Charles, jog my memory here--was the Cotapaxi sequence something Spielberg wanted in the original film, but had to leave out due to time and budget constrictions? I know it wasn't in the original 1977 cut, but it seems as if there had been mention made of sequences planned but never done at the time. (Don't know if anyone here remembers the film's FotoNovel, giving as an extended view of our favorite scenes in the pre-home video days, or the excellent "making of" paperback, THE CLOSE ENCOUNTER DIARIES, which gave an interesting insight into the production.)