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Lucasfilm Explains Lack Of TPM DVD

DanteKy writes "Hollywood.com has another article on the release of the VHS release of The Phantom Menace. Also, Lynne Hale, a spokeswoman for Lucasfilm 'explains' why there is no DVD just yet. The article also mentions that in some Asian locations, TPM will be released on VCD. I know it isn't DVD, but at least it is a start." I'm still waiting for Episodes IV, V and VI on DVD, as well. I'm beginning to wonder if we're going to have to wait until they're all finished before we see them at all.

8 of 180 comments (clear)

  1. Looneys... by Jeff+DeMaagd · · Score: 3

    I'm not sure if you are being sarcastic...

    Boycotts just don't work like this.

    Do you really think you are lining their pockets? What fraction of the cost of the player do you think they are getting?

    I really don't think it is as high as 10$ a player, possibly as little as 1$ or lower. This is just guessing, but licencing costs for technology aren't as high as you think.

    The present version of DVD will be supersceded in a couple years anyhow, this is well known now that blue lasers can be made with good reliability. DVDs presently still use higher frequency red lasers AFAIK. Then there's digital VHS available NOW that can record HDTV bit for bit with no loss, the present DVD standard can't display at the higher resolutions without obvious artifacts, and the recordable DVD cant record any better.

  2. The Man Wants To Do Something Special For DVD by mochaone · · Score: 3

    There you have it. Now I hope you people stop whining and get off the man's back. He is not trying to milk you for an extra buck. The man is a billionaire. He doesn't need an extra buck. He fancies himself as an artist, and whether you agree with his assessment, Star Wars is his baby and he wants to show it in the best light possible. DVD allows for such creative license so let him exercise it.

    I hope we are through with these TPM DVD stories for a while.

    --
    Hates people who have stupid little sigs
  3. lucas is overlooking a key point by Nastard · · Score: 3

    Why release ep1 on vcd ? I've had ep1 on vcd(illegal) since about a week after it hit theatres, and its a damn good copy. i even copied it to VHS for a friend. So why the hell would i shell out 15-20 bucks on something ive had for free for months ?

    Any kid with a decent connection, some time, and a cd burner already has this or can get it if he/she/chooses.

    Now if it were coming out on DVD with all sorts of bonuses and commentary and so on, i would happily fork over 15, 20, even 30 bucks for it, and so would alot of other /.ers and SW fans in general.

    Lucas fucked up in '99 with Jar Jar
    Now he's topping himself in 2000
    by charging us for something we got for free 9 months ago

  4. More info? by Hrunting · · Score: 4

    Does this article really give us any more information about why the DVD isn't being released, or is it really just a load of horse poopoo?

    Personally, what does Lucas have to do with the Phantom Menace to release it on DVD? Does it need some fancy interface that he needs to be personally involved in? Does he have to do yet another cheesy interview with Leonard Maltin (yes, I realize that the videos may have needed something more humorous, but honestly, I can only laugh at the fakeness of the interviews for so long)? Does he need to add more footage to it (how so?). Does something need to be done to make it fully digital? Hell, it was already filmed digitally. They released digital copies in the theatres. You can push that straight to DVD. Slap some nice GUI on it that Lucas' companies have been producing for years in their games.

    Slashdotters are suckers if they think that Lucas doesn't have the time to devote to a DVD. He doesn't need to. And if, for some reason he has something really special in mind, well hell, release a regular DVD, and then release a Special Edition DVD a few years later when you get some free time. It worked once before, and I personally won't mind paying some more for it. I'm stupid like that. I'm a consumer.

    Lucas doesn't need time to make a DVD, and neither does LucasFilm. This article does nothing except give us another worthless quote and absolutely no answers at all.

  5. Why does the majority of Slashdot care? by HomerJ · · Score: 4

    /* not flamebait, just an observation */

    When Episode 1 was released, the VAST majority of Slashdot thought it was a horrible movie. Everything from Jar Jar sucks, Anakin had a big melon head, Darth Maul didn't have enough screne time, etc. I've personally haven't watched it, so I don't have an opinion one way or another.

