Star Wars discussion from The Bits... (2 Viewers)

[Robert Harris]

This has been an interesting thread.

I'm in agreement with the most recent comments by both Mr. Robertson and Mr. Mack, just above, and am constantly reminded of... well... what Puck said.

RAH

 

[MorganP]

I was tempted for about five seconds but thankfully stuck to my original guns, and now feel absolutely no desire to buy such sloppy editions of movies I love.

The box set next year will be tricked out, I'm sure, but it won't have the theatrical editions included. It will present the modern six-part saga as cohesive as it is today, and not complicate things needlessly by having two editions of three out of the six movies.

Of course anamorphic, restored transfers will happen. The fidgety guy who couldn't leave Greedo alone and just had to erase Darth Vader's eyebrows isn't going to let these neglected STFU Fanboys editions be a permanent stain on Lucasfilm's record of immaculate presentation.

If there is still money to be made from slavishly devoted fans you can bet Lucas will do something about it. We know for a fact he sees no absurdity in re-packaging and re-releasing movies once a year, every year. Now that the emperor (no pun) has no clothes I really dislike the guy.

If time passes and we do get nothing better, these will always be available to buy used on Amazon or elsewhere. It's not going to be like trying to track down some rare limited edition of Halloween.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

"The Force can have a powerful influence on the weak minded" - Obi Wan Kenobi



On a more serious note - I don't see the need to pass judgment on those who bought, those who refused, or those who changed their minds. And while I would be delighted, actually, to be proven wrong on this, I'm in the camp that says George will never do a proper release of the OOT, just as future DVD releases will never incldue any of the incremental tweaked versions he has done in between the SE theatrical editions and this set - because they aren't the "finished" films. Throwing them in as a STFU "bonus" on these discs was clearly a something different, in his mnd, then releasing the OOT as the main features on their own discs, and therefore not a violtation of his "last chance to own the originals" promo back in the day. And there's no way they appear even as a bonus feature in next year's set (or its eventual hi-def successor.)

In any case, since I never owned the SEs on DVD, and since I have no interest in owning the prequel trilogy (I'm still waiting to get the two hours of my life I wasted on The Phantom Menace back, skipped Attack of the Clowns entirely saw - geez, I can't remember the name of the "third" film - but I saw that once in a theater to see how the end matched up with the start of the "Episode IV" - badly, as it turns out - and feel no compulsion to see it again.)

So this set got me what I mostly wanted anyway, for a reasonable price. And since I'm one of those who objects to some changes in the SEs (and subsequent versions) but rather likes others, on balance I'm sure I'll be watching them more than the OOT anyway.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Jefferson Morris]

I expect we might not see the OUT on standard DVD again, but in 3-5 years it'll be in high-definition, once the format war settles down (and of course, only after Lucasfilm releases the special editions on hi-def first...three or four times).

--Jefferson Morris

 

[Beast]

That's a serious weak sauce argument. We've been told countless times that it's the major retailers who request these special incentives to attract more customers to make their purchases at their store. It's not some evil plot by 'Emperor Lucas' to bring fans to their knees. To blame Lucasfilm and wag the finger for them using incentives to try to sell what you consider a subpar release is outright balderdash. No gimmick was required to sell these, it would have sold just as well without any incentives.

 

[Jack Johnson]

Yes, in the following link. It was also strongly suggested in the official e-mail response Lucasfilm sent out when fielding rants about the non-anamorphic issue.

The line in question read (an approximation): "...You should know that Lucasfilm has no plans--now or for the future--to release the theatrical versions again..."


http://www.starwars.com/episode-iv/r...s20060912.html

 

[Greg_S_H]

I see wiggle room for an HD version.

 

[Brian Little]

You would be surprised at how many people I have seen who refuse to buy what is out now because "its not in a box with all six of them in it."

 

[Jack Johnson]

Why anyone would bother to be "disappointed" by another's decision to buy these dvds is beyond me. If you don't want them, fine, but why let someone else's move perturb and rent space in your head?


Right now, the real value in these dvds isn't in their less than state-of-the-art presentation. It's in the fact that they're available at all, in the best quality yet, and very likely for the last time. If we could know the latter claim would hold true, pretty much everyone here would jump and buy.

Don't like Lucas' fear-based marketing? Fine, take a stand on principle and pass on something you want for the sake of self-depriving solidarity with the Home Theater Contingent.

 

[Jack Johnson]

Yeah, Lucas' upscaled, stretched, made from non-anamorphic, standard def masters will look great in hd-dvd and Blu-ray versions.

 

[Adam_WM]

I bought them after swearing up and down I wouldn't. Why? I got them for $12.99 each and was able to sell my other copies of the movies for $28 right here on the HTF.

So, essentially, for $10.97 total, I got the original theatrical versions, which I may watch once or twice. If I rented them, I would have to pay $3 or $4 each to watch them once. At least now, I own them.

Was I swearing up and down I wouldn't buy them before? Yes. DId I change my mind? Yes. HOWEVER, I would not have ordered them if I wasn't confident I could have sold my other copies. $10 is no big deal to me.

