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Rick McCallum Answers "Why No Star Wars DVD?"
Anonymous Coward writes "Producer Rick McCallum answers the question, "So many fans want Episode I and then the Classic Trilogy on DVD. It doesn't make sense to us that you aren't going to release at least Episode I. What's going on?" at the official Star Wars site. " The answer is fairly predictable-Lucas hopes to do "something special" and doesn't have the time right now. I like the use of the word "exploit" in the answer - kinda what the VHS - DVD switch feels like.
No, there's one thing Lucas cares about even more than money. Control. He wants absolute control over his creations. That's why there are so many commerical tie-ins to the movies -- they help fund the next movie to be made, freeing Lucas from having to rely on the studios' funding and thus free from studio control.
Given that, it seems reasonable that Lucas really IS just waiting for the DVDs until HE can do them himself, and he doesn't have time right now. If it were just a question of money, he'd shill it out and get them on the market quickly, because they'll likely be the best-selling DVDs ever made.
If "something special" means re-rendering scenes and incorporating multiple camera angles on the DVD release then this is a cool thing. I can't think of much else that would be worth the wait. Just think how pissed off you would be if they released it as it, you shell out 20 or 30 bucks, and then a year or two later they release it with re-rendered scenes and you have to shell out more..... THAT would be expolitation.
OK, I'm sorry. I didn't really mean it. But I got upset because it seems whenever someone gets dollar signs in their eyes, they see nothing else. Including other people that used to matter. I'm not saying I wouldn't do it, I'd probably very bad myself personally. And I don't really care about slash so much, it's just the principle of the whole thing.... (BTW, I firewall off banner ad servers)
Starwars.com press release 2 months from now: Lucasfilm has announced that it will be re-releasing the Star Wars Trilogy on DVD. This new set will be called the "Star Wars Trilogy: Special Special Edition." These movies have been updated to fulfill George Lucas' ultimate vision for the original three movies. George told us, "We've basically gone back and fixed all the things that didn't fulfill my vision in the Special Edition movies. The technology at the time did not allow us to really match up with what I wanted it to look like. For instance, in the first movie, the Jabba character we pasted into the movie was really too small and poorly done. We've cut that scene out because it didn't really add anything to the movies. Also, the scene where Greedo fires before Han has been changed so that Han just blasts Greedo without Greedo firing at all. I thought this would mesh more closely to Han's "scoundrel" character. We've also eliminated the long section of Luke's landspeeder flying into Mos Eisley. This didn't really add anything, and just made the movie longer. In Empire, we eliminated all the direct shots of the Hoth creature. Not seeing the creature clearly adds more suspense and artistic substance to the scene. We also eliminated the scene of the Milennium Falcon flying into Cloud City. This long section was unnecessary and really sort of boring, so it's gone. We've made a lot of other changes, too, but you'll just have to wait to see those." The Special Special Edition movies will be released first in theaters in a blatant money grab. After this, the movies will be released on VHS and then on DVD, in a desparate ploy for still more money. This exciting re-release should get the hype machine rolling for Star Wars Episode Two: Anakin and the Queen. Star Wars Special Special Edition will be seen in theaters beginning Wednesday, June 7th, 2000. A midnight showing is planned in most cities.
A 16X9 enhanced movie playing on a progressive scan player looks amazingly good on a HDTV.
Don't you people know what patients are?
They're the people you find in hospitals, but that's not important right now.
So if the only reason he's delaying the release is because of control issues why isn't he delaying the release of the VHS tape of The Phantom Menace? All of that is just a smokescreen for whatever his real reason is. Bottom line... if I don't get a good Star Wars DVD from him by the time Episode 2 rolls around, I think I'm going to be done with anything Star Wars related. --I'll get a Nick when I get around to it.
Yeah. Those are those sick people in hospitals and doc offices, aren't they? But what do they have to do with SW-TPM? Oh, yes, Jar-Jar made me sick too
Look, I'm tired of everyone biotching about Lucas screwing us for money. The fact of the matter is, if he released them on DVD and then re-released them in 4 or 5 years after he had time to add whatever special things hea nts to add, you'd all be bitching about THAT, saying that he's using his fans or whatever. Give the guy a break.
DVD supports the 16:9 form-factor that HDTV was designed around via anamorphic transfers. I've seen 16:9 HDTV and I've seen an anamorphic widescreen DVD on a Toshiba TheaterWide TV and I can't tell much difference -- and I have 20/20 vision. --I'll get a Nick later when I have time.
I've got SW:TPM in MPEG letterbox format.
I think I'll go watch it right now.
-kirb
You don't even notice the Hebrew subtitles after awhile.
Oh, not this story again. Guys (and girls), we're currently working in an industry who's very operating existence is being threatened by insane Patents. Huge money-rich conglomerates are wielding the legal system over us like a cudgel. Oppresive governments are eroding our human rights at every turn. What do I see on
Waah... George Lucas won't release Star Wars on DVD. Waah...
Let me cry you a river!
You're just going to have to get over it. George Lucas is going to do (a) whatever George Lucas pleases, and (b) whatever will make George Lucas the most money. There are plenty of other films out there (or, dare I say it... BETTER films) that you can go and watch. If you really must see Star Wars again, then watch it on VHS - it's not going to make much of a difference to the whole experience on Joe Average-Home-User's video setup anyway (Videophiles please feel free to speak up with righteous indignation at this point).
The DVD will be out when the DVD comes out. In the grand scheme of things, it's insignificant.
