Posted by
michael
on from the money-money-money-money-money-money dept.
twigstamc420 writes "USA Today is reporting that Lucasfilm has announced the details of releasing the Star Wars episodes IV through VI on DVD as well as a bonus DVD with commentary."
They're DVD-R sized, so make sure you're on a fast enough connection!
Re:Anyone have a .torrent?
by
Darth+Maul
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· Score: 2, Informative
These DVDs are *great*! The ones I got a while back are rips right from the LaserDisc. Pre-Special Edition, so everything is as it should be. There is even a DVD menu with limited special features and audio commentary.
At 4.5G per dvd, it's still worth it. Share it with all your friends! This is how the Star Wars trilogy should be preserved on DVD.
By the time they're done with all six movies they'll have to remaster the first trilogy (IV - VI) and show it in theaters (again). Then when that's done they'll have to remaster the second trilogy (I - III) and show those in theaters again. But by that time the first trilogy will be so far out of date they'll decide to completely remake it.
You'll be waiting for that all-in-one box set for a long long time.
No, but there's good inteligence that clearly shows Alderaan had a stockpile of WMDs that it planned to give to the Rebel Alliance. The new DVD further points out that its government was an anti-democratic dictatorship by a royal family, and goes on to document its sentient-rights abuses which while largely decades in the past, still play a part in building a convincing case for a pre-emptive planetary destruction by the Emp - er - Coalition Forces.
-- In Capitalist America, bank robs you!
I'm going to wait...believe it or not.
by
Agent+Green
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· Score: 4, Insightful
I'm actually going to wait this one out. I can't recall how many times the trilogy was released on VHS...and am not going to get taken like a sucker on this like I was with Fellowship of the Ring.
Once the second release is out, then it'll be time to party. Probably when episode 3 is done and release and it's all in one pretty box.:)
-- // Agent Green (Ian / IU7 / KB1JQO) // IEEE 802.3: All 10base Are Belong To Us
Re:I'm going to wait...believe it or not.
by
blackpaw
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· Score: 2, Informative
So how were you sucked in by LOTR 1 ? Jackson was upfront from the start that there would be extended versions for all three movies after the cinematic dvs were released
Re:I'm going to wait...believe it or not.
by
The-Bus
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· Score: 4, Informative
and am not going to get taken like a sucker on this like I was with Fellowship of the Ring.
Purely your fault...
Peter Jackson announced the EE (extended edition) before the regular edition had been released.
The EE is an entirely different cut.
The extras are all different.
New Line offers at least $5 off if you send in the UPC from the first one, bringing the cost of the EEs down to about $20 when they come out.
And, on topic, I'll be getting the DVDs.
--
Small potatoes make the steak look bigger.
Non special edition dvd's
by
Stinkythe1
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· Score: 2, Interesting
I tried to get a friend of mine to transfer his VHS version of the Star Wars trilogy over to DVD. Too bad you have to bootleg it in order to get the unadultered version of it.
Re:Non special edition dvd's
by
djward
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· Score: 4, Informative
Find a used laserdisc player. You can find the orig. trilogy, remastered THX but pre-extra shite, for pretty cheap now on LD. Damn good quality (almost DVD quality), surround sound, etc. I've been enjoying them for years. I suppose you could borrow a LD player and hook it up to computer and burn over to DVD if you were inclined.
I love the laserdiscs though. Big, beautiful cover art. The Empire Strikes Back LD cover is a thing of beauty.
Re:Some of the changes (possible spoilers)
by
halowolf
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· Score: 2, Insightful
For some reason this part of the article disturbed me:
Rumor have circulated about additional changes, but Ward would not deny or confirm them. "We want to encourage our fans to check them out themselves."
This is amazing news...
by
Anonymous Coward
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· Score: 3, Funny
It was even more amazing when I heard it last year around this time.
Re:Some of the changes (possible spoilers)
by
TheGatekeeper
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· Score: 5, Insightful
Lucas's revisionist history really does bother me as a geek. While I agree some of the added scenes do add to the movies, some of them are simply unacceptable. Greedo shooting first for example.
If they were offering the original movies on DVD, I'd jump at it. I don't know how I feel about this revisionist version, but it leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth.
--
'The staff in the hand of a wizard may be more than a prop for age,' -Hamá, the doorward
Since no-one else has given you a straight answer, they now both shoot at the same time, but Greedo's shot misses.
Seriously - to the frame.
It blatently looks like George wanted to appease the fans who didn't like Greedo shooting first, but at the same time felt it necessary to have him shooting.
So its still stupid, but looks nowhere near as dumb as it did in '97; Greedo is at least aiming vaguely in the right direction this time.
Everybody knows that the versions coming out on DVD are the originals.
Big Lucas takes care of us.
Comment removed
by
account_deleted
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· Score: 2, Informative
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Re:Some of the changes (possible spoilers)
by
afidel
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· Score: 4, Insightful
Blah, when will Lucas get it, we want the origional damn films as shown in theaters, not his revisionist history with all the damn modern FX. Jeezus if South Park is making fun of you you know you are doing something wrong.
-- There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
Now that does not make sense?
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TheShadowHawk
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· Score: 2, Insightful
Hang on? the younger Anakin in spirit form?
But he didn't die until the end of Ep VI. I figured your "jedi" spirit took the form of your body at the time of death?
Sheesh.. not unlike lucas to create some friggin' plot holes!:P
-- Friends don't let Friends use Internet Explorer.
Re:Now that does not make sense?
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Anonymous Coward
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· Score: 5, Interesting
the theory is that when a jedi dies he comes back in his purest form..so yoda and obi wan come back as they were when they died, but anakin returns as he was before he went to the dark side
Re:Now that does not make sense?
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Dachannien
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· Score: 3, Funny
but anakin returns as he was before he went to the dark side
You know, repentence is good enough for Jesus, so it oughta be good enough for George Lucas.
Re:Now that does not make sense?
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jargonCCNA
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· Score: 2, Informative
Not necessarily his purest form.. but the spirit shows the Jedi as they died as a Jedi.. Ben said it himself, Darth Vader killed Anakin Skywalker. When he became Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker died, but his spirit didn't get released.. but when it did, that's why he's seen as Hayden Christensen.
All I ask Lucas at this point (because there's a lot of stuff that he really can't atone for) is that we see Anakin with that hair sometime during Revenge of the Sith. He might be making weird plot holes, but let's at least see a vague effort at continuity here.
-- Matthew G P Coe
http://mgpcoe.blogspot.com/
Re:Now that does not make sense?
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DarkEdgeX
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· Score: 2, Interesting
What kills me about this seemingly innocent change (the ghost of Anakin being changed to Hayden Christensen from Sebastian Shaw) is that there'll probably be no explanation as to how Luke knows that the Hayden Anakin is the same guy he de-masked on the Death Star.
For me, I'm going to be imagining Luke saying "who the hell is that guy?" as the Hayden Anakin ghost appears.
-- All I know about Bush is I had a good job when Clinton was president.
Otherwise, DVD letterbox AS AIRED. If you want to add changed scenes, outtakes, commentary, etc. fine, just make sure I can view it AS I SAW IT IN 1977 if I want to.
-- Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
Comment removed
by
account_deleted
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· Score: 2, Informative
From the man who refuses to release original editions and continues to "rice" out his movies said this about movie purity:
"Star Wars" creator George Lucas, who testified with Steven Spielberg before Congress in the 1980s against colorization and other forms of alteration, said the process yanks such slapstick performers as the Stooges out of the black-and-white universe they belong in.
"I am very concerned about our national heritage, and I am very concerned that the films that I watched when I was young and the films that I watched throughout my life are preserved, so that my children can see them."
Han shoots first?
by
Alcimedes
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· Score: 4, Interesting
If he does, I'm not buying them, period. I can't believe that they'd change what basically amounts to a massive character development over three movies, and rework it to crap. all because it's not nice for Han to shoot first. that was the WHOLE FREEKING point. ugh.
Re:Han shoots first?
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Anubis350
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· Score: 2, Insightful
While I agree with you to some extent, I'll point out something:
hand shooting second doesnt neccesarily show he's beeing nice. It could just be a casual confidence masking his actual nervousness, something I've always felt was a trademark of the han solo character in the original films. Han may not shoot first also because he's a smuggler, and smugglers dont shoot before trying to talk their way out of something first.
just something for you to think about
--Aaron
-- "goodbye and hello, as always"
~Prince Corwin, from Zelazny's Amber series
Re:Han shoots first?
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Blakey+Rat
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· Score: 2, Interesting
Han shoots first? If he does, I'm not buying them, period.
So you're saying you like the reissues from 1997 better than the original theatrical release? Or are you just really bad at proofreading?
And, arguably, since Lucas directed and wrote the movie, and he obviously has no problems with Han shooting second, that kind of means that maybe that's *not* the whole point?
Re: Han shoots first?
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Black+Parrot
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· Score: 4, Funny
> If he does, I'm not buying them, period.
A real geek would hack his hardware to play the scene backward.
-- Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
Re:Han shoots first?
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Alcimedes
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· Score: 2, Informative
no, i'm just really bad at proof reading.
Lucas directed the movie, but it was basically a ripoff of an older, Japanese title. what i don't understand is why he'd make a fairly significant change without an excellent reason.
in our society, we have justifiable homocide. if you're protecting yourself from someone who's trying to kill you, and you kill them, you don't go to jail.
if, on the other hand, you murder someone, you have problems. Han murders Greedo. (or whatever his name is) because he doesn't want to go back to Jabba. the character that murders someone to me is a fundamentally different character than the guy who's just trying to keep from getting shot.
Re:Han shoots first?
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Robmonster
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· Score: 2, Insightful
Doesnt your sig say you ignore stories by Michael?
George needed the extra time to think of new and horrible ways to re-edit our childhood. Good thing too, I hadn't quite had all my dreams shattered yet.
