Star Wars: The Complete Saga (1977-2005)

[KMFDMvsEnya]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I've always liked this photo of Carrie Fisher and her stunt double chilling out.

[Show spoiler]

Aah that is sooo hot, hot, hot.

Skin cancer in the baking... rather in the making.

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by crissrudd4554

3. I think the best scenario would be the 1981 cut with 'Episode IV A New Hope' in the crawl and have the original 1977 crawl as an extra or vice versa. I think it would be too complex to choose between watching the whole film with either crawl.

It would only require one branch seaming scene.

[happydood]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

To follow on from what happydood said about the studio system being reborn, it's deliciously ironic that 'Mr Independent Filmmaker' not only propped up the ailing system in the first place with the original Star Wars (following on from Señor Spielbergo with Jaws a couple years earlier) but has bolstered Disney for the foreseeable future thanks to him selling LFL to them (on top of Pixar and Marvel ). If it was that much of a wrench for Lucas then he shouldn't have bloody well done it, it's not like he needed the money!

'Deliciously ironic' or just tragic that a once great filmmaker- who has been saying for decades that movies were dying- finally caved in to help them along? I think it's also tragic that back in the 70's something like Sorcerer slipped through the cracks because of the success of Star Wars, but you can't seriously fault Spielberg or Lucas for making really good movies to begin with.

The ironic thing to me is how well The Force Awakens is being heralded as real back-to-basics Star Wars when it's a facsimile of the best moments Lucas originally came up with- and I mean beat for beat- before he decided to try something at least partially different that didn't work for a lot of people.

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

To follow on from what happydood said about the studio system being reborn, it's deliciously ironic that 'Mr Independent Filmmaker' not only propped up the ailing system in the first place with the original Star Wars (following on from Señor Spielbergo with Jaws a couple years earlier) but has bolstered Disney for the foreseeable future thanks to him selling LFL to them (on top of Pixar and Marvel ). If it was that much of a wrench for Lucas then he shouldn't have bloody well done it, it's not like he needed the money!

Agreed.

Have you watched the full Rose interview? Lucas sounds like an a$$.

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

Agreed.

Have you watched the full Rose interview? Lucas sounds like an a$$.

It's because he's turned into one.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by happydood

'Deliciously ironic' or just tragic that a once great filmmaker- who has been saying for decades that movies were dying- finally caved in to help them along? I think it's also tragic that back in the 70's something like Sorcerer slipped through the cracks because of the success of Star Wars, but you can't seriously fault Spielberg or Lucas for making really good movies to begin with.

The ironic thing to me is how well The Force Awakens is being heralded as real back-to-basics Star Wars when it's a facsimile of the best moments Lucas originally came up with- and I mean beat for beat- before he decided to try something at least partially different that didn't work for a lot of people.

Ironic...tragic...from a certain point of view...

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

Agreed.

Have you watched the full Rose interview? Lucas sounds like an a$$.

To be fair, he often does. He just doesn't give good interview. (He's a dream for headline makers and clickbait merchants to be sure, but as I said before: he's got a chronic case of foot-in-mouth disease.)

[Zillamon51]

I've made my peace with the current SEs of the OT. I suggest everyone do the same. While I have little doubt Di$ney will eventually release the UOT, we have no idea when that will be.

The only SE changes that really irk me are Han / Greedo and Han / Jabba in ANH, and Jedi Rocks in RotJ. Rocks in front of Artoo, Vader's "Nooo...," and more stuff onscreen certainly aren't improvements, but they're not huge negatives, either. Some changes I like, mostly having to do with continuity. I want "Episode IV" in the crawl, Ian M. as the Emperor, and Hayden as Ghost Anakin. Hell, I would've gone a step further and replaced unmasked Vader with Hayden in Freddy make-up.

None of that is to say I wouldn't want to revisit the UOT in HD. Those versions should 100% be officially available. But nothing in the SEs makes three of cinema's greatest adventures into the worst shit ever, like fanboy hyperbole would indicate.

