Star Wars: The Complete Saga (1977-2005)

[Beast]

Originally Posted by Jumpman

Beast,

By the way, you do realize the "From Star Wars To Jedi" documentary is just a cut down version of the three individual ones.

Is that true?

I only ask because I finally watched it today and I don't understand what the big deal was about the documentary. I don't think Lucas contradicted himself one bit throughout the documentary like a lot of Trilogy fans suggest.

I think the only new aspect was the Mark Hammil narration. But yeah, that's why many Star Wars fans have been wanting the original documentaries relased for years. Over the one that covers the whole OT. It's been many many moons since I watched these though.

[Jumpman]

Beast,

So, in a sense, Lucas did give the hardcore fans what they wanted with those vintage documentaries...yet they complain...

[Breather]

Originally Posted by Jumpman

Is that true?

Originally Posted by Jumpman

Beast,

So, in a sense, Lucas did give the hardcore fans what they wanted with those vintage documentaries...yet they complain...

No, from "Star Wars to Jedi" is not a cutdown version of the other three. It's a completely different doc. The only similarity would be that the first 25 minutes focus on the creatures created for Return of the Jedi, which was also covered in "Classic Creatures". Although, "From Star Wars to Jedi" covers some different creatures more and the footage and focus is different in FSWTJ. The interviews with George Lucas are not on any of the other three docs being released in the set. That leaves almost 40 minutes of material that was not covered in any of the other three, especially the Lucas interviews. "From Star Wars..." has a lot of footage from Jedi and the making of the speeder bike chase that was not covered in any of the other three as well.The Lucas interviews remind me of the ones he did on the "93 Definitive Collection LD set.

I'd say that fans have a reason to complain and wonder why one of the four original docs were left off. Especially considering what was put on in place of it. "Empire of Dreams" would have been nice to have on there as well.

Personally, it could be what he talks about in "From Star Wars to Jedi". He mentions things about the death of Obi-Wan and creation of Yoda, Leia as the sister, and the focus on Darth Vader and when he finally decided to make him Luke's father that actually show that the six films and their details were not this pre-planned grand vision that he makes it seem today. That may explain it being left off. The other three don't offer the contradictions that FSWTJ does.

[zeze]

It will never be a complete set until they include the Christmas Special.

[BouCoupDinkyDau]

Originally Posted by Dotpattern

It's not going to pop out any more in HD than it did on a big screen in a theater.

Why does everyone feel like anything that doesn't look like it was made yesterday needs to get a make-over? Personally, I look at that shot and think, "It's amazing what they were able to achieve before CGI." Appreciate it and embrace it.

+1

Exactly. That matte painting of the Falcon is gorgeous.

I don't understand revisionist thinking either. I don't get why so many people reject anything that isn't new, or reject any art form that isn't seamless to the human eye, or anything else in film that isn't some kind of visual CG pornography.

[Breather]

Originally Posted by Dotpattern

It's not going to pop out any more in HD than it did on a big screen in a theater.

Why does everyone feel like anything that doesn't look like it was made yesterday needs to get a make-over? Personally, I look at that shot and think, "It's amazing what they were able to achieve before CGI." Appreciate it and embrace it.

I actually agree with you on your feelings about CGI versus the way things were done in the past. I think many of the effects and backgrounds of the original trilogy look much more realistic than the CGI used in the prequels and added in the special editions. The matte paintings throughout the OT were amazing, most so well done that we didn't know they were paintings until we found out later.

On the other hand, the painting that the two of you were discussing, while artistically amazing and obviously done by talented individual(s), always stuck out like a sore thumb for me, even while first viewing the movie in 1983. In Star Wars and ESB, they use real Falcon models/sets in scenes like the Tatooine hangar in SW and Echo Base in ESB. They look real because they are. In the scene with Han and Lando in ROTJ, it was obvious that they were talking in front of a painting and obvious that Lando was walking off toward a wall at the end of the scene. It even took me out of the film for a second back then. There was no three-dimensionality to it.

A great job by the artist but it was odd that with all of the profits from the first two that they couldn't spring for a true model in ROTJ.

[al cos.]

Originally Posted by Jumpman

Beast,

By the way, you do realize the "From Star Wars To Jedi" documentary is just a cut down version of the three individual ones.

Is that true?.

Not at all.

[Dynamo of Eternia]

Originally Posted by Beast

Other than having the majority of the details of the specs. Which people seem to keep ignoring.

But the "specs" don't really tell us much. Okay, it's 1080p with 6.1 sound. Woo-hoo. It's pretty much an average Blu-Ray release in that respect. There are so many other factors that go into the end picture and sound quality (i.e. did they fix any of the errors from the 2004 OT release?) that we are still in the dark on the more pertinent information in that respect. Granted, we won't be able to accurately judge any of that for ourselves until we have the discs in hand, but more info still could have been given in that respect in terms of any kind of restoration or color correction, etc. being done on the movies to give us some indication on what to expect.

