doubleofive

I also saw Avatar in 3D, and I have to say that I loved it.  Sure, the basic story had been told before and had cliche moments, but I don't think its ever been told this grand.  Jim still knows how to make epics.  The 3D was subtle for the most part, and while I want to see it again, I'm not sure I could watch it in 2D the same way.  I'm not sure if they can take 2D films and make them 3D, I'd have to see it before I make a judgment on that, but I think that movies of this caliber should be made in 3D to start with.

I wrote a review on my blog, if anyone's interested.

TPM is the only movie in the Star Wars Saga without a main character.  Also, if we watch it in Lucas' intended order, this is supposed to be the introduction to the galaxy/the force/jedi/etc. and we get no such thing, we are thrown into the middle of negotiations that have no negotiating about a dispute no one understands over people dying that no one sees.

The more I think about it, the more I don't think TPM can be saved.  Parts of it could be used in flashback, but I don't think we could make TPM a watchable movie.

[Narrator with Star Wars music in background, clips should play silently in the background or low volume.  Video should be formatted 16:9, with the URL of the petition in the black area under the 2.35:1 clips.]

[2004 ANH: "A long time ago" to the receding logo]

Since the format debuted, Star Wars fans had wanted the original trilogy on DVD.  Finally in 2004, Lucas released a new version of his 1997 Special Edition exclusively on DVD.

However, something was missing.

[Lowlights from the 2004. Bad colors in general during the first part, further changes in second part, ex. 2004 ANH: Greedo shoots at the same time as Han, then again in slow motion showing Han actually shooting twice.  2004 RotJ: Ghost Hayden]

While the 2004 edition was very high quality, the colors were (messed up) and some of the changes brought even further debates on the merits of the Special Editions in general.  Fans asked for a choice.

[Screenshots of the original petition and signatures, the DVD cases, etc. ending with the "Long Time Ago" to the GOUT ANH logo]

Originaltrilogy.com led the charge with a petition to release the unaltered theatrical versions on DVD alongside the 2004 Special Edition, even after Lucas claimed this wouldn't happen, that the Special Editions were the way it was always meant to be.  Fans still wanted a choice between Lucas' "final" vision and his original vision they fell in love with.  After (so many) signatures, the theatrical versions were released in 2006 as a bonus disc with the 2004 version.

Still, something was missing.

[Scenes from the GOUT unaltered (i.e. with black bars all the way around the 16:9 image, showing what you get if you just put it in your DVD player), leading to the example images showing the flaws.]

The version released was a non-anamorphic copy scanned in 1993 for the last laserdisc release.  As fans zoomed in to fill their wide screens, more flaws presented themselves.  (Gate weave, compression artifacts, and general blur) plagued the copy.  The fans were not pleased.

[Screenshots of the new petition, followed by pictures/examples of the Blade Runner and Close Encounters releases]

Starting in late 2009, a year after the Blu-ray format won the high definition war, Originaltrilogy.com is trying again.  Since the release of the 2006 versions, multiple films have come to the Blu-ray format in all possible versions.  Ridley Scott had all possible versions of Blade Runner rescanned and released in one set, even ones he didn't care for.  Lucas' friend Spielberg released all three versions of Close Encounters of the Third Kind in high definition around the same time.  However the rumored 2011 Star Wars Blu-rays are still looking to be only the 2004 version, if not an even further enhanced version.

Fans still want a choice.

[Shots from fan edits / restorations showing how some people have tried to fix the SEs, Darth Editous, Adywan's AVCHD, etc.]

Lucas should feel free to release as many enhanced versions of his films as he wants.  However, he should also take a cue from his director friends and release all of the versions or at least the original ones along with it.  The theatrical versions of the original Star Wars trilogy should be rescanned from the original film, if not all from the original negative that Lucas claims was destroyed to make the Special Editions, than from a print.  Fans want the versions they saw in theaters, that they grew up remembering.  They want the colors to be restored, (more stuff)

[Grow the URL to fill the screen as it finishes]

Don't let fans continue to do the work Lucas should have done already.  Sign the petition to let Lucas know that we want the original theatrical versions in a high definition format that we can show our children.  Let us have a choice.

Please, please, this is a first draft and needs a lot of work.  Help me tweak it and someone needs to make it happen.

I'm going to write out a script for a support video, showing why we want/need the OOT on Blu-ray. Sadly, I don't have the tech to do the video myself (I wish I still lived on the college campus I used to), but hopefully I'll inspire someone to use my ideas.
Script should be up soon.

There can be no "prequel person" response to this. You cannot defend a movie without a protagonist, introduction, plot, or sense. As weird as some of the off topic wanderings, you can't ignore that every point he made was right on the money, though maybe could have been put more eloquently.

His final conclusion that Lucas is a great idea man who needs to be restrained reminded me so much of Zombie that I wonder if he didn't have a part in it (RedLetter probably just read some of Zombie's articles).

One of the longer reviews, well made and seems to capture the spirit of the people who wanted TPM to be ANH2.

