For countless people, viewing E.T. was a staple of childhood, the kind of movie you watched wide-eyed and quoted to friends for weeks afterwards. But if you haven’t given the film another look since you were a kid, it’s time to dim the lights, grab a box of Reese’s Pieces, and get streaming because there’s still so much to love about E.T. all these years later — including all the behind-the-scenes trivia you might not have known. Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford are pictured at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival. Jean-Louis URLI // Getty Images The new season of Stranger Things is out on Netflix, but this month don’t forget to also celebrate one of the movies that gave the show its biggest inspiration: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which turns 40 on June 11. The iconic sci-fi film, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Henry Thomas (alongside a 7-year-old Drew Barrymore), was an enormous box-office and critical success when it hit theaters in 1982, and four decades later, it’s still widely considered one of the most beloved films of all time.

Starring: Dee Wallace , Henry Thomas , Peter Coyote , Robert MacNaughton , Drew Barrymore , K.C. Martel Elliott and E.T.—this gentle, thoughtful being with wrinkly skin and alert, wide-set eyes—will forge an emotional bond so strong that each experiences the feelings of the other. This is perhaps Spielberg’s sly way of introducing children not just to the concept of empathy, but to the idea of the sympathetic imagination, the foundation of all great literature—the act of reaching across a void of difference to understand other people’s lives. Universal’s 40th Anniversary edition includes the new 4K disc as well as a newly-authored Blu-ray with the film in 1080p HD (just the theatrical cut, with the exact same audio and subtitle options as the 4K disc). Each uses the same menu format, and includes the same special features as follows: Steven Spielberg, he cast me as Gertie when I was just five years old, and that changed my life,” Barrymore explained to the audience. “He gave me a purpose and a clear understanding of love and respect. He gave me a family that changed my perception on family forever. The cast, Robert and Henry and Dee, I truly became a family with them.” For information or assistance, call Cineworld on 0330 333 4444 Mon-Sun 09:00 - 22:00. Calls to this number are charged at standard national rate and are included within your mobile network minutes.

For what some may deem a children’s film, there are decidedly adult themes all throughout E.T.. Or rather, there are adult themes dealt with nearly entirely from a child’s perspective. Indeed, it wasn’t until fairly recently that I realized that there are virtually no scenes (until the climax and with the exception of Elliott’s mother) which show adult characters entirely within the frame. For the majority of the film, they’re either presented in silhouette or shot from the waist down – exactly as they’d be perceived by children. This cinematic decision forces us to watch the events unfold from ET and Elliott’s point of view rather than as uninvolved, omniscient observers. It makes things personal in a way that few directors could have ever pulled off correctly. Couple these things with possibly the most stirring and emotional score to ever come from a genius like John Williams (ending with a 15-minute magnum opus that’s still, in my humble opinion, the high-water mark of his illustrious composing career), and you don’t just have a film for all ages. It’s a film for the ages. Video: How does it look? Well, they’re definitely discrete discs—each uniquely authored and encoded. The 35th Anniversary Edition contained no extras whatsoever on the actual 4K disc, while this 40th Anniversary Edition includes all of the extras on the 4K disc (and even adds two new bonus features exclusive to this release). But while the former was BD-66 disc, the new one is a BD-100, so there’s plenty of room for those extras without impacting the film’s A/V quality. And while the earlier disc included a variety of language options, the new one features only English, French, and Spanish.

The only reason to upgrade on the 35th anniversary edition was the 4K image. All of the supplements were the same. With this 40th anniversary edition, we do get a couple of new features. The question you have to ask yourself is – is it worth buying the same disc that’s been out for 5 years just to get a retrospective featurette and an “evening with Steven Spielberg?” One day it was Tommy Howell, and then the next day it would be Henry, and then me one day, Casey, Sean,” Macnaughton joked, Thomas adding: “The funny thing was though, we all kind of took it seriously, you know we were like, ‘Oh Drew’s eating lunch with Tommy today. Guess I’m out.’” The short-lived romance worked out for Macnaughton in the end. As he remembers it, Barrymore set him up on a blind date with his now-wife Bianca Hunter in the eighties. After going to see E.T. together, the pair lost touch and later reconnected in 2010. TCM Classic Film Festival: An Evening with Steven Spielberg– The acclaimed director reflects on his career and the making of E.T. 40 years later. The 20th Anniversary Premiere– John Williams and his orchestra perform the film’s score for a live audience for the film’s 20th anniversary (making this over 15 years old). Plot: What’s it about? Video: How does it look? Audio: How does it sound? Supplements: What are the extras? The Bottom Line Plot: What’s it about?

The E.T. Reunion– The main players in the film are reunited for a (then) get together. As of this writing, that was six years ago. Time for another? Deleted Scenes– Four minutes’ worth. I think the film has done pretty well on its own merit, so these were wisely disposed of.