Star Wars Episode I DVD - October 16, 2001

linderdm writes: "The official Star Wars web site has an article confirming reports about the release date of October 16th for the Phantom Menace DVD. It looks like it will be a double DVD set with 6 hours of additional material, plus 7 new deleted scenes added to the movie." Lucas should have an option to view it in Phantom Edit mode. If that's unrealistic, maybe releasing ep IV, V and VI would be feasible? Please?

Comments

Please oh please let it have the Phantom Edit!

[Masem]

If only the DVD would have the so-called Phantom Edit version; for those that haven't heard of this, it's basically a fan's cut of the film but otherwise unmodified that strips out the fluff, mostly JarJar and some pointless Anakin scenes. For example, the entire underwater scene from the JarJar's city to the other side of the planet is gone.

As it was covered in the Chicago Tribune a few days ago, I remember the the critic gave it a 1/4 star less than the 3.5 stars that the untouched version had; the edit was much more refined and moved well, but lacked some of the magic that the original had. Rumor has it that Lucas has seen this, and while not allowing it to be distributed publicly, acknowledges that it's a good edit, but not as good as his original vision.

Re:I'm surprised...

[sphealey]

In the original edition, when the bounty hunter confronts Han Solo in the bar, Solo shoots him under the table in cold blood. Establishing that for all his rough and loveable exterior, he is a cold-blooded mercenary at heart. This colors his entire relationship with Leia and his decision to return and helt the Alliance.

In the Special Edition, Lucas adds a few seconds where _the bounty hunter fires the first shot_, turning Solo from a ruthless mercenary to just another guy defending himself in a tough world.

That's a bit of a change, don't you think?

sPh

SIX HOURS??

[pergamon]

That's a lot of additional material.

It seems *someone* thinks pretty highly of their little movie.

Re:Episode I

[ElrondHubbard]

I just don't understand what you mean when you say the film is poorly done. Obviously you don't mean on the technical level; the effects are all but flawless.

"No plot"? Episode I has a plot that works on a number of levels: straightforward adventure, political intrigue, character interaction... The film is very well constructed. Look at the ending: four separate plot threads taking place in separate locations are intricately intercut and interwoven seamlessly. I also want to draw attention to the mystery aspect of it: that is, the mystery of Darth Sidious' identity. Of course everyone knows who Darth Sidious *really* is, but imagine you'd never seen the previous movies -- could you figure out the truth just from what's on the screen in Episode I? You can if you're paying attention, all the information is there, hiding in plain sight. Likely as not I would have missed it if I hadn't known.

The film has some obvious flaws. Plainly the first hurdle that most people face is Jar-Jar. This isn't a problem for me, since I don't care about Jar-Jar one way or the other; I just accept him as what he is, which is comic relief. And yes, some of the dialogue his hokey, particularly Anakin's. How much of the dialogue in the previous films was *not* hokey? A worse flaw is the missed opportunity to establish Anakin's anger management problem: specifically, there was a scene cut from the film where he attacks a much younger Greedo after the Rodian accuses him of winning the pod race by cheating. I don't understand why Lucas left that scene out; maybe the movie was running long.

Sometimes I just get the idea that the people who heap scorn on Episode I are just disappointed that it didn't overwhelm them like Episode IV did back when they were ten years old. Either that or I wonder if they saw the same film I did (several times, I might add).

Re:I'm surprised...

[sharkey]

It WAS self-defense. Greedo had already stated that he was going to kill Han. What the change did was change the Han Solo character from a man who will do what he has to, (and have a good one-liner to follow), to one that waits until he is scared into action.

Aside from all that, the addition of Greedo's shot was pathetic. It was amateurish, and made the special effects on the Sci-Fi Channel look polished in comparison. Lucas should have stuck with what was in the script, and not tried to cozy up to the bleeding-heart, keeping-yourself-alive-is-a-crime crowd.

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Re:Non-Jar-Jar

[Black Parrot]

> Anyone know how Jar-Jar gets translated into other languages? I mean, is it possible to make him sound as obnoxious in French or Japanese as he does in English?

