Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1 Viewer)

[Steven_M Grimes]

It's been years since I tried this, but my recollection is that the instructions included with the LD box gave incorrect chapter listings, but it was possible to get the chapters in pretty much the right order for the "extended version" if you knew what goes where.

It's also been years since I've tried it, but my recollection is that the placement of one of the chapter stops prevents you from omitting the original Neary Introduction. I'll be checking out the LD when I get home tonight to see if I'm remembering it wrong.

 

[Damin J Toell]

Another trim that is NOT in either the 1998 edit or the DVD version is the closeup on the McDonald's sign during Roy Neary's first encounter.

FWIW, I'm fairly certain that this trim is contained as an unmarked chapter on the appropriate side of the Criterion CAV set.

DJ

 

[Michael Reuben]

That sounds about right. As I said in my original post:

you got something like the 1980 version (but not exactly, because the 1980 version trimmed some of the scenes of Neary at home from the 1977 version).

M.

 

[Jo_C]

The close-up of the McDonalds' sign is chapter-marked and can be found in the SE section of side One of the Criterion LD.

 

[Steven_M Grimes]

My bad. I only meant to mention that the Mcdonalds sign bit was not in the 1998 (and DVD) version, which I find puzzling since they apparently went to the trouble and expense of filming a new effects shot for the special edition, obstensibly to "fix" the sequence.

 

[Lyle_JP]

Really? I always thought it was part of the compromises Spielberg had to make to get the 1980 version made (i.e., Columbia asked for more obvious product placement).

-Lyle J.P.

 

[Brian W.]

The closeup of the McDonald's sign was ONLY in the 1980 Special Edition. I'm not sure if it was product placement or if the closeup was to make the joke more clear... the joke being that the sign says "McDonald's next right" or some such thing, and the UFO makes a right on the road.

It is not possible to program the Criterion disc exactly like the Special Edition, because both the Special Edition and the 1998 edit cut back and forth between Lacombe and Neary much more frequently. The original theatrical cut (and the Criterion disc) had a Neary sequence, then a Lacombe sequence, then a Neary sequence, etc. It wasn't Neary scene/Lacombe scene/Neary scene/Lacombe scene as it was after 1980. The order of the early scenes was different in the original cut.

I prefer the structure of the original. You had three scenes leading up to Barry's abduction, and they all began and ended with the five-note tone -- Lacombe addressing the assembly, which ended with his demonstration of the hand signal, cutting directly to the observatory sequence, which begins with the satellite picking up the five-note "beeps" and ends with Lacombe picking out the five-note tone on a keyboard, which cuts to Barry playing the tone on his toy xylophone. It was great, it just gave you chills.

But for some reason Spielberg decided he prefers Lacombe at the assembly to be followed by Neary loading his camera on the hilltop. This scene originally came after Roy gets fired, which of course ended with the pillow bit. (And even in the current version Roy makes a reference to the pillow scene when he's helping Barry build the mud tower -- "I've seen this before -- in shaving cream, pillowcases.")

 

[WillG]

The McDonalds Shot,


I figured the purpose of this related to one of the early conceptions that the ailen spaceships were going to show themselves to earthlings with familiar product logos, lile McDonalds. I know that this was mentioned in the Documentary

 

[Mark Bendiksen]

Wow. This is pretty fascinating reading. In my youth I saw this film numerous times during both theatrical runs as well as many times on video, network television, cable, etc. I thought I knew the details about all of the different versions; apparently I was wrong. You guys have me beat!

One question:

8. The "final director's cut" screened at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science's Samuel Goldwyn Theater on January 12, 1999 (this was edited according to an original Spielberg story outline---and markedly different than the 1998 edit).

I've never heard of this one. What's the story behind it? Did Spielberg do the editing or did someone else do it? More importantly...why? It seems a little strange to me.

 

[David Von Pein]

Fantastic documentary on the 2-Disc CE DVD! I'd highly recommend this excellent 90-minute+ documentary to anyone who's never seen it.

I, for one, enjoyed each and every one of the many deleted scenes on the DVD (even though they were quite bleached of color and showed their age). I can see why Spielberg didn't want to include many of these, but, still, great stuff.

(Truffaut reading from the paperback romance novel will make you smile, although having nothing to do with the project at hand. )

"Heaving with passion, her young breasts rose with arrogance...."

 

[Sergio Z.]

has anyone bought the single-disc DVD that is now out?
I have the 2-disc but was wondering about getting the single one as it mentions something like "new high-definition transfer" on the back. does anyone have both? does the single one look better than the double, picture-wise?

 

[WillG]

I really think it is just first disc of the 2 disc set. Identical. This happens on alot of 2 disc titles

 

[Sergio Z.]

ok, thx will

 

[Dave H]

I wonder if there will ever be a Superbit version, especially since Columbia is releasing older titles now.

 

[Damin J Toell]

I wonder if there will ever be a Superbit version, especially since Columbia is releasing older titles now.

Presumably the current releases are already SuperBit discs, as the movie disc (either disc 1 of the 2-disc set or the single disc release) has only the movie with DD and DTS 5.1 tracks and no extras. Perhaps compression methods have improved in the last 3 years, though. The removal of the 2.0 dub tracks may also provide some marginal improvement to the peak bitrate, too, but I doubt it would be significant.

DJ

 

[Bryan Tuck]

I've never heard of this one. What's the story behind it? Did Spielberg do the editing or did someone else do it? More importantly...why? It seems a little strange to me.

I've been wondering about this, too. I remember hearing about the limited release in '99, but I thought it was the '98 LD edit.

I have the '98 VHS and the 2-disc DVD. From what I can tell, they are the same version. What are the differences between this and the '99 theatrical release?

 

[DaViD Boulet]

I don't know about anyone else but I actually like the ending with Roy inside the mothership. I like the effects, the music and Roy's reaction to seeing it all. It demystified the UFO's to a certain extent, but IMO it seemed like a bigger pay-off to the entire movie than just seeing Roy board the ship and take off.

Agreed. Personally, I enjoy the movie more with that ending...seems more of a "payoff" after the long journey to that finish line.

 

[Britton]

Many clueless audience members also thought that the shower of lights that hits him inside turns him into the alien that comes out at the end! I overheard them on the way out of my theatre every night when I played the special edition in 1980

That's great!!!

 

[Dave H]

Presumably the current releases are already SuperBit discs, as the movie disc (either disc 1 of the 2-disc set or the single disc release) has only the movie with DD and DTS 5.1 tracks and no extras. Perhaps compression methods have improved in the last 3 years, though. The removal of the 2.0 dub tracks may also provide some marginal improvement to the peak bitrate, too, but I doubt it would be significant.

In addition, Superbits are known to have had less filtering which results in greater horizontal detail. Bjoern (sp.?) has talked about this before I believe.

 

[WillG]

", I enjoy the movie more with that ending...seems more of a "payoff" after the long journey to that finish line."

Is that scene in the 2-Disc DVD edition in it's entirety? It seems like it fades off prematurely during the "Shower of Lights" I wish on this DVD and many others that the deleted scenes were bookended by a few seconds of the Theatrical cut so you could see exactly where the deleted scene would have been