E.T. 40th Anniversary

[Graham Ritchie]

Well folks in two days time it will be 40 years since the film was released here in NZ "3rd December 1982". Its hard to take in the 40 year bit, time certainly does fly. So this week I laminated an old movie poster, and had a listen to an old LP. This weekend I will screen a 35mm print of E.T always looks good on film.

Anyone else doing anything something special for E.T. 40th?

[Brian Fretwell]

I'm not too keen on the film (I think I has heard all about what was happening in it before I went to see the film)> I may watch Airplane two where he turns up at the airport trying to "Home phone" and gives up when told how much he has to put in the payphone to do so.

[Osi Osgood]

It was amazing as to how popular this film was, and Speilberg and studio maximized the marketing to the ultimate limit! I remember, with hilarity, watching an elderly lady, just staring at a long "E.T. finger" toy, ( it had a glowing tip), you just have to wonder what she was thinking of. Looking back on the film, it still holds up pretty well. A film from a more innocent time, early 80's, when some of that laid back mentality from the 70's was still barely there. I do remember that there was a gawdawful Atari E.T. game, with graphics so bad that they were truly hard to stomach.

[Lee Mannering]

Funny with ET it was massive at the time but I struggle to sit thru it. My wife is a fan tho.

[Graham Ritchie]

At the time it was a huge hit here at the cinema, we even went three times Osi I think you hit the nail on the head, when you said "A film from a more innocent time" true. I doubt todays audience would be at all interested in it, times have certainly changed. I loaded the film a couple of days ago onto the platter, all going well, this Saturday night. I am pretty sure I will be the only one watching it though

[Ed Gordon]

At the time it was a huge hit here at the cinema, we even went three times ... I loaded the film a couple of days ago onto the platter, all going well, this Saturday night. I am pretty sure I will be the only one watching it though

I saw this once, and I may have enjoyed it, but not enough to ever watch it again. I have also watched some real stinkers, over and over again. I have always considered ET a children's film with enough going on to prevent adults from dying of boredom. The majority of ET viewers and critics strongly disagree with me.

So Graham, you are a member of the majority who love this movie.

[Graham Ritchie]

It looks like it Ed

I had a listen to an old 45 today also from 1982 I have always regarded "Heartlight" from Neil Diamond to be one of his best.

[Ed Gordon]

Neil Diamond certainly was a fan of E.T.:

The lawyers for MCA/Universal probably never imagined they’d have to go after Neil Diamond, too, but that’s what happened after his song “Heartlight” hit the airwaves in September 1982. He wrote the tune with his friends Carole Bayer Sager and Burt Bacharach after they saw the movie together at a New York theater. The song never mentions the movie by naming of any of the characters, but the title refers to the moment near the end when E.T.’s heart illuminates as he’s saying goodbye to Elliott. The lyrics essentially tell the broad strokes of the film from the perspective of Elliott, down to the bicycle ride “across the moon.”

The song hit Number Five on the Hot 100 (Diamond’s last song go that high to this day), but MCA/Universal felt he was cashing on their property. Diamond likely would have won in a court battle since the song is so vague, but they wound up settling out of court for a reported $25,000.

“Heartlight” fell out of Diamond’s set list in the late Nineties, but it made a triumphant return as the final encore of his 2015 world tour. It lit up hearts every single night and no slick movie-studio lawyers could take that away from him.

Source: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/m...t-song-928258/

[Graham Ritchie]

Well last night was exactly the 40th anniversary 3rd December 1982 of the films release here, so with the threaded up Ernemann 2 away I went. I have to admit, that even though I have watched E.T before, running a 35mm print is special these days, and as such really enjoyed watching it leaving the projector and platter to do there thing. The color, the look and really the sound quality from the 35mm print, does make it special over any blu-ray projection.

Anyway that's it folks, all done, nice to look at, and think back to a different time.

I did take a couple screen shots last night "below", and also include a link to a previous 2017 home screening

[Graham Ritchie]

After spending a couple of hours today, E.T. has made his way home, onto cores until the next time, not sure though when that will be.

[Ed Gordon]

The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this retrospective commemorating the 40th anniversary of the release of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Steven Spielberg’s classic family film about the friendship between a boy and an alien visitor who is afraid, totally alone, and three million light years from home.

See: https://thedigitalbits.com/columns/h...rrestrial-40th

[Osi Osgood]

I could never afford a print of this on super 8, but could someone verify that there were two releases of this? One full frame, and from someone else, a letterboxed edition? If so, it would be interesting to see if the full frame edition, had more image info not having the letterboxing, or, for the print, they just came in closer, which would mean the full frame edition would potentially be a little grainier.

[Chip Gelmini]

3 spielbergers to go.....

[Larry Arpin]

The super 8mm print I saw was letterbox. I believe the 35mm was hard matte 1:85. Graham can confirm this. 16mm film was also letterbox. So any full frame version would be pushed in.

[Graham Ritchie]

Larry right regarding the 35mm print