Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Widescreen Edition) Reviews

• Finally Coming To DVD! Preorder Now!

  
  By A36YCFLK9LQ79X on 2001-03-10
  This two-disc set features a THX-certified 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer of Spielberg's (so far) favored cut of the film (the third!), dubbed the "Collector's Edition" after its 1998 release on VHS and laserdisc, and runs 137 minutes. The anamorphic transfer is minted from a hi-def transfer created at Sony's DVD center in Culver City, California and cleaned up for this release. The disc features both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 soundtracks, the 102-minute "The Making Of Close Encounters Of The Third Kind" documentary by Laurent Bouzereau created for the 1998 laserdisc, a collection of additional deleted scenes, a featurette on the film's enduring place in the sci-fi film pantheon entitled "Watch The Skies" (which, coincidentally, was the original working title for Spielberg's opus), talent files, and two theatrical trailers. Note that the still gallery on the laserdisc will not be carried over to the DVD. The set also comes packaged in Columbia's new "book-like" special edition casing with extensive production notes.
  
  

• We are not alone.....

  
  By A1A87TUBBDPMF0 on 2003-09-04
  Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Steven Spielberg's 1977 UFO classic, is the thematic antitheses to 1996's Independence Day. While Roland Emmerich's ID4 is a throwback to 1950s "invaders from space" flicks, Spielberg's vision of a "close encounter" between humanity and extraterrestrials is more mysterious and, in the end, more hopeful and awe-inspiring. Instead of exchanging bullets and "heat rays," humans and aliens communicate by using musical notes.

  Spielberg's screenplay divides Close Encounters roughly into three acts, basically corresponding to each of the three kinds of "encounters."

  In the first category, sightings of a UFO, we first see a very strange sight in the Mexican desert: an international team of researchers led by French UFO expert Lacombe (the late Francois Truffaut) and guided by several Mexican Federales finds five World War II vintage Grumman TBM Avengers. The planes are abandoned but strangely intact, as though they were brand new. "Who flies this kind of plane?" asks a bewildered cartographer/interpreter named Laughlin (Bob Balaban).

  "No one," replies another astonished researcher. "This is Flight 19."

  (Flight 19, of course, is a reference to a Navy training flight which took off from Ft. Lauderdale one morning in December 1945 and vanished, along with a Martin Mariner search plane sent up to look for the missing planes and crews. Flight 19 is now famous in the lore of unsolved mysteries related to the Bermuda triangle.)

  Laughlin is baffled by something else, as well. A Mexican villager, old, sunburned, and seemingly delirious, keeps repeating, "El sol salio anoche y me canto. El sol salio anoche y me canto." When Laughlin asks what the phrase mean, a researcher who is fluent in Spanish says, in an awed tone, "He says the sun came out last night. He says it sang to him."

  Later, in the Indianapolis Air Traffic Control Center, a more dramatic close encounter of the first kind plays out on the radar scopes as airliner pilots call in reports of bright lights in the sky and unknown contacts make their presence known. For a few tense minutes it look as though tragedy is imminent, but within moments the contacts vanish into the night sky. Torn between reporting a UFO sighting or just letting the incident slide by, pilots and air traffic controllers alike opt to keep quiet, mainly to avoid having to fill out tons of bureaucratic paperwork.

  As important as these sequences are, the focus of Spielberg's story is on Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss), an employee of a Midwestern power company whose life on Earth is ordinary, hectic, and somewhat unfulfilling. Sent out to investigate a section of power lines in rural Indiana (caused, of course, by the UFOs' passage), Neary has a close encounter of the first kind and impulsively goes on a truck-borne pursuit of two small "flying saucers." This sequence, which ends with a Keystone Kops-like police chase of the same UFOs, triggers an obsession within Neary that neither his wife Ronnie (Teri Garr) nor his children will understand, much less accept. Neary, along with several hundred other people from different towns and states, will soon be haunted by both a visual image and a simple five-note musical phrase. The traces of the UFO flights that leave traces behind (sunburn on people who, like Neary, were exposed to bright light at night) are known as close encounters of the second kind.

  Spielberg weaves Neary's everyman-faces-an-extraordinary- situation plot with the official investigations being carried out by the UN-sponsored Lacombe team and a more secretive U.S. government First Contact program. These plot threads will all lead to a climactic and awe-inspiring close encounter of the third kind: actual (and documented) contact between humanity and another space-faring civilization.

  The Columbia/Tri-Star Collector's Edition brings not only a newly re-edited version (trimming some excess material from the 1980 Special Edition) of the 1977 film, but also comes with a second disc loaded with extras such as a Laurent Bouzereau documentary on the making of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, a 1977 promotional featurette, and the theatrical trailers.
  
  

• I wished upon a star and my dream came true!

  
  By A2TOX3E4WZ8BSQ on 2007-11-15
  Now this is the way it should be. You get all three cuts, all remastered in 5.1 surround and all have been digitally transferred. Thank you so much Mr. Spielberg because this without a doubt has to be one of your best (along with the original ET).
  
  Last night, I watched the original theatrical version and forgot how much was removed for the "Special Editions" and the final "Director's Cut". In my mind, the original version is the best and to finally have it in all it's uncut 5.1 surround sound (which didn't exist back then) glory is simply wonderful.
  
  The packaging is nice, although I found it very difficult to remove the DVDs without fearing I might snap them because the locking mechanism seems to not want to let go of the DVDs no matter how hard I press down on them. I suppose I could look at it in that I shouldn't fear them coming off during shipping and getting scratched up.
  
  The box is nicely designed and inside are some wonderful items. It comes with a poster that gives a time line for each movie and where each cut differs which I found really interesting. It also comes with a book full of bios on the actors and other people that worked on the film. Plenty of in-movie and behind-the-scene shots. Finally, the three DVDs are housed in a tri-fold container. Inside and outside are colorful shots from the movies and it really makes the entire set look nice.
  