This has come directly from the 'ranting as therapy' school for the permanently bemused. Moderators, please feel free to moderate up, down, left or right as you see fit. I've squeezed all the therapeutic value that I can out of this post, and I feel much better now
Meanwhile for those of you who feel compelled to respond, let me save you the time and trouble and just include the predicted responses below:
ObResponse #1:
How dare you insult the great Star Wars/George Lucas/DVD format (delete as applicable). May you perish at the hands of a Jedi master, you son of a Rankor!
ObResponse #2:
If this thread irritates you so much then why did you bother to read it/post to it. (Add selected insult from ObResponse #1). Answer: Because I saw the stories surrounding this one, then I saw this story (again!) and it really irritated me. If my response irritates you so much, then why are you replying?
ObResponse #3:
First Post!
Thanks for your time...
$140-$150? I would consider that cheap! If Lucas does ever bring the 3 classics plus episode 1 out on DVD, I'm expecting the collector's set to be closer to $400. Of course, that would include a 'Making of...', some booklet, maybe a poster and coupons for 50 cents off your next taco at Taco Bell (gawd, those Taco Bell/Star War commercials really irritated me).
Didn't any of you guys realize that Episode 1 is a horrible movie?
I read somewhere that Kubrick actually supervised the transfer to DVD, which I find surprising because the obvious lack of quality, which I experienced once I bought it. Oh well, next time I'll read the reviews before buying the DVD. Its still a great movie, though.
That's what I thought. All the specs said it wasn't up to HDTV snuff. Nope, I'm not spending dime one on DVDs until the HDTV/DVD issue is resolved. I'll leapfrog over this technological sinkhole.
Thanks.
Am I the only one who thought that Episode 1 was a waste of $6.00? I tried hard to like it, and failed. So, I'm not going to waste another $20 or more on a DVD.
Unless the "something special" includes a Natalie Portman feature.
Hey, I can dream, can't I?
All dreams featuring MPAA-regulated content will be subject to immediate copyright infringement legal analysis -- furthermore, any dream-related content appearing on MPAA-regulated media will be subject to crypto-license fees on a per-dream basis.
Who cares - its shit. I`d rather see `the phantom menaces` namesake - Scooby Doo - on dvd. On second thoughts, who cares about DVD anyway - i`ll take it on VHS and save a few bucks.
Its just a film, man.
hehehe.
Maybe Lucas should open source the work on the Star Wars DVD's.
Sure, that way it will never be released.
Note to anyone with a .sig - all "Matrix" references ceased to be cool approximately six months ago.
He's not just doing it for the money. He's doing it for a whole shit load of money!
A) That was a stupid followup. What does DeCSS have to do with the parent post?
B) Search for it on slashdot. It's been POSTED as comments in at least one article. I won't tell you which one, simply because I don't remember. I'm sure you'll find it.
It's too bad you feel that way about DVD - exactly what movies have you watched that are so bad? Perhaps they just were very badly encoded (ie. 2001 bad...).
:-).
:-)
I've never seen any pixelation on major new movie releases (ie. The Matrix, etc...).
Ummm, and there is NO REASON at all to increase compression to hold extras. Use the other side of the disc! Star Wars EP 1 was NOT four hours (this is how much a RSDL disc can hold per side). I have never seen a movie with extras that looked worse because of it - case in point, The Matrix, again. And all of the Die Hard series. Very high quality credits if you ask me. And besides, the level of compression for the credits is bound to be better - there is simply less data that needs to be compressed for a black and white image over a colour one!
HDTV is NOWHERE. The TVs cost $10000 here. Who cares about the cost of them in Japan. Here, in Canada, I have to fork out $10000. What happens in Japan makes no bearing on Canada or the US (where are you from, BTW?). Again, case in point, talking toilets, urinals built into the floor, and baths you don't wash in (this is all I remember from my Japanese "movie" history... so it probably shows...
Sure, there might be an upgrade to DVD someday. It IS five years old now! I don't expect ANY consumer technology to last more than fifteen years now. So if I get another 10 years from DVD, or even just another 5 years, I'll be happy. This is life, and you can either live with it, or live without it (literally).
And, is there ANY competition to DVD avaliable to the home consumer now? No? So if I want to see a movie in the highest quality sound and video NOW, what do I do? BUY DVD! If you prefer to stick to 30 year old tech, by all means, by a VCR.
Of course, if all you are looking for is future compatibility, why even bother talking? Just go for what is cheap and has lots of different "outputs" on it.
But really, the argument is moot now - the cost of a cheap DVD player is the same as the cost of a decent VCR. And even cheap DVD players will both outlast a decent VCR, and give better video quality.
And, last note, since when has compression been a bad word? Compression is good. A well compressed JPEG picture, for example, could be 1/10th the size of the original, yet still be indistiguishable from the original to the naked eye. Poor compression is bad. But then again, so is poor filming, or anything else poor.
>Now that compression has been downgraded from Sorenson to crappy codecs from Uncle Bill's Windoze Media Player.
And, uhhhh, since when did DVD change formats? My new DVD discs still play in my older player without any softawre updates.
The point is, most fans just want the movie released on the best media, with the best sound and picture. I don't think anyone is goint to pass on the film if it doesn't have all sorts of extra fluff on the DVD. How often does anyone ever listen to the audio commentary, or use any of the other features in most DVD's. Give us the movie sooner, and a separate DVD with all of the extras later.
Not only that, but maybe we should go to the extreme of not purchasing any Star Wars merchandise until we get our DVD!
Nuf said!
On one hand, it could be argued that piracy in this situation would be good, since Lucas is losing {control,money} by not releasing the DVD sooner.
