Interview Lucasfilm on Star Wars the Complete Saga Blu-ray: Part II Matthew Wood (1 Viewer)

[MielR]

A print from 1977 wouldn't say "Episode IV" on it.

Not true. All of the 1977 prints that were used for re-release had the 1981 scroll spliced on. That clip from the Senator Theatre was a British dye-transfer Technicolor print from '77 (the scroll being Kodak). I actually made a whole thread about it around the time of the screening, including photos taken during the movie: http://www.hometheaterforum.com/t/302634/senator-theatre-farewell-screenings-of-star-wars-technicolor-ib-print

 

[montrealfilmguy]

Sir,i cannot thank you enough for all this great info,and those smugmug pix of yours are incredible !

 

[MielR]

Sir,i cannot thank you enough for all this great info,and those smugmug pix of yours are incredible !

Glad you liked them, but Peter Gaultney gets the credit for the photos. I like them too, I used them to make a screensaver. (& for future reference, I'm more of a "Miss" than a "Sir")

 

[Mike_G]

Not true. All of the 1977 prints that were used for re-release had the 1981 scroll spliced on. That clip from the Senator Theatre was a British dye-transfer Technicolor print from '77 (the scroll being Kodak). I actually made a whole thread about it around the time of the screening, including photos taken during the movie: http://www.hometheaterforum.com/t/302634/senator-theatre-farewell-screenings-of-star-wars-technicolor-ib-print

Then it's not a TRUE 1977 print.

 

[MielR]

Then it's not a TRUE 1977 print.

Wow, really? OK, you win, Mike. The spliced-on scroll makes the entire rest of the film NOT a true 1977 print. Of all the things to argue about....

 

[montrealfilmguy]

oops sorry Miss. I'll keep that in mind. and seriously Mike,i also think there are lots more important issues here about this unbelievable and ludicrous nonsense and you're gonna go with semantics ? Its ok,tell us you just forgot the smiley so we can know you were joking.

 

[Mike_G]

Wait, there's a CHANGE to the OT and now people accept it? Calling it a "1977 print" implies only ONE THING - No "Episode IV" on it. It has one spliced on. So...it's not.

 

[montrealfilmguy]

I think you're confused. The scroll is an "addition ". the totality of the film is unchanged. Nothing was changed to the rest of the film.No change.Nada. The scroll was added. Guess math wasn't your forte. Or maybe you're a masochist who likes being talked down to.To each his own.

 

[Mike_G]

Uh, no, I'm a 35mm film collector. Or was. No point in it anymore. As for the "addition", purists consider it a "change". A "modification" for the 1981 release. A pure 1977 print won't be modified in any way. A 1981 "modification" won't hold the same value as a pure 1977 print. As for the IB Tech print in question, if it's the one we've been following for 15 or so years (since not many existed in collector's hands in the first place), it was overpriced. $5k in 1994 if I remember correctly.

 

[Mike_G]

Wow, really? OK, you win, Mike. The spliced-on scroll makes the entire rest of the film NOT a true 1977 print. Of all the things to argue about....

*laugh* So we can talk about the current changes being bad, but the very FIRST change is somehow "ok", and can be called a "1977 print". No, it's a "1981 print", even if it's a 1977 print with the "modification" tacked on.

 

[montrealfilmguy]

all right sensible talking here... so would you consider this scroll the exact same thing as the Vader scream,the cheap sounding Kryat dragon call,Han shooting first and every change that actually modify the intent or effect they have on audiences. We can include the arc of the characters in this also,i like Han shooting first because it provides a sense of redemption at the end when he shows up. But just adding episode 4 at the very beginning doesn't do change a thing for me one way or another. Film collector huh ? I have an ex-buddy who has a 35mm trailer for Revenge.I wouldn't know if they're easy to come by,but my guess is they wouldn't be.

 

[FoxyMulder]

Originally Posted by montrealfilmguy

Tim,no one anywhere on the net is talking about the quality of said release

They should be, its the actual quality that is concerning me, using old masters, edge enhancement, degraining of a film which had already been totally degrained by Lowry and had fake grain added back in, etc etc, thats what bothers me and early reports on the original trilogy suggest this will be a problem.

 

[David Weicker]

all right sensible talking here... so would you consider this scroll the exact same thing as the Vader scream,the cheap sounding Kryat dragon call,Han shooting first and every change that actually modify the intent or effect they have on audiences. We can include the arc of the characters in this also,i like Han shooting first because it provides a sense of redemption at the end when he shows up. But just adding episode 4 at the very beginning doesn't do change a thing for me one way or another. Film collector huh ? I have an ex-buddy who has a 35mm trailer for Revenge.I wouldn't know if they're easy to come by,but my guess is they wouldn't be.