  In addition to the three editions of the movies, there is also a new "30 Years" documentary looking back over time at how CE has been a favorite movie that has stood the test of time. Also, the making-of documentary that was on the original Director's Edition that came out a few years ago has been split across the three DVDs. Also included is the 1977 making of documentary which was also on the previously released Director's Cut DVD.
  
  Missing are all the "deleted" scenes that were included on the Director's Cut. So, if you own that one, it might be best to keep it since they are absent from this edition.
  
  Overall, this is an excellent release and no one should be without it. To finally watch it like I did when it first came out back in 1977 (and I lived in Muncie, Indiana at that time so you can just imagine what the crowd did when that came up during the movie) was so refreshing and wonderful that I can't wait to watch it again!
  
  
  
  

• Still The Best Movie I've Ever Seen

  
  By A3H4TIVTTA5IBB on 2007-11-15
  Close Encounters of the Third Kind remains at the top of my list of my all time favorite movies. It has invoked a sense of wonder that no movie has ever come close to. And now that we have the 30th anniversary edition on DVD, we finally get to experience the movie in the original release as well as the two other cuts.
  
  The movie involves the government searching for UFO evidence and the everyday people who see the UFO's who didn't go seeking them. While the government searches merely on scientific facts to make contact, the "everyman" characters develop an artistic talent either through art or music to lead them to contact. Those two sides finally clash before both making contact and realizing how they came together and how they were all "invited" to make contact.
  
  I think what makes this movie so special for me is how little you see of the UFO's during the entire movie and how it affects the characters throughout the film. Then we are rewarded with the best final 20 minutes of any film made since. And the music...not just the "5 notes" but the entire soundtrack by John Williams is so haunting and is a character in itself.
  
  Having the original edition again is a thrill and I believe I have to give it the edge, though the "Director's Cut" is a very close second. The Director's Cut has the better Neary introduction but everything else I like better in the original cut. Don't ask me why, but the pillow scene was always a haunting scene and I liked it. And I like the order of the scenes between Roy and the government officials better. Though, as a whole, the director's cut isn't bad at all, I just like the original. When I was younger, I was thrilled to hear about the Special Edition to see "inside the mothership." And as a kid, I loved those scenes but was so unhappy that the building of Roy's Devil's Tower was left out and as a result, it ruined the movie for me. Now, I am glad the mothership inside scene was removed from the Director's Cut as it does take away the sense of wonder if what it would be like from our minds.
  
  Close Encounters has stood the test of time and it is a film that always will and could never be remade.
  
  
  

• Review of the DVD itself

  
  By A3S32NOJQ0KLS8 on 2007-11-19
  OK, here's a review of the DVD itself. (5 stars because the studio finally has released all 3 cuts of the film) There's never enough info out there on the DVD content alone, but there are hundreds of people's reviews and opinions of the movie. Suffice it to say I love the film, always have; simply one of Spielberg's best films ever. And to now have the actual 1977 cut of the film on DVD is a huge payoff for fans of this modern classic film.
  
  OK, this standard DVD release is on 3 discs. The 1977 Original Theatrical Version on disc 1; the 1980 Special Edition on disc 2; and the 1998 Collector's Edition (aka The Director's Cut) on disc 3. The studio split the 101 minute 36 sec "making of" documentary directed by Laurent Bouzerau into 3 parts, one part on each disc. Not very convenient but at least its the same documentary, same length, as was on the 1998/2001 "Collector's Edition" DVD. The two trailers from that earlier release are here although the 1977 trailer here is called Original Theatrical Preview and is 1:20 longer (for this one they add 1:20 footage up front from the air traffic controllers scene; almost sounds as if the narrator is different, see what you think). The Special Edition trailer is the same as on the Collector's Edition DVD. The 1977 "Watch the Skies" featurette has also been released here on the 30th Anniversary Edition as well. What's totally new here is a newly-filmed conversation with Spielberg called "Steven Spielberg: 30 Years of Close Encounters" running 21:21; and a 2 minute 30th Anniversary release trailer. One of the coolest things of all is a 14"x21" glossy poster with a complete guide to the 3 versions (edits) of the film indicating which scenes are unique to each version and which scenes were trimmed, added, excised, etc. laid out in a "timeline" (of the 2 hour+ running time) fashion. Finally CE3K fans can get straight which scenes were in which version after all these years! The reverse side of the poster is the 1977 movie poster. There is also a really nice booklet (lots of pages) with production stills and filmography information on Spielberg and the 4 main stars. The only thing not included here that was on the Collector's Edition DVD are the 11 deleted scenes totalling 24:17 - so between that release and this, you should have pretty much all you need! (The 1990 Criterion laserdisc material would be great to have as well, but it's not a perfect world - this set and the Collector's set together make this fan completely happy!)
  
  Disc 1:
  - 1977 Original Theatrical Version (135 min)
  - Making of Close Encounters of the Third Kind Part 1 (39:15)
  - Original Theatrical Preview (6:02)
  
  Disc 2:
  - 1980 Special Edition (132 min)
  - Making of Close Encounters of the Third Kind Part 2 (47:30)
  - Special Edition Trailer (1:58)
  
  Disc 3:
  - 1998 Director's Cut [as it's called on the DVD menu; aka Collector's Edition] (137 min)
  - Making of Close Encounters of the Third Kind Part 3 (15:29)
  - Steven Spielberg: 30 Years of Close Encounters (21:21)
  - Watch the Skies [1977 featurette] (5:55)
  - 30th Anniversary Trailer (approx 2 mins)
  
  
  