:)
On the other hand, it is his work and he can do whatever he wants with it. I'm not a Star Wars fan, so it's much easier for me to support the latter view
Thanks,
Pete
...you mean, like the way Disney has been doing their "Masterpiece Collection"? So my wife has bought all but one of the VHS versions in the past... Lesseee how Disney is doing this: Release them in 3's, for 90 day period. OK. In a couple of years, they'll rerelease them for those who missed the first time... hook-line-and-sinker... Good thing though that Disney chose to not put them on DIVX... At least "Tron" is in this quarter's batch... I wonder if Michael Ei$ner let them add more content or remaster it...
C'mon ppl.. When Matrix was released on VHS, DVD followed with the special stuff on it. There is NO reason what so ever to believe that Lucas couldn't do it as well. If you think about it.. How much time does it take to produce the special features? Perhaps one month and yet he delays it way beyond that. I think that all the other comments about delay is based on lawsuits against the poor kid is crap because he knew about it long time ago. He's after the money and it's simple as that.
Wrong... 480P is a digital format but is by no means HD. 480P is SDTV which stands for "Standard Definition...". All the new new digital tvs will support 480P, but the only ones that can honestly call themselves HDTV capable must support 16:9 *and* 1080i. 480P next to 1080i or 720p looks like crap.
Its a lose/lose situation. If Lucas releases the trilogy on DVD with the quickness, then most likely all the dvd goodies and extra stuff wont be included and people will bitch. If Lucas waits until "HE" has time to add all extra features, then people will STILL bitch because its taking too long. What do you want? He's already busting his ass doing a full on digital production of EP2. Get a life, get a laserdisc player, and get the LD version of the SW Trilogy.
Before they release to DVD, they must digitally remaster Phantom Menace so that Jar Jar is ten times more obnoxious.
The movie stank. I don't buy DVDs. Let him play hard-to-get if that's what he wants to do.
--
It's October 6th. Where's W2K? Over the horizon again, eh?
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
The movie wasn't even that good. It wasn't a bad movie by any stretch, and it's Star Wars, and that's cool all by itself, but who is really pining away to watch this movie on DVD?
Do any of you think this was a great movie and really want to own it?
--
Why don't you people appreciate it when you are being helped?
What is the best movie that George Lucas ever made?
Answer: American Graffiti.
Is it available on DVD?
Answer: Yes.
I guess he didn't feel the need to do anything special for that one.
It's ok for him to hold back on a DVD release. It's his film and his choice. But I wish he'd be honest and say why he's doing it.
Since HDTV is being introduced quite soon (in theory),
and since DVD as it is currently configured does not approach the picture quality offered by HDTV (and is not properly configured to play movies true widescreen and not letterboxed),
and since I still don't think there is a final standard on how to attach cable, vcrs or DVD players to HDTV TVs,:
Does it make sense to spend large amounts of money on a DVD collection that in 5 years will be qualitatively superceded?
I'm personally holding off till the whole HDTV issue is resolved.
And, strictly speaking, the only real reasons to see what happens with the encription thing, or to drive up demand. Or they are having problems converting the digital format used in the theatres to DVD (unlikely, as they can just go to high res analog then through standard DVD encoder systems, and that doesnt explain why they arnt releasing the trilogy on the format).
If they are holding out cuz of encription, give it up I say. sure dupe factories may spring up, but their easy to squash, and users wont be sending DVD-class data through the net anytime soon, even with DSL and cable (would take many days for a whole DVD (4.7 Gigs), as the movies are already highly encripted, plus, having more than a few movies would strain harddrive capacities)
the fact that shit movie was released shows how much contempt lucas has for his fans. that movie was pathetic. i can't believe i waited 20 years to see that shit! it's even more insulting that you can't even find the original versions without that annoying stupid eyecandy!!! what self-indulgent arrogant ass he is! personally, i don't see what the fuss is over this. this movie should be buried along with all the kiddie crap he ruined the other movies with.
"The lie, Mr. Mulder, is most convincingly hidden between two truths."
--
And Justice for None
I consider it entirely plausible that Lucas just wants to give the titles a good treatment. I'd love to hear commentaries, interviews, making-of specials, multi-angle views of the original and re-released special editions...
Let him take his time!
Of course, if they come out and all we get is some bare-bones bullshit like that rip-off Stanley Kubrick Collection...KILL HIM.
--
#19845
Can't remember where I heard this from, so no guarantee on the authenticity of this information.
I heard an interview with some computer graphics guru (in Vancouver? I'm fuzzy on this) who has been working for Lucasfilm lately. If memory serves me correctly, he said he was working on Obi-Wan Kenobi's death scene in Episode 4 for a future re-re-release of the classic trilogy. Guess that could count as "something special" for George...
But, like I say, I'm fuzzy on where I heard this. Anyone else hear this, or am I just suffering from sleep-deprivation-induced delusions?
________________________
Corporate Jenga: You take a blockhead from the bottom and you put him on top...
Lucas will release SW on DVD, but only after
he re-edits it with more special effects and
crap like that (even more so than the special
editions). Fans will never see the originals
on DVD, and from now on in Film History, Greedo
shoots first, and misses.
It just amazes me how many people on here and elsewhere bitch and whine and complain about Lucas holding off on the DVD releases until he has time. It is 100% the right thing to do not only for him but for the consumer. Consumer, in this case, being the very person who is whining and bitching.
"He's doing it for the money."
False. If he were doing it *just* for the money he would release something now to get people to buy the cheap, get-it-out-the-door, at-least-it-is-DVD, shut-up-and-buy-it-luser copies only to purchase the later, better, boxed set with all the features put into it.
He's not.
People are actually whining that he isn't taking advantage of their willingness to buy cheap products only to be "forced" to buy something better later on.
"It's about control. He wants to control the product."