Maybe there should be dueling edits. This "Revisited" type actually well made edit and a hastily put-together "cash-grab" with bad color tints and farting cgi cutout Rontos (nothing needs to be 3D, really, just look out of place). Or maybe the same person can do both?

Ghost said:

I was looking at the TPM puppet Yoda and if you tweak the ears to match other Yoda models, the puppet isn't that bad. He looks like a young Yoda. But yeah, what is a decade for something that is 800 years old.

TPM Yoda - sorry - "Canadian Yoda" seems to have a completely different skull shape than all the other Yodas, CG or puppet.  Looking at them side by side, I like the CGI Yoda even more, as it looks like a plumper version of the puppet.

Ady posted a couple pictures over on the Facebook page (also the pictures I'm using for the "Blu Not Blue!" campaign).  Figured I'd share them here, but instead of my usual order, I put the GOUT in between the DVD and Revisited, to see the two different directions the color can take.

thecolorsblend said:

As for Clone Wars, the Cartoon Network series has already had a DVD release.  The CG thing is, admittedly, fair game.  I've ignored pretty much the CG Clone Wars so I have no idea what the ratings and general consumer interest might be.

The CG series Season 1 is out on DVD and Blu-ray, with extended episodes and bonus features galore.  That seems to be done right.

Nothing that was in the original version of ESB should be cut.  SE shuttles and wampas, yes, but the original version is paced perfectly.

Ripplin said:

When I saw those inverted Stargate ships, the first thing I thought was:

"They're French!"
"Stinky pits and all, baby!"

"Isn't 'Betty' a girl's name?"

I'm confused.  So right now we're talking about the Emperor arriving on Coruscant, then flying his palace to the DS2 in time to meet up with Luke and get blowed up?

What's wrong with the tower again?

Have patience.  Use the torrents.

I neglected to say how awesome the color correction is!  3PO is actually gold now, instead of sickly rusted copper color.

You know, the more I think about it, I wouldn't mind more changes as long as the colors were right...  I'd rather have a super-duper-special edition and the OOT in a set, of course.

There's Black Mesa also, a complete fan remake/overhaul of Half-Life 1 using the Half-Life 2 engine.  It looks incredible.

http://blackmesasource.com/

Uploaded a Visual Comparison of the new video.

http://picasaweb.google.com/doubleofive/ESBRFacebookLukeSRescueComparison

Also wanted to point out that Ben is a different color every time we see him in this sequence:

He seems really light when he first appears and really dark as he's leaving.  An affect of appearing as a Force ghost?  Or something that could be tweaked?

JasonN said:

Other issues that I've noticed with the CG Yodas:
- they have no chin (ESB Yoda has a very pronounced "clef-chin")

- the eyebrow ridge seems closer to the eyes

- they don't have lips, or rather, they seem to have no lower lip (ESB Yoda's lower lip is a bit fuller)

I actually think CGI Yoda's face is fuller, almost like a child.  Muppet Yoda is almost emaciated, like the skin is starting to cling to his bones.

Jay said:

The only suggestion I have is to stick to standard banner ad sizes. The banners I made back in 2003, while good, didn't get the wide adoption they could've because they were non-standard sizes. If a site owner can't fit a banner in their current layout, they won't use it.

Here are some guidelines to follow:

http://www.iab.net/iab_products_and_industry_services/1421/1443/1452

Also needed that.  Thanks Jay!

UPDATE: Here are a couple standard ones.  The others aren't uploading for some reason...

Bottom one may be too busy.  I had a lot of space to fill...

Here is a nice comparison:

I think the I-SE's head may be off just a hair.  And VI looks almost as dumb as I.  Maybe he really was getting old, and his right eye broke in the year between V and VI.

Bingowings said:

He does seem to have a baby-like top heaviness to him for sure.

Though it might help illustrate the point if we had a comparison of all the different Yodas in the saga including both TPM versions.

I'll throw something together.

Moth3r said:

Are those ESB shots untouched or "blue-enhanced"?

I would suggest for these ones to change the text to something like:
"Sign the Petition for a proper restoration of the Original Trilogy on Blu-ray!" (which puts the point across that the blue-cast 2004 DVD was not a proper restoration).

I was hoping someone would have suggestions for a better text.  I'll change the ESB ones to match your suggestion, at least.

Bingowings said:

It might be possible to shrink his big head for example.

So its not just me?  It seems a little big to others?  Oh good.

Darth Editous said:

 

Granted, the EP1 puppet was definitely not an accurate replica of the ESB Yoda, but at least he still looked REAL - he looked like he was a living, breathing creature

 

I disagree - he looked like a muppet. There's a certain exaggeration to Sesame Street, etc, that ESB Yoda just didn't have. TPM Yoda looks like a South Park Canadian, with his flappy head and beady eyes ;) (no offence to any Canadians, but that movie was pretty funny).

DE

HENCEFORTH, "TPM Yoda" shall be known as "Canadian Yoda".  At least to me.

Ady sent me some bad ESB shots:

No need to exaggerate the blues, these were already terrible!

UPDATED: Tried to make a signature image.