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- Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The Complete Edition
Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The Complete Edition
Updated
Faneditor Name:
Original Movie/Show Title:
Genre:
Fanedit Type:
Original Release Date:
1979
Original Running Time:
133 minutes
Fanedit Release Date:
Fanedit Running Time:
148 minutes
Time Added:
15 minutes
Available in HD:
Additional Links:
Synopsis:
Close Encounter exists in 3 versions. The Theatrical Cut 133 min, The Special Edition, 138 min and the Director's Cut 135 min. All have varied combinations of scenes, some unique to one version. This edit brings them all material together AND fixes the awful blu ray grading which dialled back the intense lighting of the last 20 minutes which flooded theatres and made you feel you were there. This has been fixed.
Intention:
I love the Theatrical version, but wanted ALL THE SCENES in one place. PLus I hate the new color grade which ruins the end for me. I also noticed lots of little glitches, which I have taken the opportunity to fix.
Other Sources:
Close Encounters Special Edition Cd
Close Encounters Anniversary Edition Cd
Close Encounters Expanded Edition Cd
Close Encounters Anniversary Edition Cd
Close Encounters Expanded Edition Cd
Release Information:
Digital
Special Features:
A special feature CE3K WORKPRINT 168 min containing ALL AVAILABLE scenes, in SD but unlike previous fanedits, this has had some color grading attempt (difficult due to poor source material and not ideal) and the music meant for those scenes has been added to "complete" them (from a rare CD were the unused cues are named per the scene, so leaves little room for doubt). I have also completed foley/sound work for scenes that needed it. But this is SD, please note.
Due to there being some dislike regarding the SPECIAL EDITION addition of the the Mothership Interior, I have also made available a version WITHOUT this one scene, but everything else still in the edit.
Due to there being some dislike regarding the SPECIAL EDITION addition of the the Mothership Interior, I have also made available a version WITHOUT this one scene, but everything else still in the edit.
Editing Details:
For the closing scenes lighting, - I say "Gamma correction" but in fact, I used virtual light sources placed where the ship light source would be to actually add light rather than brighten, which would nook very poor. This was done to all scenes where the light from the mother ship is overpowering. Where a camera move is present, the virtual lights are match moved using regression trigonometry.
Cuts and Additions:
THEATRICAL VERSION - Unique items
- Opening scene at Neary home has different opening
- Neary at Power station
- Neary in truck longer
- Old man comment about UFO fly by
- Roy and Ronnie row is longer
- Silent entrance to dinner table
- Roy climbing back thru the window
- Roy building tower longer/outside
- Dog and gas mask man
- Roy and Army chat
- Longer helicopter escape
- Longer shot of Lacombe watching Neary
SPECIAL EDITION - Unique items
- Neighborhood establishing shot
- Near intro at home v different
- UFO Shadow over truck
- The infamous billboard closeup
- Re-Sequenced firing and village
- The Cotopaxi
- Lacombe conference scene longer
- Neary in the shower
- Shorter Ronnie leaving
- Man with dog and gas mask, different scene
- Scoring difference as Roy walks up ramp
- Mothership interior
- Scoring difference as cut back to Lacombe
- Gamma dialled back down in key sequences.
- Rescored end credit roll
DIRECTOR'S CUT
- Nothing unique
SCENES THAT WENT, AND CAME BACK
- The press conference
- The Powerstation
ALL the above are in the COMPLETE VERSION plus the following fixes:
ADDITIONAL FIXES
- Newly created stable opening credit roll with the correct font (per my Godfather fix)
- New hybrid opening scene at Neary home incorporates all material, in a new way
- Theatrical sequencing of scenes used, not Director's cut
- Hybrid dog and gas mask man
- Hybrid Roy at rail station
- When Jillian is taking photographs, some of the shutter sounds are missing. These have been added back.
- In two shots as the mothership ramp opens and light passes up peoples faces, in two shots, the shadow of the light moving is missing. This has been corrected. Where a camera move is present, the virtual lights are match moved using regression trigonometry.
- Color correction of red uniforms washed out in the color grade of the 30th anniversary BD
- The scoring glitches when Roy enters the ship, have been redone from scratch using the Collectors Edition CDs. and rebuilding the ambient sounds
- When the Aliens emerge, virtual lighting returns the scenes as were originally viewed in 1979 using various reference materials for confirmation.
- Closing end credits score restored from Theatrical version.
