The Millions

We Are Not Alone: ‘Close Encounters’ Turns 40

In the climactic scene of Close Encounters of the Third Kind—soon to be re-released on its 40th anniversary—a massive UFO lands at the base of Devils Tower in Wyoming. Scientists watch in awe as long-missing pilots from the infamous Flight 19 exit the mothership. A grey-haired, goateed man in a blue suit walks forward between the rapt congregation. He lifts a hand to his face, as if to pause on his chin, but then puts a pipe in his mouth.

That scientist was Dr. , the man responsible for the film’s namesake classification system. Hynek’s cinematic cameo only lasted six seconds, but his spirit infects the entire film. A new biography reveals how Hynek’s life and legend exemplify a lost era. UFO sightings still make

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Millions

The Millions8 min read
The French Cartoonist Who Limned New York City
"While Paris is gray-blue, New York is very, very colorful." The post The French Cartoonist <br>Who Limned New York City appeared first on The Millions.
The Millions2 min read
Cover Reveal: ‘A Thousand Thoughts in Flight’
We’re thrilled to reveal the cover for A Thousand Thoughts in Flight, a collection of diary entries by the late Portuguese writer Maria Gabriela Llansol, translated by Audrey Young. Here’s a bit about the book from its publisher, Deep Vellum: Over th
The Millions7 min read
A Year in Reading: Elvia Wilk
You have to pick the book up, and you also have to know when to put it down and go do something else with your hands. The post A Year in Reading: Elvia Wilk appeared first on The Millions.

Related Books & Audiobooks