Check This Out: "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" Gets a Nationwide Re-Release in Honor of 40th Anniversary

Scene from Close Encounters of the Third Kind

There's no denying that Steven Spielberg pretty much owns the big screen experience. Over the course of his career, he has brought so many dazzling images that are rendered to be seen in theaters, triumphantly stimulating audiences with innovative techniques. What if I were to tell you that there is a way to see one of his biggest hits on the big screen this weekend? That's right. His first foray into alien culture with Close Encounters of the Third Kind is playing in theaters nationwide for the next week to commemorate the film's 40th anniversary. If it's been awhile or you've never seen it on the big screen, there's more than enough reason to check it out and have some fun with one of the best alien movies ever.

Composing Greatness: #11. John Williams - "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977)

Scene from Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Welcome to Composing Greatness: a column dedicated to exploring the work of film composers. This will specifically focus on the films that earned them Oscar nominations while exploring what makes it so special. This will be broken down into a look at the overall style, interesting moments within the composition, and what made the score worth nominating in the first place. This will also include various subcategories where I will rank the themes of each film along with any time that the composer actually wins. This is a column meant to explore a side of film that doesn't get enough credit while hopefully introducing audiences to an enriched view of more prolific composers' work. This will only cover scores/songs that are compiled in an easily accessible format (so no extended scores will be considered). Join me every Sunday as I cover these talents that if you don't know by name, you recognize by sound.

A Look at The Top 10 Lowest Grossing Spielberg Films

Scene from The BFG

By now, it is likely well known news that director Steven Spielberg's The BFG is a bomb. True, most Roald Dahl adaptations are, but considering Spielberg's status as one of cinema's most influential and greatest talents, it is a little baffling that it isn't just a bomb that has barely scrapped together in two weeks $41 million on a budget that's almost $100 million more. While international markets can still keep this from being an outright disaster (though one can't be too sure), this looks to be the director's worst performing film in years. But, how badly is it doing? Do you even know what Spielberg's lowest grossing film is? The following is a look at the Top 10 lowest grossing of a director whose name is synonymous with success despite having a few blips and blops along the way.

R.I.P. Vilmos Zsigmond (1930-2016)

Vilmos Zsigmond

On January 1, 2016, cinematographer Vilmos Zsimond died at the age of 86. Over the course of his career, he worked in a variety of mediums, specifically in documentary and feature films. Among his most noteworthy collaborators are Steven Spielberg, Robert Altman, and Woody Allen. In 1977, he received the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for Close Encounters of the Third Kind. He was an endorser of the Tiffen filters method and helped to turn such classic films such as The Deer Hunter and McCabe & Mrs. Miller into gorgeous films. Along with his impressive legacy on screen, he is considered by many, including the International Cinematographers Guild, to be one of the most influential cinematographers in history.