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Finally! Star wars original release

11K views 106 replies 42 participants last post by  RWetmore 
#1 ·
Ok, perhaps not quite a "finally" yet; however, the attached article discusses reports that prior to next years release of Star Wars VII, an unaltered original theatrical release of Star Wars will be released on Bluray.

https://www.yahoo.com/games/news/original-star-wars-trilogy-unaltered-002200388.html
 
#2 ·
This has been rumored using similar unverified sources about a million times before. Much as I'd love for something better than a shoddy twenty-plus-year-old Laserdisc transfer of these classic films to exist, wishing isn't the same as having. And this article is full of wishing.
 
#4 ·
I am not nearly so certain. The Star Wars property has not only been abandoned for twenty years, it has been actively scrubbed from the cultural memories of younger generations using an audacious bait-and-switch tactic. I'm not saying Disney won't do it, but the math isn't entirely in the favor of doing it. And the longer they wait, the less reason there is, as the actual Star Wars fanbase dies off, replaced by people who know only the Special Editions, and are only vaguely aware Star Wars existed.

And even if they do, I'm not sold on Disney's ability to do a respectful restoration, given their existing Blu-ray catalog. My guess is, if it's ever released at all, it'll be the 1981 video for Star Wars, and the 1993 audio mixes for all three films, possibly given some new surround remix on top of the already non-theatrical audio. Would they replace damaged footage with Special Edition footage, hoping nobody notices? Will they ship it off to Lowry to re-do the damage they inflicted in the SE's? There's a lot of ways this can go wrong, and without someone who actually deeply cares about the films in charge, I can see any of them happening rather easily.

Of course I'd love to be pleasantly surprised, but after waiting so long for a Blu-ray quality release (or, hell, I'd be happy with a DVD-quality release, rather than Laserdisc-quality-on-a-DVD), I think it's safe to say I'm jaded.
 
#6 ·
I am not nearly so certain. The Star Wars property has not only been abandoned for twenty years, it has been actively scrubbed from the cultural memories of younger generations using an audacious bait-and-switch tactic. I'm not saying Disney won't do it, but the math isn't entirely in the favor of doing it. And the longer they wait, the less reason there is, as the actual Star Wars fanbase dies off, replaced by people who know only the Special Editions, and are only vaguely aware Star Wars existed.

And even if they do, I'm not sold on Disney's ability to do a respectful restoration, given their existing Blu-ray catalog. My guess is, if it's ever released at all, it'll be the 1981 video for Star Wars, and the 1993 audio mixes for all three films, possibly given some new surround remix on top of the already non-theatrical audio. Would they replace damaged footage with Special Edition footage, hoping nobody notices? Will they ship it off to Lowry to re-do the damage they inflicted in the SE's? There's a lot of ways this can go wrong, and without someone who actually deeply cares about the films in charge, I can see any of them happening rather easily.

Of course I'd love to be pleasantly surprised, but after waiting so long for a Blu-ray quality release (or, hell, I'd be happy with a DVD-quality release, rather than Laserdisc-quality-on-a-DVD), I think it's safe to say I'm jaded.
Do you have kids?

The reason I ask is because my niece and nephew have been huge Star Wars fans since before they were even allowed to see the films. When he was about 5, my nephew wanted a "Dark [sic] Vader Light Saber" for Christmas. He couldn't wait until he was old enough that his parents would let him see the films...All of his young friends are SW fanatics.
 
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#5 ·
Still just a rumor and as always, I only believe it when I see an official announcement. That said I am sure it will happen one day simply because it will be a big money maker. The only thing I am uncertain about is if there will be a re-release of the current awful looking pq of Phantom Menace.
 
