70mm reprint of “Close Encounters”

[Ryan Gallagher]

For anyone in the know or shown it already, I’m keen to learn if this printing is undersized from SMPTE at all (expecting it is).

A frame reference against RP-91 or PA-70 would be a blessing for those of us expecting to have to file some plates.

If it were drastically undersized I’d even be tempted to find lenses to borrow. Current rumor is I might be tackling this one in the fall. Date and lead time not known yet. Cheers.

Coming directly from Sony so Brad did not have info yet.

[Chris Haller]

It would be a damn shame if it is. Close Encounters should fill the heck out of a full 2.20:1 frame. Big. Bright. Beautiful.

I don't know if I'm going to be able to travel to see this print, but I tell you it would be a LOT easier to miss it if they didn't do it justice.

[Jim Cassedy]

Back some time in late May or early June, I was informed that my venue will have
the exclusive Northern California 70mm engagement for this print. I think I was told
we would be running it in "mid-to-late November", but I don't have actual dates yet.

[Sascha Roll]

This should answer your question...

Screenshot_2025-08-17-12-48-12-702_com.instagram.android-edit.jpg

[Elia Orselli]

We screened Close Encouters this summer in Bologna piazza Maggiore during Il cinema ritrovato festival (some pictures of the screening here: https://festival.ilcinemaritrovato.i...allery-2025-2/). Unfortunately I haven't compared the frame with BL&S film test. But I asked for 2 small test reels to file aperture plates and Sony provided them.

[Ryan Gallagher]

We screened Close Encouters this summer in Bologna piazza Maggiore during Il cinema ritrovato festival (some pictures of the screening here: https://festival.ilcinemaritrovato.i...allery-2025-2/). Unfortunately I haven't compared the frame with BL&S film test. But I asked for 2 small test reels to file aperture plates and Sony provided them.

That is good to know, I'll see if those are still kicking around and such a request would be honored. Does appear quite a bit undersized. Or even just ask Sony for a photo reference.

Great crowd!! That was the premiere of that print right? That booth looks interesting with it's low ceiling accomodations.

[Sascha Roll]

That is good to know, I'll see if those are still kicking around and such a request would be honored. Does appear quite a bit undersized. Or even just ask Sony for a photo reference.

Bologna posted some more Images on their Instagram profile:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DLKbFnisTXI/?img_index=4&igsh=YnZyaDVxbHQ4d204

[Ryan Gallagher]

Funny story, but one of my first ebay trailer purchases was a vintage 35mm Close Encounters tailer... the crazy 7 minute version with director's interviews and a bunch of explaining, cause the "3rd Kind" was not yet a popular culture concept. It is a bit faded of course and definitely starting to VS, I need to see if it is too shrunken to run or not. There may be an opportunity to tease with it.

[Vern Dias]

The only way the CEOT3K is going to fill a 2.20:1 70 mm frame is if some of the sides of the image are discarded, as it was photographed in 35mm with anamorphic lenses. I would expect the 70mm prints to be letterboxed down to ~ 2.40:1.


From Wikipedia:
"Close Encounters was filmed anamorphically and the visual effects sequences were shot on 70 mm film, which has greater resolution than the 35 mm film used for the rest of the production, so that when the miniature effects were combined with full-sized elements through an optical printer, the effects footage would still appear clear and sharp though having lost one generation's worth of visual fidelity. A test reel using computer-generated imagery was created for the UFOs, but Spielberg found it would be too expensive and ineffective because CGI was in its infancy in the mid-1970s^."

[Steve Guttag]

It is VERY rare that 70mm prints get a 2.39 letterbox to the 2.20 frame. A notable exception was The Untouchables. Normally, the sides are cropped. Few, if any, commercial cinemas will cut a letterboxed "scope" plate for 70mm.

In today's wacky world, anything is possible including the the undersizing of content that should be formatted for 70mm to begin with (e.g. Sinners). I see in a post above...the thick frame lines.

