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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."
You know, even when they say they've digitally remastered it and all, I just can't tell the difference. I can always tell the difference in recent movies, but for old movies put into DVD, how does that increase quality? Doesn't the saying go "you can't get something from nothing"? How do they get "DVD quality" from old film? How could it look any better than the original VHS quality?
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Looks really good in terms of picture quality, but Han/Greedo obsessives will not be placated; they now shoot at almost exactly the same time. And Sebastian "Anakin Skywalker" Shaw (at least in his non-disfigured state) has been CGI'd out of history and replaced with a mulleted Hayden Christensen.
When I am king, you will be first against the wall.
I don't know if that is what George Lucas actually believes but I certainly don't believe it. I think that he waited another few years for the DVDs they would be going out of fashion, and the next big thing (HD DVD) is more likely, which of course he will be able to milk then too.
Lucas used Microsoft's strategy which consists of pre-announcing a product long before it'd be released.
The problem is that I made my mind and I am not sure I want to acquire this set because I am unsure I might watch it again and again...
This observation came after somebody lent me the 3-DVD set of the Indiana Jones Trilogy (which happened to have gotten really... obsolete) : I then thought it could be the same with SW.
But otherwise, had he released it today without pre-announcing it, I might have considered buying it... Simply because of the surprise effect which he voluntarily spoiled.
Trolling using another account since 2005.
At least we got the original trilogy DVD. But I guess I'm in minority who actually appreciate this DVD and don't care much about who bloody fires first. :-)
Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
I've been in Europe for 2 weeks, and it's been available at least since last week. It's selling for 79 euros, about 100 dollars. They're having TV promotions and everything. I thought most stuff showed up in Europe last?
So now it might be on all the torrent trackers, nice.
A thought: if I have bought the original VHS movies, is it morally wrong if I download this higher quality version of the same movie that I have already bought?
Has anyone spared a thought for this poor guy? For years, he was Boba Fett.. that was his claim to fame.. Now even his voice in has been replaced by Temura Morrison or as we down here in NZ like to call him "dear old movie whore" for his ability to pop up in the most unlikely movies (the worst being Vertical Limit with that horrible fake shifting accent as the helicopter pilot). I mean sure he can say "thats me" and point... but people will just say "you don't look Maori to me man.." :)
My mom knows that I enjoyed Star Wars and even bought a great number of the Lego sets a few years ago. I think my wife and I may have singlehandedly kept Vermont Toy and Hobby open for a while...
My mom heard on the TV a long time ago that the Star Wars DVDs were coming out. Last time I talked with her, she excitedly told me that the release date was coming up, and of course I knew about it, but was it marked on my calendar? I tried to fend off this Christmas gift in the making becase I recognized that excited tone in her voice.
Most of us have a decent ability to explain pet peeves and flaws in our obsessions to others with similar backgrounds or obsessions. My mother has nothing in her universe that can compare with enjoying Star Wars. She sees bad acting and a story line reminiscant of the Lone Ranger and his predescessors, so she thinks that even better special effects and additional scenes can only make it better, can't they?! I tried explaining the cantina scene to her. She remembers vaguely that there was some violence, but she remembers Han Solo (Harrison Ford) being involved. I explained that Lucas changed his mind on who shot first and the repercussions involved to me.
I'm not sure I actually got through. The difference between Han Solo defending himself and shooting first (under the table no less) is a world of character development to me, and my mother seemed to understand what that meant in terms of defining who the characters were. I told her that we had just inherited the laser disc version of the original triology so that one of these years we'd just have to transfer that to a better version. Of course, we could save ourselves the work and just find a torrent since we have all the source material bought, paid for and licensed just not yet ripped to DVD / MPEG.
Of course, maybe she was just listening to the sound of my voice. I probably should expect the DVDs under the Christmas tree this year. I have to ready a look of absolute childish joy on my face because she cares enough to remember my insterests.
"Some of Lucas' "improvements" are *gasp* actually improvements!"
Which ones? I can't think of any offhand, and most of the "improvements" are awful.
I just saw his re-re-release of THX 1138. I liked it a lot. I don't remember his re-release well enough to have an opinion on whether I liked it more or less.
I think it was his best movie. Too bad it was also his first.
I did notice some echos of his Star Wars universe in it, and it sort of makes me wonder if the world we see in THX 1138 is the 'dirty little secret' of the Star Wars world. It adds an new dimension to consider maybe that world is what is under the cloud city.
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Pretty Bad Privacy (PBP) Public Key
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Lucas meant by "piracy concerns would eat into profits". The pirates are producing a better product than he is.
Yes he has the right to do this. I've also got the rights to do alot of things I shouldn't.
You should be outraged because it's a very disturbing outcome of the digital age, that classics of the past will change gradually and people will eventually forget the way things were.
