Question about the E.T. 2 disc set
 

I have seen E.T. 2 disc set (2002) on E-Bay and some of the auctions are confusing.

Questions I have.

1. I want the Widescreen edition.
Some people say that the 2002 is Widescreen, while the original 1982 is Full Screen. Is that true?

2. Is both the 1982 & 2002 versions Widescreen in the 2 disc set?

3. Is there anyway to confirm via the packaging or the disc whether or not it's widescreen or full screen.

I don't want to go through the hassle of buying it and either the 1982 version is Full Screen or I just get the Full Screen version even though the auction says it was Widescreen.

Thanks for your help.

1. My Widescreen set has both versions in Widescreen

2. Isn't this the same question as #1?

3. Only by the sticker on the front, the UPC sticker on the back, and on the disk artwork itself I think it says.

Best thing to do is go for a sealed one where you can see the WIDESCREEN sticker on the front.

I have both the 2 disc and the ultimate gift set, and they are widescreen. No worry about that here, unless you accidentally picked up a full screen version.

I have the 2-disc edition that I got from Ebay sealed, it's very nice and Widescreen but it was the Canadian version with French on the package, not a big deal but wasn't expecting that.

I have the Canadian 2002 edition of the «2-Disc Limited Collector's Edition». Both films are anamorphic widescreen. As there is a fullscreen version out there, you have to assume, like Snomaker says, that the only way to tell them apart is by their outside sticker (which I no longer have). So, buyer beware!

But it is strange to note that on the entire package, the only mention about this is on the inner ring of Disc 1 that says «Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1» in tiny characters. Disc 2 has no such mention.

I assume this was a cost-cutting measure insuring only one package for different discs, compensated by the addition of outside stickers. After all, those special bilingual Canadian editions cost money!

I think this was an oversight or a huge mistake on the part of the distributor as they had to scramble at the last minute to get those stickers put on when they realized there was no way for the consumer to tell what version the package contained.

Not only that but the e-bay sellers make the situation even more complicated. Very few of them mention whether the DVDs they sell are fullscreen or widescreen. Others confuse the 20th anniversary edition with the 2-disc collector's edition by using the wrong picture for the cover.

This DVD was supposed to have been discontinued after 2002 but there is still lots in stock at both amazon.com and amazon.ca - while quantities last - in both the widescreen and fullscreen versions, so why take a chance?

I have the same set, and just have to say it's the worst packaging job ever! We could only hope it really was limited, so they could release a better version someday.

There were a bunch of last-minute changes to this- the original version was planned to be only in the box set, but someone changed their mind at the last minute and decided to include it in the 2-disc set.

Don't know why they bothered doing a Foolscreen version of this; Steven Speilberg has always been a proponent of letterboxing but most of his movies are available in foolscreen on DVD anyways.

OK, now that I have mine in front of me, only the 2002 version of the movie says the aspect ratio right on the disk in very small text. The second disk with the original version does not say.

Once the shrink wrap is off this thing, there is no way to tell whether its WIDE or FULL screen unless you look at the disk. Both labels that indicate it (including the barcode label) are just stuck to the shrink-wrap. I actually peeled my barcode off and stuck it to the back of the digi-case.

When I was unwrapping mine it had a sticker on the front, I was really careful with it but it still damaged the digipak. I haven't watched either yet, so I think I'll check when I get home.

On the fullscreen edition, the 2002 version is fullscreen and the 1982 (Disc 2) is widescreen. Probably disc 2 is the same on all of the sets. So I guess it depends on if you like the 2002 version better or not if you don't receive the widescreen edition of the set.