logo Sign In

Info Wanted: Which version is this?

Author
Date
Author
Time
 (Edited)
Post link

Having read some of the discussion on here about the various ‘alternative’ versions of the OT makes me wonder about something. A while back I found a set of the original Trilogy DVD’s at a trade show. Since they weren’t available in stores, I picked them up. I’d like to find out which version I have and if in fact it might be superior to the September release version. No sense in paying twice and ending up with the same or even lesser product But beyond that, I’d just really like to know which “versions” I own. If this topic is no longer welcome because of the new DVD’s I understand, but would still like to satisfy the curiosity of knowing whether or not I should upgrade my set. So please PM me or just post here if you know. Thanks, and here’s the information about the discs:

ANH and ESB - both have original movie poster cover. Star Wars has the original moody black and grey, not the blue that came later.
ESB is the classic with Han and Leia on the cover. ROTJ is from a different source, but has the original Jedi artwork as well.

ANH - Dolby Digital NTSC THX Widescreen - letterbox 2:35:1
Disc Features: complete film in theatrical aspect ratio
Interview with Lucas
Interview with McQuarrie
Origial Teaser and Theatrical release trailers

Empire - Dolby Digital NTSC Widescreen - letterbox 2:35:1
Disc Features: Audio - Dolby Surround
Interview with Lucas
Original Teaser and Theatrical release trailers
Interview with Ben Burtt
SFX Supervisor Dennis Murren narrates time lapse footage of Imperial Walker sequence
Storyboard to Film Comparison of the asteroid chase sequence

Jedi (different look from the others and source) - Dolby Digital NTSC Widescreen - letterbox 2:35:1
Disc Features: Theatrical Trailers 1,2, and 3
Subtitles: English, Malay, Chinese, and Indonesia
Language: English
DB-85019 - MPEG2 THX Digital

And I think though I haven’t watched them in a while, that ANH and ESB have the Death Star THX Trench runs on them.

Sound familiar to anyone?

Author
Time
Post link
I have no idea, it would help if you could post some screenshots of the menus though.

That's no moon. It's a LaserDisc.

Author
Time
Post link
Sounds like they're possibly all Asian bootlegs. The first two have extras from the Definitive Collection laserdiscs. But again, screenshots of the menus will definitely help to positively ID them.

I can tell you that they're going to be very poor quality compared to the September DVDs, though. In fact, all the Asian bootlegs are pretty dismal even compared to more recent fan preservations. But no fan preservation outside of maybe the X0 project has a chance of even coming close to the picture quality on the upcoming DVDs (despite that set's appalling lack of anamophic capability), because that transfer will be off an original laserdisc master that none of us have access to. The fan preservations do make up for that in other ways, though.

--SKot

Projects:
Return Of The Ewok and Other Short Films (with OCPmovie) [COMPLETED]
Preserving the…cringe…Star Wars Holiday Special [COMPLETED]
The Star Wars TV Commercials Project [DORMANT]
Felix the Cat 1919-1930 early film shorts preservation [ONGOING]
Lights Out! (lost TV anthology shows) [ONGOING]
Iznogoud (1995 animated series) English audio preservation [ONGOING]

Author
Time
Post link
I'll try to get some screen caps later today. Thanks
Author
Time
Post link
X-Wings in the trench which forms into the THX Logo sounds like the Dr Gonzo version. Not sure if anyone else used that THX Logo.

It’s Not the Years, It’s the Mileage.

Author
Time
Post link
Gonzo used the THX trench runs, but he put the interviews on a fourth disc.

However, in practice you must take into account the “fuckwit factor”. Just talk to Darth Mallwalker…
-Moth3r

Author
Time
Post link
I've heard there was a Dual Layer Set of Dr Gonzo that had the extras on the discs.

It’s Not the Years, It’s the Mileage.