• When You Wish Upon a Star........
  By A2ZSC81MXLBELX on 2002-10-12
  This Review refers to the newly released (Aug 2002) Single Disc Collectors Edition of this film (columbia)......
  So you have either seen this film and you love it, or by some chance have never seen it and want to see what all the fuss was about.In either case you are trying to decide which edition to buy. I'm not here to make up your mind for you (it was a tough enough decision for me) just to let you know that this DVD was one of the most enjoyable I've watched lately...First a little about the story though.
  This Sci-Fi tale of UFO's is more like a fairy tale.Roy Neary(Richard Dreyfuss) is a regular guy, living an ordinary maybe not so happy life with his wife(Teri Garr)and kids. On a routine run in his Utility truck one night, something extrordinary happens to him. He is witness to bright lights which turn out to be UFO's. He becomes obsessed with the visitors,as do others who have witnessed the same. He befreinds Jillian(Melinda Dillon), who's little boy was abducted by the ship. They are drawn to the site that the Ufo's have communicated to scientists, through musical tones,where they will meet. There is a hugh gathering of all these men of science,as they wait for something, anything to happen. Roy looks on, just thrilled to be a part of it all.. Without giving away too much (for those who have not seen it), I will tell you that we are treated to the most wonderful and touching scenes of the "encounter".John Williams score, and "When you wish upon a star" being played throughout really adds to the viewing and listening pleasure.
  Steven Spielberg has presented us with a gift of a tale that can be enjoyed by families for many years to come. You will never tire of this story.
  Okay Okay! so the DVD.....As I said before it was one of the most enjoyable DVD's I've watched. It's Digitally mastered. As far as audio there is set ups for dolby digital 5.1 as well as 5.1 DTS, also one for 2 channel surround, so whatever system you have you should be real happy with the sound. I felt like I was in the theatre. The picture is the sharpest I've ever seen it. It's in widescreen (anamorphic) and remastered in high defination. There are several languages for subtitles if needed.
  There are no other extra features(Behind the scenes, or interviews), Just a Class-A treatment for a Class-A movie.
  "We are not alone".................Laurie
  
  
• Explanation Of The Price
  By A2O3QFPLKXHQ6P on 2007-09-29
  Okay, I really don't get how this price is ridiculous. For a few reasons. Here are mine.
  
  1. Spider-Man 3 is $50 retail, same as this. One version of it, too. And most people didn't even think that movie was all that great.
  
  2. Blade Runner is ridiculously UNDER-priced. Think about it. A typical Blu-Ray release is around $20 if you get it through amazon and at least $25-$30 if you get it at a department store like Best Buy. Blade Runner is a FIVE disc set for $40 retail and $27.95 on amazon?? That is, hands down, the best deal I have ever seen on home video. Period. But don't let it screw the curve for Close Encounters.
  
  3. You're getting THREE versions of the film, two of which have never been on DVD, none of which have been on Blu-Ray. And plenty of extras. And it's a classic, classic film (unlike Spider-Man). Well worth my $35. In any case, this release is ten times as awesome as the typical Blu-Ray release by the looks of it...and only about $5 more than I'd pay for another one at Best Buy. I think it's perfectly reasonable myself.
  
  
• A Great Film ... But Be Careful Which Edition You Get!
  By A1P08EQRTROXYA on 2000-08-23
  Essentially, this is a 1950s space invasion movie magnificently re-envisioned as a blissful brush with eternity. It's tempting now to look at this movie as Spielberg's warmup for the more popular "E.T.," but the film stands on its own, offering its own delights and is perhaps even cosmically grander. Certainly, I think, it has held up better over time than "E.T." has. Among its special blessings have to be counted the exceptionally warm, humane performance by the great French director Francois Traffaut as a scientist long on the trail of aliens, little Cary Guffey as a tot first captivated and later captured by space visitors, the dazzling special effects of Douglas Trumbell (who worked on "2001" and "Blade Runner"), the stunning Oscar-winning photography of Vilmos Zsigmond and John Williams' powerful and brilliantly integrated score. The film, which focuses on mankind's first official meeting with alien visitors, is sci-fi marked by top-notch effects, rare humor and a feeling of joy and hope. Richard Dreyfuss and Melinda Dillon play everday people frantically and irresistibly drawn to the landing of a gigantic mothership in rural Wyoming. The anguished "second act" of the film is sluggish and somewhat repititious (especially in the 1977 version), but the first half hour and last 40 minutes certainly make up for it. The film remains a tribute to Spielberg's enthusiasm and skill as a youthful filmmaker (unmarred by the strained seriousness of too much of his later work), and the movie belongs in every film lover's collector. But beware! There are several different versions of this film floating around out there on video -- and, alas, no DVD edition yet. The standard format video is usually the "Special Edition" -- Spielberg's 132-minute 1980 revision of the film, with additional footage inside the mothership. The first video released in widescreen format -- labeled "The Collector's Edition" -- offers the film in its original 137-minute 1977 version, plus a short about the making of the film (offering some fascinating outtakes) and interviews with principle contributors (note Spielberg on the set of "Saving Private Ryan"). What the latest "Director's Cut" is I have no idea, perhaps the version authorized for network TV broadcast that included all footage from the 1977 and 1980 versions. Check the running time for clues.
  
