STAR WARS

[c0ntr0lz]

i got the dvds yesterday and I watched all the extra stuff, about 3.5 hours of it.
now i'm watching the New Hope, and the movie seems a bit darker than i've seen on another of the other releases. It's really really clear too.
anyone else get it yet?

[CoolToolGuy]

I got it, but I put it on the shelf, still shrink-wrapped. I will get to it when I have some time.
Have you noticed many differences in this version? I thought I heard that details were changed in several scenes.

[c0ntr0lz]

no new scenes added to these, they are same as the 97 release

[Cadwell]

Yeah, I've got it. I watched the first movie a couple of nights ago. I haven't seen it since the '70s and I have to say that it hasn't aged well. Nice to see it out on DVD though.

[PacAce]

i got the dvds yesterday and I watched all the extra stuff, about 3.5 hours of it.
now i'm watching the New Hope, and the movie seems a bit darker than i've seen on another of the other releases. It's really really clear too.
anyone else get it yet?

I have the Trilogy on an LD boxset. Would the DVD version still be worth getting even if I already have it on LD?

[stopbath]

The DVD set is 5.1 sound, plus if the LD version is prior to the re-release of Star Wars where Lucas went and 'updated' some scenes you may wish to get the updated versions. (Some effects have been improved, he added more background/forground objects so some scenes are a bit more fleshed out instead of being sparce.) And it's got a single extra's disk. Really, it's only 4 hours... c'mon. That's all?

And it's not really that expensive for the four disks. :wink:

(Besides, when the episode 3 is finally released on dvd, you'll have a nice 10 dvd set of Star Wars (2 disks each for I, II and III, and 4 total for IV to VI) that you could watch in one huge StarWars DVD party... :shock:

My favourite 'extra' is the piece on R2-D2's career. (Episode II extra disk)

I have the VHS re-release set. But it's in full screen, so I've got a valid reason for the DVD set... :)

[PacAce]

The DVD set is 5.1 sound, plus if the LD version is prior to the re-release of Star Wars where Lucas went and 'updated' some scenes you may wish to get the updated versions. (Some effects have been improved, he added more background/forground objects so some scenes are a bit more fleshed out instead of being sparce.) And it's got a single extra's disk. Really, it's only 4 hours... c'mon. That's all?

And it's not really that expensive for the four disks. :wink:

(Besides, when the episode 3 is finally released on dvd, you'll have a nice 10 dvd set of Star Wars (2 disks each for I, II and III, and 4 total for IV to VI) that you could watch in one huge StarWars DVD party... :shock:

My favourite 'extra' is the piece on R2-D2's career. (Episode II extra disk)

I have the VHS re-release set. But it's in full screen, so I've got a valid reason for the DVD set... :)

Thanks for the update. I'll definitely put the DVD boxset on my list.

BTW, do you know if the sound also comes in DTS-ES?

[CoolToolGuy]

The DVD set is 5.1 sound, plus if the LD version is prior to the re-release of Star Wars where Lucas went and 'updated' some scenes you may wish to get the updated versions. (Some effects have been improved, he added more background/forground objects so some scenes are a bit more fleshed out instead of being sparce.) And it's got a single extra's disk. Really, it's only 4 hours... c'mon. That's all?

And it's not really that expensive for the four disks. :wink:

(Besides, when the episode 3 is finally released on dvd, you'll have a nice 10 dvd set of Star Wars (2 disks each for I, II and III, and 4 total for IV to VI) that you could watch in one huge StarWars DVD party... :shock:

My favourite 'extra' is the piece on R2-D2's career. (Episode II extra disk)

I have the VHS re-release set. But it's in full screen, so I've got a valid reason for the DVD set... :)

Thanks for the update. I'll definitely put the DVD boxset on my list.

BTW, do you know if the sound also comes in DTS-ES?

You will probably never see it in DTS, since George Lucas is the force (no pun intended) behind THX. It is listed on the box as 'Dolby 5.1 Surround EX', which I believe is a cooperative venture between THX and Dolby. I found the link below, but I don't know how current it is.
http://www.timefordvd.com/tutorial/SurroundSound.shtml

Have Fun,

[PacAce]

The DVD set is 5.1 sound, plus if the LD version is prior to the re-release of Star Wars where Lucas went and 'updated' some scenes you may wish to get the updated versions. (Some effects have been improved, he added more background/forground objects so some scenes are a bit more fleshed out instead of being sparce.) And it's got a single extra's disk. Really, it's only 4 hours... c'mon. That's all?

