30)] The Silence of the Lambs ↔ 2010: The Year We Make Contact · lineage · Jokes that Clarke's sequel is a straightforward explainer while Thomas Harris went for the most hateful story imaginable. · "But of course, I would say Arthur C. Clark wrote a pretty sort of straightforward sci-fi sequel book that does try to explain what was going on in 2001, whereas Thomas Harris ripped his guts open"
[Blank Check — Patreon · Eraserhead · 1:01:14 · unknown (0.30)] Eraserhead ↔ Buster Keaton · lineage · Henry is a nightmare version of a Keaton-style put-upon silent comedy hero. · "He's like a nightmare version of like a Buster Keaton character, whatever."
[The Big Picture · ‘Gladiator II’ Is Here. Are We Not Entertained? · 0:24:06 · Chris Ryan (0.50)] Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (the host's read) · lineage · The Force Awakens maps almost exactly onto A New Hope. · "Force Awakens, which will maybe come up later on this podcast is in almost every respect."
[Blank Check · Raiders of the Lost Ark · 0:12:58 · Brian Michael Bendis (0.90)] Raiders of the Lost Ark ↔ Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope · lineage · Bendis says his childhood pop culture was Lucas and Spielberg magic tricks, not Marvel. · "At this stage that wasn't Marvel was Lucas and Spielberg."
[Blank Check — Patreon · 2001: A Space Odyssey · 0:11:43 · Jordan Hoffman (0.70)] 2001: A Space Odyssey ⇒ 2010: The Year We Make Contact (the host's read) · lineage · The film has a sequel, and Clarke wrote three sequel novels. · "Obviously, the sequel exists."
[Blank Check — Patreon · Eraserhead · 1:25:38 · unknown (0.30)] Eraserhead ↔ Roy Orbison · lineage · The 50s-60s weepy ballad style, Roy Orbison type music, recurs through Lynch's work. · "Obviously, the sort of Roy Orbison type music recurs throughout his"
[The Big Picture · ‘Gladiator II’ Is Here. Are We Not Entertained? · 1:24:09 · Mallory Rubin (0.50)] Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (the host's read) · lineage · It ports over Death Star, Tatooine and R2-D2 as Starkiller Base, Jakku and BB-8. · "in place of the Death Star, you have star killer base."
[Blank Check · Raiders of the Lost Ark · 0:46:47 · unknown (0.40)] Flash Gordon (Republic serial) ⇒ Raiders of the Lost Ark (the host's read) · lineage · Lucas conceived Indiana Jones as a B-picture at A-picture scale, like the old Republic serials. · "let's make a sort of B picture at an A picture scale, right?"
[Blank Check — Patreon · 2010: The Year We Make Contact · 0:06:48 · unknown (0.35)] 2010: The Year We Make Contact ↔ Interstellar · theme · The speaker finds 2010 closer in feel to Interstellar than to 2001. · "I found it interesting that in a lot of ways this movie feels less like dumb 2001 to me and more like dumb interstellar."
[Blank Check — Patreon · Eraserhead · 1:29:21 · unknown (0.30)] Eraserhead ⇒ Alien (the host's read) · lineage · The gooey animatronic creature work in Alien and later films may trace back to Eraserhead. · "I mean, the thought that comes to mind is, um, alien."

Who said it, by their latest sketch (5)

