ByMark Mancini|Jul 10, 2017, 6:00 AM EDT
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“Are we alone in the universe?” Countless movies have asked that question, but few have given it more thought than this 1997 adaptation of Carl Sagan’s bestselling novel. Here are 10 things you might not have known about Contact.
1. ITS OPENING SHOT SET AN INDUSTRY RECORD.
Contact begins with a close-up of our home planet. At first, a babel of ’90s radio broadcasts nearly deafens the audience. But as the camera pulls back and Earth grows smaller, iconic audio clips that were recorded 20, 30, and even 100 years ago greet our ears—only to fade seconds later. By the time our galaxy recedes into an endless cosmic backdrop, there’s nothing left but silence.
This is one of the most ambitious sequences in cinema history. The completely digital intro lasted for 4170 uninterrupted frames, making it the longest computer-generated shot that had ever appeared in a live-action film at the time. Great pains were taken to capture the look of deep space. On the special edition DVD commentary, visual effects supervisor Stephen Rosenbaum recalls getting started by gathering “absolutely incredible” Hubble snapshots of “distant galaxies and stars and other interstellar phenomenon … We laid out what we liked and said, ‘Okay, how can we pass through some of this? How can we combine it together into something [that’s] visually stunning?’”
Brilliant as it is, however, the moment ignores physical law. Just ask Neil deGrasse Tyson. If one could really overtake the radio signals, he argued, “you would hear them in reverse.” Still, the good doctor acknowledges that—for artistry’s sake—everything needed to sound intelligible. “[They] couldn’t have gotten it right and still had the scene work,” deGrasse Tyson conceded, “so they had to do it the way they did.”
2. THE NOVEL MADE CARL SAGAN $2 MILLION RICHER BEFORE HE’D WRITTEN A WORD OF IT.
Sagan and his wife, Ann Druyan, originally envisioned Contact as a feature film. In 1980, they co-wrote the project’s first treatment. Frustrated with Hollywood’s glacial development process, the couple eventually chose to turn their story into a novel. Sagan hadn’t even begun working on the book when Simon & Schuster gave him a whopping $2 million advance for it. An instant hit, Contact sold almost 1.75 million copies within two years of its 1985 release. Sadly, we’ll never know what Sagan thought of Warner Bros.’ subsequent movie adaptation as he passed away several months before its release.
3. IN THE BOOK, AMERICA HAS A FEMALE PRESIDENT.
Much to the White House’s annoyance, director Robert Zemeckis used footage of then-President Bill Clinton during key political scenes. He could’ve avoided the resultant controversy by following his source material a little more closely. In both the novel and an early screenplay, the Oval Office is occupied by Helen Lasker: a fictitious two-term commander-in-chief.
4. ASTRONOMER CAROLYN PORCO WAS ASKED TO HELP DEVELOP THE MAIN CHARACTER.
Ellie Arroway, the film’s star-gazing heroine, battles occupational sexism throughout the movie. Sagan knew that filming his tenacious, whip-smart protagonist wouldn’t be easy, so he recruited some help. “Carl called me up and said [that] out of all the female scientists he knew, I came closest to being like the character he wanted portrayed on the screen,” recalled planetary scientist Carolyn Porco, who collaborated with him on several occasions.
Decades later, the scientist still warmly remembers meeting with Sagan, Druyan, executive producer Linda Obst, and filmmaker George Miller—from whom Zemeckis would later take the director’s chair. “We spent a day sitting around a table in Santa Monica putting together the character of Ellie,” said Porco. “They would ask me, ‘What kind of experiences have you had?’ ‘Why do you feel you’ve done well in a field dominated with men?’ I said ‘Well, I grew up with four brothers for god’s sakes. I’ve been fighting and spitting and kicking ever since I was a kid.’”
In her own words, Poroco was “brought on to lend authenticity to Ellie’s experiences in the movie.” Naturally, when Jodie Foster became Contact’s leading lady, Warner Bros. wanted the pair to meet. Though this never happened, Foster did touch base with Jill Tarter, an astronomer who—like Arroway—has spent her career scouring the universe for traces of intelligent life.
5. GEORGE MILLER WAS SET TO DIRECT THE FILM.
The man who brought you Babe and Mad Max spent a year working with Sagan on Contact. He ultimately left the production when Warner Bros. decided to take the film in a “safer” new direction. “It was clear that [they] weren’t prepared to do the movie that I was interested in making,” Miller said.
What did he have in mind? In 2015, Miller told Collider that while he’s never actually seen Zemeckis’s version of the movie, he has read the script and feels like it needed “much, much less force-feeding exposition.” The filmmaker likened his own interpretation to Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar.
6. SAGAN’S WIDOW MAKES A BRIEF APPEARANCE.
Skip ahead to 0:22 in this clip and look at the upper left-hand corner. You’ll see Druyan duking it out with a conservative politician (played by Rob Lowe) on CNN’s Crossfire.
7. THE MOVIE PUT CNN IN AN AWKWARD POSITION.
The cable news giant allowed 13 of its best-known reporters and anchors to play themselves in Contact. For then-CEO Tom Johnson, that was 13 cameos too many. “I don’t think having correspondents in the movies is a good idea,” he said in retrospect, arguing that the movie gave “the impression that we’re manipulated by Time Warner, and it blurs the line.” Today, CNN staffers need to clear potential off-network appearances with an ethics group.
8. MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY REFUSED TO DELIVER A CERTAIN LINE.
Late in the final script, McConaughey’s character—a self-described “man of the cloth without the cloth” named Palmer Joss—says “My God was too small.” Though Druyan really liked this line, McConaughey called it sacrilegious and wouldn’t say it. Later on, the two talked at length about faith and became good friends (despite differences of opinion).
9. NASA FLATLY DENIES ONE OF THE FILM’S INSINUATIONS.
In the movie’s third act, a stunned Arroway receives a cyanide pill before entering the pod. According to Zemeckis, Sagan swore that this just-in-case practice was observed “on every single [NASA] mission.” However, Apollo 13 veteran James Lovell has dismissed the idea, writing “many people have asked me ‘Did you have suicide pills on board?’ We didn’t, and I never heard of such a thing in the 11 years I spent as an astronaut and a NASA executive.”
10. ELLIE CONDUCTS RESEARCH AT A FACILITY THAT’S ACTUALLY BEEN USED TO INITIATE CONTACT WITH ALIENS.
Ellie and Palmer first meet near Puerto Rico’s world-famous Arecibo Observatory. In 1974, the site’s radio telescope aimed a Search for Extraterrestrial Life (SETI) message at a star cluster that resides some 21,000 light-years away. Using binary code, this powerful broadcast described DNA, the human body, and our solar system. Don’t expect a reply anytime soon, though—it won’t reach those heavenly bodies for another 25 millennia.
50 Simple DIY Halloween Costumes For Last-Minute Planners
Looking for a simple, classic Halloween costume you can create at home with relatively little effort? Look no further.
ByEden Gordon|Oct 25, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT
Halloween is approaching fast. Do you have your costume yet?
There’s always the option of going out and buying a whole new costume, and unless you really know your way around a sewing kit, some looks are more likely than others to require that step. But there are countless amazing Halloween costumes that are pretty easy to create all by yourself, mostly using things you already have at home.
Halloween costumes may have their roots in the ancient Celtic holiday of Samhain, a time when the veil between the land of the dead and the living was traditionally believed to grow thin. In order to blend in with wandering spirits, people would often wear animal skins, masks, bones, and other disguises.
Today, Halloween costumes have become immensely creative and varied, though some patterns do exist. Monstrous creatures such as vampires and aliens remain common across the U.S., as do characters from pop culture. Costumes can be as elaborate or as simple as you wish, and if you’re looking to pull together a costume mostly using just what you already have in your house, there are plenty of options. A little creativity and ingenuity go a very long way here.
Here are 50 Halloween DIY costume ideas perfect for anyone with scissors and a dream.
- Classic DIY Halloween Costumes
- Food DIY Halloween Costumes
- Punny and Funny Halloween Costumes
- Pop Culture DIY Halloween Costumes
- Spooky DIY Halloween Costumes
Classic DIY Halloween Costumes
Ghost
Have a spare sheet lying around? Cut out eye holes, pull it over your head, and you’re all set to haunt.
Tourist
Grab a Hawaiian shirt, sunglasses, a camera, and a paper map, and you’ll look just like a dad seeing Bermuda for the first time.
Black Cat
A black shirt, eyeliner whiskers, ears made with Velcro, and a tail made from fabric come together to create this classic Halloween getup.
Nerd
A button-down shirt, suspenders, and taped-together glasses will have you looking ready to ace the upcoming math test.
Burglar
Prepare to steal the prize for best Halloween costume with a black-and-white striped shirt, a beanie, and a ski mask. (A black hoodie and a bag slung over your shoulder will also suffice.)
Cowboy or Cowgirl
A plaid shirt, overalls, and a cowboy hat are pretty much all this costume needs. (Turn it into a scarecrow costume with some hay and straw-style makeup!)
Detective
All you need is a trench coat, a magnifying glass, and a notebook to look like you’re ready to solve any case that comes your way.
Superhero
There are plenty of pop culture superheroes to choose from, but you can create your own with leggings, a leotard, a piece of fabric for the cape, and your own unique logo.
‘80s Icon
Indulge your ‘80s nostalgia with a classic ‘80s Halloween costume, complete with a leotard over leggings, leg warmers, and a matching headband.
Pirate
An eyepatch is most of what you need to make this costume recognizable, but a bandana, a striped shirt, a DIY sword, and a stuffed parrot perched on your shoulder will complete this look.
Food DIY Halloween Costumes
Bunch of Grapes
Tape a bunch of purple or green balloons to an outfit and you’ll look just like this ancestor of wine.
Fried Egg
This costume can consist of a large egg-shaped blob cut from a piece of white cardboard or fabric, plus a yellow blob on top for the yolk, all attached to your shirt (or jacket, depending on the Halloween weather).
Milk Carton
A cardboard box painted white with the word “Milk” on it and a hole cut through it come together to turn you into a convincing milk carton. Feel free to add as many (or as few) details to the box as you’d like.
