Star Wars: The Complete Saga (1977-2005)

[crissrudd4554]

To put it bluntly, Disney has to cut a deal with Fox in some form regardless of which scenario they choose. They just only have to cut a deal for one film instead of 6 if they wait til after 2020.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by shane01

Not to interrupt the same conversation re: the unaltered cuts that we've been having since 2012, but I just watched The Phantom Menace on BD again and I thought it looked better than I remembered!

Obviously, the de-grained, waxy, smudged DNR is a travesty, but the contrast and colors are much better than I remembered.

Speaking of unaltered trilogy, I'd love a theatrical cut for TPM and AOTC (and throw that IMAX cut in there as well, if we're creating our own dream set) with a 4K scan of the TPM negative. I have one of those Phantom Menace film cell promo things and it looks sooo cool.

I just started working at Deluxe. Maybe I'll run this by home entertainment...see what they have to say.

TPM always looked much nicer than the old DVD in terms of the colour and contrast, it's that overly smudged look which turned me off. But yeah, I'd love the theatrical cut of that one but not AOTC, the electronic-sounding "yEAsss" that Padme emits when the Clones ask her if she's okay after falling from the gunship is astonishingly bad, it's like they got Stephen Hawking in to do the ADR. I'd be happy with the DVD cut of Clones instead of the Blu-ray re-edit, as although Lucas added the creepy cries of Shmi during Anakin's sweaty dream he then re-edited a couple of sequences which makes them even more choppy than they were to begin with, especially the music.

You could scan one of the neg filmouts that they did for TPM but it'd be 2K material from start to finish. Rebuilding the movie using the raw negative would essentially amount to running the entire post-production process again, and according to John Knoll himself that's simply not gonna happen. Congrats on the job at Deluxe though!

[Michael24]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Disney have already finagled things like TV transmissions and the DMA streaming versions of I,II, III, V and VI out of Fox's clutches, yes, but for physical media the deal with Lucasfilm for Fox to distribute all six is firmly in place until May 2020, according to documents that Disney filed.

BUT despite handing over the copyright to LFL for Ep IV during negotiations for the prequels Fox managed to keep hold of the perpetual distribution rights to that one film, which means any release thru any platform - TV, digital, theatrical, physical media etc - is theirs to govern, albeit on behalf of the actual rights holder, which is LFL.

So, even when the main Fox deal expires in 2020 they will still be the ones distributing Ep IV, and there are no guarantees of it 'switching' to Disney unless the House of Mouse pony up a rather large wodge of cash. However, that's not to say that they wouldn't be able to licence it from Fox for any potential box set so I still think the issue is being blown waaaaaaay out of proportion by certain internet commentators.

Ah, okay. That clears it up for me. Thanks.

[shane01]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

TPM always looked much nicer than the old DVD in terms of the colour and contrast, it's that overly smudged look which turned me off. But yeah, I'd love the theatrical cut of that one but not AOTC, the electronic-sounding "yEAsss" that Padme emits when the Clones ask her if she's okay after falling from the gunship is astonishingly bad, it's like they got Stephen Hawking in to do the ADR. I'd be happy with the DVD cut of Clones instead of the Blu-ray re-edit, as although Lucas added the creepy cries of Shmi during Anakin's sweaty dream he then re-edited a couple of sequences which makes them even more choppy than they were to begin with, especially the music.

You could scan one of the neg filmouts that they did for TPM but it'd be 2K material from start to finish. Rebuilding the movie using the raw negative would essentially amount to running the entire post-production process again, and according to John Knoll himself that's simply not gonna happen. Congrats on the job at Deluxe though!

Oooh, so when they scanned the film at ILM to work on their shots, it was at 2K? When did they start scanning at 4K for VFX, if they even do that? For AOTC and ROTS, they just dropped in the HD video from the tapes, right? At this point, I'd even take a "fan restoration" scan of a film print of TPM. I get what people say when they want a copy of Star Wars '77 just as they saw it in theaters. I saw TPM half a dozen times that summer when I was 10.

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Congrats on the job at Deluxe though!

Why thank you!!

[octagon]

A wodge of cash?

Eww, so much for everything sounding classier with a Brit accent.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by shane01

Oooh, so when they scanned the film at ILM to work on their shots, it was at 2K? When did they start scanning at 4K for VFX, if they even do that? For AOTC and ROTS, they just dropped the HD video from the tapes, right? At this point, I'd even take a "fan restoration" scan of a film print of TPM. I get what people say when they want a copy of Star Wars '77 just as they saw it in theaters. I saw TPM half a dozen times that summer when I was 10.


Why thank you!!

It's not really the scanning that's the issue, as ILM et al have been oversampling both film in and film outs for decades to reduce aliasing etc. But due to the mass of CG VFX which permeated virtually every frame of the movie it was essentially finished at 2K resolution (which was the rez of ILM's finals as stored on their film out tapes) with the intention of building in the final colour timing with a photochemical grade, this was 1999 after all.

[Riddler95]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

I have the Intrada JAWS soundtrack, and it blows my mind that they had to jump through digital hoops to create a stereo mix for it because the entire original score was recorded in mono. The new mix is a beautiful thing to hear, and they included the original mono soundtrack release as a bonus, along with incidental music...here's the back cover.

How can a Mono recording be remixed into Stereo? I know that a Stereo effect can sometimes be created but isn't it impossible to turn a Mono recording into real Stereo?

Here is an example, I have the soundtrack for Disney's Lady and the Tramp on CD, and it is the edition that was released in 1997. For three of the songs a Stereo effect was created.