[speaker] Sean Fennessey · latest sketch, The Big Picture · ‘Resident Evil’ Absolutely Rips! · Loves gory, funny, fast genre movies with craft and confidence, especially 87-minute films that never overstay. Can't stand ponderous elevated horror that fills out its runtime with introspection and sad family history. A sucker for the Carpenter-era lineage, Die Hard homages, and directors who break studio dogma. · stances: Resident Evil is one of the best films of the year; Horror movies have become a drag; fun genre experiences are needed; Short running times are a virtue; Video-game films work best when great filmmakers get creative license
[speaker] Brian Michael Bendis · latest sketch, Blank Check · Raiders of the Lost Ark · Raised on Lucas and Spielberg and says the magic-trick-then-show-how-it-was-done openness of that era shaped his craft. Loves Raiders over Temple of Doom even though Temple of Doom met him at a pivotal age; adores Reds, Siskel and Ebert, John Williams, Karen Allen. Cannot stand writers telling the audience the theme outright and hates snakes. · stances: Raiders is the better film but Temple of Doom shaped him; Exposition must carry the character's own perspective; Lucas and Spielberg were the first open-source filmmakers; Spielberg is generous with credit and should be emulated; Marion Ravenwood is among cinema's great characters; Willie Scott is the anti-Marion mistake; The post-Fabelmans view reshapes Raiders
[speaker] Bill Simmons · latest sketch, The Rewatchables · ‘Friday the 13th’ · Loves the Friday series as a communal, rental-era memory and tells childhood stories about the ads and theaters. Likes casting what-ifs and sports analogies for everything. Skeptical of horror at Christmas and of anything that wastes the premise. · stances: Friday the 13th is not the best entry but the origin story had to be told; Friday 2 is a leap over the original
[speaker] Chris Ryan · latest sketch, The Rewatchables · ‘Friday the 13th’ · A franchise and genre scholar who likes Jason, the early sequels, and Manhattan; attention to trivia, tropes and critic reception. Treats slashers as a canon with tiers. · stances: Parts 1, 2, 4 and Manhattan are the good ones; The series finds its legs at 4
[speaker] David Sims · latest sketch, Blank Check · The Last Temptation of Christ · Prepares history: novel, casting, budgets, box office. Reveres the film and thinks it reads as a normal ground-level story. A sucker for Hollywood deal backstory and box office game. · stances: Praises Keitel and Dafoe casting; Respects Scorsese's persistence and Corman discipline; The film is now well regarded though not 'canonical Marty'

The shows' running bits (2)

[bits] The Big Picture: Drafts (Hosts and guests draft films in rounds; every pick is a recommendation with an argument); Hall of Fame (A star's or director's best, ranked and argued); Countdowns (Ranked lists, top five or top ten)
[bits] Blank Check: The box office game (Guessing the film's opening weekend and what it was up against); The sung theme ("Blank Check with Griffin and David", sung; the transcriber garbles it)

The whole prompt

As the model gets it, from app/Ai/Prompts/CorpusAsk.md

You are a clerk at Video Culture, a video store. A customer just finished Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and wants to know what to watch next.

Below is what people who love movies said on three podcasts (Blank Check, The Rewatchables, The Big Picture) about Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and the films around it, one line each. Every line starts with where it came from, in brackets: [show · episode · time · speaker (how sure we are it was them)]. A [pairs] line says how often two films were put side by side. A [speaker] line says what that person likes. A [bits] line lists a show's running bits: a format, not an opinion.

