Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1 Viewer)

[RickER]

Bryan do you have a death wish! FOOL screen!?! indeed!
Remember this sin come Sunday!

 

[Patrick McCart]

I didn't see Close Encounters in widescreen until I bought the DVD. I'm a sucker for childhood nostalgia, but we all had to leave diapers for the commode eventually. Not that I want to soil the reputation of diapers by comparing them to pan & scan...

 

[PatW]

To me this movie is as perfect as they come. For years when asked which movie is my favourite this is the one I always name and that hasn't changed since the year it was released. I also would be all over a new dvd release.
I don't mind the Mothership scene but as a deleted scene and not incorporated into the movie. I prefer the movie the way it was released back in 1978.

 

[Doug Otte]

I remember seeing it in the theater. It must have been 1978 or '79, because I was in college, but home on break waiting tables in the local pizza joint. We went across the street to the theater in the shopping center. For some reason, I vividly remember the title on their lighted sign next to the highway.

Anyway, I haven't watched the DVD since I first got it, either, so now you've got me interested in watching it again.

Regards,
Doug

 

[obscurelabel]

Just a note from someone who saw the original release in a theater some 20 times when it came out ... I can't enjoy watching the revised versions as the changes stick out like a sore thumb and create a jarring effect that takes me totally out of the move. It might not be a big deal to someone who has only seen the movie since the (many) changes have been made, and maybe some newer version is "better", but it would be nice if Spielberg and Columbia could acknowledge the fans who watched and loved the original could present it in that form. Otherwise, I won't watch any revised version again ... my memories of the original are stong enough that I can live without it.

I hope at some point that someone can save the original versions of the films of Coppola, Spielberg, and Lucas from their creators.

 

[Paul McElligott]

Well, in all fairness to Spielberg, the director's cut of CE3K was done very shortly after the original film and he was pretty much the same filmmaker he was when he made the original.

I think there's a difference between finishing a film later because he ran out of money the first time and a much older filmmaker tinkering with an earlier work because it no longer suits his sensibilities (a la Lucas) or sticking deleted footage back in when it should have stayed deleted (like Coppola).

 

[BrettB]

You've heard of a little Spielberg film called E.T. haven't you?

 

[Paul McElligott]

E.T. is not CE3K and vice versa. Again, to Spielberg's credit, I have the original version of E.T. on DVD.

I still wish I could say that about CE3K, though. Win some, lose some.

 

[ZackR]

While I have never seen the theatrical cut (because I was not born when it hit theaters), I absolutely love CE3K. It is one of my very favorite films. I ALWAYS believe the theatrical cut of any film should be available though. I applaud Spielberg for his decision with E.T. While his updated one is interesting, the original version is the disc I watch! Hopefully, he will see the value of making the theatrical version of Close Encounters available as well. And then, maybe he could give his buddy George Lucas a call!

 

[AlexCosmo]

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.

 

[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 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.

 

[WillG]

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.

 

[Carter of Mars]

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.

 

[andySu]

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!

 

[Sam Davatchi]

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.

 

[andySu]

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.

 

[andySu]

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

 

[Dave Mack]

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.

 

[Brian W.]

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."

 

[AlexCremers]

Boy, you must hate the wedding scene in The Deer Hunter!