At least it exists. And if we are lucky someday
wefuture generations of fans will get a copy to cherish.
T,FTFY
2072 at the earliest, assuming the copyright isn’t extended again before then.
PM sent.
Hey, it’s the return of DE!
PM sent.
PM sent. Project Threepio contains subtitles only for the main feature, not for commentary. I’m sure they exist, I just don’t know where to look for them.
PM sent.
At least right now, 4k83 is still a bit lacking in the color correction department, so if you’re looking for “that projection print look” this one can look better in that regard. But yeah, I get where you’re coming from. Color aside, 4k83 is the Cadillac of projection print preservations. This is kindof a VW Microbus with an awesome paint job. It may not be king of the road but it’s still pretty nice.
But also there’s just people who like to have all the versions, or who want to compare and judge for themselves.
Man behind desk [shouting]: WHAT DO YOU WANT?
Customer: Well… well, I was told outside that…
Man behind desk [shouting]: DON’T GIVE ME THAT, YOU SNOTTY-FACED HEAP OF PARROT DROPPINGS!
Customer: What?
Man behind desk [shouting]: SHUT YOUR FESTERING GOB, YOU TIT! YOUR TYPE MAKES ME PUKE! YOU VACUOUS TOFFEE-NOSED MALODOROUS PERVERT!
Customer: Yes, but I came here for an argument!
Man behind desk: Oh! Oh! I’m sorry! This is abuse!
Customer: Oh! Oh, I see!
Man behind desk: Aha! No, you want room 12A, next door.
Customer: Oh… Sorry…
Man behind desk: Not at all!
Man behind desk [under his breath]: Stupid git.
Why wait for Harmy’s reconstruction of the 81 crawl and flyover when you can have it now!
The link is over six years old and still works. I take back everything bad I’ve ever said about Uloz.
EDIT: Dangit, nevermind. It’s just the crawl with no flyover. And I made a dick joke and everything 😦
PM sent.
I think I’ve mentioned this before, but if anyone understands both Japanese and English very well, I have a question. I have two sets of Japanese subtitles. Right now, I’m using what I believe are the original theatrical subtitles. The second set I believe is the home video translation. I suspect that the theatrical translations were rushed and not as good as the later home video translations, but I have no way to verify this on my own.
So if you happen to know both Japanese and English well enough to compare two Japanese translations and tell me which one best captures the meaning of the original English, I have a job for you! Let me know if you’re interested.
PM sent.
There aren’t a lot of UHD releases I’d call simply unwatchable (hello there, Terminator 2). But at least for the original trilogy, I’d say these UHD’s will be simultaneously unwatchable AND leaps and bounds better than the existing Blu-rays, which is a combination I’m not sure I’ve ever seen, and hopefully won’t see again.
Those beeping sounds are in the mono mix, but were never used in any of the others until the special edition came along.
It’s also worth noting that the beeps are mixed at a relatively low volume in the mono version, but are much louder in the SE, which is completely typical of all the audio changes made to the soundtracks from 1997 on (everything is loud and in your face rather than leaving any room for subtlety).
Really? Were they not even present in any pre-Special Edition VHS releases?
None of the pre-1997 video releases used the mono mix.
Some content from the mono mix was mixed into the 85 and 93 audio. For example, Threepio’s tractor beam lines and such. But apparently they didn’t do the targeting computer noises until 97.
What if this is the last time they release these on physical media? After this it’s just Disney+ and Movies Anywhere from now on. Makes me want to get the set just in case.
How would everyone feel if they only released the unaltered versions on streaming?
It’d be riptastic. I mean fantastic.
Star Wars is a great adventure film, and does a great job introducing the viewer to a new universe. Empire is a great installment in an adventure serial, and builds on the former. Normally that distinction alone would put me in the Star Wars camp, but boy do I like Empire. The split narrative was risky but it works great (weird, now it’s reminding me of Godfather II in that respect). Empire all the way, the story development and action are top notch.
Jedi? Well, it ends the story in a more-or-less adequate way, so that’s something I suppose. I’ll admit it took guts to bring a moneymaking series like Star Wars to a close, even if it was in the form of an action figure sales vehicle. Well, it was gutsy for a while at least 😉
PM sent.
The 1981 release with the redone crawl and flyover (the year after Empire came out, for a double-feature second run) did not introduce any new audio changes, although it’s possible the mono mix was LESS likely to have been used because of theatrical equipment upgrades during the intervening four years. The first new audio mix was in 85, only for home video. 93 was the same story. I’m not sure which one brought in the targeting computer noises.
PM sent.
PM sent.
If this included the GOUT, maybe- just maybe- I’d consider getting this set. Otherwise, what’s the point?
I agree with the sentiment, since you probably mean a respectful NEW transfer of the unaltered original trilogy. Technically the acronym GOUT is reserved specifically for the modified Laserdisc transfer made available on DVD form as a bonus feature (and as a middle finger to fans). That thing better not be making any more appearances.
That’s a difference between theatrical audio mixes (Star Wars showed theatrically with three distinct audio mixes, depending on the theatre’s capabilities). The targeting computer sounds were in the mono mix, but not in the stereo or surround mixes. So if you’re listening to the 1977 surround track (a typical default because it sounds great on a modern home theatre setup), you’re not going to hear them.
When the Star Wars audio mix was revised for home video starting in 85, they brought some of the mono mix effects into the stereo/surround tracks. I’m not sure when they incorporated the targeting computer noises, but it was in one of those later revisions.
The mono mix is worth a listen if you haven’t heard it before. Yes, it’s mono and the quality isn’t as good, but it’s very different from the other mixes at times, and it’s just as “original”. In fact, most theatres at the time were equipped for mono, so it’s likely what most audiences heard in 77.
And then Vader’s stepping on the robes turns into a curb-stomp of the mangled body. I’m liking where this is headed.
And have Vader yell “It’s all your fault! You were jealous! You were holding me back!” at the top of his lungs while doing it.
It’s like poetry.
Holy crap. I’d actually watch that Special Edition!
EDIT: Just figured out where that over-the-top bad dialog came from. I thought it was Elizabeth Taylor or Jennifer Jason Leigh at first, ha!
Nevertheless, it’s nice to have two options of such high caliber to choose between. Admittedly, Star Wars is the weakest movie of the trilogy where fan restoration quality is concerned, but they’re both still fine.
Advantages of DeEd over 4K77: cleaner Blu-ray like feel, more Blu-ray like contrast (less crush), more theatrically accurate colors, more fine detail (the 720p/4K labels are a bit of a red herring in this regard). I get that DeEd has issues – the seams do show from time to time – and 4K77 is Harmy’s favorite for that very reason, but DeEd still has some clear advantages.
The advantage in fine detail alone is worth it for viewing on bigger screens IMO. A projection print scanned at 4K resolution simply has less detail in this case than a negative scan at 720p, even if that’s how it was in the theatre.