[The Big Picture · The Top Five Movies of 2022 · 1:31:29 · Sean Fennessey (0.85)] Close Encounters of the Third Kind ⇒ Nope (the host's read) · lineage · Sean says Nope is as much a Spielberg movie as any he has seen in a long time, with Close Encounters the usual touchstone, and notes the shared theme of looking up and trying to see. · "nope is as much a Spielberg movie as any movie I've seen in a long, long time."
[The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies · 0:19:05 · Sean Fennessey (0.85)] Close Encounters of the Third Kind ⇒ E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (the host's read) · theme · Close Encounters sets a template for science fiction and for stories about families and divorce. · "It sets a different kind of template for science fiction storytelling, for stories about families, for stories about obsession, for stories about divorce"
[Blank Check · Raiders of the Lost Ark · 0:25:05 · Brian Michael Bendis (0.70)] Raiders of the Lost Ark ↔ Close Encounters of the Third Kind · craft · The novelization written by Spielberg internalized the story, which Bendis loved. · "it internalizes the story for a young person who's only seeing externalizing it."
[The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies · 0:19:02 · Sean Fennessey (0.85)] Close Encounters of the Third Kind ↔ Schindler's List · contrast · Both are important, but Close Encounters in a different way. · "Close encounters, I think, is also important in a different way."
[The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies · 0:21:14 · Sean Fennessey (0.50)] Close Encounters of the Third Kind ↔ There Will Be Blood · contrast · Spielberg heroes are usually morally upright, unlike Daniel Plainview. · "There's not a lot of Daniel Plainviews in there."
[The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies · 0:48:18 · Bill Simmons (0.60)] Close Encounters of the Third Kind ↔ Jaws · contrast · Close Encounters moves too slowly for kids; Jaws is propulsive and not slow. · "the cool thing about Jaws is it's not slow."
[The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies · 0:19:28 · Sean Fennessey (0.85)] Close Encounters of the Third Kind ↔ War of the Worlds · verdict · Sean loves War of the Worlds but nothing in it beats Close Encounters, which did the work first. · "But the truth is, is there's nothing in War of the Worlds that is better than close encounters."
[Blank Check · Raiders of the Lost Ark · 0:51:00 · unknown (0.40)] Raiders of the Lost Ark ↔ Close Encounters of the Third Kind · industry · Before release Lucas and Spielberg considered swapping profit participation on Star Wars and Close Encounters. · "And they consider making a deal to swap profit participation."
[The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies · 0:20:48 · Sean Fennessey (0.85)] Close Encounters of the Third Kind ↔ Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope · industry · Close Encounters was overshadowed by Star Wars, released four months earlier. · "But I feel like close encounters sort of got overshadowed by Star Wars a little bit."
[The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies · 0:23:16 · Chris Ryan (0.70)] Close Encounters of the Third Kind ↔ Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope · industry · Lucas and Spielberg bet back-end points on each other's film, so each owns a piece of the other. · "And so they both bet back end points on whoever was more successful."
[The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies · 1:01:02 · Sean Fennessey (0.70)] Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ↔ Close Encounters of the Third Kind · industry · Star Wars (June 77) and Close Encounters (November 77) are both movies that will live for 100 years. · "Those are movies that are probably going to live for 100 years."
[Blank Check — Patreon · Eraserhead · 1:45:48 · David Sims (0.55)] Eraserhead ↔ Close Encounters of the Third Kind · industry · In the box office game, Close Encounters was the number one film in the Eraserhead period. · "Number one of the box office is a film that came out in 1977."
[Blank Check — Patreon · 2010: The Year We Make Contact · 0:28:46 · unknown (0.35)] Close Encounters of the Third Kind ⇒ 2010: The Year We Make Contact (the host's read) · tip of the hat · Casting Balaban reads as a nod to Close Encounters; the speaker finds 2010 more in its shadow than 2001's. · "And the Balaban casting feels like a real tip of the hat to that."
[Blank Check · Raiders of the Lost Ark · 0:25:54 · Brian Michael Bendis (0.80)] Close Encounters of the Third Kind ↔ Walt Simonson · craft · Walt Simonson drew the Close Encounters comic adaptation, whose behind-the-scenes showed directing versus the page. · "Walt Simonson doing the close encounters adaptation, and it is wonderful."
[Blank Check · Raiders of the Lost Ark · 2:37:11 · Brian Michael Bendis (0.60)] John Williams ↔ Close Encounters of the Third Kind · career · Williams delivered a career-defining score every few months: Jaws, Close Encounters, Star Wars, Superman. · "Jaws, close encounters, all the Star Wars, and then Superman"
