ET 20th anniversary edition (1 Viewer)

[Philip Hamm]

The outrage about this is misplaced.
Folks when was the last time you saw "E.T."?
I have the LD and I've seen it recently. We're talking about 20 seconds of film here max. The federal agents are plenty menacing before the quick flash of guns, and afterwards as well. The guns are totally out of place and disrupt the flow of the movie. In the 10 minutes of film before the scene that's causing people to burst blood vessels, the feds are plenty menacing, but not threatening, they're humane. Then all of the sudden the pull guns out to go after kids on bikes? Ridiulous! It disrupts the flow of the movie.
Save your outrage for something worth the trouble. Like making sure we get a clean copy of the original Star Wars without 40+ munites of digitally restored/recreated stuff, not these 20 seconds.
Comments always come up about in these threads about taking the guns out of "Saving Private Ryan" next. Give me a break.

If you can't tell the difference between the two I don't know what to say.
Sometimes I wish DIVX would not have died so the "Home Theater Crusaders" would have something worthy to rally against.
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Philip Hamm
Pat's the best!™
AIM: PhilBiker
click on the little green house to see the evolution of my home theater!
[Edited last by Philip Hamm on October 01, 2001 at 07:54 AM]

 

[andrew markworthy]

The tampering with Close Encounters I can just about take. If you watch the accompanying documentary with the DVD, you find out that the version shown there was the one which would have been released if Spielberg had been given the completion time initially promised. The previous so-called 'special edition' was a compromise version.
*SPOILER AHEAD IF YOU'VE NOT SEEN THE MOVIE* However, in the case of ET, removing the guns (if true - and I'm not convinced) would be a little silly. The thing which upsets kids in that film is ET's departure and when Elliot thinks ET has died. I think the guns bit actually sends a very good message to children; namely, that overly-authoritarian people will use guns before reason and that this is palpably wrong.
If you are going to go for political correctness, the bit I find offensive is the tacit assumption that ET is male.

 

[Gruson]

PLEASE do not make any changes to this movie. Star Wars has already been butchered enough.
Yes, it would make a difference if the guns were not there....it just would.
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[cafink]

. The guns are totally out of place and disrupt the flow of the movie.

It's not an issue of which version of the film is "better," it's an issue of respecting the artistry of a film that, for better or for worse, has become a classic and a part of modern culture, flaws and all.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Sometimes I wish DIVX would not have died so the "Home Theater Crusaders" would have something worthy to rally against.

Crawdaddy
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Peter Staddon: "I didn't say you can put 'Monkeybone' back!"

 

[RobertR]

The guns are totally out of place and disrupt the flow of the movie.

People with 1930s sensibilities could have said the same thing about the "scandalous" couple of seconds in Gone With the Wind with Clark Gable saying "Frankly my dear,I don't give a damn". But, of course, it's only a couple of seconds, so of course you don't think any damage would be done to the film at all.
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[Philip Hamm]

Robert when was the last time you saw "ET"? Your comparisons are ludicrous. Comparing the quick flash of guns in E.T. to pivotal moments in other movies is completely invalid.
People who are arguing against this cut are making some good points (continue to do so!), but don't overreact like this. It doesn't serve your argument.
If you don't like the change that's fine, but to compare it to the last line of "Gone With The Wind"??

This is a MINOR change people, don't lose perspective. If you don't like it, fine, state why (as many have) but don't make ridiculous comparisons like this.
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Philip Hamm
Pat's the best!™
AIM: PhilBiker
click on the little green house to see the evolution of my home theater!
[Edited last by Philip Hamm on October 01, 2001 at 09:53 AM]

 

[RobertR]

Comparing the quick flash of guns in E.T. to pivotal moments in other movies is completely invalid.

But your argument that the change in E.T. is "acceptable" was NOT based on whether or not the moment is "pivotal", Phil. You said it's ok because the length of the change is less than 20 seconds.
And why isn't anyone else's subjective determination about what is "acceptable" to change just as valid as your subjective determination?
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[Jeff Gibbons]

I'm all for keeping it in perspective, but this is a serious change. To me it was one of the most important scenes in the movie. The kid keeps on riding to save his friend and winces at the impending shots. That says a lot.
I hope they keep it in.
[Edited last by Jeff Gibbons on October 01, 2001 at 07:51 PM]

 

[Bill Huelbig]

It would also ruin a fine John Williams music cue. To have that music accompanying a federal office pulling out a cell phone or a walkie-talkie wouldn't work at all. That particular shot was scored for a gun. Don't do it, Steve.
--Bill

 

[Bill Huelbig]

I spelled "officer" wrong in the preceding post. Sorry.

 

[Scott Calvert]

I don't like it, but I could *possibly* accept a few alterations as long as the climactic "roadblock" scene is left untouched. You know the scene I'm talking about. Elliot, ET and all the other kids are riding down the street thinking they've finally evaded the authorities, then they see a roadblock up ahead. A police officer walks out in front of the roadblock with a shotgun just before ET uses his powers to fly all the kids over the obstacle. I think there's even a zoom-in on the shotgun before John Williams ET theme kicks in.
Erasing the shotgun and replacing it with a walkie talkie just would not work. The best scene in the film would be completely destroyed.
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[Scott_MacD]

Dear Universal,
If Mr. Spielberg wishes to alter his film, then I humbly request a seamless branching feature on the DVD, allowing us to watch the original version/cut of the most cherished films of my childhood. Please.
Yours faithfully,
Scott

 

