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Who thinks that George Lucas will release the OOT?

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I think that after all the Ep. III hype has died down and George Lucas gets some time to think, he will eventually release the OOT on DVD, despite all of his comments to the contrary. We know how clever he is at marketing; wouldn't it be funny if this whole thing with the SE's was a ploy to build up demand for the OOT?

Episode II: Shroud of the Dark Side

Emperor Jar-Jar
“Back when we made Star Wars, we just couldn’t make Palpatine as evil as we intended. Now, thanks to the miracles of technology, it is finally possible. Finally, I’ve created the movies that I originally imagined.” -George Lucas on the 2007 Extra Extra Special HD-DVD Edition

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"There is no hope".


George has said a million times that the O-OT will never, never , never be released ever again.
"A Jedi can feel the force flow through him".
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But he also said that none of the SW movies would be on DVD before 2005, and we got all of them but ROTS before that.

Episode II: Shroud of the Dark Side

Emperor Jar-Jar
“Back when we made Star Wars, we just couldn’t make Palpatine as evil as we intended. Now, thanks to the miracles of technology, it is finally possible. Finally, I’ve created the movies that I originally imagined.” -George Lucas on the 2007 Extra Extra Special HD-DVD Edition

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Accept it i have to break it to u gently,


It will never be relased!!!!
"A Jedi can feel the force flow through him".
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Trust me i was like u but unfortuantly life is not fair.
"A Jedi can feel the force flow through him".
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Oh, I don't know. I don't think he'll do it under pressure that's for sure. He'll do it when the hype has died down again surrounding Star Wars and it seems like *his* idea on *his* terms.

At least I can hope. But I won't lose any sleep over it.
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I'm not sure what to think anymore. In my heart of hearts, I hope he does release it. Am I banking on it? Nope. Nor will GL be banking any more of my money in terms of DVDs. I won't buy them until he does release them. Guess I'll be saving some money, eh?
"You fell victim to one of the classic blunders, the most famous of which is 'Never get involved in a land war in Asia'."
--Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), The Princess Bride
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Kevin A
Webmaster/Primary Cynic
kapgar.typepad.com
kapgar.com
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I'm a "George Lucas Agnostic". I don't care if he releases or not, I don't belive he will, but I don't deny it either.
“Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” — Nazi Reich Marshal Hermann Goering
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I hope he releases it, but I doubt he will. But we must not give up hope. We must never give up the fight.
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The Originals can never, and will never, be re-released. I don't blame Lucas, I blame the slick marketers who decided to call the 1995 "Faces" release the final "original" release. Even if Lucas wanted to give us all the O-OT on DVD he couldn't because he and Fox would be sued. That's the sad reality. Definitive Edition Laserdiscs can fetch as much as $400 on ebay, and the Faces edition close to $100 because there is demand for the O-OT. (Most used LDs can be picked up for under $10). Some fans are even willing to purchase a LD player just so they can watch the O-OT in HQ formatting. Lucas is a savy businessman -- not someone who would leave money on the table.
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First off, welcome to the board WhiteKnight!

Secondly, I don't follow your line of reasoning. Are you suggesting that Fox would be sued because they marketed the Faces edition as the last original release? How does that work? Who would sue them and why?

Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here, this is the war room!

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Here's an interesting little loophole: Note that the Faces edition does NOT say that it is the final original release of the trilogy. Just the final release of "Star Wars". Which means if they released the original versions of Empire and Jedi, they wouldn't be contradicting themselves.

Episode II: Shroud of the Dark Side

Emperor Jar-Jar
“Back when we made Star Wars, we just couldn’t make Palpatine as evil as we intended. Now, thanks to the miracles of technology, it is finally possible. Finally, I’ve created the movies that I originally imagined.” -George Lucas on the 2007 Extra Extra Special HD-DVD Edition

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Originally posted by: Trooperman
Here's an interesting little loophole: Note that the Faces edition does NOT say that it is the final original release of the trilogy. Just the final release of "Star Wars". Which means if they released the original versions of Empire and Jedi, they wouldn't be contradicting themselves.

And "A New Hope" isn't the original version anyway, so you're covered there too.
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The appeal of Star Wars has gone beyond anything I could have ever imagined. I am pleased that for the final video release of Star Wars in its original version, we can present it with the best sound and picture quality yet available, thanks to THX Digital Mastering.

In the years to come I hop you, your children, and your children's children will enjoy not only this trilogy but also the adventures yet to come in the continually unfolding Star Wars universe.


