Star Wars Trilogy

[P-Dub]

(Variety) The last big franchise holdouts are finally making their DVD bows Sept. 21, when Lucasfilm and Fox release the original "Star Wars Trilogy."
....

"Star Wars" movies will be sold only as a complete four-disc set. Special-edition versions of each movie will be featured on separate discs:
"Star Wars: Episode IV--- A New Hope," "Episode V --- The Empire Strikes Back" and "Episode VI --- Return of the Jedi." Fourth disc is reserved for bonus features including never-before-seen footage from the making of each film.

Pricing and bonus features are being worked out, but Ward said the collection probably will be priced about $50 (similar to the "Indiana Jones" collection), and each film will include an audio commentary by a collection of cast and crew, including George Lucas.

]http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/variety/20040210/va_ne_al/force_finally_is_with_dvd_1]


Oh baby, Red 5 standing by!




Paul

There are three kinds of people in this world; those that can count, and those that can't.

[Burke Strickland]

Thanks for the news. It is good to keep up with what is forthcoming on the DVD front. I'm sure it will be a well-produced set. And at one time, I would have been really pumped up by this news. But it's about five years too late for me to get excited about "Star Wars" on DVD, especially the "Special Editions".

Back then, I was excited about ANY "big movie" on DVD. But with the long delay and the stinko "prequels", I've just about tuned out Star Wars completely. If they were releasing the original theatrical cuts of the first three, I'd go for it so I'd have them in anamorphic wide screen and with 5.1/6.1 surround sound. But when I saw the "SpeciaL Editions" in the commercial theater, I hated the way Lucas had tampered with the movies to show off his CGI prowess. Since I have laser discs of the originals which play just fine, Lucas will not be getting any more of my lucre. :>)

But what the hey, I'm sure the DVDs will sell big. A lot of people like the CGI "enhancements" that marred the movies for me and they will enjoy the DVDs. But I'm saving my meager DVD budget for "The Matrix Revolutions", "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King", "Master and Commander" and "The Last Samurai" and any more M*A*S*H season sets that might be released this year.

Burke

[Gordon Moore]

While it's unfortunate that the Original Trilogy will not be available...I think this is great news..most of the changes do not bother me so this will be a welcome addition to the collection. In fact, it's about time! arty:

Heck I can watch StarWars just about any day of the week!




"A RONSTER!"

[George Bellefontaine]

Well I have the old THX Star Wars Trilogy box set on laserdisc and will have to give a lot of thought as to whether or not I will go for the dvd set. I feel the way Burke does about the whole thing.




My Homepage!

[aud19]

I'll be buying but yes I agree it could be too little, to late for a lot of people. Also does anybody know if they'll be special editions of the films via seamless branching? Doing that could allow people to watch the original or the special edition by choice.... Hopefully someone at Lucas was awake to make that decision.

Jason




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[Gordon Moore]

Jason,

Every site has bolded that the originals will NOT available in this set, period. Lucas wouldn't do that any way because StarWars is his cash cow...I'm sure once prequel 3 (2005) is done:

1. The 3rd prequel will be released on DVD in a 2-disc set like all the others (2005/06)

2. Prequel Trilogy box set will be released (2007)

3. Then a Special Edition+Prequel Box Set...(2008/09)

4. Finally in 2010 or so (maybe a little sooner) we will see the Original Trilogy come to Hi-Def DVD. I don't think you should hold your breath for the original trilogy on plain old 480i DVD, unless you author it yourself from LD or VHS like many people have done (quite well from what I hear).

I have no clue really...but it's fun to speculate :P

[aud19]

They do tend to like to milk us with different versions of the same damn thing don't they... :?

Jason




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[David Meek]

I'm quite "conflicted" over this issue. I'll be replacing my VHS copies of the trilogy when they are released (I want that awesome PQ and SQ), but under protest. :

Han shot first, dammit!!!!!!!

This whole business of revising the original movie(s) upsets me. I grew up with Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi, and don't want these icons of my youth cavalierly "improved" for political correctness or to generate more money from version sales. Admittedly, some of the changes don't bother me - like filling a window with a more detailed scene of the exterior. But, changing integral parts of the story? No friggin' way. If I had been fortunate enough to acquire the laserdisc versions like Burke and George did, then I definitely wouldn't be purchasing the DVD's - but, I wasn't. Oh well. . . .

IIRC, there was a story going around (supposedly George Lucas-supported) before the theatrical release of the SE versions that the original masters had been modified themselves and therefore the original version of the films were gone. Does anyone else remember this? Can you elaborate? Can you debunk the story?




David - HTGuide flunky
Our "Theater"
Our DVDs on DVD Tracker

[Chris D]

I agree with Gordon. It's a shame that the originals won't be released, but I'm looking forward to these DVD's. The only thing I'm torn about is whether to buy them now, or try to make myself patient and wait for the 6-movie Uber-special-neat-o set that will likely have a bunch of new extra features. I think it's likely that by the time the 6-movie set is released, it'll be on HD-DVD, though.




CHRIS
Luke: "Hey, I'm not such a bad pilot myself, you know"

[JonMarsh]

Well, I have every laser disk version of this ever released. But I guess I'll have to pop for anamorphic widescreen DVD. If the vid quality is close to ATOTC, it will be worth it, revisionism or not.

Just like they don't seem to make new rock and roll bands like the old ones from the 70's, George Lucas doesn't make new Star Wars movies like the old ones. Well, I should say that, I guess, until we see the third installment in the prequels. I read a lot of the Star Wars novels which are done by a variety of authors, in settings since the original triology, and generally they are done quite well- so well that the prequel movies don't hold up very well in comparison.

Best regards,

Jon




Earth First!
_______________________________
We'll screw up the other planets later....

[Andrew Pratt]

I'll likely end up buying the set but I'm not going to be standing in line the day they're released...I'll look for them used or something as I'm not "that" big a fan of the movie(s).

[Trevor Schell]

I'll be standing in line for this set! :yesnod:
Bring it On!!




Trevor
My HomeTheater S.E.
Sonically Enhanced
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