Star Wars Blu-rays in the Works

[MekaGojira3k]

I love Space Balls, and yeah, it's probably tied with Young Frankenstein for my favorite Mel Brooks movie.

[jellydonut25]

Wow, I must be the only one who likes Space Balls!

oh i LOVE Spaceballs and it might be my favorite Mel Brooks movie...but I recognize that it's not quite as good from a critical level as something like Young Frankenstein.

[lhb412]

I'd like to add that even though Mel's movies took a downturn in quality in the '80s I think even his worst movies are entertaining.

[MouthForWar]

Phil Tippet speaks truth!

http://www.movies.com/movie-news/phil-t ... -wars/4324

"They're sh-t." He doesn't think they're necessary at all, citing as one example how he loved Lucas' original, Sergio Leone-like approach to shooting Mos Eisley as this minimal, barren place and how now it's just "filled with a bunch of... CGI sh-t."

In fact, there's a lot about modern Hollywood spectacle films that the very affable Tippett isn't too fond of. He thinks Avatar was a total missed opportunity; to paraphrase, "Who cares about blue aliens and people walking around in mechs? We've seen those designs before. Do something crazy and new."

In regards to some of Hollywood's latest trends, he thinks "3D is sh-t" and, and this is a direct quote,

Movies.com: Us fans "OH GODZILLA! WHAT TERRIBLE LANGUAGE!" and moan and gripe whenever George Lucas starts messing with Star Wars again, but is that something effects people who actually worked on the film feel? Are we the only ones who think he's a crazy person?

Phil Tippett: No, not really. At a certain point, even going back to Return of the Jedi at ILM...they had a little room where you could get chips and drinks and I was getting something. George and Richard Marquand, the director, came in and Richard was saying, "George, I don't totally get where we need to go with this picture." And George said, "Well, did you see Benji?" "No George, I didn't see Benji." "Well, what we're doing now is kind of like a cross between Benji and what we did on Empire Strikes Back."

[jellydonut25]

while i disagree that zemeckis is 'the devil incarnate' as Tippett says, he has some very good points.

The very unfortunate thing is that somebody who really actually MATTERS has to say these things...somebody OTHER than Nolan who has also been very vocal about the crap being churned out by the Hollywood 3-D machine.


I'd love to see Spielberg or Abrams come out and say that substituting CGI for filmmaking is trash, but I don't hold out a lot of hope for Steve; he is the producer on Transformers, after all.

[The Shadow]

I'd love to see Spielberg or Abrams come out and say that substituting CGI for filmmaking is trash, but I don't hold out a lot of hope for Steve; he is the producer on Transformers, after all.

Abrams? As in J.J. Abrams man of a thousand lens flares?

[jellydonut25]

I'd love to see Spielberg or Abrams come out and say that substituting CGI for filmmaking is trash, but I don't hold out a lot of hope for Steve; he is the producer on Transformers, after all.

Abrams? As in J.J. Abrams man of a thousand lens flares?

Yeah, he has his own issues as well, I was just throwing a name out there of someone who is fairly well-known among the unwashed masses.

The point is: Joe Schmoe from Idaho isn't going to care about what a special effects guru from the 70s says...but he might take notice of someone a little higher profile spoke up...

[Dr Kain]

I'd rather Abrams just got his ass moving on the next Star Trek already. It has been over 2 years since the last one came out. What is the friggin hold up?! The sequel was supposed to be out in May of next year at the latest.

[jellydonut25]

I'd rather Abrams just got his ass moving on the next Star Trek instead of working on another crap tv series.

[MouthForWar]

I'd rather Abrams just got his ass moving on the next Star Trek already. It has been over 2 years since the last one came out. What is the friggin hold up?! The sequel was supposed to be out in May of next year at the latest.

http://whatculture.com/film/j-j-abrams- ... trek-2.php

[jellydonut25]

Did anybody catch South Park this week? I THINK it was this week's episode...at the very least it was a fairly recent one...


there were MULTIPLE instances where a character said, "NOOOOOOO!" in protracted melodrama, and I'm pretty sure at least one of those used the EXACT sound bite from Revenge of the Sith...

[mr.negativity]

Tell me that they'll have the original, untouched trilogy on there and then I might give a damn.

