Could the original, unaltered STAR WARS be on its way to Blu-ray? (1 Viewer)

[Stephen Brooks]

I don't believe there would be any issue with Disney issuing the original theatrical cuts of the trilogy in the future - unless there are any complications with Fox.

Eight years after Stanley Kubrick passed away, his later movies were released on home video in their theatrical aspect ratios - something that Kubrick would not permit during his lifetime. But with the passing of time, with the larger presence of widescreen televisions and with a clear public interest in seeing the movies in those ratios, Jan Harlan and the family consented to the releases.

There are certainly interpositives and masters that exist for the Star Wars trilogy that have been carefully preserved by Lucasfilm, so the inclusion of the original cuts would be something that Disney could do inexpensively as a bonus in their marketing of future Blu-ray releases. As I said before, I wouldn't expect Disney to spend millions of dollars on such a project. If anything gets an 8K mastering in the future, that will be the last version of the trilogy that Lucas approved in 2011. I also can't picture Disney funding a project wherein they take the original cuts and spend millions on VFX cleanup, when they already have the 2011 version with those effects already cleaned up.

It's interesting to speculate what Disney might or might not do here, but expecting them to spend more than a minimal amount is simply not realistic. I wasn't trying to be pessimistic in pointing out that a good 2K scan of the original cuts will reveal issues with the VFX. Just realistic. The final shot of Raiders of the Lost Ark on the Blu-ray is a great example - the matte painting of the warehouse in the final shot is obvious on the Blu-ray where it was not nearly as noticeable on the previous DVD release or the theatrical release. Similar shots in Star Wars and company will have the same issues. Lucas has noted that he cut nearly all of the VFX sequences in Star Wars to be very short shots so that the flaws would not be as noticeable. (There are exceptions - like the flyover at the very beginning, but that was for a good reason) I don't have a problem seeing a version of the movie where the mattes are visible, but I would want viewers to keep the issue in mind so they don't get a bad surprise if Disney ever does issue the original trilogy in this manner.

An 8K scan of the 2011 version is impossible. Every version after 1997 has existed only as 1080p digital video. If they go back to the negatives for a new scan, all the work for the 2004 DVDs and the 2011 BDs will have to be completely redone. Hopefully they go back even further than that and redo all the 1997 work too.

 

[kitt1987]

That's right, for Disney to properly rescan/restore these films would require going back to the '97 editions and prior...everything since 2004 was definitely scanned and save in standard HD. The same holds true for the prequels as with the exception of Episode 1, they will never look better than they do now outside of color correcting, etc.

 

[FoxyMulder]

That's right, for Disney to properly rescan/restore these films would require going back to the '97 editions and prior...everything since 2004 was definitely scanned and save in standard HD. The same holds true for the prequels as with the exception of Episode 1, they will never look better than they do now outside of color correcting, etc.

It would cost serious money but then they are going to make some very serious money in the next few years from the new film, i would love it if they go back to the original negatives, re-scan at 6K and redo all the ropey looking CGI, correct everything that needs to be corrected and then offer up all the different versions via seamless branching.

1) The original trilogy editions with no changes whatsoever and original sound mixes
2) The original trilogy with fixed matte lines and some other minor fixes to lightsaber colours etc etc
3) The original trilogy with the 1997 changes but original released CGI and updated CGI
4) The Original trilogy with the 2004 changes also with original CGI and updated CGI
5) The Original trilogy with the 2012 changes, original and updated CGI

Then go back to the Interpositive of The Phantom Menace and re-scan, keep the film grain intact, the interpositive should be high quality and should have all the effects work completed.

Episode 2 and 3 look very good to me already, certainly as good as the camera tech allows so leave them alone.

 

[Ethan Riley]

I never know what to think. There's still mistakes in ESB, like when the Falcon flies thru the tunnel and you briefly see a moon that was from the original version and replaced (almost) for the SE. I can't believe they didn't fix that in2012, when they were fixing other junk that didn't need to be fixed.

 

[Bryan Tuck]

I never know what to think. There's still mistakes in ESB, like when the Falcon flies thru the tunnel and you briefly see a moon that was from the original version and replaced (almost) for the SE. I can't believe they didn't fix that in2012, when they were fixing other junk that didn't need to be fixed.

That's been one of my major issues with this whole thing. By continually picking at things that no one ever noticed before, they've called attention to other things that no one ever noticed before, and now we're having discussions like, "Yeah, I guess R2 never was completely hidden there; wait, well how did he get back there then?" and "So does your Force Ghost revert back to how you were before you fell to the Dark Side? But if Vader redeemed himself at the end, then what's Hayden Christensen doing there?" And did anyone ever truly notice the Wampa's arm being incomplete? I sure never did.