In the Jamaican edition he talks just like Prince Charles.

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When you all rush out and buy this MPAA movie...

[Hobart]

(Yes, I'm running out to buy this one when it comes out too, despite Jar Jar :P)

Consider donating an identical amount (or more?) of the cost of your DVD purchase to the EFF here: https://www.eff.org/support/ ...

Episode I

[CAIMLAS]

I'm not trying to be a troll, or start a flame war... but I feel that Episode I really sucked. Not just "it didn't measure up to the Trilogy," but "this is so poorly done it's nearly indescent." There was no plot, no character interaction, Gore-like acting, totally meaningless dialog, and purely catchy items that little children would like. The Trilogy didn't do that - it had all of those items in excess (except for good acting - that was kind of lacking in the first one, I believe.)

It makes one wonder what happened. I'm not sure of specifics, but I took a look at the credits for Episode I. Mr. Lucas didn't direct this film completely. It appears as if he had a 'co-producer' that did all the work, and simply ran it by George. Also, from my perceptions, they threw so much budget money and emphasis was thrown into special effects, that no time or effort was spent on picking good actors, or developing a coherrent story line.

I have a hard time believing that the story behind Episode I was around since the initial Star Wars. It feels plastic and commericial, simply produced to sell toys. Even the key factor of the film - the special effects - grew terribly old by the end.

So as to keep this somewhat on-topic... I was of the understanding that the Trilogy would be released at the same time as Episode I. I also ponder whether the 'extra material' is thrown in there so that adults can feel justified for buying the disk, due to the poor quality of the film. (Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge Star Wars fan. I just really don't consider Episode I to be even close to Star Wars in any aspect besides the lightsabers.)

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Caimlas

Re:Episode I

[TGK]

I think you're missing the point in many ways. Episode I is not a "bad movie" because it dosn't measure up to the other SW films, and it's not a bad movie because it lacks plot. The fundamental problem with the film is not that it fails to measure up to IV V and VI, but that it simply is not intended as a continuation or a precurser to the trilogy. Now, before you all tell me I'm a nimrod for writing this, let me explain.

Find the origional trilogy in a video store. See what it's listed under. Most places will list it under Sci-Fi, but smaller stores that lack such a section will list it as an action film. Now here's the kicker. Phantom Menace isn't listed as a Sci-Fi film. It clearly is, but it's listed under children's films.

Fans aren't angry simply because the film was bad. Bad films happen. Life goes on. Fans were angry because so much of Episode I was specificly tailored to spawn marketable products. Firstly, the targeting of the film. By targeting the film to young audiances you vastly increase merchandising options. When did you last see a Shawshank Redemption lunch box? Secondly, Lucas allowed the film to focus in the wrong place. Episode I is about the origions of Anakin Skywalker. It's not about Qui Gon Jin, it's not about Jar Jar Binks. These things do not matter in the long run. These characters are clearly transitory in nature, yet Lucas blows them up, larger even than the roles of the coterie from IV V and VI, thus overshadowing Anakin. Now I'm not saying that Anakin was played by an Oscar winner here, but again, how many Anakin action figures were sold in comparison to Jar Jar or Qui Gon Jin figures? Anakin's not as marketable a character is Episode I, so he gets downplayed. You pointed out that a crucial scene was cut. This is a perfect example of this kind of market pandering.

So that's my point. I don't think fans were upset that Episode I was a bad movie. It had a good plot, not great, but not bad either. It had great visuals. It lacked some of the great one liners that the rest of the trilogy is known for, but at least half of those are famous for their utter wretchedness. The problem was that Episode I was a sell out. It was done with a big budget, for a massive debut, and a huge marketing gig afterwards. No more drive buys on a block of wood covered with model battleship parts here, this is corporate america at work. And that's why the fans feel betrayed.

This has been another useless post from....

Re:Episode I

[blair1q]

You are correct. The "extra material" was enough to make me capitulate.

