Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Close Encounters of the Third Kind – Special Edition (1977)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
The years since 1977 have shrunk Star Wars, but Close Encounters looks more classic than ever, an insane burst of cinematic optimism which somehow combines Disney and '50s SF and the imagery of junk food into the most persuasive (if arrested) version of the American dream yet accomplished. Now Spielberg has added some new special effects, but more importantly, he has cut and altered the central section concerning Dreyfuss' obsession with the image of Devil's Tower, Wyoming. These scenes, formerly hysterical and unconvincing, are now more potent, leaving Truffaut's slightly mannered performance as one of the film's few awkward areas. It is now also easier, following Spielberg's 1941, to see why Close Encounters works so well: the child's bedroom scene where all the toys come alive has more adrenalin in it than a dozen demolitions.Author: DP
Cast & crew
Director: Steven Spielberg
Producer: Julia Phillips, Michael Phillips
Cast: Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Teri Garr, Melinda Dillon, Bob Balaban, Warren Kemmerling full cast
Duration: 132 mins
Top Stories
Ridley Scott interview
Director Ridley Scott tells Cath Clarke why he's making a science fiction comeback
Cannes Film Festival 2012: half-time report
Dave Calhoun reports on the hits, misses and a shocking new masterpiece from Michael Haneke






What do you think?
Post your review now