logo Sign In

Fang Zei

User Group
Members
Join date
14-Oct-2006
Last activity
11-Dec-2025
Posts
2,798

Post History

Post
#300169
Topic
Cash cow-abanga shit, another SW OT dvd repackaging for the holidays! Luca$$$
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/300169/action/topic#300169
Time
I think we can at least hope to see the OOT remastered in the hi-def release, whenever that happens. Lucas only got away with the GOUT because everyone watching it on a 4:3 tv can't tell the difference. If he tries to pull the same stunt on the hi-def release, everyone will notice. He has less of an excuse now than ever, with Close Encounters and Blade Runner right around the corner and the Kubrick remasters on the shelves now (ok, Eyes Wide Shut isn't the theater version, but then again the theater version was the version with digitally added people so there ya go). As for the format war affecting this, I feel inclined to point out that the earliest home video releases of the OT were on both vhs and betamax. Yes, I know Lucasfilm has already said they're supporting BRD and we'll probably only see Star Wars on that format anyway since it's 20th Century Fox, but have you thought of what's going to happen with Indy IV? Spielberg is of course exempt from Paramount's hddvd exclusivity, but I'm wondering if that means he can choose not to release Indy IV on hddvd at all. If it doesn't, that means we'll see it on all three formats next fall and maybe it'll end up being the same for Star Wars whenever that gets released. People are saying that the gap between the rival formats is still too close to call. The fact that Lucasfilm took any stance on the format war says to me that we will see Star Wars on BRD eventually if not on both formats. If he released it sooner rather than later, releasing it on both formats would be a bit pointless since it would only widen the confrontation while going with only one format - especially if the release included a remastered OOT - would crush the format war with one swift stroke. If he waits any longer then he might as well just sit back and wait until the format war is over, but that could be more time than even he is willing to wait, not to mention the fans. Ultimately it boils down to how many people have hi-def players in the first place. Lucas might have to wait a while before he'll even have enough people able to even play the hi-def release to justify releasing it.
Post
#300035
Topic
A question about NTSC telecine
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/300035/action/topic#300035
Time
(copy-pasted from another thread)

Sorry to drag on this question, but can someone who knows please tell me if movies are recorded onto blu-ray/hddvd at exactly 24.000 frames per second? I keep stumbling across message boards in my google searching where people say things like "it has to output it at 23.976 because that's the only thing your television understands" even when they're talking about high definition teleivions. Then there's also that 23.98 framerate I keep hearing about. Please, someone just clear this up for me. I haven't gotten into either format yet because I don't own an hdtv, although I do own a 1024by768 4:3 monitor with both vga and dvi if it makes any difference (don't know if it would be possible to hook up a set top device to this). So yea, right now I can't watch 16:9 video in anything higher than 1024 by 576, however the big appeal to me about these new high definition formats hasn't been the resolution but the fact that it bypasses the existing ntsc and pal systems, allowing us to watch our movies at their exact framerate (at least that's what I've been led to believe). If someone could clear this up I'd greatly appreciate it.

EDIT: yea sorry for all that. I did some digging and I'm now almost totally positive it's exactly 24.000 frames per second for both hddvd and blu-ray. I stumbled upon a forum where people were talking about "cadence" which is something I've heard brought up around here before.
Post
#300032
Topic
Blu-ray Disc or HD-DVD?
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/300032/action/topic#300032
Time
Yea but that wasn't my question this time. Last time it was about how NTSC does in fact run slower but this time I'm asking if high definition also runs slower.

Or would both blu-ray and hddvd having 24 fps playback give them yet another thing to have in common and be yet another reason for why you should just get a combo player?!

