Damn you, George Lucas. I’m pretty sure you could sell the proverbial air conditioner to the Eskimo (is Inuit the correct term now?) without a problem, but I bet you can also amazingly re-sell him the air conditioner that he already has just by cleaning it, maybe adding a new filter, and putting a shiny sticker on it… and repeating that process every few years for the next 30 or 40. You are a genius.
Fanboy rant that you’ve already heard a million times over aside, George Lucas is a creative genius, and no matter how much we love to bicker about changes with new actors/voices, re-releases, re-edits, mis-colored & re-colored lightsabers, flying CGI droids, who shot first, and dancing Yoda… it all comes down to the fact that we love the Star Wars films and feel some kind of connection to them. If we didn’t feel so strongly about them, we (hopefully) wouldn’t waste our time bickering. (Sorry, can’t let it go: I still want “Yub Nub” back, I hatehatehate the new Ewok song in Jedi.)
Of course I’m going to get the Blu-ray version. To have them all in one package? Awesome. Seems like forever-ago that I was pontificating on what I’d like to see on a Blu-ray release. Now that it’s almost here & available for pre-order, I’m getting jittery… like I’ve had too many cups of coffee. Maybe I did that, too.
Bill Hunt is a lucky bastard that got a preview of the discs, and he shares the goods with us. Basically there are a lot of error fixes, clean ups, and a bunch of sound remastering and rebuilding. Some cool bits…
One thing I should confirm for you at this point: The original theatrical versions of the Original Trilogy are not included on these discs. Personally, I never expected them to be. I know a lot of fans want them, but it’s clear that Lucas has no intention of making them available at least for the foreseeable future.
Figured as much.
In addition to these sorts of fixes, significant additional dirt removal has been done, more garbage matte lines have been cleaned up and other little “fixes” have been applied as well. Here’s an example of one such fix done to Episode V. For years, fans have complained that in this shot of the Wampa attacking Luke’s Tauntaun, you could see part of the puppeteer’s arm because the costume didn’t extend quite far enough… Now, that’s been fixed.
For Episode IV, however, “getting it exactly right” required a rather extensive forensic effort, as this material just wasn’t cataloged with future surround remixes in mind. In many cases, Matt and his team went back to original analog tape recordings made in 1976 to get the best quality of all the required elements. As a result, it’s fair to say that the surround mix for Episode IV was almost completely rebuilt from scratch, with Matt comparing his work to the original print master to ensure its creative accuracy. And at every step of the way, director George Lucas and original sound supervisor Ben Burtt were consulted to ensure that the mix reproduced as closely as possible their original intent for the film’s sonic experience. In fact, Matt says he played the film’s reels many times for George, in 15-20 second chucks, to get his feedback.
Crazy. I think I’m going to have to break down & buy a surround-sound system just for this Blu-ray release. Maybe a better Blu-ray player too. Any ideas on how to convince my wife why this is necessary?
Now, you’ll recall that a little bit ago, I said these should probably be best considered new 2011 versions of these films, and not the 2004 DVD versions. All the fixes and corrections alone justify this in my opinion, but there’s another reason too… and you can probably guess what it is: Once again, George has apparently added a few new “surprises” into these films. I don’t know what they are and didn’t get to see any of them on Friday, but I was assured that there will be “new things to notice” when we watch the films. I think we can safely assume that one of them will be the new all-digital Yoda in Episode I…
More tweaks? Hopefully more archive/deleted footage put into the films in lieu of additional background lizards, droids, clones, or new musical numbers. (Although, if more aliens popped up in the background… like the ones from Close Encounters, Alien, Predator, Cowboys & Aliens, or even a Klingon, that would be kind of geeky fun.) I’d like to see the Revenge of the Sith ending that Simon Pegg wrote about in his book.
What the other changes to these films may be, I have no idea, but I suspect there will be no lack of blog posts on this very subject within hours of the first discs becoming available to fans.
Now then, let’s move on to the extras. Is it really worth getting the Complete Saga set just to get the three extras discs? For me at least, the answer here is clear: Absolutely. Yes… I’ve now seen many of the Original Trilogy deleted scenes. No… I can’t tell you much about them (believe me, that drives me as crazy as it does you). But I was pretty surprised by them and in a good way. What I can tell you is that they are substantial – at least for the Original Trilogy. This isn’t just dribs and drabs stuff – it includes long sequences. And they’re extremely cool. Frankly, for me this is the real draw of the entire BD release. As you’ve seen in some of the teaser clips Lucasfilm has released, they’re not pristine, but most of them are in HD – at least the Original Trilogy clips. And trust me, they’re well worth seeing. It’s stuff some of you have wanted to see in good quality since 1977, along with a few things fans may not have known even existed.
