Forty years after it was first released, Steven Spielberg’s iconic Close Encounters of the Third Kind has become a cult classic, celebrated and venerated by sci-fi fans worldwide. It tells the story of three alien encounters: a sighting, a meeting and a signal, and of an ordinary guy – Roy Neary – whose alien experience seeds an obsession. With classic 1970’s special effects, a soundtrack to match and the mashed potato mountain of all mashed potato mountains, it’s a film that boosted global electronic keyboard sales and inspired a generation of UFO spotters.

Now re-released to celebrate its 40th anniversary, join us at the Ultimate Picture Palace to watch Close Encounters and take part in a discussion led by Raymond Pierrehumbert with Janet Pierrehumbert about the potential for life and communication from space. You’ll be humming that five-note sequence for days afterwards!