  
• Good, but I still want more (or "Close, but no cigar!")
  By AZ7CP3ZOM28HC on 2001-06-14
  Like several other reviewers, I am something of a Close Encounters connoisseur, having viewed every different cut of this movie since the original 1977 release. My least favorite, by far, was the so-called "Special Edition" that was released in 1980 and for years was the only version available for home viewing. I always felt that the deletion of certain scenes from that version made the story difficult to follow and the flow of the movie somewhat choppy. The shot of Dreyfuss inside the Mother Ship killed much of the mystery and wonder that surrounded the ending in the original cut. When the movie was aired on network TV back in the early 80's, a complete version was shown, including all of the original '77 footage and the additional "Special Edition" scenes edited together. With the exception of the scene inside the spacecraft, this version would have to be my favorite. As a fan, I feel like I'm getting the complete Close Encounters experience when I watch this cut of the film. In every other version, somehow I feel cheated when a scene, or even a quick camera shot, is missing. In 1990, Criterion released a laser disc version of this film that included all the footage. My hope was that the "Collector's Edition," as this DVD edition is called, would also include the "complete" film. While the Collector's Edition is a vast improvement over the Special Edition, I still find myself wishing that a few extra scenes could have been included in the main feature. I always felt that the scene showing Neary at the power plant was necessary to explain to the viewer why he's out in the middle of nowhere looking for downed power lines. This is on Disc 2 as a deleted scene, but without this short scene included in the main feature it requires the viewer to make an a cognitive jump in regard to the story-line, and is actually quite confusing to the first-time viewer. Another deletion (that's not included on Disc 2) is where Neary "sees" the mysterious shape in a pillow at home. Later in the film he refers to this previous vision, but since the scene referred to has been deleted in this version, it doesn't have the full impact on the viewer that it could. There's a few other minor exclusions that die-hard fans will wish were on there. Fortunately, Spielberg deceided NOT to include the interior shot of the spacecraft in the main feature, so the mystery remains (not to mention the end of the film flows a lot better without this additional scene, in my opinion). I still feel the Criterion release on laser disc is superior, at least from a content perspective. You had the option of watching the original '77 cut that was released in theaters, the 1980 "Special Edition," or a complete cut of the movie with all scenes, all depending on how you programmed your laser disc player. Perhaps Criterion will see fit to re-release this movie on DVD using the same format as their previous laser disc set.

  In conclusion, I feel this cut (the "Collector's Edition") is excellent, the transfer seems good, and the documantary and extras on Disc 2 are a real treat. Nevertheless, truly die-hard fans will find themselves wanting a slightly more complete cut of the film.
  
  

• Classic finally given the HD treatment
  By A3IETUG7CNRJGE on 2007-09-25
  This DVD will contain 3 versions of the movie on 1 disc, with a stack of bonus extras.
  Original Theatrical Version (1977)
  Special Edition (1980)
  Director's Cut (1998)
  
  Special Features:
  
  All 3 versions of the film branched on the 1 disc
  Ground-breaking version schematic that tracks the versions
  New 2007 interview with Spielberg talking about the versions
  Acclaimed 100 minute documentary from Collector's Edition release
  42 minute "Making of" documentary
  Photo gallery
  Special packaging
  
  information from... [..]
  
  the standard edtion will be presented as a 3 disc set presented in a box with additional artwork, [...]
  
  
• Superior to the special edition but not the original
  By A3JNVI7XF1LE4A on 2001-08-28
  This version is basically the 1980 "Special Edition" without the ridiculous "inside the Mother Ship" sequence at the end. All of the other scenes added for the special edition (The ship in the desert and the additional scenes of Roy Neary's breakdown) are here. The main scene cut from the original version, which shows Roy Neary at work at the power station is still missing, but it is present as one of 11 deleted scenes on the second disk of this set. Most of these scenes were justifiably cut from the film, adding nothing to the story. Most interesting is an alternate meeting between Bob Balaban and Francios Truffaut in a limousine at an airport. Similar dialog but different. This scene was clearly meant to follow the air traffic control scene that is still in the movie. Also includes the obligatory "Making of Documentary, clearly shot at the same time as "Saving Private Ryan" as Spielberg is filmed in front of a debris strewn European street. This is a first class DVD presentation. I just wish that they could have done what they did with "The Abyss" and include BOTH versions of the film.
  
  
• A must-own Blu Ray Title!
  By A3J4PP9VX83S7T on 2007-11-24
  I bought a Blu ray player a few months ago. At 39 years old I was really hoping to see some of my favorite movies in this new HD format. Some movies seem to really benefit from this format (Kubrick's re-releases, Fifth Element, etc.). And some movies don't seem to take full advantage of the HD format.
  
  So it is with great pleasure that I say that this edition of Close Encounters of the Third Kind is quite simply "amazing!" Yes, the film is 30 years old. And some grain is to be expected. But wow, what a transfer! The colors pop off the screen. The contrast is nice and sharp, but not in a bad way. The dark scenes are virtually flawless. The color tones and overall look of the entire film is breahtaking. The audio easily makes this a reference Blu Ray disc and will really test your system.
  
  I'm not sure how much of the look of this film is due to the recent digital remastering and how much is simply due to the HD format, but the end result is enough to give you goose bumps.
  
  The movie may be 30 years old, but this transfer makes it look as though it was released this year.
  
  Worth noting is, thanks to the Blu Ray format, this release is just two discs (not 3 discs as in the standard def format). All three versions of the film (original Theatrical release, Special Edition release, and the edition for this set, Director's Cut) are ALL on the first disc. Disc two contains all the special features. And there's hours of non-filler, must-watch stuff on this disc too. A 2007 interview with Spielberg and cast talking about the versions, an almost 2-hour documentary from Collector's Edition release, 42 minute "Making of" documentary. After watching all the special features I want to go back and watch the film again.
  
  The Director's Cut seems to be the one to watch since it is Speilberg's idea of the how the movie should look. Worth noting is the deirector's cut of the movie removes the scene inside the mother ship. Wich Speilberg admits in the special features was a compromise with the studio to fund a few extra scenes for the Special Edition. (The "Director's Cut" is a combination and re-cut of the original release and the special edition.)
  
  In colclusion, a fantastic release that seems to embrace the benefits that the Blu Ray format offers. A stunning and breathtaking transfer of an already great movie. The transfer is so good that you'll feel like you're watching it for the first time all over again. I suspect this release will be in most Blu Ray owner's libraries.
  
