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New DVDs NOT 16x9 — Page 5

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Okay, I think it's time for a custody battle to ensue. We need to take him to court and take the rights of the films away from him. He obviously can't take care of them or provide for them. He can retain merchandising rights and even royalties. Just give us the films to protect and shelter.
There's good in the Original Trilogy, and it's worth fighting for.
"People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people."
http://www.myspace.com/harlock415
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(By way of confirmation, Lucasfilm's Jim Ward had this to say about the transfers in the recent USA Today story: "It is state of the art, as of 1993, and that's not as good as state of the art 2006.")


Don't remember which thread it was in, but I'll say it again: Giving such a specific date was simply too suspicious to take at face value. This was the biggest reason for me to believe the release would be a non-anamorphic LD transfer. Sucks to be proven right.

<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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Originally posted by: MeBeJedi
(By way of confirmation, Lucasfilm's Jim Ward had this to say about the transfers in the recent USA Today story: "It is state of the art, as of 1993, and that's not as good as state of the art 2006.")


Don't remember which thread it was in, but I'll say it again: Giving such a specific date was simply too suspicious to take at face value. This was the biggest reason for me to believe the release would be a non-anamorphic LD transfer. Sucks to be proven right.


I know--and in 1993 the OOT WAS RESTORED WITH A NEW 35MM INTERPOSITIVE PRINT FOR THE SE!!!

WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY?????!

I really dont get it. Its like they are going out of their way to screw us. Jim Ward should be ashamed.

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I think he was. That's a VERY telling statement.

<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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As far as I'm concerned everything The Digital Bits is posting is old news.

Neil

Well at least the reversed surround channels have been addressed.

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<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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Hehe..... I don't know why this makes me chuckle.
"Among many things I have to be thankful for are you, the fans. I know that some of you haven't liked every single thing that I've done with the saga, and that you have a strong sense of ownership over all things Star Wars. But take that passion and devotion and channel it into a creative project of your own."
-George Lucas
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An open letter to Star Wars fans:

Shame on Lucasfilm. SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! It's amazing that some people are calling us complainers and that we should be grateful we're getting anything when it comes to the Unaltered Trilogy. They speak as if this is a gift and not a product for sale, for which we are being asked to fork over our hard-earned money.

Would anybody be "grateful" if asked to fork over Camry prices for a Yugo simply because it sported a new design? Or more analagous, a "retro" design? Would anybody feel grateful if asked to pay full price for a house that was missing a back wall? The audio and video were bad enough on the 2004 release, but this ... this is unforgivable. THX used to stand for the ultimate quality in a video release. Now they are just embarassing themselves.

Make no mistake, the Unaltered Trilogy release is an inferior product. Two-channel AC3 audio means, if nothing else, half the RESOLUTION of the Special Edition release. No original uncompressed PCM audio means the original mix is NOT being presented. No anamorphic transfer means any widescreen TV will make the picture look terrible. Inferior audio. Inferior video. These are both indicative of a half-assed release by LFL designed either to make a quick cash-grab or to make the Unaltered Trilogy seem inferior by comparison to sate Lucas' ego -- or both.

Between casual fans not willing to shell out more for what is perceived to be the same release, and videophiles (whose numbers have grown exponentially since the 1993 Laserdisc set) jaded by the lousy transfer being released, Lucas is doing everything in his power to make the unaltered trilogy pale by comparison. The content is no longer at issue, but quality is. It doesn't matter if it is Star Wars or LOTR or Harry Potter or Spider-Man, ANY new release with these limitations would be worthy of serious criticism. SHAME, I say. SHAME!!! A pox on Lucas' house!

Now that you've uncovered that it's non-anamorphic, you need to uncover whether it is progressive or interlaced. I'm willing to bet on top of it all, we'll be given an interlaced transfer, halving what remains of the video quality.

Call for Lucasfilm to release the unaltered version separate from the special editions. Then we'll really see where demand is. Assuming that dream will never come to pass, I have an idea for how fans can strike back against Lucas' evil empire:

1) Sell your 2004 sets on Amazon or eBay today so that the value plummets. How many times are you really going to watch Empire of Dreams anyway?
2) Purchase the new set in September to replace it.
3) Keeping the unaltered "bonus" discs for yourselves, mail back the 2004 DVDs to:
Lucasfilm
P.O. Box 29901
San Francisco, CA 94129

Be sure the 2004 disc is rendered unusable so they don't just re-sell it!

Include a note saying "Even your horrible non-anamorphic transfer of the unaltered trilogy means more to me than your special editions. It's a shame THX couldn't do a better job of preserving the most important films in history."