George Lucas


thats what i believe is being refered to from the back of the box set

I too, like bad_karma24, do not follow your line of your reasoning. i mean who would sue Fox/Lucas because he released the original trilogy? First, that whole statement can be used in a lawsuit as its not the original version of SW as pointed out in above posts. second it was released on dvd as the original trilogy, which i take the use of the word video to mean VHS, so using that he/fox/whoever wouldnt be sued in the first place could easily get around it. in addition, like said, who would sue. the people selling the LD's? on what ground? 'Lucas/Fox is preventing us from making money on a product they own?' heh, id like to see that work. Also i dont understand your 'leave money on the table' comment. what does that mean, from what it sounds like its he wont throw away the possiblilty of making profit, which would imply that he will eventually release, or at least consider releasing, the OOT on dvd. and the final reason why they wouldnt get sued over it? survey says....Fox/Lucas has way more money than anyone who would even think of suing them (or think they could benefit in anyway from it) and would run said person into a financial whole so big it would make the US deficit look like nothing.

-Darth Simon
Why Anakin really turned to the dark side:
"Anakin, You're father I am" - Yoda
"No. No. That's not true! That's impossible!" - Anakin

0100111001101001011011100110101001100001

*touchy people disclaimer*
some or all of the above comments are partially exaggerated to convey a point, none of the comments are meant as personal attacks on anyone mentioned or reference in the above post
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Actually, it was marketed as "The original Star Wars Trilogy on video ...One last time." So that point is not only ridiculous but irrelevent. Besides, if they do release it again it will be on DVD, not video.

Anyway, I think there's still hope for the original films. In an article just after the DVD release, George Lucas said something that I've never seen anyone bring up, but it's very encouraging. The following is a quote from this article
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DB: You've said the last time you would issue the original versions was on VHS several years ago. But with VHS potentially becoming obsolete one day, will you release them on DVD?

GL: I don't know. I mean, when VHS becomes obsolete it will probably get released on DVD, I imagine. But I'm not going to spend the effort to restore them (to) what I consider to be the real film.
Greedo shoots first? Not in my DVD player.
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Fox and/or Lucas would be sued (via class action) if they ever re-released the O-OT on VHS, LD or DVD. That does not mean the class action would win. There is a history of this type of suit. In 1976 (maybe 75) Cadillac promoted the DeVille Convertible as the “last American convertible” at autoshows. When Chrysler (and later GM) came out with a convertible in the early 80s, Cadillac was sued. The class action ultimately failed for several reasons. The claim was an autoshow billing and Cadillac could not be held liable for the actions of another automaker.

The case with Star Wars is a little different. Fox really played up the “last chance” aspect of the Faces release. It was in just about every advertisement, on the back of the each box, and Lucas himself has been relatively steadfast in his assertions. Also, Fox and Lucas have complete control on whether or not the O-OT is ever re-released.

Who would sue? Any owner of a previous release of the O-OT could join the class action. The lawyers would go after Fox and Lucas for false advertising and damages. The value of these previous releases, especially the LDs, would fall. There is no way Star Wars LD Trilogy would fetch $400 if you could buy them on DVD. I would guess these versions would be worth less than $50 for the set.

With respect to Obi-Wan Spicoli, DVD stands for Digital “Video” Disc. Semantics aside, Fox and Lucas do have some options to give us a DVD version, hence the recent release of the special special edition (or whatever you want to call it) on DVD and the special edition release in the late 90s on LD and VHS, after the Faces release. We just can never have it just as it was in the theaters. Lucas could do a Directors Cut, or Special edition with the digital upgrades less the story line changes. This should satisfy the purists and avoid costly litigation.

Lucas is a shrewd business man. He has milked the Star Wars saga for billions and he shows no signs of stopping – capitalism at its best! Over 69K fans have signed the petition on this website – clearly there is purist demand for the O-OT. Laserdiscs, arguably an obsolete technology, of the O-OT are commanding huge premiums on the market. Special Editions of the entire trilogy on LD go for less than $40, yet the O-OT (Definition and Faces Edition) range from $100 to $400. The very idea that Lucas would not capitalize on this demand is shocking; that is, unless he can not. Do you really believe he is not releasing the O-OT on DVD on a whim? No, there must be more to it than that. My contention is that the reason he and Fox are not re-releasing the O-OT is the legal perils they would face if they did. It would not take Lucas long to do an O-OT on DVD. The digital mastering was done for the Definitive and Faces LD editions. All you would need is someone to do the menus and marketing.

