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25 years have passed since E.T. was released by star director Steven Spielberg. After "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", Steven Spielberg's second movie about aliens transformed the landscape of movies. Up to that point evil aliens had dominated Hollywood but with E.T. Spielberg introduced a new kind of alien that showed people that actually we are the ones who are evil. His purportedly favorite movie made 800 million dollars at the box office and is one of the most successful movies of all time. Furthermore, it received four Oscars in 1982. Two for the sound, one for the special effects and the last one went to soundtrack-composer John Williams, (Star Wars, Jurassic Park). On its the 20th anniversary, Spielberg re-released the movie in theaters in a new edition. To make the film more interesting, Spielberg changed several details. First of all, the sound and picture were digitally remastered. Furthermore, two new scenes were added. In the first one, Elliot's mother searches for her children in the town on Halloween. In the other one, the relationship between E.T. and Elliott is shown in more detail. In the scene in the bathroom, Elliot explains many things about his world and the viewer is shown that E.T's race seems to prefer water as habitat. Spielberg had removed that scene in the original version because E.T. puppet looked to stiff to him. Moreover, E.T. is digitally animated in several shots now, which at some points is very apparent. He has also been remodeled digitally. This can be seen at the beginning of the movie when he is fleeing from the hunters and jumps through the forest like a kangaroo.
Later it becomes apparent that E.T's facial expressions have also changed , probably to show more emotions than the puppet was able to. Having said that, the changes only ocur in 1\4 of the movie. After September 11, one conversation between Michael and his mother was also changed. In the original version, she told him that he wasn't allowed to go out dressed like terrorist. In the Special Edition, the word "terrorist" was replaced by the word "hippie". Furthermore, the weapons that were worn by the security guards when they were following the children have been replaced with walkie talkies. Spielberg, looking back, found it simply inappropriate to have men with guns follow the children. Another interesting fact that very few people know is that Harisson Ford has a cameo in the movie. He is the teacher dissecting the frog. All together, the special edition is valuable simply because of the the new scenes. Moreover, today's children can relate better to a CGI-E.T. than to the old rubber puppet. I personally think that the old E.T. is the one and only E.T! The new animations have been made to make him look more agile, but in my opinion computer-animated objects always look soulless. But that's only my opinion. E.T. still is an all-time classic. Director's Cut: 01:54.59 Min. including closing credits Theatrical Version: 01:49.53 Min. including closing credits Director's Cut: 01:49.33 Min. without closing credits Theatrical Version: 01:46.01 Min. without closing credits Comparison between the German video tape: CIC (Theatrical Edition)and the DVD: Universal (Special Edition). 56 digital changes 2 new scenes 1 change in violence 1 change in the audio track 2 new scenes = 202 seconds (3 min. 22 sec.) (running-times of the scenes added up)  Alternative Material:
Time Index TE: 00.00 14 Time Index SE: 00.00 21 The old Universal-logo was replaced with the new one. 10 sec. time difference
alternative footage: Time Index TE: 01.24 Time Index SE: 01.34 The silhouette of the forest looks totally different. Furthermore, the space shuttle dummy was replaced with a CGI-effect. no time difference
:alternative footage Time Index TE: 04.22 Time Index SE: 04.32 The city view is slightly different. no time difference
alternative footage: Time Index TE: 04.34 Time Index SE: 04.44 Ditto. no time difference
alternative footage: Time Index TE: 05.50 Time Index SE: 06.00 In the old edition E.T. walks through the forest. In the Special Edition he jumps around like a kangaroo. This is also slightly longer. no time difference
alternative footage: Time Index TE: 06.00 Time Index SE: 06.10 Again, E.T. jumps through the forest. no time difference
alternative footage: Time Index TE: 06.10 Time Index SE: 06.20 Ditto. no time difference
alternative footage: Time Index TE: 06.16 Time Index SE: 06.26 Ditto. no time difference
alternative footage: Time Index TE: 06.24 Time Index SE: 06.34 Ditto. no time difference
alternative footage: Time Index TE: 06.38 Time Index SE: 06.48 The space shuttle is launched, then a cut to the jumping E.T. follows Then again the space shuttle is shown. no time difference
alternative footage Time Index TE: 06.52 Time Index SE: 07.02 The space shuttle starts and flies away. In the old edition, E.T. is shown watching his friends leave. In the Special Edition, he jumps after the space shuttle until you it disappears behind the horizon. no time difference