- Portion of Special edition credit roll score used for addition of newly created UNCREDITED Crew added to this version so everyone who worked on ALL 3 versions, gets their on-screen credit
- Some very subtle lens flares added in the same style as Douglas Trumbulls work where they were clearly missing due to either budget or production timing constraints. These should not be noticeable, but I know where they are. Drop me a PM if you think you spot any. :)
MISSING SCENES IN WORKPRINT with completed audio work and un-used intended scoring from Special Edition CD
- Longer opening with the war planes
- Lacombe in car on way to airport
- Govt official board plane
- Roy on way to Crystal Lake
- Roy at Crystal Lake
- Roy at Police station
- Roy on roof of house
- Roy Barbeque
- Lacombe is awoken by assistant
- Roy and Jillian stop for gas
- (apologies for the font issue at the opening, it was 13 years ago)
WORKPRINT has a NEW OPENING and all the audio fixes and lighting work from above
- Opening scene at Neary home has different opening
- Neary at Power station
- Neary in truck longer
- Old man comment about UFO fly by
- Roy and Ronnie row is longer
- Silent entrance to dinner table
- Roy climbing back thru the window
- Roy building tower longer/outside
- Dog and gas mask man
- Roy and Army chat
- Longer helicopter escape
- Longer shot of Lacombe watching Neary
SPECIAL EDITION - Unique items
- Neighborhood establishing shot
- Near intro at home v different
- UFO Shadow over truck
- The infamous billboard closeup
- Re-Sequenced firing and village
- The Cotopaxi
- Lacombe conference scene longer
- Neary in the shower
- Shorter Ronnie leaving
- Man with dog and gas mask, different scene
- Scoring difference as Roy walks up ramp
- Mothership interior
- Scoring difference as cut back to Lacombe
- Gamma dialled back down in key sequences.
- Rescored end credit roll
DIRECTOR'S CUT
- Nothing unique
SCENES THAT WENT, AND CAME BACK
- The press conference
- The Powerstation
ALL the above are in the COMPLETE VERSION plus the following fixes:
ADDITIONAL FIXES
- Newly created stable opening credit roll with the correct font (per my Godfather fix)
- New hybrid opening scene at Neary home incorporates all material, in a new way
- Theatrical sequencing of scenes used, not Director's cut
- Hybrid dog and gas mask man
- Hybrid Roy at rail station
- When Jillian is taking photographs, some of the shutter sounds are missing. These have been added back.
- In two shots as the mothership ramp opens and light passes up peoples faces, in two shots, the shadow of the light moving is missing. This has been corrected. Where a camera move is present, the virtual lights are match moved using regression trigonometry.
- Color correction of red uniforms washed out in the color grade of the 30th anniversary BD
- The scoring glitches when Roy enters the ship, have been redone from scratch using the Collectors Edition CDs. and rebuilding the ambient sounds
- When the Aliens emerge, virtual lighting returns the scenes as were originally viewed in 1979 using various reference materials for confirmation.
- Closing end credits score restored from Theatrical version.
- Portion of Special edition credit roll score used for addition of newly created UNCREDITED Crew added to this version so everyone who worked on ALL 3 versions, gets their on-screen credit
- Some very subtle lens flares added in the same style as Douglas Trumbulls work where they were clearly missing due to either budget or production timing constraints. These should not be noticeable, but I know where they are. Drop me a PM if you think you spot any. :)
MISSING SCENES IN WORKPRINT with completed audio work and un-used intended scoring from Special Edition CD
- Longer opening with the war planes
- Lacombe in car on way to airport
- Govt official board plane
- Roy on way to Crystal Lake
- Roy at Crystal Lake
- Roy at Police station
- Roy on roof of house
- Roy Barbeque
- Lacombe is awoken by assistant
- Roy and Jillian stop for gas
- (apologies for the font issue at the opening, it was 13 years ago)
WORKPRINT has a NEW OPENING and all the audio fixes and lighting work from above
Faneditor Name:
Original Movie/Show Title:
Genre:
Fanedit Type:
Original Release Date:
1979
Original Running Time:
133 minutes
Fanedit Release Date:
Fanedit Running Time:
148 minutes
Time Added:
15 minutes
Available in HD:
Additional Links:
Synopsis:
Close Encounter exists in 3 versions. The Theatrical Cut 133 min, The Special Edition, 138 min and the Director's Cut 135 min. All have varied combinations of scenes, some unique to one version. This edit brings them all material together AND fixes the awful blu ray grading which dialled back the intense lighting of the last 20 minutes which flooded theatres and made you feel you were there. This has been fixed.
