Slashdot Mirror
Star Wars DVD Box Set Released
dealsites writes "CNN reports that George Lucas is releasing the Star Wars DVD box set early on September 21, 2004 due to piracy concerns. Lucas had intended to release the box set of the original 3 movies after Episode III: Revenge of the Sith was released. However, he mentions that due to piracy concerns the profits are being eaten up and there might not be a market for the films at that time. The box set contains the changes that Lucas has made from the original releases. CNN also reports on the top 5 major changes. Lucas is quoted as saying that he never intends to re-release the original 3 movies in the first CNN link."
Yeah, the Star Wars franchise is really suffering due to piracy.
Versus, say, producing two completely crap prequels, oversaturating the tie-in market, and then not releasing the original versions that many people want to buy.
George Lucas doesn't need any more of your money, and this seems to be reflected by the decisions he has made as of late.
No Market? seriously now...there are 1,000,000,000 people foaming @ the mouth at the prospect of buying an "official" Star Wars Trilogy DVD Set....right?!?!
However, he mentions that due to piracy concerns the profits are being eaten up and there might not be a market for the films at that time
Yeah, and I'm sure that it has NOTHING to do with
1. The fact that everyone in the world who might want to buy copies of the Star Wars trilogy already owns it
2. The people who love the Star Wars trilogy enough they might buy new copies even though they already own it don't want anything with Lucas's stupid "digital enhancements" on them
It's becoming increasingly the case where ANYTIME anyone says ANYTHING about piracy, all this means is "we can't create a quality product people are willing to buy, and we're going to blame it on others". I mean, people have been talking about piracy for years, but at least at one time the people whining about so-called "piracy" were people whose products were actually being illegally traded online in some small quantity.
Hm, let's see here:
* Fans are screaming after the original, non-Special Edition version.
* Lucas admits he's never going to release the original version.
So, the only way to get the original trilogy, on a decent medium (VHS doesn't count, Laserdisc isn't an option for 99% of the people out there) is through... piracy?
Now, here comes the big irony:
* Lucas releases the Star Wars SE DVDs early, over fear for piracy concerns.
Way to go Lucas!
The majority of Slashdot readers seem to be pissed about the greatest trilogy of all-time being released on the most popular video format right now.
Yes I know it isn't the original trilogy. But the SE is damn close to being it. Some of Lucas' "improvements" are *gasp* actually improvements! Yes, I know it isn't what was originally released, but this is Lucas' story and he owns the rights, so he is allowed to tinker with it until he is satisfied.
When I watch the SE, I don't vomit, I don't cry, I don't think about some part of my childhood slipping away. The great parts of the movie are still there. Luke meeting Obi-wan, the sunset, meeting Han, saving Leia, Obi-wan vs. Vader, "I am your father", the final duel, etc. It is all there still, just like it was back in the day.
The movies still give me that chill during certain scenes, where they just touch some part inside that you never knew you had.
Yes it might not be the originals, but I'll take 99% of the original on DVD over nothing. Maybe if you don't agree you should go watch again with an open mind. Instead of saying "why the fuck did Lucas change this! It isn't the same!" ask yourself "there must be a good reason for this."
Now I am going to go watch my copy of the trilogy...on DVD!
There wouldn't be so many of us dedicating bittorrent bandwidth to sharing these if he'd just release the damn movies in their original theatrical release.
I personally had already waited years for the DVD release, and would have happily waited another year and just bought the damn thing. But I've bought the original series THREE TIMES already; on CED videodisc, then twice on VHS (the first one wore out), then I bought the "special edition" on VHS, which was good because it told me I didn't want to ever see THAT again.
All I want is an archival quality copy of the ORIGINAL movies. I would have paid for it even though I've already bought the damn movies 3+ times. But it's not for sale. I hate to call it pirating, it's just that I'm just not buying what Lucas is selling.
What the hell is it with that stupid scene!? In 5 years Lucas will make the Reloaded Edition where additional digitally spliced in Howard the duck, Indiana Jones and 20 identical Agent Smiths shoot up the entire cantina in slow-mo. WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE FRIGGIN ORIGINAL SCENE, IT WAS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!!!!
- Jedi Don't Scream
- Boba Fett has a new voice
- A new and improved Jabba
- The emperor's new clothes
- The big finale
Final Verdict: mainly positiveThis is a good, it sounded stupid. Kudos to Lucas for correcting a mistake
Again, not a bad for consistency.
Thank god, the SE scene looked incredible dumb. Hopefully they have also removed the Han walking over Jabba's tail bit with some creative editing. Actually, I wish that the whole scene was removed, or greatly shortened since Greedo basically repeats all the information to Han later on.
Fair enough, since we all know by now that Palpatine is the emperor (or do we...)
Everyone seems to be complaining about this, but I think it makes sense. The picture circulating on the net looks a bit stupid though, seeing Christensen smiling untouched at the end looks somehow wrong. He could at least look a bit guilty for wiping out the Jedi. Still the original wasn't much better.
sheep.horse - does not contain information on sheep or horses.
