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Fang Zei

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14-Oct-2006
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28-Mar-2024
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Post
#326421
Topic
How do you think the ultimate release will turn out (best case scenario)?
Time

Baronlando,

In answer to that, I'll simply say that the GOUT was a cash-grab. But because they oversaturated the market by releasing Star Wars on dvd for the third year in a row, they now need to wait a while before the next release.

He probably won't release it until after the 3D versions hit theaters. Speaking of which:

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news08/080808h.php

 

Post
#326177
Topic
How do you think the ultimate release will turn out (best case scenario)?
Time

This was inspired by the "How would you remaster the OOT" thread.

Ok guys, you know I like to speculate. The reason we're all here is that we want George to come around and give us all what we want, and whether we like it or not, he's the man with the legal rights, so the decision (at least for the next several decades) rests in his hands. The 2006 release, I've come to realize, can be looked at either as a glass half full or a glass half empty. I remember people on this forum saying that it was, at the very least, a step in the right direction. But for whatever reason, that opinion seems to have shifted over the last two years.

So far, we have a comment from McCallum about "100 hours of documentaries." This got me thinking about the possibilities for the Blu-ray, which - even if it's ported to standard dvd (and I doubt it will be) - is what everyone will be making the biggest deal about, just as they did back in '04 when the movies were finally on dvd. Dual-layered blu-ray discs have enough capacity that if you had six of them you could easily hold 100 hours in good quality 480 SD video. Even if they ported the blu-ray to dvd, I don't think they'd bother including any of that documentary stuff since they would need several extra discs per film just to hold all of it.

The movies will most likely be released individually, with the option of getting them altogether in a big set. I honestly don't see Lucas doing much alteration to any of the prequels (beyond what he's already done, anyway. see: the current dvd releases). He'll get Lowry to clean up TPM and AOTC (Yes, even though it was shot digitally. Lowry said that back in '04, as I recall, so it's their words and not mine). He could EASILY branch the theatrical cut of TPM seamlessly, so I would hope he does so. Digital Yoda is the only additional change I'm expecting to see in the updated cut. But eps II and III I'm expecting to remain the same.

And that brings us to the OT, reason we're all here. Ok, here's what I see happening. George will either take RAH up on his offer or he'll just dig up the interpositives from the archives and get his own people to handle the transfer. They'll master the movies in 1080p and that will be that. For the audio, there will be at least a regular lossy 5.1 (that's using the Blade Runner blu-ray as an example) if not a lossless or uncompressed variant. Those discs will be tacked onto the primary discs which will be the latest update of the 2004 version. So it would be two discs each for the prequels (with both versions of TPM seamlessly branched) and three discs each for the originals.

Why do I think he will come around? Well, for lack of a better answer, it's that I view the GOUT as a glass half full situation.

As for a timetable, my first guess would be when the live-action show starts. The latest rumor is that Indy IV is hitting blu-ray in October, but the originals aren't hitting until later. Maybe that will be 2009 and then Star Wars will be 2010?

Post
#326088
Topic
The 2008 '<strong>The Clone Wars</strong>' animated theatrical movie - a general discussion thread
Time

Yea, but the movie is in 2.35:1, which is the really wide aspect ratio. Widescreen tv is 1.78:1, which is what the show will probably be broadcast in when it airs in October. The new movie is widescreen, but it's even wider than what it would be shown in on tv. That's what I'm wondering about.

In regards to why they made the decision to put it in theaters, it's actually the other way around. Once they made the deal with TimeWarner/Turner, the people at Warner Brothers liked what they saw so much that they decided it would be a good idea to distribute a movie theatrically in advance of the actual show.

Post
#326073
Topic
The 2008 '<strong>The Clone Wars</strong>' animated theatrical movie - a general discussion thread
Time

Well, I'll admit it was interesting to hear that same announcer voice guy from the prequel commercials on the tv spot for this new Clone Wars movie. Also, the trailers and commercials all saying "coming to your galaxy" is an interesting throwback.

But I think this is exactly why a lot of people are so turned off by it. LFL is treating this as another feature film (check the thread on the new encyclopedia, they actually say there've been four new feature films since '98) and I think fans are bitter because instead of getting a PT that was mostly about the clone wars, we're getting a movie of it after the fact and not in live-action to boot.

The problem I've had with it since the very beginning (when was this new animated series first announced, like three years ago at C3?) is that it's EVEN MORE CLONE WARS for some reason. It kinda sours those three years they used to tell the story in "real time" back between 2002 and 2005. Granted, it was supposed to be the biggest conflict in the history of that galaxy far, far away, so it's not totally unfounded. It's just that it's seemed odd to me from the outset.