EDIT: yea sorry for all that. I did some digging and I'm now almost totally positive it's exactly 24.000 frames per second for both hddvd and blu-ray. I stumbled upon a forum where people were talking about "cadence" which is something I've heard brought up around here before.
Post
#300017
Topic
Blu-ray Disc or HD-DVD?
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/300017/action/topic#300017
Time
Sorry to drag on this question, but can someone who knows please tell me if movies are recorded onto blu-ray/hddvd at exactly 24.000 frames per second? I keep stumbling across message boards in my google searching where people say things like "it has to output it at 23.976 because that's the only thing your television understands" even when they're talking about high definition teleivions. Then there's also that 23.98 framerate I keep hearing about. Please, someone just clear this up for me. I haven't gotten into either format yet because I don't own an hdtv, although I do own a 1024by768 4:3 monitor with both vga and dvi if it makes any difference (don't know if it would be possible to hook up a set top device to this). So yea, right now I can't watch 16:9 video in anything higher than 1024 by 576, however the big appeal to me about these new high definition formats hasn't been the resolution but the fact that it bypasses the existing ntsc and pal systems, allowing us to watch our movies at their exact framerate. It's almost like having a 16mm print of a movie for your viewing pleasure .... just as long as it's running at exactly 24.000 frames per second. If someone could clear this up I'd greatly appreciate it.
Post
#299968
Topic
Would you give up ESB in exchange for...?
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/299968/action/topic#299968
Time
I voted no. Here's the way I look at it. In an ideal world, Lucas would've never made the SE and he would've made the PT, ya know, good. He wouldn't have every single shot using a visual effect of some sort, that's a better way of saying it. However, the prequels are what they are. Keeping the SE as his definitive version while also remastering the OOT for us would not have been ideal, but it would have been at least acceptable. You've got to remember that next to no one involved with the actual making of the movies made any noise when the SE's were released, not even Irvin Kershner. The thing that really irks me is how Lucas felt free to alter Jedi when its director had been dead for ten years and everyone justified it by saying "oh, well Lucas pretty much directed Jedi anyway, it's more his movie than Marquand's."

Sorry to sound whiny people, but I'd prefer to have my cake and eat it too. Give me the original versions of all six movies remastered and then Lucas can go do whatever he wants to them.
Post
#299829
Topic
"Lucas can't find home for Star Wars spin-off"
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/299829/action/topic#299829
Time
Originally posted by: C3PX
A new petition isn't going to do anyone any good. What, you think if we revise the old one with the words "High Def." or anamorphic" added then he'll realize that we meant we wanted something in watchable quality and fix his mistake? And what is unmovie related about a thread in the 'General Star Wars Discussion' (Star Wars being the title of a movie) and about a Television spin off of Star Wars (a movie) which is becoming the new distraction from Lucas making his 'artsy films that nobody will like' that he has been talking about for so long, which is what we were currently discussing. It is very related. And I don't think there is any new news about the spin-off that we have not yet discussed.


You do have a good point, and something I didn't remind myself of until after submitting my reply is that Lucas releasing a remastered OOT while simultaneously prohibiting anything but the SE in theaters wouldn't make much if any sense.

In regards to the non-movie related thing, I meant the Star Wars movies and not movies in general, and I was also just saying that we started out talking about the new tv show only to spend the last dozen posts talking about how we want the OOT remastered. I also said that this is not a bad thing.
Post
#299354
Topic
"Lucas can't find home for Star Wars spin-off"
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/299354/action/topic#299354
Time
Originally posted by: lordjedi
Originally posted by: Anchorhead
Originally posted by: see you auntie
More Lucas musings on the live action series http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-et-starwars17oct17,0,6734523.story?coll=la-home-center


From the article:

"They are having a hard time," Lucas said. "They're saying, 'This doesn't fit into our little square boxes..."


And he even added "'Well, yeah, but it's Star Wars. And Star Wars doesn't fit into that box.'" So he's still got the "It's Star Wars!" mentality. I'm also willing to bet that Cartoon Network is willing to put it on Adult Swim, but that he views Cartoon Network as a "kiddie channel". I think that's pretty clear from this "to go after 9 o'clock, and it can't be a kiddie channel." I wonder if he's ever watched Adult Swim, since it's anything but a "kiddie channel".


