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Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (30th Anniversary Ultimate Edition) [Blu-ray] [1977]


RRP: £17.99
Our Price: £9.06 (subject to change)

Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

The first Steven Spielberg film to arrive on a high definition format, there’s something fittingly comprehensive about the Blu-ray release of Close Encounters of the Third Kind that befits such a strong, high-profile disc.

The reason for that is that three different cuts of Close Encounters are presented in this terrific set; there’s the original cinematic version that debuted in 1977, the different cut that surfaced in the 80s, and Spielberg’s final take on the film from the late 90s. It’s arguable that each of the three has its highs and lows, and there’s something fascinating about comparing the trio too.

As for the film itself? Close Encounters is the terrific tale of Richard Dreyfuss’ Roy Neary, who discovers a UFO in the middle of the night. Co-starring Teri Garr, Francois Truffaut and Melinda Dillon, the film then follows the attempt to bring the aliens to Earth, and--coupled with terrific special effects, particularly for the era--Close Encounters is rightly regarded as a deserved classic.

The Blu-ray release is also spectacular, partly for the comprehensive nature of the package, but also down to the gleaming audio and picture quality. It may not be the highest profile Spielberg movie, and there’s certainly a deep back catalogue calling out for the high-definition treatment. But don’t let that blind you: Close Encounters is an absolute treat, and this is the best way outside of a cinema to enjoy it. --Jon Foster

Editorial
Synopsis

Close Encounters of the Third Kind is Steven Spielberg's extraordinary film about a man named Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) who becomes obsessed with meeting extraterrestrials after encountering a UFO on an abandoned road one night. Against the wishes of his wife (Teri Garr) and children, Neary, along with another witness to the sighting (Melinda Dillon), travels to a mysterious mountain where the government has built a landing strip hoping to attract the aliens. Director François Truffaut co-stars as Claude Lacombe, one of the organizers of the project. Spielberg hoped to follow up the huge success of Jaws with a low-budget film that would be an easy shoot, but, thanks in part to the complicated special effects, Close Encounters quickly snowballed into being an expensive endeavour but a commercial and artistic success. No one who has seen the film has ever looked at a plate of mashed potatoes the same way again.

Several versions floating around
Review date: 2008-08-24 Rating: 10 out of 10

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.
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Well now I do not want to mix media with a review that is for the movie however a later contribution with the advent of Blu-ray is the two DVD 30th anniversary ultimate edition which seems to have picked up some original material missing from all the tapes. Again I am not trying to distract from the movie content but this edition show that (probably due to this being a movie from the pre-blu-ray era) some scenes are clear and almost three dimensional while others are very grainy and of poor focus. One you get into the story this distraction will go away.



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Reviews


Very, very Close to perfection, but not quite.
Review date: 2008-07-30 Rating: 8 out of 10

Cool case.
Fairly good booklet.
Awe inspiring movie.
Almost flawless transfer.
Some old special features.

Close Encounters is a very thought provoking sci fi movie that is one of my favourite Spielberg jobs. Both writing and directing, he brings a wonderful sense of storytelling to the picture and of course there's the great performances from Richard Dreyfuss et al. and the masterfully memorable music by John Williams. Sure, it's not a hi-octane, pulse-pounding roller coaster ride, but the mystery and suspense achieved throughout the film as well as the captivating cinematography and heartwarming ideas behind it make for a true classic.

The first of Spielberg's to grace high definition, Close Encounters sure doesn't disappoint. For a film that's thirty years old, it's a real credit to the technicians at Sony that a lot of the scenes in this look like they could have been shot yesterday. The picture is beautiful throughout, providing a rich variety of colours and deep black levels that make up an incredibly crisp transfer. The fine level of grain throughout only adds to the overall quality, making it look like a freshly struck master print being projected at the cinema. Rarely has a movie looked so "film-like" when I've viewed it at home.

Sound wise, the DTS HD master audio is pure excellence, this new uncompressed version being bit for bit the same quality as the original soundtrack heard in 1977. John William's score sounds awesome and the although dialogue may be a little on the quiet side at times, the overall mix is of such high clarity that it just begs to be played at full volume.

What keeps this blu ray release for being the new standard which all should follow is it's lacking in the features department. Not that it doesn't have special features, but they're not up to the quality they should be. The main documentary on disc two is a port over from the DVD version (filmed ten years ago) and is in standard definition. The jump between high and standard definition is incredibly noticeable, especially with the picture having a black box around it. The documentary is incredibly good, however. Running for around two hours, it's quite informative and goes into a fair bit of detail about the making of the movie. The other main feature is a chat with Steven Spielberg remembering back. This one was filmed specially for the blu ray version and IS in high definition. It lasts around twenty minutes to half an hour I think but is nowhere near as high quality as the documentary, however ironic that may be. Still galleries and deleted scenes round out the release as well as your standard trivia track on the first disc.