#13 ·
I'll just say that the following factors make me more hopeful than ever before:

1. Fox holds "permanent" rights only to A New Hope - Empire and Jedi only to 2020 ("You, like your father, are now MINE!")
2. Disney - as exemplified by the Marvel Studios acquisition - has been acutely receptive and responsive to the fanbase of its properties, delivering on promises previously though impossible ("Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm?")
3. Nothing precludes Disney from making a deal with Fox for a box set, except money, which both want to make ("1,000,000 spacebucks? That's unfair!")
4. While GL likely still has influence, he just isn't in legal control anymore ("If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will...")
5. The new trilogy will spark a massive resurgence in the popularity of the originals (unaltered or not) and if we get to 2020 and there is a strong desire for a 4K 9-film mega-collection, you can bet that Disney and Fox will make it work somehow to get that last bit of the puzzle. ("Han will have that shield down. We've got to give him more time!")
 
#16 ·
Same argument going on in Devin's article thread at Badass.

No, I don't have a citation for you I can point to. But everywhere you look, you will see that Fox owns the distribution rights. Not the copyright. The copyright to the film belonged to Lucasfilm, and now Disney. Fundamental to copyright is the right to make copies. Fox has a contract that says if copies are made, they get to do it.

You can tell me I am wrong, and I have no further argument to put forth, so if so, we'll leave it at disagreement. But neither have I seen any cogent argument that Fox can release new copies without Disney's permission. That is not what distribution rights means.
 
#17 ·
First you claimed IP and now copyright. Fox owns the copyright to the original SW film not Disney or Lucas. The other SW films are more debatable but the Lucas deal with Disney is about merchandising and future productions not the changing the rights, including copyrights, from Fox to Disney. I doubt you find any official source stating Disney has the actually copyrights to the rest of the SW films either until 2020 that is.
 
#20 ·
I'm the wacky one here; I firmly believe the redone versions are all I need, and this is from someone who saw it around seventeen times in the theater back in 1977.
The only thing they should have done imo, is "update" some of the visual effects so that they would be more consistent with the (now dated) prequels'. Changing/altering the story the way it's been done was an absurd move.
 
#27 ·
I'm going to go on a limb and say it will happen next year. They will restore the originals (from 4K) and you'll see them released at IMAX theaters prior to Episode 7 and before getting released on Blu-ray. I think there will be a big Star Wars marketing tie especially with the originals as Hamill, Ford, and Fisher are re-appearing in the new movie.

Since the Disney purchase, nothing changes really: Lucasfilm still produces the content and Fox will distribute it.
 
#30 ·
I agree with this and not just speaking from the standpoint of a fan. I just think it's time and they realize the opportunity to capitalize on fans buying it (again) is pretty much now or never. Now that being said, IMO, the only way it wouldn't happen (before EpVII) is there not being enough time to do a quality job on all of the movies. So then, they may roll it all into a big BD marketing push when EpVII gets released on BD. But I think they'll go all out in an effort to have a box set (Eps IV-VI) to release for Christmas and will include a ticket voucher for EpVII.

Regardless, I bought the last box set (along with previous versions) and I meant it when I said the ONLY way I would by another copy is if it's a fully restored original theatrical release. I think I can tolerate some updates to the visual effects but basically, I want what I saw back in 1977...78...79...you get the idea...yeah, I saw it a lot!
 
#36 ·
I look at it like this: there are two potential major release points for a remastered, more-or-less untouched OT on BD. One is indeed shortly before Episode VII is released. The other, and it's perhaps the real biggie, is 2017--ANH's 40th anniversary. Unless Lucas indeed has some sort of agreement in play with Disney to completely block it, they're going to make one of those timeframes; considering their general track record, honestly, I'm leaning towards 2017.
 
#37 ·
While dedicated Star Wars fans might 'rush' to purchase another variant of the Saga, I suspect that interest within the general population will be 'somewhat limited' . . . but might be boosted by a next-new-thing factor...

Three years should provide sufficient time for one or more of the currently arriving group of 3Daudio technologies to establish an installed consumer base.

