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Close Encounters of the Third Kind - Page 4

post #91 of 182
8/9/06 at 4:09am

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

"Is the latest version (1997 was it?) missing anything from the original, other than the power plant scene, and Carl Weathers telling Roy about looters? Because it feels very close to the original to me."

I agree. I think the 1997 cut is my preferred cut now. I never liked the SE Mother Ship ending, but DID like most of the other additions (ship in the desert, Roy's breakdown). Having the other additions, along with the things that were edited out from the 1977 version (save for the Power Plant scene) is the best version, IMO.

That said, I would love a branching version that contained both the original 1977 and the 1997 version. Oh heck, why not also include the 1980 version as well.
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post #92 of 182
8/9/06 at 6:04am

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

There is some material from the 1977 version that is not on the 1997 version. There are bits that did not even make it onto the DVD. For example there is the scene in the 1977 version where after Roy learns he has just been fired goes into the bedroom and sees the shape of the mountain from a pillow on his bed. The introduction to the Nearys is also somewhat different as well. I believe that the Theatrical cut also has some alternated shots that were changed for the 1980 SE. The 1980 SE has some shots that were not contained in the 1977 or 1997 cuts such as one of the ships scanning a McDonalds sign, LaCombe gets a staning ovation from the audience after demonstrating the Zoltan hand signals. Also the music for the closing credits is different. So the 1997 cut does not allow you to see everything.

Maybe for the film's 30th anniversary next year Spielberg can give us non-anamorphic laserdisc transfers of the 1977 and 1980 versions.
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post #93 of 182
8/9/06 at 6:42am

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

The 1977 cut also had different sequencing. The scenes involving the discovery of the 5 tones are in a different, more logical order in the original version.
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post #94 of 182
8/9/06 at 6:44am

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Well I have two versions of this classic 70’s film directed by Steven Spielberg, one is the special edition version on Columbia Tri-Star laserdisc PAL, and the other is the theatrical version which is on region 2 DVD UK version.

I liked the deleted scenes, they where good, maybe someday thy might find themselves cut back into the film, but it might slow the pace down a little.

The sound for this film won a 1977, Academy for best sound effects editing which was also handed out to Star Wars, both films where competing for best sound effects editing, and best achievement in sound went to Star Wars.

The opening is hunting with an eerie musical string sound that starts halfway though the short opening credits, that slowly builds up to a slam with the (baby boom) hitting you WOW! Now that is an opening.

Music on the closing credits was “when you wish upon a star”, I found that so very fitting and touching it makes my cry, really, if you watch the scene where Roy, says to his wife it’s all going to better now, it’s going to be just like it was before, as he’s dismantling the clay model mountain a newspaper gets moved underneath it is a Jiminy cricket, that starts playing “when you wish upon a star” which was featured in the end credits of the special edition 1977-1980.

I find the image slightly cropped off the sides distracting, like in (Apocalypse Now) film distributors get your act together and stop cropping the films!
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post #95 of 182
8/9/06 at 7:34am

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Quote:
Well I have two versions of this classic 70’s film directed by Steven Spielberg, one is the special edition version on Columbia Tri-Star laserdisc PAL, and the other is the theatrical version which is on region 2 DVD UK version.
Are you sure about that? The version you have on DVD must be the new 1997 version and not the theatrical version.
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post #96 of 182
8/9/06 at 8:35am

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Sam

I’m sure, well it’s a long time ago I’m afraid to say, I only saw the 1977 version once and the 1980 version once in the cinema, which has been shown on British TV in a butchered version a few times over donkeys they are!

The version, 1997, I will have to take a look on the back of the casing to see if it was treated back in 1997, but I’m sure you know that.
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post #97 of 182
8/9/06 at 11:04am

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

We are not alone. Visit SpielbergFilms.com Forum for more and fasnating triva about “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and more!

http://www.spielbergfilms.com/forum/index.php
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post #98 of 182
8/9/06 at 11:23am

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

The Japanese Superbit version does look considerably better, (though NOT perfect!) than the R1 release. I think the Power plant scene was trimmed for economy. We get that he's a line worker, the scene slows down the story a bit. I did like the Carl Weathers scene though. Weird that he would take such a teeny part after haing a very big part in the previous year's best picture film. Unless they shot his scene before ROCKY really broke big.
This was on Comcast HD a few months back but they freaking CROPPED it. Looked good though.

