E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) (1 Viewer)

[BrettB]

I'm doing a piece on E.T.

Beautiful. Do keep us informed.

 

[AlexCremers]

I think it's because there isn't an E.T. nerddom. It isn't the kind of movie that makes people want to go and play it in real life.

Alex

 

[Seth Paxton]

At the national HTF meet we queued up at the Best Buy with all the other losers to buy the DVDs "early", though we'd already seen the product and had no real reason to buy them. For us I don't think it was the DVDs at all, we wanted to check out the goofy line in LA and just be out there taking it all in.
However, we did see a guy dressed in a full TIGGER outfit. I'm not sure what this means, but perhaps it means that the masses are ready for a big re-release of the original Pooh.
Dibs on Rabbit, last one there is the ass end of Eeyore.

 

[Bryan Tuck]

I also saw the 2002 re-release of E.T. and I enjoyed it, but if I'm going to watch the movie on video, the original cut is without a doubt the preferred version. Fortunately, I can do that, since Spielberg personally made sure that the original version was included on both editions of the DVD. The missing sound effect at E.T.'s death is frustrating, but apparently, it wasn't intentional.

I'm afraid the recent theatrical re-release craze may be dying down, which is both bad and good, I think. Maybe it will stop all this revisionist tinkering that's going on, but it also means there probably won't be too many more high-profile re-releases for a while.

One idea I had though: it seems like all the recent re-releases have been either really big, flood-the-market blow-outs, or quiet little screenings on like 3 screens on the entire planet. I'm exaggerating, of course, but couldn't there be a happy medium somewhere? Instead of either 2000-3000 screens or 300-500 screens, how about in the neighborhood of 1000-1500? And spend a little bit on advertising. Just a little bit. We don't need Alien cupholders or Exorcist Happy Meals with pea soup all over our Chicken McNuggets; just a few well-placed trailers and posters.

Sorry; I'm rambling, but it's just a thought I had.

 

[ScottR]

I'm still curious as to why the 20th Anniversary version (as well as the original cut on dvd) don't contain the sound effect of E.T. moaning as he dies. Did they use an alternate 70mm track for the mixing, or did the 1982 release not contain the line. Also, it's funny that the 20th Anniversary version contains the original MPAA rating from 1982 and the 1982 version contains the modern MPAA logo!
Oh yeah, and Seth P., I was at that Friday the 13th Part 3 showing at Castleton Arts too. Still have the glasses!

 

[Bryan Tuck]

Oh yeah, and Seth P., I was at that Friday the 13th Part 3 showing at Castleton Arts too. Still have the glasses!

That does sound pretty cool. I got to see the original Pink Panther movie at a theater in Abilene a few years ago. It was a pretty good print, and there was a fairly decent-sized audience. People were rolling, especailly during the final chase scene. It was a lot of fun.
By the way, this doesn't really have anything to do with E.T., but I was digging around and I found something I'd written around the time of the Wizard of Oz re-release in '98. Thought everyone here might appreciate it.
"Enhancements" made for the Special Edition of The Wizard of Oz:
1. Colorized Kansas sequences
2. CGI-enhanced tornado sequence
3. Millions of digitally created Munchkins
4. A short scene showing the Wicked Witch of the West returning to her castle on her broomstick, to make sure the audience understands how she got there
5. A computer generated Wizard's head floating around the chamber
6. An army of digital flying monkeys
7. Restored Jitterbug sequence, aided by CGI, of course
8. In order to make Dorothy seem less cold-blooded, the Witch throws a fireball at her, but it suddenly changes course and flies straight out the window
9. The shot of the Witch actually melting has been deleted, as it might be too scary for younger viewers
10. Added celebrations in Munchkinland and Kansas

 

[ScottR]

LOL Bryan

 

[Malcolm R]

Personally, I wouldn't mind this one. It's a shame that sequence was lost.

There was a production of OZ at my school years ago and they performed the Jitterbug scene. It was the hit of the show.

 

[Ernest Rister]

Personally, I wouldn't mind [reinclusion of the Jitterbug]. It's a shame that sequence was lost.

I think it is a shame the sequence was lost, but not that the sequence was cut. I think they made the right call back in 39.