I will probably buy a copy of this hoary slab of Gungan-shit.

What can I say? I've had skywalkerian fantasies running through my mind since I was 14 years old. This is as thorough a part of my life as the Constitution I'd die to uphold. Having seen SW1 in the theater, I figured I'd paid my fealty. But no, marketing will out, and I'll just have to find a way to get one at the skinniest profit margin, because I can not do without.

As for the reasons for the poor quality, this time Lucas did too much by himself. He caught lightning in a bottle with Star Wars. Lawrence Kasdan and Joseph Campbell put the meat into Empire and Jedi. Lucas had to craft this one alone. Hopefully he's gone to the water and seen his destiny, and will get his act together for the next two. He's listed in IMDB as having someone else helping with the script for Episode II. We'll see.

And no, I don't expect the trilogy to appear in DVD (or whatever replaces it) until Lucas finds a way to encrypt it so that it can only be decrypted by the retina and occipital lobe of a licensed user.

--Blair

Re:Episode I

[Rogerborg]

• The original 3 Star Wars movies had only TWO great actors -- Harrison Ford and Sir Alec Guiness

James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels?

Just because you didn't see/hear them, doesn't mean they're not talented actors.

When you first saw Star Wars Ep 4, did you doubt for one second that C-3PO was a real robot, Chewbacca was a real Wookie, and that Darth Vadar was a really real bad guy?

Credit where credit's due, Jar Jar is certainly real enough to actually hate. ;)

Re:Downloading "The Phantom Edit"?

[arazor]

it was posted on the newsgroup
alt.binaries.starwars for sure im downloading it right now :)

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

No Special Edition VHS first?

[L-Train8]

Hmm... I only own one VHS copy of SWTPM, and already they are coming out with the DVD? How can George Lucas make any money if fanboys like me only end up buying 2 copies of his movies?

I'll only buy it if..

[Alkaiser]

It's 30 minutes of actor/director commentary, and 5 1/2 hours of them beating Jar Jar with sticks and apologizing for his existance.

Re:Actual DVD release schedule...

[aiken_d]

Um, I beg to differ. DD has a total bandwidth of 320KB/s; at 5 channels, that's 64KB/S, or 32K-samples/sec @ 16 bits. Less than CD quality. Only 72% the resolution of CD's, in fact.

Add in the .1 sub channel, and you're talking about half the quality (per channel) available on CD's since 1981.

DTS devotes 48khz, 16 bit samples to all 5 channels, or 480KB/S. Sure, it's only 25% more detail than DD, but it's significant, especially during sequences with heavy surround effects.

DD's trick is to move bits from less used channels to more used channels. It's a good trick, but if you actually have ears and you've heard the same film passage in both formats, you would never compare the two.

DD-EX (or THX EX) is a different story and is finally on par with DTS.

For more information, see: http://www.moviesoundpage.com/msp_dddtsdvd.htm

Cheers
-b

Actual DVD release schedule...

[aiken_d]

...Lucas already busted me on laserdisc; I have 4 copies of Star Wards. Based on that experience, here's my prediction for the actual, top secret, rape-the-fans schedule:

October 16, 2001: Ep. 1, 6 hours of additional footage, some removed footage. Dolby Digital sound only (Yes, that's for real, check the link)

February 10th, 2002: "Special Edition" Ep. 1, same 6 hours of additional footage, 2 more missing scenes, addition of DTS sound. Buy another copy if you've got a good sound system.

May 30, 2002: "The ultimate edition" Ep. 1, new superior video transfer, director's commentary, Dolby digital and DTS sound. Missing the 6 hours of extra footage and extra scenes.

September 15, 2002: "Director's cut" Ep. 1, back to the old video transfer, same running length but a few scenes switched around, commentary from Lucas and several actors.

January 6, 2003: "Collector's Edition" Ep.1, Dolby Digital, DTS, 6 hours of extra footage, commentary, includes scripts, concept drawings, and other production notes.