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post #99 of 182
8/9/06 at 9:24pm

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Mack
I think the Power plant scene was trimmed for economy. We get that he's a line worker, the scene slows down the story a bit.

Also, it inserts a loud, lighted scene in the middle of a series of dark, quiet scenes, so it kind of ruins a little bit of the atmosphere leading up to the first UFO sightings.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steven_M Grimes
Is the latest version (1997 was it?) missing anything from the original, other than the power plant scene, and Carl Weathers telling Roy about looters? Because it feels very close to the original to me.

I don't think it's missing any complete scenes, but it is missing little things:

- The "Days of Our Lives" opening was a little longer in the original theatrical, though it was still a condensed version of the actual opening of that show. In the theatrical version, there was an extra shot of Roy looking out the sliding glass door and an extra shot from his POV, to give room for: "This is MacDonald Carey, and these are The Days of Our Lives."

- Roy seeing Devil's Tower in his pillow case at the tail end of the scene where he tells Ronnie he's fired.

- The voiceover on the phone near the beginning was different in the original and Special Editions, but I can't recall which they used for the '97 cut.

- The man selling gas masks: original and Special Edition used different takes with different dialogue, but again, I can't recall off the top of my head which they used in the '97 version.

- I think the whistling old man's line, "They can fly rings around the moon, but we're years ahead of them on the highway," is missing from the '97 cut. That's immediately after the three UFO's make their first pass up the road, right before Neary's line, "This is nuts."
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post #100 of 182
8/10/06 at 1:23am

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Mack
We get that he's a line worker, the scene slows down the story a bit.

Boy, you must hate the wedding scene in The Deer Hunter!
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post #101 of 182
8/10/06 at 8:54am

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Lengthy article detailing the different cuts.

Close Encounters Of Three Different Kinds
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post #102 of 182
8/10/06 at 9:10am

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Actually I think the wedding scene in The Deer Hunter is all about establishing the characters whereas the power plant scene reveals very little IIRC about Neary except that he knows the average tension weight on certain power lines and his supervisor calls him an expert. The scene is much more about the supervisor who is never seen again. I do also agree now that it throws a very bright and loud scene into the quiet atmosphere-y night scenes. I do miss the "They can fly rings.." line though. Always liked it and like the actor alot. Creeped the hell out of me in Christine.

It would be nice to eventually have all 3 cuts but that's doubtful. And they had BETTER not screw up whatever HD release it finally gets as it was my fave film growing up, (all my pals like Star Wars, yes, Star Wars, not A New Hope! better...)





Dammit I know this! This means something... This is important.

Such great dialog...
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post #103 of 182
8/10/06 at 9:48am

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Mack
(all my pals like Star Wars, yes, Star Wars, not A New Hope! better...)

That's the spirit!
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post #104 of 182
8/10/06 at 9:54am

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Can you imagine a bunch of 9 year old kids back in 1977 going, "WOO HOO! We're going to see "A NEW HOPE!!!"
or "WOO HOO!" I just got my "A NEW HOPE" Tie Fighter!

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post #105 of 182
8/10/06 at 9:59am

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

No. Only because it wasn't called that in 1977. If they made it today, you'd hear kids saying that though.
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post #106 of 182
8/10/06 at 10:14am

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

I don't think so. My niece calls it Star Wars, my girlfriend's nephew calls it Star Wars. I haven't met ONE kid who calls it "A New Hope". I somehow think that the title STAR WARS has more resonance with kids. Just my 2 cents. Our landlady's neighbor's kid even called it that. He didn't say, I wanna watch "A New Hope" recently when she got the videos, he called it Star Wars and called ROTS, Star Wars III.

Star Wars sounds cool to a kid. A new hope sounds like The Young and the Restless...

Like Serenity, cool Sci-fi film that many people had no clue what it was from the title. Sounds like a mediation CD.

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post #107 of 182
8/10/06 at 10:40am

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian W.
I don't think it's missing any complete scenes, but it is missing little things:

Brian,

Your list was good, but you missed one little thing: The scene where Neary and companions force their way out of the military helicopter with Neary shouting, "Go for the mountain!" I believe that was only in the theatrical 1977 cut (like the extended "Days of Our Lives" scene, it's not even in the Criterion Collection's "1977 cut").

