Search - Close Encounters of the Third Kind [Widescreen]

Steven Spielberg followed Jaws (1975), his first major box-office success, with this epic science fiction adventure about a disparate group of people who attempt to contact alien intelligence. Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) is an electrical lineman who, while sent out on emergency repairs, witnesses an unidentified flying object, and even has a "sunburn" from its bright lights to prove it. Neary's wife and children are at first skeptical, then concerned, and eventually fearful, as Roy refuses to accept a "logical" explanation for what he saw and is prepared to give up his job, his home, and his family to pursue the "truth" about UFOs. Neary's obsession eventually puts him in contact with others who've had close encounters with alien spacecraft, including Jillian (Melinda Dillon), a single mother whose son disappeared during her UFO experience, and Claude Lacombe (celebrated French filmmaker François Truffaut), a French researcher who believes that we can use a musical language to communicate with alien visitors. Lacombe's theory is put to the test when a band of government researchers and underground UFO enthusiasts (including Neary) join for an exchange with alien visitors near Devil's Tower, Wyoming. In 1980, a "Special Edition" was released. While its primary selling point was the addition of scenes inside the alien spaceship, Spielberg claimed that he also cleaned up some choppy editing in the second act. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Richard Dreyfuss - Roy Neary
François Truffaut - Claude Lacombe
Teri Garr - Ronnie Neary
Melinda Dillon - Jillian Guiler
Cary Guffey - Barry Guiler
Bob Balaban - David Laughlin

1978	Best Art Direction (winner)	British Academy of Film and Television	Joe Alves
1978	Best Picture (nominee)	British Academy of Film and Television	Steven Spielberg
1977	Best Director (nominee)	Directors Guild of America	Steven Spielberg
1977	Best Director (nominee)	Golden Globe	Steven Spielberg
1977	Best Screenplay (nominee)	Golden Globe	Steven Spielberg
1977	Best Original Score (nominee)	Golden Globe	John Williams
1977	Best Art Direction (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Joe Alves
1977	Best Art Direction (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Daniel Lomino
1977	Best Art Direction (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Phillip Abramson
1977	Best Cinematography (winner)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Vilmos Zsigmond
1977	Best Director (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Steven Spielberg
1977	Best Editing (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Michael Kahn
1977	Best Original Score (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	John Williams
1977	Best Sound (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Robert Knudson
1977	Best Sound (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Robert Glass
1977	Best Sound (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Don MacDougall
1977	Best Sound (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Gene S. Cantamessa
1977	Best Supporting Actress (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Melinda Dillon
1977	Best Visual Effects (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Douglas Trumbull
1977	Best Visual Effects (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Matthew Yuricich
1977	Best Visual Effects (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Gregory Jein
1977	Best Visual Effects (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Richard Yuricich
1977	Best Visual Effects (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Roy Arbogast
1977	Special Achievement (winner)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Frank Warner

Steven Spielberg's landmark science fiction film, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, has been given an excellent -- though far from landmark -- presentation on DVD from Columbia/TriStar Home Entertainment. Spread out on two discs -- the film on disc one and the extras on disc two -- the release should nevertheless satiate the palate of the film's many fans. Spielberg has created for this release a director's cut of the film, putting back scenes from the original theatrical release which were cut out of the =Special Edition from 1980, though also keeping some footage from the =Special Edition as well. He has, thankfully, removed the =Special Edition's ending of showing Richard Dreyfuss actually entering the Mother Ship, though that scene is included in the extras.
The film's transfer is where most of the problems arise. There is much grain in the picture (though this has more to due with the film stock initially used than it does with the digital transfer) and slight color instability throughout. But the overall picture is fine, including the numerous high-contrast shots which could have really caused some problems. The only thing keeping this disc from being one of the best DVDs available is that the picture was not fully restored (though something should also be done about the clumsy fold-out packaging), which is a shame considering Vilmos Zsigmond's beautiful widescreen cinematography. The soundtrack is a different matter. The film has been given a robust and strong English 5.1 track, as well as a DTS and Dolby Digital 2.0 Dolby Surround option. French and Spanish language tracks are also available. The film also has multiple subtitle options, in keeping with many Columbia/TriStar DVDs. Disc two, though, is where most of the fun really begins. The disc includes an excellent 102-minute documentary on the making of the film, with plentiful interviews with the cast and crew, a 1977 featurette called "Watching the Skies," theatrical trailers (including one for the original release that plays more like the featurette than an actual trailer), and over 11 deleted scenes -- some of which are excellent and unfortunately could not be reintegrated into the actual film, while others are more of a curiosity and add nothing to the story. The 11 deleted scenes are shown in their proper aspect ratio, though they have not been anamorphically enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs, unlike the film itself. ~ Derek Hill, All Movie Guide

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