Bingo. It is also about how Lucas has proven that he tries to do the best he can in the game they've made. But here he has a choice. Make the last two movies and get them out, THEN work on a complete DVD set with a lot of features that the fans would demand so he has to do it once OR pause production on the films (which the fans won't like) to put out mediocre DVDs (which the fans won't like) then get back to the movies, get them out, then work on the DVDs the way he wants them to be and release them, at which time the fans will complain that he is taking advantage of them.
Screw that. Screw the fanboys who are whining that they don't have their DVDs now. Shut up because he's doing you a favor. Sure that boxed set might be $200CDN ($140 US, approx.) but rest assured that just like the last few boxed sets they will be available individually as well.
However, for those of us who do appreciate quality let me tell you what we might get. Instead of spending $20 for each of the 6 movies ($120 right there) and then turn around and buy the boxed set for, say, $150 ($270 so far) in a few years we spend $150 once. When it does come out chances are that he might do what the people who made Stargate did, put both the theatrical and Director's Cut (in this case, SE) on the same disc. That means, unlike the VCR tapes, we have the choice of which of the originals we want to see. Meanwhile we'll also most likely get a LOT of "making of" material, a few commentary tracks, etc.
So you people whining and bitching about what he is doing, ask yourself which you REALLY want to pay for? $120 in throw-away discs over the next 2-3 years, a delay in the movie production schedule only to spend another $150 or so later on, or spend $150 in 2-3 years and get a quality product?
Me, I'm willing to wait. Hell, say it is 3 years away for a release of the boxed set that is only ~$4.25/month to tuck aside to cover it.
-- Grey d'Miyu, not just another pretty color.
"I can only show you Linux... you're the one who has to read the man pages."
looks like we're sitting here with our collective thumbs up our butts again. We're never going to see DVD's of Star Wars. Not that I'm very concerned about Episode I; I thought the script had Mac-truck sized holes in it. But who doesn't want a DVD of Empire, with AT-AT's blasting huge holes in your screen while the floor shakes in full 5.1 digital audio? *sigh* We can dream can't we?
--
I'm simply disgusted at the lack of consistency in /. content recently. Directly below this story is another story about the 16yr old cracker of the DVD CSS.
Make up your mind /. - I personally refuse to buy any DVD until the DVD-CCA no longer exists, and I'm free to watch them on whatever OS I please.
I AM, therefore I THINK!
Well there's no conspiracy at work here, I assure you.
'These are not the discs you're looking for.'
Lay off the jedi mind tricks, Rick.
Besides, if Lucas waits for as long as he's talking (we're talking around 6 years from now) to issue everything on DVD... who knows? The Next Big Thing might be out by then - a DVD-Killer.
All this "he's just a greedy bastard who only cares about money" is crap. He went through a lot to get control over the whole franchise, back in the day, because he didn't want anyone else mucking it up - he had a vision (maybe that's a bit of an extreme term here, but you get the point) for the story/stories, and didn't want the studios goofing it up. Cut the man some slack.
"People" using "unnecessary" quotes should be "shot".
Most DVD's nowadays have Anamorphic picture transfers on them which are designed to fit onto the 16:9 ration widescreen televisions. Having seen DVD movies on this format, I can say that it looks pretty darned nice. Not as nice as HDTV, but pretty darned nice all the same...
--
The gift of death metal does not smile on the good looking.
I don't own a TV. Won't buy one untill wide-screen is more widely available, and media is available to properly fit the screen. If DVD can't do this, then screw DVD. Well, I might buy a regular TV to play Dreamcast on when my roommate moves out.
Blar.
Conscience is the inner voice which warns us that someone may be looking.
Conscience is the inner voice which warns us that someone may be looking.
-- H. L. Mencken
I agree the idea of knowing the ending can add to the tragedy, and doesn't necessarily ruin a movie at all. How many people watch plays or musicals over and over, but know them by heart? The ending of PM isn't the big deal.
The problem is this: I'm sitting in a theater opening night for the show. (For reference, I'm not the biggest SW fan out there. I don't own any videos, but would buy 4, 5, and 6 on DVD when I get one.) Waiting in the line and then later in the theater was a blast. People got up front (as we had a good three hours until 12:01) and started doing SW trivia for gummybears. It was an amazing mood that was only ruined by the movie itself...
I know expectations were high, but I don't think anyone took Lucas on his word when he said PM was made for 10 year old boys. The only 10 year old kid in the place was the only one laughing at Jar Jar's fart jokes. Myself, I was cringing, thinking "OMG, I can't believe they made SW into this!" Much of the rest of the movie was very cool, but between JJ Binks himself, and Anakins' inability to realistically deliver a line, much less form a bond with the princess, I'm not concerned anymore about knowing the ending. Any sort of realism is already lost for me. The special effects are great, but I'm not worried about either the VHS or DVD version of PM, as it won't be a part of my collection. Just needed to get that off my chest, so no need to start flaming. thanks.
Just get on with it Lucas. Put them on DVD's, and then when you have time, put out a collector's edition of the DVD's with ADDED NEW FEATURES and a price of +$40 per disc.
Well, I for one won't be too surprised if the DVD edition doesn't show up until after Episode 3. But then, I could be mistaken, as I doubt they would abandon the transfer to DVD completely.
Of course, I rather enjoy having a DVD player, the quality is better and I find it more convenient than trying to hook up a VCR through my tv card. Plus, there are plenty of other movies to rent while waiting for Lucas to come to his senses.
Not sure if this was already posted, but my comments window is blown out of preportion by the small screen I am on.
But I believe that it would be benificial to Lucas to release the new episodes on DVD when he finishes the last 2, He could offer 6 cd collector sets, or the separate ones at the same time with out having to worry about starting up production again when they are all completed
"Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality." -Jules de Gautier
-----------------------
Nicotine free Amish .sig.
