This is it. This is the Granddaddy of all 'Aliens coming to Earth' movies. There may be a ton of movies that have vastly "superior" FX than Close Encounters of the Third Kind, but none can touch the emotional connection I have with this amazing film. There isn't another film that I have seen more than this one and I still have the same feeling whether it's the 100th time, or the 1000th time as I did the first time I saw this in the theater. This movie, even though I was still in elementary school had such a huge and profound effect on me. There were two roads I could have taken before I saw this: A) Believer or B) Non-believer. I became a believer of extraterrestrial life beyond our universe because of CEOTTK.

How much does this movie effect me now? I get nothing but sheer joy, happiness, wonderment from watching this from start to finish. But it's the last 30 minutes were I still have an out-of-body-experience watching Roy (Richard Dreyfuss) and the rest making contract. It's that scene where the 'Little Green Men' single him out of the line, take hold of his hand and walk him to the Mothership that still to this day, dating all the way back to when I was just a little kid, that I've hoped to have the same experience in my lifetime.

This movie also set me on a course of conspiracy theories and Government cover-ups regarding UFO's and the mysterious Area 51. I've never been so profoundly effected by a movie (other than Star Wars, Duh) as I have been with CEOTTK. If Steven Spielberg had quit being a Film Maker after this, he would still be the King in my book. Just a brillaint piece of film making all around, from the story, the direction, the editing and of course the amazing music given to us by John Williams. Everyone in the cast was perfect, from Dreyfuss, Melinda Dillon, Terri Garr, Bob Balaban, François Truffaut and Cary Guffey. Hell, even Lance Herinksen was awesome in his blink-and-you'll-miss-part.

Although this set has the Original cut of the movie, I actually prefer the longer, extended cut. I just like the extended scenes as well as when Roy goes into the Mothership. I've heard that Spielberg regretted filming and adding that to the movie. But personally, I absolutely love it. I highly recommend this as a Buy. I had intended to pick up the 30th Anniversary Edition. But I heard horror stories about how the DVD presentation was less than spectacular that the movie itself was cropped. So, I've stayed with my current DVD.

I can talk about this movie forever.....and I probably will, even if no one else comes into this thread.

I can't give Close Encounter's full praise. There are elements that still get under my skin to bring this down a notch. The two stand out sub-text is Roy's insane drive to get at what has been bothering him. His destroying the house with the make shift mountain, was just odd, putting it lightly. But more important, his abandoning his family just rubbed me the wrong way. So with that is has some dark corners.

For the most part I really like the film. The meeting of the ships at Devils Tower was cool and whole host of little scenes throughout were just iconic and unforgettable.