Damn it! I just bought the 2 disc collectors edition from ebay.

The 1980 and 1998 versions are almost the same thing. There may be some minor differences between the two. But mostly it's just the omission of the mothership ending that really sets the two apart. Since as we know,the mothership finale was a demand by the studio before they allowed Spielberg to recut and film addititonal footage for the film in 1980.

The 1977 version does not include the mongolian desert sequence with the ships discovered in the desert(this was filmed for the 1980 SE).
And it includes the full town evacuation sequence(which can be seen in the deleted scenes section on disc 2 of the 1998 collectors dvd). It also contains Roy at the power plant getting orders on where to go for the emergency call. These two sequences I really loved and felt were quite atmospheric and just added immsensely to the film. So it was a shame to see them chopped out of the other versions of the film. The finale of the town evacuation left in the other versions is not as effective since it seems Roy just finds Jillian like that in the crowd at the train station. Whereas in the original version,there is dialogue between the two that is omitted in the other versions of the film.

There are many bits of dialogue,and editing differences scattered throughout the film. Two of my favorite bits of dialogue were "They can fly rings around the moon, but we're years ahead of them on the highway", from the old man on the highway before the UFOs and cops fly by. And there was another line of dialogue durring the 'pillow sequence' as I call it that I forgot exactly how it went. But it was something like "that's not right" or something when Roy notices a strange shape in the appearance of the pillow. This dialogue and most of the eerie scene is deleted in the other versions of the film.

Here is a pretty detailed list of the differences in the SE/98 versions. Though I'm confused about the mentions of Roy tearing up the house and building the mountain replica being cut down etc in the other versions. Since at least in the tv versions I've seen of the 1980/98 cut. The scene played out intact it appeared to me. So maybe the network just added footage into the broadcast? I recall seeing the full globe rolling sequence once on a cable station. But the scene is cut short in all available versions so far. I'd like to know if that 'globe rolling' bit is for real or just myth. Since I'm pretty damn sure I saw it on tv once. Since it was one of the things I noticed 'missing' in later broadcasts and I began to keep track of the differences. And that's how I became aware of why I prefered the 1977(or as close to that as possible) version of the film to the others.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0075860/alternateversions


One of the worse additions to the other cuts of the film in my opinion was Roys break down sequence. It just felt amaturish and terribly executed and annoyed the hell out of myself.

So it will be a great day when this new release comes out. And I can enjoy the version of the film I like best,instead of having to rely on the old Criterion laserdisc I have.

That's as far as I needed to read. Sold!

Thanks for putting it in HD on Blu-ray ONLY! :sad:

Thanks, Julie Walker.

Spielberg's opinion on this movie seems to change every ten years or so.

Now he's been quoted as saying that if he filmed the movie today, he wouldn't even have Roy leave his family. Not sure how they'd get dragged all the way to Wyoming, especially after that weak breakdown sequence (+1 to Julie).

But hey, Spielberg can be a Lucas-level tinkerer on his films if he wants--just as long as he restores all of Dennis Weaver's inner monologue to Duel. :)

Well it IS a Sony title.


ummm, duh....?

;)

Actually he said that 9 years ago when the DVD came out.

I know the laserdisc had a Critierion and a Sony version and there was always debate of which had a better transfer. The Critierion had a nice cool blue tint and the Sony had a brownish tint like the dvd.

I've never seen the '77 version, but I like the idea of that desert sequence at the beginning being cut. That scene never did it for me. Slowed things down, IMO.

Aren't the deleted scenes on the current DVD just scenes from the other two versions which aren't included in the director's cut?

I actually am starting to dislike this trend to just release a bunch of cuts. In some cases it's warranted -- I could see this having the original cut and the final cut, but the 1980 seems compromised in every way; just throw the mothership scene on as a deleted scene and make it a two-disc.

I used to like collecting multiple cuts, and then I realized I never actually wanted to watch the lesser cuts. The most that would happen would be that I would like a scene in one cut which was not in the other cut, but that should be what deleted scenes sections are for.

I like original cuts, and I like final director's cuts in cases of movies which were compromised in some major way ['Blade Runner', 'Brazil', this], but I'm getting sick of studios inflating the prices of their DVDs by including a full disc of a cut I will never care to watch.