Now that you mention it, The Clone Wars would fit rather nicely into Adult Swim if only because it would shake up that programming lineup even more than it already is. You've got Futurama which is pretty much the closest in terms of animation, but still not entirely CGI by any means and even the stuff that is CGI is cell-shaded. Then you've got family guy which is more traditional animation. You've got some anime shows like Cowboy Bebop. Then you've got the really simplistically animated shows like Aqua Teen, Squidbillies and 12 Ounce Mouse (is that show even on any more?). Then there's stuff that actually involves live action elements like Tom Goes to the Mayor. I think the reason this doesn't seem like so natural of a fit (at least to Lucas anyway) is that Lucasfilm is producing this show all by itself, so it could end up anywhere as far as he's concerned.
Post
#299184
Topic
Another PT "what if"...
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/299184/action/topic#299184
Time
In the category of things I thought after watching the trailers but before seeing the movie back in the day, it annoyed me what they did with Palpatine.

I think it was the Time magazine article where I found out that Palpatine in his "Emperor mode" which had been glimpsed in the theatrical trailer actually had a name, Darth Sidious, and it annoyed me since we already had one "Darth" in the movie and now we had two, not to mention that we all knew beyond the shadow of doubt that this guy was the same character as Palpatine, just in disguise. To rewind even further, I remember back in the early to mid 90's finding out "The Emperor" actually had a name, Palpatine. By the time the prequels were about to be released we knew Senator Palpatine would make an appearance. Then I read that Time article and I thought "why does he need three names now?"

There's also the prologue of the Alan Dean Foster novelization to consider. So what you're talking about in regards to Palpatine, bkev, is beginning the story after that prologue. If I may say something I've been wanting to for a while on these boards, it sounds like a lot of people here simply wanted the PT to be "more of the OT," not that it's a bad thing at all. We could've had the Empire there from the beginning or at least by the end credits of Episode I, and I'm totally willing to entertain that idea. I probably shouldn't even be bothering to bring the novelizations into this discussion anyway since there are discrepancies with the movies, so you either choose one version, the other version, you find a way to reconcile them or you just go strictly on what's in the movies.

Also in this category, I was expecting an actual entrance for Yoda in the movie, not a simple cut to him sitting with the rest of the council. Maybe this is way too silly of a scene, but I was imagining something along the lines of a guy heralding Master Yoda cutting to a low angle shot of the other Jedi turning around and we realize this is Yoda's POV shot. We intercut this with a tracking shot of him from the front as he grunts and looks from side to side walking into the chamber.
Post
#298814
Topic
Blu-ray Disc or HD-DVD?
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/298814/action/topic#298814
Time
Yea, I really don't see what their point in announcing this is besides to get attention for the dvd forum, especially if it's not even going to work in the players that are out there now (which, by the way, they keep reminding everyone there are a lot of). They don't need any more than 30 gigs, this is fact. On releases like '300' where the video transfers on both the hd-dvd and the blu-ray disc are identical VC-1 and therefore taking up the same amount of space, blu-ray fills up at least some of the remaining space with a PCM soundtrack. VC-1 and AVC are neck and neck in terms of looks, at least judging from a thread I stumbled upon where a guy compared the japanese AVC hd-dvd release of Chronicles of Riddick to the American VC-1 hd-dvd release and gave the slight but negligible edge to one of them (I don't remember which). Therefore, if using VC-1 on more releases from now on is what will make microsoft happy enough to let hd-dvd loose and end this stupid format competition, so be it. DVD/HD-DVD combo discs are stupid when we're not going to want to watch our movies in standard def NTSC or PAL ten years from now anymore, not to mention they cost more than a blu-ray only disc. Keeping the players themselves backward compatible I would imagine is the more relevant issue in people's minds, especially the ones with gigantic dvd collections. Yes, I understand that people without high def players might not want to pay for the same thing twice and that's the appeal of the dvd/hd-dvd discs, which if fine except for the fact that there's a very high defect rate in their production.

Speaking of this whole high def discussion: I realize this is the off topic section but there's a question that's been on my mind for a while. Were the HD broadcasts of the Star Wars movies running at a true 24 frames per second or were they transferred to 25 frames per second in Germany and 23.976 in the U.S.? This is actually part of a bigger question I have and that is about HD broadcasts in general. Does "high definition" always mean "being displayed at its proper frame rate" or does it just have to do with the fact that it's digital and at a higher resolution?
Post
#298773
Topic
What If The SE Were Only...
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/298773/action/topic#298773
Time
Adywan has a point. The exact same thing happened with Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The last time it was released on vhs was '98 (I think) and it was the latest '98 revision. This was then the only version released on dvd back in 2001 and has been the only version available on dvd ever since. The forthcoming dvd will have all the versions. Whatya say we get onto writing a new petition as soon as that comes out?
Post
#298719
Topic
What If The SE Were Only...
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/298719/action/topic#298719
Time
Thanks for the info, mielr.

