*** Official Discussion Thread: Star Wars Trilogy - September 21, 2004 - Page 9  

This is wonderful news.

I'm a long-time Star Wars fan and am happy with the Special Editions. I have been waiting for this since I bought a DVD player in 1998. Six years later I finally will have it. I'll be among the first in line to grab this.

Between this release and ROTK:EE it is going to be a marvelous fall for DVD.

I'm betting that this thread won't last 150 pages!

I'm still curious as to who's gonna be on the commentary track.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say:

Lucas
McCallum
Burtt
Edlund
Hamill
Daniels
Fisher.

Fisher is iffy--but I think she might have done it. I'm pretty sure Hamill's gonna be on one of em, at least. Maybe Mayhew will be on there as well, who knows.

I know I'd LIKE Kurtz and Dykstra on there as well--and of course Kershner and Kasdan. But you never know.

I know in the book "Skywalking" he gave an interview--so it must have been just before ROTJ was released or just after--and he was talking about revisions he wanted to make to Star Wars if he ever got a chance. So I think he'd had those ideas for a long time.


Well--we got 10 pages in less than 12 hours. Someone should do the math I can't. I suck at math.

You and me both, Robert. But we also both know it ain't gonna happen!

Oh it could happen, but the final edit featuring Kurtz would be pretty short.

I dont want no Original Trilogy. I want the special edition

Only reason i signed, is because i want to make you guys happy

I wonder if Best Buy will get a special 5 extra's disk like the Indiana Jones series did?

I forgot to mention -- not that any one cares -- that I think the commentaries are great additions. I too hope much of the cast is involved, especially Fisher.

I'd like to hear Harrison Ford on the commentary too...especially during the...Greedo scene...

Not to be a possible wet blanket on the commentaries, but I thought there weren't any cast commentaries on TPM and AOTC, just Lucas and the technical people. Just wondering if this trend will continue.

Another thing I just thought about regarding the vagueness of Ward's statement (well, not really VAGUE, but still)

He said the only versions George wants released are the versions we're getting on this DVD. Now, this doesn't NECESSARILY mean it's the 97 SE's as they were released in 97. Just that what we're getting in September is what George considers Star Wars.

Earlier, I brought up

The San Fransisco newspaper article about the FX guys on a small team at ILM dedicated to fixing up the Special Editions after they were released.

The Prequels being released with SFX tweaks, scene additions and such. No one knew those changes were coming until the pre-release reviews hit.

But the real kicker that I just remembered from the huge 70 page thread that's since been closed is this: John Williams went on record saying that he re-recorded, or was set to re-record music for insertion in the Original Trilogy.

Add to that, the fact that reliable DVD insiders like Hunt at the Bits and elsewhere, have been constantly hearing there's still work being done on these films--and I think it's fair to question what exactly we WILL be getting. Will we be getting new scenes inserted? I highly doubt it. But will effects be cleaned up and new musical transitions be stuck in there?

I think it's a definite possibility.

As far as the commentaries go--I don't think Kasdan doing a commentary for ESB or ROTJ is TOO much of a stretch. I don't think it's highly probable, but it'd be nice to see. I'm definitely not expecting it, tho. Also, I believe one of the reports mentioning commentaries (Might be the Variety report that Samuel posted right after my first post--props to you, Sam) mentioned a CAST and crew commentary.

I'm just thinking that since Hamill is around the ranch right now, and he's going to partake in a web-chat with the Hyperspace pay-site members later today, he might be recording, or has already recorded, a commentary.

yeah, it's a stretch, I know.

Could this be the fastest growing thread in HTF history?

almost certainly there will be further, minor additions.
this has been in the cards for a while now from multiple sources.
the thing is, the films just don't need further additions the way they need a scaling back of the first round of over-enthusiastic additions

You mean the DVD-18 with the original theatrical version?:p)

Paul: nothing to say that might not happen either.

