So, has anyone out there picked up the new DVD set of the classic trilogy, complete with the original versions? I'm wondering if there is a complete review of them out yet, of both the original and SE versions of the movies.
Personally, I've got no problem with most of the SE versions, and I like them just as much as the original. But when they last went to DVD, the big disappointment for me was the music. Not only was the music way too quiet, but the fanfare at the beginning of the attack on the Death Star was practically nonexistent! Does anybody know if this was fixed in the newest release?
B.J.
Posted by The Mighty Monkey of Mim (Member # 646) on :
They arrived on Tuesday, but I haven't had a chance to watch them yet. Looking forward to it, though! Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
I got them and some nice lithrographs at Circuit City. I think I'll have to watch them come December.
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
I got them too. I'm very confident that this will be the last time I ever give money to George Lucas. Now that I've got a digital version of the original releases, there's no need to buy more copies.
(My family currently has the original releases in the THX-boosted versions, plus the 1997 special edition. Both on VHS. We haven't bought anything since... either the 2004 DVDs or the prequels.)
Although I generally don't mind the updates in the special editions, George Lucas has let the whole damn thing go to his head. The SE is the actual manifestation of his "original vision," my ass. The man had no fucking clue how his story would take off, and despite being limited by some of the technology, that's absolutely nothing unique to his project.
Posted by Jim NCC1701A (Member # 1021) on :
Well they say that the Star Wars disc is the movie as it aired back in '77 (and Han does shoot first) but I'm sure I remember a bit of dialoguefrom back then that isn't on the disc - as Han and Chewie are being chased through the Death Star there was a line "Close the blast doors", followed closely by "Open the blast doors. Open the blast doors". On the disc the "Close the blast doors" line has gone...
Maybe I'm mis-remembering. Or just plain anal to remember something trivial like that from close to 30 years ago.
Cheers!
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
Oh god, not that damn "close the blast doors" myth again. I've got the original VHS version of the movie (not even the THX-enhanced pre-SE version, the ORIGINAL version), and I guarantee you that that line is NOT in the movie. Not until the Special Editions came out.
Posted by The Mighty Monkey of Mim (Member # 646) on :
IIRC, that was one of the several differences between the original stereo soundtrack of the film (which is what is on the disc) and the mono soundtrack that was put together slightly later, after Lucas realized that not all theaters showing the movie would have stereo capability.
I watched ANH and ESB today, and they are truly the original versions. ANH doesn't even have "EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE" before the opening crawl. (It was added for one of the film's first re-releases.) Picture quality is great, but they aren't anamorphic.
Overall, I'm quite pleased. It's funny that Lucas could so drastically alter my perception of him by simply releasing these...
-MMoM Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
Oh, I didn't realize there was a mono soundtrack for the original release. Interesting!
I've only watched the first of the three so far, but I'm rather pleased. And I'm not enough of a video snob to honestly care if it's anamorphic or not. Sure, it'd probably look a little better, but you're talking about diminishing returns. It already looks a heck of a lot better than on our worn-out VHS tape!
Posted by The Mighty Monkey of Mim (Member # 646) on :
Yeah, it doesn't really matter to me, either, as I don't have an anamorphic television. Still, somewhere down the road it might become an issue for some...
Posted by Captain Boh (Member # 1282) on :
For me at the moment its a plus, as my DVD player doesn't comprehend anamorphic and just stretches it vertically.
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
OK, so to get the ORIGINAL versions - I have to get ANOTHER copy of the 2004 DVD versions? On top of that the ORIGINAL versions aren't anamorphic widescreen like released in the theatres? Are these just laserdisc transfers!?!
Are they worth getting after having the 2004 version already?
Posted by Johnny (Member # 878) on :
My friend Tom posted a mini breakdown of the pros and cons of the new discs(with pics).
"I have the 2004 box set, but I really prefer the Originals over the changes." Again, get these two-disc sets, BUT beware that your discs from the original boxset will become useless, as you've just bought them again.
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
Yep, if you own the 2004 DVDs, this means you're buying them all over again. Don't you just LOVE George Lucas' marketing strategies?
This is exactly why I had zero interest in buying the 2004 DVDs... I didn't actually KNOW something would come out later, but I figured that there would be something, given Lucas' track record. And because I've gotten sick of the Special Edition revisions and his arrogant posturing about how they fulfill his "original vision" and so forth, I didn't want to buy a copy of his 1984-esque revisionist history. So I had no problem buying this "limited" release, because (1) I get the original versions on digital media, so I'll be able to preserve it for myself under fair use provisions much easier than from the VHS tapes, and (2) because after I buy this, I will have absolutely zero interest in buying any further releases of these movies.
Posted by Da_bang80 (Member # 528) on :
I've got three versions of the original trilogy, yes I know, I'm a whore for Star Wars. Anyways, I have the DVD Edition, the '97 SE on VHS, and the old plain trology. One thing I noticed with the new DVD versions compared to the old ones is the scene in the Death Star hanger control room when the one stormtrooper hits his head on the door. In the New DVD they over-emphasize that. In the old trilogy it's harder to notice and more like an easter egg. In the new one there is an audible thunk and the stormtrooper grunts or something. I don't know why but that kind of detracted from the overall experience for me.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
A Digital Bits review that goes to some of Andrew's questions.
