Star Wars: The Complete Saga (1977-2005)

[Geoff D]

He's saying the same things that everyone on here's been saying: Disney are pushing this new iteration of Star Wars squarely at the disillusioned Gen X-ers, Fox hold distribution rights but they won't turn down free money etc etc.

[Breather]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

He's saying the same things that everyone on here's been saying: Disney are pushing this new iteration of Star Wars squarely at the disillusioned Gen X-ers, Fox hold distribution rights but they won't turn down free money etc etc.

That he is. I just hope it actually comes true. I'm not getting my hopes up though...

[Elvis]

Wonderful article and I hope it comes true so US disillusioned Gen-Ex 'ers can have OUR Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi in "official" glorious HD and see it the way we saw it in 1977, 80 and 83 in the theater!

[balthazar_bee]

Elvis, you talk my kind of talk.

[Kryptonic]

Articles like the one Bill wrote are just pathetic and delusional, effectively the internet version of "Get off my lawn, you young punks!"

[kidglov3s]

Originally Posted by Kryptonic

Articles like the one Bill wrote are just pathetic and delusional, effectively the internet version of "Get off my lawn, you young punks!"

I prefer your hard logic of the surest way to the poor house is re-release Star Wars on Blu-ray with the original versions because no one would buy it.

[WorkShed]

Originally Posted by Kryptonic

Articles like the one Bill wrote are just pathetic and delusional, effectively the internet version of "Get off my lawn, you young punks!"

I don't understand. How is it pathetic and delusional? The points he makes are very accurate for business. Especially the point about Fox making deals with WB over '66 Batman. I'm sure that was more difficult than agreeing on how much money Disney will pay to partner with Fox over Star Wars.

[thegoat]

Ahh, I hope these rumors are true! People blow the changes way out of proportion, but I do prefer the originals, and they deserve a proper release.

Return of the Jedi needs the original cut above all else. Jedi Rocks is the only thing in the entire saga that I find embarrassing and unwatchable - even Jar Jar makes me laugh. I wouldn't even mind Hayden being there if he was actually given a chance to act for the scene.

The expanded Battle of Yavin and Bespin would be the only reasons for me to revisit the SEs again, as they are perhaps the only true representation of the "original vision" limited by the tech of the time. Unlike a lot of other changes, they are woven seamlessly with the existing films instead of awkwardly distracting from them. The shot of the Falcon taking off is pretty great, too, and I do like the Banthas.

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by Scarface32

They look even worse on a 55" inch

I wish George hadn't just ported over the LD version, but did it correctly for DVD.

They looked terrible on my 65". That horrid amount of video noise and aliasing with that faded color looked like something just barely above VHS. The current Blu-rays look like 8K in comparison.

[Geoff D]

The thing is, I'm not sure why the Disney/Fox distribution question is being played up as such a big deal. It's still LFL who'll come up with the content and Fox who'll be releasing it, the only difference is that LFL itself is now owned by Disney. Same goes for Marvel's distribution deal with Paramount.

The Disney-owned LFL will have to drop however many simoleans to restore the movies, just as the prior Lucas-owned LFL would've had to do, so nothing's changed there. What has changed is that the administration is now open to the idea of restoring the originals, and Fox's position as a facilitator of said release hasn't changed. Hell, with the distribution rights only resting with them for another 6 years (which ain't the longest time) I should think they'd be champing at the bit to squeeze some more cash from their Star Wars licence.

(Yeah, I know that legend has it that Fox have got distribution rights to the 1977 movie in perpetuity, but when the time comes Disney will throw enough money at them to acquire it outright, and if they won't budge then a joint distribution deal makes sense.)

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

They looked terrible on my 65". That horrid amount of video noise and aliasing with that faded color looked like something just barely above VHS. The current Blu-rays look like 8K in comparison.

That's exactly what they are.

[svenge]

Originally Posted by Kryptonic

Articles like the one Bill wrote are just pathetic and delusional, effectively the internet version of "Get off my lawn, you young punks!"

Says the poster with a Jar-Jar avatar. Not really helping your case there in terms of patheticness...

[Kryptonic]

Originally Posted by WorkShed

I don't understand. How is it pathetic and delusional? The points he makes are very accurate for business. Especially the point about Fox making deals with WB over '66 Batman. I'm sure that was more difficult than agreeing on how much money Disney will pay to partner with Fox over Star Wars.

