ImperialFighter

fishmanlee said:

I don't see anything?

They are there nonetheless.  I'm sure Adywan will spot them if he looks.

Harmy said:

If you look closely, there are these vertical lines in dark areas

Not sure what you're referring to here Harmy, but I'm meaning several white 'speckles' that pop up during that shot, that's still evident on the 'workprint' I got a while back.

Adywan, you may recall that I mentioned some print damage (a few brief, but distracting white artifacts that pop in and out) that appears around the time where Luke approaches Leia in the medical area -

...well if you *are* able to erase them, it would be good if you could also get rid of some others that also appear during this effects shot below, when the Falcon turns it's lights on as it enters the asteroid cave -

(note: this is just the original shot I've shown, and not Adywan's nicely enhanced version)

Erikstormtrooper said:

The DVDactive review for ROTJ is up

Ah, you just beat me to mentioning that final 'review' link from there Erik.  :)

And here's another one from that site that's worth a quick read, just for completion - http://www.dvdactive.com/editorial/articles/revistied-the-ten-things-that-the-forthcoming-star-wars-blu-ray-should-include.html  - it reminded me that there's no trailers on the latest set, so I'm still waiting to get a good version of this particular one, which gave me my first glimpse into a larger world - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BhZI9GcWdI

Cuchulainn said:

Going wildly off-topic here (and I promise I won't make a habit of this) but has anyone got the BD of Excalibur? The DVD was woefully mis-framed and I was wondering had this been corrected?

I'll just mention the 2 informative sites below Cuchulainn, as they may be useful in future for anyone that doesn't know about them yet -

According to dvdcompare.net, it seems that the 'Excalibur' dvd was released in both a 1.85:1 aspect ratio and a 1.78:1 aspect ratio depending on what region you happened to be in, while the blu-ray has only been released in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio.

And here's what dvdbeaver.com says about that particular blu-ray title - http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film3/blu-ray_reviews53/excalibur_blu-ray.htm

And here's the DVDactive review of the ESB blu-ray to add to the rest - http://www.dvdactive.com/reviews/dvd/star-wars-episode-v-the-empire-strikes-back3.html

DVDactive's review of the ANH blu-ray is up now - http://www.dvdactive.com/reviews/dvd/star-wars-episode-iv-a-new-hope3.html

Lestrade said:

Those DVD Active reviews are interesting, and nicely detailed.

The latest one is up now, which covers the ROTS blu-ray - http://www.dvdactive.com/reviews/dvd/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-of-the-sith2.html

I know that Bill Hunt's (TheDigitalBits) take on the blu-rays has been linked to already here, but I've been kinda curious what Chris Gould from DVDActive would post about them eventually.

He did the first set of in-depth comparison shots of the SE changes I ever came across (see their home page), and has now gone into some detail on the audio/visual aspects of the TPM and AOTC blu-rays so far -

Overview - http://www.dvdactive.com/reviews/dvd/star-wars-the-complete-saga.html 

TPM blu-ray review - http://www.dvdactive.com/reviews/dvd/star-wars-episode-i-the-phantom-menace3.html

AOTC blu-ray review - http://www.dvdactive.com/reviews/dvd/star-wars-episode-ii-attack-of-the-clones2.html

AuggieBenDoggie said:

I hope you folks haven't forgot that Empire: Revisited is only going as far as 720p in resolution. A new hope: Revisited ( the second version ) is only going as far as 720p also when Ady gets to it. I think Ady said Jedi was going to be 720p also but I'm not for sure.

Last I remember, adywan confirmed that all his eventual 'Revisited' edits will be done in a consistent 720p resolution. 

That's plenty resolution to look forward to I reckon, and far preferable to seeing the current blu-ray flaws and mis-steps in 1080p.

It was interesting to see those various deleted scenes/out-takes shots you posted on the previous page adywan.

It's so frustrating that at least some of these didn't have the same level of attention quality-wise that was given to the Prequel DVD deleted scenes.  And maddening that those previously 'finished' dvd ones aren't even included on this release, of course!

It's bad enough that various sources have been able to bang on about how neat it is that the likes of the white lightsabre 'core's' are restored again in certain shots - BIG DEAL, considering Vader's one has actually taken on a noticeably PURPLE 'glow' now in several shots, while *still* remaining PINK in many others...without them generalizing about how great these deleted scenes are too.