 

[Mike_Richardson]

I just popped the DVDs in and frankly, these transfers are even WORSE than I anticipated. In fact they're hardly better than the DVD-Rs I made from my laserdiscs a couple of years ago...and zooming in on my DVD player to fit my 32" LCD via HDMI (upscaled to 720p) only magnifies how ancient these transfers are!

Anyone still holding off buying these for reasons like this -- KEEP DOING IT. And for anyone with a newer TV, totally forget it.

 

[Mike_Richardson]

"Best quality yet" is faint praise indeed. If you have a laserdisc player, frankly making your own, homemade DVD-R will result in a transfer roughly as "good" as these. Lucasfilm should be ashamed for producing discs on the same level that anybody at home could have done -- and in fact have already done so.

And "last time" ever -- couldn't disagree more. We heard that before in 1993 when that CAV laserdisc set came out, and look where we are now.

It's probably the "last hurrah" for standard-def DVD, but just wait till Blu Ray or HD-DVD takes off, and we can revisit this argument all over again in 4-5 years.

 

[Brent M]

Well, I have to admit that out of curiousity I got Star Wars from Netflix and watched it last night. While it's certainly not a GREAT transfer, it was much better than any LD-to-DVD transfer I've seen. It didn't change my mind about not buying these discs, but the PQ is not as horrible as I had expected. However, that's certainly not worthy of a passing grade for Lucas and his so called THX "quality standards".

 

[Greg K]

If they want to do something special for the 30th anniversary next year, they should do something like this:



BOXSET # 1:

STAR WARS: The Archival Edition Boxset (on DVD, HD-DVD or Blu-Ray, or all three!).


DISC 1:

STAR WARS (1977):

*Anamorphic widescreen transfer from original theatrical print, with original burned-in subtitles.

*Audio options for original theatrical 70mm, 35 mm, mono, as well as 1985, 1993 home video/laserdisc sound mixes.

* Seamless branching for post-1981 "A New Hope" subtitle, and any added/deleted/alternate scenes in earliest theatrical release (like the rumored "missing Chewie scaring mouse droid scene" from the "opening day" version).


(Or, the theartical and "home video" versions, with their different mixes and opening crawls, can be on two separate discs).


DISC 2:

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980):

* Anamorphic widescreen transfer from original theatrical print.

*Audio options for original theatrical 70mm, 35 mm, as well as 1985, 1993 home video/laserdisc sound mixes.

* * Seamless branching for added/deleted/alternate scenes in original 70 mm release.


DISC 3:

RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983):

* Anamorphic widescreen transfer from original theatrical print.

*Audio options for original theatrical 70mm, 35 mm, as well as 1985, 1993 home video/laserdisc sound mixes.



DISC 4:

STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE- SPECIAL EDITION (1997):

* Anamorphic widescreen transfer from Special Edition print.

* Audio options for DTS 70 mm, DTS, Dolby Digital, SDDS, etc.



DISC 5:


THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK- SPECIAL EDITION (1997):

* Anamorphic widescreen transfer from Special Edition print.

* Audio options for DTS 70 mm, DTS, Dolby Digital, SDDS, etc.



DISC 6:

RETURN OF THE JEDI- SPECIAL EDITION (1997):

* Anamorphic widescreen transfer from Special Edition print.

* Audio options for DTS 70 mm, DTS, Dolby Digital, SDDS, etc.


DISC 7:

STAR WARS- EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE (1999):

* Anamorphic widescreen transfer from original theatrical print.

* Seamless branching for extended 2001 DVD cut.

* 2001 DVD audio/text commentary tracks.


DISC 8:

STAR WARS- EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES (2002):

* Anamorphic widescreen transfer from digital source material.

* Seamless branching for theatrical/digital theatrical/2002 DVD cuts.

* 2002 DVD audio/text commentary tracks.


DISC 9:

STAR WARS EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH (2005):


* Anamorphic widescreen transfer from digital source material.

* Original theatrical version (with that wipe/scene transition that was deleted for the 2005 DVD)

* 2005 DVD text/audio commentary tracks.


DISCS 10-12:

STAR WARS TRILOGY (2004) DVD CUTS, with 2004 DVD audio commentary tracks.



DISCS 13-??????

Archival bonus material:

* Original trailers/tv spots/documentaries for all six films (and Special Editions), as well as newly produced and in-depth extras. Hours and hours of extras/photo galleries, etc!



BOXSET # 2:



STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA (on DVD, HD-DVD or Blu-Ray, or all three!):


All six films in numerical order, presented as one long story on six discs (with no extras), and all the "final" tinkering that's going to be done to "finish" the movies once and for all.

 

[Adam_WM]

Sounds great to me, Greg, but I highly doubt we will ever see any DTS audio on a Lucasfilm product.

 

[Beast]

Not to mention, seamless branching the originals with the 1997 and 2004 and 2007 versions would be litterly impossible. The number of small changes and tweaks would be hell.

 

[Greg K]

We can still dream, eh?

 

[Norm]

I'll buy when the originals have the best possible tranfer & 5.1. Otherwise the heck with it. I don't want copies that look and sound like 1977. I just want the non-special editions with picture & sound up graded to current standards which I'm sure will be the Lucas' next move on HD-DVD/Blueray.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

I had a choice: Buy these new editions or buy Lego Star Wars II: The Video Game. I went with the game, and am having much more fun because of it.