News: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS Returns To Theaters In September

On September 1st, Sony/Columbia Pictures will be re-releasing Steven Spielberg's 1977 sci-fi classic, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind to theaters with a 4K remastered digital presentation. A couple weeks later, on September 19th, this version will be released on both HD Blu-ray and 4K UHD Blu-ray.

Based on this official trailer, it looks as if virtually all of the film grain has now been digitally scrubbed from the movie, giving it a modern, digital video appearance.

I have mixed feelings about this. The 2007 Blu-ray was gorgeous, and had a truly "filmic" appearance, awash in glorious, vintage 1970's 35mm filmstock grain. The new transfer looks very sharp and clear, but just doesn't look like a Seventies movie anymore. I get that that's probably what Sony wants - they're trying to keep the property commercially viable - but it bugs me. I'm also annoyed by the fan response to this which is praising it for "cleaning up" the film. But that's where we are today, I'm afraid. 

Countdown: this is Space: 1970 post #998...

Hungarian CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND Poster (1977)

Here's a cool find - a Hungarian one-sheet for Steven Spielberg's classic 1977 UFO epic, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind. It has a funky quality I kinda dig.

I have no information on the artist's identity, but, as always, if anyone has info to share, post it in the comments!

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS (1977) Bendable Alien

There wasn't a whole lot of Close Encounters merchandise released to tie-in with Steven Spielberg's UFO epic - a novelization, a Warren souvenir magazine, a few other odds and ends - at least, not compared to other sci-fi blockbusters of the era, and certainly not a lot merch aimed at kids.

One exception was this cheerful extraterrestrial "bendy" from rack toy specialists Imperial. All things considered, it's a pretty fair likeness of CE3K's featured alien, goofy smile and all.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND: SPECIAL EDITION (1980) Lobby Cards

Today, we've got a batch of lobby cards from the 1980 "Special Edition" release of Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters Of The Third Kind. Columbia's marketing department basically stuck with the most iconic shots from the previous release of the film - no doubt because of their familiarity - and supplemented the package with a couple of stills from the new footage. After all these years, though, that image above still gives me a thrill. Enjoy!

Coming Attractions: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND SPECIAL EDITION (1980) Theatrical Trailer

Today we've got the theatrical trailer for the controversial (at least, among some Star Kids) 1980 "Special Edition" theatrical presentation of Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters Of The Third Kind. Now that I have the Blu-ray with all three of Spielberg's different CE3K cuts, it's fun to watch the different versions and compare them. In particular, I love watching Richard Dreyfuss' hair inexplicably change length - and style - when he boards the Mothership in this alternate version!

"Now there is more..." Indeed.

Coming Attractions: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977) Theatrical Trailer

Hope you're all having a great weekend. For your nostalgic viewing pleasure, here's the original theatrical trailer for the other big science fiction classic of 1977, Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters Of The Third Kind.

I haven't posted nearly enough about this fantastic sci-fi film on the blog over the last three years. It was highly influential on me back in '77, and its commercial and critical success re-ignited public interest in Unidentified Flying Objects, inspiring everything from Ed Hunt's low-budget Starship Invasions to Jack Webb & NBC's Project U.F.O.

Looking back on it 35 years later, the trailer is surprisingly dry & serious, with Columbia clearly determined to make sure that CE3K is not dismissed by audiences as mere "entertainment," but as a serious piece of cinema. Of course, it's both - terrifically entertaining and a great movie.

Warren CLOSE ENCOUNTERS (1977) Official Magazine

During the late Seventies, Jim Warren's Warren Magazines (publishers of Creepy, Eerie, Vampirella and Famous Monsters of Filmland) put out a number of "Official" tie-in mags for a variety of genre films, from Star Wars and Alien to Moonraker and Meteor.

Here's the cover of their Close Encounters Of The Third Kind magazine, with a striking close-up of Carlo Rambaldi's featured animatronic alien.

As I've said before, these publications were basically full-issue, Famous Monsters-styled "filmbooks," featuring detailed plot summaries, actor profiles and behind-the-scenes articles, all written for 13 to 15 year-olds. And... then there were the pages of "Captain Company" mail order ads in the back....

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977) Theatrical Posters

There wasn't a lot of variations to Columbia Pictures' ad campaign for Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters Of The Third Kind. Basically, the night time road into the glowing hills and/or the Devil's Tower silhouette featured in pretty much in all of the advertising in the U.S. and abroad. But why not? They're striking, memorable images, and have become iconic in the minds of those of us who grew up in the late 70s. (Actually, I'm not 100% certain that second poster was actually used in theaters; I can't help but think that it looks like a consumer poster. Anyone know for sure?)

When the 1980 Special Edition came around, Columbia went for something a little less iconic, but certainly effective...

