Star Wars, but no Alien funky song in ROTJ?

[Joshi]

Okay, so George Lucas has said that he'll bring out the original three Star Wars (IV-VI) on DVD well after episode III has come out. Annoying.

 

But he has also said that he's only bringing out the new improved version he did a few years ago and not the original. Now I personally don't mid this (never saw the original to compare) but a lot of die har fans want the original on DVD without the new Jabba the Hut scene in episode IV or the extra added special effects and the really don't like Georges veiw one bit despite him saying that the new improved version was closer to what he originally wanted. So I ask you which would you prefer. Vote, but also tell me with a reason.

 

Go.

[Huz]

I think a release of the original when there's a new, improved version available would only appeal to a certain sort of Swamp-posting obsessive fan. It might be interesting to see the original scenes included as extras or something, but otherwise the original version is of limited interest.

 

Of course, if Lucas really wanted to, he could give viewers the option of the original or remastered scenes using DVD branching (although this only works when both scenes are of equal length, apparently). This is what they do with, er, Doctor Who DVDs. Yes, yes.

[C Shutt]

Huz, you are wrong. The "improved" special editions are hideous butcherings of the original movies, and the vast majority of people would prefer the original cuts.

[Ray Jones]

a friend of mine has the three ORIGINALs as directors cut versions in THX (first releases) on good old Laserdiscs ..

PLUS he had this Lucasfilm THX-Promo Laserdisc called 'WOW!' => wow!!!

 

the 'improved versions' are not the best for me because there are 'new' and 'old' explosions looking totally different!! it was ok to add new scenes and they are done well .. but .. some details are .. 'difficult' to watch.

 

if i could coose FREE i would take ALL versions.. (to have or not to have .. )

 

so i vote for Original Version (but please THX -- )

[Natty]

I was wondering... now I'm not too fimiliar with all the technical stuff, but would it be possible to have some sort of function on the DVD that allows you to watch the original version or the special edition? Does anyone know what I'm getting at? Obviously the original would be remastered (like it was for the special edition) but the DVD itself would actually have a function (I guess similar to the scene selection) in which you can choose to watch the Special Edition or the Original Edition.

[Alia]

I own the digitally remastered versions and I haven't seen the originals in a LOOOONG time....so I honestly couldn't tell you which I preferred. I can remember them.....sort of.....

[EnchiladaMan]

OK, I voted "George who?" but only because I was so annoyed with "Attack of the Clowns." (No, it's not a typo, I meant to type that)

 

But really, if were to buy any of the star wars dvds, I would prefer the original editions of the original trilogy. Well, if I ever buy EPII I would want the dvd so I could flip past the annoying Anakin and Padme scenes that are just so hokey and so poorly scripted it's sad. This way I could watch the "Gladiator" scene that's almost decent because it didn't require any acting and only a few hokey lines, just some big bugs and computerized cats. And for a laugh, I could flip to the Yoda comedy dance at the end.

 

OK, enough AotC ranting. Terrible movie. *shudders* But yes, I did like the original ones and NOT the special editions where they put back in scenes that they had cut from the original movie for obvious reasons (they stunk. Well, that and that was before Lucas was stinking rich and could afford all the computer-looking effects to put in them). I saw "A New Hope" when they re-released it in theaters and when I heard that was the one with the most - and best - added stuff to it, I didn't even touch the special editions of the other two. I have the RotJ soundtrack and they took out both the songs I used to love so much as a kid (the Jabba song and the Ewok song), and they replaced them BOTH! (I can't say I'm all that thrilled with the new songs)

 

I have the last edition original trilogy stashed away somewhere and "TPM" also. When the DVDs come out for them all, I will probably buy them as a set just to have them. Though that's still years away. We'll see.

 

I will admit, I used to be (operative word: "USED") a Star Wars fan and if any I would buy the original versions on dvd. I have avoided watching the rest of the special editions because the first one stunk so much. Therefore, rejecting the complete Star Wars series, I vote: "George who?"