  
• The worst kind.
  By on 2001-07-09
  Derivative remake of 1950's B-grade alien pictures, bloated with A-grade 1970's special effects and New Age hooey every bit as mushy as the pile of mashed potatoes that Richard Dreyfuss sculpts early in the movie. The movie looks fantastic: no less than 6 world-class cinematographers tinkered with the look of the thing, and the results were groundbreaking for the period. But that's the only thing going for *Close Encounters*. Everything else about it reveals the work of an amateur, starting with the incidentals of the plot: almost every scene is too obviously maneuvering the characters into, well, the next scene. (An example is when Dreyfuss and his two friends are on Devil's Tower hiding from the Government's helicopters. The sequence, mostly taking place in an afternoon, is merely a delay -- Spielberg must wait for nighttime for his climax. There are many "padded" scenes like this.) Most egregious, however, is the way Spielberg manipulates the audience with nearly 2 hours of noisy menace, only to end the whole thing with an "Awww!" trance-out a la *The Wizard of Oz*. Childish, indeed.
  
  
• My Second Favorite Spielberg FIlm!
  By A2W00XKTTF1G0Z on 2002-06-25
  Close Encounters Of The Third Kind is the most intriguing films I have ever seen. It's filled with mystery, suspense, color and imagination

  Let me discuss the DVD extra's first. There are many. It has two versions of the film. Several "Making Of" documentaries and the interviews with the original cast and crew. Including the then 5-year-old Drew Barrymore. The model making, lighting, location scouting and even the actual shooting of the scenes can be found here.

  Listening to Spielberg discuss almost every aspect of the making of this film is fascinating. And you get two versions of the movie. The one he originally cut and the theatrical release. For Sci-Fi fans the original version Steven cut is far more superior.

  This is a must DVD to have. The Collectors Edition is great and is worth watching over and over again.

  The story is simple but the action and mystery are almost magical. The ships, lights and colors are mesmerizing to the eye. All originally shot in an aircraft hanger. Wow!

  If you have forgotten the CLOSE ENCOUNTERS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
  Close Encounter of the 1st kind: Sighting
  Close Encounter of the 2nd kind: Evidence
  Close Encounter of the 3rd kind: Contact
  
  

• SPECTACULAR AND AWE-INSPIRING
  By AM2PV53UX1JEQ on 1999-12-24
  Steven Spielberg topped himself with this movie, which arrived two years after JAWS, the movie that blew the movie industry -- and the rest of us -- away. The first movie to explore aliens from the vantage point of someone who could be your neighbor, or YOU, is fascinating and utlimately surprisingly moving. The visual wonder of this movie is so palpable you can almost touch it with your hand, and the performances are so in synch that you become friends with these people by the time the Mother Ship arrives -- especially Melinda Dillon and Richard Dreyfuss; Teri Garr is as usual excellent, and Francois Truffaut is the perfect man to embody a sympathetic scientist, filled with wonder. When communication between humans and aliens begins to explode, I found tears welling up in my eyes, so complete was Spielberg's magic spell. The fact that this movie essentially features no real villian is remarkable; it manages to be profoundly funny, sentimental, interesting and magical without any real violence and no real character conflict/battle. John Williams once again provides a score of majesty and power; the creative collective genius who concocted an alien encounter entirely through music, whether it was Williams, Spielberg, the writers, or a combo, deserve(s) special mention, and Williams' theme evokes precisely the right emotional chords to transport you to the galaxies above, or at least to heaven.
  
  
• A great film
  By on 2001-05-22
  One of the first UFO films depicting aliens as kind, benevolent beings rather that monsters bent on human destruction. Beautifully directed by Spielberg with wonderful performances by Richard Dreyfus, Melinda Dillon, Francious Truffaut & Bob Balaban to name but a few. Merrill Connolly (Gov. John Connolly's brother), in only his second film role, is impressive as the team leader. Look for a walk-on by J. Alan Hynek (UFO researcher) in the big mothership scene (he's the bearded one with the pipe). Also of note is the ARP player, Phil Dodds, in his first and only film. He was originally there to setup and maintain the equipment during the shoot. Spielberg liked him and put him in the movie.

  Featuring spectacular special effects by Douglas Trumbull, creatures by Carlo Rambaldi and model work by Greg Jein. Of note with the mothership - as the ship rises over Devils Tower, watch for R2D2 hanging upside down. There is also a mailbox, a small shark (a nod to Jaws), and a WW2 airplane (1941 reference - in his early films, Spielberg would often hint at his next project in this way) located on the ship. Anyone visiting the Washington DC area can take a trip out to Silver Hill, Maryland to the Paul Garber Facility where they store the aircraft collection of the Air & Space Museum. The original mothership model is housed there awaiting restoration. It's a free tour but limited so you need to call ahead.

  Style-wise the film may look a bit dated but the themes of following your heart, hope for the future & the spirit of exploring the unknown are timeless. Using 'When you wish upon a star' as bookends for the film sets the tone perfectly. The first time I saw CE3K, I left the theater and just stared up at the sky for quite some time. Every time I have seen it since, I find myself doing the same thing. Entertaining, thought-provoking, humourous, sweet and awe-inspiring - this is one to keep and savor.
  
  

• Still fascinating despite some Spielbergian excesses
  By A3AUECYM0M0YSX on 2002-09-03
  This is a real "guilty pleasure" with me, a fun film to watch that, at the same time, is silly to the point of almost nonsense in many ways. While it was a high water mark in Spielberg's career, it also marked the beginning of some of the indulgences that make him a second-rate filmmaker today. (Save me your flame mail, I won't retract that.)
  