[The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies · 0:22:39 · Chris Ryan (0.60)] Close Encounters of the Third Kind ↔ Steven Spielberg · career · Close Encounters carries Spielberg's parents' divorce; Dreyfuss's character is part Spielberg, part his father. · "And that Richard Dreyfus character being one part Spielberg, and like the idea of wonder and wanting to vanish, and one part his dad kind of abandoning his kids"
[The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies · 0:20:22 · Sean Fennessey (0.85)] Close Encounters of the Third Kind ↔ Francois Truffaut · people · A filmmaker, Truffaut, is cast as an actor and gives a great performance. · "Francois Truffau, who gives a great performance in this movie."
[pairs] Close Encounters of the Third Kind ↔ Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope · said 3 times in 1 episode
[pairs] Close Encounters of the Third Kind ↔ Raiders of the Lost Ark · said 2 times in 1 episode
[The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies · 0:22:54 · Sean Fennessey (0.80)] Close Encounters of the Third Kind · fun · Chris moved it up the list mid-conversation after realizing how many ideas are in it; the Lucas/Spielberg wager story. · "Maybe I might have fucked up."
[The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies · 1:01:06 · Bill Simmons (0.60)] Close Encounters of the Third Kind · fun · In the moment in the theater everyone left shell-shocked; 'are there aliens?' · "oh, my God, are there aliens?"
[Blank Check · Dune · 0:22:17 · John Hodgman (0.85)] Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Dune (the host's read) · programming · Dune was positioned and released as the studio's answer to Star Wars, the next big space epic. · "Uh, this movie is released with the energy of, here you go, here's the new Star Wars."
[Blank Check · Raiders of the Lost Ark · 1:14:54 · unknown (0.40)] Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ↔ Raiders of the Lost Ark · programming · They devoted a whole episode to Crystal Skull. · "We devoted whole episode to it."
[Blank Check · Dune · 2:54:20 · unknown (0.40)] 2001: A Space Odyssey ⇒ 2010: The Year We Make Contact (the host's read) · lineage · 2010 was made because the novel sequel existed, a movie made just because they had to. · "Because Arthur C. Clark had come out with a 2010 novel."
[Blank Check · Raiders of the Lost Ark · 3:27:19 · unknown (0.40)] E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ↔ Raiders of the Lost Ark · programming · Next week's episode is E.T.; next the Patreon bonus covers Something Evil and Savage. · "I believe it's a movie called ET the Extra Terrestrial."
[Blank Check — Patreon · Eraserhead · 0:02:39 · Griffin Newman (0.30)] Eraserhead ⇒ Devo (the host's read) · lineage · Devo covered the Eraserhead song and played it live for a while. · "Devo covered that song?"
[The Big Picture · The Great ‘Avatar’ Debate · 1:26:04 · unknown (0.40)] Avatar: The Way of Water ↔ Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope · programming · After the Fox acquisition it felt like Disney would alternate Star Wars and Avatar releases. · "oh, they'll alternate every other year between a Star Wars movie and an Avatar movie."
[Blank Check · Raiders of the Lost Ark · 2:32:51 · unknown (0.40)] Sorcerer ↔ Raiders of the Lost Ark · programming · They will do Sorcerer one day. · "Source will probably do one day."
[Blank Check — Patreon · 2010: The Year We Make Contact · 0:02:34 · unknown (0.40)] 2001: A Space Odyssey ⇒ 2010: The Year We Make Contact (the host's read) · lineage · 2010 is the sequel to 2001; the speaker's reaction to the Kubrick film is the benchmark throughout. · "And I said, oh, you know, 2010, the sequel to 2001 and they were like, the what?"
[The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies · 0:08:33 · Sean Fennessey (0.85)] Ready Player One ↔ E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial · lineage · E.T. is in the book but was cut from the film by Spielberg. · "I think ET in particular does not appear in the movie and is in the book."
[Blank Check — Patreon · Eraserhead · 0:02:45 · David Sims (0.30)] Eraserhead ⇒ Modest Mouse (the host's read) · lineage · Modest Mouse is named among the bands who covered the Eraserhead song. · "Modest mouse. Modest mouse."
[Blank Check · Raiders of the Lost Ark · 0:12:58 · Brian Michael Bendis (0.90)] Raiders of the Lost Ark ↔ Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope · lineage · Bendis says his childhood pop culture was Lucas and Spielberg magic tricks, not Marvel. · "At this stage that wasn't Marvel was Lucas and Spielberg."
[Blank Check · Raiders of the Lost Ark · 2:34:57 · unknown (0.40)] Hook ↔ Raiders of the Lost Ark · programming · Hook is a movie they will cover and a defender will join that episode. · "We will have a defender on the episode."
[Blank Check — Patreon · 2010: The Year We Make Contact · 0:17:20 · unknown (0.40)] 2010: Odyssey Two (novel) ⇒ 2010: The Year We Make Contact (the host's read) · lineage · The film exists because Clarke published the sequel novel. · "Arthur C. Clark, of course, did publish a sequel to 2001 called 2010."
