Excellent E.T. And Jaws Moments
Jul 26, 2022
Two of Steven Spielberg’s most beloved and iconic movies —— will soon return to the big screen for a special presentation at AMC Theatres nationwide. To be more specific, that’s E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL which will return to theatres on August 12th and JAWS returns to big screen September 2nd. And while both of Spielberg’s masterpieces have returned to theatres before, these two classics will be shown on the IMAX format, with the 1975 shark film also being shown in IMAX and RealD 3D.
But before these two cinematic touchstones open on the silver screen, let’s revisit some of the scenes from each...
E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL in IMAX
Henry Thomas has an amazing reaction when his character, Elliott Taylor, first meets the titular alien in E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, but the scene later on where he introduces his brother, Michael, played by Robert MacNaughton, and sister, Gertie, played by Drew Barrymore, is legendary.
Just watch the expression on Michael’s face as his worldview changes in an instant. One moment, he’s joking with his brother and the next he’s standing in shocked silence where he remains for more than 10 seconds as he tries to make sense of it all. The deafening silence is only broken by Gertie’s screams upon entering the room moments later.
There are few movie scenes that evoke the sense of wonder and amazement of childhood better than the bike chase in E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL. Taking place in the final act of the movie when Elliott and Michael escape their house with E.T., the scene follows the brothers and their friends as they carry out a daring plan.
When the camera cuts to the group of young boys racing through the suburban landscape and John Williams’ iconic score picks up behind them, you can’t help but be carried away by emotion. And then when it seems like capture is imminent, the boys fly up into the air and into the sunset as they prepare to send their friend home.
The first real indication that Elliott and E.T. have a stronger connection comes about halfway into E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL when the alien drinks several beers, which has a major effect on his human counterpart at school. Just before he and his classmates are to start dissecting frogs in class, Elliott feels the full effect of the connection and begins freeing test subjects to save them from a gruesome death.
This beautiful moment is followed by another great example of the Elliott/E.T. connection as the young boy kisses his schoolhouse crush in a similar manner to the movie E.T. is watching back home. Though played for laughs, the scene sets up one of the movie’s most crucial elements later on.
After evading capture and death, Elliott and E.T. finally make it to the alien spaceship so that the gentle creature can go home, but not before one of the most emotional moments in the entire movie. Through tears and a reluctant acceptance, Elliott says goodbye to his friend who tries to ease the boy’s fears and pain by saying “I’ll be right here,” while pointing to Elliott's head.
This assurance that their time together will always be a part of Elliott is one of the most beautiful aspects of E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL and in Steven Spielberg’s entire filmography.
E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL in IMAX
JAWS in IMAX and RealD 3D
The shark attack scene on the beach in JAWS is a work of art and should be included in every movie making textbook. The way in which Steven Spielberg messes with the audience with numerous fake-outs and random beachgoers interrupting a nervous Martin Brody, played by Roy Scheider, makes it seem like nothing is going to happen until the scene explodes with action.
As the Kintner boy flails in the water as he’s being attacked by the shark, the camera focuses on Brody and quickly zooms in on his face as John Williams’ score swells. Like the distressed police chief, the audience is given their sign that we’re starting an exciting yet chilling adventure.
Another great JAWS scene comes early on in the movie when Matt Hooper, played by Richard Dreyfuss, examines the body of a woman who supposedly died in a boating accident. In a little less than two minutes, Hooper goes from being inquisitive to looking like he’s about to lose his nerve to taking control of not only himself but the room while disproving the popular theory of her cause of death.
This transformation is nothing short of amazing and leads to one of the most tense and frightening moments of the movie as he yells out “This is not a boat accident,” washes his face in a small dish to calm his nerves, and then calmly says it was a shark.
In JAWS, Robert Shaw gives one of the best movie monologues of all time when his character, Quint, recalls surviving the sinking of the USS Indianapolis. But the explosion caused by a Japanese torpedo and the near-instant death of hundreds of men isn’t the toughest part of the story, but instead Quint’s description of the survivors being picked off and eaten by scores of sharks in the salty waters.
The monologue has since gone down as one of the most memorable of all time for its writing and Shaw’s cadence and nuanced delivery of lines like “I’ll never put on a lifejacket again.”
And then there’s the JAWS finale where Brody kills the shark once and for all. After the massive great white toyed with and tortured the three hunters on the open waters and killed Quint, Brody and Hooper were able to put a plan into motion that would take out the beast once and for all.
The scene doesn’t disappoint and actually gets better with each viewing. The moment referenced here is the shot of Brody saying “Smile, you son of a…” before firing the fateful shot that explodes the air canister in the shark’s mouth. And just like that, it’s all over.
JAWS in IMAX and RealD 3D
You will be able to relive all of these incredible movie moments when E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL and JAWS return to AMC Theatres in IMAX and RealD 3D on August 12 and September 2, respectively.
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