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ANH 97SE.

Finally with the 5.1 ac3 Dolby track, and I have to say for such a complicated way of getting this surround on the disc, it sounds really great. Even when compared to the Surround PCM mix or a DTS LD. It's nice to finally hear the 5.1 again, and now I'm able to clearly hear all of the extra things they just shoved in...which I'm not too pleased with. Dialogue benefits mainly, as it is much clearer in the center channel. Just wish they hadn't added so many effects and new panning. And then this is only here and there, leaving the rest as it was.

Sadly my player with the ac3 out has a softer image than my older 702, but it's pretty negligible on the 36" behemoth Sony CRT I've hooked up to. (Still on floor it's so heavy!

While I still prefer the 97 Jabba to the 04 one, on the whole for this film, the CGI additions are totally unnecessary. There is not one shot that is truly seamless, benefiting or improved. This is one of those childhood things I have to pull up from time to time to reacquaint myself with, and I find I like the 97SE less and less with each subsequent viewing. The only change I've ever liked is the new music for ROTJ's ending.

Flawed but still certainly watchable.

ESB 97 SE

Who did the remix on ESB? Dang it sounds good! Little to report, watched with 5.1 ac3 which was much much better sounding than SW. Just wish I had an LD player with a better image that also had the rf out, as the DVL-700 is a bit blurry and smeary.

Again, the additions made are completely stupid, senseless and a waste. If you didn't know the film you'd never realize that they had actually done anything. Stupid, but at least it still is mostly the same film. I'm actually surprised there were no deleted scenes thrown in, like the Han/Leia Bespin moment. That would wreck the pacing, oh wait...that's "Alert my Star Destroyer"'s job.

ESB Special Edition: Now starring Moff Jejerrod!

TV's Frink said:

I always found ESB:SE to be the least offensive of the three. Not that it's a high bar to jump over...

Except when you get to the part with Luke screaming. LOL.

Just saw Dark Shadows last night, and I really enjoyed it.  Girlfriend didn't as much.  It didn't really get to The Brady Bunch Movie levels of affectionate parody, but, especially by the third act, it certainly did feel like it was milking as many old soap opera cliches as it could.

"You weren't fixing my blood.  You were taking it for yourself!" *dun dun dun*

"I was actually a werewolf all along!" *organ chord*

"I was the one who made you a werewolf!" *higher organ chord*

And even aside from that, the dialogue was pretty sharp, the porcelain body effects were quite imaginative, and most of the jokes worked.

A few things fell flat, like the character of Roger, whose "I'm an unscrupulous deadbeat dad" subplot came out of nowhere and was resolved immediately, as if the actor just wasn't available to be in the film's climax.  And I couldn't help thinking that, with the power to control people's minds like Barnabus has, several problems could have been tied up a lot more easily.  Many of the characters didn't feel like they had enough of a chance to develop, or even get screentime, in lieu of Depp.  Also, Christopher Lee's cameo was rather wasted.

All in all, though, I found it extremely enjoyable and wouldn't mind seeing it again.

ROTJ 97 SE

Bit underwhelming to be honest. Looked and sounded fine, although going back through the SE on a large TV with the 5.1 has really made it apparent just how shoehorned all of the additions/changes really are. You don't fully realize as a kid just what they've done, to you it just seems like an alternate version with more stuff in it.

Jedi Rocks is composed to be something of a big F You to the audience. You cringe horribly and yearn for the days of the understated Lapti Nek and limited puppets. Similar thing with the added celebration shots...oh look isn't that the EXACT SAME BESPIN SHOT MADE FOR THE ESB SE!?!?!?!?! ARRGH!

I do appreciate the new ending music as Yub Nub just has never felt right to  me for being the ending of the trilogy. But it is just a bit too

Bingowings said:

And although these LDs are very well made, as soon as the 97 trailers come on there's an instant jump in color and saturation that looks much more like the films that I remember and Technicolor.

You know, I think I've had it with the SE in general. It's too compromised and the only release was a 1997 video master that itself has problems. On top of that the original work was tampered with and replaced. Screw it. Shut up McCallum-I like the slow artificiality of the original Yavin battle shots, it resembles something much more realistic and imposing as it is in space!

Who's up for just starting a freaking Kickstarter campaign to fund the super "expensive" OT restoration? People and news agencies talk about internet funding all the time now, and since ol' George doesn't want to pay for the restorations we could offer the money ourselves-do it ourselves and George wouldn't ever have to worry about it.

5,337 petition signatures so far. Imagine if everyone who signed chipped in ten bucks to start. That's not a bad starting figure.

I've always remembered how Robert Harris in an old HTF forum stated that he knew of good elements being around for the OT and that the "saving the films" claim was essentially bull. This shouldn't be that difficult people. It won't be on the level of scowering the world for Godfather elements.

Reference using the IB technicolor printing, 70mm version and release with three audio tracks: mono, Dolby stereo, 70mm recreation. Done.

ESB and ROTJ should be much easier to do, being printed and handled less than the original film and being Dolby Stereo. (Though of course the 70mm elements should be checked and scanned for differences.)

End rant...

captainsolo said:

Who's up for just starting a freaking Kickstarter campaign to fund the super "expensive" OT restoration? People and news agencies talk about internet funding all the time now, and since ol' George doesn't want to pay for the restorations we could offer the money ourselves-do it ourselves and George wouldn't ever have to worry about it.
 

Ah. Dammit. And don't you have to pay taxes on internet raised funds now? Back to casing the vaults...;)

Spooky timing, Tobar.

Temple of Doom

Why does everyone dislike this so much? It's equal to Raiders in quite a number of ways, it's darker, has more humor with a screwball flavor and truly is an adventure serial on a huge budget. The editing and pacing is tighter than even Raiders, and it works as a complete thrill ride. And this time around Spielberg is constantly winking at us knowingly at what we've gotten ourselves into. Even John Williams does this with the score! (the Cairo street music is present when Indy goes for his gun against the two swordsmen.)

All Last Crusade can manage is the byplay between the Jonses, and wishing that it knew what exactly it was doing.

Raiders may be perfect, but Temple is damn gritty fun. Yes, I love Short Round as the sidekick, and Willie is little more than an update of the shrieking girly 30's stereotype. And if you've seen Gunga Din, what's not to like?

Mola Ram, Prepare to meet Kali...IN HELL!

4 huge colossal balls out of 4 you guessed it...flaming hearts.

And I forgot just how good an old CRT screen looks with calibrated DVD. Hooked in an old Sony DVD player I rescued out of a closet, plugged in component cables, connected to sound setup and boom! Plus the widescreen enhancement really helps.

^I've always agreed that Temple of Doom deserves some slack, or at least a lot less flack than it gets. I do understand people seeing Willie as annoying, but I don't especially.