Star Wars Trilogy Edition DVD

lance · Post by **lance** » Sep 26th 2004, 7:58 pm

Well its finally here.

The Lucas 2nd revised edition of the Star Wars trilogy is finally here. So what do you think. Have or are you going to by this version on DVD?

You can read the digital bits review here: http://www.thedigitalbits.com/reviews3/ ... ilogy.html

Currently having more money than time, I did buy it. Do I still want the original trilogy as seen in the theaters? Do I still want the original Star Wars that I stood out in the cold winter of 1978 waiting to see. Absolutely. Do I think we will every get to see it on a legitimate Fox produced DVD while Lucas is still in the land of the living? Unfortunately not.

I picked up the trilogy based on the notion of seeing as much of the orignial trilogy as possible before Lucas puts out yet another version sometime in the not too distant future. Perhaps replacing Mark Hamil with a Gungan (shudder).

-LanceMan

fnordboy · Post by **fnordboy** » Sep 27th 2004, 5:14 pm

I picked it up on release day.

I'm such a geek

So far I have only watched ANH and the doc, but the image is very nice. I hate the audio problems, but I can deal with them. A few of the changes I don't like, but since I only saw the 97 version once I can't tell what is new-new or old-new

I already have the originals on DVD so

to you Lucas, but I had to get this version too since I am a completist and a masochist

Post by **Natasha (candygirl)** » Sep 27th 2004, 5:18 pm

You're my kind of geek though baby!

I'm just waiting for my paycheck this Friday so I can go buy it too. You guys know I'm usually down at Cost Co on New Release Tuesday because I'm all about instant gratification.

Nothingman · Post by **Nothingman** » Sep 27th 2004, 5:20 pm

I'm working through ANH right now, but I am very impressed at the image quality, and the new-new Jabba looks much better than the old-new, but it still doesn't match the original Jabba.

emmie · Post by **emmie** » Sep 27th 2004, 5:35 pm

please forgive me, but I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to Star Wars. but I've heard about how things are different from the original, and my question is why? are the changes just to make the special effects better? or are they changes for the sake of changes? I'm just curious.

fnordboy · Post by **fnordboy** » Sep 27th 2004, 5:54 pm

fnordboy · Post by **fnordboy** » Sep 27th 2004, 5:55 pm

Seriously though I am just leaving work now so I don't have the time to answer your question emmie. I will later though.

Megs · Post by **Megs** » Sep 27th 2004, 6:43 pm

Interesting articles:

http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/ ... index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/ ... index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/ ... index.html

I love the last article. Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill crack me up.

But to answer your question, basically it comes down to this: It's all about George Lucas.

This is what he said on why he didn't re-release the originals:

I'm not going to spend the, we're talking millions of dollars here, the money and the time to refurbish that, because to me, it doesn't really exist anymore. It's like this is the movie I wanted it to be, and I'm sorry you saw half a completed film and fell in love with it. But I want it to be the way I want it to be.

I love Star Wars, so I was so excited to get the trilogy on DVD. My husband has had it on VHS (the original!) for years, but never let me open it up to watch it.

So, the only time I watched it was when it was on TV around the holidays. Man, I love those movies.

emmie · Post by **emmie** » Sep 27th 2004, 10:01 pm

fnordboy wrote:

LOL! yeah, I don't really need an indepth explanation. I was just confused as to why people were talking about the originals and the newly released DVDs as being different. I remember when E.T. was released on DVD and Spielberg changed a few minor things and added a scene or two. so I was just wondering if it was the same thing, or if Lucas drastically changed or edited the films.

thanks to megs for a simple answer!

Post by **Natasha (candygirl)** » Sep 27th 2004, 11:33 pm

With E.T., Drew Barrymore is very anti-gun (which is why in the Charlie's Angels movies the good guys fight without any guns) and Steven Spielberg is her godfather. The story when E.T. was released on DVD is that Drew begged him to get rid of the guns. Another story is that Spielberg regretted using guns in the movie. In any case, the guns were digitally altered and now all the government guys are carrying walkie talkies.

With Star Wars, George Lucas added some scenes as well as adding stuff to existing scenes. To people like me who grew up watching the movie a certain way, adding anything (even background characters walking by) would be like you seeing your favorite movie and out of nowhere, you see elephants tap dancing behind the main characters. It's very obvious if you have seen the movie a lot, and many people (like me) thought it was a useless waste of money.

fnordboy · Post by **fnordboy** » Sep 28th 2004, 1:53 am

emmie wrote:LOL! yeah, I don't really need an indepth explanation. I was just confused as to why people were talking about the originals and the newly released DVDs as being different. I remember when E.T. was released on DVD and Spielberg changed a few minor things and added a scene or two. so I was just wondering if it was the same thing, or if Lucas drastically changed or edited the films.

thanks to megs for a simple answer!