"Digitally Remastered Footage"
by
johnthorensen
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· Score: 4, Funny
Here's to hoping this has something to do with Princess Leia in Jabba's Palace:)
-JT
Re:Some of the changes (possible spoilers)
by
Aero+Leviathan
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· Score: 5, Interesting
I saw on some interview that the minor dialogue changes weren't even intentional; when they were remastering the film for 1997, they sometimes had to use different takes that hadn't deteriorated as much (or so they say). They claim they didn't even realise they had changed any of the dialogue until diehard fans started complaining... ^_~
Actually...
by
EvilCabbage
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· Score: 5, Informative
Jabba didn't meet up with Han before Han took off (and certainly not the significantly older looking version of Han that you see in this scene). Etc. Etc.
Han did meet Jabba in the original cut, the scene was pulled from theatrical release though. Jabba was originally a dumpy irish fellow dressed in fur and leather.
If you're going to bitch about scene changes, at least have the facts my friend.
Uh... "the significantly older version of Han" was filmed with the original movie, and a stand-in (a fat guy wearing some sort of fur outfit, looked kinda like Cyrano Jones from The Trouble With Tribbles) for Jabba, that George originally planned to replace with a stop motion Hut.
When that plan didn't work out (didn't have the time/budget/tech to do it convincingly) they added the Greedo scene to pass on the same information about Han's difficulties with the local smugglar king, which is why the conversation with Jabba is essentially the same as the conversation with Greedo.
I'll stick to my LaserDiscs....
by
elberserko
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· Score: 5, Informative
The only true way to see the original theatrical versions of the trilogy is to get the laserdiscs. Not only does it look and sound better than the VHS but If you get the right ones, they are widescreen, which no VHS copy of the "original theatrical" versions have to the best of my knowledge.
Re:I'll stick to my LaserDiscs....
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Anonymous Coward
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· Score: 2, Informative
In 1995, when the originals were remastered and released as the "faces" box set, they released VHS full screen, VHS widescreen, and LD widescreen editions.
In 1998, when they released the Special Editions, they released both full and widescreen in VHS and widescreen in LD.
Re:I'll stick to my LaserDiscs....
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Nogami_Saeko
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· Score: 4, Informative
I did that myself - I wouldn't buy pirate DVDs, but I had no problem format-shifting them myself (and doing some cleanup) - LDs through a DV transcoder into the computer, some DVNR and pull the edges of the letterbox down to pure black so as to not waste bits in MPG encoding, pulldown to 24frame progressive, multipass encoding, then some subtitling for the aliens talking.
That said, although the video looks good, it would certainly benefit from a digital-surround mix...
Hmm... Wonder about extracting the new remastered audio from the DVD release and re-editing it to match the older visuals, then recombine it. May be worth a shot:)
N.
-- "Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence." - Charles de Gaulle
Re:Anonymous Coward.
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TheShadowHawk
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· Score: 3, Funny
TheShadowHawk:P
-- Friends don't let Friends use Internet Explorer.
Sorry people
by
Neo-Rio-101
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· Score: 5, Informative
If you RTFA, you see this:-
The controversy. The versions of Lucas' beloved films that are on these new DVDs are not the original theatrical releases but the special editions that played in theaters in 1997. Rumor have circulated about additional changes, but Ward would not deny or confirm them. "We want to encourage our fans to check them out themselves."
Dr Pepper hurts like christ when it's expelled from the nostrils.
To point out the obvious (not a conspiracy theory)
by
kamapuaa
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· Score: 5, Interesting
George Lucas is about making money, not about establishing or preserving legacies or whatever. I just have to believe that he'll release these DVDs, claim they're the only official release ever, and wait for every nerd to buy them, even though they grumble about it being the revised version.
Only then, after the DVD saled have slowed down, will he decide to relent, release the original movies on DVD, and snap up the profits from nerds re-purchasing the DVDs of the original movie.
Kind of the inverse of Lord of the Rings DVD strategy - Lucas realizes if he releases the original versions first, nobody will buy the revised versions later.
-- Slashdot: providing anti-social weirdos a soapbox, since 1997.
Why can't Lucas take a hint from the LOTR series and release the 13-DVD super-duper box set with 35 variations of each film including the original versions and his new screwed up versions? Charge people eleventy-seven dollars or whatever... just give people what they want.... not what he thinks they should have.
Ooh, heres another million... selling out, selling out, cashing in, nother million.
Money. Money, money.
Is anyone still watching this? suckers.
-George Lucas
Always Check
by
buckhead_buddy
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· Score: 2, Interesting
I've noticed two types of DVD producers. Those who talk about the extended / enhanced super versions and those who do not.
My rule of thumb is that if a producer is side-stepping the question about producing an enhanced version that they are trying to get you to buy the first "sucker" version.
If they are against modifying the movie, they'll usually proclaim that they'll NEVER have an altered version available loud and clear.
If their production schedule for the enhanced version means that the two versions will be released separately, the honest producers will usually give two deadlines, but you've got to do your homework and check this out for yourself. Retail stores don't like to point out "This isn't the DVD you're probably looking for."
Fore example, I haven't seen "The Passion of the Christ" yet, may rent it, but I may buy it and if it's rubbish give it away for Christmas. But I notice it's being produced in all sorts of unenhanced versions (widescreen, normal, Church 50-packs, etc). Only rumors are circulating about a possible enhanced release. Personally, I'll wait for "The Passion of the Christ - Second Coming!" rather than sweep up the version available at the end of August.
In the extended, enhanced version of "Passion" Jesus actually tries to crucify the Romans first.
Wake me up when they put the ORIGINALs on DVD
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neurojab
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· Score: 3, Interesting
An open letter to George Lucas.
Dear George,
The nostalgic value for DVD collectors of these movies is very high, but your changes destroy that value. No one who loved the movies in the 70s and 80s wants the "special edition" release, or the changes you have made since. The changes make them new movies, lesser versions of their former selves, they certainly are not the same movies I enjoyed in my youth. One of the great things about Star Wars was the amazing effect work that was very groundbreaking using the technology of the day. Updating the films with new technology destroys that accomplishment.
I will not buy Star Wars (again) until the original, unmodified movie is on DVD. Likewise for Empire.
Thank you. -an 80's Star Wars fan in your target market.
Re:Wake me up when they put the ORIGINALs on DVD
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daVinci1980
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· Score: 4, Funny
Dear 80's Star Wars fan in my target market,
Actually, I'm willing to be that you will purchase this version when it comes out. You'll open up the shiny plastic and you'll curse my name for not releasing the "pure" movies. It is possible that you will resist this boxed set, but fortunately for me you have friends and relatives who remember how much you love Star Wars, and *certainly* one or more of them will purchase this collection for you. Either way, your money will already be mine, and I won't really care. I'll be laughing all the way to the bank in one of my 30 new Ferraris.
However, I will let you in on a little secret. Ever since DVD came around as a format, I've been saying that I didn't feel DVD was an appropriate format for the Star Wars franchise. I didn't think the betamax sales had fallen off enough to cannibalize my own market share. However, I've clearly changed views on that, and it is therefore likely that at *some* point in the future, I will release the super-duper-ultra-elite-Star-Wars-Final-absolutely -no-kidding-this-time Edition. Which will actually just be the original theater version.
I hope this tidbit holds you over.
The master of your wallet,
George Lucas
--
I currently have no clever signature witicism to add here.
Re:Wake me up when they put the ORIGINALs on DVD
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neurojab
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· Score: 2, Funny
>fortunately for me you have friends and relatives who remember how much you love Star Wars, and *certainly* one or more of them will purchase this collection for you. Either way, your money will already be mine
No, that's not true. That's impossible! NO!!!!!
Just be thankful...
by
Chordonblue
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· Score: 4, Funny
...They didn't replace the original Anakin with Jar-Jar!
(The HORROR!)
-- "...Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam..."
Re:Some of the changes (possible spoilers)
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wass
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· Score: 5, Funny
Isn't he also changing the name to 'The Gathering Shadow' and making the following the scrolling introduction:
It is a time of uncertainty. The empire's ambiguous tariff statutes mandate close reexamination of galactic import quotas. Interim Princess Agoomba has co-chaired a subcommittee to draft amendments to existing trade policies
Meanwhile, regulatory agencies are being heavily lobbied by a consortium of mercantile interest groups and their suppliers to streamline loading restrictions for class C cargo vessels. The shipping...
anti-democratic...
by
Cryptnotic
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· Score: 3, Insightful
Is that like the weird word that Amidala is from where Queens are elected and Senators are appointed?
-- My other first post is car post.
Re:Some of the changes (possible spoilers)
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Waffle+Iron
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· Score: 5, Funny
If they were offering the original movies on DVD, I'd jump at it. I don't know how I feel about this revisionist version, but it leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth.
I have altered the film. Pray I don't alter it any further.
-GL
DCMA and copyright to the rescue
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gordo3000
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· Score: 2, Interesting
I cannot find it now, but I remember reading that if a work is no longer made available in todays standards then it looses its protection against copyright. This might have only been high tech, I`m not even very sure of it,but I think it compares to coming out with a song on record adn now since you won`t release on cd, no one can listen. So you lose copyright.
If this istrue,I wonder if it would mean the original theatrical releases now fall under this because lucas refuses to release them.
I`m not sure adn definitely not a lawyer, but any takers as to the truth of this???
They changed it? you mean
by
commodoresloat
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· Score: 5, Insightful
"These aren't the DVDs you're looking for."
Is it the "Coke Classic" ploy?
by
NotQuiteReal
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· Score: 3, Funny
1) Sell the [slightly?] altererd DVD versions to those who just have to have them.
2) Profit!
1b) Then wait a bit and [re]-sell the "original" version to purists who have to have that.
2b) Profit!
Wow, you don't even need the usual 3 steps.
-- This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.
