National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Universal Pictures released E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in June 1982, directed by Steven Spielberg. The film became the highest-grossing release of its time and remains a defining work of the New Hollywood era, blending science fiction with intimate family drama. John Williams composed the score, and the production drew on practical effects and genuine performances to create something that resonated across generations. Its cultural footprint has never fully receded.

These three consecutive frames capture the title sequence, E.T. and Elliott Flying, the moment the film is most remembered for — Elliott pedaling across the face of a full moon, E.T. riding in the basket, both rendered as pure silhouette against the night sky. Holding three frames from this single continuous shot gives the collector an unusual window into how that image was built, one frame at a time, on 35mm film.