[Aragorn the Elfstone]

Originally Posted by Zillamon51

I've made my peace with the current SEs of the OT. I suggest everyone do the same.

You can do as you like, and I'll do as I like.

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by Zillamon51

I've made my peace with the current SEs of the OT. I suggest everyone do the same. While I have little doubt Di$ney will eventually release the UOT, we have no idea when that will be.


None of that is to say I wouldn't want to revisit the UOT in HD. Those versions should 100% be officially available. But nothing in the SEs makes three of cinema's greatest adventures into the worst shit ever, like fanboy hyperbole would indicate.

In one man's opinion.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Zillamon51

I've made my peace with the current SEs of the OT. I suggest everyone do the same. While I have little doubt Di$ney will eventually release the UOT, we have no idea when that will be.

The only SE changes that really irk me are Han / Greedo and Han / Jabba in ANH, and Jedi Rocks in TESB. Rocks in front of Artoo, Vader's "Nooo...," and more stuff onscreen certainly aren't improvements, but they're not huge negatives, either. Some changes I like, mostly having to do with continuity. I want "Episode IV" in the crawl, Ian M. as the Emperor, and Hayden as Ghost Anakin. Hell, I would've gone a step further and replaced unmasked Vader with Hayden in Freddy make-up.

None of that is to say I wouldn't want to revisit the UOT in HD. Those versions should 100% be officially available. But nothing in the SEs makes three of cinema's greatest adventures into the worst shit ever, like fanboy hyperbole would indicate.

Trouble is, I already made my peace with the 1997 versions. Heck, those are the editions that turned me from a casual observer into a full-blown Star Wars nut (as well as starting work in 1998 alongside a lifelong Star Wars nut) so I'd actually like to have them preserved in HD, as sacrilicious [sic] as that sounds.

Then I made my peace with the 2004 DVD versions, "deliberate creative decisions" and all. I liked the redone Jabba CG and other cosmetic changes, but altering Boba's voice and splicing in an ROTS outtake for Anakin's Force ghost were the penultimate straw.

Then Lucas changed them AGAIN for the 2011 Blu-rays and that really WAS the final straw. The immeasurably stoopid Obi-Wan Krayt dragon call, the infamous appearing/disappearing rocks, the continual fudging of Han shooting Greedo, it's so pointless. Empire got off lightly. But Jedi fudged the landing BIG time, the changes to Jabba's palace were, again, completely pointless and instead of doing something like, I dunno, fixing the blatant garbage mattes in the space scenes we get the blinkin' Ewoks instead, along with Artoo's bunker freak-out being altered and last but not least, the infamous "NooOOOOOooooOOOOO!" by Vader. Just.....ugh.

I've sold my Blu-rays, the DVDs and the Despecialised Editions will do me fine. Hell, the last time I watched the OT was the 'Definitive Collection' laserdiscs so it's not like PQ is the highest on my list of SW priorities right now!

[octagon]

Originally Posted by happydood

'Deliciously ironic' or just tragic that a once great filmmaker- who has been saying for decades that movies were dying- finally caved in to help them along?

He sold a studio to another studio. That's all that happened.

It's not like Lucas and Lucasfilm has been some independent bulwark holding back the tide of the studio system. Lucas and Lucasfilm were part of the studio system and had been for quite some time.

The only real difference is Lucas' version of the studio system was a little more reminiscent of the mogul era. That's pretty much it.

[imsounoriginal]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

To be fair, he often does. He just doesn't give good interview. (He's a dream for headline makers and clickbait merchants to be sure, but as I said before: he's got a chronic case of foot-in-mouth disease.)

More like he's got the Daniel Craig disease where he speaks his mind so much that when he jokes, people don't get it.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by imsounoriginal

More like he's got the Daniel Craig disease where he speaks his mind so much that when he jokes, people don't get it.