Actually, I did the exact same thing when I saw someone's remark about "Alderaan shooting first". Dunno why, but since these comments are chock full of star wars puns I didn't expect to be amused, but hey, I guess the soda stains on my monitor don't lie:)
Re:hopefulness
by
Jugalator
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· Score: 5, Informative
Or the part where Luke shouts "Carrie!" instead of "Leia!" at the end of Ep IV. Fun stuff like that should definitely be left in.
From IMDb...
Incorrectly regarded as goofs: It is frequently claimed that upon returning to the Rebel base after destroying the Death Star, Luke exclaims, "Carrie!" when he hears Leia (Carrie Fisher) call "Luke!" Sound designer Ben Burtt has confirmed that, after extensive listening, it appears to be "Hey" or "Yay"; 'Mark Hamill' reports that he said, "Hey! There she is!" but mumbled the last word.
-- Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
'Star Wars - Interactive' - God help us...
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Chordonblue
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· Score: 4, Insightful
Be careful what you wish for - I envision the future this way:
***Yo, Yo, Yo!!!*** - Check It! It's 'Star Wars Interactive' comin' to you on Supa Blu-Ray!
- See the original blocky transparencies around Tie Fighters and X-Wings! (Some of you out there really want that, huh?)
- Replace Greedo with Jar-Jar and make Han shoot first again! And again. And again!
- See the original Irish guy who played the part of Jabba the Hutt and put him in Episode Six!
- Give Boba Fett some extra rocket fuel so he can escape his fate!
Seriously, you know this sort of thing is coming eventually. So is all this panic about original versions a case of purity or old-tyme familiarity for us old farts? Believe me, it's hard to see some of this stuff happening to the films I grew up with (I was 12 when I saw Star Wars), but is the fact that Greedo shot first going to change the entire demeanor of the film?
Maybe it's a question of relevancy. As time goes on, you can expect more of this sort of thing to happen to films like it has with music.
Example: Look at Rap. Rap recycles old music into newer stuff. Should that be outlawed too?
-- "...Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam..."
Re:'Star Wars - Interactive' - God help us...
by
Edgebound
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· Score: 2, Insightful
Example: Look at Rap. Rap recycles old music into newer stuff. Should that be outlawed too?
The difference is that the old music is still available, and it's available in the 'new' CD format too! In this case, Lucas has decreed "You may only purchase the rap version on CD. If you like the original, well, try to find it on LP or something. I don't care"
Re:Some of the changes (possible spoilers)
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Elwood+P+Dowd
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· Score: 4, Funny
Greedo shooting first for example.
And taking out the best songs.
--
There are no trails. There are no trees out here.
Lyrics to theme song announced
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smclean
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· Score: 2, Funny
I just got a special pre-release of the DVDs, and Lucas has added lyrics to the beloved Star Wars theme song!
I've heard that they could POSSIBLY CHANGE the order of the camera crew listing on the end credits. Mostly unacceptable!!!
--
Your head a splode
Release dates not new
by
motivator_bob
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· Score: 2, Insightful
These have been advertised (here in Oz at least) for a while now. Link shows box/cover art.
mb.
Re:To point out the obvious (not a conspiracy theo
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Sancho
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· Score: 2, Insightful
Believe it or not, there are a LOT of people who would buy the special editions because "they're the special editions!" Most of the sheeple believe marketing hype and I bet even a few of them like the changes. I'd even bet even money that the purists are in the minority; they're just in the majority here because of the demographic.
Lucas-Crap(TM)
by
Udo+Schmitz
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· Score: 2, Insightful
George originally planned to replace with a stop motion Hut.
Just another example of George-Lucas-revisionist-history. If they wanted to replace the fat guy with a puppet in 1976/1977 they would have had to do the scene with greenscreen or rear projection. In that time there would have been absolutely no way to replace that actor. (With all the interacting with and walking behind Harrison Ford) And why on earth would there be need for the fur costume?
No, that guy was planned as Jabba. Time constraints called for cuts and a Jabba that doesn't show up is somewhat more sinister anyway. Hitchcock taugzt us that what isn't shown in movies can be the most menacing.
Why do people still buy Georges crap? (No, I'm not talking about the DVDs)
Re:Lucas-Crap(TM)
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Anthony+Boyd
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· Score: 2, Informative
If they wanted to replace the fat guy with a puppet in 1976/1977 they would have had to do the scene with greenscreen or rear projection.
Huh? No they wouldn't. They would film the stop-motion Hut with greenscreen, then superimpose that on top of the furry guy.
How hard would it be...
by
multiplexo
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· Score: 4, Interesting
To get LaserDiscs of the original movies before George started fucking around with them and remaster them onto DVDs and then distribute them underground? I have no desire to see the new and improved _Star Wars_ and it just shows how unoriginal Lucas is, he can't come up with anything new so he just reedits _Star Wars_ and re-releases it every time he needs a few more bux (just like the way Francis Ford Coppola) keeps re-editing _Apocalypse Now_ and adding new footage.
I'd be willing to bet that with decent equipment you could make a pretty good transfer from a LaserDisc and while it might not have the resolution or sound of the new versions it would retain all of the stuff that made the original movies so great.
-- cheap labor conservatives - they want to keep you hungry enough to be thankful for minimum wage.
Re:How hard would it be...
by
jayteedee
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· Score: 2, Informative
I have the Laserdiscs for ANH and ESB. The LD's were pretty good for the day, but they have a lot of the old movie artifacts which I find slightly annoying to watch. You see some film scratches and you see the "double dots" which appear in the upper right corner, which for you young-uns was used to switch from one film reel to the next during presentations in a theater. The new versions of the VHS competed with the LD quality just because of the clean-up work they did. Don't get me wrong, LD can compete and exceed the DVD quality, but more often than not, the original film (used many times) or the transfer process makes the difference in the final LD quality (or DVD for that matter). It seems to be only in the last 8 years that the majority of film production has concentrated on making a good transfer to VHS, DVD, or LD. Before that, you got what you got unless you paid through some orifice for the "Criterion Collection" (or some other "richly titled" equivalent).
I think the best approach would be to rent the new DVD's when they come out and use the existing tools (DVD Shrink, Ifoedit, VOBedit and VideoReDo) to take the movies and simply remove the offending junk and burn to a new set of DVD blanks. Simple and effective, but you'll end up with better quality in the end. VideoReDo does a real good job with cutting the video and sound rather seamlessly if you run a few trials 1st since the actual "cut" location floats a little, but with trial and error you can get it basically perfectly.
I was once going to transfer all my LD's to DVD, but once DVD Shrink came out I found it far-far-far-far easier to rent the DVD (libraries, WalMart, etc) and copy to disk in less than 30 minutes than to do all the record, crop, compress, tweak, compress again (10-20 hours total although a lot of that is computer time). I did do this route for transfering my old 8mm videotapes to digital and that QUICKLY cured me from attempting the LD to digital route. But if you've got the time.....
-- Religion and science are both 90% crap..but that doesn't negate the other 10%.
I haven't seen anyone mention this yet.
by
cheetah
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· Score: 5, Informative
But there is a longtime petition site to get the original movies put on Dvd. http://www.originaltrilogy.com/ Check it out...
Absolutely correct; however...
by
Stealth+Potato
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· Score: 5, Insightful
the theory is that when a jedi dies he comes back in his purest form
Which is exactly what would make the appearance of an 'old' Anakin in ghostly form all the more poignant. If the whole series is indeed the story of Anakin Skywalker, then is not the very consummation at the point where Darth Vader is finally turned by love for his son? Indeed, it is only then, and never before, that Anakin could truly be said to be pure; it was his final redemption before his death - his son saved him.
> Blah, when will Lucas get it, we want the origional damn films as shown in theaters, not his revisionist history with all the damn modern FX. Jeezus if South Park is making fun of you you know you are doing something wrong.
Due to word-wrapping in my browser I read that as -
not his revisionist history with all the damn modern FX Jeezus.
Sadly, I was wondering which scene he inserted Jesus into rather than marvelling that he would stoop to it.
Perhaps it's because I'm too young to have seen the original movies in theater, but I *like* the newer versions. They have a couple of extra scenes, and they look better. More, better looking Star wars can't be a bad thing? I also think they make some scenes feel more alive, with more people in the background and so on.
There, now you can go ahead and mod me down.
-- Martin
Re:I don't mind
by
cranos
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· Score: 3, Insightful
I'm sorry but part of the charm of the originals was the fact the special effects were amazing without the use of CG.
The newer bits just clashed something chronic with the original, hell they couldn't even get Jabba's size right between A New Hope and Return of The Jedi.
Re:Some of the changes (possible spoilers)
by
DarkHelmet
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· Score: 5, Funny
I think George Lucas sees Star Wars as a mock autobiography of his life, with himself playing Darth Vader. At first, he used to be on the good side of the force. But then he became corrupt with the evils of money, and became more a machine now, twisted and evil.
-- /^[A-Z0-9._%+-]+@[A-Z0-9.-]+\.[A-Z]{2,4}$/i
StarWars.com News Releases
by
crashnbur
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· Score: 2, Informative
Episode III Behind the Scenes Preview: The Return of Darth Vader
The Birth of the Lightsaber The Characters of Star Wars The Force Is With Them: The Legacy of Star Wars Star Wars Battlefront Trailer and Playable Demo Star Wars: Episode III Making the Game Preview Original Trailers and TV Spots Never-Before-Seen Production Gallery Original Posters and Print Campaigns
Re:StarWars.com News Releases
by
shadowmatter
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· Score: 4, Funny
The Birth of the Lightsaber
Heaven forbid that thing turn on while still in the womb.
- sm
the futility of protest
by
gad_zuki!
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· Score: 5, Funny
I really hope DVDs/SVCDs of the laserdisc version get pushed on popular bittorrent and p2p networks the day this comes out. I'd love to read news articles and talking heads on the news trying to figure this out.
