Star Wars: The Complete Saga (1977-2005)

[tarektoverso]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

As opposed to a terrible poster who gets the facts wrong (see below):
....

But don't let those pesky facts get in the way of your hate.

True. I was wrong. But no as much as Luca$ who made a horrible prequel trilogy and is still messing with the OT.

Star wars has become a software. we must update it with new (useless) patches every 2 years.

Now it is the version 4.2.

[Dotpattern]

Originally Posted by Beast

Yeah, it's funny. But you do realize that Kevin Smith liked The Phantom Menace, right? Even gave it a positive review.

Of course. I never saw that scene as Smith's personal view. But that would certainly be Randall's view.

That scene just reminded me of this thread...for some reason.

[ObiTrentKenobi]

Originally Posted by mrr1

I want to know why Han Solo gained 15 lbs of weight while he was in carbon freeze. This is never explained.

Post of the century!

[aiman04]

Maybe at page 2000 we can have a party. Everyone must post a picture of himself in a Star Wars costume on that page.

[MD-Blu]

I went to BB yesterday to buy the Complete Saga and it was $99.99 on the sticker. I'll try to find it elsewhere a little lower than that.

[sevb36]

Originally Posted by MD-Blu

I went to BB yesterday to buy the Complete Saga and it was $99.99 on the sticker. I'll try to find it elsewhere a little lower than that.

Man, off topic but your icon is of the hottest woman ever: Trish Stratus, of course!

[sevb36]

Originally Posted by ObiTrentKenobi

Post of the century!

I didn't know you had him on a scale before and after he came out that block. He looked a tad bloated, but I didn't see much difference, truthfully and obviously Harrison had aged 3 years, but I don't see much of a difference.

[frogmort]

Originally Posted by sevb36

I didn't know you had him on a scale before and after he came out that block. He looked a tad bloated, but I didn't see much difference, truthfully and obviously Harrison had aged 3 years, but I don't see much of a difference.

He had been frozen in carbonite for quite a while. Maybe he just needed to go to the bathroom really, really bad.

[Breather]

Originally Posted by svenge

Nope. Here's one fan's analysis of what you need to keep (or get if you don't have yet...)

Prequel Trilogy:
Single-movie 2-DVD releases or the 2008 6-DVD thinpak boxset.
If you really want the theatrical cut of TPM, there's the US Collector's Edition VHS box, the US VHS regular edition, and Japanese Laserdisc to choose from.

Original Trilogy:
- Unaltered versions: Either the 1989 "Special Widescreen Collection" LDs, 1993 "Definitive Collection" LD Boxset, 1995 THX "Faces" LDs, or the 2006 LE single-movie 2-DVD releases (which was re-released in a 6-DVD thinpak box in 2008). The 1993 "Definitive Collection" has a large amount of extras, including interviews with George Lucas, Ben Burtt, and Dennis Muren; also includes a 200-page hardcover book.
- 1997 Special Editions: Either the VHS "Limited Edition Collector's Set" or the LD boxset. The regular VHS box doesn't have the "Making of the Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition" 30-min featurette.
- 2004 Versions: Either the 2004 4-DVD boxset w/ bonus features disc or get the 2006 Ltd. Ed. single-movie 2-DVD releases (or 2008 thinpak box) + buy the 2004 bonus features disc on eBay. The "Empire of Dreams" documentary on the bonus disc is very worthwhile.

Other Content:
- From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga: 1983 documentary; several pressings of this exist on US VHS and Japanese LD.
- R2-D2: Beneath the Dome: 20-min "mockumentary" DVD from 2002.
- The Story of Star Wars: 60-minute retrospective on the lives of Luke and Anakin covering Episodes 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6; hosted by C-3PO and R2-D2. Included in a side-by-side two-pack w/ ROTS DVD (Walmart exclusive.)
- Star Wars: A Musical Journey: Included w/ Episode III Soundtrack.

"Unofficial" DVDs
Star Wars Holiday Special (The "KCCI Edition" is the best one available)
Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed (2007 History Channel documentary, never released commercially)
Rowman's "The Definitive Laserdiscs Extras" DVD (only if you don't have the 1993 "Definitive Collection" LD boxset.)

Nice list. The only things I'd add, and of course their importance will vary from fan to fan, would be the 14-minute TPM behind-the-scenes feature on the TPM widescreen VHS release. It had footage and interviews not seen in "The Beginning". Also, the 11-minute AOTC preview on the 2000 OT VHS set. It had footage and interviews not seen elsewhere. Lastly, the '95 Faces VHS/Laserdisc had the 20-minute Lucas/Maltin interview. The Laserdisc releases also contained trailers that never made the 2004 OT bonus DVD as well.

It's a shame that including one extra BD-50(10th disc) and changing disc 8 to a BD-50 would have allowed the inclusion of all the special features mentioned here, and they didn't do it. With VHS and DVD, they could plead lack of space. Not so with Blu-ray.

[Beast]

Why didn't they include all the past extras from previous releases? Because he never really has.

He just never tends to carry over extras from previous releases. To make every release something special.

Plus I'm sure he knows the rabid fans/collectors already have those extras. So why not include new stuff?

[BDrischBDemented]

Originally Posted by Beast

Why didn't they include all the past extras from previous releases? Because he never really has.

He just never tends to carry over extras from previous releases. To make every release something special.

Plus I'm sure he knows the rabid fans/collectors already have those extras. So why not include new stuff?

