[.ca] Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Widescreen)

Amazon.com Essential Video:
Anybody who has written him off because of his string of stinkers--or anybody who's too young to remember The Goodbye Girl--may be shocked at the accomplishment and nuance of Richard Dreyfuss's performance in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Here, he plays a man possessed; contacted by aliens, he (along with other members of the "chosen") is drawn toward the site of the incipient landing: Devil's Tower, in rural Wyoming. As in many Spielberg films, there are no personalized enemies; the struggle is between those who have been called and a scientific establishment that seeks to protect them by keeping them away from the arriving spacecraft. The ship, and the special effects in general, are every bit as jaw-dropping on the small screen as they were in the theater (well, almost). Released in 1977 as a cerebral alternative to the swashbuckling science fiction epics then in vogue, Close Encounters now seems almost wholesome in its representation of alien contact and interested less in philosophizing about extraterrestrials than it is in examining the nature of the inner "call." Ultimately a motion picture about the obsession of the driven artist or determined visionary, Close Encounters comes complete with the stock Spielberg wives and girlfriends who seek to tether the dreamy, possessed protagonists to the more mundane concerns of the everyday. So a spectacular, seminal motion picture indeed, but one with gender politics that are all too terrestrial. --Miles Bethany

Additional Features:
The Collector's Edition (CE) represents Steven Spielberg's third version of Close Encounters. Created in 1998, this sequence contains most of the judicial edits made for the Special Edition (SE) in 1980, speeding up Roy Neary's first contact with the UFOs and adding a scene of a discovery in the Mongolian desert. The CE also reinstates the comical madness of Neary tearing up his own front yard, replaced in the SE by a scene where he breaks down in the shower; both scenes are restored in the CE. The SE's revised ending, featuring an extended scene inside the mothership is deleted. The two-disc DVD set includes an extensive 100-minute documentary that was produced in 2000 and incorporates footage seen on an earlier laserdisc version. Also shown are 11 deleted scenes including the footage aboard the mothership, and scenes introducing Lacombe (François Truffaut) that were jettisoned in the initial release when Spielberg shot a new opening. One of the laserdisc's features--the ability to play all the different versions--is missing here, but the excellent image and sound quality (the latter is better here than most theatergoers witnessed in theaters) makes this a grand DVD. --Doug Thomas

Stay away from this release:
The film "Close Encounters" is one of the best Spielberg ever directed,some would argue THE best and I would be hard pressed to counter that assertion. This is indeed a wonderful movie ,a film that works on multiple levels and on a grand scale that focuses on the people that have encountered UFOs up close and personal.Spielberg even gave the late Prof. Allen Hynek famed UFO researcher from North Western University a cameo role near the end of the picture to lend it an even more realistic touch. However Spielberg has stated more than once that he would NEVER release the movie as it was originally shown and true to his word he has so far stubbornly carried out his promise.His reasoning on this point totally baffles this reviewer.It IS a wonderful film,what is the problem Mr.Spielberg? Therefore if you would like to see an uncut/original version of this film,NOTHNG at ths time of writing is available to satisfy your desire.Nor does it look promising for the forseeable future.What a pity.I have viewed every version released on video and DVD and each one changes the feel and direction of the movie in some way and none of them match the impact and intent of the original. Be patient and stay tuned...but dont buy yet!

When you wish upon a star:
Director Steven Spielberg's classic 1977 follow-up to "Jaws," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" stars Richard Dreyfuss as Roy Neary. Neary's just an ordinary blue collar guy, a bit of a dreamer with a taste for Disney films and miniature railroads... until he witnesses a spectacular UFO appearance. Haunted by mental images of a mountain he's never seen before, Neary risks his job, his marriage, his sanity and, eventually, his life to uncover what it all means. "Close Encounters" also marks the first appearance of the Spielberg formula. You know, the messy suburban house, the mouthy kids, the whole "just plain folks involved with something magical" storyline. And while he gets a lot of knocks, both justified and unjustified, for inflicting this on American movies in the 80s, Spielberg's use of documentary-like elements throughout (as the space people play some Burmuda Triangle-related tricks on what's apparently an international investigation team) and some funky casting (Teri Garr, French director Francois Truffaut, Bob Balaban and others) combine to lend this one a veracity some of his later films- and those of his imitators- sometimes lack. This is a very fresh and original take on sci-fi subject matter, completely without physical violence (although there is some of the emotional kind). Seeing decades later after so many heartless, bombastic, noise and light CGI fests, one can't help but admire Spielberg's ability to get to the emotional core of this material. Plus, it helps that the cutesy elements are kept to a minimum. There's Melinda Dillon as a single mom whose oh-so-adorable-with-his-big-eyes kid gets kidnapped by the UFOs; the scene is played for scares, rather than laughs and it is genuinely terrifying. Neary's kids are mostly unpleasant, and gone after the halfway point. Dreyfuss downplays Neary's potential drippyness and plays up his frustration and rage as circumstances overwhelm him. And Garr is very believable as Neary's doubtful wife; she keeps the character from becoming a one-note shrew. You actually sympathize with her as she deals with what she thinks is her husband's selfish midlife crisis. The film ends with an amazing sequence of events and actually takes on an epic scope without losing the human element that makes it all so enjoyable. This DVD release follows the format from the recent "Jaws" disk: a gorgeous widescreen print, a few deleted scenes, some documentaries. A handsome release.