It dilutes our cultural history and we should be outraged, *especially* if he's not going to release the originals.
This is just a guess, but I think every movie garners a certain "integrity" in the technologies which were used to make it. Certain techniques were used to create it, and the movie audiences know based on viewing LOTS of TV and films over the years what fits and what doesn't (perhaps without quite appreciating it). CGI doesn't fit in the original Star Wars, at least not for major visible additions (clean up and touch up is fine).
Of course, a lot of it is nostalgia, too. But what's wrong with that? I still don't get why Lucas doesn't do a "historical release" and make another zillion bucks.
"I object to doing things that computers can do." -- Olin Shivers, lispers.org
I think this may come from me seeing the original movies in 1999 when I was 16, but I always thought Anakin should have been a young guy at the end of Jedi given the argument that Darth Vader killed him 30 years ago. It is still a great ending, and if anything, I think this was an actual improvement. My top 4 grrr... changes have been improved / fixed. Greedo/Han (fire simulataneously, not as bad), Luke screaming as he fell in ESB (back to the way it was), the Emperor (is consistent through out), Jabba scene (looks more consistent) etc.
I seriously wonder how many complaints there would be if more people liked the prequels. I like them, especially AOTC, which is my favorite of all 6 (yeah, even ESB, so suck on it). I am looking forward to Episode 3...
--Joey
Now I am going to go watch my copy of the trilogy...on DVD!
Me too! I'm going to watch the original movie I watched as a child on DVD, without any changes! No rose-colored glasses, with things changed to how they "should've been".
Real artists don't go into a museum, take their painting off the wall and change it whenever they have a whim. It's one thing to touch up the special effects... it's another to insert/replace characters in the movie, changing the meaning of entire scenes by changing character's actions.
I think if Lucas had any respect for the work he had done in the past, he would want to preserve it. In the meantime, I'll be doing my best to make sure that the movie how I saw it still exists for me to enjoy with my children someday.
I might not like all of the changes (especially Greedo shooting first), but I see GL's point. It's not just that GL is an "artist." He's a professional. He wanted to put his vision on screen, and he couldn't do it exactly the way he envisioned. I can completely understand the desire to go back years later, when he has his independent resources, and re-work the old movies to more perfectly match his original vision. It's his legacy, and he has control over how the movies will be viewed long after he is gone.
Keep this in mind: J.R.R. Tolkien made minor revisions to the Lord of the Rings several times after the books were first published (and then published in successive editions). And Tolkien didn't have to deal with a movie studio taking a huge chance on something that essentially no one had done before. Professionals (and I speak from experience) have an irrepressible desire to revisit our past work, because we always have a feeling that the demands of time and the client (or the editor or the studio) force us to push out work product that could be tweaked to perfection if only we had a little more time.
George Lucas would be a good candidate for residence in Mos Eisley. He isn't quite the scum of the universe, but he is a known liar regarding the future and fate of Star Wars. He's claimed, at various times, that he intended Star Wars to be 1, 3, 6 and 9 films - from the start! No matter what the current plan, he's always had it in mind. It took him several decades to even admit that Star Wars was not only not originally planned to be 3, 6 or 9 films, but that it didn't even have an original plot or characters, and was a reconstitution of The Hidden Fortress in a space setting. He steadfastly denied that negative fan reaction to elements of The Phantom Menace (idiot Jar Jar, whiny Hayden) caused changes in Attack of the Clones - nope, he'd planned it that way from the start. He's even on record lying to Steven Spielberg about having 3 Indiana Jones films ready - from the start. It could be a pathological condition. Perhaps Lucas is a megalomaniac and always needs to perceive himself as the sole architect. The point of all this is, don't expect that Lucasfilm/Fox won't be hawking the original versions sometime, for some extreme premium, just because Lucas currently says that isn't going to happen. For all we know, he planned for the originals to be released on DVD when he first conceived of all 15 movies of Star Wars... we just haven't been informed yet.
In all likelihood he's probably trying to drive up fan demand. He's been constantly commenting on the release of "the originals" in the press for about 2 years now.
And piracy doesn't affect squat - what people really want to pirate doesn't exist because Lucas hasn't authorized it yet. You can pirate HDTV rips if you just want the movies, but the originals on DVD, with brand-new new bells and whistles and the attractive packaging we all enjoy, will sell like hotcakes when released even if they're pirated non-stop from now until then.
If Lucas actually isn't lying for once, consider that he's 60 years old and could retire, cede control to someone else, or pass away at pretty much any time now. Even if his mind's made up now, it might not be his choice to make for much longer.
Whoops, nevermind the sound quality :-)
Slightly offtopic, after we got a 5.1 stereo set for the living room TV, watching dvds haven't been the same since. Those two little speakers from the TV just don't cut it (watch Master and Commander on both and you'll hear the difference). I'm pretty sure this dvd set will have some great audio.