Gee...this guy is making it sound like the special features are going to blow everything away. Maybe even better than the movie. :-)
:-)
HELLO?! A good movie doesn't need special features to be sold. I have yet to hear of a DVD that sold like crazy just because of the special features. And here I was thinking that I wanted to watch a movie.
Well...
If we take what Rick said at face value then I would rather wait. I would rather an Episode I DVD with amazing extras and cool commentary by George Lucas then a rushed DVD which basically got the go-ahead from Lucas but no input from him and the people involved in the making of the movie...
Josh
I believe he said he wants to "exploit the medium" meaning they plan to do something special with the DVD version (ie extra "features") as has been said all along.
Clearly their thinking is that everyone will buy the tape, and then a year or two latter they can sell the movie again on DVD.
The only way to influence Lucasfilm is for DVD owners to NOT buy the VHS tape.
Of course, maybe this is why Yoda resists letting him into the club at first?
What bother's me is we never hear what Yoda wants to do with the boy. Give him back to slavery? Put him in 'protective custody'? Just let him wonder the streets of Coriscant? With the Sith making thier reapearance simply forgeting about someone like that would be deadly.
Everybody knows Lucas is a cheap bastard with no intent on the happiness of his customers. All he cares about is the billions of dollars he makes. When the Star Wars TPM comes out on DVD if you want it you will have to buy it in a huge Star Wars collectible set. This is bound to cost upwards of $200 CAN, just another billion in Lucas' pocket.
Buying a Dell computer is equivalent to dropping the soap in a prison shower.
Can I get the ORIGINAL trilogy without the extra digital crap Lucas added a couple of years ago? I think the delay is because he's busy adding time-traveling Jar Jar Binks to Return of the Jedi, apparently a thousand Ewoks aren't cute enough for him.
The current Slashdot moderation system is made by gay communists!
A few months ago, I read an article where Rick McCallum was being interviewed. He stated that things they are looking to do with the DVD. They include view the movie without special effects (so you'd see the blue screen and all), different angles, how the special effects were made, etc...
To me, if they are planning on adding really special features to the DVDs, it's worth the 5 or so year wait. Lucas wants to release one definitive DVD set. Once the DVD set is released, there will no longer be any new Star Wars movies or any modifications to the existing ones.
It's better to burn out than to fade away!
At least George Lucas hasn't decided that he doesn't want the films on that format, but rather wants to add content.
-- Chapman's Observation #1: Nothing is ever simple
Well there's no conspiracy at work here, I assure you.
No, there's no conspiracy here, it's just the sheer greed of a man who's already got sh*tloads of money and wants more, more, more :) We'll have to wait for each episode to come out on VHS first, then the box set, maybe even a director's cut boxed set if we're lucky before we even get a hint of the DVDs and the amazing features that they'll contain (hopefully a shoot Jar-Jar game :)).
I for one will not buy the VHS version of TPM. and by the time Lucas decides to getting around to releasing TPM on DVD, i may not be interested in buying it in that format either.
"I don't need a compass to tell me which way the wind shines." - Mr. Furious, Mystery Men
Thus the original title of the first movie will be resurrected: Jar Wars: A New Hopelessly One-Dimensional Character. This title was dropped for the aforementioned reasons, but is eminently suited to the gen PI special edition.
I just watched all the "White Rabbit" scenes from The Matrix and that's pretty much an "extra" in the sense that they're trying to convey. Behind the scenes special effects need editing, too. If this is truly the reason for the delay, I say they can take their time.
Apparently, of the rich, by the rich, for the rich.
Well there?s no conspiracy at work here, I assure you.
Well, i, for one, am sure that there?s absolutely no ?conspiracy? here at all! I?ve been an ardent fan of ?Star Wars? since the first time i saw it. It?s my favorite movie! I can?t think of anything better than ?Star Wars?, except fnord maybe MS Front Page.
use Microsoft it is good
"Cogito ergo es... I think, therefore you is." -The King of the Moon's Head,
"Cogito ergo es... I think, therefore you is." -The King of the Moon's Head,
i hate it when stuff like this happens:
... "preview!"
:)
(spaces and stuff inserted for the Purposes of Explanating Something that Probably don't need it...)
...type type type...
& lt fnord & gt use Microsoft it is good & lt/fnord& gt...
dum dee dah
all that & lt & gt stuff becomes "<" and ">" in the comment field...but i don't look at that, i just see that it looks ok in the preview itself...
click "submit" and abracadabra! my cutesy little "< fnord >" goes poof like the do-nothing html that it is...
The Moral of the Story? "if yer playing about with phony HTML up in this [expletive deleted -ed.], click 'back' before ya click 'submit'... folks submit far too often and easily these days anyhow..."
score Gremlins and ?Conspirators? : 1
Eric Cartman from the Evil Dimension : 0
*waaaah!*
PS. yeah, i do in fact know that "Explanate" is not a word
"Cogito ergo es... I think, therefore you is." -The King of the Moon's Head,
"Cogito ergo es... I think, therefore you is." -The King of the Moon's Head,
In all likelihood, we'll see the widescreen edition come out a year after the Pan-and-scan version too. He did this with the last release of
the original version of the trilogy. And dammit, it worked on me.
But I don't have a VCR.
I sit here and wonder, "What the hell was I thinking?"
Anyway, I don't have a VCR, so if they aren't out on DVD then I can't watch 'em. I dunno if I am serious about buying pirated copies, but the fact that there is NO WAY to send feedback to LucasFilm pisses me off. Really what I want to do is go to the Skywalker Ranch and piss on the mailbox. Sigh.
Anyway, we all know that right now Star Wars basically sucks, and is simply a money making machine.