*two local tv anchors on location at a suncoast DVD retailer observing the long line*
"Well Jane, it seems this is one of the most pirated movies in history."
"Yes Tom, the online world has never been shy about co-opting releases."
"True, except they're pirating the version sold in the 80s from something called a 'laserdisc.'"
*confusion ensues as a pasty skined geek grabs Jane's mic*
Fan: "Greedo does NOT shoot first!!!"
*security hauls the fan away*
"What was that about?"
"No idea. What's a greedo? *pause* Don't worry folks he's getting the help he needs."
*back on Skywalker Ranch*
Fan has eyes clipped open while a projector plays the Greedo scene endlessly before him and a small crowd tied to their chairs in a small theater. A tear run downs his cheek as he quietly, in unison with the rest, whispers, "Greedo shoots first. Greedo shoots first. Greedo shoots first."
Deleted scene on DVD
by
FryGuy1013
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· Score: 2, Funny
http://www.limpfish.com/starwars/
Sorry, I couldn't resist posting this. Mod me down if you want.
-- bananas like monkeys.
Re:Deleted scene on DVD
by
FryGuy1013
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· Score: 2, Funny
Whoops that's the wrong deleted scene. This is the one I meant:
having a disco at the end of RoTJ unfortunately won't be erased from living memory on the new DVD...
-- "It's not your information. It's information about you"
- John Ford, Vice President, Equifax
Re:Some of the changes (possible spoilers)
by
Zork+the+Almighty
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· Score: 4, Funny
I can only pray that the real George Lucas is dead and has been spinning in his grave for a decade now.
--
In Soviet America the banks rob you!
Re:Some of the changes (possible spoilers)
by
TomServo
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· Score: 5, Insightful
I enjoyed the star wars films, and while I'm not a huge star wars fan, I was most likely going to pick these up.
Then I read the same bit you quoted.
That's crap. They're complaining in the article that they're not the highest forecasted sellers for this holiday season because it's $70, and blaming it on that. Maybe it has something to do with:
a) not releasing the original versions, the ones that everyone really wants to see and b) telling them to pay $70, yet refusing to tell them what they're actually getting, so they can "check them out for themselves."
When I buy a DVD, I damn well want to know what I'm getting. Extras are beyond that, but I want to know that the movie I'm buying is the movie that I've seen previously and enjoyed.
LotR is one thing. They have additional scenes on the super fancy-pants versions. But they don't go changing the scenes you've already watched. LotR gave extras that we hadn't seen, ones that we can skip easily with the remote if we decide we don't like them, or even purchase the version that's identical to the theatrical release. With this, we STILL can't buy the theatrical release, and we don't even know if they're changing what we saw in the re-release. That's absolutely ridiculous.
However, given the way that LucasFilm has treated its fans, give it 3-4 years. We'll have the originals, untouched, on DVD, as a super special bonus edition at $90 just to bleed a little more out of those that bought this set. It makes me sad, I remember loving these movies as a kid. However, as a principle, I feel like buying any of these versions now gives LucasFilm validation to fuck with me and take every possible dollar they can out of my wallet. Screw 'em. I like the movies a lot, but they're not my favorites.
I'll miss 'em, but they're not good enough to bend over for.
Re:Some of the changes (possible spoilers)
by
BlackHawk-666
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· Score: 4, Funny
Look for the extra scenes where they have digitally inserted Jar Jar Binks in. Plus, Jar Jar does a stand up comedy routine in the bar scene in Star Wars;->
-- All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.
Laserdisc is indeed analogue (at least the picture is analogue - its got either PCM, Dolby Digital or full-bitrade DTS sound, depending on title). Doesn't mean that its in any way bad, though; it took DVD a good year or two to substantially beat LD for image quality.
-- A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government. -edward abbey
Darth Lucas quote
by
CaptainCarrot
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· Score: 4, Funny
"I find your lack of cash disturbing..."
-- And the brethren went away edified.
Every DVD preorder has fed the monster...
by
vudufixit
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· Score: 2, Interesting
We can sign all of the petitions we want. We blew our chances at obtaining unaltered versions when we preordered the trilogy by the millions. We all fed the monster...
... If George Lucas would've learned something from his good friend Steven Spielberg. Make movies, don't muck around with your old ones (well, muck around as little as possible, I'm aware of the E.T. walkie talkies. Something tells me Spielberg didn't put in a fraction of the effort coming up with that.) Do something new every now and then. Take your skills and knowledge and try and tell a good story, maybe even break away from science fiction a bit. I know he had it in him at one point, American Graffiti's a great movie.
But I guess Lucas isn't a director at heart. If he was, he would've directed Empire and Return. He likes his special effects and he's good at them-- the last two movies felt more like advertisements for Industrial Light and Magic than labors of love.
Though to his credit, the Star Wars video games have generally been great... Fun, well-made, darker and more true to the promise of Star Wars than any of the movie's sequels have been.
(No, I didn't call it "Episode IV" or "A New Hope." I still call the first one Star Wars. The eight-year-old me would've wanted it that way.)
Re:Some of the changes (possible spoilers)
by
cafard
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· Score: 3, Insightful
b) telling them to pay $70, yet refusing to tell them what they're actually getting, so they can "check them out for themselves."
When I buy a DVD, I damn well want to know what I'm getting.
Is this *such* a big deal? 24h after the release of the box, reviews are going to pop-up on every web site, including/.
I can understand not liking the non-release of the originals, but complaining about the fact that the content of the box is not yet known is not such an issue. Unless of course you can't wait 24/48h after the initial release, which usually means maximum price tag.
Personnaly, after the years waiting for those movies on dvd, i'll survive long enough for *at least* read reviews...
-- This post is awesome.
Less true than you think
by
tod_miller
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· Score: 4, Funny
Star wars is fictional, there is no 'dark side'.
Anakin is a fictional character...
If George had strayed to the dark side, you would be floating in mid air clutching your throat:-)
Saddest part about the whole thing:
by
dioscaido
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· Score: 3, Interesting
That even with all the caveats about the changes, most people will buy the DVDs. Giving Lucas another $1 billion dollar smash hit, and further shielding him from the truth that most fans, while they consume his movies faithfully, hate them nonetheless.
Shadows of "Definitve Collection " LD Set
by
ThatbookwritingWheel
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· Score: 2, Interesting
Anyone remember the "Definitve Collection" Laserdisc set they put out in the mid 90s. 9 Discs CAV with lots of additional material. Those were the the Special Edition remastered versions WITHOUT the shitty new stuff. I remember being quite irate that they came out with the SE versions (after shelling out 500 Deutschmarks at that time for the LD set) now I'm happy I kept them.
-- We are all packets in the Internet of life!
Re:Some of the changes (possible spoilers)
by
ideonode
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· Score: 4, Interesting
Lucas's revisionist history really does bother me as a geek.
Here's an interesting question for you. Tolkien published The Hobbit in 1937. When he was writing The Lord of the Rings, he realised that the 'Riddles in the Dark' chapter that he had originally written didn't really fit in with the whole ring mythos of LotR (basically, in the original, Gollum simply gives Bilbo the ring after the riddle contest is won - but of course, we know that there's no way that the ring-consumed Smeagol would have simply handed it over because he couldn't guess a riddle). My question to you is, is that ok? Is that any more or less wrong than Lucas' revisionism?
I think it's a tricky issue. Tolkien alludes to his re-write in the LotR (Bilbo occassionally mentions how he changed his story - cf. 'The Council of Elrond'), whereas Lucas tends to simply re-write the story and erase the previous versions.
Still, I think it asks interesting questions as to whether authorial control can ever be retained once the original text is out in the wilderness.
My George Lucas moment
by
sdo1
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· Score: 5, Funny
My four year old gave me a piece of artwork, which was a mess, but great (if you have kids, you'd understand). But the next day he wanted to take it back to make some changes and additions. I accused him of being like George Lucas. He cried.
Does that make me a bad parent?
-S
-- ---
What parts of "shall make no law", "shall not be infringed", and "shall not be violated" don't you understand?
Re:My George Lucas moment
by
EmagGeek
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· Score: 5, Funny
No, it means you have one really smart kid, who, at the ripe age of 4, can already make the connection that to be associated with George Lucas in any way is a Bad Thing(TM).
Re:Some of the changes (possible spoilers)
by
JET+666
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· Score: 2, Informative
you can still buy the cinema/VHS release on dvd(and it is cheaper)
-- De sig boss de sig
Starwars, the Original Trilogy, Version 3
by
EmagGeek
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· Score: 3, Funny
In version 3 of TOT, not only does Han not shoot first, but greedo is arrested by the department of homeland security for no goddamn reason whatsoever. After 45 years of litigation, he is found guilty of making terroristic threats, but the decision is overturned by the ninth circus court of appeals on grounds that his trial was unfair because he's green. After seeing this news on intergalactic TV, Han escapes from his retirement home, finds greedo, and finally shoots him dead with the only weapon remaining in the universe that can still be taken on space vessels - strained peas!
Re:Some of the changes (possible spoilers)
by
CrazyTalk
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· Score: 4, Interesting
OK, your mention of Jabba in ANH gives me a chance to rant a bit - he shouldn't be in that movie at all. Period. (In my mind, this is worse than the famous Han-shoots-first controversy). Having grown up watching the original movies, having Jabba be this unseen, mysterious figure added to the interest and suspense in the sequels. In ROTJ when he was finally revealed, that was a defining moment in the movies. Showing what he looks like up front in the "first" movie just ruins the ending! Of course, by now everyone on the planet with any remote interest at all knows what Jabba the Hut is and what he looks like, but in my mind his presence early on does nothing but hurt the story.
Re:Some of the changes (possible spoilers)
by
AndyChrist
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· Score: 4, Funny
Jabba didn't look so bad in stills. It was the way the skin moved which ruined the effect. That and the jarring compositing.
The only special edition which was an improvement was Empire.