If thousands of people all do this in September, LFL will HAVE to take notice. The front office will be swamped with packages.
I am fluent in over six million forms of procrastination.
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We might also want to try contacting film preservation organizations around the country. The fact that they wouldn't use film masters is so cheap. It's important to note what Bill Hunt said about there being many copies of the films in private collections or libraries around the country. I have a friend who told me his grandfather owned a movie theatre and has theatrical prints of many classic films including the original Star Wars Trilogy. (He doesn't live nearby but they are willed to a local film preservation society so they will be in good hands.) I'm sure there are many other film prints floating around the entire world. So even if the negatives at the ranch are not in usable shape, there are plenty of other copies that would be far better than a video master. Any arguement Lucas makes about the film prints not existing anymore is complete and utter BS.

Take back the trilogy. Execute Order '77

http://www.youtube.com/user/Knightmessenger

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Originally posted by: JediRandy


Hehe..... I don't know why this makes me chuckle.



Of course it does, Georgie.
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OK. The guy is probably having some mental and/or emotional problems. I started thinking a while back, that the worship seems to have gone to his head in the worst way, making him think he really is some kind of god; and on the other hand, he is heartily sick of the whole affair and has a nasty little streak that wants to ruin it for everyone. Learning about his wife and the settlement with her gives more fuel to that fire, now he's got to pay money to someone he dislikes, so that's more motivation to damage and fiddle with it.
All of these motivations and feelings live in Mr Lucas, and what comes out as a result is a mixed-up, self-contradictory story that pleases no-one and constantly changes. Notably, there's no point trying to REASON with someone in such a state of mind.

Actually I feel a bit sorry for him. It's a pity that enthusiastic, talented, practical young guy has become a bitter and greedy old man. Thanks for the original Star Wars anyway, Mr Lucas. I suggest you just foget about it all and let Lucasfilm do whatever they like - you might feel better.

Damn, I do wish I could get a decent copy of the original films though Back to the X0 project then.
Darth Lucas: I am altering the trilogy. Pray I don't alter it further.
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Not anamorphic eh. Predictable. I knew the Dr Gonzo set would be SUPERIOR to the LUCASFILM release. I can even picture GL announcing this to fans:

*GL comes to the stage wearing a shirt saying "power unlimited power". An audience full of SW fans. No applauses. Silence. *

GL: I am George Lucas.


(two people cough. crickets)

GL: Why do two people always cough when I say that? Anyway... I am here to talk about the... sigh... DVD release of the half assed piece of CRAP I did back in the 70s. You know... without CGI or jar jar.

*Applause, cheering*

GL: Shut up! Now... SINCE you guys want it like it was released in 1970s... And since my home TV back then was a 15 inches monoraul faded NTSC low res TV set with a manual selector and a penguin on top, I am releasing the DVDs on letterbox, non anamorphic.

* Gasps. Booing, screamings *

GL: So here's to ALL of you!! *grabs crotch, shows finger, walks around the stage giving the finger* F(bleep)K YOU ALL! F(bleep)K YOU! YOU SUCKERS!! WHO'S LAUGHING NOW, EH?! HAHAHHA REVENGE COMES RIDING A HORSE CALLED HUMILLIATION!! F(bleep)K YOU ALL!!

Fan: F(beelp)k you Lucas!

GL: (comes down of stage) No, no, f(bleep)k you, f(bleep)k you, you know why you c(beelp)t? Because you kept whining about that piece of garbage I did on the 70s, I don't even remember the 70s, damn I forgot most of the 80s, and you kept whining about you bitch, you muthaf(bleep)r, now come on you bitch! (starts fighting him, security removes GL)

GL: (being dragged out) HAHAHAHA YOU F(bleep)ERS! I GOT YOU! I GOT YOU!
“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 sent my short and civil letter to Jim Ward today. Now I just wait and see.
"I am altering the movies. Pray I don't alter them any further." -Darth Lucas
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Dude, that's not at all how it's gonna happen.

Star Wars Celebration 2006

George Lucas ascends to the rostrum, flanked by McCallum and Burtt.

LUCAS
The wait is over. The unaltered workprint trilogy will be released on DVD.

Wild APPLAUSE, but two of the fans sitting in the corner do not look pleased.

LUCAS
We stand on the threshold of a new era.

Even more APPLAUSE.

LUCAS
In order to assure the safety and security of the theatrical releases, I have transferred the 1993 laserdisc masters to DVD, and I assure you, they will last for ten thousand years!

Sustained APPLAUSE from all but the two fans at the back of the hall.

DISGRUNTLED FAN
So this is how the Trilogy dies. With thunderous applause.
"It's the stoned movie you don't have to be stoned for." -- Tom Shales on Star Wars
Scruffy's gonna die the way he lived.
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One thing really confuses me, and that's the rumor about the title crawl. The article says that Lucasfilm will probably just do some digital tweaking to remove the "Episode IV: A New Hope" thing. But that doesn't make any sense at all. The entire crawl had to be reformatted after that was added in in order for the timing to synch up. So just painting away the offending episode number will just be a lazy and totally inaccurate way of fooling fans who don't know any better.