alternative footage: Time Index TE: 07.08 Time Index SE: 07.18 E.T. walks toward the city. no time difference
alternative footage: Time Index TE: 07.27 Time Index SE: 07.37 The hunters that are after E.T. are looking for clues. no time difference
alternative footage: Time Index TE: 13.49 Time Index SE: 13.59 When Elliot meets E.T. in the cornfield for the first time, the old E.T. was replaced with a CGI version. no time difference
alternative footage: Time Index TE: 13.52 Time Index SE: 14.02 Ditto. no time difference
alternative footage: Time Index TE: 13.53 Time Index SE: 14.03 Ditto. no time difference
alternative footage: Time Index TE: 18.37 Time Index SE: 18.47 In the old edition, the moon is visible, in the special edition it is not. No time difference
new footage: 30.25 E.T. stands on scales while Elliott is running a bath for himself. He says:: "Thirty-five pounds. Thirty-five pounds! You're so fat!" Then, the two of them stand in front of the mirror. Elliott recognizes that he is a bit taller than E.T. : "I wonder how tall you are. I'm four-six. You must be around three...", but in that moment E.T. stretches his neck. Elliott is amazed. While Elliott is getting a can of lemonade, E.T examines several objects on the dresser. He knocks over a tooth mug and empties a tube of toothpaste. At the same time Elliott says: "This is where the water comes from. See? This is hot and this is cold. Now, it all comes from a big water tower. It goes through pipes and sometimes dead bugs come through and land in the bath. It's real sick. Are you thirsty?" When Elliot opens the can, its content spurts out. At that moment the phone starts ringing and both are startled. His mother is on the phone and wants to know whether Elliot is alright. He answers: "Hi. Yeah, I'm fine. Sure. Yeah, I still got a fever. Yeah. Uh, no, get back. I'm fine, Mom. Yeah. Yeah. No. Mom, I gotta get in bed now. Okay. Goodbye. Mom, I'm sick. Mom, I don't need to go to the doctor! Mom, I only had a fever of 99 today. Okay, ''and a half.'' Uh-huh. Okay, Mom. Okay, bye. I've got to throw up. Mom, please. I'm gonna throw up on the phone if you don't let me go. Mom, I've gotta throw up now." In order to prove that he pours some lemonade over the receiver to imitate the sound of vomiting. In the background E.T. climbs over the rim of the bathtub and falls into it. After Elliot has ended the call, he finds E.T under water in the tub and is horrified. "You could drown in stuff like this." He helps him out of the tub, but E.T. calms him down end returns to the tub. Elliot is surprised and remarks: "Is this your idea of a good time?". 152 sec.
alternative footage: time index TE: 32.11 time index SE: 34.53 When Gertie sees E.T. for the first time, she starts screaming. E.T. does the same. Again, CGI was used. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 32.14 time index SE: 34.56 ditto. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 32.20 time index SE: 35.02 ditto. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 36.53 time index SE: 39.35 E.T. feet also fell prey to the computer and were replaced with CGI no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 38.03 time index SE: 40.45 When E.T. makes the balls hover to show the kids his home planet this was also replaced with CGI. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 38.15 time index SE: 40.57 ditto. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 42.54 time index SE: 45.36 The digital E.T. opens a can with food. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 42.58 time index SE: 45.40 He tries it but he does not seem to like it. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 43.09 time index SE: 45.51 CGI-E.T. again reaches into the refrigerator. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 43.14 time index SE: 45.56 ... and gets a can of beer out of it. no time difference
Alternatives footage: time index TE: 43.16 time index SE: 45.58 He drinks the beer. Due to the new animation, the swallowing of the liquid is visible. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 44.43 time index SE: 47.16 When the CGI-E.T. watches the Tom&Jerry cartoon on TV he looks shocked when Jerry starts beating up Tom. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 44.41 time index SE: 47.23 Again the facial expression of the CGI-E.T. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 51.37 time index SE: 54.18 Also the E.T. that is dressed up by Gertie was replaced with a CGI version. facial expression and rolling eyes were added. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 51.43 time index SE: 54.24 ditto. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 51.59 time index SE: 54.41 ditto. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 52.04 time index SE: 54.46 ditto. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 52.26 Zeitindex SE: 55.08 The E.T walking in the closet was also digitalized. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 53.15 time index SE: 55.57 Also here E.T.'s face was animated digitally. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 53.29 time index SE: 56.11 ditto. no time difference