Other additions in this version:
More Ewoks: An ewok shoots Darth Vader's tie fighter at the end of A New Hope, gives a thumbs-up.
Ewoks kill the wompa in the cave with spears and rocks and a stolen imperial walker, then dance around Luke singing "Yubba Nubba Cubba Chubba."
The Emperor's guard are replaced by ewoks in red capes.
Re:Some of the changes (possible spoilers)
by
Class+Act+Dynamo
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· Score: 2, Interesting
I wonder if Mr. Lucas makes these unnecesary changes only to create rumbling among the hardcore Star Wars afficionados. Perhaps he subscribes to the whole "there is no such thing as bad publicity". I wonder how many people are gonna buy these DVD's just in order to study them and find every inconsistency. I'm not saying I agree with the changes. They suck. Only that maybe Mr. Lucas has some bizarre plan, evil mastermind that he is.
-- My other computer is a Jacquard loom.
Re:To point out the obvious (not a conspiracy theo
by
gilroy
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· Score: 2, Insightful
Blockquoth the poster:
If they'd changed it so that Han blew up the Death Star, or C3PO defeated Darth Vader, then that would be one thing, but these are utterly utterly trivial things
Ah, another person who believes that "plot" is the point of literature. Han shooting first is a big deal. It establishes his character: He's not the "nice one". He's dangerous. He's also possibly someone willing to sell out Luke, et al. (It's the same reason for mentioning the spice dump -- making clear that Han is not above breaking a contract and running.) Later, his decision to flee Yavin with his loot make perfect sense, because we've already established he's not the nice one. His eventual return is then a progression of the character, the start, so to speak, of his redemption.
Now, in the SE, we have that Han shoots only out of self-defense. He's morally "clean" -- and totally uninteresting. He's not a rough and real character; he's just some smirking wannabe who acts the tough guy. His flight from Yavin is now incongruous while his return is logical but uninteresting.
It's as much as mistake to think that only major plot points define a movie as it is to think that only Great Men define history...
I hear him saying "Paul is dead, miss him, miss him." But then that is from the White Laser Disk.
Re:Some of the changes (possible spoilers)
by
squiggleslash
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· Score: 4, Funny
My understanding is that Lucas has been fairly concerned about the criticism of the "Greedo shooting first" thing and has modified it quite a bit in the new DVD version. I took a sneak peek at the modified script.
Essentially, Greedo will take Solo at gun-point to a small room and torture Solo for about five minutes. At the end of this sequence, Solo is able to get an arm free and knocks over a rack of sharp pointy metal rods, which fall on Greedo knocking him out, but otherwise leaving him uninjured.
Solo then gets up, considers shooting Greedo, but then says "No, I cannot shoot you Greedo. That would be decending to the same depths as Jabba the Hutt. One day you will look back on this, on what you did today, and you will be filled with regret and remorse. When that day comes, consider it your punishment, for you will feel so much shame you will wish I had killed you."
With this, he puts back on his loin-cloth and round glasses, and hastily makes his way back to the Millenium Falcon.
-- You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
Re:Some of the changes (possible spoilers)
by
blackmonday
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· Score: 4, Funny
Settle down guys, we're all just gonna copy them off Netflix anyways. (Did I just say that out loud?)
Re:Some of the changes (possible spoilers)
by
kpgalligan
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· Score: 2, Insightful
I think all the changes are horrible. I hated them when they came out, I hate them now. I know, I'm a religious weirdo for it. Shockingly enough, even though I'm on this site, and sending a flame about a special edition star wars release (while at work), I'm not a rabid nerd. Its just that watching the movies I can see every change, and I know its not supposed to be there. Its like a woman who's really not that old going in for major plastic surgery. Look babe, cheeks don't go there. At least not yours.
I'd probably pay $150+ for a high quality version of the originals. I wouldn't take the remakes as a gift. I have the first 3 on vhs, and I plan to pick up a decent vcr and try to pull them off and make my own (crappy quality, I know) dvd's, and that'll be it till GL wakes up.
Asshole has to realize that his movie is part of the world now. He gets paid for it, but its not "his" anymore.
Re:Some of the changes (possible spoilers)
by
Pope
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· Score: 4, Insightful
As mentioned above, there are 2 versions of each LOTR movie on DVD: the extended version and the regular. Rent/buy the regular versions, and you have what was in the cinema. I can't see what you're whining about.
-- It doesn't mean much now, it's built for the future.
Sure there is. The originals are supposed to go into the public domain within a "limited time".
The fact that there may be situations where a given work is "lost" just goes to show just how badly broken the current copyright system is.
-- A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
Does it really matter?
by
jvj24601
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· Score: 2, Insightful
I was 6 years old when I saw Episode IV in the theatre. I grew up with Star Wars action figures (and lego) as my favorite toys, and I yelled at my parents when they gave away those toys while I was away at school. Episode IV goes down as one of my favorite movies of all time. Not because it was the best of them, but because as the first, it inspired my imagination. It made me think about outer space, about being an astronaut. It started me on the path of being interested in space, then science, then eventually computers.
I collected some of the comic books, and I've read a few of the novels. I've seen every SW movie in the theatre, and rent them when they come out on VHS/LD/DVD.
But does it really bother me that GL changes them? It doesn't. Would I like to own the original theatrical release on DVD? Probably. But I don't feel that I am entitled to it, and if it's not available, then it's not available. Am I the only one who feels this way?
My son is nine years old. He's enjoyed watching all five films we've rented, but he's only seen the Special Edition of the first trilogy. I don't really care if he ever sees the original.
I mean, they are only films. Yes, they're an important part of the history of film, but it's not like the originals aren't available at all. It's not like we're never going to be able see the original versions ever again. It's not like the old versions are being recalled, or being destroyed (think 1984). It's not like we're being "duped" into buying these versions - everyone who cares to find out will be able to know exactly what's changed.
I guess I just don't understand all the venom being thrown about here. Maybe if it were me, if I were the creator of this universe, maybe I would be satisfied with my first pass. Maybe. But who knows? I've never produced anything of entertainment value that millions of people have seen. If I did, and I later had the means and the money to change them, would I? Perhaps.
But in the end, they were movies. Not just movies - they shaped a part of my childhood. But they were movies. And those experiences as a kid, those moments about dreaming of a future so different to the present, well, no amount of film editing is going to take those memories away.
Re:Some of the changes (possible spoilers)
by
Ubergrendle
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· Score: 3, Insightful
Completely different kettle of fish here.
First off, there is a very strong rationale for his changes. He documents them fully. It is not in the interests of marketing.
Second, the previous version is still availalbe in print. Some editions of The Hobbit include both chapters so that the reader can make the difference. There has been no active attempt to surpress or prevent the distribution of the original version.
Finally, I'd argue that a popular, visual, commercial medium that is available for a 20 year period because a culturally shared product. I fear that just like people are still trying to rebuild/recreate the original version of Metropolis (Fritz Lang) or The Magnificent Ambersons, down the road a high-resolution version of Star Wars/Empire/ROTJ won't be available and it will be lost to the ages.
Ultimately I find Lucas' and Speilberg's post-editing of their successes to be a sign of self-concious inferiority complexes. Its the equivalent to me of an aging movie star going through plastic surgery, to attempt to prolong their glory days or relive their past success.
-- John Maynard Keynes: "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do?"
Re:Some of the changes (possible spoilers)
by
rgarcia
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· Score: 2, Informative
Actually, that asian "release" is not official and is really a Laserdisc rip to DVD. That's why your version doesn't have the so-called enhancements Lucas put in; they were done after the Laserdisc release.
--
I couldn't fail to disagree with you less.
Re:Some of the changes (possible spoilers)
by
drinkypoo
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· Score: 2, Insightful
There will not be a rerelease of star wars with the correct han/greedo scene until Lucas dies because judging by his statements on the issue of post-edits he believes that they actually make the movies better. In other words he believes he can do no wrong.
-- "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Re:Some of the changes (possible spoilers)
by
ideonode
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· Score: 2, Interesting
First off, there is a very strong rationale for his changes. He documents them fully. It is not in the interests of marketing.
Playing devil's advocate here....
Does the intention behind the author's revision actually matter in this argument? You could argue that George Lucas made Greedo shoot first as subsequent character development suggests Han wouldn't have done so. I don't subscribe to that view myself, but it's possible. At the same time, Tolkien effectively changed the actions of a principal character as he realised that their behaviour didn't make sense when viewed through the lens of its sequels.
To answer your second point, getting hold of the original Hobbit is difficult - yes, there are parallel editions, but these were only really produced in the 1980s, and genuine firsts will set you back $50,000+. At the same time, Lucas didn't exactly supress the laserdisc trilogy did he? After the second edition of the Hobbit was published, there was no reprinting of the first edition. This is equivalent to their being no DVD of the original trilogy once the Special Edition was created.
So, no, not a different kettle of fish at all.
Re:Some of the changes (possible spoilers)
by
StalinsNotDead
·
· Score: 2, Funny
probably because the Hong Kong Triads don't realize that Americans want the originals.
Why doesn't someone send them an email?
-- Thanks to the internet, we can now all die alone together! -SomeWoman
Sure there is. The originals are supposed to go into the public domain within a "limited time".
Bull. The copyright to the originals goes into the public domain. Nothing says that the owner is required to retain a copy of the original and release it at any time. Passing into the public domain simply means that he can no longer sue anybody for making their own copies (or, much more importantly, derivative works).
The fact that there may be situations where a given work is "lost" just goes to show just how badly broken the current copyright system is.
Double bull. Most works are lost (no quotes) almost immediately, never getting a second printing/viewing/hearing long before copyright expires. And this is a good thing, because 90% of everthing is crud. Copyright is the right to copy, not the responsibility to copy.
Slashdot Mirror
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Oh wait...wrong forum. Nothing to see here...move along...
Thank-you Your fan base
Episode IV was incredible. I was blown away by it when it came out.