[Brian-W]

quote:
Folks when was the last time you saw "E.T."? [/quote]
20 minutes ago, Hi-Vision laserdisc that looks to be a collectors item if the changes go through.
quote: I have the LD and I've seen it recently. We're talking about 20 seconds of film here max.[/quote]
Both scenes in question total about 1 minute in length.
quote:
The federal agents are plenty menacing before the quick flash of guns, and afterwards as well. The guns are totally out of place and disrupt the flow of the movie. [/quote]
Post Edited by Administrator
Hardly *anyone* is menacing. Anyone with a gun suddenly becomes menacing. So now we're supposed to believe the quick 3 shot zoom on Elliots face which has a horrified expression is because he's afraid of guys with cell phones and walkie talkies? Come on, this isn't fantasy land.
During the entire chase scene from beginning to end, Elliot never shows any fear or concern until that pivotal, yes, pivotal scene where now he's faced with a possible life or death situation? Hell, that's the CLIMAX of the movie. It isn't E.T. going home, it isn't E.T. saying goodbye, it's E.T. saving a group of kids from a deadly and quite dangerous situation.
quote:
In the 10 minutes of film before the scene that's causing people to burst blood vessels, the feds are plenty menacing, but not threatening, they're humane. Then all of the sudden the pull guns out to go after kids on bikes? Ridiulous! It disrupts the flow of the movie.[/quote]
Let me get this straight...
Some punk kid takes off with what would (if living in film reality, i.e. the movie) have been one of the biggest discoveries ever; with a good chance that the government may not get to keep it's new found discovery; and we're to believe that the government wouldn't use DEADLY force ? Puhleeze.....
We're not supposed to have feelings for the agents, we're worried E.T. may never get home. The guns were *totally* relevant and add further suspense and realism to an desperate situation.
Also, agents storm the van (the first scene) and we're supposed to believe that they are menacing and threatening with cell phones or walkie talkies? What about Elliots mom when she yells "No guns, they're only kids." That dialog either needs to be removed or re-recorded because now IT would be out of place with gun-less agents.
Then again, maybe you're right. I think they should remove the guns. I also think they should edit out the following scenes as well:
- Halloween costumes. Michaels costume with the knife through his head glorifies violence.
- the entire scene where they take over the home, it represents a prison camp where none of the occupants are allowed to leave
- E.T. in general because it shows children that anything they don't recognize can be made into a friend or a pet, which could be deadly (child leaves M&Ms out for a baby cub, mother shows up and mauls child to death)
- Elliot in general because he's a bad influence on other children, clearly violating the law and not yielding to authority.
Want me to go on?
Jeesh !
-Brian
[Edited last by Robert Crawford on October 01, 2001 at 10:29 PM]

 

[Rain]

quote: A friend of mine works for ILM and indeed the guns will be removed and replaced with cell phones.[/quote]
NO SALE!

Philip, I can understand that the proposed changes obviously don't bother you, but I don't think it's fair to imply that the rest of us or wrong or making too much of it just because you don't agree. It is the principle of the matter, be it 20 seconds or 20 minutes.
quote: Some punk kid takes off with what would (if living in film reality, i.e. the movie) have been one of the biggest discoveries ever; with a good chance that the government may not get to keep it's new found discovery; and we're to believe that the government wouldn't use DEADLY force ? [/quote]
They would be out there with not only hand guns, but likely a large SWAT team and probably machine guns.
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[Edited last by E.T. on October 01, 2001 at 05:43 PM]
[Edited last by Rain on October 01, 2001 at 05:43 PM]

 

[Jeff_A]

...Sometimes I wish DIVX would not have died so the "Home Theater Crusaders" would have something worthy to rally against.

This penchant for hindsight-editing must stop! I cannot for one minute believe that any film-lover would approve of this becoming any sort of trend in the film industry. This is a very WORTHY cause - IMO.
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The Dark Tower

Fearless Vampire Killers (1967)?

 

[Chad R]

I always thought the guns weren't to use against the kids. Elliot's mom might have read it that way, but really I thought they were afraid of E.T. The agents weren't privy to the info the audience was, they didn't know he was cute and cuddly. They just knew he was an alien, and had just come back from the dead! Who knows what that thing could have done! He represented a real threat (in their eyes) and the only way they knew to combat it was with guns.
To remove the guns alters the 'character' of the agents. It also weakens the theme of adults 'fearing' what they don't understand because it removes a symbol of their fear.
[Edited last by Chad R on October 01, 2001 at 06:41 PM]

 

[Joshua Clinard]

If they take out the guns, it WILL ruin the continuity of the film. It is a very important moment for me, as others have expressed. It is very climatic. And the qoute about it only being 20 seconds in lenght is ludicrous. Everyone has theier own opinoins about what is important in a film. I think we should do something to point out to the film industry, i.e., Speilberg, Lucus, that manipulating Films for the sake of being PC is just wrong.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Members,
Please, no more political comments or I'll be forced into additional moderating duties that goes beyond just editing and deleting posts. Let's keep the discussion on topic without getting personal or political. Thank you.
Crawdaddy
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Peter Staddon: "I didn't say you can put 'Monkeybone' back!"

 

[Tom-G]

In the case of George Lucas adding scenes, he said it was because he always wanted to go back and finish sundry shots that looked bad in his opinion.
I can accept that as a valid reason to alter his films. Editing Greedo's scene and in the case of E.T., Spielberg editing out the guns is just plain ludicrous. I don't understand it, nor do I want to.
Even though the guns will be removed, it won't preclude E.T. from being a huge seller.
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As for the bad rap about the characters--hey, I've seen space operas that put their emphasis on human personalities and relationships. They're called "Star Trek" movies. Give me transparent underwater cities and vast hollow senatorial spheres any day. --Roger Ebert on The Phantom Menace
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