Star Wars: The Complete Saga (1977-2005)

[Blu Titan]

Originally Posted by Steelmaker

Cost. Seriously this is what it boils down to folks. Lucas does not want to invest the money that it would take to do a proper restoration of the UOT and put it on blu ray. He doesn't have the confidence that it would sell well enough to make back what he would have to invest in doing it.

I have no idea what the reason for not releasing the UOT is, but it is not due to the cost of restoring it. I would bet that the current Blu-ray set sold very well and most people would buy the UOT even if they are casual fans of the movies and even most of us who recently purchased 'The Complete Saga'.

[Coov]

Originally Posted by Shaft Windu

This dialogue is a good example! It's in the same style and rythm like f.e. this:

[Show spoiler]Leia: You make it so difficult sometimes.
Han Solo: I do, I really do. You could be a little nicer, though. Come on, admit it. Sometimes you think I'm all right.
Leia: Occasionally, maybe... when you aren't acting like a scoundrel.
Han Solo: Scoundrel? Scoundrel? I like the sound of that.
Leia: Stop that.
Han Solo: Stop what?
Leia: Stop that. My hands are dirty.
Han Solo: My hands are dirty, too. What are you afraid of?
Leia: Afraid?
Han Solo: You're trembling.
Leia: I'm not trembling.
Han Solo: You like me because I'm a scoundrel. There aren't enough scoundrels in your life.
Leia: I happen to like nice men.
Han Solo: I'm nice men.

It's just the same in style, just on the opposite side of the spectrum. The Han/Leia dynamic (Rhett & Scarlett) is riffing on the classic tragic love-story of Anakin/Padme (Romeo & Julia) that preceded it in the story. Just as Luke is a variation of the Anakin-character...

...and the lesson for today, kids, don't sniff white-out for extended amounts of time.

[red_5ive]

Wow, what weekend! Had Friday off, but I was only able to get through 1-5 as I had work to do around the house, and it was also the wife and I's (is that even a word? ) anniversary. I had started with IV and V, but I skipped on VI as I was curious about the audio on TPM after reading all the posts about it (which was SUPERB btw), and I went ahead and kept going with the prequels. The kids then wanted to do II and III next anyway - they grew up with the prequels so naturally they prefer them. So it looks like I inadvertently did the IV, V, I, II, III, VI order.

Having been a die-hard OT fan growing up, I was completely against picking up this set 2-weeks ago after I saw the "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO" revelation. I then saw the lame new Artoo rocks and even lamer Krayt Dragon Call leak, and decided I'd hold a crucifix to this release. Well, Sept. 15th came around and I decided I'm too much of a dork to pass this set, especially after seeing the $79.99 price. I was off to The Buy More Best Buy Friday morning to pick it up - along with an awesome free t-shirt , and after getting through the first 5 Episodes all I can say is I'm more than happy I didn't skip on this set! The PQ is is great overall, and more importantly for me the audio is just SUPERB and is so immersive in IV and V that it brought back that childhood nostalgia, which is something that the untouched 1993 laserdiscs and 2006 DVD OT releases have not quite been able to do over the years. I said it before, I'm now willing to fore-go the 10 minutes of changes in favor of 110 minutes of nostalgia. I still think the changes are LAME and suck eggs. However, the positives FAR outweigh the negatives for me, and I'm beyond happy that I didn't pass on this release.

Now I gotta get through the 40 pages of this thread that cropped up since I last checked it Friday .

[RakuMon]

Originally Posted by Shaft Windu

This dialogue is a good example! It's in the same style and rythm like f.e. this:

[Show spoiler]Leia: You make it so difficult sometimes.
Han Solo: I do, I really do. You could be a little nicer, though. Come on, admit it. Sometimes you think I'm all right.
Leia: Occasionally, maybe... when you aren't acting like a scoundrel.
Han Solo: Scoundrel? Scoundrel? I like the sound of that.
Leia: Stop that.
Han Solo: Stop what?
Leia: Stop that. My hands are dirty.
Han Solo: My hands are dirty, too. What are you afraid of?
Leia: Afraid?
Han Solo: You're trembling.
Leia: I'm not trembling.
Han Solo: You like me because I'm a scoundrel. There aren't enough scoundrels in your life.
Leia: I happen to like nice men.
Han Solo: I'm nice men.