But by the time VI came out, it had a very Police Academy IV thing going on.
Let's hope Episode III is good..
You know you're a geek if you've ever replied to a tagline.
I'm waiting for the super-special-extended-ultra-remastered-digitally- enhanced mega super version box set of all 6 movies.
I hear that in this version Alderaan shoots first.
I'm actually going to wait this one out. I can't recall how many times the trilogy was released on VHS...and am not going to get taken like a sucker on this like I was with Fellowship of the Ring.
:)
Once the second release is out, then it'll be time to party. Probably when episode 3 is done and release and it's all in one pretty box.
// Agent Green (Ian / IU7 / KB1JQO)
// IEEE 802.3: All 10base Are Belong To Us
I tried to get a friend of mine to transfer his VHS version of the Star Wars trilogy over to DVD. Too bad you have to bootleg it in order to get the unadultered version of it.
Rumor have circulated about additional changes, but Ward would not deny or confirm them. "We want to encourage our fans to check them out themselves."
It was even more amazing when I heard it last year around this time.
"I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of geeks suddenly cried out in glee and were suddenly silenced."
Join the TWIT army now!
Lucas's revisionist history really does bother me as a geek. While I agree some of the added scenes do add to the movies, some of them are simply unacceptable. Greedo shooting first for example.
If they were offering the original movies on DVD, I'd jump at it. I don't know how I feel about this revisionist version, but it leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth.
'The staff in the hand of a wizard may be more than a prop for age,' -Hamá, the doorward
Come on! This article has been up for seven minutes, and nobody has answered the most important question:
Does Greedo shoot first???
Come on! You call yourselves geeks?
Big Lucas takes care of us.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Blah, when will Lucas get it, we want the origional damn films as shown in theaters, not his revisionist history with all the damn modern FX. Jeezus if South Park is making fun of you you know you are doing something wrong.
There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
Hang on? the younger Anakin in spirit form?
But he didn't die until the end of Ep VI. I figured your "jedi" spirit took the form of your body at the time of death?
Sheesh.. not unlike lucas to create some friggin' plot holes! :P
Friends don't let Friends use Internet Explorer.
In celluloid if at all possible!
Otherwise, DVD letterbox AS AIRED.
If you want to add changed scenes, outtakes, commentary, etc. fine, just make sure I can view it AS I SAW IT IN 1977 if I want to.
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Bel, the mostly sane.. "Of course I can't see anything! I'm standing on the shoulders of idiots." -- Me
If he does, I'm not buying them, period. I can't believe that they'd change what basically amounts to a massive character development over three movies, and rework it to crap. all because it's not nice for Han to shoot first. that was the WHOLE FREEKING point. ugh.
i hate people sometimes.
Isn't this like REALLY old news? What's new about this? It's not like they have anything we didn't already know! This was announced AGES ago.
0110100100100000011000010110110100100000011000100
What took so long?
George needed the extra time to think of new and horrible ways to re-edit our childhood. Good thing too, I hadn't quite had all my dreams shattered yet.
Here's to hoping this has something to do with Princess Leia in Jabba's Palace :)
-JT
I saw on some interview that the minor dialogue changes weren't even intentional; when they were remastering the film for 1997, they sometimes had to use different takes that hadn't deteriorated as much (or so they say). They claim they didn't even realise they had changed any of the dialogue until diehard fans started complaining... ^_~
~ Aero
EvilCabbage: Good thing too, I hadn't quite had all my dreams shattered yet.
Yoda: They will be. They will be.
Join the TWIT army now!
Jabba didn't meet up with Han before Han took off (and certainly not the significantly older looking version of Han that you see in this scene). Etc. Etc. Han did meet Jabba in the original cut, the scene was pulled from theatrical release though. Jabba was originally a dumpy irish fellow dressed in fur and leather.
If you're going to bitch about scene changes, at least have the facts my friend.
Uh... "the significantly older version of Han" was filmed with the original movie, and a stand-in (a fat guy wearing some sort of fur outfit, looked kinda like Cyrano Jones from The Trouble With Tribbles) for Jabba, that George originally planned to replace with a stop motion Hut.
When that plan didn't work out (didn't have the time/budget/tech to do it convincingly) they added the Greedo scene to pass on the same information about Han's difficulties with the local smugglar king, which is why the conversation with Jabba is essentially the same as the conversation with Greedo.
The only true way to see the original theatrical versions of the trilogy is to get the laserdiscs. Not only does it look and sound better than the VHS but If you get the right ones, they are widescreen, which no VHS copy of the "original theatrical" versions have to the best of my knowledge.
TheShadowHawk :P
Friends don't let Friends use Internet Explorer.
If you RTFA, you see this:-
The controversy. The versions of Lucas' beloved films that are on these new DVDs are not the original theatrical releases but the special editions that played in theaters in 1997. Rumor have circulated about additional changes, but Ward would not deny or confirm them. "We want to encourage our fans to check them out themselves."
READY.
PRINT ""+-0
Thanks a fucking lot.
Dr Pepper hurts like christ when it's expelled from the nostrils.
Only then, after the DVD saled have slowed down, will he decide to relent, release the original movies on DVD, and snap up the profits from nerds re-purchasing the DVDs of the original movie.
Kind of the inverse of Lord of the Rings DVD strategy - Lucas realizes if he releases the original versions first, nobody will buy the revised versions later.
Slashdot: providing anti-social weirdos a soapbox, since 1997.
Why can't Lucas take a hint from the LOTR series and release the 13-DVD super-duper box set with 35 variations of each film including the original versions and his new screwed up versions? Charge people eleventy-seven dollars or whatever ... just give people what they want .... not what he thinks they should have.
Heres a part where i rake in some money.
Ooh, heres another million... selling out, selling out, cashing in, nother million.
Money. Money, money.
Is anyone still watching this? suckers.
-George Lucas
I've noticed two types of DVD producers. Those who talk about the extended / enhanced super versions and those who do not.
My rule of thumb is that if a producer is side-stepping the question about producing an enhanced version that they are trying to get you to buy the first "sucker" version.
If they are against modifying the movie, they'll usually proclaim that they'll NEVER have an altered version available loud and clear.
If their production schedule for the enhanced version means that the two versions will be released separately, the honest producers will usually give two deadlines, but you've got to do your homework and check this out for yourself. Retail stores don't like to point out "This isn't the DVD you're probably looking for."
Fore example, I haven't seen "The Passion of the Christ" yet, may rent it, but I may buy it and if it's rubbish give it away for Christmas. But I notice it's being produced in all sorts of unenhanced versions (widescreen, normal, Church 50-packs, etc). Only rumors are circulating about a possible enhanced release. Personally, I'll wait for "The Passion of the Christ - Second Coming!" rather than sweep up the version available at the end of August.
An open letter to George Lucas.
Dear George,
The nostalgic value for DVD collectors of these movies is very high, but your changes destroy that value. No one who loved the movies in the 70s and 80s wants the "special edition" release, or the changes you have made since. The changes make them new movies, lesser versions of their former selves, they certainly are not the same movies I enjoyed in my youth. One of the great things about Star Wars was the amazing effect work that was very groundbreaking using the technology of the day. Updating the films with new technology destroys that accomplishment.
I will not buy Star Wars (again) until the original, unmodified movie is on DVD. Likewise for Empire.
Thank you.
-an 80's Star Wars fan in your target market.
...They didn't replace the original Anakin with Jar-Jar!
(The HORROR!)
"...Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam..."
Oh wait, director mixup, that was Randall Curtis.
make world, not war
Is that like the weird word that Amidala is from where Queens are elected and Senators are appointed?
My other first post is car post.
I have altered the film. Pray I don't alter it any further.
-GL
I cannot find it now, but I remember reading that if a work is no longer made available in todays standards then it looses its protection against copyright. This might have only been high tech, I`m not even very sure of it,but I think it compares to coming out with a song on record adn now since you won`t release on cd, no one can listen. So you lose copyright.
If this istrue,I wonder if it would mean the original theatrical releases now fall under this because lucas refuses to release them.
I`m not sure adn definitely not a lawyer, but any takers as to the truth of this???
"These aren't the DVDs you're looking for."
2) Profit!
1b) Then wait a bit and [re]-sell the "original" version to purists who have to have that.
2b) Profit!
Wow, you don't even need the usual 3 steps.
This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.
Then my job here is done :^)
:)
Actually, I did the exact same thing when I saw someone's remark about "Alderaan shooting first". Dunno why, but since these comments are chock full of star wars puns I didn't expect to be amused, but hey, I guess the soda stains on my monitor don't lie
Join the TWIT army now!
Or the part where Luke shouts "Carrie!" instead of "Leia!" at the end of Ep IV. Fun stuff like that should definitely be left in.
From IMDb...
Incorrectly regarded as goofs: It is frequently claimed that upon returning to the Rebel base after destroying the Death Star, Luke exclaims, "Carrie!" when he hears Leia (Carrie Fisher) call "Luke!" Sound designer Ben Burtt has confirmed that, after extensive listening, it appears to be "Hey" or "Yay"; 'Mark Hamill' reports that he said, "Hey! There she is!" but mumbled the last word.
Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
Be careful what you wish for - I envision the future this way:
***Yo, Yo, Yo!!!*** - Check It! It's 'Star Wars Interactive' comin' to you on Supa Blu-Ray!
- See the original blocky transparencies around Tie Fighters and X-Wings! (Some of you out there really want that, huh?)
- Replace Greedo with Jar-Jar and make Han shoot first again! And again. And again!
- See the original Irish guy who played the part of Jabba the Hutt and put him in Episode Six!
- Give Boba Fett some extra rocket fuel so he can escape his fate!
Seriously, you know this sort of thing is coming eventually. So is all this panic about original versions a case of purity or old-tyme familiarity for us old farts? Believe me, it's hard to see some of this stuff happening to the films I grew up with (I was 12 when I saw Star Wars), but is the fact that Greedo shot first going to change the entire demeanor of the film?