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
A good review. It sums up my thoughts exactly, with one exception: it assumes that everyone reading it has already bought the 2004 set. I didn't, and so this new release is worth a bit more. Kinda, sorta, in the way that I'm not buying something I've already paid for.
You know, in a way, you've really got to admire George Lucas. How many times has he managed to convince fans to buy the exact same damn thing? Three, four, five times?
Posted by Jim NCC1701A (Member # 1021) on :
quote:Originally posted by MinutiaeMan: Oh god, not that damn "close the blast doors" myth again.
Couldn't help myself. Sorry. But I was sure I remembered hearing it...
Posted by Da_bang80 (Member # 528) on :
I remember hearing it as well, not sure which version though.
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
Does anyone think he will release the Originals in anamorphic widescreen in the future?
Posted by B.J. (Member # 858) on :
So, is it the same SE version I already have with the screwed-up music or not?
Posted by bX (Member # 419) on :
Did you not read above? And no.
As for future release of the originals, my guess is that they won't be coming to DVD again. I do suspect that we may see a more enthusiastic transfer to HD-DVD and/or Blu-Ray in coming years, but probably not for awhile. Likely citing less than 100% attendance for fans (who already have the 2004 release in addition to several others) purchasing this present set.
As an owner of the 2004 release and the definitive edition LD box-set, I'm not going to get these. I plan to make DVDs from my LDs. I'm just waiting to see if I can figure out some way to stretch the vertical signal in an analogue way so as to fake an anamorphic aspect ratio which I would then digitize. Now if you'll excuse me, I must go and play with my dollies.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
There's some sort of big box set planned for next year (1977 - 2007), actually, supposedly, but I'm not sure about the format.
Posted by Commander Dan (Member # 558) on :
Well, despite my assertions I would not buy this, I broke down and picked up Star Wars (IV) at Wal-mart. I brought it home to compare to �Dr. Gonzo�s� anamorphic laserdisc transfers, and here are some observations:
I viewed this on my 65� Mitsubishi HDTV, and did comparisons using both my Toshiba HD-A1 HD-DVD player and my Malata DVP-520 DVD Player (via component video connections in each case.)
The picture quality is definitely an improvement over the laserdisc transfers. The picture has more clarity, and the colors are a tad more vivid. Still, this transfer has its problems, largely because it is non-anamorphic. �Stair-stepping� and a certain amount of pixilation are visible on many images, and are easily apparent in several scenes; especially so on a large screen.
As reported on OriginalTrilogy.com, I can confirm that there is grain present, which may simply be nothing more than traditional film grain. This is not visible on the laserdisc transfers, which admittedly is much softer with less detail.
Also as reported, the subtitles (when Greedo speaks) are cut off at the bottom on a widescreen TV when one zooms the picture to frame it correctly.
The disc is dual layered.
I made a discovery that I have not yet seen on any of the internet forums that I frequent. The disc is not correctly �tagged� as a widescreen film.
I own a Malata DVD player that will automatically frame non-anamorphic DVDs on my 16:9 TV if the disc is tagged properly. Even though a disc may be 4:3 non �anamorphic, most letterboxed DVDs are still tagged as containing a widescreen film (The Abyss is a good example). When this is the case, my Malata automatically zooms and frames the picture accordingly for 16:9 TVs, without me having to manually zoom the picture.
This DVD is NOT tagged correctly, and as such, I had to scale the picture manually.
It�s really a shame that Lucasfilm treated this release with so little regard. The Original Trilogy really deserves better than this.
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
"I own a Malata DVD player that will automatically frame non-anamorphic DVDs on my 16:9 TV if the disc is tagged properly. Even though a disc may be 4:3 non �anamorphic, most letterboxed DVDs are still tagged as containing a widescreen film (The Abyss is a good example). When this is the case, my Malata automatically zooms and frames the picture accordingly for 16:9 TVs, without me having to manually zoom the picture.
"This DVD is NOT tagged correctly, and as such, I had to scale the picture manually."
Not that this makes it any better, of course, but that could be because of the subtitle problem you mentioned.
Posted by Commander Dan (Member # 558) on :
Not sure what you mean by this. The subtitles have nothing to do with the DVD being incorrectly tagged as containing 4:3 material.
The issue with the subtitles is just a case of circumstance. To zoom in and frame the picture correctly on a 16:9 TV, the subtitles simply get cut off. This would happen whether you use a TV�s zoom function, or in my case, even when you scale the picture digitally on a DVD player.
The subtitle issue would have been resolved, by default, if the disc had been anamorphic.
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
What I'm saying is that, if they had tagged it properly, your DVD player would have rescaled the image, and cut off the subtitles. Perhaps they intentionally tagged it the way they did to prevent that from happening.
Like I said, that doesn't make it any better though. Obviously, the proper solution would be to not type the subtitles onto a part of the frame that shouldn't even really be there in the first place.