Why Spielberg still hasn't done an audio commentary for a film that's three decades old is beyond me and the fact that there's no commentary at all, be it from Spielberg, Dreyfuss, Williams or the effects guys, makes me think that they should've taken a little more time with this release. When films that are infinitely worse than this get commentaries, I just find it hard to believe that a classic such as Close Encounters hasn't got one. Eh, maybe there wasn't space with three HD movies on the same disc. But I find that laughable when it's Blu Ray we're talking about here.

So while the exceptional picture and audio quality of the film itself definitely sets a new standard for anything that is decades old, it hasn't raised the bar for blu ray overall. The lack of a full-HD feature set stops it from being the perfect special edition. But regardless of these shortcomings, I am remarkably pleased with how good the movie looks and sounds in high definition on my PS3 and it's definitely my most watched blu ray.

If you're looking for the ultimate version of ALL the versions of Close Encounters, this is certainly it.

Movie: 3/5 Picture Quality: 4/5 Sound Quality: 4/5 Extras: 4.5/5
Review date: 2008-07-16 Rating: 6 out of 10

MPEG-4 AVC BD-50
Disc size: 49,688,551,851 bytes

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (seamless)
Running time: 2:14:41
Movie size: 36,620,150,784 bytes
Average video bit rate: 22.79 Mbps
DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 24-bit
Dolby TrueHD 5.1 24-bit

Special Edition (seamless branching)
Running time: 2:12:29
Movie size: 36,062,017,536 bytes
Average video bit rate: 22.79 Mbps
DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 24-bit
Dolby TrueHD 5.1 24-bitmaster)

Director's Cut (seamless branching)
Running time: 2:17:13
Movie size: 37,348,374,528 bytes
Average video bit rate: 22.85 Mbps
DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 24-bit
Dolby TrueHD 5.1 24-bit

A CLASSIC FILM GETS THE BEST RELEASE SO FAR
Review date: 2008-06-29 Rating: 10 out of 10

This Blu-Ray release is my 3rd owned Close Encounters to date, first I had it on video, then 2disc DVD, and now finally this 2disc Blu-Ray ultimate edition.
For this price, it is an absolute must buy, I can assure you. From when you first have the item in your hand, you can tell it has not just been cobbled together. It is the nicest Blu-Ray for the money you can purchase. Don't be fooled by amazon's picture of the standard bluray case, it is not presented in a plastic case at all, it is SO much better than that, Such a surprise to find that as soon as you open your parcel, you have got something that looks like it should be double or even treblethe money I payed for it.
The Hard cover is a thing of quality, very thick stuff which wont start to look tatty easily and should last years perhaps decades.
Slide out the inside and you will find two parts, one being the Blu-ray section and the other is a fantastic book, easily the best quality I have ever seen on any format, beautifully produced and such a departure from the usual cheap tiny leaflet type "booklet" you usually get. Not much text here just a few snippets, but a lot of great photographs of cast and crew making the movie. This release has given what I consider to be the best documentation for the money you can buy, not only do you get the lovely little book, but also a reproduction poster of the original movie poster and on the back of it a timeline showing the differences in the three versiion you get here.
I love the menu, simple and stylish featuring the theme and those little coloured rectangles that are so iconic to the film.
This release then gives you the option to watch any of the different versions of the movie from the menu.
THE ORIGINAL THEATRICAL RELEASE, THE DIRECTORS CUT & THE SPECIAL EDITION are all on the first disc, it's incredibly well put together featuring seamless branching to get them all on, amazing.

The Picture Quality of the movie is the best release yet, perhaps not as good transfer as say Blade runner, but there are details in this that I have never seen before, The redness of Richard Dreyfuss' face, The greenery of the outside,colours are a vast improvement,and although there is slight grain from the film, it never becomes distracting and the movie feels fresh and wonderfully well made. What a superb release, the sound is great, The extras are plentyful, although not in HD, they are all here, ported from the DVD release.
All in all, this is thoroughly recommended and I love the package as a hole, it is easily the nicest presented blu-ray I have and well worth the money for anyone who loves classic movies,young or old, a wonderful first Spielburg Blu-Ray, let's hope there are more relases like this one in the future, It would be particularly nice to get a lovely book like this in every Blu-Ray release instead of the cheap fliers you usually get, and I hope the studios take note and give classics like this, the ultimate bluray releases they deserve.
Verdict
JUST BUY IT - its a very high quality Blu-Ray and a timeless Spielburg masterpiece.

Well worth the encounter...
Review date: 2008-06-20 Rating: 10 out of 10

The film, everyone has seen, but to see the original theatrical version just showed how good the first edit really was. The transfer to Blu-ray is very good and is basically worth it just for that, but to have all three versions, it's something of a bargain.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Richard Dreyfuss
Melinda Dillon
Francois Truffaut
Teri Garr

Creators:
Richard Dreyfuss (Primary Contributor)
Teri Garr (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
EAN: 5050629650112
Binding: Blu-ray
Number of items: 2
Format: Box set, PAL,
Release date: 2007-12-03
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Region code: 2
Running time: 132 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1977
Language: English (Original Language)

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