And I hate to sound like a broken record, but the info on two of the bonus discs was extremely vague. They EASILY could have given a more detailed list and that would have probably curbed a good chunk of the criticism. And more so than any additional details on the specs or anything else, this is the biggest beef that I have with this announcement. If it's going to be a simple, straight forward specs list, fine, but at least give us a detailed list of ALL of the bonus features. That really isn't much to ask for.

[Falaskan]

Originally Posted by Breather

I think many of the effects and backgrounds of the original trilogy look much more realistic than the CGI used in the prequels and added in the special editions.

They look real because they are. How "lifelike" or "realistic" they look is another matter. CGI looks more realistic than puppets/paintings 9/10.

[Scooby Blu]

Originally Posted by frogmort

Yes, it will play just fine. You can play a 7.1 disc on a 5.1 system, and it just folds the extra channels down to 5.1. You can play a 5.1 disc on a 7.1 system with PLIIx on, and it will extrapolate the two extra channels from it.
On a 5.1 setup, the extra 6.1 channel will be summed to the two rears, on a 7.1 setup, the two rear surrounds will be mono.

Thanks for posting your reply. I had the same question as well.

[Breather]

Originally Posted by Falaskan

They look real because they are. How "lifelike" or "realistic" they look is another matter. CGI looks more realistic than puppets/paintings 9/10.

Exactly. They look real because they are. Most looked lifelike to me but there will always be a few that don't pass muster. Some puppets, like the ones used in Jabba's palace band in ROTJ, look fake. On the other hand, I've never found CGI characters to be very realistic at all. They've improved greatly but they still lack that texture or "touchability" for me. While the CGI Yoda is very good, for me, he'll never match the realism of Yoda in ESB. I'm still one that finds the space battle in ROTJ to be more realistic looking than the opening battle in ROTS. I thought the CGI in AOTC was awful but greatly improved in ROTS.

[benzgrl]

Originally Posted by frogmort

Yes, there is one bonus blu-ray in each of the seperate OT & PT . You get an extra one with the Complete Saga, for a total of three bonus blu-rays.

https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=6326

So disc 9 can only be found in the Complete Saga box, correct?

[Milambian]

Originally Posted by benzgrl

So disc 9 can only be found in the Complete Saga box, correct?

That's correct, each trilogy gets its own extras disc, and if you buy the Complete Saga set you get a bonus 9th disc.

[frogmort]

Originally Posted by Breather

Exactly. They look real because they are. Most looked lifelike to me but there will always be a few that don't pass muster. Some puppets, like the ones used in Jabba's palace band in ROTJ, look fake. On the other hand, I've never found CGI characters to be very realistic at all. They've improved greatly but they still lack that texture or "touchability" for me. While the CGI Yoda is very good, for me, he'll never match the realism of Yoda in ESB. I'm still one that finds the space battle in ROTJ to be more realistic looking than the opening battle in ROTS. I thought the CGI in AOTC was awful but greatly improved in ROTS.

I am very excited to see what the "brand new" FX look like. I would be amazed if there were no technical changes, on the blu-ray.

[benzgrl]

Originally Posted by Milambian

That's correct, each trilogy gets its own extras disc, and if you buy the Complete Saga set you get a bonus 9th disc.

Got it! Thanks!

[al cos.]

The amazon page says the individual trilogies are only 3 discs. There seems to be some conflicting info.

[frogmort]

Originally Posted by Breather

While the CGI Yoda is very good, for me, he'll never match the realism of Yoda in ESB.

There are some some shots in E.V., when Yoda is on Luke's back that I personally think would benefit from a "little" modern CGI(Yoda's lips).

[Jason520C]

Here's a VERY detailed Amazon review and its comments.

http://www.amazon.com/review/R3127NK...wasThisHelpful

This guy makes it seem like they are doing quite a crappy job with the Blu-ray set. Is he just a pissed off fan or is it true? I mean how can he even say all that without watching them?

Ideas? Thoughts?

[frogmort]

Originally Posted by Jason520C

Here's a VERY detailed Amazon review and its comments.

http://www.amazon.com/review/R3127NK...wasThisHelpful

This guy makes it seem like they are doing quite a crappy job with the Blu-ray set. Is he just a pissed off fan or is it true? I mean how can he even say all that without watching them?Ideas? Thoughts?

Exactly.

[Milambian]

Originally Posted by al cos.

The amazon page says the individual trilogies are only 3 discs. There seems to be some conflicting info.

Yeah I see that now, weird.