Yes if your screen can do higher then 1024x768. A 1280x800 16:9 screen laptop is best.
According to this (9/20/04 - 12:30 PM PDT), this (9/20/04 - 10:30 PM PDT), and TheForce.Net, there are audio issues in Star Wars Trilogy DVD set.
Lucasfilm denied with this statement, "We are always impressed with how closely fans listen to the many different sound mixes we have made for the Star Wars movies over the years. It is flattering to know that, indeed, the audience is listening. Consequently, each mix comes out differently and any changes that you hear on the all-new Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround EX tracks on the Star Wars Trilogy DVD set are deliberate creative decisions. We can confirm that there are no technical glitches as reported."
Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
You what I gonna do, I gonna head over there and buy the new DVD release. So Lucas will have his cut.
Then I'm gonna download the 3 Originals, burn 3 DVD with it.
The new Boxed set will be a Gift to whomever I want. And I will not feel bad about it, because I did not "steal" a sale from Lucas. I bought it and burned it the way I like.
And I have one purchase receipt to prove it.
Thanks for the info.
assert(expired(knowldege)); core dump
4. Boba Fett has a new voice
Since Boba Fett is a clone of Jango Fett, and Jango Fett is played by Temura Morrison, doesn't it make sense that he should sound like him, too? That's exactly what George Lucas thought, so Morrison was brought in to revoice the four lines of dialogue (yes, believe it or not there are only four!) Boba spoke in the original trilogy.
Does anyone else think this is shit? Bobba Fett in the original trilogy, the way I understood it, was the son of Jango Fett - you know, that kid that was with Jango in Episode 2? Seems like saying Bobba Fett was a clone simply discards the purpose of even having the kid in Epside II at all.
I also seem to recall something in one of the novels, or something like that, about Bobba Fett being Jango's progeny. This would make sense, as progeny is more likely to follow in their father's footsteps than a clone is to follow in the footsteps of the person they were cloned from, no? I'd think a clone would be more interested in seeking their own identity.
And what's with changing Bobba Fett's voice? Even if he were a clone (I'm not believing it), half of what made Fett such a badass was his -voice-. It was fucking hardcore and made you fear the guy. Now, Jango? Not so much. Not only that, but a clone is going to have different cultural influences than Jango, and thus his accent is going to be different anyway. But I digress.
In conclusion, Lucas sucks. What a hack.
~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
Maybe the difference between old school and new school Star Wars fans is their memory
of the first time they saw the Trilogy.
I was an impressionable eight years old when Episode 4 came to the movie theater. I remember my mom
dropping me off to see a different movie. Star Wars had not yet arrived in theaters.
While standing outside, waiting in line, I saw a poster. It was completely back, accept for a small space
ship (Tie Fighter) and a small bright spec in the center (Death Star). The poster said STAR WARS.
I remember thinking, "What the hell is this movie about. It is obviously a movie with space ships.
That's good, but where is the war.....I have to see this movie, with or with the war."
At that time, SCFI was hard to come by, and good SCFI was absent. My diet of SCFI, up
till then, consisted mostly of poorly translated, weird, Japanese robots and monsters.
When I sat in my seat and the lights went down. The sights and sounds
of the opening sequence blew me away. Space ships blasting each other, super menacing
evil dark helmet guy, princess spies and robots running for their lives by escaping to the dirty, back-water,
desert planet below. Orphaned farm boy (space cadet wanta-be), hermit old wise man,
space cowboy gun slinger and his trusty, two legged, woolly horse side-kick. All taking up arms
to fight the evil empire who has a weapon that makes nukes seem like mouse farts.
This was deadly serious SCFI, the only thing funny was Han's contempt for chatty droids.
"Holly Shit this movie totally kicks ass!". I saw that movie 10 times when it was first released and
countless times since, in its original form. I was eight and I didn't need floppy ear clowns or
teddy bears to keep me entertained.
I am 36 now. Time has delete and faded countless memories.
But the pure awe and sense of wonder revealed to me in original Star Wars,
still lives vividly in my memory as it did when I was a boy.
For me, any noticeable change in the original, is pure blasphemy.
For me, Star Wars is the holy scripture of a SCFI profit.
Copyright has become the only way to save the faith.
Alas, it looks as though I will have to pirate Lucas's original vision
to preserve for future generations.
It is sad to see one who was once so powerful in vision, fall weakened by the temptations of the dark side.
Lucas, by all appearance seems to be following in Anakin's footsteps. Maybe he will also,
redeem himself on his death bed at the hands of his adopted (orphan) son.
The imdb links at the bottom of the wiki have some very good info revealing how much Lucas has tinkered with these films since day 1, way before the SE's. Also reveals how, in the process of re-cutting the films for the SE's, they got some odd dialogue changes entirely by accident.