i found this on UGO

"Since the advent of DVD, nerds everywhere (ourselves happily included) have been praying at the alter of George Lucas, begging for the arrival of the original Star Wars trilogy. Well, Yodateers, clap your hands in sweaty anticipation because rumors have been flying across the web that Tuesday, February 10th is the day that will finally see the official announcement of the much-anticipated trilogy. Attached to that is an expected street date of September 21st.

Whatever the street date is, however, the films that see release won't exactly be the 'original' original trilogy, but rather the newer 'Special Edition' versions that aired theatrically during the 1990s. Lucas has proclaimed that the classic flicks will never see release on the digital medium. While disappointing, we'll settle for what we can get.

Stay tuned to UGO for future developments."

finally. what DVD was made for. well besides high quality porn.

Screw Lucas for altering the films we grew up with and ruining their legacy on DVD. The Special Editions should only exist as exactly that. Release the originals you fucker!

I'm not a Star Wars fan, but I assume the Special Editions will be released and everyone will be pissed off and buy them anyways. Wait a year and release the originals, the ones everyone wanted in the first place. They'll probably get close to half of the first wave of buyers to pick up the originals.

If Lucas was smart, and not an asshole, he'd put both versions on the DVD (because isn't that what DVD's are for, extra stuff?). So in a perfect world, there'd be a "Special Edition Scenes" section and you could watch the movie with or with out them. But, Lucas is an asshole, and that'll never happen.

This is why I'm going to be making my own copies of the original trilogy on DVD.

yeah...the whole waiting for the original triliogy isnt a horrible idea. i mean you know some friend that you know will buy it the day it comes out and you can just check it out with them. i checked up on some more information and read that it will be a 4 disc boxed set. youll have the 4-6 part of the triliogy as well as a completely new 2-hour (!) documentary. i mean as sucky as it will be that Han Solo wont get the first shot off, the 4th disc sounds nice.

While I'm thinking about it, who just forgets to "finish" a movie anyway? Nobody makes a movie thinking "I'm going to wait 20 years when this is immensely famous and then change a bunch of shit. THEN I'm going to pretend that I just wasn't done with it and make an assload of money in the process." George Lucas can eat my dick.

(Edited by Bowl of Fire at 11:16 am on Feb. 10, 2004)

Lucas has a trackrecord of forgetting to finish movies. i mean he totally forgot to add the scripts to episodes 1 and 2. im looking foward to the remake of those.

genuinely hilarious.

DVDFile.com has some more information about the release. Of particular note is this bit:

"Of course, the big question mark amongst fans has always been whether Lucas would allow the original, unaltered original editions of the trilogy to also be released on DVD. Not possible, said Ward, who confirmed that the upcoming set will feature only the 1997 Special Edition versions of each film. 'What George did in 1997,' Ward explains, 'was [to] make the movie he originally wanted to make.'

So what are the faithful to do if they don't want to watch the altered 1997 editions of the trilogy? Either give in, or don't buy. 'We realize there's a lot of debate out there,' says Ward. 'But this is not a democracy. We love our fans, but this is about art and filmmaking. [George] has decided that the sole version he wants available is this one.'"

That sucks.

I can hardly believe he'd pass up the chance to make even more money on the original trilogy on DVD. He says it's about art and filmmaking now (which is bullshit because the special editions had little to do with either), but later (you know, after he's done with the third bad prequel and he's got nothing to do) he'll probably release the original trilogy as some big "surprise."


(Edited by Bowl of Fire at 12:08 pm on Feb. 10, 2004)

I lost all respect for the person George Lucas years ago. I expected this to be true.

How dare you take that tone with me, young man! I'm George Lucas, the savior of an entire generation of science fiction fans and I shall continue to butcher the institution that is known as the Star Wars trilogy forever and always! Bow before me! HAHAHAHA

Hmm, let's see who the wise guy is who created the username "George Lucas." Come on now, you know you want to post here. And yes, I'll have your IP address (am I as evil as you, George?).