[Natty]

I'm glad someone finally agrees with me on AOTC in regards to Padme/Anikan. It was dreadful. I mean I know he's supposed to be desperatly in love with her and if we're to believe how the storyline, it's the death of Padme that drives him to the darkside. So obviously in that way I can understand some of the scenes. But they were just so crappy written.

 

"please don't look at me like that" Seriously if someone looks at me in a way I don't like I turn around and slap them.

 

What I found most disturbing is that he's been in love with her for the last 10years or so? Erm hello? Talk about a tad obsessive. His whole behaviour was like a 5yo's. A real sooky la la. All I wanted to do was throw things at the movie screen and slap some sense into Anikan. Sheeeeesh. Of course, there are some classic one liners as there usually is...

 

3PO- Oh this is such a drag *pause* I feel quite beside myself

 

Yoda: Mmm. Lost a planet, Master Obi-Wan has. How embarrassing. How embarrassing.

 

3PO: DIE, Jedi dogs!! Oh... what did I say?!

[Joshi]

Originally posted by Natty

I was wondering... now I'm not too fimiliar with all the technical stuff, but would it be possible to have some sort of function on the DVD that allows you to watch the original version or the special edition? Does anyone know what I'm getting at? Obviously the original would be remastered (like it was for the special edition) but the DVD itself would actually have a function (I guess similar to the scene selection) in which you can choose to watch the Special Edition or the Original Edition.

 

That's definately possible (Disney are producing new platinum editions of the best movies they've done with The Lion King coming out in November with two different versions of the film, they also did the same thing with 3 versions of Beauty and the Beast on one disc, so it can't be too hard), but George has expressed quite clearly that he won't be doing that as the new improved version was closer to his original vision to the movies. personally, I never saw the original (I'm quite a new fan, as the first SW film I ever saw was EpI, then my friend lent me the new improved versions he had on box set.)

 

Oh, and, just a note, can we please talk about the quality of EpII in another thread instead of turning this one off topic please?

[edlib]

The original scenes MUST be included! There is no debate!

 

Seems to me that you could switch between the "improved" version and the original using the seldom utilized "Angle" button on the DVD player.

 

Or better yet,.. do what Spielberg did with the E.T. DVD set and release both versions on seperate discs in the same package.

 

Or... lastly: Find some pristine, unwatched copies of the widescreen digital-remaster VHS tapes (or the laser discs) of the original version, a really, really expensive professional VHS player, a computer with a DVD-burner, and some good DVD authoring software, and explore the limits of copyright "fair-use." As long as the copies are only for yourself and you don't try to sell them you should be fine legally.

 

But you didn't hear that from me...

[Joshi]

Originally posted by edlib

Seems to me that you could switch between the "improved" version and the original using the seldom utilized "Angle" button on the DVD player.

 

I thought of that, but the scenes would have to be the same legnth of time in order for that to work. But yeah, Like E.T. or even, like I said before, on the same disc (and have the extras for it all on a seperate disc or two ala Indie)

[Kurgan]

Greedo shooting first and the new "musical numbers" in ROTJ I really didn't appreciate. Everything else I thought either added some polish to the old films, or didn't really add or detract.

 

There are a few changes I wish they HAD made in the special editions though....

 

Examples:

 

In ANH, in one scene Vader's and Obi-Wan's sabers are the wrong colors! (it's a close up). In another part of their duel, Obi-Wan's saber "fissles out" and you see the metal pole with the light on the end (the prop) with no blue stuff on it for several seconds. After Kenobi buys it, you even see Vader walk towards the closing blast door with a white (uncolored) saber blade.

 

In ROTJ, watch the scenes with the Rancor... they are HORRIBLE, you can see the bad matte lines on the model and Luke is tinted blue, etc etc. Very fake looking. In old vhs copies that weren't cleaned up you couldn't really tell as much, but in the SE on the big screen it was obvious... made me sad. : (

 

 

 

Otherwise, I guess they could re-do Jabba a bit (making him "skinny" was fine because theoretically he could have put on weight between that time and ROTJ, but since he is shown in TPM as clearly being a fat slob, it seems to lean towards that they just didn't "get it right" with the modeling yet).