George Lucas will come out with a DVD edition of every Star Wars movie everytime his business needs more $$$.
Rumor has it that there will be a remake of Return Of The Jedi on DVD that will show the Ewoks having their way with an unconscious Princess Leia on the Moon of Endor. They will be on sale at 7-Eleven will for $9.99, and will come with a special certificate of authenticity with a hologram of Jar Jar Binks.
I don't care if Lucas releases Star Wars: TPM or not on DVD. I'm staying away from a product that essentially enslaves me to a particular region/particular players.
To the DVD control association, my finger. Oh yeah - don't come after me - I'm not mirroring DeCSS. I'm just being rude. :-P
I've recently gotten into the DVD biz, and found this site that has some fantastic coupons for various sites. Just click on the DVD bargains forum, and surf a little. Currently, with the use of this site, I am averaging about $12-$13 a CD! I managed to get the Matrix for $10! --dan
from my understanding of the whole story, it is basically the rise, fall and redemption of Anakin Skywalker. For those of us who want to know what turns this basically good kid to a Dark Lord (I personally think it has to do with his mother dying in an attempt to free the slaves on Tatooine (remember his dream)(nah, that's too linear and obvious...right?) PM filled enough background to say "OK, here's how he met Obi-Wan, here's how he met Luke and Leia's mother, here's why he's being trained as a Jedi (let's face it, if one had the potential to become a Dark Lord and kill the Jedi, don't you think that it would have sent off some vibes to warn someone???)." Really, I am not all that upset over the whole DVD thing (esp. with current events), and yes, I will be one of the millions of fools who do get the proposed boxed DVD set in 2006 (hey, I got boxed VHS set with the little book about a year and a half before the special editions came out, so I've been there and done that).
If you had total control of a franchise like Star Wars(TM), you could do pretty much what you damn well wanted to do. At least Lucas is giving us the first three episodes (and don't flame me on how PM sucked...it was the first part to a story that we already know how it ends...no movie would have satisfied everyone).
The difference being you can buy a CD in Europe and play it here in the States, but not with a DVD...could a more altruistic reason be the unfair sale and distribution of regional DVDs (not likely, but hey, maybe ole George is actually conducting a rebel attack of sorts on the whole DVD empire?)
I'm with baharir on this one. I don't understand why Lucas doesn't handle DVD like he did VHS.
Here's how it works: You release the first DVD as the 'first time on DVD!' Then a year later, remaster it for no real reason and release it as the 'see it again for the first time' version. Six months after that, add some new footage. Release this as a 'Special Edition.' A year after that, drag your feet in moving to the next new medium and do one final DVD release as the 'see it for the first time for the last time' version.
'Now your journey to the dark side is complete.'
Why? Because I don't buy VHS anything anymore. It's an obsolete, inferior format, and will only become moreso as HDTV brings TV's to a level that takes full advantage of DVD capability. Don't believe me? Watch "The Matrix" on VHS. Then watch it on DVD. The difference is clear. Honestly, I'd rather he release plain-jane DVD's now, and release special ones later. I could live with that, just to have the movie in the superior format. Waiting, though... that hurts. Not so much because of Ep. I... I want Eps. IV-VI! I don't think he's waiting because of money. He could release a plain Star Wars release now and make plenty of money on it, then make more with a special release later. I think the reasons stated here are pretty believable. That doesn't mean I agree with them, though. Guess I'll go spend the money to buy Macross Plus on DVD instead.
"He who breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." --Gandalf the Grey
The reason? Because the DVDs that will almost certainly appear to drum up interest in Episode 2 and will reappear at regular intervals for years afterwards. There's no hurry to snap them up because they'll be issued ad nauseum for as long as Fox can screw the money from the unwashed masses. Previous campaigns suggest that Fox may play on consumer fears (in a Disneyesque sort of way) that they should be bought now or "they'll be gone forever". It's hogwash of course designed to drum up hysterical panic purchasing.
Besides, I question what the quality of the first DVD releases will be like. Remember Titanic? Rumours abounded that James Cameron was crafting an 18Mb work of love, director's commentary special edition and so on but in the end it turned out to be a non-anamorphic featureless piece of trash (nice sound though). So Fox knows that they can release any old crap at inflated prices and people will buy it.
I would be surprised if the Star Wars DVDs were any different.
So I can happily wait. Maybe things won't happen anything like this, but I don't hold out much hope.
Certainly some studios (Disney / Buena Vista) have burned consumers in the past by releasing a movie-only disc closely followed by a special edition thus conning fans into purchasing both. However, there is no reason Lucas couldn't release all four movies now and announce that special editions would be forthcoming in five or six years. People who want a disc now would be happy, people who want a special edition later would be happy, and Lucas would get to cash in twice! Sigh. As if he hadn't alienated enough of his fans with Episode I...
Just a quick question. Where did you see a reference in my post to 480P as an HDTV image? DTV stands for Digital Television, and 480P is definately a Digital Television format. As for your definition of HDTV, that is also incorrect. An HDTV needs to support at minimum 720P or 1080i. 16x9 support is NOT required as a part of the HDTV standard, although any set-top box will deal with the letterboxing issues associated with downconversion.
I don't think that you quite understand exactly how you are being exploited.
When Episode One is released, everyone will buy it. George Lucas realizes this, and he knows that if he only releases his product in VHS, everyone will buy it in that format. Then, when the product is released again, in DVD format, everyone with a DVD player, who most likely already owns the VHS version, will line up to pay for another copy.
The blood-sucking that this man does amazes me.
