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kottke.org posts about E.T.

posted by Jason Kottke

Visual references to 70s/80s movies in Stranger Things

The one thing everyone talks about w/r/t Stranger Things is its references to 70s and 80s sci-fi, adventure, and horror films. As this video by Ulysse Thevenon shows, there’s good reason for that…the references are many and explicit.

The ones I noticed the most were to E.T., The Goonies, and Explorers, which I just watched again recently and doesn’t hold up very well in a lot of ways. I also feel like there might be a bit of D.A.R.Y.L. in there too, but I haven’t seen that movie since I was 12. See also Every Spielberg Reference in Stranger Things.

posted by Jason Kottke

The World’s Best Audition (for Elliott in E.T.)

I’ve never seen a better audition tape than this improvised scene by Henry Thomas for the part of Elliott in E.T.

The tears were inspired by thoughts of his dead dog. And the final line from Spielberg is gold. (via @Colossal)