I have not yet upgraded Episodes I-VI from DVD to BD . . . but I would certainly do so if new BDs are released with a 3Daudio soundtrack. :D
_
 
#39 ·
I have not yet upgraded Episodes I-VI from DVD to BD . . . but I would certainly do so if new BDs are released with a 3Daudio soundtrack. :D
_
Honestly, the included audio tracks may be one of the most compelling reasons why it's so popular compared to the Blu-rays. A snippet of the included audio tracks from the 2.5 release:

TRACK 1) 5.1 DTS-HD-MA [English] (1977 70mm six track mix)

TRACK 2) 2.0 DTS-HD-MA [English] (1977 35mm stereo mix)

TRACK 3) 1.0 DTS-HD-MA [English] (1977 35mm mono mix)

TRACK 4) 2.0 Dolby Digital [English] (1985 Laserdisc mix)

TRACK 5) 2.0 Dolby Digital [English] (1993 Laserdisc mix)

TRACK 6) 2.0 Dolby Digital [German] (1978 dub reconstruction)

TRACK 7) 2.0 Dolby Digital [French] (1977 dub)

TRACK 8) 2.0 Dolby Digital [Spanish] (1977 Castilian dub)

TRACK 9) 1.0 Dolby Digital [Spanish] (1980 Latino dub)

TRACK 10) 1.0 Dolby Digital [Portuguese] (1980s Brazilian dub)

TRACK 11) 2.0 Dolby Digital [Japanese] (1978 Dub)

TRACK 12) 2.0 Dolby Digital [Italian] (1977 dub)

TRACK 13) 2.0 Dolby Digital [Polish] (1995 Voiceover)

TRACK 14) 2.0 Dolby Digital [Czech] (1992 dub)

TRACK 15) 2.0 Dolby Digital [Hungarian] (1984 dub)

TRACK 16) 2.0 Dolby Digital [English] (1993 LD Audio Commentary - silence filled with 1993 LD 2.0)

TRACK 17) 2.0 Dolby Digital [English] (2004 DVD Audio Commentary - recut to fit this release)

TRACK 18) 2.0 Dolby Digital [English] (2004 starwars.com Audio Commentary - recut to fit this release)

TRACK 19) 2.0 Dolby Digital [English] (2011 BD Archival Interviews Audio Commentary - recut to fit this release)

TRACK 20) 2.0 Dolby Digital [Isolated Score] (Compiled by hairy_hen)

TRACK 21) 2.0 Dolby Digital [English] (Commentary For Visually Impaired)
 
#51 · (Edited)
Uh, OK?


The fact is the BD retail version resolves virtually no more than 720p resolution in terms of actual detail. The portions of the DeSpecialized edition sourced from the BD are virtually identical in resolvable detail to the BD version. The BD's were sourced from a master created for the DVD releases. Throw in the fact that the blacks are crushed horribly in the retail BD releases and very often the Despecialized edition actually displays far more detail.... and the color palette has been restored to the original theatrical color timing so the cast doesn't look like lobsters any more.
 
#61 · (Edited)
I was hoping we would have had the UOT released this year on Blu. Landis' supposed stated comments (which again were based on second hand) could mean a number of things not necessarily meaning the original unaltered movies are being properly restored for Blu-ray and perhaps UHD BD at some point. For all we know, it just might mean the current versions are coming for a limited theatrical run before the new movie (shrug).
 
#62 ·
If there was going to be an "any time soon" release of the OT as it once was, we would have known about it by now. Most likely, Disney has put up the cheese for a frame-by-frame restoration of the three films, using whatever elements they can get their hands on. Disney knows they will make whatever they put into it back in sales and then some, so I can see it happening. But I can't say for sure when that would be. My best guess would be after the new trilogy is completed, we'll see the release of the ORIGINAL Star Wars trilogy in UHD, much as we had to wait years for a DVD and BD release, when both formats reached their peaks.
 
#63 ·
Blu-Ray Software Question Regardin Star Wars Releases

Hey all, not sure if this has been discussed, so please forgive me if it has.

With the recent sort of "announcement" regarding Disney releasing the original Star Wars trilogy with no edits made me wonder if it was possible for some sort of super release where you could create your ultimate Star Wars movie?

For example with Star Wars: A New Hope. You could choose watching the cleaned up Special Edition version, with options to pop in original scenes on major edit points. So, you could choose the original intro scroll in the beginning, then have it go to the Special Edition part of the movie with the panning of the spaceships coming overhead, and then when you get to Obi-Wan Kenobi saving Luke, you have the original cut where it doesn't sound like Roger Rabbit going insane.