Yeah, some of the scenes themselves may be great, but the lacklustre picture-quality of them is yet another indication of how poor this long-awaited boxset really is overall, compared to how it could have been.

I guess I'll go and console myself with having a little fun on Blu-ray.com in the next few days discussing why their ridiculous five-star rating is wrong on so many levels for this release...    

Gah, on top of the same overall shoddy colouration problems and continued dubious changes for this latest release, it also now seems that all the 'deleted scenes' are in a pretty rough state too.

I had really hoped that some of these were going to be potentially useful for future edits such as adywan's ROTJ:REVISITED...but going by certain reports, it's looking like their lack of quality renders them unusable for seamless integration.

So it seems that far more effort went into polishing the deleted scenes for the previous 'Prequel' DVD releases, than what went into these ones on this Blu-ray set.  Yet another disappointing aspect of this release then.  :( 

Just as an aside, a neat little 'what if' I came across on the 'Revisited' Facebook page the other day, was this idea by 'The Cutter', that I'd like to share with anyone who missed it.  It's a small antidote to all the recent reminders of Vader's 'NOOOOOoooooooooo!' near the end of ROTS. ;)

As a recap, the actual 'birth of Vader' scene starts at 4 mins. 01 secs. into this clip -  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPTr6nfQ7RI

...but things would have come across a little differently if the end of the scene had been done something along these lines instead! -  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GvpT_7BMAc

(I'd quite like to see 'The Cutter's' version starting immediately after Vader asks "Where is Padme?", so that we'd then cut to the Emperor replying "It seems in your anger you killed her", then continue his version, but show the original full footage of Vader breaking free and stepping forward, before then having the Emperor 'cackle' as his close-up fades to the wipe of the Tantive IV...discarding the long shot of Vader yelling 'NOOOOOoooooooooo!)

Just wanted to say that your new FOX logo and 'Falcon garbage escape' previews on Facebook looked tremendous adywan. 

Just a pity some idiots put you off adding those ones to the Youtube collection as well.  Maybe you'd consider going down the 'comments disabled' route with them instead?  Either way, some great work there.

And jumping jeezus on a pogostick!...an actual 'Cloud City' model with lighting now?...WOWEE! :)

Okay, having followed the recent revelations about the imminent Blu-ray release of the 'Special Editions', it's pained me to see that this upcoming set is merely another half-baked effort overall, where the treatment of the original trilogy movies themselves are concerned nowadays.   

It seems that on top of the more dubious 'creative decisions' of the 2004 dvds remaining in place, that they are now being accompanied by a few more ridiculous howlers.

Most of these latest unnecessary and ill-thought-out changes certainly disapppoint, but what really hacks me off (apart from the still-dreadful transfer colouration, of course!) is the CONTINUED lack of attention given to improving certain flawed scenes and shots with any kind of care and consistency!

This is NOT what I hoped to see from a company that used to pride itself as being at the forefront of technical excellence, and the sad fact is that too many of GL's ideas for 'enhancements' continue to suck big-time.  For every decent addition, there's several that have ruined the original versions.

SW, ESB, and ROTJ are now pretty much unwatchable for me in their latest forms, compared to how things used to look (and sound)...and I'm just glad I'm one of the lucky few that knows about the terrific preservations and edits that are available to compensate for this.

So to sum up -

And not to put too fine a point on it - Sorry George, but 'special' editions my ass!

SilverWook said:

Egad! Were Wicket's eyes always that freaking creepy sans fakey blink?  The stills do not quite convey the horror of the video clip. I'll be seeing him in my nightmares tonight...

Can you give a link to the video clip of this Ewok enhancement please SilverWook?  I've a few comments I'd like to make about this when I have a little more time.  Thanks.

Angel said:

One question tho. Why the shuttle comes from the tiny hangar in ROTJ and here we have leaving from the main one?

Ah yes, this was something that was actually brought up and mocked-up way back when.  (I know there's a reference to it on page 172, although the images ended up being re-organised since then, so are no longer there)

Out of curiosity at the time, I'd asked doubleofive to roughly mock-up a shot of the 'Lambada' shuttle dropping from the front 'bay' of Needa's Stardestroyer, to see how it looked if it matched where the shuttle comes out in the footage at the start of ROTJ.  Of course, it would have meant adywan having to show a very different flightpath down to the Executor below, compared to how the existing shot looks.