  There are some moments in Close Encounters that look good on film, but are seriously illogical or just plain silly: building a giant Devil's Tower in your living room when it'd be much more convenient to do it in your backyard; implanting a mountain image in the brains of casual UFO witnesses while sending longitudes and latitudes to the scientists; hauling a giant globe into a cramped radio telescope booth when it could be dealt with more easily where it was already standing; going all the way to India and asking *one* question, and a pretty stupid one at that; organizing a "top secret" operation by meeting in an ENORMOUS hall when there are all of about 50 people involved; allowing a woman to leave the state and otherwise go about her life without police surveillance when she claims her son has disappeared because aliens "stole" him; camouflaging trucks full of scientific gear with mock food signs, when they would be perfectly unobtrusive as simply unmarked trucks carrying perfectly legitimate research gear; chartering a bus (!!!) to take the red-suited astronauts to Wyoming when an unmarked military transport helicopter would have been a far better way to keep the mission secret; teaching a group of men and women hand-signals that aliens may not understand, or, worse, may misconstrue. Not to mention the silliest scene I've ever seen in a movie that is not a comedy: in the Gobi desert, jeeps are *followed* by *low-flying helicopters.* These helicopters should be scouting ahead, but they just fly near the ground and kick up sand. And someone has to tell Spielberg the locals there use horses for transportation, not camels.
  
  But there are many grand scenes too--one just wishes Spielberg could put a brake on the sillier parts of his imagination: the magnificent moment where Roy and Jillian first see, and rush up to, the mountain. The genuine awe and sweetness of the ending, totally devoid of any cynicism or negativity, yet not sappy either. The soulful, understated performance by Melinda Dillon. The incredible, spontaneous scenes with the little boy. (My favorite moment in this whole film is when she is on the rock madly snapping pictures of the Mothership and he is next to her, just silently staring at the amazing ship from which he had just come.) The way the aliens are more hinted at than shown. (There's one wonderful longshot of them just standing there looking at us, and then we look back at them. What more is there to say?) The effects were visionary in their time and have held up extremely well since 1977. Were it not for the cars and the haircuts and the suburban furnishings, you'd think this movie were made today. And Spielberg does such a good job of taking two worlds--two movies, really--and crashing them together head-on and making it work. You have the middle-class ordinary family existence, told conventionally, even blandly, and you have the grand, supernatural world of the UFOs. Spielberg joins them seamlessly, makes one believable in the realm of the other. Not many sci-fi movies have attempted this; they generally are very "futuristic" and "spacy" to begin with. Spielberg's triumph is that he melded his aliens into routine Indiana suburbia, brought them down to the Dairy Queen, and we don't laugh at the incongruity. It's credible. It's more of a directing job than Spielberg is often given credit for.
  
  Fortunately, most of the scenes cut from the 1980 reissue are restored here. While often underwrittten (the whole film is underwritten), they give the film the weight in the real world it needs to be truly credible. Spielberg was unwise to scissor them at all.
  
  The DVD picture is quite good overall. The sound is very fine and a lot of additional surround material has been added (more bass, more stereophonic wind effects and chatter in the air traffic control scene) that is not overdone and gives the film more presence without being obtrusive. The second disc of the documentary, deleted scenes and other goodies is fascinating. You'll learn everything you ever wanted to know about the making of CE3K in the 100+ minute supplement, and you can see a lot of early expositional material that was eventually cut from the movie (most of it wisely so, though there's a great scene with a young Carl Weathers that I wish they'd have kept). The only thing that mars the documentary is Spielberg's silly PC comment that he created three different types of aliens because he wanted to show cosmic diversity and multiculturalism. If you read Bob Balaban's book about the making of the film, written before there was such a thing as PC, you'd know the aliens aren't consistent-looking (neither are some of the saucer shots) because he was trying different techniques as he went along, hoping something would work. Or, if he's so concerned with diversity, why are almost all the scientist-earthlings white males?
  
  The trailers are interesting primarily for illustrating how poorly trailers were made back then.
  
  Overall a great release of a young, fearless Spielberg, only about 30 when he made this ambitious film. Too bad he never (at least in my opinion) fulfilled his promise to become the wunderkind director everyone was already calling him. After his disastrous next film, 1941, he started playing it safe, and never again attempted something like CE3K. For the next 20 years he was content to make formulaic flicks notable mostly for their special effects--and yes, I'm including ET on that list. Sure he's tackled some serious subjects, but even then his approach is generally simplistic, as though he's giving us a Dumbed Down Everyman's Guide to our recent past history. Steven Spielberg (and George Lucas) very likely started the present trend of filmmakers not trusting their audience's intelligence very much. Pity.
  
  
• Great Spielberg On BLU-RAY
  By A1EKPCH3OSVW4C on 2007-09-12
  Close Encounters is a superb Speilberg film and this is his first film presented on high defintion disc. This BLU-RAY disc should look and sound fantastic. A fine film with state of the art special effects, and a wonderful John Williams score on the best High Definition format-BLU-RAY. A must buy regardless of price by anyone who loves movies in High Def.
  
  
• When You Wish Upon A Star.....
  By A36VI4D8V3B03T on 2007-10-02
  When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are, anything your heart desires will come to you.
  
  Close Encounters Of The Third Kind is the journey of Roy Neary. Roy Neary is a dreamer, stuck in the mundane craziness of everyday life. One night Roy sees something that changes his life, he has a Close Encounter with something unexplainable.
  
  Roy's life goes into an tailspin. He loses many things that are dear to him in his search for truth, his curiosity becomes an obsession. Roy begins to see the shape of a mountain in pillows, in shaving cream, and seems to be falling apart at the seams.
  
  This Close Encounter has changed Roy Neary's life, and that of those who are featured along his journey. This film has stood the test of time for thirty years, and is a testament to the talent of Steven Spielberg.
  
  This film, along with Star Wars revolutionized not only special effects but blockbusters in general. I've never seen another film that weaves both music and special effects so beautifully.
  
  If you haven't seen this classic and timeless film, please take the time to do so. It is an experience that you will never forget.
  
  Like a bolt out of the blue, fate steps in and sees you thru
  When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true.
  