Personally, I hope we do see something close the theatrical releases on DVD in the future. However, I am not under any delusions that it will be modification free, less they risk litigation.
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Originally posted by: WhiteKnight
With respect to Obi-Wan Spicoli, DVD stands for Digital “Video” Disc.


Technically it stands for Digital Versatile Disc. Quincy Jones saw to this to hype the aspects of DVD audio before the standard was finalized.
I am fluent in over six million forms of procrastination.
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Originally posted by: WhiteKnight
Fox and/or Lucas would be sued (via class action) if they ever re-released the O-OT on VHS, LD or DVD. That does not mean the class action would win. There is a history of this type of suit. In 1976 (maybe 75) Cadillac promoted the DeVille Convertible as the “last American convertible” at autoshows. When Chrysler (and later GM) came out with a convertible in the early 80s, Cadillac was sued. The class action ultimately failed for several reasons. The claim was an autoshow billing and Cadillac could not be held liable for the actions of another automaker.

The case with Star Wars is a little different. Fox really played up the “last chance” aspect of the Faces release. It was in just about every advertisement, on the back of the each box, and Lucas himself has been relatively steadfast in his assertions. Also, Fox and Lucas have complete control on whether or not the O-OT is ever re-released.


you sound pretty certain that there would be a suit. First, its more likely that the people that would even notice that they went back on their 'last chance' word would be those that want the OOT released on dvd, basically people like us, so the chances that someone sues (the suit has to be started by someone, it just doesnt magically happen because the possibility of the suit exists) is significantly reduced. Second what does the obvious fact that Fox and Lucas have complete control over whether its released or not have anything to do with the price of tea in China. If they have complete control and they decide they want to release it, gues what...it will be released. Third, based on whats actually written on the box, and according to you there should have been a lawsuit already because its what they touted as the "final video release of Star Wars in its original version" is not its original version.

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Who would sue? Any owner of a previous release of the O-OT could join the class action. The lawyers would go after Fox and Lucas for false advertising and damages. The value of these previous releases, especially the LDs, would fall. There is no way Star Wars LD Trilogy would fetch $400 if you could buy them on DVD. I would guess these versions would be worth less than $50 for the set.


ok, they could be involved in a class action suit if it was filed, but just because a suit of this kind could be brought forth, doesnt mean it definatly will. plus by what your saying it would only be people who bought the faces release that was touted as the "last chance" because otherwise the false advertising and damages you speak of wouldnt apply. 'The Lawyers would go after...' you say this stuff like there are lawyers with suits all filled out waiting for the release so they can file them with the courts.

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With respect to Obi-Wan Spicoli, DVD stands for Digital “Video” Disc. Semantics aside, Fox and Lucas do have some options to give us a DVD version, hence the recent release of the special special edition (or whatever you want to call it) on DVD and the special edition release in the late 90s on LD and VHS, after the Faces release. We just can never have it just as it was in the theaters. Lucas could do a Directors Cut, or Special edition with the digital upgrades less the story line changes. This should satisfy the purists and avoid costly litigation.


First off they can easily use those semantics to release the OOT on dvd or maybe Blu-Ray. How about a reissue of the LD's, they dont use the word 'Video' in their title. Lucas' and Fox's lawyers could easily get around this video aspect if they decided to release it. Plus, they never really did released it as the Theatrical version, plus there were so many different sound mixes they could just use a slightly different one and its no longer the 'Original Version'. or it could be as simple as fixing all the uncolored lightsabers and its no longer the original version. so many loop-holes so little time.

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Lucas is a shrewd business man. He has milked the Star Wars saga for billions and he shows no signs of stopping – capitalism at its best! Over 69K fans have signed the petition on this website – clearly there is purist demand for the O-OT. Laserdiscs, arguably an obsolete technology, of the O-OT are commanding huge premiums on the market. Special Editions of the entire trilogy on LD go for less than $40, yet the O-OT (Definition and Faces Edition) range from $100 to $400. The very idea that Lucas would not capitalize on this demand is shocking; that is, unless he can not. Do you really believe he is not releasing the O-OT on DVD on a whim? No, there must be more to it than that. My contention is that the reason he and Fox are not re-releasing the O-OT is the legal perils they would face if they did. It would not take Lucas long to do an O-OT on DVD. The digital mastering was done for the Definitive and Faces LD editions. All you would need is someone to do the menus and marketing.


Agreed Lucas is a 'shrewd business man' and also very good at marketing. If he has no intentin of stopping the 'milking of the SW saga for billions' do you really think he would have put himself in a position to eliminate the possibilty of future releases.