I think that's probably true and the fact that he's really not very funny doesn't help matters either. Or at least he's not the 'quick on his feet' brand of funny that lends itself to witty repartee.

[kidglov3s]

I want to live in happydood's world where George Lucas is Frank Perry.

"Man this Last Summer Special Edition is BS, Barbara Hershey raped first!"

[Aragorn the Elfstone]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Trouble is, I already made my peace with the 1997 versions. Heck, those are the editions that turned me from a casual observer into a full-blown Star Wars nut (as well as starting work in 1998 alongside a lifelong Star Wars nut) so I'd actually like to have them preserved in HD, as sacrilicious [sic] as that sounds.

Then I made my peace with the 2004 DVD versions, "deliberate creative decisions" and all. I liked the redone Jabba CG and other cosmetic changes, but altering Boba's voice and splicing in an ROTS outtake for Anakin's Force ghost were the penultimate straw.

Then Lucas changed them AGAIN for the 2011 Blu-rays and that really WAS the final straw. The immeasurably stoopid Obi-Wan Krayt dragon call, the infamous appearing/disappearing rocks, the continual fudging of Han shooting Greedo, it's so pointless. Empire got off lightly. But Jedi fudged the landing BIG time, the changes to Jabba's palace were, again, completely pointless and instead of doing something like, I dunno, fixing the blatant garbage mattes in the space scenes we get the blinkin' Ewoks instead, along with Artoo's bunker freak-out being altered and last but not least, the infamous "NooOOOOOooooOOOOO!" by Vader. Just.....ugh.

I've sold my Blu-rays, the DVDs and the Despecialised Editions will do me fine. Hell, the last time I watched the OT was the 'Definitive Collection' laserdiscs so it's not like PQ is the highest on my list of SW priorities right now!

It might as well have been me writing this. The only difference would be that I last watched the films on the Theatrical DVD "Bonus Discs" (which is almost the same thing as watching the laserdiscs anyway).

As much as I clamor for restored editions in beautiful HD, it's the movies that matter.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Aragorn the Elfstone

As much as I clamor for restored editions in beautiful HD, it's the movies that matter.

I wish I could just say 'me too' and if we were at least talking about a proper DVD release I might be able to.

But I couldn't even watch those things back when DVDs were top of the line

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by imsounoriginal

More like he's got the Daniel Craig disease where he speaks his mind so much that when he jokes, people don't get it.

Sure, whatever way you want to look at it he's one of those people whose public persona is so unadorned and awkward it's almost painful to watch as they try and articulate themselves in interviews; they know what they mean inside their heads but it never comes out in the most tactful way. (Lucas has since issued an apology, so there's that.) Still, there is the "car crash" element to it too: you just can't tear your eyes away as the disaster unfolds in front of you.

[Aragorn the Elfstone]

Originally Posted by octagon

I wish I could just say 'me too' and if we were at least talking about a proper DVD release I might be able to.

But I couldn't even watch those things back when DVDs were top of the line

Hey, I'm not saying that they're great or anything (or even good).

I'm just saying that that's the degree to which I object to the various iterations of the SE (particularly the BDs). I'd rather watch the real films in poor quality than any of the alternatives.

On a side note, I'm overjoyed that we at least have a quality Star Wars film on Blu-ray to look forward to this year, with what I'm sure will be reference quality.

[crissrudd4554]

Originally Posted by Aragorn the Elfstone

It might as well have been me writing this. The only difference would be that I last watched the films on the Theatrical DVD "Bonus Discs" (which is almost the same thing as watching the laserdiscs anyway).

As much as I clamor for restored editions in beautiful HD, it's the movies that matter.

I'll second this. The 2006 DVD and Harmy's DeSpecialized editions are more than enough to hold me over until a proper restoration (hopefully) occurs, even if the former is a non-anamorphic Laserdisc transfer.