Be good … and buy this awesome-looking double LP vinyl record set of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial from Mondo!

The 2XLP motion picture soundtrack is available in two forms. One has the records pressed in discs resembling the moon, and the other (my favorite) is in the form of E.T.’s heartlight. The album will go on sale tomorrow at Mondo’s Record Shop for $40.

Mondo, along with Geffen Records and Universal Pictures, are proud to celebrate forty years of E.T., with an all new re-issue of John Williams’ timeless, essential and period-defining score. This re-issue is pressed on 2x 180 Gram color vinyl, produced by Bruce Botnick and Mike Matessino, and features all new liner notes by Mike Duquette.

Although E.T. is a classic, it doesn’t get as much praise as other Steven Spielberg films. Unfortunately, the same can be said of John Williams’s score. The entire package is magical, but for whatever reason, both take a back seat to the duo’s other collaborations.

At least, for the time being, the magic of E.T. and Williams’s music can be experienced firsthand on the movie’s ride at Universal Studios Orlando. But for how long?

E.T. Adventure opened with the park in 1990, followed by a version at Universal Hollywood and Universal Japan. The latter two have since been removed. While the ride does show its age, there’s no denying it’s fun, at least for the first half of the experience.

Upon arriving at the Green Planet, it loses all of the Spielberg wonder and feels rather silly. I can’t remember the last time E.T. got my name right or even said it at the journey’s conclusion. So it’s not surprising to see some of the inhabitants of the Green Planet not quite moving the way you remembered years prior.

It could be safe to say that Universal is keeping this remaining ride open to satisfy Spielberg. After all, Florida lost the great JAWS ride years ago to make room for Harry Potter. So if E.T. were to go, there’d be little or nothing left of the legendary filmmaker’s work in the park. Well, you could always ride JAWS in Japan, but that’s one pricy ticket for one attraction.

E.T.‘s show building does take up a lot of real estate. For comparison, Hollywood’s version was converted into the Revenge of the Mummy rollercoaster, and the Orlando show building is just about the same size. With all that space, Universal could launch a whole new E-Ticket experience. However, since the latest thing seems to be project screens, we’d probably get another tram ride through a hallway, like with Fast & Furious Supercharged.

Personally, I’d like to see parts of E.T. Adventure updated. For example, some of those human animatronics need a touchup. Also, the entire second half of the ride could be improved with projection effects and newer animatronics. Will Universal spend the money, though? That’s the big question.

What do you think will happen to the last remaining ride from Universal Orlando’s opening day? Let us know in the comments section.

[Source: Mondo]