  
• DVD Spectacular
  By A183AMLJ3JVCH on 2001-05-26
  Having waited a longtime for this DVD,I was richly rewarded with this edition of the film. I have seen many DVD editions of old favorites of mine. Planet of the Apes, The Wrath of Khan, etc. I've found these releases to be marginally dissapointing. It seems to me that they just used the original elements of the films audio. Spielberg has done Close Encounters justice with this edition. I found the print to be spectaclar, with absolutely no grain or artifacs as well as exceptional tonal quality and clarity. But it's the sound that really blew me away. I viewed this DVD in DTS and found the soundstage remarkably transparent and dynamic throughout. Speilberg really pulled the bottom out and greatly expanded the LFE. I thought I was going to burst a water pipe, the room rattled so much. The DVD makes extensive use of all channels. The effects are everywhere. He must have also bumped up John Williams' score. It's sweeping and sounds like the very best sound recording that you'd find in any of today's top reference quality DVD's. If this is what we can expect from Speilberg, then hold on to your shoes for the release of Raiders.
  
  
• Over hyped eye candy with no plot
  By on 2001-08-07
  Okay, we all agree the visual effects were beyond the leading edge for the era. We all know today's computers can blow it away visually. But really, the plot is WEAK. The characters are so shallow. I mean, the farm mother loses her kid, and doesn't even seem that upset! Hello? And what is a single mother doing raising a young kid on a farm in the 70's? Where is the father? Where is the character development? Why didn't Dreyfus' wife put him in the psyche ward when he tore up the neighborhood? Why didn't the police drag him in for protective custody? The plot is so goofy and contrived it totally distracts from the big picture themes. The 1 star is only for visuals, otherwise, it ranks about a zero. One of the most over rated films of all time.
  
  
• Nasty
  By A3M5O6UHXO9IBU on 2005-07-06
  Apparently, Spielberg said he made War of the Worlds because it would be `fun' to do nasty aliens for a change. But just how `cuddly and benevolent' were these particular ET's? They terrorise a mother to within an inch of her life, pulling her child out of her own arms leaving her distraught and not knowing whether he is alive or dead. Why did they do that when they had dozens of adult abductees that had perfectly useful mature brains for study? Nasty aliens. And what about those adult abductees? Second World War guys, torn from wives or girlfriends. True love gone forever. Their parents probably dead in the interim. On top of that trauma they now have to adjust to a new world where they don't fit in. The result: depression and alcoholism, maybe even suicide. Nasty, nasty aliens. Then to cap it all off they come out of their mother ship naked and expose themselves to the reception committee. Sexual assault can be extremely traumatic, resulting in long term psychological problems. Except the French guy who no doubt treats that sort of thing with a Gallic shrug. Nasty, nasty, nasty aliens.
  
  Spielberg is fooling nobody but himself. See War of the Worlds, by the way, it's great. There's no plot, though.
  
  
  
• Where's the Blu-ray case?
  By A3TLO8ZZK3H29Z on 2007-11-15
  Yes, the collection of 3 versions of Close Encounters is great. Yes, the picture and sound is awesome. And yes, I am still glad that I bought it, but What is up with the Cheap Packaging, Cardboard Sleeve? We spend more money on Blu-ray and HD DVDs because we know we are receiving a higher quality product, and that should be including the cases! With hundreds of titles purchased, and uniformally placed on my shelf, this disc sticks out like a sore thumb. Let's hope Sony doesn't make this mistake again. I will pay more attention to the packaging details in my future purchases.
  
  
• Zay beelong een Mozambique...
  By A1KMPJH17TJJ4R on 2007-11-15
  This is an astounding set. I watched the Original Edition last night and deem it superior to the others, not simply because this is the version I saw as a boy in the theatre with my family, or because I am a purist. But because it IS better. I know, I know, Spielberg was under pressure from the studio to release early, but sometimes pressure is good for a production that rambles too long. I, for one, feel that LAWRENCE OF ARABIA is still just too damned long.
  
  I must defend my case: It is a superior narrative cutting straight from Barry running across the field at night to the close up of the antique Pinocchio music box plunking out "When You Wish Upon a Star" then to Roy's disappointment as the toy train crashes. I've always lost interest in the film during the scene that was added for the Special Edition of his wretchedly messy homelife; it just is not compelling enough to hold my interest. But showing him sadly watching the train crash means more.
  
  I do not miss the Cotopaxi scene because it doesn't mean anything, either. Sure, it's neat, but "neat" isn't narrative. In any case, we already got the idea from the Flight 19 sequence at the very beginning of the film. I also do not miss the family fight because for me, though really good, it weakens the really big fight the next morning when Roy goes mad and drives Ronnie and the kids from the house. Having two fights, so close to each other, is just redundant.
  
  And a word on the Director's Cut: I do like this cut, but because of the reshuffling of scenes, we never get the chance to hold onto the drama of what this incident has done to Roy Neary, or those around him. It's family scene, government scene, family scene, government scene, etc., etc., so that the family drama is interrupted by this checker-boarding of scenes. In the Original Edition, Roy's problem is set up and dealt with, then the Government's problem is set up and dealt with, so that by the end, they both meld together in the final 25 minutes.
  
  This also makes an awful cut, in the Director's Cut (originally in the Original Edition) make sense: Gillian chases after the clouds that have just kidnapped her son and it cuts immediately to her being hounded by reporters at a government office. There is no other cut like this in the Director's Cut and it's odd, to jump forward so quickly, following the same characters. This cut makes perfect sense in the Original Edition because that is the style of editing in that edition, it follows Roy or Gillian for a while, then follows the military men for a while, then back again. But to leave that cut, while changing the rest to a checker board of Roy, Government, Roy, Government, Roy, Government, Gillian, Gillian, is just jarring.
  
  I've always felt the pillow scene was vital, though the color timing on this disc for that scene leaves a lot to be desired. And shortening the shot of Lacombe as he watches Neary enter the Mother Ship at the end was just bad, because the music cuts out too soon; it even sounds like a bad edit. What a relief to see the music play smoothly as it should!
  
