Steven Spielberg has settled an unusual debate about whether E.T., the titular extraterrestrial of his beloved 1982 family classic, was slimy or dry.
Starring a young Henry Thomas and a young Drew Barrymore, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial centered on the close bond between a young boy and a gentle alien who becomes stranded on Earth.
The character of E.T., a wide-eyed, short and wrinkly being with an illuminated finger, was brought to life by a combination of real-life actors, animatronics and puppetry. Under certain lighting, his skin appeared at least slightly dewy.
But according to The New York Times’s Rachel Abrams, the host of The Daily podcast, whether E.T. was slimy or dry has long divided her friend group.
Laughing at the “wild” question while appearing as a guest on the podcast, Spielberg answered: “E.T. was a little moist but never slimy,” clarifying that “E.T. was only dry when E.T. got sick.”
“I’ve never been asked that question before. Ever,” the Oscar-winning director said.
He added that when he hears the term “slimy,” he pictures the monster in Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi horror Alien, designed by Swiss artist H.R. Giger.
Describing the scene in which the alien bares his teeth and saliva spurts out, Spielberg declared: “That’s slimy! E.T. never had the tendrils of drool. We didn’t go that far.”
E.T. was the second alien-centered film from Spielberg, following his 1977’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The acclaimed filmmaker has since released two more, including War of the Worlds (2005) and his newest film, Disclosure Day.
The latter, which debuted in theaters last week, stars Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor as a meteorologist and cybersecurity expert who seek to expose a major government cover-up of extraterrestrial secrets. Eve Hewson, Colin Firth and Colman Domingo also feature.
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So far, it has impressed critics and early viewers, with some arguing that it is Spielberg’s best film in 20 years.
The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey awarded it four stars, praising it as “funny and sentimental with action that will leave you breathless.”
Singling out Blunt’s “phenomenal” performance, she wrote that the film is an “exquisitely entertaining ride, which tangles with politics, big business and religious faith.”
“The aliens themselves are nothing new to look at (and there’s certainly a reference or two to Spielberg’s own past work to be spotted). But that’s entirely the point,” Loughrey added. “Disclosure Day sees the director return to his past with fresh eyes.”