-Lyle J.P.
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post #108 of 182
8/10/06 at 11:02am

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

One brief final cut made to "The Special Edition" was the shot that follows Lacombe saying “It is an event sociological” where we see Roy, Jillian and Larry (Josef Sommer) pushing past security and jumping out of the helicopter, with Roy shouting "Go for the mountain!" (as with earlier trims, Spielberg again requested this be cut from the 1990 laserdisc). "The Special Edition" simply cuts straight to the three of them running towards Devil’s Tower. A strange choice of edit which again makes the characters’ escape seem less believeable without anyone seemingly trying to stop them.


From the link I provided.
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post #109 of 182
8/10/06 at 12:02pm

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Cool site!

"By the time of the film’s release almost two years had passed since initial filming took place..."

That answers my Carl Weathers question...

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post #110 of 182
8/10/06 at 2:02pm

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

I really would like an extended edition containing all known footage from
the original, special and collectors editions. Seemless branching would do fine...
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post #111 of 182
8/10/06 at 2:33pm

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Dave Mack,
Your absolutely right on Star Wars. It will never be A NEW HOPE to me, just plain ol Star Wars. Imagine my dismay when Lucas once again changed another of his movie titles. Raiders of the Lost Ark. I picked up the Indiana Jones collection on dvd, and thought hmm...I don't seem to remember it being called Indiana Jones, and The Raiders Of the Lost Ark. But thats what it says on the disc, and case. Just kind of weird when you think about it. IS he trying to erase our childhood memories?
Maybe Spielberg should follow his example:
-Chief Brody, and the Jaws.
-Close Encounters of the Third Kind at Devils Tower.
What do ya think?
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post #112 of 182
8/10/06 at 5:09pm

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

I think the reason for the Raiders title change is simply because they wanted the artwork to look uniform on the VHS & DVD.
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post #113 of 182
8/10/06 at 11:00pm

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lyle_JP
Brian,

Your list was good, but you missed one little thing: The scene where Neary and companions force their way out of the military helicopter with Neary shouting, "Go for the mountain!" I believe that was only in the theatrical 1977 cut (like the extended "Days of Our Lives" scene, it's not even in the Criterion Collection's "1977 cut").

-Lyle J.P.


Oh, that's right! But the film IS better without it. It's a very hokey escape -- the army guys don't even look like they're trying very hard to hold them in the helicopter. It works much better with them sneaking away.

But its omission does leave one thing unexplained: when Neary says in the helicopter, "How many of you people are for getting out of here," four or five people raise their hands -- yet only three actually sneak out. The original cut does at least explain why only three people left the helicopter.

But, Lyle, the scene is on the CAV Criteron disc. At the end of several sides, they include brief scenes that were left out "at Steven Spielberg's request." This is one of them. So is the longer "Days of Our Lives" opening.

The only shot from the original that was not included at all on the Criteron CAV edition is the shot of them rolling the globe down the hall. They show them starting to roll it, but originally (and other people have confirmed my memory) the camera tracked behind them as they rolled the globe all the way down the hall and out into the warehouse.
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post #114 of 182
8/10/06 at 11:48pm

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Man this thread is making me want to pop in my SB disc tonite!
But I have to work at 7am!!!

:0
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post #115 of 182
8/11/06 at 5:18am

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Mack
Man this thread is making me want to pop in my SB disc tonite!

Agreed. This thread is making me want to watch the movie again (haven't seen it since the DVD came out). But I have too many other DVDs waiting for a first run!

Does anyone else here often feel like the digital equivalent to Burgess Meredith in Time Enough At Last?
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post #116 of 182
8/13/06 at 10:03am

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Sam,
I have the same problem: Too many dvd's, and not enough time to watch them all. Tv season sets on dvd, are especially problematic. I have a ton of them, and usually 1 set is takes 10-20 hours to get through. Being a completist has it's drawbacks.

Back to Close Encounters. Here are my dream features, that I hope will be on the next version released on dvd:

-Three Audio commentary tracks. Spielberg, Dreyfuss, and Garr, Melinda Dillon, Bob Balaban(french interrprutor)and the actor that played Barry, Split over 2 commentary tracks. And of course a commentary track by Doug Trumball, and the SFX team.

-A feature dealing with the comparison of Spielberg's novel to the film.

-a feature on superfans of Close Encounters. This would be interesting. Planet of the Apes has superfans, and of course Star Wars has them. Close Encounters has to have some out there.