Intention:
I love the Theatrical version, but wanted ALL THE SCENES in one place. PLus I hate the new color grade which ruins the end for me. I also noticed lots of little glitches, which I have taken the opportunity to fix.
Other Sources:
Close Encounters Special Edition Cd
Close Encounters Anniversary Edition Cd
Close Encounters Expanded Edition Cd
Close Encounters Anniversary Edition Cd
Close Encounters Expanded Edition Cd
Release Information:
Digital
Special Features:
A special feature CE3K WORKPRINT 168 min containing ALL AVAILABLE scenes, in SD but unlike previous fanedits, this has had some color grading attempt (difficult due to poor source material and not ideal) and the music meant for those scenes has been added to "complete" them (from a rare CD were the unused cues are named per the scene, so leaves little room for doubt). I have also completed foley/sound work for scenes that needed it. But this is SD, please note.
Due to there being some dislike regarding the SPECIAL EDITION addition of the the Mothership Interior, I have also made available a version WITHOUT this one scene, but everything else still in the edit.
Due to there being some dislike regarding the SPECIAL EDITION addition of the the Mothership Interior, I have also made available a version WITHOUT this one scene, but everything else still in the edit.
Editing Details:
For the closing scenes lighting, - I say "Gamma correction" but in fact, I used virtual light sources placed where the ship light source would be to actually add light rather than brighten, which would nook very poor. This was done to all scenes where the light from the mother ship is overpowering. Where a camera move is present, the virtual lights are match moved using regression trigonometry.
Cuts and Additions:
THEATRICAL VERSION - Unique items
- Opening scene at Neary home has different opening
- Neary at Power station
- Neary in truck longer
- Old man comment about UFO fly by
- Roy and Ronnie row is longer
- Silent entrance to dinner table
- Roy climbing back thru the window
- Roy building tower longer/outside
- Dog and gas mask man
- Roy and Army chat
- Longer helicopter escape
- Longer shot of Lacombe watching Neary
SPECIAL EDITION - Unique items
- Neighborhood establishing shot
- Near intro at home v different
- UFO Shadow over truck
- The infamous billboard closeup
- Re-Sequenced firing and village
- The Cotopaxi
- Lacombe conference scene longer
- Neary in the shower
- Shorter Ronnie leaving
- Man with dog and gas mask, different scene
- Scoring difference as Roy walks up ramp
- Mothership interior
- Scoring difference as cut back to Lacombe
- Gamma dialled back down in key sequences.
- Rescored end credit roll
DIRECTOR'S CUT
- Nothing unique
SCENES THAT WENT, AND CAME BACK
- The press conference
- The Powerstation
ALL the above are in the COMPLETE VERSION plus the following fixes:
ADDITIONAL FIXES
- Newly created stable opening credit roll with the correct font (per my Godfather fix)
- New hybrid opening scene at Neary home incorporates all material, in a new way
- Theatrical sequencing of scenes used, not Director's cut
- Hybrid dog and gas mask man
- Hybrid Roy at rail station
- When Jillian is taking photographs, some of the shutter sounds are missing. These have been added back.
- In two shots as the mothership ramp opens and light passes up peoples faces, in two shots, the shadow of the light moving is missing. This has been corrected. Where a camera move is present, the virtual lights are match moved using regression trigonometry.
- Color correction of red uniforms washed out in the color grade of the 30th anniversary BD
- The scoring glitches when Roy enters the ship, have been redone from scratch using the Collectors Edition CDs. and rebuilding the ambient sounds
- When the Aliens emerge, virtual lighting returns the scenes as were originally viewed in 1979 using various reference materials for confirmation.
- Closing end credits score restored from Theatrical version.