I find that I oftentimes will only ever watch one particular cut of a movie -- such as, I'll only watch the extended cuts of the Lord of the Rings trilogy from now on, so I could (should) get rid of the theatrical cuts. I like the '98 DVD set for Close Encounters, and I don't imagine ever watching any other. But for those who like the originals of films (such as E.T.), I think it's a good thing to be released.

Might want to hold on to that, even with the 30th anniversary release on the way. A documentary is mentioned, but there's no word on whether it's the same one as found on the CE or something entirely new.

I can live without the Watch the Skies featurette (only six minutes and presented in non-anamorphic video, unless it's been enhanced for Blu-ray) and the storyboard piece (not exactly my big passion in extras). The original theatrical trailer would be nice, but that of Jaws was scrapped for its 30th Anniversary Edition, as well. However, if the documentary is not carried over, I will retro double dip. By all accounts, it's an amazing work.

Funny how something like this is tagged as an "ultimate" edition, yet doesn't include everything previously available. Pretty great, sure, but incomplete. Maybe more bonus content will be revealed in the coming months, but so far, the DVD has an introduction by Steven Spielberg and a documentary. Cool, but... would still appreciate the trailer. That said, perhaps few, strong extras are better than many, weak ones.

--THX

I hope the transfer is better than the previous release, but I do love this movie...so I'll get the upgrade.

The 1980 version DOES cut out the scene of Neary tearing up all the plants and throwing things through windows, stealing chicken wire from the neighbors.
The scene put back in for the 1980 shows Neary in the shower the night before having a breakdown, a big fight with Ronnie and then come morning they show her putting the kids in the car. Spielberg said at the time that he thought the 2 scenes together didn't work but for the 2001 director's cut, bith were intact. I was happy because Neary tearing up the house was a fave of mine.

Spielberg wrote CE3K when he was still young and didn't have any children. He's stated that since he became a father he wouldn't write the ending where Roy leaves his children the same.

Makes sense to me. I don't have kids, but I'd guess that one's perspective on life changes once you have children.

Having just had my first 2 months ago, I can say, yes, dramatically...

;)

I love that scene as well. And this is one of the reasons I hate directorial tinkering after a film is made. Since they usually go and delete/alter some of the best bits of the film that made it a favorite to fans!

Now about the globe rolling sequence. A full version did exist originally right? Where they show the people rolling the globe down the hallway and into the room at the army base(or where ever)?

Since I'm pretty sure I did see that on a cable broadcast before. And after thinking about it. It must have been the Disney Channel presentation sometime in the mid/late 90's. Since the versions I saw on tv before that never had the Mongolian desert sequence or anything(Nearys breakdown). And I recall seeing the Mcdonalds sign sequence in this version, as well as more footage of Neary driving around town durring the blackout asking for directions and so forth. And I assumed this was the 1980 SE(as labeled in the tv guide) and I hated most of the changes/additions I saw.

From my search on the web. It seems a tv edit may have been created at one point which included all(or much of) the footage from the 1977 and 1980 versions. So maybe the Disney version was this composite edit?

And after the Disney showing. I noticed all versions shown on tv were of the 1998 version(including TCM). And many of my favorite bits I remember seeing earlier were deleted.

Hopefully, the missing "Pillow/Mountain" scene will return. It wasn't even in the Deleted Scenes last release.

The 1977 version will be great to see again.
It's what absolutely blew me away as a 10 year old at the Ziegfeld in NYC...

:)

I'm far from an expert on this film but are you referring to the scene where he's staring at his pillow and says "I've seen this before"? I'm positive that was in the deleted scenes section of the last release.

How about the transfer will it be re-mastered?

yes, it is all 3 versions. A sony insider at AVS has confirmed they did alot of work on it.

I noticed that for the last few years that dvd was on sale alot and then it in a 2-pack set. The same thing happened with TITANIC, FACE-OFF, BRAM STROKER'S DRACULA.
So it seems that if a big hit dvd is always on sale for under $10 every week for a year at Best Buy & Circuit City that a new re-master spec. ed is on it's way so remember that folks!

yes, the ABC cut of the film was the longest composite cut of the film.

A *small* wish:

I hope Universal includes the orignal teaser trailer for the 1977 release: A slow dolly up to the lighted tool shed that ends with ET's hand reaching around the door frame. I still remember the first time I saw that teaser!