Posted by Commander Dan (Member # 558) on :
I feel I can confidently say that is not the case. Even assuming some schmuck authored the disc with that in mind, then clearly that person does not understand the purpose for the tag. It�s simple; a non-anamorphic DVD containing widescreen material should get the widescreen tag. Period.
Besides, even with non-anamorphic widescreen DVDs that are tagged properly, subtitles almost always get cut off. The tag merely allows certain devices (such as my Malata) to automatically frame the film properly for a 16:9 display.
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
Heheheh, Malata.
Posted by Mars Needs Women (Member # 1505) on :
quote:Originally posted by Sol System: There's some sort of big box set planned for next year (1977 - 2007), actually, supposedly, but I'm not sure about the format.
I believe it will be a box set that contains all six films and supposedly these films will be the final versions of the movies to be released(yeah, sure). It will also contain oodles of bonus material including tv specials(Star Wars Holiday Special perhaps?). It might seem a worthy buy if the films in their original forms are also included(as even the prequels received changes).
Posted by B.J. (Member # 858) on :
The Holiday special is dead to Lucas. I don't think it will get anywhere near an offical DVD.
That said, I do have an old VHS copy of it. I started watching it 9 years ago, and got maybe halfway through it. I never finished watching it.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
Indeed. My question about format, though, was specifically about whether it would be on DVD, or either of the next-gen formats, or some combination thereof.
re Holiday Special, assuming one isn't up for looking for torrents, you can piece together some of it on YouTube, if you're so inclined.
Posted by Peregrinus (Member # 504) on :
What I want, we'll probably never get. The '97 Special Editions on DVD. I have them in VHS widescreen, ripped onto my hard drive to preserve the tapes as long as possible. When I get a high-end DVD-burner, I may do so...
I'd love to have a good editing rig on my computer so I could mix'n'match. Put "Lapti Nek" back in instead of "Jedi Rocks"... Have Han blast Greedo without warning, get rid of the Jabba Scene, and Luke screaming like a girl as he plummets down Cloud City's GLPYA�* -- crap like that.
Shall we start a pool on what we think George'll do next?
--Jonah
*George Lucas' Patented Yawning Abyss
Posted by The Ginger Beacon (Member # 1585) on :
I don't know, but I bet it'll be just different enough that we have to buy them all over again.
Being cheap I havn't bought the trilogy again - I let my sister do it instead! For me, the best thing was the original cover art, and the way they tried to photoshop in stills, to make new versions of the originals. What fun.
I have to say though, Lucas has done so much I can't remember what goes where anymore. The only thing for certain is that the Christmas Special will never see the light of DVD. Lucas has dismissed it so whole heartedly, I think that we can write it off for good. As far as I know, it was never shown in the UK, and since I don't have an NTSC compatable VCR or TV anymore, I can't be bothered to buy a copy. That... and that it's supposed to be poo.
Posted by Dukhat (Member # 341) on :
quote: What I want, we'll probably never get. The '97 Special Editions on DVD.
That's what I thought they were going to do for these new DVDs; have the original films on Disc 1, and the '97 editions on Disc 2. That would have made a hell of a lot more sense than to package the same exact 2004 editions that Lucas knew everyone presumably already had.
quote:Shall we start a pool on what we think George'll do next?
In twenty years, when Hayden Christensen is somewhere around 45 years old, we'll get the "Ultra-Definitive Director's Cut Edition" of ROTJ, where Sebastian Shaw's face is digitally edited out, and Hayden's bald, scarred face & voice is re-inserted. Then, in the Yoda/Obi-Wan/Anakin spirit scene, we'll finally see HC at the age he should be.
Just try to prove me wrong.
Posted by Peregrinus (Member # 504) on :
Hopefully, by then I'll be running the Star Wars franchise.
--Jonah
P.S. About the Holiday Special, it is poo, but good for two things. We see that Chief Bast (Tarkin's aide) bailed on his boss and survived, as he is helping Vader track the Rebels in the feeble framing story going on behind the different skits. And the animated bit from Nelvana featured the first appearance of Boba Fett and more of the interior of the Falcon. I have that section on my hard drive if you want me to send it to you... Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :
Holiday Special underestimates the audience in some ways.
Posted by The Ginger Beacon (Member # 1585) on :
Just seen the Boba Fett cartoon bit, in slightly better quality than the youtube version (must be off a better recording).
It's pretty funky, but I get the feeling that the animators were smoking something good before they got to the office that day...
As for the rest of the special - it's pretty obvious that it was just bashed out for Thanksgiving. The actors all seem to be waiting for their paycheque so they can get the hell out of there! Except Carrie Fisher - she's so pissed I wonder how she could stand up! Does explain the singing though.
I'm still to see it all, but what I've seen is pretty shocking. No wonder Lucas wants to distance himself from it. Or anybody else for that!
Posted by Peregrinus (Member # 504) on :
She wasn't drunk. She was higher than a kite on cocaine. Glad she got through that.
Kenner made prototypes for most of the major elements of the Holiday Special -- mainly Chewie's family and Chewie himself in Life Day robes, plus a couple others. Boba Fett was the only one to actually get made.
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