  Anyway, great set. My only real complaint is about the banding. "Banding" happens, and we've all seen it, when digital information can't handle the subtle gradations of color on the screen, either Standard Def or High Def, it doesn't matter. A blue sky or a gray wall will have bands of color changes, from light to dark, because digital just can't handle the subtlety, pure and simple proof that FILM IS SUPERIOR AND ALWAYS WILL BE.
  
  So, something happened last night when I watched the Original Edition, it was a profound, full-circle experience. The last time my parents and siblings and I ever went to the theatre together to see a film as a family was on a rainy November day in 1977. And it was to see CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND.
  
  
• Almost, but not quite perfect
  By AFHGXVC05UKTC on 2001-05-31
  As someone who lists this as one of his all-time favorite movies, I couldn't get this DVD fast enough. However, I was quite dissapointed with the first disc. The digital remastering was fantastic, but I can't understand why the Special Edition wasn't the feature. The Special Edition, especially with the inside-the-ship scenes, far outweighs the original. Also, there are other scenes which should have been left in instead of being shown on the Deleted Scenes on Disc 2. Roy Neary getting the assignment from the power plant and getting bad directions was critical to his first encounter. Also, the scene where he first sees the mound shape in the pillow is missing. My personal favorite, at the BBQ, when he gets everyone looking up has a fantastic dual meaning. He is looking up into the heavens and being worn out by the domestic boredom on Earth at the same time. Disc 2 saves this set. I have always wondered how Spielberg pulled this off. The Documentary is incredible. Over an hour and a half of inside info that makes viewing this movie even more enjoyable, if possible. I give it 4 stars, only because I believe that the Special Edition would have been worthy of five. Thank You.
  
  
• Finally here, and worth the wait...
  By A1N7ZQGH4VJV7Z on 2001-06-05
  This movie is why DVD players were invented! I remember seeing this in the theater 24 years ago and not quite understanding what it meant (I was only 7). The 1980 re-release added a couple of scenes including the ticket-selling final sequence inside the mother ship.

  The DVD version of Close Encounters contains neither the original version nor the Special Edition. Instead, DVD owners are treated to the "Directors Cut" that "...can be seen and enjoyed as he has always intended...". This basically means that the sequence inside the mother ship is cut out (a sequence he never wanted to do anyway) and a few scenes that were included in the original were put back (including a favorite scene of mine of Roy taking plants and fencing from the neighbors to build his mountain).

  I personally love this director's cut. I must admit my initial viewing ended in disappointment when the final mother ship sequence had been removed. After watching the phenomenal documentary on disc 2, I understand why it was taken away (you can still view the scene as part of the "deleted scenes" portion of disc 2).

  The documentary really gives the view a renewed appreciation of what it took to make this film.

  We've waited a long time for this DVD and it doesn't disappoint. It deserves 5 stars (though it would have been even better had it included the parody, "Closet Cases of the Nerd Kind").
  
  

• What's this movie about?
  By AFJ17BOHC8GRG on 2001-11-05
  Having heard a lot about this movie, after seeing it, I utterly fail to understand what people like about it. The story: guy has a hell of a row with his wife, leaves her and his nice kids, travels the country with another wife, and finally leaves the mess around him in a spaceship. If this is what happens when aliens come down, well, let them please stay where they belong.
  
  
• As ever,Spielberg stinks
  By A3DOTCSA1JN9GL on 2002-02-20
  What more need be said about this other than that it is a film by Spielberg, the insipid director who brought us such films as "Always" or "Hook", other than that he is the worst filmmaker since Bill Rebane? This early effort is even more idiotic than most of his more recent, half-hearted efforts. This film is an incredibly boring, almost plotless, overlong borefest that may well cure you of insomnia by boring you to death. Also, a special note to the manufacturers of this disk: This is the 21st century! We want more than just some sorry movie on the disk. If all we the public wanted was the movie we would gladly buy the VHS. For your next release, try putting some worthwhile extra features on the disk. At least then you might be able to trick the public into thinking they are getting something worth the money they paid.
  
  
• Close encounters doesn't cut it as classic cinema
  By A2ASIT0JYIGHTA on 2005-01-24
  Can you believe, I have never seen CEO3K until the other week. I looked forward to seeing it, but unfortunately it did not measure up. After hearing mixed reviews (so many of them referred to it as 'boring'), I was prepared to give it a go.
  
  Close Encounters is very slow moving, with the occassional interesting thing occurring, but it is not until the end where something interesting happens. And even then, I expected more. I was left thinking "is that it, after all that slow build-up?". Many scenes during the film are just too stupid for words.
  
  I have viewed the 2-Disc collector's edition which apparently is a combination of the Director's Cut and the original theatrical version. For a first timer to the film, it made no difference to me. However, as fans of the film have stated, the tampering by Spielberg for this special edition was not appreciated. He re-edited the original version removing scenes that perhaps gave it its popularity (eg. Dreyfuss entering the mothership). Spielberg has said he will never re-instate these scenes. Doesn't it annoy you when a Director refuses to let people see a film the way they originally remember? It's almost a kick in the teeth for helping him make his millions. Oh well, at least he had the decency to allow the original 'untouched' version of E.T. to be included on the 2002 digitally enhanced version DVD.
  
  The second disc of CE3K contains the extras which I guess would be gold for fans of the film. The DVD overall is a limited edition and at a price too - I am surprised at the price considering the film isn't that great. I wish someone could enlighten me on why this film is considered a classic.
  
  
• WHICH ENDING IS ON IT?
  By A39BNX3RKYTVE8 on 2006-12-30
  I wondered if the disk had the original ending or the "extended" ending that came out a few years after the theatrical version.
  Well, it has the theatrical version ending; the extended "inside the ship" ending is included in the extra scenes chapter.
  Better this way, IMO, since the original leaves the sense of unknown in the viewer. And the inside of the ship was kind of simplistic anyway - it looks like rock concert lights!
  
  
  

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