The Digital Bits:
About All These Original Star Wars Blu-ray Rumors…

Now consider this: Disney purchased the Star Wars franchise in 2012 for $4 billion. That’s billion with a ‘B’. And they intend to continue with Saga with new episodes that tie directly into those original films. This isn’t another prequel trilogy aimed at a new generation of kids – they’re shooting squarely at Gen-Xers with these new films. The same Gen-X that's built up all those bad feelings surrounding Star Wars over the years. What do you suppose is the quickest and surest way to wipe out all that ill will in one stroke, and at the same time ensure that nearly every of those kids who first discovered Star Wars back in the 20th Century (now 40 and 50-something adults) jumps on the bandwagon for the new sequels?

Of course, Disney is going to release the original, unaltered films!

Are you kidding? The folks at Disney have $4 billion riding on this little investment and they aren’t stupid. The only reason the original versions haven’t been properly released before this is that George Lucas didn’t want it to happen… but Lucas is no longer in control of such decisions. There’s simply no way Disney would have paid $4 billion without the right to do what they wanted to with this franchise. And what they want to do is exploit the crap out of it for years to come.

Bottom line: We’d be absolutely shocked if the original, unaltered Star Wars films don’t A) return to theaters, B) get released on Blu-ray and DVD, or C) both, prior to the theatrical debut of Episode VII in December 2015. I mean seriously. You don’t need to be a Jedi or a Sith to see that the Force is strong in this rumor.

[MekaGojira3k]

Buying them on blu-ray is exciting, but seeing them in a theater? AMAZING

[jellydonut25]

So, rumors are rumors?

Got it.

Give me a concrete date, then I'll allow myself to feel any excitement at all.

[mr.negativity]

SPOILERS
STAR WARS: Return of the Legends

Got sent these mockups of the original trilogy Blu Rays with the “LEGENDS” banner from a designer who claimed to have made them at the request of Lucasfilm.

For those of you who are just joining us, “Legends” is the distinction made by post-Disney Lucasfilm to separate non-canon Star Wars works (previous novels, comic books, etc) and canonical Star Wars works that relate to The Force Awakens and beyond.

The thing that made these images exciting was that “Legends” banner. It signals that middle ground had been reached between Disney, who owns Star Wars, and Fox, who owns distribution rights for the original trilogy. If we ever see a Blu Ray of the despecialized cuts, they’d likely have the “Legends” banner.

That was enough for us to get excited and contact some people in the know around the net and some folks embedded in industry places where they’d know of an upcoming release the scale of OT Blu Rays.

J.J. Abrams and Kathleen Kennedy Will Kick Off STAR WARS Celebration “In a Big Way”
Something very big and very 'The Force Awakens'-related is poised to occur on April 16th.

[Tom R VanSlambrouck]

I watched Episode 1 and 2 on BD the past few nights and I'm not impressed with the PQ. Fox did such an amazing job with Alien Anthology on BD but this is meh. Hopefully the others look better.

[Ultra T-Rex]

I watched Episode 1 and 2 on BD the past few nights and I'm not impressed with the PQ. Fox did such an amazing job with Alien Anthology on BD but this is meh. Hopefully the others look better.

I'm pretty sure Lucas had more to do with that than Fox.

[Tom R VanSlambrouck]

True but you'd think they'd want the films to look good both films have really outdated effects too especially Episode 1.

[Dr Kain]

I and II look fine to me on BD.

[O.Supreme]

Greetings All,

I wanted to give some life to this thread for a couple of reasons, and I don't want to talk just about Blu Rays, but all forms in which the Star Wars Films have been released to home media. Here is a start:

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Star_War ... o_releases.

I was watching some YouTube video the other day, and it dawned on me...The Special Editions that came out in 1997 are now 20 years old. Many fans have grown up seeing ONLY these versions, and I was somehow oblivious to the fact that the original versions were becoming so scarce. Now this thread is NOT to crap on the Special Editions, or Prequels, or anything else, but just to highlight many of the different releases, perhaps show off our collections, educate fans on which are the *best*, or favorite sources etc... and to highlight the major changes over the years, because it seems professionals and fans alike are getting confused (I saw a video on screen junkies where they believed Gungans were in the Special Edition before Episode I came out, and that is factually wrong...) .

The first thing I would like to do is list the MAJOR CHANGES that have been made over the years. While it's true, here have been almost onstant fiddling with music and audio mixes, sound effects etc... I want to focus on the most dramatic changes and when they occurred. I believe I can norrow it down to 4...