Hey Brian W, "George Lucas" is..... your father.

ah yes...the delicacy that is Star Wars humor.

You know... technically he changed the film in 78... when I saw the first time in 77 the title crawl said just said "Star Wars". When I saw it again in 78 on its second theatrical release, the title "Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope" was on there... needless to say the lunch room discussions were raised to massive levels on what that meant. Then the trading cards came out and the Darth Vader knocked in a lava pit back story was the hot topic... 9 whole films?!?!?!? This was to much for an 8 year old to comprehend. And yes, my Chewie the Wookie teddy bear knew all my secrets.

I always love what IMDB has to say about these movies. This was the final straw for George Lucas.

The episode number and subtitle "A New Hope" did not originally appear in the film's opening crawl. These were added to the April 10, 1981 re-release to be consistent with those seen in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)


Although it is often claimed by George Lucas that Star Wars was always intended as part of a series (originally nine parts, later six), producer Gary Kurtz claimed differently in a interview in 1999. According to Kurtz, Star Wars was meant to be a standalone film. It was only after the film's incredible success that he and Lucas got together to consider sequels. They came up with the idea that Star Wars was the fourth story of a nine-part series and penned rough outlines for each episode. After releasing the "fifth" episode (The Empire Strikes Back (1980)), Lucas made Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) with Steven Spielberg. The success of this film convinced Lucas to increase the emphasis on action in the "sixth" Star Wars episode. According to Kurtz, the Emperor was not originally going to make an appearance until episode 9. Luke and Leia were not brother and sister. There was no Death Star II. The search for Han Solo was the main plot of the film, during which Luke would have furthered his Jedi training. Solo was going to die in the final battle. Luke was going to go off to complete/continue his Jedi training and Leia was going to resume her position as Queen of her people, separating the major characters in a "downer" ending similar to that of Episode 5. Kurtz strongly objected to Lucas' changes and insisted they should stay with the story they had originally planned. Lucas just as strongly disagreed and the two parted company. (Kurtz left to make Dark Crystal, The (1982) with 'Henson, Jim' and hasn't worked with Lucas since.)

So guess what everybody? Lucas isn't just a bad filmmaker now, he's always been one. The original trilogy is in many ways just as bad as the new films. We grew up with it, and loved it, but its got the bad acting, poor pacing, and goofiness that the new ones have. Kids growing up today love the new ones just as much as the originals and don't see the distinction.

I love the originals too, don't get me wrong, but I love them despite these things, and even for them. You all do too, I think, which is why you prefer the originals to the Special Editions, which remove alot of that charm.

Even then, Episode 4 is just a blatant rip of Kurosawa's Hidden Fortress, and the arc he developed beyond it is just shit he took from Joseph Cambell's Hero with a Thousand Faces. He's a shallow filmmaker, and always has been, and now he's using his power to push the industry in a direction that technology can't yet support. There's never been much of anything to love about him, really.

Sorry, had to get that out,

Will

And Indiana Jones was saved by all of the talented people involved (Spielberg, Kasdan), not Lucas.

You know what, Will? That's exactly how I feel. I have NEVER understood the criticism that Episodes I and II got from "Star Wars Fans." If you want to, as a film reviewer, critique them, that's fine - they certainly do warrant alot of criticism. But how can you (with a straight face) criticize Eps I & II, but say that IV, V & VI were "so much better?" Everything that people complained about in I & II - bad acting, cheesy dialogue, annoying characters - were just as prevalent in the originals. To me, if you want to rip Star Wars, you've got to rip all of them or none at all, because they're all the same animal.

The only valid criticism (from fans of the originals) of I & II that I will accept is that they relied too much on computer graphics. That I can understand. But even then I would argue that underneath all of that, I & II were still definitely "Star Wars" at heart.