I've gotten into some pretty silly conversations about Star Wars minutiae, but this is ridiculous.

 

[Carlo_M]

And yet they keep certain goofs in there, like the Stormtrooper hitting his head in Star Wars (and no, I don't refer to it as Ep4 or ANH). Personally I love that and hope they never do. But it's curious what they choose to fix and not fix. And have they ever properly rotoscoped the lightsabers in Star Wars? Nope, it still looks like a plastic light stick when Obi-wan swings his saber a certain way during the fight with Vader before Luke sees them both.

Whatever they choose to do, I think the OOT as it came out in the theaters in its best possible presentation must be a starting point (what they released in non-anamorphic DVD in terms of content - so no A New Hope in the opening scroll). But restored and/or culled from the best available sources. And no I don't believe for one minute that Lucas destroyed all the original elements when he made the SEs in 1997. The film historian in him is still alive and I can't fathom he allowed that to happen.

Personally if they only release the OOT, warts and all I won't complain. If they released a version with only cleaned up effects, so no changes in dialogue or action, no additional CGI, just clean up of effects like the vaseline smear under the landspeeder, the matte boxes around the tie-fighters, the lightsaber effects, I also wouldn't complain. Any other "cuts" and "SEs" are unnecessary, as there already exists Lucas's final SE effort on Blu-Ray. So basically I'm only advocating for #1-2 on FoxyMulder's list. #3-5 to me either already exist in BD format, or are unnecessary.

 

[questrider]

I won't rest until the Tauntauns blink.

 

[Sumnernor]

I would like to get the ORIGINAL UNALTERED VERSIONS (the theatrical versions) of Star Wars version 4,5,6. I have seen the expressions "original Trilogy" such as at
http://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Original-Trilogy-Episode/dp/B000PMLFRA/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1384095213&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Original+Trilogy
and am unsure if that means the original UNALTERED versions. I would appreciate advice as I live in Germany how to get this, Was there or will there be blue rays of this. I have the orginals that I biught a few years ago in SC which as not anamorphic widescreen. I have read that the release date should be 2008 and have seen on this link 2011, Would appreciate any info . should I wait? Thanks.

 

[Jari K]

Original versions are not released on Blu-ray. Not fully sure what was your question, but here you go.

 

[Joel Fontenot]

I would like to get the ORIGINAL UNALTERED VERSIONS (the theatrical versions) of Star Wars version 4,5,6. I have seen the expressions "original Trilogy" such as athttp://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Original-Trilogy-Episode/dp/B000PMLFRA/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1384095213&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Original+Trilogyand am unsure if that means the original UNALTERED versions. I would appreciate advice as I live in Germany how to get this, Was there or will there be blue rays of this. I have the orginals that I biught a few years ago in SC which as not anamorphic widescreen. I have read that the release date should be 2008 and have seen on this link 2011, Would appreciate any info . should I wait? Thanks.

Nope. Today, the term "Original Trilogy" only refers to Episodes 4, 5 and 6 as Lucas sees them now, and has since the "Special Editions" of them came out and then the "Prequel Trilogy" releases. There is no current release of the "Unaltered" or sometimes called "Original Original Trilogy", or OOT, except the non-anamorphic laserdisc transfers included on the "bonus disc" of the last DVD release

 

[AshJW]

We can call it the "Han shoots first edition".

 

[SilverWook]

Nope. Today, the term "Original Trilogy" only refers to Episodes 4, 5 and 6 as Lucas sees them now, and has since the "Special Editions" of them came out and then the "Prequel Trilogy" releases. There is no current release of the "Unaltered" or sometimes called "Original Original Trilogy", or OOT, except the non-anamorphic laserdisc transfers included on the "bonus disc" of the last DVD release

This definition will come as a great shock to members of originaltrilogy.com

 

[Carlo_M]

We can call it the "Han shoots first edition".

Technically it would be "Han is the only one who shoots" since Greedo never gets a shot off.

 

[AshJW]

Oh, I would love to see the unaltered versions on Blu.
I never had the Laserdiscs (only the Special Edition ), but the non-anamorphic DVDs. I can't watch them projected.

Technically it would be "Han is the only one who shoots" since Greedo never gets a shot off.

Ouch, you're so right.

 

[Carlo_M]

An oldie, I know, but I thought I'd repost it here again for those who haven't seen it. Never let it be said the man doesn't have a sense of humor...

 

[SilverWook]

That has been construed as flipping the bird in some circles.

Only George could borrow a term coined by unhappy fans, slap it on a t-shirt, and sell it.

 

[Moe Dickstein]

As well he should flip. It's his film he can do anything he wants with it.

 

[SilverWook]

If you want to start down the path to the dark side, sure.

 

[dpippel]

Here we go again...

 

[Worth]