The tone of his article is very petty, as if anyone who enjoys the Prequels or anything that isn't the original 77, 80, and 83 versions of Episodes 4-6 isn't really Star Wars.

[Majoran]

These rumors come up every time we get close to an anniversary or a theatrical release of the movies.....As in the past, Ill treat it as nothing to see here, this is not the news you're looking for, move along, move along".....

The online community probably wants this more than anything, do you think your kids or heck even those that have only seen the SE versions care about the UOT? If anything this would be a money grab to finally silence the small group of fans that have endlessly posted about wanting them. Of course if they do get released I give odds to people STILL not being happy.....So we'll see yet more posts on what NEEDS to be improved before they movies are acceptable.....

patience if the do come out they do, if they don't, well they don't, oh well...those who complain will go to their graves grumbling about how their childhood dreams and memories were ruined by the cooperation and Lucas for never releasing the SW UOT in HD...

[The Fallen Deity]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

They looked terrible on my 65". That horrid amount of video noise and aliasing with that faded color looked like something just barely above VHS. The current Blu-rays look like 8K in comparison.

Not to mention the DNR that was applied to remove noise.

Those transfers are horrible.

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by Majoran

These rumors come up every time we get close to an anniversary or a theatrical release of the movies.....As in the past, Ill treat it as nothing to see here, this is not the news you're looking for, move along, move along".....

Except for one detail that is now different compared to the past: Lucas no longer owns Star Wars. He was the only reason why the originals were never released properly.

[Kryptonic]

Originally Posted by Majoran

These rumors come up every time we get close to an anniversary or a theatrical release of the movies.....As in the past, Ill treat it as nothing to see here, this is not the news you're looking for, move along, move along".....

The online community probably wants this more than anything, do you think your kids or heck even those that have only seen the SE versions care about the UOT? If anything this would be a money grab to finally silence the small group of fans that have endlessly posted about wanting them. Of course if they do get released I give odds to people STILL not being happy.....So we'll see yet more posts on what NEEDS to be improved before they movies are acceptable.....

patience if the do come out they do, if they don't, well they don't, oh well...those who complain will go to their graves grumbling about how their childhood dreams and memories were ruined by the cooperation and Lucas for never releasing the SW UOT in HD...

What many in the online community can't understand is that they are in the minority. The vast majority of consumers don't really care and most of them already have bought the current Blu-ray's and have no intention of buying further editions, so they're really only targeting a small group of the physical media community, which is dying off anyway.

[The Fallen Deity]

Originally Posted by Majoran

These rumors come up every time we get close to an anniversary or a theatrical release of the movies.....As in the past, Ill treat it as nothing to see here, this is not the news you're looking for, move along, move along".....

The online community probably wants this more than anything, do you think your kids or heck even those that have only seen the SE versions care about the UOT? If anything this would be a money grab to finally silence the small group of fans that have endlessly posted about wanting them. Of course if they do get released I give odds to people STILL not being happy.....So we'll see yet more posts on what NEEDS to be improved before they movies are acceptable.....

patience if the do come out they do, if they don't, well they don't, oh well...those who complain will go to their graves grumbling about how their childhood dreams and memories were ruined by the cooperation and Lucas for never releasing the SW UOT in HD...

You'll be surprised how many people do actually care about the UOT.

Myself personally I grew up with the '97 Special Editions and those were the only versions I knew about for years until I saw the Theatrical Cuts.

Now the original versions are the definitive versions in my eyes but I've still got a place for the altered versions too.

As I've said countless times before, there should always be an option, especially with films that are this popular and culturally significant.

[Geoff D]

The question is, will Disney/LFL push through the restoration and release them to shill the new movie, or will they wait for the 40th anniversary of the original?

If they re-released it to cinemas, like they did with the 1997 SE's, then it could end up taking a sizable amount of coin. Again.

[WorkShed]

Originally Posted by Kryptonic

The tone of his article is very petty, as if anyone who enjoys the Prequels or anything that isn't the original 77, 80, and 83 versions of Episodes 4-6 isn't really Star Wars.

You're definitely putting that into his article. In no way is he putting down any fan of the SE or prequels. It's just that for fans of the UOT have not had their wishes represented for decades. So, it's nice that we're finally reaching an end point (probably).

You can take that as petty, but more choices are better, especially if it preserves the classic versions of these films which deserve to be properly archived.