[The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies · 0:33:46 · unknown (0.50)] E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ⇒ Stranger Things (the host's read) · lineage · E.T. has been so imitated, in films and TV like Stranger Things, that the original feels less rewarding. · "so many people have like basically based entire film franchises or television shows Stranger Things off of that"
[Blank Check — Patreon · Eraserhead · 0:02:47 · David Sims (0.30)] Eraserhead ⇒ The Meteors (the host's read) · lineage · The Meteors are named among the bands who covered the Eraserhead song. · "The meteors would do it."
[Blank Check · Dune · 0:22:22 · John Hodgman (0.70)] Dune ⇒ Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (the host's read) · lineage · The Dune book's messaging is credited as one of the things that inspired Star Wars. · "And not only that, the messaging of this is one of the things that inspired Star Wars."
[Blank Check · Raiders of the Lost Ark · 3:01:39 · Brian Michael Bendis (0.90)] Raiders of the Lost Ark ↔ Jaws · programming · Bendis lives in Portland, where Raiders and Jaws play theaters every summer; his kids found both still work. · "I'm here in Portland where Raiders and Jaws plays on theaters, at least once a summer."
[Blank Check — Patreon · 2010: The Year We Make Contact · 0:18:44 · unknown (0.35)] Hannibal ↔ 2010: The Year We Make Contact · lineage · The sequel arriving a decade-plus later after audiences demanded it, over the original team's refusal, is called a real Hannibal situation. · "It's like a real Hannibal situation."
[Blank Check — Patreon · Thor · 1:07:56 · David Sims (0.40)] Thor ↔ E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial · theme · For Selvig, Thor is proof of aliens, his own E.T., and the reason he will not let go of him. · "Thor is like his ET."
[Blank Check — Patreon · Eraserhead · 0:02:53 · David Sims (0.30)] Eraserhead ⇒ The Pixies (the host's read) · lineage · The Pixies covered the Eraserhead song, on one of the John Peel records. · "Yeah, the pixies, it's on one of the John Peel records, I think."
[The Big Picture · The Top 10 Fantasy Films, The Toy Movie Hall of Fame, and ‘Masters of the Universe,’ · 0:23:25 · Griffin Newman (0.50)] Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Masters of the Universe (the host's read) · lineage · He-Man (and the 80s toy boom) was a response to every company having passed on Star Wars merchandising. · "so much of He-Man and the 80s for toys is a response to every major company passing on Star Wars that Star Wars is the whiff that no one can live down."
[Blank Check · Raiders of the Lost Ark · 3:27:19 · unknown (0.40)] E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ↔ Raiders of the Lost Ark · programming · Next week's episode is E.T.; next the Patreon bonus covers Something Evil and Savage. · "I believe it's a movie called ET the Extra Terrestrial."
[Blank Check — Patreon · 2010: The Year We Make Contact · 0:18:58 · unknown (0.30)] The Silence of the Lambs ↔ 2010: The Year We Make Contact · lineage · Jokes that Clarke's sequel is a straightforward explainer while Thomas Harris went for the most hateful story imaginable. · "But of course, I would say Arthur C. Clark wrote a pretty sort of straightforward sci-fi sequel book that does try to explain what was going on in 2001, whereas Thomas Harris ripped his guts open"
[Blank Check — Patreon · Eraserhead · 1:01:14 · unknown (0.30)] Eraserhead ↔ Buster Keaton · lineage · Henry is a nightmare version of a Keaton-style put-upon silent comedy hero. · "He's like a nightmare version of like a Buster Keaton character, whatever."
[The Big Picture · ‘Gladiator II’ Is Here. Are We Not Entertained? · 0:24:06 · Chris Ryan (0.50)] Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (the host's read) · lineage · The Force Awakens maps almost exactly onto A New Hope. · "Force Awakens, which will maybe come up later on this podcast is in almost every respect."
[Blank Check · Raiders of the Lost Ark · 0:12:58 · Brian Michael Bendis (0.90)] Raiders of the Lost Ark ↔ Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope · lineage · Bendis says his childhood pop culture was Lucas and Spielberg magic tricks, not Marvel. · "At this stage that wasn't Marvel was Lucas and Spielberg."
[Blank Check — Patreon · 2001: A Space Odyssey · 0:11:43 · Jordan Hoffman (0.70)] 2001: A Space Odyssey ⇒ 2010: The Year We Make Contact (the host's read) · lineage · The film has a sequel, and Clarke wrote three sequel novels. · "Obviously, the sequel exists."
[Blank Check — Patreon · Eraserhead · 1:25:38 · unknown (0.30)] Eraserhead ↔ Roy Orbison · lineage · The 50s-60s weepy ballad style, Roy Orbison type music, recurs through Lynch's work. · "Obviously, the sort of Roy Orbison type music recurs throughout his"
[The Big Picture · ‘Gladiator II’ Is Here. Are We Not Entertained? · 1:24:09 · Mallory Rubin (0.50)] Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (the host's read) · lineage · It ports over Death Star, Tatooine and R2-D2 as Starkiller Base, Jakku and BB-8. · "in place of the Death Star, you have star killer base."