I still find Empire to be a very good film and I think it isn't a coincidence that Lucas neither wrote or directed that film. Lawrence Kasdan wrote two of the really great action films of that decade with this film and Raiders of the Lost Ark. But I'll agree with the overall sentiment that Lucas isn't a good filmmaker. He's not. He's helped to create two great film franchises and clearly has an imagination, but he just can't really execute those ideas beyond the "Story by" stage.

(Edited by BrianW at 12:59 am on Feb. 11, 2004)

I have never disliked Episodes I & II and I really think that the only reason they get such a bad rap is for the reasons that Will stated. I also have to agree with JC's statement of overuse of computer graphics. However, I don't really see the annyoing characters, bad dialogue, bad acting thing in the original trilogy and not so much in the new trilogy. Of course, this is just me and I'm definitely not one to judge any of these things. I still find The Empire Strikes Back to be a visually stunning and moving film, especially following the Saturday Morning Action Show that A New Hope is when compared to Empire. Harrison Ford really carries the films and makes Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher come off a lot better than they probably are, in my opinion.

I still admire George Lucas and agree with him partially on all of this. In one since these are his films and he has the right to withhold the originals if he doesn't like them. After all, Return of the Jedi is the only one of them that was truly butchered with the reworking of the Jabba scene and altering of the end music. I'm a prerfectionist as well and can see where he's coming from. However, once he released these films and they became what they are now, he did (in a way) lose all rights to those films. They became the publics and we have as much right to view them as we remember them as he does to lock the originals away. I think the only way to remedy this is to sell each film in a 2-disc set including both the special edition and original.

So....has anyone heard if his desire to add scenes shot with the new trilogy's actors to the original trilogy has changed?

:sigh: I'm so tired of these Star Wars...
(doubt anyone got that)

Bill Murray?

nah. it was actually from a TV show called The Upright Citizens Brigade.

it was a great show.

And you can rent it from Tower if you don't already own it like myself.

i already own it as well. i really hope there are multiple people that are somewhat as great as you and i so the second season will be released.
my favorite episode is either kids revolution or the cyborg episode

...and that man was eli whitney.

Off the top of my head, I'd have to go with either bucket of truth or the one with the hornless unicorn/ugly people club.

Yeah, second season would be sweet.

So let me get this straight - they've released Upright Citizen's Brigade on DVD, but NOT Party of Five?!! That's rediculous.

Note: no disrespect intended toward UCB. I actually liked that show. It just doesn't strike me as being a show that had a very big following.

this weekend i found out that IWANTELVIS has never seen any of the star wars movies. it is my new mission to make her watch these movies. cue the music!

I've undertaken that mission with two different girls and had two different results. My sister, God love her, just did not get it at all. Actually, I think her final verdict was that they were some of the stupidest movies she'd ever sat though. Freezetag, on the other hand, took to Star Wars like a fish to water.

(Edited by jamiecarroll at 2:59 pm on Feb. 17, 2004)

I think that HSS might be in the same predicament. I might be incorrect, however.

how does such a thing happen? i've heard of illiterate students making it through high school, but this is truly absurd. how does one go 21 years with no star wars?

I've gone 19 years and change.

I used to be shocked by this. Now I see an even larger group growing up now that hasn't seen it. More and more, the old trilogy will be a thing of our generation. The newer trilogy will help with its longevity. I used to make a big deal about it, but now I know that it's just the trend. I also know that now it's mostly girls our age who grew up without seeing it. All of them I've shown it to were not all that impressed (Token being one of them).

And you married her?

In some way I think this lack of Star Wars watching points to the greater trend that the kids of today aren't watching films older than they are. Just my theory. You're missing a LOT of great films.

I was that way with both music and films up until rather recently. I don't know why, but if it was before 1984 I just didn't want to care (the only exceptions being Planet of the Apes, the Star Wars Trilogy, and ET). I don't feel that way anymore and I'm better for it.

Oddly, I never felt this way about television. I have loved The Dick Van Dyke Show for almost as long as I can remember.