- Portion of Special edition credit roll score used for addition of newly created UNCREDITED Crew added to this version so everyone who worked on ALL 3 versions, gets their on-screen credit
- Some very subtle lens flares added in the same style as Douglas Trumbulls work where they were clearly missing due to either budget or production timing constraints. These should not be noticeable, but I know where they are. Drop me a PM if you think you spot any. :)
MISSING SCENES IN WORKPRINT with completed audio work and un-used intended scoring from Special Edition CD
- Longer opening with the war planes
- Lacombe in car on way to airport
- Govt official board plane
- Roy on way to Crystal Lake
- Roy at Crystal Lake
- Roy at Police station
- Roy on roof of house
- Roy Barbeque
- Lacombe is awoken by assistant
- Roy and Jillian stop for gas
- (apologies for the font issue at the opening, it was 13 years ago)
WORKPRINT has a NEW OPENING and all the audio fixes and lighting work from above
- Opening scene at Neary home has different opening
- Neary at Power station
- Neary in truck longer
- Old man comment about UFO fly by
- Roy and Ronnie row is longer
- Silent entrance to dinner table
- Roy climbing back thru the window
- Roy building tower longer/outside
- Dog and gas mask man
- Roy and Army chat
- Longer helicopter escape
- Longer shot of Lacombe watching Neary
SPECIAL EDITION - Unique items
- Neighborhood establishing shot
- Near intro at home v different
- UFO Shadow over truck
- The infamous billboard closeup
- Re-Sequenced firing and village
- The Cotopaxi
- Lacombe conference scene longer
- Neary in the shower
- Shorter Ronnie leaving
- Man with dog and gas mask, different scene
- Scoring difference as Roy walks up ramp
- Mothership interior
- Scoring difference as cut back to Lacombe
- Gamma dialled back down in key sequences.
- Rescored end credit roll
DIRECTOR'S CUT
- Nothing unique
SCENES THAT WENT, AND CAME BACK
- The press conference
- The Powerstation
ALL the above are in the COMPLETE VERSION plus the following fixes:
ADDITIONAL FIXES
- Newly created stable opening credit roll with the correct font (per my Godfather fix)
- New hybrid opening scene at Neary home incorporates all material, in a new way
- Theatrical sequencing of scenes used, not Director's cut
- Hybrid dog and gas mask man
- Hybrid Roy at rail station
- When Jillian is taking photographs, some of the shutter sounds are missing. These have been added back.
- In two shots as the mothership ramp opens and light passes up peoples faces, in two shots, the shadow of the light moving is missing. This has been corrected. Where a camera move is present, the virtual lights are match moved using regression trigonometry.
- Color correction of red uniforms washed out in the color grade of the 30th anniversary BD
- The scoring glitches when Roy enters the ship, have been redone from scratch using the Collectors Edition CDs. and rebuilding the ambient sounds
- When the Aliens emerge, virtual lighting returns the scenes as were originally viewed in 1979 using various reference materials for confirmation.
- Closing end credits score restored from Theatrical version.
- Portion of Special edition credit roll score used for addition of newly created UNCREDITED Crew added to this version so everyone who worked on ALL 3 versions, gets their on-screen credit
- Some very subtle lens flares added in the same style as Douglas Trumbulls work where they were clearly missing due to either budget or production timing constraints. These should not be noticeable, but I know where they are. Drop me a PM if you think you spot any. :)
MISSING SCENES IN WORKPRINT with completed audio work and un-used intended scoring from Special Edition CD
- Longer opening with the war planes
- Lacombe in car on way to airport
- Govt official board plane
- Roy on way to Crystal Lake
- Roy at Crystal Lake
- Roy at Police station
- Roy on roof of house
- Roy Barbeque
- Lacombe is awoken by assistant
- Roy and Jillian stop for gas
- (apologies for the font issue at the opening, it was 13 years ago)
WORKPRINT has a NEW OPENING and all the audio fixes and lighting work from above
Trusted Reviewer review
1 review
Overall rating
10.0
Audio/Video Quality
10.0
Audio Editing
10.0
Visual Editing
10.0
Narrative
10.0
Enjoyment
10.0
For anybody who wants to live in the world of Close Encounters for a little longer this edit is certainly worth their time. Watching any of the three official versions on their own is a great experience but knowledge of extra material always left a desire in me to see what was being left out, even something as mundane as a few amusing seconds of product placement!
Wraith has solved that problem, the three versions providing three degrees of completeness. Having seen the 137-minute director's cut first and most often, the additional 8 minutes (for version sans mothership interior) feel in no way unwelcome, while not strictly necessary these scenes add to the world-building and give the film a more complete feeling.
Unsurprisingly, there are no noticeable joins where scenes have been spliced together, from now on I consider this my go-to version.
Wraith has solved that problem, the three versions providing three degrees of completeness. Having seen the 137-minute director's cut first and most often, the additional 8 minutes (for version sans mothership interior) feel in no way unwelcome, while not strictly necessary these scenes add to the world-building and give the film a more complete feeling.
Unsurprisingly, there are no noticeable joins where scenes have been spliced together, from now on I consider this my go-to version.
