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

[Bill McCamy]

The press release did say exclusive to the UE gift set!

Vince,

I've read and re-read the release at DVD File. I don't see the word "exclusive." Am I missing it, or has it been dropped from the copy? I think the release has been posted for quite a while.

 

[David Lambert]

I have in my hand a flyer I had gotten months ago, from a retailer who is probably best remaining nameless at the moment. It says, and I quote:

INCLUDES 2-DISC SET PLUS THE ORIGINAL 1982
VERSION OF THE FILM ON A THIRD DISC, THE NEWLY
REMASTERED CD SOUNDTRACK, A COMPLETE SCRIPT
AND AN EXCLUSIVE LIMITED
EDITION SENITYPE.
#22260 $69.98 S.R.P.

What does THAT sound like to you guys?
I can scan this tomorrow after dinner if you all want me to...

 

[Adam_WM]

HOLY CRAP... taptaptaptaptap... (sound of cancelling gift set)


(plane diving noise) = sound of Gift Set sales plummeting through the floor!

 

[David Ely]

(plane diving noise) = sound of Gift Set sales plummeting through the floor!

Woops ... did I do that?

 

[Michael Ballack]

I still want to get some confirmation.

What I want:1982 Cut along with the new cut and all the extras

What I don't want:SOundtrack,script, and the full frame version

I had planned to get the Ulimate Gift Set since that was the only way the 1982 cut was available. But now the only thing that could get me to buy the UBS would be for a 3rd disc with more extras. If the only difference between the new 2 DVD set and the Gift Set is the Soundtrack and script, bye bye Gift Set.

 

[Nick Graham]

Well, I had given up on having E.T. on DVD, but now it looks like I will get it after all. Of course, this is Universal, so let's watch them put a P&S only version of the 1982 cut on the 2 disc set and make it OAR only on the Gift Set. Sorry, couldn't resist unleashing another conspiracy.

 

[Tony-B]

Of course, this is Universal, so let's watch them put a P&S only version of the 1982 cut on the 2 disc set and make it OAR only on the Gift Set. Sorry, couldn't resist unleashing another conspiracy.

Ssssshhhhh. Don't give them any ideas.

 

[Malcolm R]

(plane diving noise) = sound of Gift Set sales plummeting through the floor!

Can't help but feel a little sorry for the online retailers who have ordered stock to cover all these pre-orders, and who will now in all likelihood be stuck with many of them as the pre-orders are cancelled en-masse. But I guess they can complain to Universal as well.

 

[Thomas H G]

Great news, now I don't have to drop 55 on the Gift Set!

Quick question--what in the **ll is a senitype?

 

[Adam_WM]

It's think its one of those clear lithograph type things.

 

[Joshua Clinard]

This is great news! For some of us. I feel sorry for those that ordered the Ultimate Edition. I hope thier is at least something extra on there for those folks. I'm not going to wish that the original wasn't on the special edition, because money is really tight right now, and I would not have been happy with just the 2002 edition.

David, were all those screen shots taken with a digital camera, or just the ones of the case? Did you take the screen shots of the film from a DVD-Rom, or the digital camera. The reason I ask is the transfer looks really soft, and also grainy. Not that I expect such an old movie to be perfect, but this looks no better than VHS.

Also, why did you post those comparison shots? In most of them the only difference I can see is that they were taken a fraction of a second apart. Other than the ones with the guns/walkie talkie. I do see the differences in the comparisons of the puppet and the CGI E.T.

 

[David Ely]

Joshua,

The screenshots I posted to day were using PowerDVD. It captures straight to BMP format. Because the filesize of the screenshots were quite large, I compressed them to JPG. This compression caused most of the softness you're seeing.

 

[Steven Sims]

OK, here is the original press release for ET. From DVDFile . It says that the 2 disk only contains the 2002 cut of the film and a 2nd disk of extras. The gift set contains the exact same thing as the 2 disk, but with a 3rd disk that has the original cut on it. Plus the cd, etc. It sure looks to me that there was never any plans to include the original with the 2 disk, and if they changed their minds, no one was ever notified. May or may not be false advertising, but it sure seems shady to me.

 

[oscar_merkx]

David Ely
Thanks for the great news, just ordered ET

 

[Mark_vdH]

It sure looks to me that there was never any plans to include the original with the 2 disk.

I agree. In Australia, advance review copies were issued by Universal.
This review* clearly indicates that the 1982 cut is not on the R4 (and R2) special editions!
Furthermore, the specs for the R1 and R2/4 S.E. releases were originally announced to be the same (Link Removed), so it seems to me that the PAL versions contain the R1 version as it was originally planned.
* And this, this, this, and Link Removed.

 

[Greg O' Connel]

Wow! Best news I've heard all day - goodbye $60 gift set! for Universal. It's so rare that a studio does exactly what you want them to do.

 

[Jorge Montes]

Okay, I just read the press release myself. Here's my thoughts on this weird little matter.

The Ultimate Collector's DVD edition will include a widescreen version of the 2002 film, the original 1982 theatrical release, a bonus features disc, a complete script, the remastered CD soundtrack and a collectible senitype.

"A" bonus features disc. It never says this is a new disc or an additional disc. I've yet to see any sign that Universal ever intended for this set to have 3 DVDs and a CD. Just lots of speculation.

Personally, at the price I paid, one iota of additional bonus will be enough for me. The few extra bucks I'm paying for my set compared to what I'd probably pay for the 2-disc is worth it just for the soundtrack and script.

Now, I'm going to try something crazy tomorrow. The newspaper I work at has pretty good relations with Universal for film stuff (we recieved several photo CDs for the ET rerelease, one of which is slipping INTO my DVD set as my own additional bonus disc.) I'm going to call them and see if maybe, just maybe, I can squeeze something out of them. They may not be interested in online coverage, but we're print. College-market, sure. But still print.

Anyway, I'm defintely going to be keeping an eye out on this one. Because quite frankly, it scares me when I think of Back to the Future right around the corner.

 

[Joseph Bolus]

OK ...

I'm now totally confused as to what I should do.

I pre-ordered the Ultimate Gift Set back on June 19th from Suncoast.com. As many of you know, this site, along with Bestbuy.com and a few others, had the wrong price posted for this set for about 36 hours or so. The price, in fact, was close to the MSRP of the basic two-disc set. If, in fact, Suncoast.com honors that price, (and they sent me a e-mail back on June 19th confirming the order and the price) then I'm still in pretty good shape with the Gift Set. If they don't, then I've been royally screwed.

Does anybody here have any experience with price mistakes on pre-orders this far in advance?

And if, in fact, the two-disc set contains the exact same DVD content as the Ultimate Gift Set, then I'm sure that thousands and thousands of DVD enthusiasts who pre-ordered the UGS just to get the 1982 theatrical cut are going to be extremely upset.

 

[Bernhard]

I'm curious what the spine looks like on the canadian bilingual version. I can live with bilingual titles on the front cover but I really care about the spine as that is what I always look at when browsing my DVDs.

Could someone please post a picture of the spine?

Thanks!

 

[Chuck West]

Does anyone here work at Best Buy, Circuit City, etc. that can sneak into the stockroom to check out the packaging for the Gift Set?
I can't believe a company like Universal is leaving their customers in the dark like this.