Author
Time
Post link
Sorry it took so long to get to this. Between work and my computer going in for repairs I've had no time of late. I can't get the caps to work, but here is a complete description of what you see on the DVD's. I appreciate any efforts to name where they came from:

Star Wars:

Features - First part of interview with George Lucas (I think it's the original trilogy interview from the first THX set 1995) Very short.
3 original trailers - the first one with the logo coming toward the screen (no completed lightsabers), the second one (more action against the Star Wars logo) and Winner of 7 Academy Awards, Coming Back to Your Galaxy for Two Weeks Only
McQuarrie Production Gallery

The Movie starts out with a "THX Laser Disc" logo.


Empire:

Appears to be from the Definitive Collection (that's the logo on the title screen anyway). Audio is Dolby 2.0 Surround.
Commentary from Lucas, McQuarrie, Muren, Oz, and Ralston.

Has the THX Trench Run (opens up to a THX explosion ala the Special Edition and "The Audience Is Listening"

Other Extras: Chapter Selection, Audio Options (2 options), and Production Notes, and an "Easter Egg" Darth Vader that plays a tune called "Scoundrel" that is oh so not Star Wars.

The Cover shows it to be the WS letterbox 2:35:1 aspect ratio (so how can you tell if it's anamorphic or not??)

The front cover is the classic Empire "Gone With The Wind" and says "Digitally THX Mastered" at the bottom. The back has several montage shots on a black background.

There's also "supposed" to be another interview with Lucas, Original Teaser and Theatrical Trailers, Interview with Ben Burtt, walk through with Dennis Muren of the At-At Walker sequence (it's on the commentary, but not separate--is it supposed to be??) And finally no storyboard to film comparison of the asteroid chase sequence (unless it's hidden??!) Seriously, if I'm missing these, please point them out!

That's it for Empire (the most robust of this set I think)


Return of the Jedi -

Three Trailers - #1 - original Revenge of the Jedi, #2 - the changed "Return of the Jedi", and #3 final "Return of the Jedi" (which is rather stale sounding, but that's probably just the announcer who sounds like a theater manager or something...)

Also a rather lengthy interview with Dennis Muren broken into parts. Highlights include the Rancor, Speeder Bikes, a storyboard for the Endor space battle, the original slave girl video from Jabba's Palace, and a couple more.

Scene Index and main page with three faces - Darth Vader, Leia, and Luke, and something called the "DCS" which is just an advertisement.
The DVD Cover - the classic Return of the Jedi full cast poster
The DVD Back - "The Empire Falls..." Montage shots

The DVD - Starts with liquid rain Dolby Digital short. THX logo


And although not part of the set, I have a separate "making of Star Wars" told by R2-D2 and C-3PO that sure seems awfully familiar. Was this released as part of the "extras" DVD for the first SE DVD set?
Author
Time
Post link
Sure sounds like Dr_Gonzo's ESB disc with "Scoundrel" Easter egg.
Sounds like it's not Dr_Gonzo's cover though if it lists extras which aren't on the disc.

Have a look at russs15's site which has Dr_Gonzo menu screenshots and a whole lot more.

However, in practice you must take into account the “fuckwit factor”. Just talk to Darth Mallwalker…
-Moth3r

Author
Time
Post link
Darth, thank you for that link! From those screen shots, the menu of Gonzo looks EXACTLY like my Empire disk, however like you said, the covers are different. I found a picture of the cover in question. It's here: http://www.geocities.com/unclejrusenet/tesb.jpg The exact same except the "Widescreen" at the top is not there. I actually prefer my cover as it looks more "original"

Anyway, are the extras I mentioned missing only on the supplmental disk or the movie itself? I can't find anything different from the menus, so if it's there, it must be well hidden. Also, the link shows the Gonzo set to be Anamorphic. How can you check this with a regular computer? Finally, did the "LOOK" version menus appear on any other versions? It appears to be the only one of its kind among the list from that particular page. Thanks again.