I do not consider the ET changes to be minor at all, thankfully Spielberg had the common sense to also include the original version with the modified version.

As for Lucas... Realistically they are his films he can do what ever he wants with them, but to not release the original cuts on DVD is just ridiculous. Fans have been begging for these since DVD was born. A lot of people would just be happy with the VHS transfers thrown onto DVDs. He keeps talking about how they are already out there on VHS so the fans can just buy those. That is just bulls**t IMO. VHS is a format that slowly decays even while you are not watching it. Having them sit on your shelf is deteriorating them.

In '97 when he re-released the trilogy in the theaters he altered a fair amount of things. Added background, fixed effects, added scenes (Han Solo meeting with Jabba in Mos Eisley), altered existing scenes (Greedo shooting first blasphemy), etc. Majority of fans were not happy. Lucas didn't care.

So now he makes this DVD release allegedly to appease the fans who were crying for the OT on DVD. Decides he needs to make more edits and "fix" continuity errors that stem from Episodes I, II and the upcoming III. There will be another set in a few years that will be even more edited and "updated" from my understanding. He redid some effects and was supposed to fix the problem with the lightsabers colors. He also tried (and I use that loosely) to appease the fans with making Greedo and Han shoot almost simutaneously.... still looks like (and is!) crap IMO.

The main problem I have with the changes are that Lucas has digressed from making a decent serious trilogy of films to now making them into kid movies like Ep. I and II. Some of the added things are just so cartoony and "funny", like people falling off of the animals they are riding and cute little creatures etc. All of this was unnecessary. And Lucas' reasoning is crap. He says that the movies weren't what he wanted them to be because of budget restraints and tech limitations of the time. Ummm, what tech. limitation was there on having Greedo shoot first? Or why not put more cutesy things in the movies 20+ years ago?

He also has F'd up the sound so dialogue goes muddy every now and then and totally screwed with the score in ANH so it is not nearly as effective as it once was. Also there is supposedly problems with the surround sound set up (left/right channels flipped at times). Also the coloring of the lightsabers is STILL not consistent at all.

It is a piss poor release when you look at these things. On the other hand, I have never seen the Trilogy look as clean and crisp as it does on this set. It is worth owning, but I fully recommend ebaying for the OT in it's unedited form.

I am sure if GaryEA stumbles out of his hermit cave he will have a lot too add to this thread

He is not too happy about some of the changes and screw ups.

We have spent quite a while bitching about these discs like the good little fanboys we are

fnordboy · Post by **fnordboy** » Sep 28th 2004, 1:55 am

I forgot I wanted to add Lucas Film's statement about the audio glitches...err. .. I mean deliberate changes to the audio mix...

"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."

Lucas is like Bush, he won't own up to anything....

emmie · Post by **emmie** » Sep 28th 2004, 9:16 pm

my two cents: simply put, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. obviously people have loved the Stars Wars films since they came out. they loved them for what they were. all films can be made better or altered to death. but at some point you have to let it be.

wicked · Post by **wicked** » Sep 28th 2004, 9:28 pm

emmie wrote:please forgive me, but I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to Star Wars. but I've heard about how things are different from the original, and my question is why? are the changes just to make the special effects better? or are they changes for the sake of changes? I'm just curious.

snerk, my hubbys in it...thats one difference.
Having worked for George I absolutely refuse to buy the new DVD set ( yes I will break donw for th hubster

)...the man has more money than GOD, and he's still sucking the marrow out of any bones left in the Star Wars corpse.

sorry did I get a little heated there?

lance · Post by **lance** » Sep 28th 2004, 11:58 pm

wicked wrote:
emmie wrote:please forgive me, but I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to Star Wars. but I've heard about how things are different from the original, and my question is why? are the changes just to make the special effects better? or are they changes for the sake of changes? I'm just curious.
snerk, my hubbys in it...thats one difference.
Having worked for George I absolutely refuse to buy the new DVD set ( yes I will break donw for th hubster )...the man has more money than GOD, and he's still sucking the marrow out of any bones left in the Star Wars corpse.

sorry did I get a little heated there?

Not a problem, vent away.

All of this just gives me more respect for people like Peter Jackson. You want to buy the theater release of ROK, no problem you don't have to buy a Director's cut or extended edition. You have a choice.

From a glass is half full perspective I agree the trilogy looks extremely good.

Why on God's green earth Lucas messed with the musical score on Star Wars, I will never understand.

-LanceMan

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