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Idea: Preserving Episodes 1-3?

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 (Edited)

Ok now I’m confused. According to TheDigitalBits.com:

One interesting note from the event: Producer Rick McCallum and ILM animation director Rob Coleman confirmed that Lucas has continued to digitally massage the other Star Wars films. Specifically, Coleman indicated that the puppet Yoda from Episode I has been replaced with a digital Yoda that matches the character as seen in Episodes II and III. The CG performance was specifically tailored to match to Frank Oz’s puppet performance. You’ll be pleased to know that Coleman also told me, in no uncertain terms, that Oz’s puppet work in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi will NEVER be replaced with CG. So you fans can rest easy. You’ll get to see the new changes on a future, as-yet-unscheduled box set release of the entire Star Wars saga on DVD and/or HD.

I don’t know how to feel about that. GL cannot leave a damn thing alone. I mean even the current DVD’s aren’t the theatrical version; should we be looking to recreate and preserve the Original Prequel Trilogy (OPT) before it’s gone for good?

Dr. M

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I don't want to ruffle any feathers, but, let's face it, the PT isn't really worth preserving.

The CGI Yoda in AotC and RotS is far superior to the bad puppet in TPM, so if they replace it, I'll be slightly glad. Or at least I won't care. Which isn't saying much.
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sure it's worth preserving. The purpose of film preservation isn't to reward only good films. That's some shallow shit.

That said, both AOTC and TPM's theatrical versions don't exist on DVD.
The Best Show You've Never Heard
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Originally posted by: The Bizzle
sure it's worth preserving. The purpose of film preservation isn't to reward only good films. That's some shallow shit.

That said, both AOTC and TPM's theatrical versions don't exist on DVD.


Just wondering what the differences are if you know, thanks

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TPM has been released in its original theatrical cut on laserdisc in Japan and letterboxed VHS in the US. Though the film's not the greatest, I would be interested in a theatrical version preservation on DVD. I have both the laserdisc and tape, but lack the equipment and software to really make good DVD out of them.

Now where can we find the theatrical cut of AOTC?
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I think Rikter has a DVD that's a transfer of the Japanese LD for Episode I. I think he also has a theatrical version of Episode II on DVD except that I think it's a camcorder bootleg. I'm not certain though, you should check his threads on the board, there's info around here somewhere.

To contact me outside the forum, for trades and such my email address is my OT.com username @gmail.com

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"That said, both AOTC and TPM's theatrical versions don't exist on DVD."

Same goes for the OT DVDs. All three are "Straight To Video".

Or, as I recently saw on TF.n:
"I dunno if I'm making sense but what I'm trying to say is that with the new effects in the OT, the OT has become timeless in a wrong way. It used to be a timeless classic now it's a timeless freak."

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

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TPM has been released in its original theatrical cut on laserdisc in Japan and letterboxed VHS in the US. Though the film's not the greatest, I would be interested in a theatrical version preservation on DVD. I have both the laserdisc and tape, but lack the equipment and software to really make good DVD out of them.


There is the TB Release of TPM which is the theatrical release a DVB recording from European Canal + back in December 2001.

I posted a few screenshots and a video sequence on The "9000" Saga Edit thread.

It is pretty good, not perfect but probably better than any Laserdisc/Asian bootleg out there.

These were done by the same person who also recorded the SE at around the same time. Some rate this set as the best SE out there at the moment.

All of these are in PAL but I am sure that will not bother the editors out there............

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Yes- I was interested in doing the theatrical Ep. I in highest quality sometime, and someone posted a linlk to the establishing Coruscant shot not included in the DVD. Splice this into the DVD transfer, remove the extra podracing shots, and add the shot of Watto cheering from Disc 2 of the DVD set, and you're golden. You would probably included the 5.1 from the LD, though- which I don't have.

Ep. II would be more difficult, especially with no home video release of the original.

And Ep. III would be really, really easy considering the quality of the bootlegs.

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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Ep. II would be more difficult, especially with no home video release of the original.


There were plenty of VCD and DVD bootlegs out there at the time that EP II was released and there was the Full Screen VHS of the film too.

Both would be a good reference as to what the theatrical version was like but wether or not DVD quality material existed for it all remains to be seen.

Is the 1080i HiDef version of EP II (currently going up on a.b.sw) the theatrical or DVD version??

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This would be nice project to release in a few years when storage media (ie: Blue-Ray etc...) allows for storage of all the theatrical cuts.