Word to the DVD Show.. I recently saw Maury Amsterdam and Rose Marie on an episode of the Love Boat... good times. DVD has to be my 1b to Andy griffith 1a...

As for Star Wars, I believe I have stated this before, but it inspired me to pick up my parent's 8mm camera and start shooting... they've regretted that one ever since...

I think this is a trend that goes beyond the kids of today. I rarely watch movies that aren't current. I'm not particularly opposed to them, but it's easier to go what is being advertised. There are very few people I know who don't watch movies that are fairly current.

right chief, right. andy griffith (or griffin as one of my coworkers insists on saying) is choice television.

and the subject of introducing movies to girls is a familiar one to me. my girlfriend has a lot of danny kaye and don knotts movies to watch.

indeed she does.

The season box sets of The DVD Show are quite amazing. From the packaging (retro television sets) to the special features (old commercials, interviews on every topic, carl reiner and van dyke commentaries), it is quite possibly the best TV on DVD that I own. At around $50, they aren't as outrageously expensive as the HBO programming. 32 episodes plus a couple of hours of special features for $50 is so much better than the 13 episodes for $80+ that Six Feet Under offers. What's up with that?

That was a little tangent. When/where did everyone first see the Star Wars trilogy? I was in the 1st grade and one of my sister's then-boyfriend showed it to me. I then inherited my sister's old action figures (only Luke, R2 and 3PO) as well as her then-boyfriend's old Marvel Star Wars comics, original movie books and giant trading cards. Man, I bet he's kicking himself now.

(Edited by DigsySlattery at 5:11 pm on Feb. 18, 2004)

I was in second or third grade when my dad bought our first VCR and the first two movies he rented that night were Empire Strikes Back and Romancing the Stone. I saw Jedi in the theater. I don't remember the first time for A New Hope.

I first saw it when it was re-released in theatres back in '97. I was hooked instantly, and I became a geek about it for a while. I remember playing with a TON of the toys when I was a little kid (way back in the '80s), expecially the original ewok village, but my dad sold it all in a yard sale for probably less than 10 bucks before I really knew what it was. He is kicking himself now.

I waited in line a block long in my tiny little town of 12,000 in Iowa... one of my best childhood memories... just me and my dad... my stupid brother was to young to go!!!! It was in an old 500 seat Fox Theater... I later worked there in JH thru college.

The re-releases in 1997 were probably one of the most highly anticipated events in my life. I had loved the trilogy for six years at that point and was constantly wishing that I could see them on the big screen. I was so excited about the re-releases that my parents agreed to get me out of school early in 7th grade to go see A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back. I saw both three times in the theater. Regrettably, I only saw ROTJ once and I had to get up to go to the bathroom during it. Man...if only I could have another chance to see it two more times...

Yep...nerd.

This should fit in here somehow.
Hey George Lucas, you suck!

"Ah, now HERE's something we can be bitter and cynical about. One of the other big flicks we were looking forward to in 2005 was a fourth Indiana Jones adventure, scheduled to be a big summer blockbuster under the guiding hand of Steven Spielberg. The script, written by the excellent Frank Darabont, was apparently loved by the Oscar-winning director, and production was going to start later this year. And then...and then...and then...and then along came George. The estimable Mr. Lucas, who is the producer of the whole effort, has apparently put the brakes on and decided that HE, not one of the industry's most respected screenwriters, knows what's best. He's going to rework the story and script himself. Now, George Lucas is many, many things - technical visionary, shrewd businessman, bearded wonder - but one thing he is NOT is a great writer. Need proof? Exhibit A: The Phantom Menace, in which "Yippee!" was probably the best line of dialogue. Exhibit B: Attack of the Clones, in which the moment one character falls in love with another is when the latter admits he just slaughtered an entire village of sandpeople. THIS guy is going to improve on Frank Darabont's work? It'd be funny if it didn't make us want to throw up in our mouth. Meanwhile, the changes will also be pushing the release of the movie back into 2006, meaning Harrison Ford will be just that much more geriatric when time comes to roll film. Here's an idea, George: Throw us the idol, and we'll throw you the whip."