Look, it's well established that the first three movies are a classic. But some of the changes seem to bring the classic in line with the latest shovel-fed garbage. Redubbing Boba Fett's voice? Replacing the Anakin Skywalker ghost?
It's like taking Dracula (the original) and "updating" it so it's got smoother continuity with all of the cheesy vampire moves made over the years.
Guess what - there already is a break between the original trilogy and the 2/3 releases prequel trilogy. If you need to adjust to bring them in line, adjust the new junk to be in line with the classic, not the other way around!
Hopping mad,
=Blue(23)
LITTLE GIRL: But which cookie will you eat FIRST? C. MONSTER: Me think you have misconception of cookie-eating process.
This is not to say that piracy is good, but considering how the movie studios treat the customers, I don't feel bad for them one but. Maybe if the movie studio's treated me better I would have more sympathy for them (for example, quit with the half hour advertising before a movie). Oh, and my biggest DVD gripe, STOP WITH THE ADVERTISING THAT CAN'T BE SKIPPED.
BTW, in unreleated news, I was reading that movie studios will now accept advertising in movies. Like in "I, Robot" the studio recieved money for a shoe commercial (converse shoes, I think). What is next? I can just see some of the classic movies, improved with product placement. I can just imagine Citizen Cane where everyone where's nike shoes and drinks Pepsi.
Come and say hi. http://forum.penpals.com/index.php
It's about 45-50 and available since yesterday IIRC.
"At least we got the original trilogy DVD."
I hate to disagree, but we did not get the original trilogy. We got a trilogy that has been monkeyed with and, in parts, made worse while in other parts made better. On the whole, I like what he did to the three (even though I have seen the Hayden Christensen thing at the end of Jedi and hugely dislike it), but this is definately not the original trilogy.
Personally, I think that is what Lucas is worried about. Here you have three movies how he wanted them, now complete we can assume. But, a great many people hate the changes. So much so that in recently (like in the last couple of years), those with the laserdisc originals have been painstakenly moving those over to DVD and those are appearing online. I believe this is the piracy that Lucas is talking about. He wants to make those originals go away (he said so recently).
Bryan R.
The price of freedom is eternal vigilance, or $12.50 as seen on eBay.....
Hollywood has cried "wolf" far too often, using "piracy" as a convenient explanation for any and all problems (even problems that are obviously the result of its own poor products).
Thus, Hollywood claiming to have found yet another "piracy" problem is about as credible as Dan Rather claiming to have found another set of Bush's National Guard records.
/. If the government wants us to respect the law, it should set a better example.
You know what really makes that edit stupid? Why would Luke recognize the young Anakin as his father?
Support the First Amendment. Read at -1
Some additional thoughts on the subject:
Usually, when I try to improve upon some art form I've created, I end up obsessing and eventually screwing it up completely. (I'm not really drawing an analogy here, or am I?)
I like the fact that they replaced Boba's voice with Jango's, since they committed themselves to it in the prequels.
Most important prequels question: Will they figure out a way to erase that damnable mitichlorians BS? The Force should not be constrained to biological constructs, IMO.
Part of the hardcore faithful who believed in Apple long before it was cool again to do so
Also the record and movie industries never take into account the fact that every pirated copy does NOT mean one less sale. Many people will take something for free that they would never buy. Of course there are also some people will buy what they can get for free.
What you're watching it on will probably be a factor. On a big-screen TV, the difference is really apparent.
Remember, the original film wasn't filmed in VHS. It was filmed in a much higher resolution film format and then downgraded to VHS for release. It was, after all, filmed to be displayed on a 40 foot screen. That actually captures a lot of detail that gets discarded when you format for NTSC.
Sometimes the digital mastering just cleans up the colour palette or removes a lot of grain and artifacts. But it really does have an observable difference on the right display.
Cheers
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
You know what really makes Ep. 6 stupid? How Darth Vader can sense his son from thousands of miles away.
Oh wait: it's the Force, the same plot driver that allows all sorts of heroic and/or sappy things to happen when necessary.
Ok,
what I want to know is - can you still see the square outline around the ships (X-Wings and T.I.E. fighters) in the final battle around the Deathstar in IV?
It was very visible in the VHS versions.
First they burn books, then they burn people.
This DVD set should have been released years ago. He released it in the exact moment he needed more money. And he made it the DVD event of the year (aside from the ROTK DVD that's coming in December). Did anyone notice the multiple TV shows covering Star Wars? That's called payola, folks.
And, come on: Star Wars (along with The Godfather) has been for years the most frequent DVD search in any online retailer's site.
He's lying. And by holding off for so long, he created the market for the pirates. His choice. His fault.
I'm not sure I understand the comment about "there won't be a market for the DVD's in 3 years". Why? Because people are downloading the original untouched version of the movie and won't want the crappy CGed version that is being released? That's a big f*ing clue stick if I've ever seen one.
I only mod up parents of "mod parent up" posts...