SilverWook

Wow, this is the first time I've heard anyone consider "The Cage" to be crap. The two part episode which used it for flashbacks is often considered one of the best installments of the series. And Captain Pike is in the new movie. ;)

I saw the theatrical screening of the "Special Edition" version last fall. It sold out in many areas, and Paramount had to scramble to add more showtimes.

Were you able to solve the little continuity problem of the character who dies in the Voyager episode, but is seen alive and well on the Excelsior bridge at the end of TUC? ;)

C3PX said:

I don't think it is very fair when people attack The Clone Wars so harshly. It is what it is. A kids TV series based off a successful but lame series of modern sci-fi films, which in turn was a spin off of some successful and well done older sci-fi films. I think some of us are just getting into the habit of attacking anything new with the name Star Wars on it, regardless of its merit. The Clone Wars is achieving what it set out to accomplish, no matter how good or how bad it does, some of us will tear it apart. Tons of good movies have silly kids shows based off of them. Where is the dissing of Star Trek: The Animated Series, Return to the Planet of the Apes, Ewoks, Droids. All those were some pretty crappy cartoons, but we have always managed to write them off as, "just for the kiddies". Why not this treatment for CW?

The animated Star Trek was written by many of the same people who wrote the best episodes of the original series. It was not made "for the kiddies". In spite of the limited animation, it was better than anything else on Saturday morning in the early 70's, and even won a Emmy award.

In all fairness, the theatrical cut of Battlestar Galactica was meant to play in theaters outside the U.S., before the show aired on ABC. (Had the internet been around back then, we would have had plot spoilers from Canada!) It has many key differences from the tv version. Baltar gets beheaded for example.

The series was probably the most expensive tv show ever at the time, and Universal wasn't about to pass up a chance to make some box office dollars in the wake of Star Wars mania.

The movie version was also was presented in Sensurround, which was how bass freaks got their fix in the 1970's. ;)

Walt Disney had tv and theatrical versions of many shows in the 1950's. The movies made money overseas, and aired as several chapters on his tv show here. So this concept is really nothing new.

Did you ask for your money back?

I don't see a problem with Jabba showing a soft side. Characters in the Godfather movies love the heck out of their kids, but they just as easily commit murder, or order others to do the job.

Over twenty years pass between the Clone Wars and ROTJ. Anyone can also change a lot in twenty years, even vile Hutt crime lords.

Anyway, it's merely a pilot episode for the series, which is actually quite good if you give it a chance.

If Ashoka's eyes bother you, don't ever watch anime! ;)

It's not costing Lucasfilm anything to release a new film like Clone Wars in high quality. It's the OT Lucas doesn't want to spend any money on for a restoration and new transfer!

As for further changes to the OT...The world ends in 2012, if you believe the Mayan calendar. So problem solved!

Yeah, she was pretty damn vicious in last night's episode. Made me wish she had been in the movies! They didn't shy away from showing her using a lightsaber to kill, either. Double wow.

I think the fact it's legally unavailable probably helped. Most of the competition is out on video, or on tv every year.

It is interesting that the Paley Center can have a public screening of their archival copy though.

I looked over their upcoming schedules, and many of the other specials that didn't make the cut, (and some that were write-in votes) are getting screenings too!

Worse than the prequels? ;)

There are more than a few Howard fans around here, and a legal DVD release in the U.S. is long overdue. I can finally retire my Laserdisc!

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/3472612-post60.html

If this is true, I'm going to faint! ;)

http://www.rebelscum.com/story/front/ForceCast_In_The_Cantina_with_David_Prowse_119468.asp

The Lord of the Sith discusses working on the saga, tells a really nice Mark Hamill story, and would you believe, Darth Vader, music promoter? ;)

I was out having dinner tonight, and that same song from the trailer and movie starts playing over the music system! And this was the only pop song in a long stretch of Christmas music. Spooky! ;)

Funny! Although I was expecting "More Kryptonian council!!!"

Somebody should take all the footage of Otis walking and synch it up with "Staying Alive". ;)

I saw the display model the other day. More metal and less plastic parts than a lot of cheapo VCR's I've seen in the past decade. And incredibly, it's not made in China!

No VHS logo anywhere on it. The only outputs are USB and RCA. No recording, so no tuner of course. (I doubt anybody is going to plug their camcorder into the RCA inputs unless they're still using VHS-C or something!) Being mono only is a minus in my book.

I could see it being used for some really old nasty mucked up rental tape you don't want to stick in your expensive gear, but adywan said the picture quality is below par.

Maybe they will be dirt cheap after Christmas? ;)

I've not heard anything about them being limited. The earlier sets have come down in price and now come in smaller traditional packaging. The only thing you really lose are the photo booklets. I haven't seen any figurines or anything else of that sort in the sets.

Considering the potential music rights nightmare involved, we're darn lucky these are coming out uncut.

McQuarrie's concept paintings are what sold 20th Century Fox on Star Wars. Many of his concepts were literally translated onto the screen without much change. He's the guy who thought Vader should wear a mask! Without his work, there might not have been a Star Wars.

I actually think Ralph's vision of Vader is more scary than the final costume, and it should have been what we saw at the end of Episode III. :)

The McQuarrie portfolio was among the first merchandise I ever got from the movie. I loved those paintings when I was a kid. I never dreamed I would be able to buy action figures based on those paintings all these years later.

Thanks for the info! I wasn't in the market for one, but had hoped this would offer an affordable capture solution to others.

Browsing some reviews on the web make this sound not very good at all, unfortunately.

I belatedly noticed that this thing has no official VHS format logo on it. Not a good sign!

Thanks for finding that. It really underscores the reason the film that started it all needs some TLC. :)

I saw this in the Bed Bath and Beyond catalog I got today.

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=15875550&RN=2084

From the same company that makes those USB equipped turntables and audio cassette decks. I don't know if it's crap or not, but given the fact nobody even makes a standalone VHS deck these days, perhaps worth a look at?

It was probably the whole movie. But the fading was a sticking point. The seller ought to have posted a screencap or two like others have in the past.

The Italian track would have been an interesting curiosity though.

Derann doesn't seem to have ever made a six reel version. A copy of the four reel anamorphic is in the hands of "top men".  It's unfaded and beautiful. The 600ft. reels are too big to fit on a workprinter though. :(

NBC only wants people to watch SNL clips on their own site these days.

I saw what was being purported to be the interior mechanism from a Death Star laser cannon turret miniature on Ebay recently. I have my doubts! ;)

The fourth season of Saturday Night Live hits DVD on December 2nd. This includes the  episode hosted by Carrie Fisher in full hairbuns and Leia gown.

Our favorite Princess also strips down to a bikini for a parody of those 1960's teen beach musicals. ;)

Vaderisnothayden said:

Does anybody know if the 35mm print was simultaneously released on the same opening date as the 70mm (ESB's opening date) or was it released later?

My guess is the 35mm came out later. When I lived in NJ back in 1980, there was only one theater near me that had Empire opening weekend, and it was a 70mm venue. People were driving a long way to see it!

There is evidence that suggests Fox went the cheap route, and spliced the "A New Hope" crawl into old prints, so it's possible the mono mix was heard somewhere in 1981.

More theaters had Dolby by then, so the existing 35mm stereo mix would probably have been what most people heard.