Because I'd rather have it all in one set and even if I did track down the laserdisc copies I'd still have no way of playing them? I dunno, just spit balling here.

[Breather]

Originally Posted by Beast

Why didn't they include all the past extras from previous releases? Because he never really has.

He just never tends to carry over extras from previous releases. To make every release something special.

Plus I'm sure he knows the rabid fans/collectors already have those extras. So why not include new stuff?

It doesn't matter to me that he's never carried over previous extras. With VHS and even DVD, lack of space would be a good reason. They weren't going to put out a mammoth VHS set and they didn't want to put out a 10+ disc DVD release in 2004, for some reason. On the other hand, Blu-ray is an archival format. I think it will be the last physical media before everything turns to streaming, which I hate the thought of. So there was no time like the present for bringing all those extras out of the past and off dead formats. Blu-ray and its massive storage capacity for SD material would have allowed the porting of all previous extras easily. The 7 DVD's worth of previous extras total less than 40GB. He may have tended to do one thing in the past but Blu-ray is a different format with incredible capacity. Many other movie franchises have taken advantage of that capacity, yet the biggest franchise of all, chooses not to do so.

With respect to making each release special, it doesn't have to be an either/or situation like you described. He can give all new extras like he did on Discs 7,8, and part of 9, and with just one extra 10th disc and making Disc 8 a BD-50, he could have included all previous extras. The best of both worlds. New and all old together. A ten-disc set would not have been unreasonable for Star Wars. Not in the least, considering you have six films in the set.

Sure, many of us have those previous extras as you said. But they're on dead formats like VHS and LD. That doesn't really count anymore. FSWTJ is only available on VHS and a Japanese laserdisc. Both dead formats. The laserdisc extras are on, well, laserdisc, again a dead format. The 2004 OT bonus DVD is out of print and while rare, DVD's can suffer rot. There really wasn't a good reason for not including that material.

It would have been one thing if it would have taken 3-5 more discs to include all of this material, but it wouldn't. One BD-50 and changing the only BD-25 on the set, disc 8, to a BD-50, would have ported over everything. Since all of those extras are owned by Lucasfilm and wouldn't need new transfers, the increase in cost would have been minimal.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Beast

Why didn't they include all the past extras from previous releases? Because he never really has.

He just never tends to carry over extras from previous releases. To make every release something special.

Plus I'm sure he knows the rabid fans/collectors already have those extras. So why not include new stuff?

You've said that several time but what does that even mean, though? There have been what? A grand total of three generations (VHS/LD > DVD > BD)?

Does not porting VHS/LD extras to DVD really establish some unbreakable precedent that the BD release just had to follow?

[kurtlingle]

Originally Posted by svenge

Which coincidentally is the absolute maximum age of anyone who will buy tickets to see TPM-3D...

Which is not a bad way to market a movie.
I think it's smart for GL to "reach out" to the younger generation.

My daughter like TPM the best as it is the most kid friendly. Funny, she's not afraid of Darth Maul (heck - I am!!!).

[kurtlingle]

Originally Posted by tarektoverso

True. I was wrong. But no as much as Luca$ who made a horrible prequel trilogy and is still messing with the OT.

Star wars has become a software. we must update it with new (useless) patches every 2 years.

Now it is the version 4.2.

Incorrect.

SW gets an upgrade every 7 years (since 97) so we're due for the next version in 2018. I personally can't wait to see what GL adds and changes. I like the surprise. I'm pretty happy with the Blus - but I do wish there had been more changes.

I love the Ep 1 CGI Yoda - that was the most needed change. Maybe some more revisions of the OT - fix some plot holes by minor changes (like Owen talking about Anakin running off to a crusade, etc).

[Beast]

Originally Posted by octagon

You've said that several time but what does that even mean, though? There have been what? A grand total of three generations (VHS/LD > DVD > BD)?

Does not porting VHS/LD extras to DVD really establish some unbreakable precedent that the BD release just had to follow?

I'm not talking about just different formats. I'm talking about even different releases on the same format. It's always usually something new.

[nmycon]

Originally Posted by Beast

I'm not talking about just different formats. I'm talking about even different releases on the same format. It's always usually something new.

I'm a fan of the "new-extras-for-every-release" thing

but to be fair, VHS, LD and DVD didn't really have enough room to port over extras.

Blu-ray is the first format that gives us the opportunity to collect all kinds of supplements in a single set.

All of the CED and VHS documentaries, as well as Empire of Dreams could have fit on a 25 GB blu-ray.

[Breather]

Originally Posted by Beast

I'm talking about even different releases on the same format. It's always usually something new.

That I can agree with. For multiple releases within the same format, I would never expect them to port over the same extras from set to set. For example, on the next Blu-ray release/repackaging, I wouldn't expect them to port over the extras from this set, unless it was something they were marketing as the "final, ultimate, definitive, mega-dollar Star Wars box set". The same went for Laserdisc. I didn't expect the '93 DC extras on the '95 Faces set or the '97 SE set.

It's the change of format and not bringing the previous extras out of the dead formats that I have a serious disagreement with. Leaving FSWTJ, the three Laserdisc set extras, the VHS extras, and the DVD extras behind on dead/dying formats is just cheap, shortsighted, and stupid.

[martinp1]

why did attack of the clones look bad to me?

[retablo]

This is really the most underwhelming release of the year. I stopped after Episode II.

I hope Sony gets their 4K blu-ray thing going... and Ep II and III will be stuck at a measly 1080p forever. So much for "cutting edge" technology.