Product Description

Since all journalists and writers were barred from the shooting of the movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", actor Bob Balaban's diary is a rare on-the-spot account of the making of Steven Spielberg's classic sci-fi film. This is a "making of" book written from an actor's-eye view, and Balaban (who played Laughlin inthe film, opposite Francois Truffaut as Lacombe) provides a detailed account of Steven Spielberg at work, as well as a portrait of the late Truffaut.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #333376 in Books
• Published on: 2002-06-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

Review
"I Loved It. I Wish I Had Written This Book Myself!" - Richard Dreyfuss, Close Encounters of the Third Kind Star

Steven Spielberg, from his Introduction
"Bob Balaban's often hilarious observations... reassured me that as I was slowly losing my head, all those around me were also losing theirs."

Susan Sarandon
"A fascinating behind the scenes peek into the making of one of Hollywood's best movies."

Customer Reviews

zee bee-long ere Mozambique
This is the same book as the Close Encounters of the Third Kind Diary by the same author so here is my review of that book.

For all fans of this mighty film, this book is a total gem.
From witty observations on the boredom of shooting to anecdotes regarding his relationship with both the actors and crew, Bob literally takes you behind the scenes and behind those scenes to touch upon the reality of what it took to shoot many scenes now famous and many scenes left on the floor of The Big Set. I expected a censored version of life on set and off it but what you get is a totally honest, and sometimes hilarious selection of stories, quips and tales on what it was like to be part of such a ridiculous project. All this done with wit, charm and detail but through the eyes of someone just as awed as you or I when faced with the enormity of the mothership and the very real sense of wonder mere fans get when first clapping eyes on Devils Tower or working alongside Truffaut or Spielberg. From how Melinda Dillon lost a tug of war with the aliens to how Richard Dreyfuss had death threats, mudfights with Vilmos Zsigmond and other classic anecdotes, it's all here in this little book. It does not deter or ruin the movie one jot by talking in detail about how scenes were done or the sheer boredom of months of 'staring at nothing', it does, in fact, only add to the wonder and majesty of what is now accepted as one of the greatest films of all time and perhaps Spielberg's best. I parted with one note for this book. It's worth five notes..( sorry, couldn't resist)
Superb.