It's just the same in style, just on the opposite side of the spectrum. The Han/Leia dynamic (Rhett & Scarlett) is riffing on the classic tragic love-story of Anakin/Padme (Romeo & Julia) that preceded it in the story. Just as Luke is a variation of the Anakin-character...

The difference, I think, is in the delivery.

Ford and Fisher's onscreen chemistry and Kershner's direction carries off the sometimes hokey dialogue in ESB whereas Lucas' spare direction and Christensen and Portman's flat delivery do nothing but shine a spotlight on how cheesy the dialogue is.

[svenge]

Originally Posted by RakuMon

The difference, I think, is in the delivery.

Ford and Fisher's onscreen chemistry and Kershner's direction carries off the sometimes hokey dialogue in ESB whereas Lucas' spare direction and Christensen and Portman's flat delivery do nothing but shine a spotlight on how cheesy the dialogue is.

That's because Kershner was a real director, whereas Lucas was an (admittedly gifted) idea man with a megaphone.

[the sordid sentinel]

Originally Posted by dasWolf

Jeepers - you miss a day and you're a thousand posts behind...

Thanks for the response - I've been using a Panasonic DMP-BD35 and a Denon 3311 so it looks like based on the others who have since posted on the issue it's either a problem with one of those (Panny or Denon) or the two in combination.

I have a Panasonic player as well (DMP-110). My set should arrive tomorrow and I am hoping the reported problems don't crash my SW viewing. Hopefully it is something Panasonic gets on and solves with a firmware update soon. Is it just me, or should this stuff be a non factor now considering how far we are into the BR life cycle?

[Kryptonic]

Originally Posted by svenge

That's because Kershner was a real director, whereas Lucas was an (admittedly gifted) idea man with a megaphone.

Because let me tell you, Robocop 2 and Never Say Never Again are just tremendous films. Look at Lucas' filmography and look at Kershner's. Lucas' is by far the more impressive of the two, not even taking the Prequels into account. THX, Graffiti, and Star Wars alone are classics.

[svenge]

Originally Posted by Kryptonic

Because let me tell you, Robocop 2 and Never Say Never Again are just tremendous films. Look at Lucas' filmography and look at Kershner's. Lucas' is by far the more impressive of the two, not even taking the Prequels into account. THX, Graffiti, and Star Wars alone are classics.

That only means the writers for said films were even worse than Lucas...

[red_5ive]

Originally Posted by 4K display

I have only watched ANH and some of the bonus discs, but I'm lovin everything about this set so far.
I was caught off guard twice catching Vaders eyes through the mask, did not bother me in the slightest though...

I noticed this even on VHS and LD (UOT), and actually it was more noticeable having been 4:3 (VHS) with Vader's head pretty much being the center of attention. It's actually less noticeable to me now.

[rikraq]

Did they add green sparks when Vader and Obi-Wan's lighsabers clash in ANH, but not for Luke and Vader in ESB?

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by svenge

LD's digital audio is 16-bit PCM @ 44.1kHz, which is the same specs as a CD. As for the video quality, since LD is an analog video format the PQ is highly dependent on the quality of the model of player used.

Originally Posted by svenge

That's because Kershner was a real director, whereas Lucas was an (admittedly gifted) idea man with a megaphone.

This discussion is off topic.

In any case, had people bothered to watch the making of pieces on the PT they are supposed to be awkward and childish (the exchanges between Padme & Anakin). Jedi are supposed to keep their feelings suppressed so Anakin had no idea how to act or what to say to a girl, and Padme was always involved with politics so she had no experience in romance.

Take it what you will but Lucas said these things *before* the criticism.

You folks also forget that a lot of the screenplay to both Empire and Jedi were written by Lucas. Kasdan didn't work in a vacuum.