[Ryan Gallagher]

The only way the CEOT3K is going to fill a 2.20:1 70 mm frame is if some of the sides of the image are discarded, as it was photographed in 35mm with anamorphic lenses. I would expect the 70mm prints to be letterboxed down to ~ 2.40:1.


From Wikipedia:
"Close Encounters was filmed anamorphically and the visual effects sequences were shot on 70 mm film, which has greater resolution than the 35 mm film used for the rest of the production, so that when the miniature effects were combined with full-sized elements through an optical printer, the effects footage would still appear clear and sharp though having lost one generation's worth of visual fidelity. A test reel using computer-generated imagery was created for the UFOs, but Spielberg found it would be too expensive and ineffective because CGI was in its infancy in the mid-1970s^."

True, I also didn't realize most of it is a 35mm anamorphic blow up to begin with. If my predecessors had been quicker to file new plates when needed I might already have those. But 2:2:1 or 2.4:1, either undersized or smpte, are all things I would need new plates for except for 2.2:1 smpte 70mm (existing), and 1.85:1 70mm undersized (Searchers and NxNW, which I filed recently).

Undersized or "correct" considering the source, I still have plates in my future it seems. Visually the width looks to be about full frame... so hoping it's smpte width and I'll be filing more generally useful plates for scope blow ups.

[Michael Coate]

https://www.in70mm.com/presents/1963_blow_up/titel/c/close_encounters/index.htm

Here is a chronology of the bookings thus far of the new 70mm-DTS prints of “Close Encounters…”:

2025-06-21 … Bologna, Italy — Piazza Maggiore [Il Cinema Ritrovato]
2025-06-22 … Bologna, Italy — Cinema Modernissimo [Il Cinema Ritrovato]
2025-08-15 … Chicago, IL, USA — Music Box [70mm festival]
2025-08-15 … Los Angeles, CA, USA — Egyptian [w/ Grover Crisp intro]
2025-08-16 … Los Angeles, CA, USA — Egyptian
2025-08-17 … Los Angeles, CA, USA — Egyptian
2025-08-20 … Chicago, IL, USA — Music Box [70mm festival]
2025-08-21 … Chicago, IL, USA — Music Box [70mm festival]
2025-08-29 … New York, NY, USA — Paris [Big & Loud festival]
2025-08-29 … Santa Monica, CA, USA — Aero
2025-08-31 … Santa Monica, CA, USA — Aero
2025-09-01 … Portland, OR, USA — Hollywood [Summer of Celluloid]
2025-09-03 … Portland, OR, USA — Hollywood [Summer of Celluloid]
2025-09-14 … New York, NY, USA — Paris [Big & Loud festival]
2025-11-?? … San Francisco, CA, USA — Alamo Drafthouse New Mission

BTW, I attended the show at the Egyptian last Friday. I thought the image quality exceeded my expectation. The audio quality, however, is apparently not pleasing everyone (complaints of shrill, bright, too loud, etc.). Can’t please everyone, I guess. Anyway, to address the original point, the presentation was masked perfectly and so none of the matting that is baked into the print was projected.

[Jim Cassedy]

We screened Close Encouters this summer in Bologna piazza Maggiore
during Il cinema ritrovato festival

I have seen photos of other screenings and videos of concerts there, and it looks
like such a beautiful place. I hope I get a chance to visit in person some day!

[Ryan Gallagher]

Our Austin dates are public now. Fri Oct 3rd for an evening screening, Sun Oct 5th for a Matinee screening.

https://tickets.austintheatre.org/12934

It just got buried on our website when they launched our October "Panic" film events series info which usurped it's prominence in the film category... I've sent a note to get that corrected!

Sony is also trying to wrangle up a test reel for setting masking and filing plates, but said we'd likely have the print pretty early too.
EDIT: it sounds like they are gonna send us a silent loop ahead of the print, that'll be swell.

[Ryan Gallagher]

If anyone else is expecting, here is my handheld attempt at getting a sizing reference to some test films you might have:

vs BLS 1591 (unsure why my perfs appear aligned but the vertical matte doesn't seem centered vertically with the % references):

image0.jpg

Better alignment/attempt with SMPTE RP91

IMG_6615.jpg