The E.T. That Never Was

From Bloody-Disgusting.com:

Spielberg based the story on the Kelly-Hopkinsville encounter, where a Kentucky family claimed that they had been terrorized by gremlin-like aliens. Spielberg had heard the story from UFOlogist J. Allen Hynek while doing research for Close Encounters.
In Spielberg’s original treatment for Watch the Skies, eleven malicious extraterrestrial scientists try to communicate with chickens, cows, and other livestock in an attempt to discover which of Earth’s animal species are sentient, before turning their unwelcome attentions on the human family and dissecting their farm animals.

Maybe it's a good thing this never happened.  I'd have a hard time respecting 11 humanoid "scientists" who were interrogating chickens.

Click below:

Duel

Watched Spielberg's Duel last night. Hadn't seen it in over ten years. It kinda makes the Jeepers Creepers truck look like a Ford Pinto. And I had no idea it was written by Richard Matheson.

I saw it as a wonderful character study in bravado, patience, and stubbornness. Though I may be reading too much into a simple tale about an incredibly evil truck driver.

Click below for a clip: