Netflix’s smash hit “Stranger Things” was heavily influenced by popular ‘80s entertainment. That’s no secret at this point. Much ado has been made about its Stephen King, John Carpenter and Steven Spielberg connections, but few really put it into perspective quite like Vimeo’s Candice Drouet. Exploring the direct influences to “E.T.” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” the video editor demonstrates just how much the director influenced The Duffer Brothers in their surprise streaming series success.
Placed side-by-side to one another, it’s apparent the filmmaking brothers were not only inspired by Spielberg’s storytelling, but through his use of atmosphere, lighting, tone, costuming and more. In fact, through this video, it’s almost shocking the level of homage to Spielberg’s earlier movies. But I can’t really judge. Truth be told, I’m still behind on the “Stranger Things” bandwagon, but I’m hoping to get caught up on it sooner than later. In the meantime, let us know what you think in the comments section. [Film School Rejects]