Coming Attractions: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND: THE SPECIAL EDITION (1980) TV Spot

Here's a neat 30 second TV spot for the controversial (at least, among some Star Kids) 1980 "Special Edition" theatrical cut of Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters Of The Third Kind. "Now there is more..."

A Close Encounter You Can Wear!

"Through the science of LASER technology and recent advances in the art of holography - a new space age product - the hologram has been created for your pleasure and enjoyment!"

Check out this decidedly 70s piece of sci-fi memorabilia: a Close Encounters Of The Third Kind hologram pendant! This ad appeared in Starlog #15, back in the Spring/Summer of 1978. Cool.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1978) Pinball Machine Flyer

Here's another vintage pinball machine flyer, this time for Gottlieb's Close Encounters Of The Third Kind pinball machine. I have to admit, I love the colorful backglass art on this table. Beautiful - and with its comic strip-styled logo and wildly fluorescent colors - completely out-of-step with the wondrous, awestruck tone of the actual scene in the film. Still, I'm pretty sure I pumped a few quarters into this machine on a vacation trip in the Summer of 78....

Captain's bLog: 0310.11

•  Recent additions to my Space: 1970 Blu-Ray library include the Close Encounters of the Third Kind 30th Anniversary Edition, which includes the original theatrical cut, the "Special Edition," and the DVD "Director's Cut," all in gorgeous high definition. I also now have all five original Planet of the Apes features. Teenage me would never have imagined being able to watch these movies at home, in their proper aspect ratios, on a big television screen with high-quality sound. It's a long way from my 15th birthday, when my friends and I rented Star Wars on pan & scan VHS and watched it on a 18" TV - and had to put down a $100 deposit on the tape!

• Just  ordered - through a third-party Amazon seller - the Warners Archive DVD of the Gene Roddenberry pilot film, Genesis II. I hope to get Planet Earth and (the Roddenberry-less third try) Strange New World over the coming months.

I always thought it was a shame that the show - at least in its Planet Earth incarnation (I'm a big fan of John Saxon) - didn't get picked up; I think Roddenberry had a good idea with his "Buck Rogers-without-spaceships" premise, and it would have been a fun, action-adventure sci-fi show. (Of course, now that I think about it, Filmation's Ark II was basically the same concept, minus the cryo-preserved hero... hmmmm....)

•   The image-centric posts will continue a bit longer, but I'm determined to carve out some time to wrap up the longer articles I have in the works and write some new ones in the next month or so - hopefully including the long-promised Omega Man retrospective, a couple more "Favorite Episodes" posts (Space: 1999's "War Games" and "Dragon's Domain," Battlestar Galactica's "The Living Legend," and Logan's Run's "Man Out of Time" among them...), a review of the above-mentioned Genesis II disc, a look at the aborted Star Trek "Phase" II television series, and a lot more coverage of UFO, The Planet of the Apes (movies and TV shows), The Fantastic Journey, vintage paperbacks, comic books & magazines, etc. Stay tuned.

•  And although there's no way to authenticate it, it looks like one of the Space: 1970 Space Babes has actually dropped by the blog - and even thanked me for the honor! That's right - St. Exmin herself, the stunning Sybil Danning, has posted a comment to the March Space Babes post. I've long been a fan of the Austrian Amazon, and am thrilled that she stopped by!

• Working on getting a new poll together for April, and still trying to work out the technical details of getting the Space: 1970 podcast I recorded online. I actually listen to it a lot - I'd like to offer you folks that same dubious pleasure.

I'm sure that the process of posting it online is probably ridiculously simple, but then, I'm a moron. In any case, I will get it accomplished one of these days....

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977) Marvel Super Special #3

Another seminal 70s sci-fi classic that I have so far neglected on this blog is Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind, quite possibly the greatest UFO movie ever made. Along with Star Wars, CE3K (as the genre mags referred to it), really changed the face of science fiction films forever. No longer were sci-fi films relegated solely to B-movies and exploitation filmmakers - with that box office double punch, space movies stepped up to the A-list, with every major studio determined to field their own special effects-heavy blockbuster.

Marvel Comics had really lucked out with their decision to pick up the Star Wars license, and were duly careful not to let any other potential hits slip through their fingers. Hence, this magazine format comic adaptation of Spielberg's film, published as the third issue of their Marvel Super Special title.  Later issues would feature adaptations of Battlestar Galactica, The Empire Strikes Back, Star Trek - The Motion Picture... and Xanadu(!), among others.

I no longer have this comic, but I wish I did. the script was by the great Archie Goodwin, and the art was by the always awesome team of Walter Simonson and Klaus Janson. (Interestingly, Goodwin & Simonson also adapted Alien for Heavy Metal.) The cover painting above is by Bob Larkin, a prolific painter of covers for paperback novels (including a few Star Treks for Bantam Books) and comics magazines.