Me, I'm just gonna wait until Jan 6, 2003.

-b

Re:Downloading "The Phantom Edit"?

[alanjstr]

Try gnutella (The Phantom Edit or TPE). I tried a google search and kept coming back with very nothing about it. I couldn't even find the denial on Kevin Smith's web site that he was the 'editor'. I'd certainly like to see it. There was a news blurb on Plastic.com and my submission to /. about it got rejected ;-). You can try The Phantom Edit Fan Site.

Here's what the extra content will be

[alanjstr]

The Phantom Menace DVD set will include audio commentary by Lucas, an hour-long documentary on the making of the film, and featurettes about the plot, design, costumes, visual effects and fight scenes. The DVD extra will be seven deleted scenes, amounting to about 20 minutes of previously unseen footage. Since they were cut from the film, the scenes had never been completed. For the DVD, Lucasfilm and Industrial Light and Magic, Lucas' special effects operation, went back and finished them with full visual effects.
Reuters

Re:well that's dumb

[catkinson]

According to the official announcement, the two disc set is going for $ 29.98 in the U.S. and $ 41.98 in Canada.

Petition.

[ronny_magic]

I wonder if this made a difference.

Deleted scenes

[ronny_magic]

I read a pre-production script witha few extra scenes, for example one in which Obi-Wan lets his Lightsaber 'battery' run down, and another when their sub almost falls off a waterfall opon surfacing in Theed. Does anyone know if these were ever shot?

Non-Jar-Jar

[CoreyG]

I wonder if one of the language options will include a Jar-Jar free version.

English Dolby Digital [5.1]

English DTS [5.1]

English Jar-Jar free

English Subtitles

French Dolby Pro Logic [2.1]

Re:Non-Jar-Jar

[krugdm]

Anyone know how Jar-Jar gets translated into other languages? I mean, is it possible to make him sound as obnoxious in French or Japanese as he does in English?

View Options

[ackthpt]

Yeah, IV, V, & VI would rock, but question: Is there a DVD player made that has such a programmable option? I.e. Bladerunner the Directors Cut vs. the original cinema edition. Granted this would take some space, but with media improvements (we have now come to expect these, fail to give them and you a deathstar will be over to see you about it!) it's just a matter of time before all 6 episodes of Star Wars should fit on one disk, eh?

--
All your .sig are belong to us!

Re:Well

[ackthpt]

There have been some pirate dvds of The Phantom Menace already.

At least this would be an official release with some extra goodies.

Yeah, it would be great to have a copy without those two robots kibitzing all throughout the movie.

Together I shall rule the world! -- Tom Servo

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All your .sig are belong to us!

THX is not a sound format.

[brujito]

TXH is more like a certification. THX people test the picture and sound if it meets their criteria they give it THX certification. DTS can have THX, and DD too. If you have the terminator 2 ultimate edition. You can see that is THX mastered, and it contains both DD and DTS.

Re:Additional material

[krugdm]

Here's what you get:

• Seven never-before-seen deleted scenes with full visual effects completed just for the DVD release
• The Beginning - an all-new hour-long documentary culled from over 600 hours of footage offering unprecedented access inside Lucasfilm and ILM during the making of Episode I
• Multi-angle storyboard-to-animatic-to-finished-film feature, that lets you flip through the various phases of development of key action sequences
• Five behind-the-scenes featurettes exploring The Phantom Menace's storyline, designs, costumes, visual effects and fight scenes
• The popular Duel of the Fates music video that debuted in 1999
• All 12 parts of the Lynne's Diaries, the web documentaries that first appeared at starwars.com
• Galleries of theatrical posters, print campaign, and never-before-scene production photos
• The original theatrical teaser and launch trailers, plus seven TV spots including the "tone poems"

Not all that bad, really. Enough to keep a Star Wars fan happy for some time.

Criterion

[Taskmaster Panik 2]

This DVD will only achieve the mildly amusing level if there is commentary by Jar-Jar included.

"Meesa think dis movie stinky."