You can't explain the fine performances with many inexperienced actors in American Graffiti and the first Star Wars? Man with a megaphone indeed.

[Seasick Pirate]

Originally Posted by red_5ive

I's (is that even a word?

It is spelled "my."

[iamsometal]

Originally Posted by El_Jay

LOL.

Here we again tread into "opinion" territory, and I heartily disagree.

My own nostalgia goggles were making me think the PT was better than I remembered it, but man... the dialogue between Harrison Ford/Carrie Fisher, even at it's worst, doesn't get anywhere near as bad as the stuff between Hayden and Natalie. Now that it's fresh in my mind again it's easy for me to make the distinction.

+1. The comparison can't even be made of the quality of acting between Harrison/Carrie and Hayden/Natalie. Hayden and Natalie were just terrible in nearly all of their scenes in the PT. The big difference is Harrison/Carrie were actually directed by quality directors in Empire, and even to some extent in Jedi. In the PT, Lucas just didn't direct the actors. He's admitted on camera to being miserable on set, and the most feedback he can give his actors is "Faster, More Intense." Lucas did all his directing in post with the PT.

Natalie is generally a fine actress in everything else she's been in (as some actors in the PT are fine actors most of the time - Ewan McGregor, Christopher Lee & Liam Neeson in particular). Hayden has sucked in everything i've seen him in (Jumper, Vanishing on 7th Street, etc.). But there's only so much an actor can do with material that had zero thought put into the dialogue and a director who just wants to sit behind some monitors and fill the screen with CGI.

[s2mikey]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

I have no idea what the reason for not releasing the UOT is, but it is not due to the cost of restoring it. I would bet that the current Blu-ray set sold very well and most people would buy the UOT even if they are casual fans of the movies and even most of us who recently purchased 'The Complete Saga'.

As far as the original UOT is concerned, I hate to say this but I like some of the changes and actually prefer the newest ones for the MOST part. Some changes are crappy, such as: Han shot first, the new Jabba barge song sucks, and the last thing we needed was another "Noooooo" from Vader. The Jabba Mos Eisley scene is a waste too.

Other than that, the UOT suffers from effects glitches and some other things that reveal some errors and what not. The Battle for Yavin in the new editions blows away the one in the UOT. There are better dogfights and you can tell they were tight on budget inthe UOT since most space shots and ship scenes were shot from close up. In the original ROTJ, there are scenes where ships fly right through other ships - charming, but cheesey.

Originally Posted by iamsometal

+1. The comparison can't even be made of the quality of acting between Harrison/Carrie and Hayden/Natalie. Hayden and Natalie were just terrible in nearly all of their scenes in the PT. The big difference is Harrison/Carrie were actually directed by quality directors in Empire, and even to some extent in Jedi. In the PT, Lucas just didn't direct the actors. He's admitted on camera to being miserable on set, and the most feedback he can give his actors is "Faster, More Intense." Lucas did all his directing in post with the PT.

I fully agree here - at least Ford and Fishers dialog sounds like something actual people might say to one another in a similar situation. Its verey down to Earth and beliveable. The dialog in EP2/EP3 is almost old-world England sounding - like poetry or something. "Everyday since you've been back in my life...blah blah blah!" Its just sooooooo fake sounding. People dont talk like that.

Im the biggest SW fan out there - its the best film series ever. But, If I never see the UOT again, I wouldnt care. Ill never buy them or spend any money on them either. Maybe Ive seen SW just so much that it doesnt matter - but thats the way I feel.

