Star Wars: The Complete Saga (1977-2005)

[Galactus123]

It looks like they are re-releasing these next month:


I pre-ordered it for 19,95 euros. It looks like it won't be the nice cardboard version. I feel that it will be just a big Blu-Ray case. I didn't want to buy the ruined versions but now that the price is good I will.

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Yeah, complete with that "Well done for spotting it!" kinda tone. Apparently it was an intentional choice, in so far as it was a completely bone-headed one. IIRC Matthew Wood said that the music stems lacked surround information so they had to bleed it into the rears and flop it to create a kind of false reverb effect.

That has to be the #1 biggest line of BS excuse for a technical glitch on a home video ever offered up by a studio.

[Geoff D]

That's a pretty involved excuse for a technical glitch! Sounds like they spent more time and effort thinking up the excuses than actually mastering the damned things, that 2004 mix for Star Wars was one hell of a mess. (And I'm still not overly enamoured with the clip-tastic mixes for Empire and Jedi either, which were carried over onto the Blus from the DVDs, unlike Star Wars which was freshly remixed for Blu.)

[stvn1974]

Originally Posted by Galactus123

It looks like they are re-releasing these next month:


I pre-ordered it for 19,95 euros. It looks like it won't be the nice cardboard version. I feel that it will be just a big Blu-Ray case. I didn't want to buy the ruined versions but now that the price is good I will.

I remember when the first release of this edition came out and my mother bought it for me thinking it was the UOT. I had to explain to her how it was the ruined versions ruined even more. I explained the added NOOOOOOOOOOOO and even she agreed that was stupid. Luckily she didn't get upset when I returned it to the store. I wonder how many other people who don't frequent chat rooms and internet boards expected the theatrical cuts since the packaging doesn't say anything about Special Editions on it.

[Nada]

Pretty sure most people don't give a damn since the stories are unchanged and the films look more modern with the fixed and cleaned up visual effects.

[Arawn]

Originally Posted by Nada

the stories are unchanged

[thompsonjohn]

So, is it safe to say that if they haven't announced a box set of the original trilogy unaltered by now, it's not coming this year, especially before the theatrical release of the new film? I mean there's no way they could just spring this thing on retailers in such short notice could they?

Best bet, if you believe John Landis, would that it could possibly tie-in with the new sequel's blu-ray release sometime next year? Likely around Easter.

[motorheadache95]

Originally Posted by stvn1974

I remember when the first release of this edition came out and my mother bought it for me thinking it was the UOT. I had to explain to her how it was the ruined versions ruined even more. I explained the added NOOOOOOOOOOOO and even she agreed that was stupid. Luckily she didn't get upset when I returned it to the store. I wonder how many other people who don't frequent chat rooms and internet boards expected the theatrical cuts since the packaging doesn't say anything about Special Editions on it.

I would say that if you're a big enough Star Wars fan to notice or be heavily bothered, you're aware of the whole UOT situation with Star Wars. If I showed my mom the Blu-Ray version right now, I doubt she would really pick up on the differences, except for maybe Hayden from the "new" movies showing up at the end.

For the record, she likes the classic Star Wars films (thought the prequels were boring), saw them in the theater originally, and I'm sure occasionally watched them with me as a kid on VHS. She's looking forward to the new one but has no interest in watching the other ones again because "she remembers what happened," lol.

[KMFDMvsEnya]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

That's a pretty involved excuse for a technical glitch! Sounds like they spent more time and effort thinking up the excuses than actually mastering the damned things, that 2004 mix for Star Wars was one hell of a mess. (And I'm still not overly enamoured with the clip-tastic mixes for Empire and Jedi either, which were carried over onto the Blus from the DVDs, unlike Star Wars which was freshly remixed for Blu.)

ANH has a great new mix on BR, sans the Kryat Dragon which is odd at best. ESB and ROTJ definitely have issues that stem from the original mixes, which can be heard in the LD PCM tracks. I might be remembering incorrectly but I believe the DVDs are mix levels are hotter on the DVDs than the BR but the BRs leave plenty of room for improvement.

Best regards,
KvE

[Geoff D]

I watched the Definitive LDs not too long back and they didn't have any of the clipping of the BD mixes. Lots more bass in Jedi too, there's a lovely rumble that underpins Jabba's voice on the Jedi LD which is gone on the DVD/BD mix.