Originally posted by: zombie84
so instead of saying "now its REALLY the last time" they are instead saying "this is a limited release."


I can't find the links but I remember several of those way too many articles back in august of '06 (or thereabouts) stating "this will be the only time the original versions are released on dvd." Sure, that leaves high definition releases totally open to possibility assuming that they're even telling the truth in the first place, but LFL is being explicit here.
Post
#298716
Topic
What If The SE Were Only...
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/298716/action/topic#298716
Time
Yea, my mistake on the Blade Runner thing. I've been trying to find out the deal with that for a while now, guess I didn't search far enough. The first I time I ever saw the movie at all was back in 2000 when the scifi channel showed the original version in letterbox and made quite a big deal about it since it was the first time in ten years that the original version had been shown on television. Looking at the wiki more closely now, it does say it was released on home video in '83 and apparently also in '92 right around the time the director's cut was released in theaters.
Post
#298712
Topic
What If The SE Were Only...
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/298712/action/topic#298712
Time
It really pissed me the hell off that the first thing LFL decided to do upon launching the new flash interface for starwars.com on may 25th, 2007 was put up links to the "what has changed?" comparisons between the '04 dvd and the original versions when the damn non-anamorphic discs were supposed to only be available until the end of 2006 and never spoken of again! No, that's not enough for LFL, they have to keep reminding us even on the day of days that we can only watch the OT in acceptable quality so long as it's the revision and not the original.

I think what might really get the ball rolling, so to speak, is the release of Indy IV on home video next fall. Paramount has decided that all of their home video releases for the next 18 months will only be on dvd and hd-dvd but not blu-ray disc, but they explicitly stated that this does not apply to movies directed by Steven Spielberg of which Indy IV is one. However, if I remember correctly Indiana Jones is Lucas's property and Lucasfilm has decided to support blu-ray disc. So I'm betting this means we'll see it on all three formats and maybe then, who knows, maybe they'll decide to coincide that with the other Indy movies in high def and then Star Wars is only a year away just like 2003 with Indy on dvd and 2004 with Star Wars on dvd. Just pure speculation on my part but something to think about nonetheless.
Post
#298691
Topic
What If The SE Were Only...
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/298691/action/topic#298691
Time
The original U.S. version of Blade Runner was never released on video at all (if I'm not mistaken) and won't be until later this fall when it will be included in the new dvd set. I saw the new final cut of the movie in New York City on Friday night and this is the second time the movie has been re-released theatrically. Where I'm going with this is maybe after the 3D theatrical releases of the Star Wars movies in '09 (or whenever) we'll finally get our remastered OOT.
Post
#298434
Topic
"Lucas can't find home for Star Wars spin-off"
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/298434/action/topic#298434
Time
Originally posted by: TOSCHE-STATION
Yeah, and then what the heck happened to the 'Mandalorians' being defeated by the Jedi during the Clone Wars *??

(*as per the ESB script AND novel, when Boba Fett's character is 'introduced'....)


Once again, Lucas left it up to the Expanded Universe to figure this out. In the comic Jango Fett: Open Seasons, a group of Jedi battle the Mandalorians and kill all of them except for Jango who escapes. This particular part of the story is set in 34 BBY (before the battle of Yavin) which - whether coincidentally or not - is right around the time the Clone Wars were supposed to have happened in the earlier version of the prequel back story.
Post
#297802
Topic
George Lucas to host showing of Star Wars "1977" for AFI's 40th anniversary.
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/297802/action/topic#297802
Time
Originally posted by: MagnoliaFan
I have a strong feeling that the day that we see an HD release will be about a month or two after a group of fans hunt their own film print down and release an HD transfer onto the net.

Hehe, this was actually my exact thought after reading your last post.

