E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

Who would have ever thought that a creature with an extending 1)turtle-like neck, a finger as bright as a nightlight, or a 2)penchant for Coors beer would translate into hundreds of millions of dollars in 3)revenue for Universal Pictures?

Steven Spielberg: I didn’t think E.T. was commercial.

But for the relationship between these two, filmmaker Steven Spielberg and former MCA Universal President Sydney Sheinberg, E.T. might never have made it to the big screen, bringing with it a subsequent 1 4)windfall of profits Universal is still 5)cashing in on today.

Steven Spielberg: I don’t think anybody would have made it except Sid.

The story of how E.T. got the 6)green light is part of Hollywood lore 2. E.T.  originally found its first home at Columbia Pictures, under the name, A Boy’s Life. But the studio 7)dumped the project, fearing it would only 8)appeal to young boys. Spielberg took the rejected 9)script to Sheinberg.

Sydney Sheinberg: I read the movie and thought we ought to make it. It was that simple.

Journalist: At any point you didn’t think, “What do the Columbia executives 4 know that I don’t?”

Sydney Sheinberg: No, because there was one period of time when I 10)quipped that we got our best products from Columbia. Because there was over a period of years that we acquired not only this but, Back To The Future, which Columbia had which Steven also gave me, and a project called Smoky and the Bandit 5. So actually, the fact that Columbia didn’t want to do it was an 11)endorsement that I probably should look at it seriously.

Spielberg’s relationship with Sheinberg began more than 30 years ago when a young Spielberg got caught 12)sneaking 6 into the Universal lot to watch movie making. Sheinberg found out and 13)summoned the eager unknown to his office.

Steven Spielberg: I thought that, you know, this was either going to be the greatest day of my life, or I was going to get punished for sneaking into the lot for a year and a half. And it was the greatest day of my life.

It was, as they say, a start of a beautiful friendship, which produced some of the biggest 14)blockbusters of all time.

Journalist: When you’re making a movie, is there any part of you that thinks about the business end, or are you just pressing that creative valve 7 and getting your 15)adrenaline from there?

Steven Spielberg: That is a whisper in my brain, but it is never a red light. It never stops me from saying yes to something if I really want to make a film, to tell that story.

With his supporter in the executive 3 suite 8, Spielberg got to make the story of E.T., one that still 20 years later is reaching out and touching 9 audiences.CE

06、E.T.外星人的传奇

谁会想到，这只脖子有如乌龟、手指能发光、爱喝啤酒的生物，会为环球电影公司带来数亿美元的票房收益？

史蒂芬·斯皮尔伯格∶我认为《E.T.外星人》不是商业电影。

若不是电影制作人斯皮尔伯格和环球电影公司的前总裁辛德尼·薛因伯格的合作，《E.T.外星人》或许永远不会被搬上银幕。该片直到现在都让环球公司鸿利不断。

史蒂芬·斯皮尔伯格∶我想没有薛因伯格，就没有这部电影的成功。

《E.T.外星人》获得拍摄的过程是好莱坞的一个神话。该片原名为《一个男孩的生活》，剧本最初是送到哥伦比亚电影公司，但这家公司担心它只适合小男孩观看而拒绝了。于是斯皮尔伯格把被拒绝的剧本交给薛因伯格。

辛德尼·薛因伯格∶我看完剧本后觉得应该开拍，原因就这么简单。

记者：你当时一点也没想过：“哥伦比亚公司的高层人员可能知道什么我不知道的内情？”

辛德尼·薛因伯格：没有。有一段时间我曾打趣地说，我们最好的影片都来自哥伦比亚公司。因为有好些年来，我们得到的除了《E.T.外星人》外，还有斯皮尔伯格给我而哥伦比亚公司也看过的《回到未来》，以及另一部《追追追》。所以正是因为哥伦比亚公司放弃了剧本，我反而会更认真地考虑它。

斯皮尔伯格和薛因伯格相识于30多年前。当时年轻的斯皮尔伯格偷偷地遛进环球片厂偷看拍片，被薛因伯格发现了，薛因伯格把这个素不相识的热血青年带到办公室。

史蒂芬·斯皮尔伯格∶我当时想，今天要不成为我一生最重要的转折，要不我会因为一年半来偷进片厂而受罚。结果这成了我人生重要的转折点。

据说自此两人成为莫逆之交，合拍了多部轰动一时的电影。

记者：你拍电影时是否会考虑到这部电影的赢利性？还是只顾发挥创意、追求满足感？

史蒂芬·斯皮尔伯格∶我会考虑赢利性，但那不会成为阻力。我不会因为电影不卖座而放弃一部我很想拍的电影和剧本。

在薛因伯格的支持下，斯皮尔伯格拍成了《E.T.外星人》，20年以来这部电影仍让影迷们喜爱与感动着。CE