-Merchandise of Close encounters, and much more.
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post #117 of 182
8/13/06 at 12:12pm

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steven_M Grimes
Second, although the DVD is clearly the best way to view (and hear) the film, the Criterion LD remains a viable alternative for one very important reason--the bulk of the film was transferred from an original release print and is at times remarkably cleaner and clearer than every version of the film from the 1980 special edition on. I've never seen anything about this (never really looked, either, so if I'm wrong please let me know) but I'm guessing that either the original negative to the film doesn't exist anymore or was damaged after 1977, because to my eyes every home video version except the Criterion LD, and this includes the DVD, seems to be based on a release print from the 1980 special edition. I'm basing this on print damage and a noticeable drop in quality during effects shots that don't seem to be present in the Criterion transfer.

To give one specific example, early in the film when Jillian looks out her window and sees Barry running around, there's a low reverse shot of her in the house, with the sky visible behind her. On the Criterion LD the sky is deep black and the stars so bright that they seem to pop out of screen. One of the stars is moving, as well. On every other home video that I've seen the sky in that shot is not at all the same, and looks in comparison to be a generation or two removed from the original. The stars certainly don't pop out, and the moving star is much less noticeable.

The film used for every composite and effects shot for CE3K rapidly degenerated. Any shot that has an effect (or any shot with the night sky, because all of the skies were dropped in as photographic effects to make them dramatic) had to be either restored from a negative that has nearly nothing left on it or sourced from a later generation print.

Sadly, the night sky shots are hit the hardest because loss of detail in the dark areas of the picture was the first thing that happened when those parts started to degenerate.

Apparently the Criterion "theatrical cut" is also different from the original theatrical cut in that it has many effects shots replaced with better work done for the Special Edition -- basically, the Criterion cut takes the audio from the theatrical cut (for the most part), uses the picture elements from the Special Edition wherever they match up, and adds back some scenes that were removed.

The audio on the Criterion LD is notably limited in both high and low frequency sound -- it sounds like it was sourced from a non-magnetic theatrical print.

I like the original cut a lot, even though it drags in places. That said, I most frequently watch the Collector's Edition.
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post #118 of 182
8/13/06 at 12:52pm

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bryan^H
Sam,
I have the same problem: Too many dvd's, and not enough time to watch them all. Tv season sets on dvd, are especially problematic. I have a ton of them, and usually 1 set is takes 10-20 hours to get through. Being a completist has it's drawbacks.

Back to Close Encounters. Here are my dream features, that I hope will be on the next version released on dvd:

-Three Audio commentary tracks. Spielberg, Dreyfuss, and Garr, Melinda Dillon, Bob Balaban(french interrprutor)and the actor that played Barry, Split over 2 commentary tracks. And of course a commentary track by Doug Trumball, and the SFX team.

-A feature dealing with the comparison of Spielberg's novel to the film.

-a feature on superfans of Close Encounters. This would be interesting. Planet of the Apes has superfans, and of course Star Wars has them. Close Encounters has to have some out there.

-Merchandise of Close encounters, and much more.

Not one Spielberg film has had an audio commentary. However, nearly all of his films have an extensive documentary. The one for CE3K is over two hours long. Other than the inclusion of the two previous versions being a good idea for a new disc, this is one film that doesn't need an upgrade until HD.
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post #119 of 182
8/13/06 at 2:46pm

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Quote:
-Three Audio commentary tracks. Spielberg, Dreyfuss, and Garr, Melinda Dillon, Bob Balaban(french interrprutor)and the actor that played Barry, Split over 2 commentary tracks. And of course a commentary track by Doug Trumball, and the SFX team.

Yeah, unfortunately you can forget about a commentary track out of Spielberg. I'm not sure how he would feel about a cast commentary, but I would imagine he would frown on in. I wonder how he would feel about a text commentary.

The current edition is good, the documentary is excellent. My wishlist would be a four disc edition with each cut of the film on its own disc. For the fourth disc, the doc, featurettes, trailers etc. (I suppose the deleted scenes would be pretty much redundant.)Failing that, I would settle for the 1997 cut only as long as it contained all the footage and alt scenes that appeared in the 1977 and 1980 cuts and the extensive still gallery from the laserdisc. A more extensive featurette on the three cuts of the film (with all the associated footage included) would be nice as well.
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post #120 of 182
8/13/06 at 5:18pm

Re: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

And if you want the best AV, go for the Japanese SB!

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