I hope that makes sense, but I didn't know if Blu-Ray software was at a point where things like that could be done without tons of load times that'd suck you out of watching the movie. If at all.
 
#64 · (Edited)
With the recent sort of "announcement" regarding Disney releasing the original Star Wars trilogy with no edits made me wonder if it was possible for some sort of super release where you could create your ultimate Star Wars movie?
Well, most of this is mooted by the fact that the rumored "no edits" release is simply not happening--except if you mean in the geological sense that these rumors that have been flying around for twenty years now and may actually come true in another fifty.

However, what you'd normally be referring to is seamless branching. i.e. you're watching stream 1 for the first 19 minutes, and then the disc jumps to stream 2 for a few more minutes, then back to stream 1 for a bit, then over to stream 3, without the user being aware of the change-overs. For other movies, this is technically possible. You can get alternate scenes taken in or out, etc, and it's just a matter of menu authoring to determine how fancy and convoluted you want the path to be.

The problem with Star Wars is that while people focus on fairly specific video and audio changes they don't like, every single frame of the film has been altered. Even in a scene where, superficially, nothing may look like it was changed, the jump in color timing would be jarring and obvious. Similarly the audio--even with no sound effects, music, or dialogue changes, the wildly differing mixing levels, EQ settings, etc would be rather awful to jump between.

For example, an original video frame would look more-or-less like this (reference):


...while a "this scene wasn't changed at all" Special Edition version of the frame looks like this:


Basically, an "original" version with the ability to switch between 77 crawl and 81 crawl, or 77 audio or 85 audio, etc, is completely doable. But the 97 changes changed so much, and the 04 changes even more so, that switching between pre-SE and SE isn't going to be pleasant, unless one of them is significantly altered to match the other.

But, on the positive side, a proper HD release of the original versions would not need any of the cleanup from the SE's--much of that "dated look" comes from the state of early 90's home video transfers, not from the actual film. If anything, the SE's will look much more dated than the originals--practical effects have a much longer shelf life than CGI.
 
#65 ·
This is my standing with the Star Wars films:
I love all 6.

This is how I would prefer them to be re-re-re-released on Blu-Ray:

They should release each movie Individually but include all versions of each movie that came out previously. For each film, add 2 distinct Blu-Ray Bonus Disks FILLED with Special Features to each movie. I want them to use all 50Gb on the Bonus Disks! Port over ALL Legacy Special Features! No Movie in this "set" gets The same Bonus Disk. They are all different from each other, like Harry Potter's "Creating the World of..." Disks
Pretty much, turn each film into a Blade Runner-Like Set!
Each set should be at least 6 Disks!

Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace - 6 Disks
- Theatrical Edition
- 2001 DVD Edition
- 2011 BD Edition
- 2015 BD Edition
- 3D Conversion
- 2 Bonus Features Disks

Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones - 7 Disks
- Theatrical Film Edition
- Theatrical Digital Edition
- IMax Edition
- 2002 DVD Edition
- 2011 BD Edition
- 2015 BD Edition
- 3D Conversion
- 2 Bonus Features Disks

Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - 6 Disks
- Theatrical
- 2005 DVD Edition
- 2011 BD Edition
- 2015 BD Edition
- 3D Conversion
- 2 Bonus Features Disks

Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope - 8 Disks
- Theatrical
- Red/Cyan 3D
- Special Edition
- 2004 DVD Edition
- 2011 BD Edition
- 2015 BD Edition
- 3D Conversion
- 2 Bonus Features Disks

Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back - 7 Disks
- Theatrical
- Special Edition
- 2004 DVD Edition
- 2011 BD Edition
- 2015 BD Edition
- 3D Conversion
- 2 Bonus Features Disks

Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi - 7 Disks
- Theatrical
- Special Edition
- 2004 DVD Edition
- 2011 BD Edition
- 2015 BD Edition
- 3D Conversion
- 2 Bonus Features Disks
 
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