    So why the big deal about no DVD? If the majority of Slashdot didn't reall care for the movie, why go out in droves to buy a Slashdot-proclaimed bad movie? Is it JUST because it's Star Wars?

    I know if I went and saw a movie, ANY movie, and thought it was bad, I wouldn't run out and get it on DVD. Is it to play the "Jar Jar Drinking Game" at home? The one where everytime Jar jar is annoying you take a shot? I would think that most wouldn't really care, considering they wouldn't have bought it anyways. That is, unless they make a habit of buying moives they don't like.

    1. Re:Why does the majority of Slashdot care? by Kaufmann · · Score: 5

      You don't understand.

      This is not just any movie. This is Star Wars, Episode I we're talking about here.

      It's an icon, a legend, an unreachable goal. It's the thing that's been on the minds of movie geeks everywhere since 1983. Who cares about whether it was a crappy movie? That's hardly relevant - after all, by that same measuring stick, the original trilogy was just about as crappy! That's not the issue at all! The issue is that Star Wars is a cultural icon. It's important. It's news for nerds; it's stuff that matters. It should be on DVD; we should be able to watch every scene from five different angles in a dozen different languages, whether we like it or not.

      (About me: I do not, at the present time, own a DVD player of any kind. I'm not a "real" Star Wars nut by any stretch of the definition. I rather enjoyed TPM - except for Jar Jar - and watched it twice. I just really like to rant.)

      --
      To the editors: your English is as bad as your Perl. Please go back to grade school.
  6. OPEN SOURCE TPM by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5

    a hidden room deep within the labyrinth of lucasfilm...

    lucasfilm stooge #1: the star wars fans will continue to gain support in the marketing division...

    lucasfilm stooge #2: the marketing division will no longer be of any concern to us. i've just received word that mr. lucas has dissolved the department permanently. the last remnants of the old lucasfilm have been swept away!

    lucasfilm stooge #1: what?! that's impossible! how will lucas maintain a presence in retail outlets?

    lucasfilm stooge #2: mr. lucas himself now has direct control over the retail outlets. fear will keep the merchants in line. fear of this studio!

    lucasfilm stooge #1: and what of the open source pirates? if they've obtained illegal copies of tpm, it is possible, however unlikely that they may find a distributor... and exploit it!

    open source man: the copies you refer to will soon be back in our hands!

    homosexual lucasfilm stooge: any attack against this studio would be a useless gesture, no matter what illegal copies they've obtained! this studio is now the ultimate power in hollywood! i suggest we use it!

    open source man: don't be too proud of this merchandising terror you've constructed! the ability to addict children to film merchandising is insignificant next to the alluring power of natalie portman!

    homosexual lucasfilm stooge: don't try to frighten us with your lustful heterosexual ways, open source man! your sad devotion to that young actress has not helped you conjure up the illegal tpm copies, nor given you clairvoyance enough to find....

    open source man holds up a picture of natalie portman to the homosexual stooge.

    open source man: i find your lack of heterosexuality disturbing!

    lucasfilm stooge #2: enough of this! open source, release him! this bickering is pointless! now open source man will provide us with the pirate sites! we will then crush the hackers with one swift stroke!


    thank you.

    the fat-time online serial!! feel the power of this force!!

  7. They're working out the special DVD options! by Maul · · Score: 5
    My 1337 inside sources, who know someone who has a brother whose best friend's brother works for Lucasfilms, has leaked this following exclusive information!

    George Lucas is working hard on Episode II: Jar Jar's Revenge. He's taking extra special care this time to make sure an otherwise cool movie would be ruined by one annoying computer generated character that he can sell toys of to little kids.

    In the mean time, Lucasfilms is working on the special DVD release to be released with Generation Pi DVD players. It will feature a special THX(TM) Anti-Gungan Feature that will allow you to eliminate Jar Jar entirely from Episode 1 each time you watch it on your Home DVD Generation Pi with DIVX Enhanced Features Player. To do this you have to insert a five dollar bill each time you watch the film, or else Jar Jar returns to annoy you.

    So go easy on Lucas, okay? He's only trying to make a buck.

    "You ever have that feeling where you're not sure if you're dreaming or awake?"

    --

    "You spoony bard!" -Tellah