-ShelbyCobra
Living life in the right side of the s-plane
Lucasfilms is going ahead and releasing it on VHS for those of us who *can't* wait what, four, six years for all the movies. This way, he makes everyone sort of happy at least. The impatient people get their movie quickly, and those who want to wait for all the DVD goodies get *good* stuff, not just some slapped-together disk.
This is like releasing music on tape and not CD.
"Do you think we could wipe out world hunger forever if scientists figured out how to make AOL's Free CD's edible?"-
Hey, I've got the music in LP and CD, so clearly this strategy works.
OK enough is enough! Yes Lucas has this annoying tendency to milk his fans for every penny. However on the flip side, after reading the article, it sounds like Lucasfilm is planning a nice release of the prequels and the trilogy. I think he wants to do something along the linesof what we see on The Matrix DVD, or on the Tomorrow Never Dies, or the Bubble Gum Crisis DVDs. Knowing Lucas he probably is going to make the DVDs worth owning. I have this sneeky suspicion that when they are released everyone here won't stop raving about how cool they are. So quit whining and be patient.
I can't believe all you slash-dotter's think DVD's are the Holy Grail. Obviously you know nothing about the format and video. I'll start out defining a simple term for you... Compression. It is a bad word. It's noticeable... everytime I watch a DVD I feel like I'm watching the latest Sorenson compressed Quicktime Movie. Also, to make all those extras fit on DVD's production houses crank up the compression during the credits and slower paced spots in the movie and it is really obvious. Did you guys ever notice this. One more new term HDTV. Imagine your 17" Monitor that's hooked up to your computer being displayed on your wall with a four foot wide HDTV. Now that compression has been downgraded from Sorenson to crappy codecs from Uncle Bill's Windoze Media Player. Yeah. In other words save your cash. There's enough space on a DVD for about 20 minutes of HDTV content. Wait for the 'next' medium. As for Lucas... cast your own vote.
Close but no cigar. There is a major difference between NTSC, DTV, and HDTV. Due to the amazingly crisp picture viewing distances will change. What used to be a 32 inch is now minimally a 64 if not large. Ask any HD Rep. The smallest TV they will make is a 32. In other words following Japan's lead we'll all be getting very large projection HDTV's. Since we sit so far away. When you figure this into the equation... pretty good doesn't cut it. DVD looks terrible on a HDTV.
Ok, lets look at this logically. Star Wars was groundbreaking, true enough. Empire was good, and Jedi was entertaining. That is where the talent stopped. Lucas spent 3 years making Episode 1, and it was no better than a VanDamme movie made in 3 months. Why was Star Wars ground breaking, because the effects were new/great, and the story was cool. Episode 1 had an incredibly dull story, coupled with trite dialog. So, enough already people. Lucas brought us to a new level with Star Wars, unfortunately he has not grown anymore, while the rest of the industry has, ie SPR, The Matrix. So let Lucas waste the next 3 years working on his next disappointing project, and forget about Star Wars. Enjoy the incredible selection of quality films available on DVD, films which took 1/3 of the time to make, and are way above Lucas' quality in terms of plot, interest, and acting.
"I like the use of the word "exploit" in the answer - kinda what the VHS - DVD switch feels like."
I like to use the phrase 'consumer driven obssessive dork' when people whine about not being able to buy some entertainment now, RIGHT NOW! OH GOD I NEED IT NOW! If I don't have the DVD version RIGHT NOW MY HEAD WILL EXPLODE AND IT WILL BE ALL LUCAS'S FAULT!!! AHHHHH, Killing spree!!! Killing spree!!!
Seriously, if you want, no NEEEEEEED to own it, and you want, no NEEEEEEED to have the DVD version. Get a freaking clue already! Exploit my ass.
Especially if Lucas actually does want to release a good set...The Shining in the Kubrick Collection is terrible; it has mono sound and no letterbox format. :( If Lucas puts the trilogy on DVD with the option to view it in letterbox (widescreen) or in pan-and-scan (edited), I'd be happy. If Lucas adds the option to view the Special Edition changes or to turn them off, I'd be VERY happy. I'll wait for them to come out.
Besides, we want II and III to be good. Then again, I suppose there's no guanrantee they will be with Lucas's full attention...
To all,
/. news) along the lines of a boycott on VHS SW:E1. While this might get the attention of the mainstream, I just do not belive it will get us what we want. SW is all about hype. The movies (VHS) will sell like hotcakes. George will make additional millions, and we will be SWless. If the guy can take the time to produce a VHS version, he can certianly burn it to disk. The "Special Features" box (you know the one I'm talking about) will read:
I have heard a lot of comments (on previous
Dolby 5.1
Spanish Subtitles
Chapter Selection
I for one will buy the VHS version ASAP. I will then buy the DVD version IF it has enough special features to justify the purchace. If it does not, I will wait till VHS is obsolete before I get the DVD.
Thoes of you who will boycott want it on DVD now. But, would it be worse to buy the VHS now and then a Directors Cut DVD in a few years, or buy the DVD now and then buy the Directors Cut DVD AGIAN in a few years.
I'd rather you do it wrong, than for me to have to do it at all.
I would rather he didn't quickly throw just the movie with a little bit of this that and the trailer stuck on the DVD with it. I would be forced to buy it because it is Star Wars, and then I would be pissed off because I have nothing more than I would get on a videotape basically. His idea of waiting till he can do something special might not be a money grabbing scheme as much as he realizes how special star wars is to all of us. Maybe he doesn't want to release crap with the Star Wars movie on it. Of course if he waits a year or two and then releases the DVD with nothing special on it then we will have reason to be pissed. But I guess we will have to just wait and see.
I am 31337 or something.
The delay just gives the pirates more time to pillage the DVD market.... SW:TPM is already on sale in DVD form in Hong Kong and places East (I've seen a copy that a friend brought back with her from her last jaunt out that way).
