After reading all of the discussion, I see two camps of thought. One, a boycott of the upcoming DVDs, which is what in an ideal world I would PREFER to do - BUT the fact is as so many have smartly said, a boycott would only work if EVERYONE in America didn't buy a single copy. So the other option is to buy them as an investment, as some have described it, for Lucas to see the light through his pocketbook. I think this tactic kind of sucks, but I see the logic in the argument. I just wish there was a way to finally convince these carpetbaggers without lining their pockets in a major way AGAIN.
To that end, I have Ebayed my entire Star Wars DVD collection as of yesterday - If the consensus on this site before September is to buy the official O-OT release to hopefully spur a better one down the road, then I'll be damned if I'm going to fork over all new cash for it and add yet another trilogy to my sickening collection of Star Wars Trilogies. I'd rather recycle what I have, and hell, when the dust settles, I'll still have copies of the damnable 2004 SE DVDs anyway, just repackaged with the crappily transferred O-OT - so why keep the boxset - and don't sit there and tell me you're keeping it for the fourth bonus disc. I'm sure that documentary is on a torrent somewhere right now.
Boy, wouldn't that make headlines..."Ebay Flooded With More Than 100,000 Used Copies of Star Wars DVDs This Week." Had I the endless cash flow, I would mail all the DVDs back to LFL, which would make for an even better headline, "Lucasfilm Flooded As More Than 100,000 Star Wars Fans Return DVDs In Protest."
Some idle thoughts - Given that the O-OT is relegated to a bonus feature in the new collection, will the disc even have chapter stops, menus or subtitles? What's more interesting - In the off-chance that the transfer is better than the LD because it is coming from the LDs master and not the LD itself (although it still won't be anywhere close to acceptable), isn't it interesting that Lucas has essentially given us all the material we need in one set to do what OCP has done to edit original scenes into the 2004...One stop shopping for preservationists and fan editors.
Given that the O-OT is relegated to a bonus feature in the new collection, will the disc even have chapter stops, menus or subtitles?
I'm sure it will have menus. They will be showing off the new Lego game, probably some other game, a few tasteless recommendations, and the OOT will be burried somewhere under the 'crap' menu.
Originally posted by: nohandluke What's more interesting - In the off-chance that the transfer is better than the LD because it is coming from the LDs master and not the LD itself (although it still won't be anywhere close to acceptable)...
I was thinking about that too. I've never really had a problem with watching my actual Laserdiscs. They were bought in like 1992 and my player isn't all that fantastic, but I've been able to live with it.
And since these are coming from the masters I guess we won't have those little prism lines all over the screen (sort of like digital dust). I'm not happy, but since this is the best we have so far (and I do stress the "so far" part) I'm willing to give to the cause. "I am altering the movies. Pray I don't alter them any further." -Darth Lucas
Want to send a message? DON'T BUY STAR WARS. Don't sign up for Hyperspace. Don't go see the 3-D movies in 2007. Don't buy the toys and sure don't buy that boxset in 2007. Hit them where it hurts. Now I will buy the dvds on 9/12 only because I feel if we don't we may never see the orginal release ever again. I can only hope that they will. Can you imagine how much that boxset is going to cost? You might get one new disc. Maybe 80 dollars for movies I already have. If I find something Star Wars in a yardsale for instance, I would get it. Just aslong I am not putting any money in GL 's pocket. When I heard the Star Wars was being releae on dvd, I was going to go out and buy the other dvds THX-1138 and AG so Iwould have all of GL movies. Not anymore. IMO,
Troy
Troy
looking for HDTV of the Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. Also HDTV of The Lord of the Rings trilogy
As soon as I heard the news about the OUT on DVD I was ready to buy them. I had planned to go to the store on 9/12 and pick them up as soon as the store opened. Now, I'm not so sure. If they really do release the OUT as non-anamorphic, the only thing that would compell me to buy them is that they're the OUT (I did not buy the 04 set, I do not want to and will never watch them) and we may never see them again.
I really don't think most people are going to boycott this though. Most Star Wars fans are going to pick it up because it has "more bonus features". As for me, I'll probably save my money for something else. If the quality is no better than the existing LD->DVD transfers that are already out there, I see no reason to give GL any more money. F Scale score - 3.3333333333333335
You are disciplined but tolerant; a true American.
I always look at every release and ask one question, Is it better quality than what I have now? The answer is still yes on this one. I have a thread where I compared non-anamorphic movies, and it aint all that bad. So yes, this will be better than the bootlegs we have, alot better. So right there as much as Lucas is raping us, we'll still get a better set than we had. Is it perfect? No. Is he is giving us the finger? Yes.
I am in the camp to buy it and show there is a demand for this product. We can't boycott it and then Lucas states, "See, I told you nobody wants these old versions!" We can't let the O-OT die because Lucas is a dick, it would hurt our cause.
This shouldn't just be about getting the O-OT on DVD, it is preserving it for future generations so they have a choice. Right now every new fan is forced to watch the SE, and if we can buy these sets and it sells like hotcakes, then Lucas the businessman will realize to get maxium dollar on future sets, he must include both version for it to sell well.
I have been saying for the past day, we have won the first battle. I mean he is recognizing the O-OT now, so he is eating big time crow. But we have to take our medicine with a non-anamorphic release, buy it in spades, and then make him realize that just as many fans want the O-OT as the SE. Lucas can't resist, he is too much of a businessman. I mean when has he ever kept his word?
you know i was thinking about that, i dont have too much experience in video editing, i did some when i was in highschool, and made a few movies and thats about it. couldnt someone doe just what they are suggesting, combine the SE and the OOT to get a high quality version of the OOT. just cut out the scenes that werent in the OT, add the scenes that were, and blend them.
In this situation we are basically screwed. If we dont buy them then Lucas says "see, people didn't want them." If we do buy them then we are Lucasfilm's cash whores. Its lose-lose, so if part of you actually wants to buy these disks i say go ahead and do it since it wont make any difference either way.
I honestly don't think we can make a significant dent in the sales either way. I'd like to continue the campaign for a full restoration in time for HD release, but I also want to watch the best existing version while I'm waiting - and that's going to be the September edition.
