Star Wars: The Complete Saga (1977-2005)

[Jumpman]

Found this on another forum but can't find the original post. No link was provided....but interesting nonetheless. I've also heard rumors that Lucas never stopped working on the films even after they were released in '04...

"TheForce.net user Chreff allegedly has connections at Lucasfilm, and he's explained why the 2004 DVDs looked so bad, and how the Blu-Ray version will have fixed all the problems that the 2004 transfer had, and he also makes the claim that this is Lucas's "final" version of Star Wars. I kind of doubt that since there's still the 3D release looming ahead, and if Lucas is given enough time I suspect he'll think up new things to tweak, but overall Chreff's post sounds encouraging, not just for the Blu-Ray release but for the digital preservation of Star Wars in general. He even mentions Adywan. "

" Chreff said:

Let me see if I can be more clear. The 1997 SE was a restored version of the original print plus new effects added. What they did in 2004 was completely disassemble the restored film, cleaned it more and scanned everything in the computer separately. THis basically means the celluloid negative will never have to be touched again. They then re-composited the films together back into the SE version with more additions. Because this process is almost like putting a film together again from scratch, the original color timing that was done in 1977 or 1997 was basically erased and had to be redone. The problem is that because they attempted to meet a DVD release deadline they completed the composites but never finished the color, sound and other little things that would normally be done on a full restoration. That's why things that weren't even in the original release in '77 (like the big blue halo around the Death Star explosion in ANH) are seen on the 2004 DVD. The digital transfer is almost too good.

What's good about all this though is that everything is in a computer at super high res quality. They can pretty much dial in a piece of film and the effect and adjust and correct at will. It's far less laborious than trying to redo real film. Instead of having to mess with celluloid they just hit a keyboard. They put all 3 films together for the 2004 release in less than a year. They've now had 6 years to do the same work. There's no question this quality will be the best ever for SW.

I know how this process works because I have experience in digital editing and also follow SW quite closely, obviously. I also know people in the business who are involved and I know the restoration on the SW saga was still being done long after the DVD release. People like to call GL names but he's continued to put a lot of cash into this project for years (as he should since this is where everything started). The blu-ray is essentially the final version of SW.

The lightsabers will be fixed, especially the green one in ANH. That black smudge on the Emperor in ROTJ? Gone. Those boxes around TIE fighters in ANH? Bye bye! The magically appearing TIE's in the ROTJ space battle? I don't know about that one honestly. It's won't be like that Adywan Revisited stuff though. I'm as anxious to see it as anyone to see it all on my 55" plasma!"

[Aerodude73]

Great post Jumpman.

Now, if everyone who's whined or complained about this, that, & the other thing in the last ________ pages can READ THE ABOVE STATEMENT, the World will be a better place.

[Show spoiler]

[DMC86X]

Damn I was really hoping some technical aspects would be announced. I also thought for sure we would have a solid release date. Sigh... Oh well at least we know they are coming and hopefully we get some more info. sooner rather than later.

[Dalsk]

Originally Posted by Jumpman

Found this on another forum but can't find the original post. No link was provided....but interesting nonetheless. I've also heard rumors that Lucas never stopped working on the films even after they were released in '04...

I just want them to get rid of Hayden at the end of ROTJ and of McDiarmid in ESB, because his make-up is too much like the one he had in ROTS and too different from the one in ROTJ.
I never liked the new Jabba in ANH, but I can live with that.

[Jumpman]

Yeah. Never going to happen, Dalsk.

[Dalsk]

A guy can always dream

[Jumpman]

Read the last paragraph in this link (http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/motion-c...y-in-september) and you'll understand why Lucas is this dogmatic about the theatrical cuts of the Original Trilogy never seeing the light of day....

[crazyBLUE]

Originally Posted by Aerodude73

Great post Jumpman.

Now, if everyone who's whined or complained about this, that, & the other thing in the last ________ pages can READ THE ABOVE STATEMENT, the World will be a better place.

[Show spoiler]

Hi Steve

I am just going to wait until it comes out & then get it.

What ever it is / has will be fine with me , can't change anything about it so why worry about it .

[Jumpman]

Here's a sneak preview of what Episode I might look like. This is taken from the ILM documentary that aired on Encore this past November, I think.

http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/3503/arenasq.jpg

[DMC86X]

Originally Posted by Jumpman

Here's a sneak preview of what Episode I might look like. This is taken from the ILM documentary that aired on Encore this past November, I think.

http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/3503/arenasq.jpg

It was a doc. about the Blu ray?

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by partridge

Really? So the charred skeletons of Beru and Owen had no impact on the rating. Sorry, I don't buy that story. Do you have a link to back up the claim?

It's not a "claim", it's a fairly widely known story - I first read about it (and the Top Gun rating drama) in Premiere way back when. Just go do a Google search for Star Wars and rated G and I'm sure you'll hit references to the story.

As for the skeletons - lots of G-rated films have skeletons, burning or otherwise (Pete's Dragon and The Rescuers in 1977 both immediately come to mind, and I saw a re-issue of Jason and the Argonauts in 1976 and that had about a 100 skeletons doing not-so-nice things with swords).

But seriously, the ratings board responded differently to content in the 70's, and the G rating did not build up its stigma until it began to be seen as a children's rating. 70's sci-fi films like The Andromeda Strain (which featured nudity) and the Planet of the Apes films received "G" ratings on first issue, as did other more adult films such as Airport, The Green Berets, and Tora! Tora! Tora! 2001 A Space Odyssey received a G rating. Star Wars receiving the same in 1977 would hardly be out of step for the board at the time - in fact, the PG rating was only about 5 years old when Star Wars was released (it replaced the GP rating, which parents somehow found confusing).

