Is it correct that, in the recent new release of E.T., the police chase after Elliott with walkie-talkies instead of guns? If so, what was the reasoning behind this? Did Speilberg go soft? I can hear it now…“Don’t move! I got a walkie-talkie, and I’m not afraid to use it!”
(I also hear one minor line was changed early-on in light of 9/11 events, but that’s a but more understandable.)
Yes, though they do not, nor did they ever “chase after Elliott” with the guns and/or walkie-talkies, just hold them. Spielberg’s statement was that it seemed ridiculous to use a gun while searching for a child.
Not so ridiculous when your searching for a potentially dangerous extra-terrestrial lifeform though :rolleyes:
I saw the re-release at the theater. Aside from the restored scenes that were originally deleted, the following changes were made:
–Mom now tells older brother Michael, on Halloween, that he looks like a “hippy” rather than like a “terrorist.” Understandable, if something of a non sequitur.
–After Elliot and Michael drive the van onto the playground and take off on bikes, the government agents running towards the van now carry walkie-talkies instead of handguns. Ironically, this necessitate the removal of a piece of dialogue; originally, Elliot’s mother in this scene yelled, “No guns! They’re children!” Doesn’t affect the scene either way.
–The only change which really turns out badly is that, as the bikes approach the roadblock, there is no longer an agent stepping into the street with a shotgun aimed at them. This does reduce the impact of the scene, but I can live with it.
–Contrary to rumors that made their way around the Internet, the phrase “penis-breath” was not removed from the movie. Nor were the words “shit” or “douchebag.”
–The DVD Collector’s Edition that comes out in October will have both versions of the movie.
No, they did not. One of Spielberg’s assistants (Kathryn something-or-other?) said something to the effect of “It’s a great line. We’d never take that out.”
Depends on which version you buy. The regular Widescreen Collectors’ Edition features only the 20th Anniversary Edition. The Ultimate Gift Set features both versions of the movie, as well as a copy of the original screenplay, a semitype, and a CD of John Williams’ score. E.T. phones home to DVD October 22, but he’ll be gone by the end of the year. These are limited editions, so buy them while you have a chance.
[sub]Links to amazon.com are for informative purposes only, and for an quick and easy way for fellow Dopers to order a E.T. DVD of their very own. No monetary gain on my part is involved in these links. I am not affiliated in any way with Amazon.com Inc. or Universal Pictures.[/sub]
mobo85: Pardon my ignorance, but what’s a semitype?
And as for them being limited editions, they’re not kidding. I read in a local newspaper article a couple of weeks ago that they will be producing the DVDs for only 20 weeks or something like that.
I’m ignorant, too. I think a semitype is a fancy sort of still from the movie.
E.T. will only be around for 10 weeks, by my count. Like I said, E.T. phones home to DVD October 22, but he’ll be gone by the end of the year (I.E., December 31).