[red_5ive]

Originally Posted by Radar

You know folks, a lot of us here have more than likely made a fairly substantial investment in our home theates, some a lot more of an investment than others, but for me it's a hobby, that probably stated in no small way, due to the Star Wars films.
For me I still remember the THX trailer for ep IV at the theater, the rush it gave me, and the smile on my face I didn't know was there. I think every dollar I have spent on my own set up is to get that rush again, I'm hooked.
I have been reading a lot of posts here leading up to the release, excited to see if the hook to my hobby would live up to my hopes, some posts helped, some didn't.
The complete saga was a fist day buy fo me, I think it always would have been, no matter what I read. Overall I would have to say I am satisfied, the movies have neve looked or sounded better (at home), there are some small issues for me but nothing that ruined the experiance of the movies for me.
The lack of a THX trailer is suprising and disappointing for me, it has always been a part of the whole experiance, and it felt like something was missing from the movies.
Sunday we had a family BBQ, and the kids went to the HT room to watch a movie, which is nomal when we gather at our home. They all wanted to watch the OT. They made it through the fist two movies without us knowing they where here, and when it was time to go, they all wanted to stay to watch the third movie, all with that big stupid grin on their faces I had when I first saw episode IV.
Could it have been better, sure, have things changed, yes, but it didn't change anything for me, should there have been a THX trailer, how could there not have been.
But I know when blu ray goes the way of VHS, DVD, I'll be spending my money on the next upgrade, and waiting for the first day buy of Star Wars again.

Star Wars, the OT specifically, is what influenced my HTitis as well all those years ago. I think I got my first Pioneer Pro-Logic AVR back in the late 80s (though I still kept separates for music). I don't exactly have the ideal HT, but it has evolved over the years and eventually I merged my music and HT setups and replaced the old stereo separates with multi-channel amps in an effort to get the best of both worlds. In any case, something must have stuck with me when I first heard Lucas say something along the lines of the sound being more important than the picture all those years ago. I love this hobby.

[sopes]

Originally Posted by Radar

The lack of a THX trailer is suprising and disappointing for me, it has always been a part of the whole experiance, and it felt like something was missing from the movies.

could not agree more with this. I was anticipating what new trailer might have been created for this release (loved the one with Crystal Skull).

definitely a noticeable gap.

overall though I am very happy with this purchase. unfortunately though it has made me realize that I need to add the .1 after my 5.0 audio configuration. put it off for too long.

[snoopywatcher68]

Is anyone experiencing audio dropouts or crackling on any of these discs?? I received my box set from Deep Discount on Saturday and just starting watching DISC 4 today. At the beginning of the film that has "A Long Time Ago In A Galaxy Far, Far Away" there is audio crackling in the side surrounds. I am running HDMI into receiver, and then HDMI into plasma.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[tigertron]

Originally Posted by Necroticart

I've been looking around and I know this original print exists http://www.abc2news.com/dpp/news/reg...enator-theater i'm curious to know why Lucas does not use it for an unaltered OT blu ray release. now i'm not sure about the other 2 movies but since this one exist i'm sure the other 2 do.

Apparently he would have to pay his ex wife part of the profits made or something like that. Thats what I heard anyway, could be wrong though...

[Kryptonic]

Originally Posted by svenge

That only means the writers for said films were even worse than Lucas...

Excuses...excuses...

Kershner seemed like a helluva nice guy, but he wasn't an amazing director. He was a solid director. Lucas is far more imaginatively gifted and visually inventive than Kershner. I swear you guys talk up everyone else involved in these films so much in order to bash Lucas it's silly.

[varikelo]

Originally Posted by Indyjones

Just finished watching Menace and Clones. The video on Menace was better than I was expecting, though nowhere near perfect. Audio on both was simply outstanding. I just overhauled my system and made the jump to 7.2. It was like I was in the theater! Here's how I'd rate Ep.1 and 2:

TPM : video - 8/10 , audio - 11/10

AOTC: video - 8.75/10, audio - 11/10

I did throw in ROTS for a few minutes to check out the audio, and wow, what a disappointment. It's exactly how I remembered it being in the theaters - lifeless and underwhelming, especially coming off a double-feature of Menace and Clones. I'll have to watch Sith in it's entirety, but from what I've heard so far, the audio on Episode III is an 8/10 at best, and that's a generous "8". I have to disagree with Casey and Bill Hunt's score on that one.

There's a reason why Sith is the only SW film NOT to be nominated for an Oscar in the sound dept..

I must say I was also a bit disappointment with the AQ of ROTS. It lacks the "punch" of episodes I and II...