They're HERE!:
I will always love this movie What do they want? Who are they? The questions, the fear, the immense intimidation, the complications and the implications come through in brilliant manner through all the characters that parade through this classic film.But what still impresses is that "Close encounters" manages to remain intelligent even if you see it today. That might sound like a moot point to those that love this film but it's a legitimate point. Spielberg doesnt ridicule the issue, doesnt attempt to offer some laughable debunking, doesnt dismiss it, but instead takes it full-on with the seriousness it demands. And even when the film has its funny moments the focus isnt lost for a single second.All the more wowing is the fact that effects still look pretty damn good and i saw it in my small living room TV. Sure, it might reek of that 70s aura all along but that's inevitable and it really doeasn't come across as annoying, if anything that even adds to the charm.Funny and certinaly bizzare that I havent seen a good film with this theme in a long, long while, unless we consider braindead disasters like "Independence day" contenders.This is why i picked up to the DVD and the reward factor was immense.The extra features on this limited edition disc are seriously interesting as well. Way up there with the cinematic classics regardless of genre. If you havent seen this check it out. Timeless stuff.

Several version floating around:
The basic story is of a line repairman who encounters a UFO and has trouble relating this to his wife that is in denial. There are parallel stories of others encountering UFO's. Eventually the government is also contacted and sets up a meeting. The encountered have also been compelled to attend to the government's consternation. Will the other invitees make it to the rendezvous point? What trials and tribulations must they endure on the way? The lighter version (ASIN: 0767827031) of the film. This is closer to the original but still not the one shown on TV. I bought this after I realized I had the darker version. Amazon.com did the research for me The dark version (ASIN: 0800198395) that cut out all the comic scenes like throwing all the dirt in the window. And added some Mother gets disturbed scenes. I bought the dark version first because I thought it had the special ending where the inside of the ship is shown. But I did not know that it was completely remade. Some of the Gas mask scenes are missing also. If this review ends up on another version you will have to check for your self how complete it really is and what has been cut out. Other than that if you did not see the original or the third version that is shown periodically on TV you would like this movie and it is worth the purchase price.

*The* Classic UFO Film! Awesome Suspense & Climactic Ending:
Richard Dreyfuss and Teri Garr portray the average Midwestern family living in rural Indiana. The mystery and suspense of the film contrasts well with the ordinairy lives of this couple. Roy Neary (Dreyfuss) sees unusual lights in the sky as he drives home one night, his truck is engulfed by light, the radio goes beserk and the clock on his car is affected. He is bafflied and awestruck by this event. He sees a huge object overhead in the sky ... It has bright blinking lights on its underside. The size is monumental as it floats off. This event changes his life forever ... He begins to draw and paint a flat-topped mountain which becomes an obsession. He does not know what it means but the desire to understand becomes all consuming. People who witnessed this event are interviewed on TV. The local authorities try to maintain calm and order ... The national government gets involved ... It becomes clear - we are not alone in the universe. Something is about to happen ... The mysterious events are not only confined to Midwestern America ... A scientist interviews a poor Mexican farmer who saw the bright lights over the Mexican desert which he describes as the sun singing to him ... Roy Neary and many of his neighbors go out into the fields where the sky is the darkest and wait to see the phenomenon again. He meets Jillian Guiler and her son Barry who is fascinated by the lights and object ... The child runs off and is taken up into the UFO. Many other people have disappeared after encountering the object ... Roy's wife is fed up with his obsession. She leaves with the children to stay with her family. Roy discovers the meaning behind the flat-topped mountain ... He and Jillian partner together to visit Devil's Tower in Wyoming. Government agents are everywhere claiming an environmental hazardous waste was spilled making the location unsafe for inhabitants ... everyone was evacuated. Roy and Jillian believe this is a hoax and evade detection as they pursue their quest to discover the secrets behind the evacuation ... They climb over a mountain and see a huge landing field. They hear musical tones played which were familiar, as the sounds were heard when the UFO was overhead ... They know the moment for the "First Encounter" is about to arrive. The film has a fantastic climax and conclusion which unravels certain mysteries from the past and is completely satisfying to the viewer. The ending is exciting ... yet many questions remain unanswered. Steven Spielberg created an all time favorite masterpiece which still keeps the mystery alive ... Erika Borsos \opepper flower\c