 

[SamT]

Steven Spielberg Details How Harrison Ford Helped Convince Melissa Mathison to Write ‘E.T.’​

The legendary filmmaker turned up to the opening night festivities for TCM Classic Film Festival and took a walk down memory lane to present the 40th-anniversary screening of his 1982 classic.

While on location in Tunisia filming Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark outside Well of the Souls more than 40 years ago, Steven Spielberg somehow found time to pitch a script.

“I pretty much had worked out most of the story and I needed a writer to write with me or, hopefully, write it based on the story,” recalled Spielberg. He didn’t have to search far or wide as his star, Harrison Ford, arrived to set with girlfriend Melissa Mathison, a screenwriter responsible for The Black Stallion, a film Spielberg adored. On a break from filming, Spielberg floated the idea by Mathison only to strike out.

“She said, ‘Well, I’m retired from writing. I don’t write anymore. I’m not interested in writing anymore, it’s too hard,” he explained. “I went to Harrison and said, ‘Your girlfriend turned me down. She doesn’t want to write my next movie.’ He said, ‘Well, let me talk to her.’ He talked to her and she came to me the next day and said, ‘OK you got Harrison so excited about this. What is it that I missed?’ I think I hadn’t told her the story very well because I told her the story again and she got really emotional and she committed right there in the Tunisian desert.”

...

 

[Desslar]

Steven Spielberg Details How Harrison Ford Helped Convince Melissa Mathison to Write ‘E.T.’​

“She said, ‘Well, I’m retired from writing. I don’t write anymore. I’m not interested in writing anymore, it’s too hard,” he explained. “I went to Harrison and said, ‘Your girlfriend turned me down. She doesn’t want to write my next movie.’ He said, ‘Well, let me talk to her.’ He talked to her and she came to me the next day and said, ‘OK you got Harrison so excited about this. What is it that I missed?’

...

Now I'm imagining what role Ford could have played in ET. One of the FBI agents I guess. Or just a cameo as a trick or treater dressed as Han Solo.

 

[TravisR]

Now I'm imagining what role Ford could have played in ET. One of the FBI agents I guess. Or just a cameo as a trick or treater dressed as Han Solo.

He plays the principal of Elliot's school. You can see the scene on the DVD and Blu-ray.

EDIT: Also, it's on You Tube

 

[Johnny Angell]

He plays the principal of Elliot's school. You can see the scene on the DVD and Blu-ray.

EDIT: Also, it's on You Tube

I think it’s good they deleted the scene, it would have taken viewers out of the movie. They would have been thinking “wait, that’s what’s his face, isn’t it?”

 

[SamT]

The principal's office is so badly lit!

With YouTube you don't need DVD extras anymore!

I'm wondering which version of E.T. they showed?!

 

[Desslar]

The principal's office is so badly lit!

With YouTube you don't need DVD extras anymore!

I'm wondering which version of E.T. they showed?!

It looks like that interrogation scene in Blade Runner. Speaking of which, this lackluster performance reminds me of Ford's halfhearted narration from that film. Anyway, the scene seems too dark and ominous to throw in the middle of ET.

I didn't know Ford did cameos like this. Wonder where else he's popped up. He would have been good in Private Ryan or Catch Me if you Can.

 

[SamT]

Apocalypse Now?

 

[TravisR]

It looks like that interrogation scene in Blade Runner. Speaking of which, this lackluster performance reminds me of Ford's halfhearted narration from that film. Anyway, the scene seems too dark and ominous to throw in the middle of ET.

I'm guessing the scene wouldn't have been as dark as this clip if it was in the finished film and I assume it's supposed to be reminiscent of the lighting in a 40's film noir (as if Elliot is being interrogated by the police) but I agree it was the wrong tone for the movie. Presumably, that's one of the reasons to have dumped it.

 

[Osato]

I saw the film played at the TCM film festival. It would be great if it was added as a nationwide event for the 40th. I would take my older 2 boys for sure. They haven’t seen the film yet.

We bought tickets to Star Trek TMP directors cut and Star Trek wrath of khan too. They’ve never seen wrath of khan.

 

[SamT]

Where is the Special Edition now? Do they still release it officially somewhere or has it been buried?

 

[TravisR]

Where is the Special Edition now? Do they still release it officially somewhere or has it been buried?

Buried. I'm pretty sure the last time it was released was on DVD.