And it's not really that expensive for the four disks. :wink:

(Besides, when the episode 3 is finally released on dvd, you'll have a nice 10 dvd set of Star Wars (2 disks each for I, II and III, and 4 total for IV to VI) that you could watch in one huge StarWars DVD party... :shock:

My favourite 'extra' is the piece on R2-D2's career. (Episode II extra disk)

I have the VHS re-release set. But it's in full screen, so I've got a valid reason for the DVD set... :)

Thanks for the update. I'll definitely put the DVD boxset on my list.

BTW, do you know if the sound also comes in DTS-ES?

You will probably never see it in DTS, since George Lucas is the force (no pun intended) behind THX. It is listed on the box as 'Dolby 5.1 Surround EX', which I believe is a cooperative venture between THX and Dolby. I found the link below, but I don't know how current it is.
http://www.timefordvd.com/tutorial/SurroundSound.shtml

Have Fun,

Thanks for that little piece of info on the Dollby 5.1 EX. DD 5.1 EX is OK, too. What I was after was the encoded 6th (center rear) channel, either on DD 5.1 EX or DTS-ES.

[mvs]

no new scenes added to these, they are same as the 97 release

Actually Lucas did do some more fiddling with the movies before putting them on DVD. It's correct that there are no new scenes, but there are some changes....most of which make no sense and just give validity to the idea that George Lucas has gone insane.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/09/20/star.changes/

[stopbath]

no new scenes added to these, they are same as the 97 release

Actually Lucas did do some more fiddling with the movies before putting them on DVD. It's correct that there are no new scenes, but there are some changes....most of which make no sense and just give validity to the idea that George Lucas has gone insane.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/09/20/star.changes/
Ok, so he made some additional changes. Where is it written a movie can not be altered by it's creator? I think it's great that the 97 version has been tweeked again. Makes buying the DVD set much more valid... You're not just buying a new format of what you already had, you're buying a new edition.

No one complains when a book is updated by the author to correct errors, or tweak the story line.

[PacAce]

no new scenes added to these, they are same as the 97 release

Actually Lucas did do some more fiddling with the movies before putting them on DVD. It's correct that there are no new scenes, but there are some changes....most of which make no sense and just give validity to the idea that George Lucas has gone insane.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/09/20/star.changes/

George Lucas had a vision when he created Star Wars. When the movies were completed, they were edited (and not necessarily by him) so that they would sell tickets. However, the edited versions of the movies were not what he had envisioned when he started out making the movies so, for his DVD releases, he went back and made them what he wanted them to be. So, can someone explain to me where the insanity part comes into play here, please?

[CyberDyneSystems]

Wow.. are we going to fight over Lucas' sanity? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


He's a creative genius.. of course he's crazy as a footbal bat! It goes with the territory! :lol: :lol: :lol:

[mvs]

I should have been more specific....

I have no problem with Lucas releasing a new version of his films every few years. He made them, he's got the right. The thing that is so irritating (and insane to me) is that he's specifically said that he'll never release the original versions on DVD (or any other new digital media I believe).
His response to one reporters question about this was met with the comment that "the original versions of the films no longer exist", or something along that lines.

Myself, I prefer the original version of the films. Yeah the special effects weren't that special, but that's what makes the movies what they are (in my eyes) It just seems silly that VHS is as good as it'll get. I think he'd make an a$$load more money if he'd released the originals and the special editions on DVD at the same time. They both have their audiences.

It just seems very eccentric that he would act like the original versions of the film are an embarrassment to him since they reached the popularity they have in that form. It's not like the movies got their cult following after the '97 special editions. It had been like that all along.

[PacAce]

I should have been more specific....

I have no problem with Lucas releasing a new version of his films every few years. He made them, he's got the right. The thing that is so irritating (and insane to me) is that he's specifically said that he'll never release the original versions on DVD (or any other new digital media I believe).
His response to one reporters question about this was met with the comment that "the original versions of the films no longer exist", or something along that lines.

Myself, I prefer the original version of the films. Yeah the special effects weren't that special, but that's what makes the movies what they are (in my eyes) It just seems silly that VHS is as good as it'll get. I think he'd make an a$$load more money if he'd released the originals and the special editions on DVD at the same time. They both have their audiences.

It just seems very eccentric that he would act like the original versions of the film are an embarrassment to him since they reached the popularity they have in that form. It's not like the movies got their cult following after the '97 special editions. It had been like that all along.

OK, I can see where you're coming from, but I can also see the artist in Lucas. As an artist, he wants his work done just right, the way he wants it. Not the way someone else dictated it because it made more business sense.