Actually, this was a MAJOR change. It changed the name of the movie. The title should be "Star Wars". Because of this 'minor' change, for the last 30 years, we've been saddled with "A New Hope" and ANH.

 

[Mike_G]

Changing "Star Wars" to "Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope" is NOT a minor change.

 

[Greg_S_H]

If the upcoming Blus were lovingly restored with no changes except the title at the beginning of the crawl, I think all but the most unappeasable would be more than happy to buy the set.

 

[FoxyMulder]

Originally Posted by Mike_G

Changing "Star Wars" to "Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope" is NOT a minor change.

Perhaps not but its the least offensive change possible, in fact its a change i actually like, it ties in with the old Flash Gordon type serials which Mr Lucas was clearly influenced by, those serials had a scroll too.


You know, with the technology and seamless branching we should actually be able to satisfy everyone, make new 4K or dare i say it even 6K scans of the original trilogy, now using seamless branching they give us the film as it looked in 1977, they give it to us as it looked in 1981 and 1997 and 2005 and now 2011, give us all the options, it can be done, do the same with Empire and Jedi and the prequels.


I'd go so far as to say redo the Wampa attack in Empire and have that as an option too, put all the deleted scenes in as an option while viewing the film, bring those deleted scenes up to film standard, spend the money on it, that way we get an option to watch multiple different cuts of the film, please everyone, they could do it if they wanted to, if they weren't so damn cheap.


They could give us the original 2.0 mixes, the 70mm blowup 6 track mixes, a new 6.1 channel mix and even a mono mix for those who want that.


Just imagine it, all the original cuts available along with a dozen alternatives, that would be using the technology, no studio really does this though, i just don't understand why not. Yes its time consuming, its expensive, they would need to make the colour timing uniform and image match across the entire trilogy to use such seamless branching but it could be done, i mean they have had three or four years to do it.

 

[Mike_G]

If the upcoming Blus were lovingly restored with no changes except the title at the beginning of the crawl, I think all but the most unappeasable would be more than happy to buy the set.

I'd still like it as an option from the main menu.

 

[montrealfilmguy]

Since i'm somewhat of a surf ninja,i found this .... http://www.dvdactive.com/editorial/articles/star-wars-the-changes-part-one.html this one guy has posted screenshots from all the different versions available,almost each change is covered. He's got a page for each of the 3 films and one smaller page for all prequels together. i say almost cause the one that bugs me to no end is that damn annoying little robot that appears into frame when Ben and Luke are being questioned outside of Mos Eisley.it makes me think of that little flying robot from Heavy metal's Captain Stern episode.He forgot to include this one. Apart from that,the rest seems to be all there.. Thorough analysis is an understatement in this case,but its fun to read and helps us wait for the inevitable date.

 

[montrealfilmguy]

I fear that Lucas is showing restraint on adding a Vader scream to Return. If he's going that way,he should at least hire a veteran of the word no.This guy's been practicing for years.

 

[ijthompson]

Perhaps not but its the least offensive change possible, in fact its a change i actually like, it ties in with the old Flash Gordon type serials which Mr Lucas was clearly influenced by, those serials had a scroll too.

 

You know, with the technology and seamless branching we should actually be able to satisfy everyone, make new 4K or dare i say it even 6K scans of the original trilogy, now using seamless branching they give us the film as it looked in 1977, they give it to us as it looked in 1981 and 1997 and 2005 and now 2011, give us all the options, it can be done, do the same with Empire and Jedi and the prequels.

 

I'd go so far as to say redo the Wampa attack in Empire and have that as an option too, put all the deleted scenes in as an option while viewing the film, bring those deleted scenes up to film standard, spend the money on it, that way we get an option to watch multiple different cuts of the film, please everyone, they could do it if they wanted to, if they weren't so damn cheap.

 

They could give us the original 2.0 mixes, the 70mm blowup 6 track mixes, a new 6.1 channel mix and even a mono mix for those who want that.

 

Just imagine it, all the original cuts available along with a dozen alternatives, that would be using the technology, no studio really does this though, i just don't understand why not. Yes its time consuming, its expensive, they would need to make the colour timing uniform and image match across the entire trilogy to use such seamless branching but it could be done, i mean they have had three or four years to do it.

 

 

You're preachin' to the choir, man! The only flaw in this (insanely awesome, faith-in-humanity-reaffirming) idea is this: They'd only be able to sell it to us once. Just like King George said we'd never get the OOT on dvd... we got 'em. In crappy, non-anamorphic, look-worse-than-bootleg quality. But he gave 'em to us (as a 'bonus feature'), 'cause he knew we'd pay. I predict that, after he's quadruple-dipped us for the BD3D boxed set, he'll sell us another one with -you guessed it- the OOT included. But this time it'll be -GASP!- anamorphic! Standard Definition, but anamorphic...