Re: Star Wars discussion from The Bits...
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Originally Posted by Mark Hawley
I also think that it's part of the pattern of releasing these on DVD: First the 4 disc box set in 2004, then the 3 disc box set in 2005 - and now, releasing them individually.
However, since the overwhelming majority of people who were ever going to own Star Wars on DVD have already bought either box set, there has to be some catch or added bonus to make sure these DVDs sell, so that's where adding the original cuts come in...just an added feature with little or no effort put into it, but will most definitely boost sales, at least somewhat. Unfortunately, and this may be where Lucas is right though, it's likely that most average people (and even a fair amount of fans) prefer the SE's, so, strictly from a business perspective, would it be economically viable to put the money, time and effort into a full blown restoration of the original cuts? Certainly most people on these boards, myself included, would love a true restoration, and I would like to think, and it seems, most people on this board would not buy anything (substantially) less. I can definitely say that's the case with me. I will not buy them, and will not put them, even far down, on my Christmas list. Yet are there enough of us that it would make strong business sense to do a real restoration? But then again, most of us (I hope) won't buy these new discs, so it wouldn't make that much sense of putting them there with subpar transfers in the first place. Sure it will boost sales a bit, but it can't be that much, can it? At least if they're thinking we will buy them no matter what, then I really hope they're in for a rude awakening. |
If Lucasfilm promotion weren't treating these bonus discs (meant to maximize sales of the individual film release) as The second coming and the main event, I don't believe the backlash would be as loud. But they are obviously targeting this demographic as well as the "clueless" general public. They had to expect this kind of reaction once word got out.
The ad campaign is what is (and will be) insulting.
I just want to try and keep people grounded here, Blu-Ray and HD DVD aren't some kind of magic bullet that's going to take away the sting of a non-anamorphic release of the orginal, unaltered trilogy, not anytime soon anyway.