1. 1981 Star Wars theatrical re-release the title "Episode IV A NEW HOPE" is added to the opening crawl, and would be on all subsequent home and theatrical releases except the 1993 Laserdisc and 2006/08 DVD release.
2. 1997 Star Wars Special Edition -The Original Trilogy is re-released in Jan/Feb/March of 1997 theatrically, with new digital effects, deleted scenes etc... and are subsequently released on VHS (in both standard and Widescreen) VHS box sets later that same year.
3.2004 Star Wars Original Trilogy DVD Release For the first time, the Original Trilogy is released on DVD. This set contains *enhancements* to some of the digital effects and sound/music from the 1997 Special Editions
4. 2011 Star Wars Complete Saga on Blu Ray For the first time, all 6 films are released on Blu ray, however Episode I features some enhancements from the 3D re-release (such as CG Yoda), and the Original Trilogy received additional cut scenes and minor digital effects upgrades and audio changes.

So, did I miss any major changes? Im mostly documenting all this, because as time goes on, I'm sure my memory will start to get sketchy as well . For me personally, here is my media Library of SW films:

This came out in 1990, and I remember getting it in 92/93. I still have it, and am glad that I do. It was the first time all 3 films were sold in a set, and is dubiously absent from Wookiepedia's media page 9although it does have the altered episode IV opening crawl).

The First Release of the Special Editions in August 1997. I got the "widescreen" versions because that was a big deal back then . There is a charm to the unfinished look especially of Jabba in ANH, and especially since they again changed it later in 2004.

-I've had a few different versions of the SW films on DVD over the years, but these are the ones I have currently. I consider them to be the best available because The Original Trilogy has both the Special Edition with enhancements from 2004, and the ORIGINAL Theatrical release, as well as the Prequels. For me, THIS is the whole package and it doesn't get any better.

Now I know the films have been released on Blu Ray at least twice, but I have refrained, simply because of the lack of an original Theatrical Edition. Sure I know bootlegs and super-fan edits are out there, but I'll wait for the genuine Article. Additionally I've never seen any of these films on Blu Ray so I'm not sure how good they look, or if the additional content would really stand out. Still it's hard to believe its been almost 10 years now since the original theatrical editions have been released on DVD. I had no idea they were so scarce, but now , more than ever, am glad that I do have them.

If ever the Complete Saga (or even all 9 films when the new Trilogy is done) are released say....on 4K, or whatever the newest format is, I'd buy them IF, and only if, they contain the Original Theatrical versions of the Original Trilogy as additional content.

[Heiseigodzilla425]

So, did I miss any major changes?

Episode 1 was first released to home video on VHS and LaserDisc, and the DVD release came a fair bit later. The DVD release reinserted a few deleted scenes from the Theatrical/VHS/LaserDisc version, specifically during the podrace and the air taxi sequence on Coruscant.


It may have been pointed out in this thread in the past, but there has been speculation that the lack of a Theatrical Edition Blu-ray release could be due to 20th Century Fox still owning the home distribution rights to the Original Trilogy. Apparently they own the home distribution rights to Episode IV in perpetuity, and reports vary on if/when Episodes V and VI's rights will transfer to Disney in the future. When the Force Awakens was released, I attended a marathon at my local AMC theater of all 7 movies. The 20th Century Fox logo and fanfare was removed from each prequel movie, but was present in at least A New Hope (I honestly can't remember if Episodes 5 and 6 had it, I was at the theater for 25 hours and sleep deprived, so my memory is a bit fuzzy). But, that may soon change, since Disney announced that they plan to acquire 20th Century Fox's film and entertainment divisions, which would theoretically give Disney complete ownership of the original trilogy.

Since being acquired by Disney, Lucasfilm has remained mum on the topic of releasing Blu-rays of the theatrical editions (or 4K Blu-rays of any of the movies, but that might change with Episode 8 since Disney has started releasing new movies to 4K Blu-ray). One interview during Star Wars Celebration with Kathleen Kennedy, the President of Lucasfilm, asked her if there is a contractual agreement that the original trilogy is locked into its current form, to which she replied "I haven't touched those, are you kidding? Those will always remain his." During the press tour leading up to the release of Rogue One, Gareth Edwards said that he had seen a private screening of a 4K Restoration of Episode IV, but didn't say which version it was.

[O.Supreme]

^Thank You. I had totally forgotten about that. I actually owned episode I on VHS when it first came out in the super/jumbo box



I forgot the added scenes of racer intros in the Pod Race, and the landing Platform, you are correct. You see...that's why I had this question asked. .

