Original STAR WARS on DVD by reginaroadie

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Original STAR WARS on DVD

POSTED BY: REGINAROADIE
UPDATED: Saturday, May 6, 2006 05:23
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VIEWED: 3634
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Thursday, May 4, 2006 2:58 AM

Here's a recent story over at darkhorizons.com that's sure to make some SW purists happy.

The Star Wars Official Site reports that in response to overwhelming demand, Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will release attractively priced individual two-disc releases of "Star Wars", "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi". Each release includes the 2004 digitally remastered special edition version of the movie, as well as the original theatrical edition of the film. That means you'll be able to enjoy Star Wars as it first appeared in 1977, Empire in 1980, and Jedi in 1983.

See the title crawl to Star Wars before it was known as Episode IV; see the pioneering, if dated, motion control model work on the attack on the Death Star; groove to Lapti Nek or the Ewok Celebration song like you did when you were a kid; and yes, see Han Solo shoot first. This release will only be available for a limited time: from September 12th to December 31st. International release will follow on or about the same day. Each original theatrical version will feature Dolby 2.0 Surround sound, close-captioning, and subtitles in English, French and Spanish for their U.S. release. International sound and subtitling vary by territory.

"Over the years, a truly countless number of fans have told us that they would love to see and own the original version that they remember experiencing in theaters," said Jim Ward, President of LucasArts and Senior Vice President of Lucasfilm Ltd. "We returned to the Lucasfilm Archives to search exhaustively for source material that could be presented on DVD. This is something that we're very excited to be able to give to fans in response to their continuing enthusiasm for Star Wars. Topping it off with a new interactive adventure makes September 12 a red-letter day for Star Wars fans."

Personally, I was waiting for them to release all six films in like a 30th anniversary box so that I could pick them up in one fall swoop, but this certainly changes everything.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"There's only one "Return" ok, and it ain't "of the King", it's "of the Jedi."

"Maybe we should start calling your friend 'Padme' because he loves 'Mannequin Skywalker' so much, Right? (imitating robot) Danger...danger...my name is Anakin...my shitty acting is ruining saga."

Excerpt of internet teaser for CLERKS 2.

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Thursday, May 4, 2006 7:06 AM

SICKDUDE

Shininess!!! Thanks for the info.

"I am your father, Luke. Give in to the Dark Side, you nob!" - Doug McKenzie

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Thursday, May 4, 2006 7:53 AM

BARCLAY

I wonder how The Empore... George Lucas feels about this. Regardless, great news indeed.

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Thursday, May 4, 2006 8:12 AM

STORYMARK

Quote:
Originally posted by Barclay:
I wonder how The Empore... George Lucas feels about this. Regardless, great news indeed.

It's not like it would happen without his say-so.

Personally, I believe that this was the plan from the get-go. Lucas' filmmaking skills might be debateable (I like him, but know there are lots who don't), but one thing he's always been good at is milking his franchise for every cent possible. Not releasing the original versions, after such a massive fan outcry for them, would have been letting millions of dollars that fans are more than willing to spend just sit there.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Thursday, May 4, 2006 8:56 AM

KEYOKE

As a Star Wars fan im starting to feel like im being taken advantage of. I mean, there was the Original video release, another one after that... then the whole "last chance" thing... the Special Editions came out... then the box sets. Then ep 1 - 3, then the DVD sets, and now the classic DVDs?

He seems to be trying his damnedest to think up ways to make us part with more money.

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Thursday, May 4, 2006 10:07 AM

LAUGHINGMUSE

Of course he's thinking up ways to make us part with more money. And in about five or ten years, there will be the ultimate customizable DVD release where you can sub in whichever versions of whichever scenes you want, and create your own trilogy.

INDULGE your nostalgic self.
SEE the version where Han shot first.
REGRESS to a time when the world was wonderful, the heroes were all pure of heart, and George Lucas's dialogue was good.