Thanks for the clarification. :)

[chris.bailey]

I just bought the DVD box set. My kids love it and of course I have to sit and watch it with them :lol: Given the age of them I think they have done well

[c0ntr0lz]

i heard tonight that at the end of return of the jedi that they took out the Anakin Skywalker that they used in the 70s and put in Hayden Christensen when they show the yoda, ben and Anakin.



read the cnc article
this is what i'm talking about
But the most noticeable change -- and perhaps one some "Star Wars" diehards will have a tough time stomaching -- is Hayden Christensen (who plays young Anakin in the prequel trilogy) now appearing in the scene where the "force ghosts" of Anakin, Obi Wan, and Yoda smile at Luke. One thing's for sure, there's plenty for fans to debate -- that is, until the trilogy comes out yet again on another format in the future and Mr. Lucas makes his inevitable changes ...

[stopbath]

i heard tonight that at the end of return of the jedi that they took out the Anakin Skywalker that they used in the 70s and put in Hayden Christensen when they show the yoda, ben and Anakin.
...

I haven't seen (or bought) the newest release yet, but I can see where that update comes from.

Obi Wan had said that Anakin died when Anakin became Darth Vader. Therefore the ghost of Anakin the Jedi is representative of the 'true self' of Anakin, and not just the body at time of death. Yes it's an odd change, but I can see the merit of the change.

As for the sanity statement: I feel it is improper to link unusual creative methods or objectives to mental defect. It would be best to say something like "I don't understand what this is all about." or "I don't like this."

Remember that the original movies were hampered by the limited technology available and that they did not match his vision for them. I suppose that the '97 version is the first time the movies have been "good enough" and now there is no need to release the "work in progess" versions again.


For a great example of how a "new" version of a movie is worse then the "original" check out the restored "A Star is Born" starring Judy Garland. The film has been restored to it's original length by adding scenes cut out. Now some scenes cut dragged the movie out, so now the new version drags in spots, but worse is that not all added scenes had the visual portion remaining. Yes, you hear Judy and the others, and watch a slide show of some snapshot of rehearsals of that scene... Talk about utterly destroying the flow in a movie... But this is not all... The short version is not even present on the DVD in any form! You only get to see the movie as it was NEVER intended... (the creators never intended audio over snapshots...) In this example, the extended version should NOT replace the 'original.' It's a shameful DVD.

[c0ntr0lz]

I finally watched the Return of the Jedi and they did switch him. It looks good but Hayden kinda moved too much standing there. it drew too much attention from the scene.

I watched all 3 with the commentary on and it's quite kool.

[Hellashot]

Are you sure these recent DVD releases are the original scenes? A while ago they advertised that "this will be the last time you can ever buy the original releases" anything beyind that would be Lucas' messed up "special edition" with modified scenes.

The most modified scene I heard about that has big fans pissed was making Greedo fire first at Han Solo in the bar to give the "self defense" reason to Han, where in the original Han fired first.

I will have to make sure everything is the original scenes, with only cleaning up of the quality.

[theflyingkiwi]

the dvd box set is not a copy of the orignal movies, and I think you will find that you will never see a copy, unless the man himself dies and someone else wonts to make some more money :)

I have watched the new movies and desipte the extra things added in to the movie, they don't in anyway effect the feel and the way the movie flows.

BTW the movies look and sound great.

I am disapointed tho with the extras. If they can do 1 single LOTR movie + extras on 4 disks then why are 3 movies only getting 1 extra disks with not much on it. I would have like to seen more about the movies. the effects on people etc.

Ohh well. I have got my box set and if another one comes out in a few years I know that I wont be getting it.

[c0ntr0lz]

so are yall seeing the re-releases for the first time?
they've been out since 97.
I own the orignals(VHS), the re-release(VHS 97) and now the DVDs.

when watching the Return of the Jedi, when they were at the Field Generator and all the Ewoks were there, Lucas said "We would probably have done all these guys in Digital today." That just relaly turned me off to this Digital BS. I mean come on, the digital stuff still stands out like a sore thumb and still looks like crap. I didn't really like seeing Yoda bounce around like a damn pinball in a pinball machine, it's great if you can imagine something but geees don't push it too far.

[Kinger]

There is one thing that has been bothering me with this DVD set ever since I opened it, and it has nothing to do with the actual movies, it is the case. Does it bother anyone else that the very top of the box kinda just flaps about, to me it seems very cheap. I would have preffered a simple sleave or something, but it just doesn't seem right.

Ok, I admit it, I am being Anal. :oops:

[c0ntr0lz]

i pulled mine off