Christopher Vogler The Writers Journey
of backstory, cue the audience to what k i n d of movie or story this is going to be,
or start the story with a bang and let the audience settle into their seats. In Close
Encounters of the Third Kind, a prologue shows the discovery of a mysterious squadron
o f W o r l d W a r II a i r p l a n e s , perfectly preserved in the desert. T h i s precedes the
introduction of the hero, Roy Neary, and his world. It serves to intrigue the audience
with a host of riddles, and gives a foretaste of the thrills and wonder ahead.
In The Last Boy Scout z prologue shows a pro football player going berserk and
shooting his teammates under the pressure of drugs and gambling. T h e sequence pre
cedes the first appearance of the hero and intrigues or "hooks" the audience. It signals
that this is going to be an exciting action story involving life-and-death matters.
T h i s prologue and the one in Close Encounters are a little disorienting. T h e y
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