I never bought any of the others simply because I was holding out for this version. I was 7 when I saw the original Star Wars, and 13 when I saw it and thought, "These special effects suck" (and was instantly horrified to realize that I was growing old). The remastered versions were nice, but just didn't have that same feeling. Mos Eisley felt much more like the ass-end of nowhere without the crowded streets. And I loathe the Praxis Effect when the Death Star explodes.

That close to Serenity Day II...is anyone else going to have a Compare/Contrast Viewing (Star Wars, then Serenity), or am I the only one geeky enough to do that?

---------------------------------
Mankind makes tools; we use them to augment our hands, arms and legs.
The computer augments the brain and this makes it very unpopular with totalitarians. - Charles J.C. Lyall

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Thursday, May 4, 2006 10:30 AM

STORYMARK

Taken advantage of? Don't buy them.

Some people just want to bash Lucas to bash Lucas.

For the last couple of years, people have been complaining about what a jerk he is for not releasing the original versions on DVD. Now that he is: What a jerk! He's trying to rip us off!

And of course this will not be the last release of the films in some form or another. It's silly to think it is. Just like there will be subsequent re-releases of Lord of the Rings, Indianna Jones and Serenity - be it as new-fangled special editions, or in a new format (As has just happened with Serenity).

Yes, it's being done to make money. Every single release out there is intended to make money - or they wouldn't charge for them. To think otherwise is naieve. It's a business Lucas has proven to be very good at - and he puts it to good use. Practically every advancement in filmmaking technology in the last 30 years, especially in the real of digital production - from digital editing(which started with Jedi), to Pixar(which Lucas started), to the camera used to shoot Superman Returns(designed for Ep. 3) can be traced back to Lucas.

It just happens that this time, the money-grabbing scheme happens to be what a huge number of fans were asking (even petitioning) for. I don't see how that's so terrible.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Thursday, May 4, 2006 10:47 AM

KEYOKE

I never said it was terrible. It's good that he's giving the fans what they want, but it does seem that he's going to carry on living on people who will buy essentially what they've already got.

I personally won't be buying it. I have the originals on Video - yes, ok less quality than a DVD, but it's nostalgic... like 7" Vynals. I have the Special Editions on DVD.

----------------
"We feel the pain of a lifetime lost in a thousand days,
Through the fire and the flames we carry on"

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Thursday, May 4, 2006 10:54 AM

STORYMARK

Quote:
Originally posted by Keyoke:
I never said it was terrible. It's good that he's giving the fans what they want, but it does seem that he's going to carry on living on people who will buy essentially what they've already got.

I personally won't be buying it. I have the originals on Video - yes, ok less quality than a DVD, but it's nostalgic... like 7" Vynals. I have the Special Editions on DVD.

----------------
"We feel the pain of a lifetime lost in a thousand days,
Through the fire and the flames we carry on"

Sorry, wasn't trying to make it personal. I went off of your post, but I was speaking to a general attitude I've seen on this and other boards.

I'll probably buy them - 'cause I'm a sheep... er, completist. I'm annoyed that I'll be paying for the Special Editions as well, since I already have those. I'll likely just give them away, though.

I know what you mean about the nostagia of video, though. I am still sitting on a shrink-wrapped widescreen video set of the non-special editions.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Thursday, May 4, 2006 11:08 AM

KEYOKE

Nothing like watching a video. Specially with the fuzzy white bits left in where you've paused it for too long.

----------------
"We feel the pain of a lifetime lost in a thousand days,
Through the fire and the flames we carry on"

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Friday, May 5, 2006 3:08 PM

J6NGO1977

I have all 3 original episodes on video complete with green tones. LOL. I try to keep em dark and cool as theytll sell for a bundle on Ebay. LOL. However why does George not release for example STar Wars special edition with original cinema release together. I think he sould have done that years ago when he released the 'special editions'

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Friday, May 5, 2006 4:53 PM

SOOTHSAYER

I have to agree with some folks here, we are just being taken advantage of. We all knew back then when he came out with the update editions first, that eventually the originals would come out later. And they have been banking that people would buy both sets! If you want to part with that money, then by all means. But if you already have the special editions, I cannot understand why you would...