User Review
Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched
Digital
User reviews
19 reviews
Overall rating
9.5
Audio/Video Quality
9.4(19)
Audio Editing
9.2(19)
Visual Editing
9.5(19)
Narrative
9.8(19)
Enjoyment
9.7(19)
Overall rating
8.5
Audio/Video Quality
7.0
Audio Editing
7.0
Visual Editing
10.0
Narrative
10.0
Enjoyment
9.0
I gave both versions a watch and I must say, the work you've done is seriously amazing! The edits between TC, SE, and DC all ebb and flow together beautifully! The unused music cue for the mothership interior sequence fits so much better too! I even saw the SD workprint and it definitely feels like a longer and deeper documentation of the unfolding events in the story! Everything just feels so at home with itself and it's grandiose to see this!
If I do have to voice some critiques/nitpicks it would be that the HD picture feels heavily compressed and the 24fps rate feels stuttered with those slight bumps in between which can hinder the smoothness of the film's look. The other thing is the slight audio bump at the music cue at the start of the mothership interior sequence, as well as several small pops and cracks which can be heard sometimes. Another thing that takes me out of the experience a bit are the small markers indicating which version and whatnot.
Those are the only things I think could've done with some more work for further polish. As a whole however, this film is one of my all-time favorites, and just the ability to experience it in a whole new way gives a spark in my soul I can't even begin to put into words. If you're looking for an edit that not only enhances your viewing of this film, but also COMPLETES it, then this is the edit for you!
If this were to ever receive an update addressing the mentioned problems, I would gladly come back to re-experience this edit again! As it is though, it's a must-watch for those who grew up with this Spielberg classic.
Bravo to Wraith!
If I do have to voice some critiques/nitpicks it would be that the HD picture feels heavily compressed and the 24fps rate feels stuttered with those slight bumps in between which can hinder the smoothness of the film's look. The other thing is the slight audio bump at the music cue at the start of the mothership interior sequence, as well as several small pops and cracks which can be heard sometimes. Another thing that takes me out of the experience a bit are the small markers indicating which version and whatnot.
Those are the only things I think could've done with some more work for further polish. As a whole however, this film is one of my all-time favorites, and just the ability to experience it in a whole new way gives a spark in my soul I can't even begin to put into words. If you're looking for an edit that not only enhances your viewing of this film, but also COMPLETES it, then this is the edit for you!
If this were to ever receive an update addressing the mentioned problems, I would gladly come back to re-experience this edit again! As it is though, it's a must-watch for those who grew up with this Spielberg classic.
Bravo to Wraith!
User Review
Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched
Digital
Overall rating
10.0
Audio/Video Quality
10.0
Audio Editing
10.0
Visual Editing
10.0
Narrative
10.0
Enjoyment
10.0
We watched the V1.03 LIGHT NU CUE version last night and thoroughly enjoyed it with all of the scenes from the different cuts put into one cut.
Once again wraith has shown he is one of the best at fanedits , fabulous audio and video and the joins from the three cuts were awesome.
i own the 4k collector's edition which includes the 3 versions, but this edit from wraith will be the one i go to as i prefer everything in one place - my favourite spielberg film just got better - thank you
Once again wraith has shown he is one of the best at fanedits , fabulous audio and video and the joins from the three cuts were awesome.
i own the 4k collector's edition which includes the 3 versions, but this edit from wraith will be the one i go to as i prefer everything in one place - my favourite spielberg film just got better - thank you
User Review
Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched
Digital
(Updated: July 05, 2024)
Overall rating
8.5
Audio/Video Quality
8.0
Audio Editing
8.0
Visual Editing
8.0
Narrative
10.0
Enjoyment
8.0
Echoing what everyone else has said, this is a great edit with all available HD scenes put back in nicely (too bad about the SD scenes, but I think it's the right call leaving those to the SD workprint). That being said, perhaps I got an outdated or damaged copy (edit: I watched the v1.03 versions) as I noticed at least a dozen video issues and almost twice that in audio issues. I did redownload and reunpack the files but the issues were still there. They were also all in the same places in both versions.
All of the video errors looked like stuttering, like frames were out of sync for only half a second or so. All of the audio errors seemed to be related to scene/shot changes (the first one I noticed was almost exactly at 33:00, just after the shot of Ronnie's feet walking on the road approaching Roy, when the shot changes to the both of them there is a split second of silence where there shouldn't be). In the last 20 minutes or so there were quite a few audio pops, again during shot changes.