Anyway, it turned out that he intends to alter the intro. of ROTJ for his eventual Revisited edit, so that it seems Vader is on his Executor rather than some random Stardestroyer...so the existing ROTJ shot of the shuttle dropping down from the front 'bay' is likely to be GONE in his version. 

I reckon his existing clip of the new shuttle emerging from the middle 'bay' of Needa's Stardestroyer looks great already, and it's interesting that it was mentioned a couple of days ago that it still isn't finished yet... 

By the way adywan, I've been away a while, but loved the recent latest preview clip too.  A heap of neat enhancements during that, and the new continuity of the SE Bespin city 'window' during all the relevant shots where Lando betrays Han and co. is especially impressive.  :)

Adium said:

So I'm pretty sure it's confirmed, but I'd like to double check: we're looking at a 2004 DVD transfer, right? I want to change the title of the thread.

Having had a chance to catch up with the last several pages here now Adium, I've certainly seen enough to confirm that the powers-that-be are indeed about to merely release an equally-shoddy colour image for the Blu-ray release of the OT, as they did for the DVD release.  No surprise there I'm sad to say.

Sure, the actual 'gamma' seems to be upped for a 'brighter', 'clearer' intensity, but the overall colouration is still a mess as far as I'm concerned.  While there will be many that are now used to the particular colour-tampering seen in the 2004 versions (and will be content to see a more 'vibrant'-looking take on that look), I myself can never get used to it.  I'd rather watch the GOUT releases, which look closer to how things used to be, where colours are concerned.

But of course, my own OT interest now rests in what Adywan and others have given us, where colour-correction and fixes are concerned.  I've no doubt that the odd previously-glaring flaw of the 2004 OT release will be given a cursory make-over this time around, but am equally sure that others that have been flagged-up will not be.

However, as certain SE additions have ruined the official releases for me anyway, it doesn't really matter to me, as I thankfully have the skillful efforts of members around here to fall back on for alternatives nearer to my preference.  I'm just disappointed that the masses are continuing to only get the inferior 'creative choices' that have been foisted on the OT nowadays.

Anyway, if you do decide to change this ongoing thread title after all, may I throw a first suggestion into the ring -  2004 'humdinger' transfer of Star Wars coming to Blu-ray (UPDATE: May 4th 2011) by Adium 

Coming Soon...  Due for release 2012...

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES  (coming 2012/directed by Christopher Nolan)

Teaser Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ior9VaIH1x8

Theatrical Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yh6SriAjdE

JURASSIC PARK  (re-released 2011/directed by Steven Spielberg)

Theatrical Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oC2XVBQeO2k

Coming Soon...  Due for release 2012...

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN  (coming 2012/directed by Marc Webb)

Teaser Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5TSTm-DagM  NOW GONE!  Will look for replacement soon.

And here's the latest trailers for RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES now -

Trailer 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgCzQWoBKvA

Trailer 3 (International Version) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLq8qccEWUs

I haven't been able to check in here properly for a while recently, but I just wanted to flag this up for anyone that hasn't seen this yet -

http://www.facebook.com/notes/star-wars-revisited-the-saga/attention-revisited-fans-your-chance-to-own-a-piece-of-revisited/252083638140559

Neat to see that a 'Dagobah' miniature (!) is planned too, in addition to everything else being made. (A hectic schedule is still getting in the way of the many 'Dagobah' issues/potential fixes I still hope to go into in detail sometime, but I'll get around to them all in the near future hopefully)

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES  (released 2011/directed by Rupert Wyatt)

Theatrical Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgFXoU1Gn6Q  NOW GONE!  Will look for replacement soon.

Oh man, so very sorry to learn of all your recent sad news adywan.  Best wishes to you and your family through this difficult period.

Wow adywan, that e-mail you received recently was ridiculously selfish and insensitive.  If he happens to be a member of this particular forum, then you should consider naming him after all, so that we know to ignore this cretin altogether.

On a lighter note, it was neat to see a few more of your completed tweaks in the 'Facebook' preview clip you recently gave us...and to discover that Rogue Leader and co. seem to be preparing for imminent battle filming...

We're rootin' for ya Ming! :)