What’s more, each film has two audio commentary tracks – the ones that were on the previous DVD release as well as an all-new commentary compiled from tons of vintage and archived interviews with the cast and crew. Finally, I’m assured that there are indeed a handful of “very fun” Easter eggs scattered throughout the set.
OOOH. How will I find these? Ha ha. I’m going to have to set up a Google News alert or something. I’m never good at just finding them on my own.
Go read the main article, it’s worth it if you’re a geek… and there are some killer photos!
In with that, they point to yet another article, that says exciting things like…
On the special features, we spent 3 years sifting and digging through 30 years of material that is in the vaults at the Ranch, it’s been quite an undertaking. We uncovered boxes that hadn’t been opened in over 20 years, it was a very dirty experience! We looked through work prints, we found dailies, we went through behind-the scenes videos, we really uncovered a slew of new gems that we’re really excited to share with the fans.
Oh what I wouldn’t give to dig through those archives.
Q: Is the holiday special on there?
A: You’ll have to wait and see! The holiday special is a challenge, but look for some Easter Eggs – what’s a Star Wars release without a couple of Easter Eggs?! J
I’m guessing not the whole Holiday special, but maybe a clip… especially the Boba Fett cartoon. A clean version of that would be excellent! (If it exists, watch it have overdubs fromTemuera Morrison
If the whole special shows up, that would be killer. No one ever asks about the Ewok movies. What about those? When are we going to get more forest creatures, lost footage, and an all-new CGI Gorax? How about Cindel & Mace running around in Jedi somewhere?
Oh yeah, maybe Troops will pop up as an easter egg!
Thanks to HarrisPoll Surveys, PNC/Visa Points, and a jar o’ change, I was able to pre-order from Amazon for only $2.49 out of pocket.
This is just a re-post/update of the STAR WARS movie nights we’ve been having at our place. If anyone’s interested and they haven’t been to one, let me know! We’ll be moving out of the movies proper into the crazy stuff soon. We do snacks, food, pop, beer, and just chill while watching the movies and cracking the occasional joke or spitting the occasional trivia.
I have the movies in bold, need to get my hands on the rest…
Luke Skywalker has returned to his home planet of Tatooine in an attempt to rescue his friend Han Solo from then clutches of the vile gangster Jabba the Hutt.
Little does Luke know that the GALACTIC EMPIRE has secretly begun construction on a new armored space station even more powerful than the first dreaded Death Star.
When completed, this ultimate weapon will spell certain doom for the small band of rebels struggling to restore freedom to the galaxy…
“Well, I know that George Lucas doesn’t like it at all—when I was working on The Illustrated Star Wars Universe, he told me that he would be happy if every copy could be tracked down and burned…” ―Kevin J. Anderson
(New Year’s Eve… we can turn this into a drinking game. Couch/floor space for the night is first come first serve!)
“Fanboys is the love letter to the greatest movie franchise of all time. … I wanted the film to be my gift back to Star Wars and to the fan community.” ―Kyle Newman
“It’s A Trap!” was originally known by two different titles: “Episode VI — The Great Muppet Caper” and “We Have a Bad Feeling About This.” The first was revealed online in 2009, the other was a reference to a recurring catchphrase used in all the Star Wars films.
I know, It’s a Trap isn’t out yet… but it will be by then.
Confused with all this Clone Wars crap? Well… we have 3 sort-of distinct entities…
Star Wars: Clone Wars – the animated (like old-school cartoons) microseries split into 2 volumes, taking place after Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and before…
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – The animated (CGI) TV series where apparently coming up with a new name was too difficult. These events take place after the Clone Wars CGI movie and before Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Currently there’s 2 seasons.
I’m not sure if I have the time-line right there. Wookiepedia is misleading.
OK fellow geeks & guests… I’m just using this as a place to put the Star Wars nights that we’ve been having at our place on a tentative schedule & brainstorm about other possible movies. We’re 3 movies in so far, drop me a line if you’re interested in joining us!
For the rest of the 3 of you reading; This is not the page you’re looking for.
I have the movies in bold, need to get my hands on the rest…
It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire.During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire’s ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR, an armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet. Pursued by the Empire’s sinister agents, Princess Leia races home aboard her starship, custodian of the stolen plans that can save her people and restore freedom to the galaxy….
“Well, I know that George Lucas doesn’t like it at all—when I was working on The Illustrated Star Wars Universe, he told me that he would be happy if every copy could be tracked down and burned…” ―Kevin J. Anderson
(New Year’s Eve… we can turn this into a drinking game. Couch/floor space for the night is first come first serve!)