Author
Time
Post link
Ok here's an update with what i have so far, and what is still not defined. Any help pinpointing these would be very welcome:

Empire is definately Gonzo, and it appears, anamorphic. But I still need to know if any of these were on that disc, or if it was all in the extras disc (which I don't have):

Separate interview with Lucas, Original Teaser and Theatrical Trailers, Interview with Ben Burtt, walk through with Dennis Muren of the At-At Walker sequence (it's on the commentary, but not separate--is it supposed to be??) And finally no storyboard to film comparison of the asteroid chase sequence (unless it's hidden??!) Seriously, if I'm missing these, please point them out!
Also, still needing to know if the menus on the "LOOK" versions were unique to that set or not. Thanks!

Lastly, was the "Making of Star Wars" from 1977 included on the Definitive Collection laser disc or any other official release and/or fan preservation project? Or was it just the 3 part interview with Lucas?

Author
Time
Post link
3 part interview with Lucas (by Leonard Maltin) is from the Faces laserdisc set.


"Making of Star Wars" wasn't in the Definitive Collection, however it was released on laserdisc in the USA & Japan.
RowMan made a DVD using Rikter's capture of the USA disc.
Dr_Gonzo used baby hum's capture with burned-in Japanese subtitles. Menu screenshot is on russs15's site (the link I posted above.)


Interview with Ben Burtt, walk through with Dennis Muren of the At-At Walker sequence, storyboard to film comparison of the asteroid chase, etc. are not on Dr_Gonzo's Empire disc.
Your cover might list them . . . but you don't have Dr_Gonzo's cover! You gave a "link" to Dr_Gonzo's cover above, and went on to say yours is different than that one.
Dr_Gonzo put the interviews on a fourth disc (as I stated earlier in this thread.)


Why are you so reluctant to believe you have copies of the LOOK discs ? If it LOOKs like a duck . . . .
Sure, somebody could have "borrowed" the LOOK menus, but what difference would it make ?
Already you've learned enough to know you've got a Frankenstein set -- cobbled together from various bits & pieces.
Stop looking for a Unified Theory

However, in practice you must take into account the “fuckwit factor”. Just talk to Darth Mallwalker…
-Moth3r

Author
Time
Post link
Thank you again, Darth. I should clarify, I'm only asking this for informational/historical purposes. I'm not trying to say I disbelieve anything, and certainly not trying to be difficult. I'm sorry if it may look differently. I know I may well have the "LOOK" version as you stated, but was curious if any other known mass produced versions had that "look" (god that pun's getting old already) as well.

On the Gonzo cover, I didn't mean to insinuate that my cover was drasticly different. Everything is the same on mine as Gonzo's except the "widescreen" at the top. Even though it is widescreen. Sorry if that wasn't clear earlier. So in theory, if the outside cover says they're there, they should be. That's why I've been asking if maybe they were hidden. I guess I know now that they aren't and I'll stop looking. However, if anyone did recognize that cover version and knew which one, maybe they would in fact be there just hidden somewhere on the disk. Stranger things have happened. That's why all the fuss.

By the way, the section that mentions those extras can be found on the picture I linked (check the middle left hand corner) under "disk features" That's where mine lists all those.

As for the "Making of Star Wars" I was trying to find out if it was ever available in one of those sets because I am looking to replace an old video tape. It's great to learn that it is in fact available in some form or other in another format.
Author
Time
Post link
Here is http://www.geocities.com/unclejrusenet/tesb.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/unclejrusenet/tesb.jpg
Are you having trouble reading the fine print on that one ?

Here is Dr_Gonzo's.

I don't see the stuff you listed in either one of those DISC FEATURES boxes.
So it seems the word WIDESCREEN on the front isn't the only difference!

However, in practice you must take into account the “fuckwit factor”. Just talk to Darth Mallwalker…
-Moth3r

Author
Time
Post link
It's a bit small yes, but I get the gist. No, the cover is the same other than "widescreen", the back is slightly different. The spine is identical. Perhaps I should have used "front cover" to avoid confusion. Other than a couple minor word changes, the back is exactly the same too, save for the "disc features" section which as I said, lists all that other stuff being included, not just the three things on the Gonzo section.