We might not lose Jabba from ANH--but we might get the TPM Jabba inserted in there instead.

Maybe we'll lose Greedo shooting first. Who knows. Considering it's become a catchphrase of it's own, shorthand for directorial meddling after the fact (i.e. That was his "Greedo" moment) I think it's safe to assume Lucas has taken a 2nd look at it.

Maybe all the sfx gaffes that went unfixed (Saber glitching, Rancor matte-lines, STILL see-through cockpits in Hoth) will get fixed.

I honestly think we're not gonna get any real concrete answers until the pre-release reviews pour in or Ward makes a concrete statement one way or the other, whichever comes first.

Certainly ONE of the fastest, at the very least!

I think so. When I logged on this morning I was saying to myself "I bet that Star Wars-release thread is already at three or four pages." It was seven pages. Then I go about my business and an hour or so later I return to this section to discover that this thread's at nine pages. Amazing.

Well I am thrilled. Sure I would love both versions, but it IS Star Wars folks. I am psyched about ANH and ESB, I have the Definitive Collection LD as well as the newest box set LD of the SE's...I personally dislike most of the changes. However I was thrilled at the added/enhanced footage of the battle of Yavin. Great stuff. I ALWYAS use that sequence to show off my system and LDs in particular.

Too bad about a lack of DTS, but I am hoping the mega ultra uber box set that is innevitable (and I will also buy!) will make the new Alien Quad set look like an early Paramount/Disney release (i.e. no extras!) compared to what we will have in ~ 2007.

Bring 'em on! I'll have my new 50" Plasma by then...what a great way to break it in!!!!

Also, since we're at it--why stop at guessing who's on the commentaries? What do you think is making the bonus disc?

I doubt it's JUST that 2 hour doc. Hell, I'm kinda disappointed it's just a 2 hour--I'd think that since all the Indy films got an hour apiece, and TPM got it's own 1 hour doc--you'd think the Trilogy would get an hour apiece, right?

but what else is going on that bonus disc?

Special Effects doc: 15-20 minutes
Sound Effects doc: 15-20 minutes
Trailers
Promo photo gallery.
Episode III preview: 20-30 minutes

Looking at the Indy box set and the last time the trilogy was released on VHS--I think that's a pretty safe guess.

To go a bit meta here, this thread will grow even faster if we all keep posting about how fast it's growing!

Guys, I've just gotten off the phone with Jim Ward at Lucasfilm, and he confirmed that these are in fact the 1997 Special Editions. I suppose it's possible that there will be some additional tweaks that are being left as surprises, but he was very specific. Just FYI, I was able to confirm all of the details about the release that are set as of this time, and I've posted them at The Bits if you're interested.

And Robert, you're right - there will be more on that bonus disc than just the doc, but he couldn't be specific at the moment. It's all still being worked out. I asked about deleted scenes, and he did seem open to the possibility that we might catch glimpses of such footage from the films in the context of the documentary, but no word on whether they'll be available seperately.

Probably won't be that many extra's.

I think we will see a super Star Wars 1-6 Set in the future. But this will hold over just right untill then.

If Robert Anthony has his way it will be!

Well, my Definitive Collection (and Special Edition) box set hasn't been watched for the better part of two years, but still looks good.

So I retire one box set - big deal. It just means another laserdisc (or 3) I have to convert on my computer.

It was inevitable, and Lucas' decision will never please everybody, but rest assured, it's gonna sell buckets, with or without the help of obsessive fans.

Up until about 3 years ago, DVD was for enthusiasts, and now it is pure commerce, and is bound to stay that way. Face it people, we lost. There goes another $50-60 bucks, (and more for my nephew's copy).

Have a nice day.

I would guess there'll also be a music doc, as on the Indy box set. The Indy one was nice, if not terribly informative.

Also, Robert, I don't think the main docs on the Indy set are an hour each, more like 35-40 minutes for each of the last two movies. Not a point of any real significance, just throwing it in.