God, yes - the trucks. Government think-tank vehicles with Baskin Robbins camoflauge - that was probably what really made me think of the X-Files connection, right there. Because along with the journey of the Richard Dreyfuss character and all the other people who've been contacted by the aliens psychically, you've also got this whole mysterious background motion with the cooperation of governments and the military, and there's a creepy coverup... no way around that parallel. And the image of those anesthesized animals, as part of that "nerve gas" cover story.... brr.
I guess maybe this filim is very of its time, in that way - the '70 cynicism is such a factor that it even overcame the feel-good tendencies of a young Spielberg. Interesting comparison to Jaws, too, which had a more traditional happy ending.
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Date: 2006-01-14 06:30 pm (UTC)I guess maybe this filim is very of its time, in that way - the '70 cynicism is such a factor that it even overcame the feel-good tendencies of a young Spielberg. Interesting comparison to Jaws, too, which had a more traditional happy ending.