Close Encounters of the Third Kind Blu-ray

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

 (1977)

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi



In the night skies near his Muncie, Indiana, home, power repairman Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) experiences something out of this world. His close encounter sets into action an amazing chain of events that leads to contact with benevolent aliens and their Mothership. This Blu-ray release includes the Original Theatrical Version, Special Edition and the Director's Cut of the movie.

For more details about Close Encounters of the Third Kind on Blu-ray, see the Close Encounters of the Third Kind Blu-ray Review

Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Teri Garr, Melinda Dillon, Cary Guffey
Director: Steven Spielberg

Close Encounters of the Third Kind Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


Let's get this right out of the way: Close Encounters of the Third Kind is beautiful. This is a film that is very much of its time, with an abundance of film grain and exceptional contrast and color. This stellar Blu-ray edition is, quite simply, the most accurate and balanced version of this film ever seen outside of the editing bay in 1977. Make no mistake, this film is full of glorious, living grain. It swirls around the frame and comes to life in almost every scene of the film. This is how Close Encounters of the Third Kind is supposed to look. It would be a complete travesty if this film had been smoothed out and homogenized for the Blu-ray release. Fortunately, the magicians at Sony Pictures Home Entertainment have striven to get this one right and no less an authority than Steven Spielberg has given this startlingly gorgeous transfer his blessing. I was blown away by the film's deep and robust shadow detail. Black levels are consistently outstanding and are never crushed. Flesh-tones are incredibly warm and fine detail is never compromised. This extreme level of detail is what allows the grain structure of Close Encounters of the Third Kind to be so perfectly rendered in this Blu-ray edition. I have never seen high definition video look as much like actual film as this Blu-ray does. Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a sterling example of how an older film can shine on Blu-ray. I encourage every interested party to investigate this title first-hand.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


I wouldn't have expected the sound mix of Close Encounters of the Third Kind to be as active and enveloping as what is presented on this disc. Sony has served up both DTS HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD lossless tracks for this release. Although I don't have the ability to currently decode DTS HD, I can confirm that the Dolby TrueHD track is extremely strong. Direction effects are selectively used, but remain extremely effective. Bass reproduction is nothing short of phenomenal with an abundance of LFE effects during the various encounters with alien spacecraft. Lossless also benefits this release immensely in the reproduction of dialogue. It is crisp and clear throughout the picture with nary a indecipherable phrase. Sony has done an immaculate job with the audio on this release and I eagerly await the time when I can sample the DTS track.

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