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I watched the Definitive LDs not too long back and they didn't have any of the clipping of the BD mixes. Lots more bass in Jedi too, there's a lovely rumble that underpins Jabba's voice on the Jedi LD which is gone on the DVD/BD mix.

It's still a 2 channel mix using different sources.


Also, a discrete mix will often bring out flaws hidden by the channels being mixed together.

[KMFDMvsEnya]

It is a year or so ago when I watched some of Empire and compared the beginning between the LD PCM and the DTSHDMA. For example the probe droid descending into the atmosphere is rather cooked in both versions but the DTSHDMA is likely even louder.

Give it another listen, ESB is a pretty compressed mix even on the LD.

Best regards,
KvE

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by KMFDMvsEnya

It is a year or so ago when I watched some of Empire and compared the beginning between the LD PCM and the DTSHDMA. For example he probe droid descending into the atmosphere is rather cooked in both versions but the DTSHDMA is likely even louder.

Give it another listen, ESB is a pretty compressed mix even on the LD.

Best regards,
KvE

It was pretty overcooked in the theater. Saw it in NYC in 70MM (1980) and easily the loudest ever theatrical experience for me at that point. Unforgettable...because my parents complained about that what seemed like an eternity afterwards.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

It's still a 2 channel mix using different sources.

I know it's a 2-channel mix, I never said otherwise, it's KMF who brought them up by way of comparison.

Also, a discrete mix will often bring out flaws hidden by the channels being mixed together.

Sure, and those flaws can be exacerbated further by overcooking the mix something chronic, as I don't recall the 5.1 AC3 mixes on the SE LDs sounding that clipped and harsh.

Originally Posted by KMFDMvsEnya

It is a year or so ago when I watched some of Empire and compared the beginning between the LD PCM and the DTSHDMA. For example the probe droid descending into the atmosphere is rather cooked in both versions but the DTSHDMA is likely even louder.

Give it another listen, ESB is a pretty compressed mix even on the LD.

Best regards,
KvE

I've just sold my Definitive LD set, I'm getting rid of my laserdiscs.

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by Nada

Pretty sure most people don't give a damn since the stories are unchanged and the films look more modern with the fixed and cleaned up visual effects.

Actually, the effects look more dated now because there is nothing more dated looking than nearly 18-year-old CG.

Frozen grain, DNR, inconsistent colors/skintones, and edge enhancement doesn't help the discs either as far as "modern" is concerned.

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by thompsonjohn

So, is it safe to say that if they haven't announced a box set of the original trilogy unaltered by now, it's not coming this year, especially before the theatrical release of the new film? I mean there's no way they could just spring this thing on retailers in such short notice could they?

Best bet, if you believe John Landis, would that it could possibly tie-in with the new sequel's blu-ray release sometime next year? Likely around Easter.

We definitely would have heard something from now. Landis' comment was very vague and based on second hand. 2017 is the 40th Ann of the first movie and it seems that would be the most logical point to release the UOT restored. It would also lead nicely into Episode 8 for 2018 in terms of marketing, promotion, etc.

[Geoff D]

That's a good point above and beyond 2017 being the 40th anniversary: it'll also double up as marketing for Ep VIII, and Lucasfilm never likes to pass up a good opportunity to cash in on the back of another movie. Only this time it'll be the cash-in to end all cash-ins!

[Vlad Draculi]

Originally Posted by thompsonjohn

So, is it safe to say that if they haven't announced a box set of the original trilogy unaltered by now, it's not coming this year, especially before the theatrical release of the new film? I mean there's no way they could just spring this thing on retailers in such short notice could they?

I figured the announcement of the steel book versions was a dead giveaway that they weren't going to do the unaltered versions. Why would they want to release the unaltered ones with repackaged discs coming out? No one would buy them.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I know it's a 2-channel mix, I never said otherwise, it's KMF who brought them up by way of comparison.


Sure, and those flaws can be exacerbated further by overcooking the mix something chronic, as I don't recall the 5.1 AC3 mixes on the SE LDs sounding that clipped and harsh.


I've just sold my Definitive LD set, I'm getting rid of my laserdiscs.

And I just obtained a laserdisc player. It's a piece of crap and the remote is the size of my foot, but at least I can watch the bonus features on my old discs.

[dvdmike]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

Actually, the effects look more dated now because there is nothing more dated looking than nearly 18-year-old CG.

Frozen grain, DNR, inconsistent colors/skintones, and edge enhancement doesn't help the discs either as far as "modern" is concerned.

Also add really bad new colour schemes to that list