[Fred12]

Anyone knows if its special extended versions or only normal version???

[Jumpman]

It was a documentary about the creation and longevity of ILM...

[DMC86X]

Originally Posted by Jumpman

It was a documentary about the creation and longevity of ILM...

Oh ok, well thats pretty cool. ILM is simply amazing.

[Dalsk]

I don't know if the colors will be representative of the Blu Ray but the Tatooine from TPM looks more like the one in the Original Trilogy.

[Supernaut]

Originally Posted by Jumpman

Found this on another forum but can't find the original post. No link was provided....but interesting nonetheless. I've also heard rumors that Lucas never stopped working on the films even after they were released in '04...

"TheForce.net user Chreff allegedly has connections at Lucasfilm, and he's explained why the 2004 DVDs looked so bad, and how the Blu-Ray version will have fixed all the problems that the 2004 transfer had, and he also makes the claim that this is Lucas's "final" version of Star Wars. I kind of doubt that since there's still the 3D release looming ahead, and if Lucas is given enough time I suspect he'll think up new things to tweak, but overall Chreff's post sounds encouraging, not just for the Blu-Ray release but for the digital preservation of Star Wars in general. He even mentions Adywan. "

" Chreff said:

Let me see if I can be more clear. The 1997 SE was a restored version of the original print plus new effects added. What they did in 2004 was completely disassemble the restored film, cleaned it more and scanned everything in the computer separately. THis basically means the celluloid negative will never have to be touched again. They then re-composited the films together back into the SE version with more additions. Because this process is almost like putting a film together again from scratch, the original color timing that was done in 1977 or 1997 was basically erased and had to be redone. The problem is that because they attempted to meet a DVD release deadline they completed the composites but never finished the color, sound and other little things that would normally be done on a full restoration. That's why things that weren't even in the original release in '77 (like the big blue halo around the Death Star explosion in ANH) are seen on the 2004 DVD. The digital transfer is almost too good.

What's good about all this though is that everything is in a computer at super high res quality. They can pretty much dial in a piece of film and the effect and adjust and correct at will. It's far less laborious than trying to redo real film. Instead of having to mess with celluloid they just hit a keyboard. They put all 3 films together for the 2004 release in less than a year. They've now had 6 years to do the same work. There's no question this quality will be the best ever for SW.

I know how this process works because I have experience in digital editing and also follow SW quite closely, obviously. I also know people in the business who are involved and I know the restoration on the SW saga was still being done long after the DVD release. People like to call GL names but he's continued to put a lot of cash into this project for years (as he should since this is where everything started). The blu-ray is essentially the final version of SW.

The lightsabers will be fixed, especially the green one in ANH. That black smudge on the Emperor in ROTJ? Gone. Those boxes around TIE fighters in ANH? Bye bye! The magically appearing TIE's in the ROTJ space battle? I don't know about that one honestly. It's won't be like that Adywan Revisited stuff though. I'm as anxious to see it as anyone to see it all on my 55" plasma!"

But the lightsabers haven't been fixed. That's clearly evident from the promo.

[Jumpman]

Wouldn't base everything on a promo. When the '04 boxset was announced, they had a promo trailer for that...and the footage was from the '97 Special Edition.

Later, as it got close to release time, they released another trailer but had the '04 tweaks in the footage....

[Aerodude73]

Originally Posted by DMC86X

Damn I was really hoping some technical aspects would be announced. I also thought for sure we would have a solid release date. Sigh... Oh well at least we know they are coming and hopefully we get some more info. sooner rather than later.

Hey buddy, how've you been?

Yea, I assume within a few days or weeks (not months hopefully! ), we'll get some more info.

Originally Posted by crazyBLUE

Hi Steve

I am just going to wait until it comes out & then get it. What ever it is / has will be fine with me , can't change anything about it so why worry about it .

Yea, I hear you Brent. But, as I noted many pages back & in My thread, since it's coming out in Mid-Late Sept., why not Wait another 9-10 weeks (BLACK FRIDAY) & see what deals they might have it for ($60-75), right? "Special Editions" might come out also or be available down the road. One Rumor was some type of Millenium Falcon or Death Star version. Either would be Very Cool IMO.

Originally Posted by Supernaut

But the lightsabers haven't been fixed. That's clearly evident from the promo.

Clearly evident from the little Amazon 3x3 video? Whose to say that's even specifically From the Blu-Ray itself? It's more like just a promo for the movies coming out; I doubt it's Actual footage from the set itself.

[IndyMLVC]

Originally Posted by Supernaut

But the lightsabers haven't been fixed. That's clearly evident from the promo.

Well, it's entirely possible that the promo used the old masters. Who knows? I"ll begrudge them that until we see a final product.

Originally Posted by Aerodude73

Clearly evident from the little Amazon 3x3 video? Whose to say that's even specifically From the Blu-Ray itself? It's more like just a promo for the movies coming out; I doubt it's Actual footage from the set itself.

It's not difficult to see.

I have the HD version of the trailer that was sent to press. It looks horrendous.

[StereoMike]

Originally Posted by aggienader08

Do you think that when she wore that she knew that it was going to become every man's fantasy? see it think about it; say to wife/gf and get a or in few cases

Funny, that reminds me of one of my comments in this very thread...

Originally Posted by StereoMike

Carrie Fisher FTW!

I actually lost my virginity to her...