Original, non-SE Trilogy to be released on DVD

[Shawn]

This was just posted on the Classic Horror Film Board by David Colton, editor of USA TODAY:

Original Star Wars back: Han Solo shoots first! (Again...) We're reporting tomorrow that Lucas is releasing the three ORIGINAL Star Wars films -- without the digital tweaks and effects -- on DVD after all. And, once again, Han Solo will be shown shooting first.

I had a bit of this wrong in the original posting, so lemme try again:

-- As we all know, in the original STAR WARS, Han Solo pulls his gun and shoots Greedo in the Cantina scene.

-- When the film was restored and digitally tweaked for a new theatrical run, Lucas added a moment where Greedo fires first, misses, and then Solo shoots Greedo. As if it was self-defense.

-- Fans objected, and when the film hit DVD in 2004, Lucas tweaked it yet AGAIN, and this time Solo and Greedo shot simultaneously.

-- In the upcoming DVD (due in September), the original scene is back. Greedo warns about Jabba, Solo tries to wave him off and then pulls his gun and shoots Greedo dead.

By the way, the story says the transfer of the 'original' version will not be as pristine and scrubbed as the restored DVDs. In fact, at one point there was talk the originals no longer existed.

Anyhow, once we publish (in USA TODAY), tomorrow, I'll post the entire storyTake it with a grain of salt until we (hopefully) get confirmation tomorrow.

Personally, I can live with the changes on the current DVD release if only for the new transfer.

[Nathanial K'cansce]

http://www.starwars.com/episode-iv/release/video/news20060503.html

Looks like it's golden.

I really don't like this move on Lucas's part. I'm going to buy it and live withit, but I don't have to like it.

[Shawn]

It'll have the 2004 release, and the unaltered OT? http://dark_god7.home.mindspring.com/emot/emot-argh.gif

[Lilaena De'Ville]

wtf both!?

GRR

[Nathanial K'cansce]

Yea. I want to say someone had to have seen this coming. But Lucasfilm was intent on saying they would never EVER release the originals ever again.

Lies and deciet. My wallet will hurt forever more. :(

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Money I could have spent on gas.

[Shawn]

I'll be waiting for the ultra ultimate extreme box set that has all 6 movies in HD including the OT. :\

[Lilaena De'Ville]

with all three editions

[Nathanial K'cansce]

+ clones wars vols 1 & 2

[Jaime Tomahawk]

HAH! I saved my money on the DVD's just waiting for exactly this!

[JMK]

Well those who wanted the unaltered versions have no choice but to shut up now. They're getting what they wanted, even if it means getting the 2004 release. Again.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

I won't be buying this. Trivial littles thingslike who shoots first don't bother me in the slightest. I already have one boxset, I don't need another.

[JMK]

I don't know if I'll be getting them. I probably will, just for the sake of having it. A waste of $$ I know as it will probably see the light of day at some other point down the line. I'm really only interested in the story that Lucas puts out there and establishes as the official Star Wars canon.

[Darth McBain]

Originally posted by JMK
I don't know if I'll be getting them. I probably will, just for the sake of having it.

Same here. I'm glad they released it, but they should have done it standalone, not lumped in with another copy of the 2004 versions. And I wish they had let on that this was going to happen - their official word for the longest time was that you'll never see these again, and yet here we are...

I don't know if I'm happy or ticked about this - probably a little bit of both - but I guess I'll probably end up getting them...

[Jedieb]

YES!!!!!!!!!!

My son has already worn out and destroyed the packaging on the last DVD release so this is welcome news for me. I'll be gettng this one just for myself and the boy won't be able to get within 10 yards of it. >D

[Figrin D'an]

I have my laserdisc rips of the originals that I put onto DVD, that will suffice. I'm done giving money to Lucasfilm for a while.

[JMK]

Damn you and your willpower!

[Jedi Master Carr]

I am not planning on buying it, I don't really mind the changes either way.

[Crystal]

Hahaha. I knew there was some reason why I wasn't buying the first boxset. I just wasn't that excited to buy it.. but this... I'm getting it!