In the liner notes Randy Thornton wrote

"Though the entire production was a monophonic recording, these separated elements allowed me to create a stereo effect on three of the songs: "The Siamese Cat Song," in which I was able to separate the cats; the chorus in "Bella Notte," for which we had two lead vocal tracks, one music track, and two background chorus tracks; and the "Finale," which had five vocal tracks and one music track."

[Riddler95]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

You could scan one of the neg filmouts that they did for TPM but it'd be 2K material from start to finish. Rebuilding the movie using the raw negative would essentially amount to running the entire post-production process again, and according to John Knoll himself that's simply not gonna happen. Congrats on the job at Deluxe though!

Originally Posted by Geoff D

It's not really the scanning that's the issue, as ILM et al have been oversampling both film in and film outs for decades to reduce aliasing etc. But due to the mass of CG VFX which permeated virtually every frame of the movie it was essentially finished at 2K resolution (which was the rez of ILM's finals as stored on their film out tapes) with the intention of building in the final colour timing with a photochemical grade, this was 1999 after all.

I wonder if Lucasfilm actually kept the 35MM Film Elements of The Phantom Menace?

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Riddler95

I wonder if Lucasfilm actually kept the 35MM Film Elements of The Phantom Menace?

So good you said it twice. Of course they kept it, but the issue which I'm trying to impress on y'all is that the film would need to be scanned, edited, graded and have over 2000 VFX shots redone for it from scratch if they were to rebuild it in 4K. Basically the entire post-production process (for visuals) would have to be re-enacted to the tune of several million dollars and that's simply not gonna happen.

[drush9999]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

So good you said it twice. Of course they kept it, but the issue which I'm trying to impress on y'all is that the film would need to be scanned, edited, graded and have over 2000 VFX shots redone for it from scratch if they were to rebuild it in 4K. Basically the entire post-production process (for visuals) would have to be re-enacted to the tune of several million dollars and that's simply not gonna happen.

It'd be great if they did, but I expect they realise they wouldn't get much of a return on doing it. I'm one of those that actually enjoy The Phantom Menace for what it is

[ElvisForever]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

People were selling them on e*bay and other places, LucasFilm was leaving money on the table by not countering all that. I don't think Harmy is selling his stuff, it wouldn't surprise me, though, if people have bootlegged his version.

I can think of one good reason...double-dipping. Figure a box set is coming in 2020 (after Episode IX comes to home video and Fox is largely out of the picture, natch).

What gets me is that people think that Disney needs to employ people like Harmy to do the job for them.

Disney cares about moving forward. They are likely to alter ANY of the films further if they revisit them for some massive restoration (wasn't there smoking in the Cantina?)

It isn't leaving money on the table not going back to the UOT because there are still massive sales with the new movies and all the spin offs. You go back to the well when all else has dried up as you have said. There is far more easy money to be had with the gazillion repacks that cost ZERO in restoration.

The numbers don't lie. We are likely approaching majority of new generation only knowing special editions and some comments are indicating that there is actually preference for a lot of the new changes and not wanting to go back.

I say, enjoy what is out there, and if it happens it happens, but don't hold your breath.

The market for theatrical versions of the Phantom Menace..yeah right, even less. If anything, the 3D remake is something that Lucas spent a ton on with no real return for that investment. With all the prequel hate, I don't see going back as any great money maker.

People want new ideas, and I don't blame them. The person that would have spent time redoing the original movies is lambasted. Lucas for all his supposed faults, cared about his movies to no end, and I think he did far more good for his movies than bad.

Now Adywan...good lord, that is just scary.

[Rodney-2187]

Those VCR pics have me all nostalgic.

IMG_0711.jpg

[Hardback247]

Originally Posted by ElvisForever

Now Adywan...good lord, that is just scary.

What's wrong with Adywan?

[Rodney-2187]

More from Lucas:

IMG_0712.jpg

[ElvisForever]

Originally Posted by Hardback247

What's wrong with Adywan?

250+ changes...but lets start with one of the dimwit ones

Obi Wan has his light saber drawn first. Hmm and why would that be? Darth Vader is waiting for him and has searched him out. It was so menacing before...


xxxxxxx

Originally Posted by rodneyfaile

I'll those VCR pics has got me all nostalgic.

Attachment 168431

The pics on bottom always throw me. While Star Wars is known as Star Wars, even when only considered a trilogy, A New Hope should be the title right? Star Wars by itself kind of takes away my sense of continuity. Star Wars in title, to me, only works when it is a film by itself.

[Hardback247]

Originally Posted by ElvisForever

250+ changes...but lets start with one of the dimwit ones

Obi Wan has his light saber drawn first. Hmm and why would that be? Darth Vader is waiting for him and has searched him out. It was so menacing before...

It's likely he'll change it back when he does the HD version.

[Rodney-2187]

Found some more:

IMG_0716.jpg

[ElvisForever]

Originally Posted by Hardback247

It's likely he'll change it back when he does the HD version.

I applaud his effort and originality and I highly doubt he will change it back.

I think it is like a lot of things that have been changed. It is with a new perception of the film and wanting to align with the prequels. In lots of ways perhaps I am the one that is wrong on this.

It is original artist intent vs a fan perception (which some feel is better than what Lucas wanted). A tough pill to swallow for someone that has been a fan from the early days.

[Hardback247]

Obi-Wan also turned his lightsaber on before Anakin did at the start of the Mustafar duel. Maybe Adywan was trying to mirror that.

[balthazar_bee]

Originally Posted by ElvisForever

The pics on bottom always throw me. While Star Wars is known as Star Wars, even when only considered a trilogy, A New Hope should be the title right? Star Wars by itself kind of takes away my sense of continuity. Star Wars in title, to me, only works when it is a film by itself.

I'm starting to get the feeling Elvis doesn't really care if the OUT is released.