A Few Words About A few words about...™ E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Tony Bensley]

How do you know said sound effects weren't there in the 6-track?

Hi Joel!

Besides Tom Brennan's HTF posts, it's been widely reported on the Blu-ray.com thread that the 5.1 and 7.1 audio tracks still contain sounds from the 2002 Special Edition that weren't on previous E.T. releases, and that the 2.0 audio from the 2012 Blu-ray is from the original 1982 Theatrical release.

CHEERS!

Tony

 

[Tony Bensley]

From what I've read in this and the Blu-ray.com E.T. Topics (Plus, checking for myself which disc/s actually contain the 2.0 audio track!), to get the nearest to the original 1982 Theatrical experience, it's the 2012 Blu-ray with the 2.0 mix option selected. Neither the 2002 (Both the Revised and Original Theatrical Cuts!) or 2012 DVDs include this audio option. I know, because I actually just checked all 3 DVDs and the Blu-ray Disc for myself, and have edited this post accordingly!

CHEERS!

 

[Tony Bensley]

In order to hopefully clear up any potential confusion regarding available audio tracks from the various DVD and Blu-ray issues of E.T. THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL, I'm posting the actual menus from each of the 2002 and 2012 releases:

From The 2002 20th Anniversary DVD. Audio Options For The Special Edition And Original Theatrical Release Are Identical, As Is This Menu Page:

From The 2012 30th Anniversary DVD. Note That Like The 2002 Version, There Is No English 2.0 Audio Option. Also, Unlike The 2002 Editions, There Is No 2.0 Audio Option For The Spanish And French Tracks:

From The 2012 30th Anniversary Blu-ray. This Is The Only Version That Contains The Unadulterated English 2.0 Audio Of An Original 1982 Theatrical Release Soundtrack:

I hope this helps clear things up regarding the available audio options!

CHEERS!

 

[Dr Griffin]

The original option should have been Dolby Stereo which would have allowed the option of the Dolby Matrix for surround. The DTS 2.0 is simply stereo.
This is just a nitpick of course. Even older receivers/pre-pros can matrix surround if sent via LPCM from the player. I'm just a stickler!

 

[Tony Bensley]

The original option should have been Dolby Stereo which would have allowed the option of the Dolby Matrix for surround. The DTS 2.0 is simply stereo.

Hi Stanley!

It appears to me the problem may stem from a certain lack of awareness that any of the 30th Anniversary Edition 2012 English audio tracks are actually not derived from the original 1982 Theatrical release version. Otherwise, one would think the 2.0 audio option would have an "Original 1982 Edit" designation, or something to that effect!

I agree that the original audio option should have been geared for surround sound to more closely match the original 6 track mag audio, but so it goes, unfortunately!

CHEERS!

Tony

 

[Lord Dalek]

Tony, I don't think quite understand what I was trying to get at. Like a lot of 80s summer blockbusters, E.T. was released with multiple mixes for mutiple film formats. It's possible some of these alternate effects were actually there in 1982 in the 6-track before being removed or being mixed down for the 2.0 35mm prints.

I'm not saying they were but to claim the 2.0 is the defacto original mix is simply not true. What it is is AN original mix not THE.

The original option should have been Dolby Stereo which would have allowed the option of the Dolby Matrix for surround. The DTS 2.0 is simply stereo.

DTS 2.0 still works with Pro-logic.

 

[Dr Griffin]

Yeah, i got an email from a friend that my above post lacked information for home decoding, so I added it. I remember this in Dolby Stereo in the theater. Would like to have seen it in 70mm blow up with 6 track.

 

[Tony Bensley]

Tony, I don't think quite understand what I was trying to get at. Like a lot of 80s summer blockbusters, E.T. was released with multiple mixes for mutiple film formats. It's possible some of these alternate effects were actually there in 1982 in the 6-track before being removed or being mixed down for the 2.0 35mm prints.

I'm not saying they were but to claim the 2.0 is the defacto original mix is simply not true. What it is is AN original mix not THE.

DTS 2.0 still works with Pro-logic.

Hi Joel!

The 2.0 audio is AN original mix of the 1982 Theatrical release audio, as opposed to THE only original E.T. audio mix. Fair enough!

Still, there seems to be enough posts detailing the more obvious anomalies of the other mixed English audio tracks to indicate that none of them are quite right, though the 5.1 audio from the 2002 Theatrical version does reportedly, come close.

The 7.1 audio on the Blu-ray seems to be the worst of the bunch, in terms of still containing sounds from the '02 special edition, which strikes me as ironic, given it also houses the more accurate 2.0 audio!

CHEERS!

Tony

 

[Lord Dalek]

Either way, as long as Dee Wallace Stone still says Robert McNaughton shouldn't go as a terrorist for Halloween (which she still does, thank god), I'm not going to lose hair over some different sound effects.

 

[Tony Bensley]

Either way, as long as Dee Wallace Stone still says Robert McNaughton shouldn't go as a terrorist for Halloween (which she still does, thank god), I'm not going to lose hair over some different sound effects.

Well, I've already lost most of mine, so I don't have much to worry about!

On a more serious note, at least we're not looking at (Or hearing!) STAR WARS Original Trilogy level alterations/modifications here!

Just imagine instead of "Phone Home!", E.T. yelling NOOOOOOO!!!

CHEERS!

 

[Lord Dalek]

Well, I've already lost most of mine, so I don't have much to worry about!

On a more serious note, at least we're not looking at (Or hearing!) STAR WARS Original Trilogy level alterations/modifications here!

Just imagine instead of "Phone Home!", E.T. yelling NOOOOOOO!!!

CHEERS!

It's bad enough when somebody complained about 8 years ago that the 2002 1982 dvd wasn't accurate because the mix had an added cough from the 1985 reissue.

This was basically the point where I lost interest in both sides of the argument.

 

[Tony Bensley]

It's bad enough when somebody complained about 8 years ago that the 2002 1982 dvd wasn't accurate because the mix had an added cough from the 1985 reissue.

This was basically the point where I lost interest in both sides of the argument.

I think I get your meaning!

That's more dissection than what took place in Elliot's Science Class!

Cough!

 

[Konstantinos]

Either way, as long as Dee Wallace Stone still says Robert McNaughton shouldn't go as a terrorist for Halloween (which she still does, thank god), I'm not going to lose hair over some different sound effects.

As it is been said already, it's not only some different sound effects.
The hospital scene has an alternate dialogue in the remix.
Scientific medical talk that isn't there at all in the original mix.

 

[Tony Bensley]

As it is been said already, it's not only some different sound effects.
The hospital scene has an alternate dialogue in the remix.
Scientific medical talk that isn't there at all in the original mix.

I believe that alternate and added dialogue would generally tend to be more jarring than alternate and added sound effects.

At least the 2012 Blu-ray includes an original 1982 Theatrical audio mix! I believe this will be my go to version, from now on!

CHEERS!

 

[Tony Bensley]

On a lighter note, I clicked to play one of the E.T. Blu-ray Extras, which prompted the BD Live feature to play some "New" Previews. The first of these was for a prerelease preview of last summer's JURASSIC WORLD!

At least the last preview was for the actually still upcoming 2016 Season 2 of 12 MONKEYS on Netflix!

CHEERS!