Although I am satisfied with what I have now. I am interested to see what the future will hold if the deal between Disney and Fox does actually go through. I Don't mind the Special Additions so much, but I feel like the originals are almost becoming like the AIP dubs of some Godzilla films, people are forgetting them, and there is a large portion of younger fans that may have never seen them, which is why I had my son see those FIRST. At least I do have the 2008 DVD, even if its the last time we will ever see them, I'm glad I have it.

I remember back in 2005 the day after Thanksgiving, I went to a friends home that had a whole home-theater setup. Episode III had just come out on DVD a few weeks earlier, and we Marathoned all six films. We did it in 14 hours starting at around 11am that day and ending a little after 1am. That was hard enough. I cant imagine doing that again, let alone adding more films, and in a theater no less.

I don't see how people can watch say...all 12 Marvel Phase 1&2 films in one sitting, I have never watched more than 2 in a row. I *would* be up to the challenge of watching all 6 Hobbit/LOTR films *extended editions* all in one sitting. I know that would actually be about the same as 7 Star wars films, maybe a bit longer, but I'd do it. The only thing holding me back is, the Extended additions (at least of LOTR, not sure about The Hobbit) have never been released on a single disc, they are always broken up into 2 discs...and that just ruins the experience for me.

[canofhumdingers]

The 1993 Laserdisc has the 1981 “A New Hope” crawl. There were also numerous laserdisc releases of the original films and at least one laserdisc of the 1997 Special Edition, as well as a laserdisc of the theatrical version of The Phantom Menace.

The 2006 bonus dvds were the first time the original 1977 crawl was ever on an official home video release.

As for being content with the official bonus dvds of the theatrical cuts, dude you are missing out! The most recent versions of the Despecialized Editions are indiscernible from an officially produced Blu-ray.

Also, if you’re less inclined to watch a reconstruction and want something absolutely 100% fully authentic, there are HD copies of all three original films scanned directly from original 35mm prints. Star Wars Silver Screen Edition, and ESB & ROTJ Grindhouse Editions are all amazing. There are multiple versions of each, but the most cleaned-up/restored and best color corrected version of each is phenomenal! There’s also a 4K restoration of ANH going on (may be out already?)

As for how much better they look, they are LIGHTYEARS ahead of those old bonus dvds. Those are sourced from the old 1993 laserdisc master which is plagued with terrible DNR smearing. And they are SD 4x3 letterboxed, which means the actual image is comprised of less than 300 lines of resolution. Star Wars, like ANY film shot on 35mm looks GREAT in HD when properly transferred.

[Dai]

While I would love blu-rays of the theatrical cuts, I've always been able to live with the majority of the changes to the original trilogy, especially with Empire, which was almost all improvements. The only parts of A New Hope that really bug me are the goofy introduction to Mos Eisley and the Jabba the Hutt scene, but the latter was sensibly placed on its own chapter on the blu-ray, so it only takes a button press to skip it.

Return of the Jedi is the one special edition I can't stand. The early changes like Jedi Rocks and replacing Yub Nub were bad enough, especially the latter, since the new music and editing for the scene doesn't build to a satisfying crescendo like the theatrical cut. But the real deal-breaker is the blu-ray addition of Vader shouting when he turns on the emperor. That was the pivotal moment of the whole trilogy, and one of the best examples of Star Wars as a silent movie, with the visuals and music conveying all the emotion. And the blu-ray version ruins it with Vader yelling, "Nooooo!!" for no better reason than that someone has to yell, "Nooooo!!" in every Lucas Star Wars movie. So these days I watch the blu-ray up to the scene before that, then switch to the DVD.

[O.Supreme]

Just looking over the post I made earlier this year, as well as all the wonderful responses to make sure I didn't miss anything. I heard on a broadcast today (possibly partially facetiously), that "unless I find someone with a VCR, I cant watch the original Star Wars Trilogy", which is simply not true. We've gone over how the original trilogy, in their original form were released twice on DVD in North America (perhaps in other countries as well)...

Now while some may argue the *best possible source* was not used, still the fact remains that they are available. I have them, I would imagine most fans do also. When They are on TV, cable, etc... quite often, they are usually the special edition from 2014 (not sure if they use the Blu ray prints or not, since I've never actually seen the original films on Blu Ray) I understand that. While I get that the original Trilogy dvd's may be considered Out Of print, there's a HUGE difference to me between something being out of print, and impossible to obtain.

So basically, I guess what I'm asking is...Is it just the general lack of recent availability of the Original Films that perpetuates the myth that the average fan cant watch them, or is there something more I'm missing?