A personal preference of mine, I did not like the small markers in the bottom right corner that denoted which version the current scene was from (SE, DC, TC, AUDIO, etc.). That can be a bit distracting and I think would be better suited to a togglable subtitle file.
All of THAT being said, this is still the version I would prefer watching in the future (I prefer the "no inside of the ship ending") and heartily recommend it. I do love this movie, and the extra bit of time I get to spend with it without having to juggle three editions thanks to this edit is a wonderful thing. I am, though, hoping for an updated version in the future which repairs the errors, which would make this a perfect edit.
All of the video errors looked like stuttering, like frames were out of sync for only half a second or so. All of the audio errors seemed to be related to scene/shot changes (the first one I noticed was almost exactly at 33:00, just after the shot of Ronnie's feet walking on the road approaching Roy, when the shot changes to the both of them there is a split second of silence where there shouldn't be). In the last 20 minutes or so there were quite a few audio pops, again during shot changes.
A personal preference of mine, I did not like the small markers in the bottom right corner that denoted which version the current scene was from (SE, DC, TC, AUDIO, etc.). That can be a bit distracting and I think would be better suited to a togglable subtitle file.
All of THAT being said, this is still the version I would prefer watching in the future (I prefer the "no inside of the ship ending") and heartily recommend it. I do love this movie, and the extra bit of time I get to spend with it without having to juggle three editions thanks to this edit is a wonderful thing. I am, though, hoping for an updated version in the future which repairs the errors, which would make this a perfect edit.
User Review
Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched
Digital
Overall rating
10.0
Audio/Video Quality
10.0
Audio Editing
10.0
Visual Editing
10.0
Narrative
10.0
Enjoyment
10.0
I had heard about this fan edit and have been seeking it out. This is how I came to this wonderful site.
My wife and I sat down and watched this glorious movie fully intact! I would have never known this was a fan edit if I didn't already know. Everything is seamless. No disruption in quality and the audio rocks.
Very good job!
My wife and I sat down and watched this glorious movie fully intact! I would have never known this was a fan edit if I didn't already know. Everything is seamless. No disruption in quality and the audio rocks.
Very good job!
User Review
Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched
Digital
Overall rating
10.0
Audio/Video Quality
10.0
Audio Editing
10.0
Visual Editing
10.0
Narrative
10.0
Enjoyment
10.0
All the previous fan edits I've watched I've done so in standard definition, but I bought an external blu-ray drive specifically so I could see this cut in HD.
I'm glad I did!
I first saw CE3K on its original release and have been a big fan ever since. The differing versions have always fascinated me and my opinion as to which one was definitive was (a bit like Spielberg's) always changing with time. What really attracted me to Wraith's edit was the restoration of the blazing light finale. This was a crucial aspect of the visual feel of the film and it was very welcome to see it this way on my home cinema screen.
I believe the mark of a great movie is just how often you can re-visit it with satisfaction and this 'Complete Edition' delivers in spades. Technically excellent, Wraith has made the extended experience work and done the story proud. No matter how many times I see it, I'm always amazed at how much new things there are to discover, especially in that highly cinematic final act.
Full marks. Well done, and thanks Wraith.
One of my next stops (when I have three and a half hours to spare!) will be this editor's Roadshow Restoration of John Wayne's 'The Alamo.' I'm not a huge Wayne fan or even a Western fan particularly, but there' something about those old Roadshow presentations that make me wish I could have visited a picture house in the fifties and sixties.
I'm glad I did!
I first saw CE3K on its original release and have been a big fan ever since. The differing versions have always fascinated me and my opinion as to which one was definitive was (a bit like Spielberg's) always changing with time. What really attracted me to Wraith's edit was the restoration of the blazing light finale. This was a crucial aspect of the visual feel of the film and it was very welcome to see it this way on my home cinema screen.
I believe the mark of a great movie is just how often you can re-visit it with satisfaction and this 'Complete Edition' delivers in spades. Technically excellent, Wraith has made the extended experience work and done the story proud. No matter how many times I see it, I'm always amazed at how much new things there are to discover, especially in that highly cinematic final act.
Full marks. Well done, and thanks Wraith.
One of my next stops (when I have three and a half hours to spare!) will be this editor's Roadshow Restoration of John Wayne's 'The Alamo.' I'm not a huge Wayne fan or even a Western fan particularly, but there' something about those old Roadshow presentations that make me wish I could have visited a picture house in the fifties and sixties.
User Review
Format Watched
Blu-ray