Maybe it's a question of relevancy. As time goes on, you can expect more of this sort of thing to happen to films like it has with music.
Example: Look at Rap. Rap recycles old music into newer stuff. Should that be outlawed too?
"...Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam..."
Greedo shooting first for example.
And taking out the best songs.
There are no trails. There are no trees out here.
Download the SPECIAL EDITION here!
"'Yrch!' said Legolas, falling into his own tongue."
I've heard that they could POSSIBLY CHANGE the order of the camera crew listing on the end credits.
Mostly unacceptable!!!
Your head a splode
These have been advertised (here in Oz at least) for a while now.
Link shows box/cover art.
mb.
Believe it or not, there are a LOT of people who would buy the special editions because "they're the special editions!" Most of the sheeple believe marketing hype and I bet even a few of them like the changes. I'd even bet even money that the purists are in the minority; they're just in the majority here because of the demographic.
Just another example of George-Lucas-revisionist-history. If they wanted to replace the fat guy with a puppet in 1976/1977 they would have had to do the scene with greenscreen or rear projection. In that time there would have been absolutely no way to replace that actor. (With all the interacting with and walking behind Harrison Ford) And why on earth would there be need for the fur costume?
No, that guy was planned as Jabba. Time constraints called for cuts and a Jabba that doesn't show up is somewhat more sinister anyway. Hitchcock taugzt us that what isn't shown in movies can be the most menacing.
Why do people still buy Georges crap? (No, I'm not talking about the DVDs)
I'd be willing to bet that with decent equipment you could make a pretty good transfer from a LaserDisc and while it might not have the resolution or sound of the new versions it would retain all of the stuff that made the original movies so great.
cheap labor conservatives - they want to keep you hungry enough to be thankful for minimum wage.
But there is a longtime petition site to get the original movies put on Dvd. http://www.originaltrilogy.com/ Check it out...
the theory is that when a jedi dies he comes back in his purest form
Which is exactly what would make the appearance of an 'old' Anakin in ghostly form all the more poignant. If the whole series is indeed the story of Anakin Skywalker, then is not the very consummation at the point where Darth Vader is finally turned by love for his son? Indeed, it is only then, and never before, that Anakin could truly be said to be pure; it was his final redemption before his death - his son saved him.
Sadly, I was wondering which scene he inserted Jesus into rather than marvelling that he would stoop to it.> Blah, when will Lucas get it, we want the origional damn films as shown in theaters, not his revisionist history with all the damn modern FX. Jeezus if South Park is making fun of you you know you are doing something wrong.
Due to word-wrapping in my browser I read that as -
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
Perhaps it's because I'm too young to have seen the original movies in theater, but I *like* the newer versions. They have a couple of extra scenes, and they look better. More, better looking Star wars can't be a bad thing? I also think they make some scenes feel more alive, with more people in the background and so on.
There, now you can go ahead and mod me down.
Martin
I think George Lucas sees Star Wars as a mock autobiography of his life, with himself playing Darth Vader. At first, he used to be on the good side of the force. But then he became corrupt with the evils of money, and became more a machine now, twisted and evil.
/^[A-Z0-9._%+-]+@[A-Z0-9.-]+\.[A-Z]{2,4}$/i
I really hope DVDs/SVCDs of the laserdisc version get pushed on popular bittorrent and p2p networks the day this comes out. I'd love to read news articles and talking heads on the news trying to figure this out.
*two local tv anchors on location at a suncoast DVD retailer observing the long line*
"Well Jane, it seems this is one of the most pirated movies in history."
"Yes Tom, the online world has never been shy about co-opting releases."
"True, except they're pirating the version sold in the 80s from something called a 'laserdisc.'"
*confusion ensues as a pasty skined geek grabs Jane's mic*
Fan: "Greedo does NOT shoot first!!!"
*security hauls the fan away*
"What was that about?"
"No idea. What's a greedo? *pause* Don't worry folks he's getting the help he needs."
*back on Skywalker Ranch*
Fan has eyes clipped open while a projector plays the Greedo scene endlessly before him and a small crowd tied to their chairs in a small theater. A tear run downs his cheek as he quietly, in unison with the rest, whispers, "Greedo shoots first. Greedo shoots first. Greedo shoots first."
http://www.limpfish.com/starwars/
Sorry, I couldn't resist posting this. Mod me down if you want.
bananas like monkeys.
having a disco at the end of RoTJ unfortunately won't be erased from living memory on the new DVD ...
"It's not your information. It's information about you" - John Ford, Vice President, Equifax
I can only pray that the real George Lucas is dead and has been spinning in his grave for a decade now.
In Soviet America the banks rob you!
I enjoyed the star wars films, and while I'm not a huge star wars fan, I was most likely going to pick these up.
Then I read the same bit you quoted.
That's crap. They're complaining in the article that they're not the highest forecasted sellers for this holiday season because it's $70, and blaming it on that. Maybe it has something to do with:
a) not releasing the original versions, the ones that everyone really wants to see and
b) telling them to pay $70, yet refusing to tell them what they're actually getting, so they can "check them out for themselves."
When I buy a DVD, I damn well want to know what I'm getting. Extras are beyond that, but I want to know that the movie I'm buying is the movie that I've seen previously and enjoyed.
LotR is one thing. They have additional scenes on the super fancy-pants versions. But they don't go changing the scenes you've already watched. LotR gave extras that we hadn't seen, ones that we can skip easily with the remote if we decide we don't like them, or even purchase the version that's identical to the theatrical release. With this, we STILL can't buy the theatrical release, and we don't even know if they're changing what we saw in the re-release. That's absolutely ridiculous.
However, given the way that LucasFilm has treated its fans, give it 3-4 years. We'll have the originals, untouched, on DVD, as a super special bonus edition at $90 just to bleed a little more out of those that bought this set. It makes me sad, I remember loving these movies as a kid. However, as a principle, I feel like buying any of these versions now gives LucasFilm validation to fuck with me and take every possible dollar they can out of my wallet. Screw 'em. I like the movies a lot, but they're not my favorites.
I'll miss 'em, but they're not good enough to bend over for.
Look for the extra scenes where they have digitally inserted Jar Jar Binks in. Plus, Jar Jar does a stand up comedy routine in the bar scene in Star Wars ;->
All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.
Laserdisc is indeed analogue (at least the picture is analogue - its got either PCM, Dolby Digital or full-bitrade DTS sound, depending on title). Doesn't mean that its in any way bad, though; it took DVD a good year or two to substantially beat LD for image quality.
"I Know You Are But What Am I?"
and now I just joined the beer-out-the-nose club!
A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government. -edward abbey
"I find your lack of cash disturbing..."
And the brethren went away edified.
We can sign all of the petitions we want. We blew our chances at obtaining unaltered versions when we preordered the trilogy by the millions. We all fed the monster...
... If George Lucas would've learned something from his good friend Steven Spielberg. Make movies, don't muck around with your old ones (well, muck around as little as possible, I'm aware of the E.T. walkie talkies. Something tells me Spielberg didn't put in a fraction of the effort coming up with that.) Do something new every now and then. Take your skills and knowledge and try and tell a good story, maybe even break away from science fiction a bit. I know he had it in him at one point, American Graffiti's a great movie.
But I guess Lucas isn't a director at heart. If he was, he would've directed Empire and Return. He likes his special effects and he's good at them-- the last two movies felt more like advertisements for Industrial Light and Magic than labors of love.
Though to his credit, the Star Wars video games have generally been great... Fun, well-made, darker and more true to the promise of Star Wars than any of the movie's sequels have been.
(No, I didn't call it "Episode IV" or "A New Hope." I still call the first one Star Wars. The eight-year-old me would've wanted it that way.)
b) telling them to pay $70, yet refusing to tell them what they're actually getting, so they can "check them out for themselves." When I buy a DVD, I damn well want to know what I'm getting.
/.
Is this *such* a big deal? 24h after the release of the box, reviews are going to pop-up on every web site, including
I can understand not liking the non-release of the originals, but complaining about the fact that the content of the box is not yet known is not such an issue. Unless of course you can't wait 24/48h after the initial release, which usually means maximum price tag.
Personnaly, after the years waiting for those movies on dvd, i'll survive long enough for *at least* read reviews...
This post is awesome.
Star wars is fictional, there is no 'dark side'.
:-)
Anakin is a fictional character...
If George had strayed to the dark side, you would be floating in mid air clutching your throat
I find your lack of faith disturbing.
#hostfile 0.0.0.0 primidi.com 0.0.0.0 www.primidi.com 0.0.0.0 radio.weblogs.com
That even with all the caveats about the changes, most people will buy the DVDs. Giving Lucas another $1 billion dollar smash hit, and further shielding him from the truth that most fans, while they consume his movies faithfully, hate them nonetheless.
Anyone remember the "Definitve Collection" Laserdisc set they put out in the mid 90s. 9 Discs CAV with lots of additional material. Those were the the Special Edition remastered versions WITHOUT the shitty new stuff. I remember being quite irate that they came out with the SE versions (after shelling out 500 Deutschmarks at that time for the LD set) now I'm happy I kept them.
We are all packets in the Internet of life!
Lucas's revisionist history really does bother me as a geek.
Here's an interesting question for you. Tolkien published The Hobbit in 1937. When he was writing The Lord of the Rings, he realised that the 'Riddles in the Dark' chapter that he had originally written didn't really fit in with the whole ring mythos of LotR (basically, in the original, Gollum simply gives Bilbo the ring after the riddle contest is won - but of course, we know that there's no way that the ring-consumed Smeagol would have simply handed it over because he couldn't guess a riddle). My question to you is, is that ok? Is that any more or less wrong than Lucas' revisionism?
