yoda-sama

Harmy said:

I'm more interested in what's in those cans.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX???!!!

I'm more interested to have heard a "Se7en" quote from Harmy; it is surprising how far-reaching some films can turn out to be.

Actually, that brings to mind an off-screen running joke during "Arrow", mentioned in a Dallas Comic Con Stephen Amell panel I filmed, here's a direct link to that part https://youtu.be/YV0ZOC2kZGE?t=38m30s

My God, this horrible thread has made Frink replicate himself... HOW MUCH MORE HARM WILL THIS THREAD CAUSE TO THE WORLD?!?!?!?!?

Might as well put a burning guide in the first post at this rate...

This seems relevant to the ESB theatrical experience, and therefore the DeEd.

http://entertainment.slashdot.org/story/15/05/14/1739257/rediscovered-lucas-commissioned-short-black-angel-released-on-youtube

John Doom said:

I said "upgrading", not "restoring" :D

They're probably going to upscale them to 4k, that is.

Strange, I must have read this wrong:

"their focus should be on a 4k restoration of all six movies (I guess OT SE and PT)".

Frink, I do believe you missed him also saying Luca$$$film.

Also, Mr. Doom, where are you getting this "restore PT in 4K" stuff?  In his foolish eagerness to completely distance himself from all things that worked well from the OT, Lucas jumped too early onto recording completely in digital for Episodes II and III, forever trapping them at a maximum resolution of 1080p.  The PT will never be a 4K showcase, due to extreme shortsightedness, and Disney is not about to lead with that foot.  If Star Wars ever commercially goes 4K, it would pretty much have to be just some form of original trilogy release (be it redone-from-scratch SE, or OOT), not the complete Vader saga.

Wow, I didn't expect to like the second video more, since from the picture it looked like it would be too washed out, but in the end it seems to retain more background detail and just looks much more natural than the first one (which ironically has too much contrast).  With a little work, the second reel could have a lot to offer.

Also, from watching the first video, I don't know why but I've never noticed so clearly the difference between Shaw's scalp prosthetic and his forehead before (doubtless it would be obvious on the Blu-ray, if they restrained from digitally wiping that away, too, but I don't ever watch that).

I'm looking forward to seeing full workprints or final results from -1, regardless of order; if Jedi is ready before the others that need more work, it wouldn't bother me in the least to have it early.  Keep up the good work.

Off of that one dark shot of the projector, I was actually leaning toward guessing the W1070.  Been running one of those myself for a few years now (well, I don't know what the + version is, but still probably pretty close).  Watched the DeEd with it quite a few times, and I certainly can't complain about that.  Likely going to do it again this evening, to celebrate the day properly.

Harmy, on this most auspicious of days (May the Fourth), might we get an update on what progress there has been on RotJ?  It sounds like -1 has gotten a significant chunk of scans to you, and I think they mention you'll benefit them in return with cleaning up some of their film damage.  Care to comment on what all is going on behind the scenes, or have your new personal commitments been keeping you too busy for much to have happened on the DeEd lately?

A tad blurrier in general than I'd hoped, but still 100% authentic and that makes it beautiful.  Beautiful and filmic.

Congrats on making the jump to projecting, Harmy.  Which model projector did you choose and what did you go with on the rest of your setup (receiver, screen, etc.)?

And I agree that without a new version on the horizon, continually bitching about colors on SW is now bordering on beating a dead horse.  Everyone should focus their opinions on Jedi right now and after that on Empire when V2.5 (with even less GOUT and correct credits) comes into focus.  Never your minds on where we are, what we are doing, you are all reckless.

My God, darth_ender, what is the source of that screenshot?  The colors look awful, please tell me that's not from an official release.

Man, you guys messed up bad or something, this doesn't seem like realistic CG from a decade or two ago, it almost looks like a bunch of puppets or something...  You should really look into this matter, I think it is a glaring difference.

Disney just doesn't want this thread to die, apparently.  It is really disappointing that Celebration has come and gone without any mention of the state of the OUT.  If they had plans of doing a restoration and release before the new movie, Celebration was probably the best time they could have picked, with those crappy digital editions pushed out just before, and their focus on practical effects going forward...  In the end all we got was mixed signals about what they value from the OT, but definitely got the cold shoulder on a return to force for the OUT.