[Blank Check · Raiders of the Lost Ark · 0:46:47 · unknown (0.40)] Flash Gordon (Republic serial) ⇒ Raiders of the Lost Ark (the host's read) · lineage · Lucas conceived Indiana Jones as a B-picture at A-picture scale, like the old Republic serials. · "let's make a sort of B picture at an A picture scale, right?"
[Blank Check — Patreon · 2010: The Year We Make Contact · 0:06:48 · unknown (0.35)] 2010: The Year We Make Contact ↔ Interstellar · theme · The speaker finds 2010 closer in feel to Interstellar than to 2001. · "I found it interesting that in a lot of ways this movie feels less like dumb 2001 to me and more like dumb interstellar."
[Blank Check — Patreon · Eraserhead · 1:29:21 · unknown (0.30)] Eraserhead ⇒ Alien (the host's read) · lineage · The gooey animatronic creature work in Alien and later films may trace back to Eraserhead. · "I mean, the thought that comes to mind is, um, alien."
[speaker] Sean Fennessey · latest sketch, The Big Picture · ‘Resident Evil’ Absolutely Rips! · Loves gory, funny, fast genre movies with craft and confidence, especially 87-minute films that never overstay. Can't stand ponderous elevated horror that fills out its runtime with introspection and sad family history. A sucker for the Carpenter-era lineage, Die Hard homages, and directors who break studio dogma. · stances: Resident Evil is one of the best films of the year; Horror movies have become a drag; fun genre experiences are needed; Short running times are a virtue; Video-game films work best when great filmmakers get creative license
[speaker] Brian Michael Bendis · latest sketch, Blank Check · Raiders of the Lost Ark · Raised on Lucas and Spielberg and says the magic-trick-then-show-how-it-was-done openness of that era shaped his craft. Loves Raiders over Temple of Doom even though Temple of Doom met him at a pivotal age; adores Reds, Siskel and Ebert, John Williams, Karen Allen. Cannot stand writers telling the audience the theme outright and hates snakes. · stances: Raiders is the better film but Temple of Doom shaped him; Exposition must carry the character's own perspective; Lucas and Spielberg were the first open-source filmmakers; Spielberg is generous with credit and should be emulated; Marion Ravenwood is among cinema's great characters; Willie Scott is the anti-Marion mistake; The post-Fabelmans view reshapes Raiders
[speaker] Bill Simmons · latest sketch, The Rewatchables · ‘Friday the 13th’ · Loves the Friday series as a communal, rental-era memory and tells childhood stories about the ads and theaters. Likes casting what-ifs and sports analogies for everything. Skeptical of horror at Christmas and of anything that wastes the premise. · stances: Friday the 13th is not the best entry but the origin story had to be told; Friday 2 is a leap over the original
[speaker] Chris Ryan · latest sketch, The Rewatchables · ‘Friday the 13th’ · A franchise and genre scholar who likes Jason, the early sequels, and Manhattan; attention to trivia, tropes and critic reception. Treats slashers as a canon with tiers. · stances: Parts 1, 2, 4 and Manhattan are the good ones; The series finds its legs at 4
[speaker] David Sims · latest sketch, Blank Check · The Last Temptation of Christ · Prepares history: novel, casting, budgets, box office. Reveres the film and thinks it reads as a normal ground-level story. A sucker for Hollywood deal backstory and box office game. · stances: Praises Keitel and Dafoe casting; Respects Scorsese's persistence and Corman discipline; The film is now well regarded though not 'canonical Marty'
[bits] The Big Picture: Drafts (Hosts and guests draft films in rounds; every pick is a recommendation with an argument); Hall of Fame (A star's or director's best, ranked and argued); Countdowns (Ranked lists, top five or top ten)
[bits] Blank Check: The box office game (Guessing the film's opening weekend and what it was up against); The sung theme ("Blank Check with Griffin and David", sung; the transcriber garbles it)

Recommend three to six films, and only films that appear in these lines. A series, a TV film, or a franchise counts too when a line recommends it or pairs it with Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977); name it the way the line names it. Don't recommend Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) itself. For each one, give one short reason in your own words and say whose reason it is: the show, named exactly as the brackets name it, and the speaker when the line names one (an "unknown" speaker is just the show). If the lines are thin, say so plainly rather than stretching them.

Keep a contrast a contrast. When a line sets two films apart, the reason is how they differ; never turn it into a way they're alike. A line with ⇒ puts the source first and what drew on it second, and one marked "the maker said so" is still the host reporting it: say who said it, and never state an influence as fact.

You know only what's on these lines. Add no fact they don't state: not who directed a film, not what kind of film it is, not when it came out, unless a line says so. Say nothing about the store or how anything rents here.

Talk the way a clerk talks to a customer at the counter: plain text, titles written plainly with no asterisks or other markup, no headings, no lists of more than six, no JSON.