--UGO.com

That really sucks. I'm glad I've never been a huge Indiana Jones fan.

Right on!!!

What a dick...He makes me think of Golam with his precious fucking ring..."It's mine...MINE!!!!"

Extinguirse Bastardo...

The first time that I saw Star Wars was in seventh grade. Michael Pellegrin just asked, "So, why haven't you watched them...?" I had no good answer. We watched the first and I was hooked. We watched the rest of the trilogy that night and I then bought the re-released set as soon as it came out (which was relatively soon).

spoiler-edited.

(Edited by garygarygary at 4:03 pm on Mar. 21, 2004)

I'm not sure if this was mentioned, but it will be released as a 4 disc set:

"Bonus disc: all-new bonus features, including the most comprehensive feature-length documentary ever produced on the Star Wars saga, and never-before-seen footage from the making of all three films "

That is exciting, definitely. I wonder if "From Star Wars To Jedi" will ever be released on DVD.

edited because i'm an idiot.

i heard the cover art is cool.

(Edited by Bowl of Fire at 9:10 pm on Apr. 1, 2004)

so it came out today, and i bought it. i'm currently in the middle of Empire.

digsy, correct me if i'm crazy, but did lucas re-do the first appearance of the emperor (in hologram form) when vader contacts him in the middle of empire? it's COMPLETELY different on the dvd. there's more dialogue about luke being the son of anakin and the emperor is, of course, ian mcdiarmid (and not the other guy). i'm not sure how i feel about this yet...

www.thedigitalbits.com/reviews3/starwarstrilogy.html


Here's a good link about all the changes that happened. They re-edited the edits they made in 1997 and then some. I would rather have the originals.

Here's my take. I'm very envious of George Lucas as a director, because he now has the luxury to go back and change stuff that he didn't like/ran out of money to do. There isn't one thing I've ever done that I've been like "Damn that is exactly how that looks in my head", and everytime I watch something I start thinking about what I'd like to change. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to have something I've made be part of the collective conscience of an entire generation. The artist in me says that it's his prerogative.

Now, the fan in me say "LEAVE IT THE HELL ALONE!!!" Lucas is messing with very distinct memories I have formed. I know alot of you guys are younger (alot younger) than me, and it may be a bit hard to understand what some of these movies mean to people my age. I remember vividly where I was, what I was thinking, every single Star Wars toy I received as gift. Heck, this movie is why I am in the profession I am in today (Death Star Refuse Engineer). It could be argued that these movies belong to the people now, and not George Lucas. What would have happened had DaVinci decided that the Mona Lisa or The Last Supper "just needed a few tweaks" I know its a stretch, but that's what this is approaching. This isn't anything new though. You know there were additions to the rerelease in 1979. That's when ANH was added to the front crawl.

So yes, I'm on the fence, but I truly am jealous, and pissed all at the same time. I just wish there was an original movie realease and the new jazzed up one on the same disk, because I honestly feel like I'm being cheated out of memories.

http://www.bluemoonnews.com/images/monalisa.jpg

I knew someone would dig up some pre-paintings when I said that.

On a separate note... how shocked was everyone when they heard that there were several "The Scream"s, all deemed official works? I was.

spoiler (if it matters)







the most shocking change was at the end of jedi... the ghost of anakin skywalker is played by none other than hayden christensen.

i don't know how i feel about this either.

I agree with Peace Frog on the matter and have voiced similar opinions in probably this thread. I wish that the originals would be released as some sort of bonus, but I'll always have my personal VHS copies.