It seems our only hope now for an official release in the near future would be if they were holding it back to be released as a set with the new film, or if they want to put it out exclusively in 4K to push that format.

It is just a damned shame they're choosing to miss this opportunity.

Is "legitimate" 17 better than "literal"?

@Drifter1989:  If by the time Lucas put out the '04 DVDs he had still been calling them Special Editions, that actually wouldn't have been as bad.  By the second VHS printing of the SE (long before the DVDs) he dropped the "Special Edition" verbiage from the title, as he wanted to make it clear that the newest versions of Star Wars definitively replace any previous versions going forward.  Actually, the only version of the Trilogy officially referred to as "Special Edition" was the 1997 version, which, if that's the closest you've ever managed to get to seeing the original versions, you really do need to see Harmy's work as soon as possible.  The '97 SE was arguably less messed up than the 2004 DVDs and 2011 BDs, as the colors and sound weren't retinkered beyond recognition and there were quite a few less alterations (though there were some unique to the '97SE that got taken back out for the later releases), but it was still not even close to the Star Wars that the world knew for 2 decades before that.

And just to catch you up, with the sale to Disney, we're not 100% sure Lucas has any say in what versions can be put out from this point on (most likely not).  If Disney wants to preserve their investment, the only smart thing for them to do is to strike new 4K or better masters from original film elements while they're still salvageable, as the hurried and piss-poor circa-2003 1080p resolution master that's been used up till now is not going to stand the test of time.  For TV's Frink's sake I won't get into the ongoing speculation, but whenever Disney does decide to protect their $4B investment with a modern HD remaster of The Trilogy, they'll be at a crossroads of adding back in all the changes since 1997 (which the master is reportedly conformed to), or restoring/preserving the original version, and that will be an interesting day.

ImperialFighter said:

However, if the 4k version still includes the awful 'Han standing on CGI Jabba's tail' scene (which also ruins the later 'first reveal of the Falcon' scene), then restoring the original Han shooting Greedo editing will only mildly improve things overall. 

I don't know why it took till just now for me to realize that the added Jabba scene does indeed ruin the Millennium Falcon reveal.  I guess I don't look at Star Wars with fresh eyes anymore, but that really would spoil things for a new viewer.  It adds yet another layer of terrible to this entire Special Edition farce.

Considering the quality of this thread, I REALLY hope that Star Wars Celebration will definitively put these OOT rumors to rest (for better or worse, at this point).

Next thing we know you'll be telling us that Dell laptop in the reflection of the laserdisc isn't a recent model...

To err is Hal9000?

Likewise CDs are the same standard dimensions as DVDs and BDs...  And I'm baffled that this question actually made it beyond a casual thought and out onto the internet...

Funny thing is, I never watched it, nostalgically speaking, without the "Episode IV: A New Hope" addition, but knowing now what is right, I've had little issue adjusting to the '77 version.

Oh, that reminds me, Harmy, what are your plans for non-SE credits for v2.0 of RotJ?  Do you have a -1 scan for it that you want to use, or should the community get busy on recreating (and proofing) new credits from scratch like with ESB?

As for me, I'd buy a proper OOT release in a heartbeat, but I wouldn't say I'd "replace" Harmy's versions, as they are amazing to watch for what they are, and I doubt I'd resist going back and checking them out from time to time.  Besides, I'm in the credits of his version of ESB and should likewise be in ROTJ, I mean, how cool is that?

Same here, not going out of my way to slam you, people like what they like, it is just the more I hear people say that they grew up with the Special Editions, it makes me sad, and also brings into sharp focus the growing extent of the intentional damage already done by Lucas' desire to supplant the originals.  As MrPib graciously quoted for us, Lucas basically intended for his newer versions to culturally eclipse the originals or at least physically outlast the mediums it was widely available on (I will boldly assume that quote was from before the GOUT).  Harmy's version will do a TON of good, but only ever on an underground movement kind of level, a Rebellion of sorts, if you will.  If we ever truly hope to avert the SE dominated--dystopian--future, we really need Disney (and to a related degree Fox) to step up and release the OOT on equal or greater footing than the SE's, and soon.  Once nostalgia for the SE's over takes the OOT, it could be all over, and that's just unconscionable.