Now, my question is are they going to edit Super ROTJ at the end to replace Sebastian Shaw with Hayden?
Heh. Mine was a little different. TPM came out when I was 12. My parents didn't care for ESB or ROTJ, so I'd only seen them sparingly, since I wasn't a lucky kid with his own TV, so if they parents didn't want to see them, I had no control over the situation, so as a kid, I didn't get to see ESB or ROTJ much!
So I was unfamiliar with the Emperor's surname. All I remembered of him was his title of "Emperor." So when it came to TPM, I recognized Darth Sideous as the eventual Emperor.... but not that Palpatine was Sideous. Had I been familiar with the character's name of "Palpatine" from ROTJ, I would have made the connection right away, but I was just unobservant enough to be fooled by a cloak over the top half of his face and a voice change!
If George indeed released the OOT on Blu-ray, cleaned up correctly with loving restoration, and then released a six film boxed set where the OT was the SE... Hell yes I'd buy it.
The SE is a fun alternate version. My only problems with it were when it was going to replace the OOT. Consumers should have the right to enjoy the version they prefer in the highest quality possible. For any film, not just Star Wars. As far as I'm concerned, if a director signs off on the theatrical cut, that's a finished film. If it's not finished... don't release it!
Alternate or special edition versions are fun and most of the time, I prefer them to the theatrical (See Superman, Terminator 2), but I think it's important to provide fans of the original cuts with the option of enjoying the version they prefer.
The Blade Runner final cut disc from last year is the definition of what to give the fans. It has ALL 5 cuts of the film, and although I am not a fan of the film, I can only sing Scott's praises for doing what George should with SW.
Permeating the consciousness of your average joe as the two versions coming together as standard is good.
It's not like it will guarantee a proper restoration down the line, but it looks like another step up the ladder. He keeps claming the releases are "a limited time only" but we now see it isn't the case. I see it as Lucas starting to loosen his grip on sticking to "The SEs are the only versions!"
I'll tell you one thing, if the OOT was to get properly restored, it would be well within Lucas' ego-preservation to make it low-key. And he'd change his story to cover the period where he considered them "gone."
As I said: if.
I find that to be another potentential step up. Looks like the original versions of the films are going to be a standard inclusion from now on. I mean, two releases with the same "bonus feature?" Maybe. But three now? And pimping out the fact that it includes both versions right on the front? As if they're seen as more equals, y'know, like a normal DVD release that pimps out having multiple versions of the same film in the set?
After reading "The Secret History of Star Wars," I have a different perspective on Georgie. I'm not happy about how he treats the OOT, but I kind of get the feeling now that he felt kind of hurt at how ill-recieved his prefurred versions of the films were, and as a side effect, he feels so insecure about them (because on the inside, maybe he knows we're all right) that he's hesitant to treat the OOT with the respect it deserves. Rather sad, really, that he can't see the value in them that we do.
Truly, SHOSW told me so much more about Lucas than I ever knew. Found out I've got a lot in common with him, and it really humanized him for me after seeing how much the internet villifies him. I suggest everyone read it, as it sheds a lot of light into what makes Lucas tick, it's that exhaustive.
Of course, what do I know? I loved KOTCS and although I don't really care for the PT, I don't loathe them. Now where's SkyJedi with another anti-Lucas rant?
The BTTF Ride material is coming out OFFICIALLY from Universal on the new 2-disc SE of the first movie in February.
http://www.bttf.com/forums/blogs/timetraveller/19-bttf-2-disc-special-edition-dvd-coming-february.html
Gaffer Tape said:I understand the desire for a new OOT transfer... a high-class one. But it seems too many people are clamoring for differences in these prequel releases, particularly for that new CG Yoda in TPM. I know I've mentioned this before over the years, but, despite the hatred directed at that TPM puppet, isn't begging for him to be changed the very antithesis of what we're about? It seems hypocritical and wishy washy of us to complain about more and more changes to the OT and lack of respect given to the theatrical versions when we're constantly hoping for changes to the prequels.
Besides, the first DVD already added in enough shitty, unnecessary material that wasn't in the theatrical version. Lucas even admits this on the commentary when the boring, extended shots of the podrace are happening: "Well, when we cut the movie together, I realized that these didn't really flow well with the movie. But now that we have this DVD, I decided to put them back in." Yeah, he actually said that...
Ah, but see...
1. It's a prequel. It sucks already, more CG can't hurt.
2. A puppet for Yoda in 1999 wasn't up to the special effects standards of the time. I think it's fair to replace it. Whereas the OT were up to the effects standards of the time, Yoda in TPM was not.
digitalfreaknyc said:and that would be whom?
Jim Ward.
Gaffer Tape said:To ESHBG and Doc, yeah, I thought about that too. It would seem very much like Lucas to try to bury news about an OOT release in order to sabotage it. But once again, think about the GOUT. I know occasionally they tried to pass off as the big selling point the fact that they were individually released, but all kinds of ads pointed to the fact that they were being released with the theatrical versions. So whatever George's exact feelings on a release of the OOT is, it didn't keep LFL's mouth shut back in 2006, so I really don't believe we can expect that this time around either. If there was a big, new transfer of the OOT, we would have heard about it by now.
True, and Lucas wouldn't do it quietly to avoid looking like a hypocrite ("Oh, hey, turns out the last release wasn't the best quality! We just 'unearthed' original prints!"), because as we've seen in the past, he has no compulsion about putting his foot in his mouth for all to see.
I think that if Lucas were gonna bite the bullet and really release the OOT the way it deserved, he might sneak it in to a set so that it might go unnoticed, so he wouldn't have to really make a fuss over it.
Of course, it would cause word of mouth and really rachet up the sales.
Or not. With Lucas, I know it's a trillion-to-one shot.
Anyone got a MySpleen invite? I'll give a Demonoid invite.
see you auntie said:The biggest kick to my nuts with this release would be if Lucasfilm includes the '06 GOUT the only difference being an anamorphic transfer. Because then technically that would be a step up from the current set I own yet if I chose to buy it I'd be giving them more cash and having to buy the same SE's again that I don't want. But I don't think I'll be faced with that dilemma anyway.
I would literally laugh out loud if this happened.
But hey, the visual quality of the GOUT was good enough that I'd be happy at the DVD level if it was anamorphic, as that would remove the jaggies. But not for a Blu-ray transfer.
I know the odds aren't good. But I'm still hoping against hope that this release will have the theatrical versions, at LEAST.
Think about it, if the theatrical cuts are included on this release, even if it's exactly the same as the 2006 discs, it's a sign that Lucas is ready to stop ignoring the OOT's existance. The fact that the OT discs are so mysterious as to their extra content gives me hope. Because it doesn't explicitly deny the possibility.
All I want is an anamorphic and restored OOT, and my problems with Lucas will evaporate. I like the prequels for their moments and some of the SE additions, I do like. But I cannot endorse them until the OOT gets near-or-equal treatment along with the PT and the SEs. The OOT doesn't have to be as cleaned up as the 04 SEs, I wouldn't want that. But I want anamorphic picture and a restoration equal to that of any good, modern DVD transfer.
He already proved he's willing to release them. The next step up won't hurt him one damn bit. I really hope he's decided to learn from what Ridley Scott did with Blade Runner most recently. Please all parties; include all cuts of the films.