I can easily understand why George wanted to do it. This was always described as a new experiment in animation. Until I saw the trailer last year, I was wondering what it was gonna be like (my best guess was something like the most recent animated Spider-Man series that was on mtv a few years ago). Then I saw the trailer and went "huh, so it's like TMNT (which I still haven't seen btw)." I think if they hadn't decided to release it on the big screen, we wouldn't be making such a big deal about it. I had dismissed the show from the very first announcement as "huh, EVEN MORE CLONE WARS? Ah, that's ok, I guess George just wants an actual weekly series as opposed to what Genndy did."

But it's already been said in this thread: this thing is for the kids. Plus, we all have to remember that this wasn't even going to be on the big screen until, what, just before C4? It raises the question (for me, anyways) of whether or not it's just the first several episodes of the tv show, and if so then what ended up happening with the wider aspect ratio (in other words, did they plan to make it a movie before they made it or did they have to recompose the first several episodes in order to make it cinemascope?)

Post
#325904
Topic
Did anyone follow through on sending GL back the '04 DVD with the GOUT set?
Time
Janskeet said:

Plus in the '04 DVD commentary of the films, I don't recall GL ever acknowleding the shameless changes he made.

 

That's what's so silly about this ordeal. Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren both acknowledge it on the commentaries. The Empire of Dreams documentary acknowledges the history of the OT. There are commercials and trailers on that same disc from when the movies were originally released in addition to '97.

Post
#325903
Topic
How would you Remastered The OOT, If you had Lucas' Money and Power?
Time
Baronlando said:

The Fox Planet of the Apes Blu-ray set is going to cost more than 150, and it's only 5 discs. A Saga Star Wars set with 6-10 discs is going to cost...a lot. Sadly, if it had the original versions I'd pay it, even if there were no extras and nothing new at all.

Yes, but to be fair they're also throwing in a big book. I would think any release of Star Wars on video would be streamlined enough to keep the price low enough for them to mass produce it like back in '04.

Anyway's, here's how I'd do it:

Disc 1: '99 version of TPM

Disc 2: Attack of the Clones (the cut that's on the dvd, which I believe is identical to the DLP version which, while it isn't the version I got around to seeing on the big screen, is one I'm perfectly willing to settle for)

Disc 3: Revenge of the Sith, whichever cut (I think in the case of both AOTC and ROTS the differences in the various cuts are so incredibly subtle that it honestly doesn't matter to me)

Disc 4: '77 version of Star Wars mastered from the interpositive

Disc 5: '80 version of Empire mastered from the interpositive

Disc 6: '83 version of Jedi mastered from the interpositive

Post
#325824
Topic
How would you Remastered The OOT, If you had Lucas' Money and Power?
Time

DarkGryphon, if the keen audience members noticed the garbage mattes up on the big screen in the late 70's / early 80's, then they're supposed to show up, at least somewhat. I'm only pointing this out because you seem to contradict yourself when you then say it would just be a "straight archiving."

I totally agree on the 1080p comment. It's merely the latest way of distributing the movie on home video, just as dvd once was.

Post
#325201
Topic
Do you think the PT will ever be remade that gives justice to the series?
Time

I'd rather see VII VIII and IX get made, but hey, it would be surreal to not only have the OOT remastered but to also have the PT remade. It's like we'd be washing the last 15 years of the franchise away. But really, I can take the prequels as they are, so long as we can just have the originals as they are. I would have no problem sitting down and watching the theatrical versions of the six movies. Seeing what blu-ray looks like on my uncle's 1080p projector makes me salivate over how nice it would be to see the saga get the ultimate treatment.

Oh, and to reiterate my predictions, I'm still convinced that we'll see the OOT remastered. I think the good will of Star Wars has been tarnished and this reasoning about how Lucas "won't need" to include the original versions in the next release is bullshit. The '04 dvd's sold well because it was the movies in any form (SE or not) on dvd finally after seven years. Considering just about everyone went out and bought the '04 set and the '06 set still sold pretty damn well, it's just too much for GL and company to ignore. What have we all been saying about Lucas' current predicament? That it's amazing how he had to struggle to find a home for The Clone Wars and still is struggling for the live-action show? So what makes you think that Star Wars is going just as strong as ever and that people will re-buy the movies for the umpteenth time, especially if they won't be the original versions?

People, he caved after just TWO YEARS! Yes, it's FUBAR that he released laserdisc ports in September of '06, in a world where we could actually go to the store and buy movies in 1080p on optical disc. But that's what happens.

Post
#325013
Topic
George Lucas interviews
Time

I know, it's just that it didn't occur to me how funny it is that it took seven whole years to get the movies on dvd at all, but it only took two more years for LFL to cave and release the original versions, even if they were just laserdisc quality.