I am pretty much through with Star Wars. They are nice for a nostalgic trip, but do not have the depth that Firefly has, or even other new movies/series in the scifi world for that matter. Time to move on...

"And I believe there's a power greater than men. A power that heals."

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Friday, May 5, 2006 5:17 PM

ROLAND19

Quote:
Originally posted by LaughingMuse:

REGRESS to a time when George Lucas's dialogue was good.

Now, wait a second, let's not get carried away here.

Harrison Ford: "George, you can write this sh*t, but you can't say it!"

-------------------------------------------------
The hardest thing in this world is to live in it. - Buffy

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Friday, May 5, 2006 6:23 PM

REGINAROADIE

Yeah, that's one thing that people seem to forget. The original STAR WARS when it first came out wasn't completely greeted with open arms. And George has admitted that writing has never been his strongest suit. He wrote like thirty drafts of A NEW HOPE before finally getting to the flick we all know and love. Lucas has always been a better editor and visualist director than a writer/director like Whedon. Think about it. The only part anyone liked about PHANTOM MENACE was the pod race, REVENGE OF THE SITH's most memorable moment was the Order 66 montage (which I think is a slight homage to the baptism scene from the first GODFATHER flick by his friend and mentor Francis Ford Coppola) and the final lightsaber battle between Anakin and Obi-Wan. No words. Just visuals.

He's always said that when STAR WARS was over (or at least can go on without him), he would want to make more experimental films like THX-1138. And today over at HSX, a new stock came up for what's supposed to be his next movie. It's a war film called RED TAILS. This is the description for it.

After wrapping up the Star Wars saga, George Lucas plans to next direct his passion project Red Tails. The war film tells the dramatic story of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African-American pilots to fly in a combat squadron during the Second World War.

I dunno. It doesn't sound like him, but I think after all the stress and agita of the last ten years with the prequel trilogy, maybe he needs to just get as far away from STAR WARS as possible and this could be it.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"There's only one "Return" ok, and it ain't "of the King", it's "of the Jedi."

"Maybe we should start calling your friend 'Padme' because he loves 'Mannequin Skywalker' so much, Right? (imitating robot) Danger...danger...my name is Anakin...my shitty acting is ruining saga."

Excerpt of internet teaser for CLERKS 2.

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Saturday, May 6, 2006 2:53 AM

JONUS

This is why I rent movies and burn copies of them. It happens with every movie. Standard editions - Special 2-Disc editions - Deluxe Boxed Sets...on and on and on. DVD's are a complete waste of money. The industry is an evil empire. It's my way of stickin' it to them.

Edit: So I don't get bitched at, I do own Firefly and Serenity. There.

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Saturday, May 6, 2006 4:27 AM

LAUGHINGMUSE

Quote:
Originally posted by Roland19:
Quote:
Originally posted by LaughingMuse:

REGRESS to a time when George Lucas's dialogue was good.

Now, wait a second, let's not get carried away here.

That's actually *us* regressing to a time when, to us...yeah. (I was the ripe old age of six when I saw SW. Six-year-old me wasn't too discriminating of dialogue, especially when slack-jawed and drooling over the overall story and the effects.)

---------------------------------
Mankind makes tools; we use them to augment our hands, arms and legs.
The computer augments the brain and this makes it very unpopular with totalitarians. - Charles J.C. Lyall

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Saturday, May 6, 2006 5:23 AM

JAKE7

Well, I hate to say it, but I'll probably buy this set (if I have the money -- I've still not found a job and it's been 6 months!) The release date happens to be my birthday, so maybe I can con a family member into getting me that for my present.

I was just lamenting the other day that I only had the Original version on tape and Laserdisc (yes, I still have the player and it still works!) and how much I'd like to have the GOOD version on DVD. There are only a couple of things I really liked about the special editions, but mostly, I disliked the changes.

It's such a pain to have to flip the LD over at crucial moments, so I am quite happy to hear that I can get DVDs and the rest can be set aside as collector's items! LOL

--------------
MAL: Everybody's makin' a fuss.
***********
"They just float out there, sending out raver breeding parties..."

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