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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."
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!
Take a look at these pages for alleged quality differences between recent home releases of the films, including the 2004 DVD release.
- Episode IV
- Episode V
- Episode VI
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.
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.
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.
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.
Film has nowhere near 4000 lines of resolution - you are in the territory of grain at that point. More like 1000 - 2000, depending on the quality of the film stock and the lenses used. VHS sits at around 300 lines of resolution. DVDs potentially carry up to 780 lines of resolution (this is the maximum provided for in its digital image format) but chances are, your TV set, unless its HDTV or top of the line NTSC, is showing you 500-600 lines of resolution.
All of these mediums have exactly the same number of raster lines - 525, of which you can see approximately 480 - again depending on the overscan properties of your viewing device.
planet texture maps and more
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).