I think it's a tricky issue. Tolkien alludes to his re-write in the LotR (Bilbo occassionally mentions how he changed his story - cf. 'The Council of Elrond'), whereas Lucas tends to simply re-write the story and erase the previous versions.
Still, I think it asks interesting questions as to whether authorial control can ever be retained once the original text is out in the wilderness.
My four year old gave me a piece of artwork, which was a mess, but great (if you have kids, you'd understand). But the next day he wanted to take it back to make some changes and additions. I accused him of being like George Lucas. He cried.
Does that make me a bad parent?
-S
--- What parts of "shall make no law", "shall not be infringed", and "shall not be violated" don't you understand?
you can still buy the cinema/VHS release on dvd(and it is cheaper)
De sig boss de sig
In version 3 of TOT, not only does Han not shoot first, but greedo is arrested by the department of homeland security for no goddamn reason whatsoever. After 45 years of litigation, he is found guilty of making terroristic threats, but the decision is overturned by the ninth circus court of appeals on grounds that his trial was unfair because he's green. After seeing this news on intergalactic TV, Han escapes from his retirement home, finds greedo, and finally shoots him dead with the only weapon remaining in the universe that can still be taken on space vessels - strained peas!
OK, your mention of Jabba in ANH gives me a chance to rant a bit - he shouldn't be in that movie at all. Period. (In my mind, this is worse than the famous Han-shoots-first controversy). Having grown up watching the original movies, having Jabba be this unseen, mysterious figure added to the interest and suspense in the sequels. In ROTJ when he was finally revealed, that was a defining moment in the movies. Showing what he looks like up front in the "first" movie just ruins the ending! Of course, by now everyone on the planet with any remote interest at all knows what Jabba the Hut is and what he looks like, but in my mind his presence early on does nothing but hurt the story.
Jabba didn't look so bad in stills. It was the way the skin moved which ruined the effect. That and the jarring compositing.
The only special edition which was an improvement was Empire.
Other additions in this version:
More Ewoks: An ewok shoots Darth Vader's tie fighter at the end of A New Hope, gives a thumbs-up.
Ewoks kill the wompa in the cave with spears and rocks and a stolen imperial walker, then dance around Luke singing "Yubba Nubba Cubba Chubba."
The Emperor's guard are replaced by ewoks in red capes.
I wonder if Mr. Lucas makes these unnecesary changes only to create rumbling among the hardcore Star Wars afficionados. Perhaps he subscribes to the whole "there is no such thing as bad publicity". I wonder how many people are gonna buy these DVD's just in order to study them and find every inconsistency. I'm not saying I agree with the changes. They suck. Only that maybe Mr. Lucas has some bizarre plan, evil mastermind that he is.
My other computer is a Jacquard loom.
Ah, another person who believes that "plot" is the point of literature. Han shooting first is a big deal. It establishes his character: He's not the "nice one". He's dangerous. He's also possibly someone willing to sell out Luke, et al. (It's the same reason for mentioning the spice dump -- making clear that Han is not above breaking a contract and running.) Later, his decision to flee Yavin with his loot make perfect sense, because we've already established he's not the nice one. His eventual return is then a progression of the character, the start, so to speak, of his redemption.
Now, in the SE, we have that Han shoots only out of self-defense. He's morally "clean" -- and totally uninteresting. He's not a rough and real character; he's just some smirking wannabe who acts the tough guy. His flight from Yavin is now incongruous while his return is logical but uninteresting.
It's as much as mistake to think that only major plot points define a movie as it is to think that only Great Men define history...
The Mongrel Dogs Who Teach
I hear him saying "Paul is dead, miss him, miss him." But then that is from the White Laser Disk.
Essentially, Greedo will take Solo at gun-point to a small room and torture Solo for about five minutes. At the end of this sequence, Solo is able to get an arm free and knocks over a rack of sharp pointy metal rods, which fall on Greedo knocking him out, but otherwise leaving him uninjured.
Solo then gets up, considers shooting Greedo, but then says "No, I cannot shoot you Greedo. That would be decending to the same depths as Jabba the Hutt. One day you will look back on this, on what you did today, and you will be filled with regret and remorse. When that day comes, consider it your punishment, for you will feel so much shame you will wish I had killed you."
With this, he puts back on his loin-cloth and round glasses, and hastily makes his way back to the Millenium Falcon.
You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
Settle down guys, we're all just gonna copy them off Netflix anyways. (Did I just say that out loud?)
I think all the changes are horrible. I hated them when they came out, I hate them now. I know, I'm a religious weirdo for it. Shockingly enough, even though I'm on this site, and sending a flame about a special edition star wars release (while at work), I'm not a rabid nerd. Its just that watching the movies I can see every change, and I know its not supposed to be there. Its like a woman who's really not that old going in for major plastic surgery. Look babe, cheeks don't go there. At least not yours.
I'd probably pay $150+ for a high quality version of the originals. I wouldn't take the remakes as a gift. I have the first 3 on vhs, and I plan to pick up a decent vcr and try to pull them off and make my own (crappy quality, I know) dvd's, and that'll be it till GL wakes up.
Asshole has to realize that his movie is part of the world now. He gets paid for it, but its not "his" anymore.
As mentioned above, there are 2 versions of each LOTR movie on DVD: the extended version and the regular. Rent/buy the regular versions, and you have what was in the cinema. I can't see what you're whining about.
It doesn't mean much now, it's built for the future.
Sure there is. The originals are supposed to go into the public domain within a "limited time".
The fact that there may be situations where a given work is "lost" just goes to show just how badly broken the current copyright system is.
A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
I was 6 years old when I saw Episode IV in the theatre. I grew up with Star Wars action figures (and lego) as my favorite toys, and I yelled at my parents when they gave away those toys while I was away at school. Episode IV goes down as one of my favorite movies of all time. Not because it was the best of them, but because as the first, it inspired my imagination. It made me think about outer space, about being an astronaut. It started me on the path of being interested in space, then science, then eventually computers.
I collected some of the comic books, and I've read a few of the novels. I've seen every SW movie in the theatre, and rent them when they come out on VHS/LD/DVD.
But does it really bother me that GL changes them? It doesn't. Would I like to own the original theatrical release on DVD? Probably. But I don't feel that I am entitled to it, and if it's not available, then it's not available. Am I the only one who feels this way?
My son is nine years old. He's enjoyed watching all five films we've rented, but he's only seen the Special Edition of the first trilogy. I don't really care if he ever sees the original.
I mean, they are only films. Yes, they're an important part of the history of film, but it's not like the originals aren't available at all. It's not like we're never going to be able see the original versions ever again. It's not like the old versions are being recalled, or being destroyed (think 1984). It's not like we're being "duped" into buying these versions - everyone who cares to find out will be able to know exactly what's changed.
I guess I just don't understand all the venom being thrown about here. Maybe if it were me, if I were the creator of this universe, maybe I would be satisfied with my first pass. Maybe. But who knows? I've never produced anything of entertainment value that millions of people have seen. If I did, and I later had the means and the money to change them, would I? Perhaps.
But in the end, they were movies. Not just movies - they shaped a part of my childhood. But they were movies. And those experiences as a kid, those moments about dreaming of a future so different to the present, well, no amount of film editing is going to take those memories away.
Completely different kettle of fish here.
First off, there is a very strong rationale for his changes. He documents them fully. It is not in the interests of marketing.
Second, the previous version is still availalbe in print. Some editions of The Hobbit include both chapters so that the reader can make the difference. There has been no active attempt to surpress or prevent the distribution of the original version.
Finally, I'd argue that a popular, visual, commercial medium that is available for a 20 year period because a culturally shared product. I fear that just like people are still trying to rebuild/recreate the original version of Metropolis (Fritz Lang) or The Magnificent Ambersons, down the road a high-resolution version of Star Wars/Empire/ROTJ won't be available and it will be lost to the ages.
Ultimately I find Lucas' and Speilberg's post-editing of their successes to be a sign of self-concious inferiority complexes. Its the equivalent to me of an aging movie star going through plastic surgery, to attempt to prolong their glory days or relive their past success.
John Maynard Keynes: "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do?"
Actually, that asian "release" is not official and is really a Laserdisc rip to DVD. That's why your version doesn't have the so-called enhancements Lucas put in; they were done after the Laserdisc release.
I couldn't fail to disagree with you less.
There will not be a rerelease of star wars with the correct han/greedo scene until Lucas dies because judging by his statements on the issue of post-edits he believes that they actually make the movies better. In other words he believes he can do no wrong.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
First off, there is a very strong rationale for his changes. He documents them fully. It is not in the interests of marketing.
Playing devil's advocate here....
Does the intention behind the author's revision actually matter in this argument? You could argue that George Lucas made Greedo shoot first as subsequent character development suggests Han wouldn't have done so. I don't subscribe to that view myself, but it's possible. At the same time, Tolkien effectively changed the actions of a principal character as he realised that their behaviour didn't make sense when viewed through the lens of its sequels.
To answer your second point, getting hold of the original Hobbit is difficult - yes, there are parallel editions, but these were only really produced in the 1980s, and genuine firsts will set you back $50,000+. At the same time, Lucas didn't exactly supress the laserdisc trilogy did he? After the second edition of the Hobbit was published, there was no reprinting of the first edition. This is equivalent to their being no DVD of the original trilogy once the Special Edition was created.
So, no, not a different kettle of fish at all.
probably because the Hong Kong Triads don't realize that Americans want the originals.
Why doesn't someone send them an email?
Thanks to the internet, we can now all die alone together! -SomeWoman
Bull. The copyright to the originals goes into the public domain. Nothing says that the owner is required to retain a copy of the original and release it at any time. Passing into the public domain simply means that he can no longer sue anybody for making their own copies (or, much more importantly, derivative works).
Double bull. Most works are lost (no quotes) almost immediately, never getting a second printing/viewing/hearing long before copyright expires. And this is a good thing, because 90% of everthing is crud. Copyright is the right to copy, not the responsibility to copy.