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Close Encounters Of The Third Kind: Collector's Edition
01/08/2005 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 
DVD: Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment CDR 26501. 131 minute film plus extras spread over 2 DVDs. Price as cheap as: £ 7.99 (UK) if you know where to look). stars: Richard Drefus, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr and Francois Truffaut. Buy Close Encounters Of The Third Kind: Collector's Edition in the USA - or Buy Close Encounters Of The Third Kind: Collector's Edition in the UK  check out website: www.cthe.co.uk
I've been seeing this film dropping in price at the local supermarket for ages before finally deciding that I ought to add CE3K to my collection. I mean, its not as though I didn't have it on video already nor seeing it a couple times when it first came out in 1977. Indeed, I even saw it on the correct screen in the Columbia Cinema in London. I should also point out that this is the third version of the film I've seen as well although the out-takes from these versions are included in the extras section. Director Spielberg tampers with his SF films almost as much as that Lucas fella.
For those of you too young to have seen it originally in 1977, 'Close Encounters Of The Third Kind' is the first official contact between mankind and aliens. Saying that, the latter have their own way of doing this. They'd been abducting humans over a long period and for this return meeting, they were dropping off aeroplanes, the odd ship - in the desert of all places and making various gestures to indicate that they were around. This varied from buzzing terrestrial air-liners, religious signals in India to the further abduction of a young boy in the USA. They also induced in selected people the desire to use their creative abilities to visualise the Wyoming landmark, the Devil's Tower, as a place they were compelled to visit. The aliens very thoughtfully also gave the same co-ordinates to officials who were scanning nearby space for them and who prepped a landing site there. The story follows the journey of people from both sides to this historic meeting with the official side determined to keep civilians out of the picture.
Depending on your POV, I'm not entirely convinced these aliens are exactly benevolent. Yes, they haven't exactly done any real damage but their activities certainly doesn't convey any knowledge of local Earth customs, despite having humans on board who might have explained some of the protocols. Likewise, they haven't exactly set out to contaminate our culture with their technology neither. If anything there is certainly a level of mischief with their activities and they have an agenda that makes them even more choosy as to whom they want to invite on-board.
It's a shame that we've never seen the aftermath of this or indeed the one chosen guest, Roy Neary (actor Drefuss), return to Earth. Guess director Spielberg's been too busy to consider a sequel.
As commented above, this is the third official version of the film although it has a lot more in common with the first version. The scenes added are more to do with the US Government's cover-up and denial of the first US encounters. The end sequence of what was inside the alien mothership being taken out completely and you have to look at the out-takes to see it. Although there is an extensive 90 minute look behind the films with all those involved, it's a shame that Spielberg didn't explain why the changes yet again. [Don't throw away your CE3K Special Edition video just yet.] Considering that this film came out after the first 'Star Wars' film, its presence in SF film history is significant from a historical perspective in being the first 'serious' SF film after it. How great it actually is should be open to debate. From another perspective, considering how obnoxious Neary's family were, its no wonder he took the option of escape on an alien starship. Enjoy and marvel at the effects long before CGI was even though of. Also marvel at and wonder why the subliminal design of the aliens spacecraft didn't remind you of anything but UFOs but according special effects guru Douglas Trumbull in the extras should have of a MacDonalds logo, a WW2 gasmask and even a breast. Me neither but at least I know where to look for R2D2 on the mothership now. We are not alone but why don't they come back?
GF Willmetts
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