[versions] Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

[Chewtobacca]

By the way captain, is the cut that you mentioned exactly the same as the TV cut described here?  Until recently, I had no idea that it existed.

Apparently, 12646 is the only release to retain the mono surround of the 70mm.

[captainsolo]

Yep it's the 77 theatrical with the SE shot of the ship over the truck. It's a good way to watch since the CAV has a bit of problems trying to get the branching to work on most players from reports I've heard.

[Wisp of Smoke]

Apparently, 12646 is the only release to retain the mono surround of the 70mm.

Wow!!  I wasn't aware there was a discrete consumer version out there where the surrounds weren't widened and simply left as-is.

During the intro when they talk to guy who saw the UFOs returning the vintage fighter planes, on the older laserdisc I could detect some slight directional dialog during the exchange that I couldn't hear in the later DVD releases.  Was this a 35mm/70mm mix difference, or was it altered?  I don't know, but sometime when time permits would like to find an older laserdisc to listen to it again. Think I still have it on beta-hifi, but my machine is not in the best shape.

[Chewtobacca]

Was this a 35mm/70mm mix difference, or was it altered?

Unfortunately, I've never heard the 70mm.  The spot that you mentioned isn't far from the missing line, so perhaps there was some later remixing there.

[Wisp of Smoke]

There's a nice pic of the laserdisc on ebay with a Dolby Digital sticker on the front cover:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/CLOSE-ENCOUNTER...Swoixcoo-D


Is there a way to tell what year this laserdisc was released? I was wondering if the DVD release was around the same time or later. Keeping track of all of these versions gets to be a blur. 

Used to have the DVD (and the laser) but now only have the 2006 bluray and the 2018 4K (and last but not least, a beta hi-fi version)  

[captainsolo]

I finally got one of those not too long ago and it's a 1998 LD IIRC. The first DVD should be a port of it and I'm planning on doing a comparison very soon between it, the Criterion CLV, 2007 bd and 4K.

[drdoom]

Has anyone got the fanedit versions of this

Close Encounters of the Third Kind – 150m
Edit title: Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind
Author: ADigitalMan – Release time: 2008-01 – Type: Extended Edition
This extends CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND with all the scenes from the 3 available versions to the most complete edit ever available. Not all the deleted scenes were included, only those which fit for quality and plot.

https://ifdb.fanedit.org/close-encounter...urth-kind/

[NeonBible]

I finally got one of those not too long ago and it's a 1998 LD IIRC. The first DVD should be a port of it and I'm planning on doing a comparison very soon between it, the Criterion CLV, 2007 bd and 4K.

Did you get round to comparing the mixes?

Around the time of the 4K release, they boasted that the audio was restored from a 70mm print. So does it differ from the mix on the 30th anniversary Blu-ray?

[Wisp of Smoke]

I finally got one of those not too long ago and it's a 1998 LD IIRC. The first DVD should be a port of it and I'm planning on doing a comparison very soon between it, the Criterion CLV, 2007 bd and 4K.

Did you get round to comparing the mixes?

Around the time of the 4K release, they boasted that the audio was restored from a 70mm print. So does it differ from the mix on the 30th anniversary Blu-ray?

I am not the good Captain but was able to acquire the Criterion LD version, which according to the liner notes the audio was made from the 35mm printmaster. This is good to know as according to all P.R. references for the bluray and 4K, the audio from those were from the 70mm printmaster. Sometimes the mix differences between those types are minor to none while other times could be major, depending on the audio mixer and how they prepped each mix. I have not had a chance with my schedule to compare each one in detail so if he has had a chance to do extensive comparisons I too would be interested.

[allldu]

From what I've heard, the 5.1 mix on the UHD is indeed from a 70mm print, but the mono surround has been split in two.