alternative audio track: time index KF: 00:58.27 time index SE: 01:01.09 In the scene where Elliot is standing in front of the mirror to apply make-up and is talking to Gertie. The mother is arguing with Michael outside. Mary: "You won't get four blocks in this neighborhood dressed like that." Michael: "Please!" Mary: "No and that is final, you are not going as a terrorist!" Michael: "All the guys are!" this was changed into: Mary: "You won't get four blocks in this neighborhood dressed like that. I mean it. You are not going as a hippy!" Michael: "All the guys are!" no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 00:57.51 time index SE: 01:00.33 When E.T. makes some objects over in the kids' bedroom, he is also animated digitally. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 01:02.05 time index SE: 01:04.47 close up of E.T. in the bicycle basket. Again CGI was used for new facial expressions. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 01:02.18 time index SE: 01:05.00 Elliot's air-ride on his bike was slightly changed. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 01:02.35 time index SE: 01:05.17 Also in this scene some flaws were eliminated. Elliot got a digitally animated coat and a tree was added to the background. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 01:03.30 time index SE: 01:06.12 The silhouette of the tree is different. no time difference
new footage: 01:08.00 A burning pumpkin is shown. Kids are playing and running on the street. Mary drives up in a car and the kids throw eggs at her. Gertie and Michael walk down the street and stop next to the car. Mary: "Where's Elliot?" Mary: "I'm asking you a question." Gertie: "Anyways, why would Elliot go to the forest?" Gertie: "Why would he do such a thing?" Mary: "Get in the car." Mary: "Get in the car now." 50 sec.
alternative footage: time index TE: 01:05.29 time index SE: 01:09.01 E.T. and Elliot are in the forest. Both are scratching their heads. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 01:06.59 time index SE: 01:10.31 Again, E.T.'s facial expressions were digitized. no time difference
alternative footage: time index KF: 01:07.15 time index SE: 01:10.47 ditto. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 01:35.45 time index SE: 01:39.17 After the kids have fled with E.T. the policemen find the van at a playground. Their guns were replaced digitally with walkie-talkies. no time difference
01:38.08 The old version shows a cop lifting up his shotgun. This scene is completely missing from the new version. 2 sec.
alternative footage: time index TE: 01:38.13 time index SE: 01:41.43 Another close-up of E.T.'s face. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 01:38.16 time index SE: 01:41.46 The security personal wants to stop the kids with a road block. During that they are holding shotguns in their hands. These, too, were replaced with walkie-talkies. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 01:38.24 time index SE: 01:41.54 Different shots of the flying children. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 01:38.30 time index SE: 01:42.00 After the kids have flown over the road block. The security-men kneel on the ground and their shot guns are shown. The new version again features walkie-talkies no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 01:38.35 time index SE: 01:42.05 The shots of the kids flying through the air are different here. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 01:38.50 time index SE: 01:42.20 Their landing is also different. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 01:40.14 time index SE: 01:43.44 Again the digitized spaceship. Furthermore, the background is noticeably darker than in the old version no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 01:41.11 time index SE: 01:44.41 Gertie is kissed goodbye by the digitized E.T. Michael says goodbye, too. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 01:43.33 time index SE: 01:47.03 Here, E.T. hand was slightly changed. In the old version the finger that enters the screen looks quite stiff, whereas in the new version it looks much more natural. In the following scene E.T. was again digitized. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 01:43.58 time index SE: 01:47.28 Again E.T. facial expressions were tweaked to create more emotions no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 01:45.16 time index SE: 01:48.46 The spaceship is launched in all its digital glory. no time difference
alternative footage: time index TE: 01:49.47 6 time index SE: 01:53.16 103 After the closing credits the old version shows the MPAA logo. In the special edition the closing credits were enhanced and mention all the people involved in making the new version. no time difference
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