“Fanboys is the love letter to the greatest movie franchise of all time. … I wanted the film to be my gift back to Star Wars and to the fan community.” ―Kyle Newman
“It’s A Trap!” was originally known by two different titles: “Episode VI — The Great Muppet Caper” and “We Have a Bad Feeling About This.” The first was revealed online in 2009, the other was a reference to a recurring catchphrase used in all the Star Wars films.
I know, It’s a Trap isn’t out yet… but it will be by then.
Confused with all this Clone Wars crap? Well… we have 3 sort-of distinct entities…
Star Wars: Clone Wars – the animated (like old-school cartoons) microseries split into 2 volumes, taking place after Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and before…
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – The animated (CGI) TV series where apparently coming up with a new name was too difficult. These events take place after the Clone Wars CGI movie and before Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Currently there’s 2 seasons.
I’m not sure if I have the time-line right there. Wookiepedia is misleading.
Yesterday via Twitter, I saw an article from TheForce.net about another article (or Editorial, I guess) at DVDACTIVE:THE TEN Things That The Forthcoming Star Wars Blu-ray Should Include. Of course, I felt the need to weigh in. I for one am salivating at the prospect of all of the movies being released in one package and the prospect of new (and newly unearthed) material. After all, Mr. Lucas has stated over the years that they’re all part of one large story. They ought to be presented that way, right?
Firstly, I agree with Marcus Doidge who wants all versions of the movies (especially IV, V, & VI). I’m going to guess that all of us do… or at least we want the option to watch the edit that we prefer. Some of us are quite partial to the Emperor being a lady in a mask with chimp eyes, Han shooting first, and not having either version of the Han/Jabba scene… I guess. Personally, the most annoying offense to me is the newly recorded Ewok celebration song and the wholly unnecessary new musical number in Jabba’s palace. “Yub Nub” for the win. I’d certainly like the option for those parts of the movie to play through seamlessly as I want to see them!
I don’t see this happening though, as George Lucas seems to consistently say or imply through many interviews that each new edit is getting closer to his original vision, and that all previous versions are rendered irrelevant by the new scenes and additions as they were meant to be. It’s almost like he’s angry or spiteful for people being so attached to their favorite versions.
Toward the end of his THE TEN list though, Doidge cites that he wants to see something new… as in a wholly new feature for Blu-ray in general. I also agree with this… why not a “Choose Your Own Adventure” type movie? Fan edits exist out there… why not have the option to do that in your Blu-ray player before the movie begins? Perhaps with an option to save your favorite personal versions? I envision a multiple choice check-box type of scene listing before the movie begins where you can pick if you want to see Han shoot first, a glowing translucent Sebastian Shaw or Hayden Christensen, and maybe finally a newly filmed scene where the Wookie gets a medal? I’d like to see it. It would be more fun that a straight-up “pick your release”, as it would be all yours. Making your own movie would be as easy as building your own sub at Quiznos.
Love the pop-up idea too. Geeks like factoids, right? This has to be a no-brainer. There is a wealth of information out there… there could even be multiple pop up factoid tracks. Info/trivia from within the Star Wars universe could be on one track, and film production or special effects notes, bloopers, release histories, etc. could go on another.
As far as extras… I would expect no less that all the deleted scenes that we’ve seen before plus more, a documentary or two — something cool like the History Channel’s Star Wars Tech or Legacy Revealed. A gag-reel type montage of Star Wars parody clips would be awesome too… like Bill Murray singing “Star Wars” on SNL — anything in that vein.
I’d really love to see Mr. Lucas finally buckle under pressure and release the atrociously awesome Holiday Special. Why not? It’s out there. Copies exist. Get a clean copy and put it out there, or digitally clean up one of the bootlegs! Why not make money off of the camp of the whole thing while you can? You can’t tell me this is the one morality/vision line that George Lucas can’t cross? If you’re that embarrassed, put it as an Easter egg somewhere on one of the Blu-rays and never acknowledge it again.
Also… why not include the made for TV Ewok movies, and the new animated Clone Wars movie? Then we could watch ALL of them in chronological order.
This is how it goes, isn’t it?
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars: Clone Wars (animated microseries)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (3D CGI movie)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (3D CGI series)
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars: Droids (animated series)
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (made for TV movie)
Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (made for TV movie)
Star Wars: Ewoks (animated series)
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Call me crazy, but barring any restrictions from my bank account… I’d buy ’em all in one package. Maybe it ought to come with a working Dejarik board?
World (and Lunar) Domination 