Pineapple
A yellow shirt plus a green crown made from paper or felt are all that’s required for this costume.
Popcorn
A cardboard box with red and white stripes painted on, with crumpled-up yellow paper on top make you look like the perfect movie theater snack.
Cosmic Brownie
You can look like this classic Little Debbie sweet treat with just a brown shirt with some colorful cotton balls taped or pinned onto it.
Strawberry
Look like this beloved berry by simply cutting out some seed-shaped bits from felt and attaching them to a red dress, and adding a green hat.
Tropical Drink
This one might require a trip to the corner store, but bear with us: dress up like a poolside cocktail with a pink dress, a parasol, a lemon-shaped headpiece, and a straw-shaped appendage attached to a headband!
Gumball Machine
Just grab some superglue and attach a bunch of colorful ping pong balls to a white shirt.
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Glue some white yarn onto a red T-shirt, and pair it with meatballs made from balls wrapped in fabric, and you’ll be looking like this classic dinner dish in no time.
Punny and Funny Halloween Costumes
Cereal Killer
Attach some miniature cereal boxes to a shirt, and add a prop feknife and some fake blood. (To make it even simpler, carry around a bowl of cereal and a knife.)
Ceiling Fan
You’ll need a few pom-poms, plus a shirt with the message “Go Ceiling!” on it.
Identity Thief
Covered in a bunch of name tags with different names on them and voila.
A Formal Apology
A fancy dress and a banner reading “I’m sorry” complete this punny costume.
Copycat
Just add a stack of photocopies or a sign reading “CTRL+C” to your black cat costume.
Blessing in Disguise
Put a trench coat, sunglasses, and a fedora over a white dress complete with angel wings and a halo.
French Kiss
Pair a French-inspired striped shirt and beret with makeup done in the style of the band Kiss. (Croissants, French flags, and electric guitars optional.) Even simpler: drop the Kiss makeup and simply paint your lips bright red.
Chef’s Kiss
Dress up as this popular Gen Z slang term for Halloween with a white chef’s jacket stamped with lipstick kisses.
Freudian Slip
Wear a slip dress and write or attach Sigmund Freud-related words like “id” and “ego” to it, and you’ll have Freud himself rolling in his grave.
When Life Gives You Lemons
A trip to a grocery store is pretty much all you need for this one, which requires wearing a nametag that reads “life” and carrying a basket of lemons.
Pop Culture DIY Halloween Costumes
Wednesday Addams
A black dress, black stockings, braided pigtails, and a deadpan expression will turn you into a dead ringer for this classic Addams family member.
Dwight Schrute
Turn Halloween night into an episode of The Office with just a mustard button-down shirt, brown tie, glasses, and a large mug.
Barbie
Don a pink outfit, cute accessories, and bright makeup and you’ll be ready to embody this famous doll.
Indiana Jones
Get ready for intrepid Halloween adventures with a fedora, brown jacket, satchel, khakis, and a homemade whip. (Rope will do.)
Men in Black Agent
A black suit, white button-down, and sunglasses will have you ready to track alien activity.
Mary Poppins
A white blouse, dark skirt, red bow tie, and an umbrella will have you ready to offer spoonfuls of sugar to every trick-or-treater.
Joel Goodsen in Risky Business
A large button-down white shirt, neutral undergarments, dark sunglasses, white socks, and a candlestick are all you need; the classic dance moves are optional.
Bob Ross
A denim jacket, a curly wig, and a paint palette come together to create the perfect impression of this lovable TV artist.
Dolly Parton
The late, beloved Dolly Parton will definitely be one of the biggest costumes of 2026. Join the party with a blonde wig, a pink hat, cowboy boots, a guitar, and anything sparkly.
Marty McFly
The classic Back to the Future protagonist is an easy one to replicate if you have a skateboard (or hoverboard) on hand; just pull out a puffer vest over a jean jacket and add jeans.
Spooky DIY Halloween Costumes
Vampire
Dark clothes, a homemade cape made from a sheet, pale makeup, and homemade fangs will have you looking like Dracula (or Edward Cullen, depending on your taste).
Mummy
Drape some strips of white fabric over neutral clothes.
Fortune Teller
Layered clothes, chunky jewelry, and homemade tarot cards complete this look.
Grim Reaper
Pair a black robe with a homemade scythe made from wood and cardboard.
Swamp Monster
Dark green and blue clothes, plus fake moss and leaves, and green makeup, will have you looking ready to crawl out of a swamp.
Haunted Doll
Vintage dress, pigtails, pale makeup with rosy cheeks and a red lip, and painted-on cracks will ensure that you terrify anyone with a fear of dolls.
Devil
This one’s an instantly recognizable classic and requires just an all-red outfit, plus homemade red horns.
Zombie
Get ready to look very undead with old, torn-up clothes, pale makeup, extremely dark circles under your eyes, and some bloodstains made from corn syrup and red food dye.
Mad Scientist
A lab coat, lab glasses, some wildly teased hair, and a few jars filled with colorful water come together for this zany look.
Witch
It doesn’t get more classically Halloween than this costume, which comes together with just a black dress, a broom, and of course, a pointy hat.
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