Oh. Wait. I'm talking about Lucasfilm here. When have they done things any other way...?

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

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Originally posted by: eros
Blah, Blah anamorphic, blah, blah....

Carry on watching your LD caps instead of buying LFL's releases then....

Yeah right, I say bullshit. 99% of the people whining in here will be like excited little 8 year olds on 12th Sep running down the store the night before to be first in the queue.


just because LucASS has you by your balls doesnt mean the same is true for us...
now go watch your shitty letterboxed versions on your CRT and get out of here...
"Never. I'll never turn to the darkside. You've failed your highness. I am a jedi, like my father before me."
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Boy, the SE DVD's are really nice.... not Anamorphic or anything. Sweet.
"Among many things I have to be thankful for are you, the fans. I know that some of you haven't liked every single thing that I've done with the saga, and that you have a strong sense of ownership over all things Star Wars. But take that passion and devotion and channel it into a creative project of your own."
-George Lucas
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Originally posted by: JediRandy
Boy, the SE DVD's are really nice.... not Anamorphic or anything. Sweet.


See I don't mind argue with someone from the other side, and I have no problem with diverse opinions coming in here, but if you're gonna post stuff like this, why even bother?
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Originally posted by: JediRandy
Boy, the SE DVD's are really nice.... not Anamorphic or anything. Sweet.


Jay, can't you ban this guy or something?

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See I don't mind argue with someone from the other side, and I have no problem with diverse opinions coming in here, but if you're gonna post stuff like this, why even bother?


cause he's a fuckin' idiot.
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Originally posted by: 20th Century Mark
See I don't mind argue with someone from the other side, and I have no problem with diverse opinions coming in here, but if you're gonna post stuff like this, why even bother?


cause he's a fuckin' idiot.


Wow. Curse words and everything.

Here's the thing.

The SE are the movies. Period. End of story. You want a Star Wars DVD with all the bells and whistles? They've been out for months. The OOT is the equivalent of a DVD extra. No different than deleted scenes. The OOT is now a earlier draft of Star Wars.

My side of this, and I know its a useless argument, especially in here. Is that these aren't your movies. GL, no matter how much you hate him... made these flicks, he busted his ass to get them made, he had the foresight to make sure he had total ownership of them. All because he believe that a movie is a piece of art, something that the artist can do to whatever he/she wants to. Up to and including adding a new Ewok song.

Maybe if people would take one tiny little second to respect the guy's art. You'd be able to enjoy these movies again. CGI Jabba the Hutt and all. Until thats possible, it'll be thread after thread about widescreen transfers, Greedo shooting first, crappy DVD cover designs and whatever else is the latest "Lucas kicked by puppy" complaint of the day is.



"Among many things I have to be thankful for are you, the fans. I know that some of you haven't liked every single thing that I've done with the saga, and that you have a strong sense of ownership over all things Star Wars. But take that passion and devotion and channel it into a creative project of your own."
-George Lucas
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Originally posted by: JediRandy
Originally posted by: 20th Century Mark
See I don't mind argue with someone from the other side, and I have no problem with diverse opinions coming in here, but if you're gonna post stuff like this, why even bother?


cause he's a fuckin' idiot.


Wow. Curse words and everything.

Here's the thing.

The SE are the movies. Period. End of story. You want a Star Wars DVD with all the bells and whistles? They've been out for months. The OOT is the equivalent of a DVD extra. No different than deleted scenes. The OOT is now a earlier draft of Star Wars.

My side of this, and I know its a useless argument, especially in here. Is that these aren't your movies. GL, no matter how much you hate him... made these flicks, he busted his ass to get them made, he had the foresight to make sure he had total ownership of them. All because he believe that a movie is a piece of art, something that the artist can do to whatever he/she wants to. Up to and including adding a new Ewok song.

Maybe if people would take one tiny little second to respect the guy's art. You'd be able to enjoy these movies again. CGI Jabba the Hutt and all. Until thats possible, it'll be thread after thread about widescreen transfers, Greedo shooting first, crappy DVD cover designs and whatever else is the latest "Lucas kicked by puppy" complaint of the day is.



I understand his vision and how he wants the movies today, but why did he release Fullscreen versions of the SE in 2004? If he was so steadfast about his vision, why would he let 40% of his vision get cropped off of every frame see the light on any DVD release. Shouldn't he have taken the stance like the O-OT, "I don't care if there is a market for fans with small TV screens, this is my vision."

I understand your point on the O-OT, but I never understood how Lucas could release a fullscreen version of SW, that to me is sort of hypocritical when he talks about vision?