Originally posted by: CO
I am not saying the OOT will replace every SE in all homes, but I have always taken the stance that an inferior OOT is better then nothing, cause most people can't tell the difference anyway! Lucas never wanted these versions out, and I believe he gave into pressure, and I honestly think he just didn't want to invest the money in remastering a product that he felt may not sell, but for the crap they put out last year, it did sell well if you check the numbers, so there is a market for it. Just remember, there is the '97 versions that have never been put out on DVD, and why not? Because nobody wants them, so I still stand by the OOT will make to HD-DVD/Blue Ray someday. It sucks we may have to wait, but there is too much demand for it.


A few points:

-if it weren't for the fact that dvd allows you to go only backwards and not also forwards, we wouldn't have this problem. I envy the shit out of any hardcore fan with only a 4:3 tv who picked up the GOUT and has no idea what anamorphic video is. Heck, I still get riled and I don't even have an HD set! Even with anamorphic video, regular dvd is still stuck with being compatible with the existing tv signals which means 25 frames per second for PAL and 29.97 for NTSC. I'd be just as happy to wait for the HD release - given the OOT is included - and say that I never bought the star wars trilogy on regular dvd (my mom payed for the '04 boxset). Besides, I like to think of the dvd releases of all the movies as "the dvd version" since we also have a longer cut of phantom menace, dozens of tiny changes throughout attack of the clones and a few in ROTS.

-The GOUT sold horribly considering it's STAR WARS. In terms of it being a non-anamorphic POS, I can only believe it did gangbusters.

-the real motives behind the GOUT are questionable. Maybe a straight anamorphic transfer of film elements really would have looked worse than what was released and the cost of restoration would have offset whatever money LFL was sure they'd make otherwise.

-If George does include the OOT in an HD release it would have to be 1080p, 16:9, 2.35:1 and nothing less. Otherwise everyone would notice.
Post
#297766
Topic
George Lucas to host showing of Star Wars "1977" for AFI's 40th anniversary.
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/297766/action/topic#297766
Time
Originally posted by: generalfrevious
THERE IS NO HOPE now that Lucas controls AFI. They were are only hope.


I don't even know if they were any hope in the first place. It's afi.com, not afi.org. As has been brought up already, the original version of Star Wars was the one to win 7 academy awards and - not that academy awards are everything, especially not to GL apparently - the academy is the premiere film preservation authority in this country (correct me if I'm wrong). Has a single Oscar ceremony gone by without that organization's president talking about all the efforts they're taking towards that end?
Post
#297701
Topic
George Lucas to host showing of Star Wars "1977" for AFI's 40th anniversary.
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/297701/action/topic#297701
Time
I actually learned about anamorphic video in Summer of '04 after starting to collect the 2-disc Star Trek movies. Still, throwing any transfer of the OOT in with the '04 set would've been nice if only because every single person on the planet ran out and bought that set and it wouldn't have been a double dip for the many people who also wanted the unaltereds. But that wouldn't have gone over well at all with ROTS yet to be released plus LFL wouldn't have been able to charge 60 dollars for what are 15 dollar transfers at the most. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if he wasn't going to give it the proper treatment all he had to do was not release it. I was fine up until May of '06.

The Graduate is only just now getting an anamorphic region 1 dvd release. The milking of a classic is to be expected because a happy fan is a fan who has everything he or she needs, although you don't see that happening with some of the other films in the AFI's top 15.
Post
#297699
Topic
Family Guy to kick off season with 1 hour Star Wars spoof
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/297699/action/topic#297699
Time
Pretty entertaining from beginning to end.

-hilarious opening crawl. "A long time ago but somehow in the future"
-I noticed Obi-Wan's krayt dragon call was the '04 version.
-"It surrounds us and penetrates us"
-Coach McGuirk in the cantina!
-the 70's cinematography with the blown out lighting from the windows.
-SE Millennium Falcon takeoff but OOT ascent.
-3PO freaking out, "just tell me I don't have to stay in this room"
-"Red October standing by"=awesome
-and yes, that second Airplane reference was golden

It was funny for two reasons, one being it was 100% new and an hour long and two being it's a show based entirely around reference humor and the Star Wars ones have been constant since it came back on the air if not increasing in frequency, the most obvious being the awards ceremony in that episode that aired shortly before ROTS was released.