Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Directors Cut): If you’re going to do Spectacle …

25th August, 2015.

I’ve really been neglecting the fact I have an iTunes account.

Really.

And neglecting the fact I have a little credit in my account to rent movies with.

Work takes up time: as does writing Teasers, minimal socialising, and whatever ever else.

So … ?

A night off … ?

A night off, with nothing on TV?

A night off, nothing on TV and enough in my account to rent a film … ?

What though?

The Falling didn’t quite grab me, interesting though it looks.

Child 44 … ?   Again, interesting looking, but not grabbing me as completely as I would’ve wanted … 

And, much as I’d KILL to have a watch … ?   Mad Max: Fury Road* hasn’t yet been released to the on demand market.

Personally … ?

I went retro: and went and rented a film I’d not seen for a while.

The Steven Spielberg directed, 1977 release that is Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

And, just so you know?

The version I got from iTunes is the Directors cut.

~≈‰≈~

It’s late … So I’m tempted to go tell you to read the Wikipedia entry on the film.

But let me try and briefly summarise the film.

Set in what was then the modern day, Close Encounters of the Third Kind tells us the story of Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss): a man who repairs power lines in Illinois.

And a man called out late, one night, when his city suffers a power cut.

It’s only when he’s stuck out in the back of the Illinois beyonds that he stops to check his maps: frantically trying to wave at the car behind him, to let its driver known to go around his van.

Only to realise it’s not a car when his lights go out.

Because of that?

Roy almost runs over a little boy: which is when things get … odd.

~≈‰≈~

Now … did I enjoy the film … ?

Yes: I did.

Although times have moved on since the film’s original release: I doubt Spielberg could get away with releasing something similar, today.

However?

Close Encounters of the Third Kind is still a good film to watch.

If for no other reason than to catch the spectacle that Spielberg made …

Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

★★★☆

*        Seemingly, it’ll be released to iTunes on the 21st September, Blu-ray — on Amazon — on October 5th, and Amazon Instant Video, on September 14th.   That’s in the UK.   It’ll get a US optical disc release, again, on 1st September.   But has ALREADY seen a US digital release: as of 11th August.   Am I the only person thinking that could lead to a lot of piracy?   Anyone … ?