Now the IMAX AOTC, that would be nice...
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Wait...so here's what hasn't been preserved on DVD officially:

-Episode I screener (with Maul falling down the shaft in one piece)
-Episode I: Original Theatrical Version (removed after the first couple weeks and containing the shot of Maul falling apart but much later down the shaft).
- Episode I: The Revised Original Version (released on VHS and LD- also shown in theatres after the first couple weeks of opening)
-Episode I with Sam Jackson's Narration for the Blind
-Episode II: The Theatrical Film Version
-Episode II: The Digital Theatrical Version
-Episode II: The IMAX cut
-Episode III: The Theatrical Version (film and digital are identical)
-Episode III: The IMAX cut

Maybe include the workprint for III for the heck of it (for the countdown sequence at the beginning).

But...I've never heard of any DVD's preserving the IMAX edition. Or the screener and original original version of Ep. I, not to mention the narration for the blind. Episode II- has a good quality boot of the theatrical version surfaced? All Rikter has is a camcorder version. It seems like some of this stuff would be very hard to find.

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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I have done a little research and it looks like screeners for Episodes 1 and 2 on VCD/DVD were available as well as the crappy CAMS on VHS/VCD that were also around at the time.

I have also found this site which lists many changes in different versions of all the Star Wars films. I do not know how acurate this site is or if there are more changes not listed.

They list the following for Episodes 1 and 2........

2001 Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace DVD
Podrace grid sequence is extended
Air taxi sequence is reincorporated

2002 Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones DVD
New dialogue added to the scene where Anakin confesses to the Tusken slaughter.
Additional sparks and smoke have been added to Jango Fett's jetpack shortly before his death to better present its malfunction.
After falling out of the gunship on Geonosis, a clone trooper asks if Padmé is all right. Her response of "Yes" has been changed to a more realistic groggy "Uh-huh."
Anakin's mechanical hand now holds Padmé's hand during the closing wedding sequence (this was originally included in the DLP theater release of the film).


I did see a site years ago which had pictures of the changes to the mechanical hand scene, and others but I cannot find it at the moment.

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I knew that this had been discussed before but was not sure of the thread.

In that thread, there is at least one mention of someone having a Telecine of AOTC theatrical release.

If that were of a decent quality, it could go a long way to help re-create the theatrical and digital releases of Episode 2.

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-Episode III: The IMAX cut
I thought they didn't release Episode III in an IMAX cut like they did with Episode II?

And also, according to early DVD reviews, the version of Episode III on the DVD will be the theatrical cut.
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Thanks for doing the research, Russ. Shifty Eyes- you're probably right about the Ep. III IMAX- I didn't recall hearing about it but put it in for good measure.


And also, according to early DVD reviews, the version of Episode III on the DVD will be the theatrical cut.


Ha- THAT would be a first

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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Well, totally off subject, I guess this is why I never heard of any marathon theatrical screenings of the saga when Episode III came out. None of the prints that Lucasfilm and Fox have are the current DVD versions. Could this mean there could never be another theatrical release of the Classic Trilogy, special editions or otherwise?

I for one would love to have a decent theatrical prequel trilogy to go with a theatrical classical trilogy set, even they don't really match each other all the same.
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I'm actually pretty surprised someone hasn't fan-edited the IMAX cut together. I REALLY liked that version of it. MagFan's Episode II edit does come close to it, but drops the ball with that weird "Dooku Yellowsaber" thing, although I know I'm in the minority on that one in this forum

And yes, when Episode III is released, it will be the only release of a Star Wars movie as it was shown in theaters. Every other one of them has edits and changes. As Zion pointed out, it'd be pretty easy to restore Episodes I and II to their theatrical, I'd think.
The Best Show You've Never Heard
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I've been asking people who've seen the DVD release, and so far no one's caught anything. I thought for SURE like, a second or two would have snuck in, but so far, it's looking like this is exactly the theatrical release.

Side note: it's funny that we're so used to these movies being tinkered with, going back to the VHS days and the changes to the soundtrack, that the straight transfer of the theatrical version is something to be distrusted. "There's no WAY it's the theatrical.."
The Best Show You've Never Heard
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Sluggo,

there was a marathon theatrical screening of the saga just before the general release of Episode III. It was at the Empire, Leicester Square in London, England. However, the OT prints screened were of the '97 SE.