*** Official E.T. Discussion Thread *2 Disk Set Includes Original Version of the Film! (1 Viewer)

[ScottR]

So it could have been added to the soundtrack for the 1985 re-release...you are right, if they were restoring the original audio, how could this have been left out?

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Rain,
the moan was there originally. I saw the film three times when I was ten in 82 and remember the moan very clearly...TOO clearly! It busted me up everytime.
Just to clearify, you are talking about the scene where E.T.'s heart monitor goes flatline and he makes that sickly noise as his head flops over? If so, it was definatly there in 82.

 

[BrettB]

For clarity; I believe in the other thread someone gave a time of 86.25, Michael wakes up in the closet, Elliott screams, a doctor comes in from screen left and rips down the plastic, it is at this point that E.T. (looking up) turns his head to the left and groans.
Alright, here's what I've got so far;
1988 VHS: groaning/moaning sound is there
UGS 1982 Disc:
English DD 5.1: No groaning/moaning sound
Spanish DD 5.1: Groaning/moaning sound is there but sounds a little different than the VHS
French DD 5.1: No groaning/moaning sound
Also, with the captions turned on with the English 5.1 you get "[Groaning]" on the screen at that point.
Please don't ask me if this sound was there in the theater in 1982, I can't tell you what I had for lunch yesterday.

 

[Rain]

the moan was there originally. I saw the film three times when I was ten in 82 and remember the moan very clearly...TOO clearly!

Yes and there are still people who will swear that the subtitle "Episode IV: A New Hope" was always there on Star Wars.
Sorry but 20 year old memory is not proof.
However, if you are correct, this is very disappointing indeed. This would mean that after all the hype and discussion, there is still something missing from the film.
If you are correct, this error should be corrected, but unfortunately probably never will be.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Rain,
my mind is as sharp as a blade, the groan WAS there.

 

[Rain]

John, please don't take offense. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with your mind. But "false memories" are a common thing, especially with movies. It happens to all of us from time to time.

And I'm not saying that you are definitely wrong, I'm just saying that a memory is not proof.

 

[Damin J Toell]

One possible explanation for the groan discrepancy and John Williamson's memory: the groan may not have been present on the 70mm 6-track mix, even if it was on the 35mm Dolby Stereo mix, and the 70mm 6-track may have been the source for the new 5.1 mixes.

DJ

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Hi guys. My rather rambling E.T. review was just published, and I thought I'd share.
Link Removed
Hope you find it a fun read.

 

[Rain]

Nice review, Scott
________________________
Now back to the missing "groan" for a moment...has anyone checked the 2 disc set to see if it is missing, particularly on the DTS track on the 1982 version, which doesn't exist on the Gift Set disc?

 

[Jack Walsh]

It's missing on the 2-disc. I just watched my VHS from 1988 and it is there. I think the 70mm element was used. I remember reading somewhere that when they transferred soundtracks in those days to tape, they took them from the 35mm versions, which were known to be different in most cases than their 70mm counterparts (i.e. Star Wars). So that would explain the sound's absence on the DVD. They used a 70mm element as the basis for the 5.1 track.

 

[Rain]

...and the whole thing just becomes more convoluted. :frowning:
If this is a "mistake" that dates back to 1982, it's rather amazing to me that nobody caught it.

 

[ScottR]

I guess it is too much to ask these days to get the complete ORIGINAL theatrical version on video with no errors.

 

[Brenton]

Oh please.

 

[PaulP]

I'm very happy that Universal saw the error of their ways and finally fixed their wild subtitles and relegated them to the bottom of the screen. They still feel the need to position them under the area from which the sound is coming, but that's a minor issue.

 

[Felix Martinez]

I guess it is too much to ask these days to get the complete ORIGINAL theatrical version on video with no errors.

If the DVD's 5.1 mix came from the 70mm stems of the 1982 release then it is in fact one of the two ORIGINAL mixes (the other being the stereo surround mix).
Reminds me of Ben Burtt's rushed Star Wars sound mix in 1977. When the foreign release was put together months later, Burtt adjusted and added to his original mix, which has been the basis for all theatrical and video re-releases since the original 1977 U.S. release.
Don't believe I heard anyone complain about this when it was discussed in the Definitive Edition Trilogy LD
Cheers,
Felix

 

[ScottR]

But the groan that E.T. makes is such an important part of that scene...it adds emotion.

 

[Rain]

Scott, I agree it's a major bummer, but it's not likely the error is going to get corrected.

I wouldn't pass up the DVD just because of this.

For whatever it's worth, I checked and the "groan" does not appear in the screenplay.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

For whatever it's worth, I checked and the "groan" does not appear in the screenplay.

Your point being...?

 

[Brenton]

That it's not that crucial.

 

[Rain]

I wasn't really trying to make any point, but just thought it was worth mentioning.

The omission is an unfortunate thing, but it's not like it was deliberate. And I have to say the scene is still VERY emotional without the moan.

I will quietly wish for a fix, understanding it's not likely to occur, but I'm definitely not going to return the set because of this.