Then again, Lucas probably isn't too badly concerned with profits lost to piracy; they'll be minimal due to how slowly the DVDs will trickle in to the US, and what few losses he'll incur will be dwarfed by the extra profits gained by releasing to VHS first -- impatient consumers will quickly gobble up the tapes, then repurchase the film when the official DVD is finally released.
So I have to ask the question: who is really the pirate here?
-- WhiskeyJack
You hit the nail on the head. I got into a small discussion with a Sony Rep who was doing a demo at a large advertising agency who produces HDTV spots for Monday Night Football. In front of a large crowd I said. 'Now where does this put DVD?' He replied it will look great on this. I said yeah, better than on our current TV's? He said, much better. Then I said as good as these images were watching off of TAPE. He stuttered and said not quite. I had him where I wanted him and said. I've read that current DVDs allow for about 20 minutes of HDTV Data on a disc. He said yes, but there are several new technologies that will allow us to store more. So we will continue to use DVD. I replied back 'with the same old players and discs?' He said no. Now who's complaining about Lucas taking you guys to the cleaners?
This is the exact same thing, almost word for word, that the Lucasfilm folks have been saying for months, including the last time this story popped up on Slashdot. Nothing has changed. Are our memories so short that we need these constant "reminders"?
Editor Emeritus and Senior Writer, TeleRead.org
Don't you people know what patients are? Why back in my day we didn't have these DVDs and VCRs, if you wanted to watch a movie again you waited for it to be re-released in the theatres... I'm telling you ever since these "talkies" came out the cinema has been going downhill anyway....
DrLunch.com The site that tells you what's for lunch!
Well, Lucas is still hard at work writing Episode II: Jar Jar's revenge. When asked by a reporter, Lucas explained his approach to the movie.
"I've been working on making sure that there will be a lot of hype around the movie," said Lucas, "I'm expecting to do a lot with Mace Windu this time. He's a badass Mofo. Also, Sideous' new apprentice will be 10 times as cool as Darth Maul, not to mention Boba Fett and the entire army of Darth Maul clones!" Lucas smiled a bit and then continued, "That hype will get them into the theater, of course, but I'll be sure to piss them off when they realize that half of the movie is just more of Jar Jar Binks acting like an idiot! I can't wait to see the faces on all those people who payed for a ticket to see some action, and instead got Jar Jar!"
When asked about the Original Trilogy on DVD, George Lucas explained his actions to hold back. "Well, we're still waiting for the generation PI players to come out so we can implement some radical changes to the series. First and foremost, I plan on releasing the super-special edition of the first trilogy. This way I can add Jar Jar to those movies as well. Then I can implement my DIVX enhanced type PI features in those DVDs as well, and force people to shell out five bucks per viewing to eliminate Jar Jar entirely from those movies. This is where I wanted to go originally back in 1977, but the technology didn't allow me to do such a thing. Now, thanks to the technology that the generation PI DVD players will provide, I can suck even more money out of these geeks!"
(Due to recent instances of 1337 hax0rz doing evil things with DVD encryption, the status on the release of the PI generation of DVD players is currently in the air. Until then, Lucas will release at least three more different "versions" of the original trilogy and TPM on VHS, which he expects you all to buy.
"You ever have that feeling where you're not sure if you're dreaming or awake?"
"You spoony bard!" -Tellah
"Why no Star Wars DVD?"
I think it would be a truly wonderful thing if the answer to that question was: "Because the DVD consortium is unfairly restricting the use of that format". But, unfortunately, that's not what they said. A lot of the posters here feel it's a trick for money, and that could well be the truth. However, Maybe our small case can be heard. It's probably unlikely, or even impossible, for Lucas to go against the will of the MPAA, but it would be nice for a public figure in the movie industry to let people know what they think. I would love to be able to buy a DVD with a clear conscience. Hey, I can dream, can't I?
-Denor
Personally I think that everyones making far too much noise about this.
The excuse is that George Lucas wants to spend time on it himself. Any really greedy corporation would just churn out a generic DVD with virtually no features, and then release a "Special Edition" at twice the price after a year, then release a special Boxed set with "Special George Lucas Edition" extra features after Episode 3.
It is conceivable that George Lucas genuinly doesn't want to release a half baked product.
Finally, please remember that as he is the creator of Star Wars, he deserves the right to release it as and when he wants. Even if you disagree with it. No-one is forcing you to buy the video.
I can't imagine anyone feeling exploited by DVDs. Here's why:
* Nobody's forcing you to buy them. I don't know of many movies these days being released on DVD only. They're all DVD and VHS. (Excluding a few old ones like Cannibal Women and the Avocado Jungle of Death, which you would be hard pressed to find at all, if not for DVD.) VHS will be around for a long time, and if it's all you want, stick with it.
* The image and sound difference is amazing. Watch the same movie in VHS and then DVD. You'll be shocked at what came out of your TV.
* DVDs have lots of cool things you don't find on VHS tapes, and they're still pretty cheap. (I've been buying them for ~$20, and I haven't been scouting for deals.)
As it is, if I'm being exploited, EXPLOIT ME MORE!!!
Does this sound familiar to anyone (*cough* Slash source *cough*). Maybe Lucas should open source the work on the Star Wars DVD's.
Skippy
"False modesty is the refuge of the incompetent." - The Stainless Steel Rat
We all want to see Star Wars on DVD, and of course we all want it to be a good transfer, but I don't buy George Lucas explanation. He isn't a Zen master who must wave his hands over the equipment to give a good transfer. If they can make truely excellent DVD transfers of other movies they can do the same thing with Star Wars.