Me being the pop-culture dude that I am, all of this Star Wars mania has got me thinking about what the movies mean to me. I've done similar rants with Buffy and X-Men, but my love of Star Wars predates both of those. In many ways, I think I can credit Star Wars with sparking not only my creativity but my love of those types of stories (fantastical elements grounded by very well rounded and realistic characters). In response to PF's comments about his memories when the movies were originally released, I guess I can give the same POV from the generation post Star Wars. I got into Star Wars in 1990 when absolutely nothing Star Wars related was out. I had to use GIJoe's as Star Wars toys to go along with my inherited Luke, 3PO, and R2. I read the few novelizations and official magazines that one of my sister's then boyfriend foolishly gave to me (he also gave me all of his original Marvel Star Wars comics that are now worth a pretty penny). I felt like Star Wars was my own thing since no other kids in the 1st grade knew about it or outwardly liked it. Star Wars was all I watched, all that I really daydreamed about until the X-Men. It wasn't until the Kenner toy explosion in 1995 that I started feeling like the public was coming around to my likings.

The Special Editions, therefore, have an interesting place in my heart. I will always like the originals since those are the versions that kept my VCR hot as a child, but the Special Editions are the ones that I saw on the Big Screen, with an audience, with surround sound, etc. I guess in this way it seems fitting that these are the versions that I can now watch with the crisp picture, amazing sound, special effects etc. while the VHS versions that I have associated with my childhood are just a clunky tape away.

That was rambling but I'm going through a Star Wars Rennaiisance (I know that is not spelled right). The DVD special features are AMAZING. The TV Spots and Trailers are just so interesting and the documentary is monumentous. Love it.

(Edited by DigsySlattery at 12:55 pm on Sep. 22, 2004)

That's a good article/review and I wholeheartedly agree with his closing statement.

"After all my bitching and moaning about getting these films on DVD over the years... my occasional tantrums and frequent soap box proclamations... am I finally a happy Star Wars fan? You know, I don't even know what the words "happy Star Wars fan" mean anymore. But am I secretly giddy that I finally have these films on DVD? Yeah, I am. I hate myself a little for it, but such is the curse of Star Wars geeks everywhere. No matter how angry and jaded I get, I still get chills when that logo crashes across my screen and that familiar John Williams fanfare blares over my speakers. Yeah, I got a bit of the goosebumps when, after sitting through a lengthy Lucasfilm dog and pony show at Comic-Con, we finally found out that Episode III was going to be called Revenge of the Sith. And yeah, I'll go to whatever crap movie the Revenge of the Sith teaser trailer is attached to just for a couple minutes of eXtreme geek-out time. Don't even try to pretend that a lot of you don't feel the exact same way. We're a pretty pathetic bunch aren't we?"

This is definitely a reason to stay at Crap-mike until at least November so I can see the trailer and possibly get the trailer. I already have a Spider-Man 2 one...

I won't buy the new DVD's. Why? I already have the originals on VHS. Fuck the new version. Plus, ten years from now, Lucas will release the originals on DVD.

I had to buy it. My originals are in TN. I couldn't say no. I tried.

I love it.

Does anyone own a DVD player whose remote has actual numbers on it? In order to access the gag real, you have to hit 1138 and none of the DVD remotes in my house have numbers on them. Ridiculous. I want to see me some bloopers.

They are pretty lame DIgsy... hilarious stuff like artoo's leg not goig down! Oh the fun! I was really dissappointed in the gag reel.

Well (here comes my catch phrase) it's just the principle of the thing. I bought the DVD. I have it in my DVD player. There is an Easter Egg with bloopers. I can't get to it because of a minor technicality.

Looks like I'm going to have to buy a new DVD player... (really, are these ninjas or what?)

uhm... i think we have the same dvd player. philips?

Must be nice...enjoy that blooper reel.

You'd think that Sony would put numbers on their remotes. I thought they were supposed to be the cutting edge or whatever...

(Edited by DigsySlattery at 8:48 am on Sep. 23, 2004)

Digsy... are you sure there isn't a menu you can call up to manually insert the numbers? I was actually watching it on a PS2, and called up the remote menu which gave a digits option. I bet you have one in there somewhere.

Yup. It's in the back ground, there. Right above the remote, on the surround sound system.