I’ll start off by saying that the number one E film is Empire Strikes Back. I know it, you know it, and the whole world knows it (except maybe for this guy.) So even though I had students say to me, “I’ve never seen any of the Star Wars films.” Or, worse yet, “I’ve only seen the Star Wars with Jar-Jar,” I decided to choose the movies that a lot of student probably haven’t seen already. Honourable mention also goes out to Explorers in the E category but it’s been ages since I’ve seen it.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: I’m going to make an educated assumption that a lost of students have not seen E.T. before. (If they didn’t know who The Smurfs were before the Katy Perry movie, and trust me, they didn’t, then I doubt some of them know who E.T. is.) Now, I see this movie on cable all the time and I know there’s a lot of trivia that goes into the making of and discussion of the movie between Lucas and Spielberg. However, the bottom line is you have a family-friendly movie about an alien who gets left behind on Earth. But what’s great about this was that is was done well so there wasn’t too many iffy effects going on so you could feel the possibility that bicycles could fly if you had an alien in the front basket. Plus, as Steve points out every time we see it, if E.T. had been made today, the kids wouldn’t be interacting with a puppet in a home, they would be talking to thin air in front of a green screen. Every aspect of the alien would be CGI and there would be a huge disconnect and feel of low budget quality if it were remade today. So, hands off of this one, guys! Plus, the kids in this are great – ah, little, screaming her head off Drew Barrymore, you were so cute as Gertie.

E.T.: E.T.! E.T.! E.T.! Be good.
Gertie: “Be good”! I taught him that too!
Elliot: You should give him his dignity. This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: This is another reality life mixed with sci-fi story. Joel and Clementine had a relationship despite their being completely different people. But they can’t remember one another. Due to the efforts at Lacuna, the brain can be erased of certain memories that are particularly troubling and painful. Hello! Brilliant concept! So aside from the story being weird and unique, the way the movie is shot is spectacular. There is a lot of colour and odd sequences where the memories that Joel tries to hold on to fall apart in his mind. I appreciate this movie so much because Jim Carrey does a great job at being a dramatic actor. Plus, Kate Winslet is one of my all-time favourite actresses so seeing her as a bright hair coloured, hip American girl working at a bookstore is very cool.

Clementine: Oh my darling, oh my darling, oh my darling Clementine.
Joel: I don’t know what that means.
Clementine: Are you NUTS?
Joel: It’s been suggested.