E.T. Controversy

This sparked a lot of debate on a couple of local mailing lists I’m on, and maybe it’ll do the same thing here. Short version: In the upcoming DVD release of E.T. the Federales won’t be wielding shotguns anymore. In their place will be… walkie-talkies? (Full story follows)

Movie maker STEVEN SPIELBERG has angered die-hard fans by changing his 1982 classic E.T. for its DVD release.


The restoration will include the addition of never before seen footage, as well as upgraded special effects and some slightly altered scenes.


Spielberg has lopped off ELLIOT’s infamous “penis breath” insult to his brother, but perhaps the most controversial change involves the government’s ‘men in black’ pursuit of Elliot and E.T., in which the pals use their bikes to outmanoeuvre the agents. In the original the adults carried shotguns. Now, they wield walkie-talkies.


Publicist MARVIN LEVY says, “People were less cognizant of [the impact of guns] back then in ’81 or ’82. Most people are not going to notice, except maybe the purists, but the heart and soul of the picture is there.”

2 replies on “E.T. Controversy”

  1. Probably would not have noticed…
    But now that you mention it, I find that this whole PC movement and not wanting to offend anyone is going over board. What is next, take Die Hard and have them holding daisies?

    Movies are a historical record of how our society was, and viewed things when it was made. Well at least the better films any way.

    Sorry for my rant, but this and everything else being so touchy after 9/11 is getting really tiring.

  2. 1984 Is Now
    This kind of “digital editing” is EXACTLY what was at the core of the plot in the classic Orwell novel 1984, where Winston Smith discovers an old photograph that proves the version in public circulation has been altered to delete a person. What scares me is if the current USA vs. Taliban struggle erupts into Christianity vs. Islam (hey, it’s happened before, that’s why it’s not PC to use the word “crusade” these days) and the Islamic side wins. When THEY get thru editing ET, Drew Barrymore will be under a veil….

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