Back in '95,  I saw it as a simple cash grab similar to how disney would always do a "get it before we throw it back in the vault" release. I still think that's all it was, even in spite of the SE. The whole non-anamorphic bidniss was just GL exploiting the situation with dvd. Hi-def will be a whole 'nother ballpark.

Getting back to the Maltin interviews, I only recall GL mentioning the (then forthcoming) SE once throughout the entire thing. It was during the Jedi segment when he says "oh, we're actually putting Jabba back into ANH." So, was the SE common knowledge among any of you back in '95? I, for one, was fairly surprised to hear about it in November of '96.

Post
#325006
Topic
George Lucas interviews
Time

On a somewhat related note, I just got around to watching all three of those interviews for the very first time last night. But the thing that struck me even more than what GL says in the interviews is the realization that this was the "one last time" vhs release and it only took, what, two measly years for them to cave and put it out on dvd (anamorphic or not) after they'd released the SE in 04?

Post
#324485
Topic
Just finished watching the '04 DVD version of Star Wars
Time

We wouldn't even have to put up with altered colors if LFL would just use a suitable interpositive (or, if worst came to worst, a positive print) of the original versions and just did some rudimentary restoration and then made a 1080p master from that.

All we really mean is that if the '04 versions got remastered for dvd quality, the original versions get remastered for dvd quality (not left in 1993 laserdisc quality). If one version gets put on blu-ray in 1080p, so must the other version.

I hate to say it, but GL was a genius in his plan. He knew that no one out there really knows the first thing about dvd technology, and that he would get away with the treatment he gave the OOT since there are way too many people out there willing to spew their ignorance with "What, you didn't want bad quality?" and so forth.

 

Post
#324463
Topic
Just finished watching the '04 DVD version of Star Wars
Time

Yes, it is.

Not to mention the fact that we shouldn't even be bringing nostalgia into this at all.

Nostalgia is the very reason George didn't bother remastering the OOT. He thought "oh, sure, people will pay 60 dollars for shitty transfers just because they're nostalgic for them." Whatever happened to these being classic movies, not just stuff from our childhood?

Post
#324450
Topic
Just finished watching the '04 DVD version of Star Wars
Time
Janskeet said:

I might be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that the '04 DVD fiasco is what made Ridley Scott become very cautious about his '07 Blade Runner DVD collection. 

 

You might be right, but then again Ridley doesn't own the rights to Blade Runner whereas Lucas does own the rights to Star Wars. Someone raised the point last year when the final cut was released that if Ridley owned the rights, he might've very well not released the other 4 versions in comparable quality and just stuck with "his" version. Hey, I hope I'm wrong. I also hope that George's people can sit him down and have a nice talk with him about how a new set would sell better if it had the original versions included.

Post
#324002
Topic
The Star Wars Exhibit at the Science Museum of Minnesota
Time

I remember going to Magic of Myth WAY the hell back in '97 (the Fall, I think) at the Air & Space museum. I've lived in Northern VA my whole life so it's just a hop away. The best part is that it was free (yay DC!). Still have my ticket stub actually. Still remember the Struzan art from the SE posters blown up onto a big wall with a 20th anniversary logo of some sort.

I caught Where Science Meets Imagination with a couple friends back in March when it was still at the Franklin Institute in Philly. I go to school in Northern DE, so once again my location was fortunate.

The coolest part of the exhibit for me was seeing the Devastator and Tantive IV models. Since my knowledge of all things Star Wars has increased vastly over the last ten years, it was cool to see that and go "wow, the Tantive IV model really is bigger than the Devastator!"

Post
#323907
Topic
State of the Trilogy/ annual SW depression
Time

CO, you got banned? Wow, time flies. It seems like just yesterday that you and zombie were posting there. The thread about the big announcement of the unaltered versions hitting dvd is what first springs to mind.

 

I lost a great deal of respect for TF.N when I saw this interview:

 

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/mytwocentsa127.html (scroll to a little more than halfway down. When you see a picture from Empire of Yoda, click on it. It's an embedded video. Yes, after almost two years it's still there.)

Post
#323549
Topic
State of the Trilogy/ annual SW depression
Time
generalfrevious said:

Why has this thread been hijacked by Indiana Jones? I thought I started this topic about SW; I guess we so bored we have to talk about something else.

 

Well, on that note, it's been rumored now twice in the past week by thedigitalbits that Indy IV is hitting dvd in October but that there's still no word on a blu-ray. I'm chalking that up to a lack of information and not to Lucas and Spielberg being crazy enough to not release it on BD. The movie didn't exactly do TPM business. They wouldn't be proving anything by releasing it only on dvd in the fall and holding back on the blu-ray.