Also, what law states that if someone releases a product that they own all the rights to, people that are profiting off of it can sue for damages. I could almost argue that this is copyright infringment, im sure the Law teams of Lucas and Fox could come up with much better. and if thats what you were getting at, why would lucas care if someone who bought 5 copies of the Faces LD looses the ability to sell it for $100 (it may even make them more rare, at least more rare to find them in good working order)

point being I seriously dont think the reason they havent released the OOT on dvd is because they are afraid of getting sued for it. Plus, you really think an OOT on dvd would just be the faces edition with no additional restoration? While that would probably actually satisfy many, i dont think that Lucas would take that route. Its more likely that the reason he isnt releasing the OOT on DVD is because he doesnt want to, because he doesnt acknowledge that version anymore or less likely that he/his marketing team feels that holding out longer will increase the money they can make off of it (you do know that disney pulls their movies every so many years only to re-release them after demand has built up over the time in order to keep them profitable)

69K people signed the petition. I hate to sound pessimistic and imply the petition means nothing, but based on numbers from a quick search the altered trilogy did $115 million in sales. at MSRP ($70) thats 1,642,857 dvds sold vs the 69,000 that signed the petition. look at the numbers, 69k is not reason enough for lucas to release the OOT on dvd for the sole reason of profit, even if you double the number its not much. I hate to say it but most people probably didnt even notice there were changes. The best bet for Lucas releasing the OOT on dvd at this point is if he releases it as a special feature/alternate version as part of a huge box set.

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Personally, I hope we do see something close the theatrical releases on DVD in the future.


so do i

However, I am not under any delusions that it will be modification free, less they risk litigation.


no, you just seem to be under the delusion that this is some big legal problem for Fox/LFL when its really not. let me ask you this. Would you sue Lucas/Fox if he released the OOT on the grounds that you've stated above?

-Darth Simon
Why Anakin really turned to the dark side:
"Anakin, You're father I am" - Yoda
"No. No. That's not true! That's impossible!" - Anakin

0100111001101001011011100110101001100001

*touchy people disclaimer*
some or all of the above comments are partially exaggerated to convey a point, none of the comments are meant as personal attacks on anyone mentioned or reference in the above post
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Originally posted by: WhiteKnight
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Technically it stands for Digital Versatile Disc. Quincy Jones saw to this to hype the aspects of DVD audio before the standard was finalized.


http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=dvd


ooh, i wanna play the link game http://www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html#1.1

you can find information to back up any stance you choose on the web. personally i think digital versital disc works better (best) i mean, cause a digital video disc - audio (dvd-audio) or digital video disc - video (dvd-video) just sounds kinda funny if you think about it. the video aspect is just the most common use for it.

-Darth Simon
Why Anakin really turned to the dark side:
"Anakin, You're father I am" - Yoda
"No. No. That's not true! That's impossible!" - Anakin

0100111001101001011011100110101001100001

*touchy people disclaimer*
some or all of the above comments are partially exaggerated to convey a point, none of the comments are meant as personal attacks on anyone mentioned or reference in the above post
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He'll release it on blu ray dvd.
"A Jedi can feel the force flow through him".
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The technical specifications haven't even been finalized yet- what makes you think so?

Episode II: Shroud of the Dark Side

Emperor Jar-Jar
“Back when we made Star Wars, we just couldn’t make Palpatine as evil as we intended. Now, thanks to the miracles of technology, it is finally possible. Finally, I’ve created the movies that I originally imagined.” -George Lucas on the 2007 Extra Extra Special HD-DVD Edition

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Because it'll take at least 5 or more years to decide what is he going to do with the O-OT. By that time you know the blu-rays and HD will be on the market and standard DVD will be dead.
"A Jedi can feel the force flow through him".
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Until then you can watch the OT in HTDV in TV (the trailer for the OT DVD release already was in HD and had much better quality than the DVDs itself ).
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Q]I hate to say it but most people probably didnt even notice there were changes.

Thats the biggest travesty thats occured besides the screwing of the fans is that now there are going to be whole generations of people who will grow up not knowing that Han is a badass because he indeed shot first...

Speaking of new formats like Blu-ray and such, how about old ones like CED? I have ROTJ on CED but have never had a player...any thoughts on it? I've heard that of course it pales in contrast to Laserdisc, but anyone know by how much in quality?

<a href="http://www.bynkii.com/archives/2005/05/i_hates_lucas_i.html" title="www.bynkii.com/archives/2005/05/i_hates_lucas_i.html" target="_blank">.Truth.</a><br /><br />"Mmm....starcruiser crash!"