 

There are also scenes they could add, and general improvements that could be made (ie: putting back in the shots of Imp officers getting blasted in the chest.. I can't fathom why Lucas felt those were "too violent" he has other people being slaughtered left and right and kept his PG rating, fixing the "gray boxes" around many of the ships which is usually more noticeable on big screen tvs or in the theater, etc).

 

I always felt the battle over Carkoon in ROTJ was badly edited (despite it being a cool scene, it could have been better) and perhaps some more footage and transitions could help that.

 

Yeah, I am planning to get myself a set of the SW Trilogy "THX Enhanced" because I am not happy with all of the changes on the SE, and if it were up to me, there are other tweaks that should have been done that weren't. I am frankly not to excited about the prospect of Lucas editing them again to add Prequel references or change the story (like making all the Stormtroopers have the same voices and heights so that its obvious they are clones), but I guess it's his franchise. ; p

 

 

I am sad that Lucas won't be releasing the non-SE trilogy on DVD. I don't see why he can't do that, since his buddy Spielberg did that with his latest E.T. release (SE and non se versions were available). He could even make MORE money if he did release it. It's not like he can pretend he never made them, and those are the films the way most of us remember them. I'm glad he made the SE's because that let me watch them on the big screen one more time (and ESB, which I had never seen in the theater up until that point), though.

[Kurgan]

I guess the bottom line for me is, fixing bad and outdated SFX is one thing, but changing the story is another. ; p

 

 

Offering the original would be much the same as the E.T example. Plus it would be a good visual reference as part of the collector's edition, so see the "evolution" of the visual effects. Not to mention historical purposes... it's the movie series that made Lucas's career after all.

[Gabez]

I think George should do a new new version with even longer and more annoying special effect-filled scenes.

 

Actually, no, I've never seen the original so to me it doesn't really matter.

[Redwing]

Originally posted by Natty

I'm glad someone finally agrees with me on AOTC in regards to Padme/Anikan. It was dreadful. I mean I know he's supposed to be desperatly in love with her and if we're to believe how the storyline, it's the death of Padme that drives him to the darkside. So obviously in that way I can understand some of the scenes. But they were just so crappy written.

 

Just "someone"?

 

I loved AotC because I'm a sucker for pretty pictures. But watching the luuuuuurve scenes was an experience I will never repeat again without my finger next to the fast forward button. ^_~

 

On topic: meh. I dun care. If I had to choose, I'd just pick the prettier version, but I'm biased - I've always been far more interested in the pretty, pretty Star Wars universe than the movies.

 

In fact, although I would never, ever mention this on the Star Wars forums, up until a year or two ago I had never even seen the original Star Wars movies.

[Kjølen]

Originally posted by Natty

I mean I know he's supposed to be desperatly in love with her and if we're to believe how the storyline, it's the death of Padme that drives him to the darkside.

 

BUH! You ruined it for me. X_x;;;

 

Em, well I'm not sure WHICH version I've seen to tell you the truth. Erm the newer ones of the IV-VI had Jabba computer animated while the old ones had Jabba all robot like right?

If so I think I've seen the old one, which is fine for me. It's all about FEEL, which gives the oldie FEELING. That's why Escape from Monkey Island didn't have the same FEELING as the previous three. And Ron Gilbert was awesome. However even though he didn't make CMI, it was my fav... erm never mind. Old = good.

[Joshi]

Originally posted by Kjølen

BUH! You ruined it for me. X_x;;;

 

Em, well I'm not sure WHICH version I've seen to tell you the truth. Erm the newer ones of the IV-VI had Jabba computer animated while the old ones had Jabba all robot like right?

 

Jabba in ROTJ was always an anamatronic creature, even in the new version, but they put a CG Jabba in ANH in a scnene they didn't include in the original ANH because he was originally played by a human and then changed in ROTJ. The new version put that scene back in and went over the human charcter with a CG Jabba (the same one you see in TPM).