[Sanis Prent]

I'll wait till they release them all in the mega-duper-penultimate edition 5000. I've got all six movies in some incarnation on DVD so I'm set for a few years ;)

[Shawn]

It almost seems pointless to me to buy them at this point, since the next gen formats are on the horizon (HD-DVDs are already being sold in stores), and you just know the movies are going to be re-released on whatever format wins.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

I just read this over at SomethingAwful. Apparently it's taken from somewhere called 'digital bits':

We've confirmed something that we'd begun to suspect... and it's probably going to disappoint a lot of you. It certainly disappoints us here at The Bits. Those new DVD editions of the Star Wars films? The original theatrical versions of the films are going to be non-anamorphic (our original post on this indicated otherwise, but we have confirmed that the widescreen versions will be letterboxed only). What this likely means is that Lucasfilm has simply re-purposed the non-anamorphic transfers that were done for previous laserdisc and VHS releases of the "original" versions of the films. And with that, our enthusiasm for this DVD release has just dropped through the floor. Anamorphic-enhanced versions of the theatrical editions, we'd buy in a heartbeat. But what we're going to get instead is little better than a ported-over laserdisc. In this day and age, releasing a widescreen film without anamorphic enhancement on DVD is just unacceptable. Does Lucasfilm really think fans want those versions of the films on DVD so badly that people just won't care? Yes Virginia, they do. How many versions of these films do you suppose Lucasfilm will try to get fans to buy in high-def over the coming years? And think about it... you just know the studio has to be prepping yet another standard DVD release for next year's 30th Anniversary of the original Star Wars. Do you suppose this means that the theatrical editions won't be included in the super-über box set of all six films? Probably. Ugh.

[JMK]

Sometimes I wish these videophiles would just speak english.

They're right about one thing though: There will be something in store for next year's 30th anniversary of ANH, so this set will be quickly obsolete.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

The basic jist of it just seems to be that what you will be getting with this newest set is just the laser-disc/VHS versions of the movies, only on DVD, with no changes made, no touch-ups.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anamorphic

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Boo! :mad

I would have to tie up my husband to stop him from buying them, however. :) Maybe we'll be able to wait until next year to see what they bring out for the big 30th anniversary.

[Figrin D'an]

Basically, by the release being non-anamorphic, the films won't automatically scale at all to the available resolution and screensize. They'll be standard letterboxed (black bars on the top and bottom) regardless of the TV.

In essence, it's Lucasfilm being both lazy and finding yet another way to ship another set of the films without giving the fans a true definitive, top quality product. My laserdisc rips are going to be just as good as these, just without a fancy menu system. What a waste.

[Jedieb]

Originally posted by Figrin D'an
Basically, by the release being non-anamorphic, the films won't automatically scale at all to the available resolution and screensize. They'll be standard letterboxed (black bars on the top and bottom) regardless of the TV.

In essence, it's Lucasfilm being both lazy and finding yet another way to ship another set of the films without giving the fans a true definitive, top quality product. My laserdisc rips are going to be just as good as these, just without a fancy menu system. What a waste.

The backlash that LFL is getting over this is pretty intense. I was going to be picking these up, but now I'm starting to have second thoughts. We're not getting anything that hasn't been available on bootleg DVD's for years. Digitalbits has been taking Lucas to task over the manner of this release and I'm starting to agree with many of their points. How could they screw up something that should have been a no brainer?

[JMK]

I guess because so much of the outcry was "JUST RELEASE THE ORIGINALS AS THEY ARE!!!!!!!!!!" So Lucasfilm did. What they didn't realize is that it's understood that they'd at least take the quality of the image seriously. But they aren't. My only reasoning is that Lucasfilm knows that if they release this POS, enough people will buy it. And they also know that next year is the 30th anniversary of the movies....there will probably be something in store for that. Also, they know that there will at some point down the road be a super ultra mega uber release that everyone will buy again. I don't think Lucasfilm was anticipating this sort of backlash. They're getting crushed over this.

[Morgan Evanar]

People want the originals as they saw in the theater. Which means wide screen and high-resolution, and not some pathetic letterboxed half hearted nonsense.