Despite my initial, "Woo-hoo" about this news, truth be known, I really don't care. I have good DVD bootlegs of the originals and I never look at them. Sure there's a certian nostalgia to them, I suppose, but the newer editions are far superior. The originals look quite dated. I like how the revamped editions make these old films fresh and relevant. These are my favorite sci-fi films after all. In fact, I hope Lucas periodically tinkers with the CGI as it improves over the years. Does anyone really miss that old Ewok celebration song?
No, of course not, but this is awesome news nonetheless. I, for one, will be pysched to see the original, hardly moving practical model of the dewback outside the Cantina.
Didn't we all say he'd do this? He's gonna make a mint. Another mint, and that's what matters.
A good place to start with that set is the awesome 2-hour documentary - that alone is worth owning it. The documentary perfectly captures how Star Wars influenced a generation and changed the way we think about film.
You and that hardly moving practical dewback model. You're a hardly moving practical dewback model!
Fans can look forward to a September filled with classic Star Wars nostalgia, led by the premiere of LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy video game and the long-awaited DVD release of the original theatrical incarnations of the classic Star Wars trilogy. In response to overwhelming demand, Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will release attractively priced individual two-disc releases of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Each release includes the 2004 digitally remastered version of the movie, as well as the original theatrical edition of the film. That means you'll be able to enjoy Star Wars as it first appeared in 1977, Empire in 1980, and Jedi in 1983.
See the title crawl to Star Wars before it was known as Episode IV; see the pioneering, if dated, motion control model work on the attack on the Death Star; groove to Lapti Nek or the Ewok Celebration song like you did when you were a kid; and yes, see Han Solo shoot first.
This release will only be available for a limited time: from September 12th to December 31st. International release will follow on or about the same day. Each original theatrical version will feature Dolby 2.0 Surround sound, close-captioning, and subtitles in English, French and Spanish for their U.S. release. International sound and subtitling vary by territory.
"Over the years, a truly countless number of fans have told us that they would love to see and own the original version that they remember experiencing in theaters," said Jim Ward, President of LucasArts and Senior Vice President of Lucasfilm Ltd. "We returned to the Lucasfilm Archives to search exhaustively for source material that could be presented on DVD. This is something that we're very excited to be able to give to fans in response to their continuing enthusiasm for Star Wars. Topping it off with a new interactive adventure makes September 12 a red-letter day for Star Wars fans."
That's also the day fans will be able to experience the LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy video game, the action-packed sequel -- filled with tongue-in-cheek humor -- to one of the best selling video games of 2005. To see the trailer to the new game from LucasArts and TT Games, click here!
From USAtoday,"Die-hard Star Wars fans soon can see the original theatrical versions of the first three Star Wars films on DVD. Even though George Lucas adamantly declared 2004's digitally restored Star Wars Trilogy DVDs the definitive versions of his movies, fans have held out hope for DVDs of the originals.
Their wishes will be granted Sept. 12 when Fox releases new two-disc DVDs ($30 each) of Star Wars (since retitled as Episode IV: A New Hope), The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi that include the films as they first appeared in theaters, along with the new, restored versions (now available in the four-disc $70 Star Wars Trilogy).
The individual DVDs will be taken off the market on Dec. 31, a strategy that Disney uses on many of its classic releases.
Lucas re-released his original three Star Wars films in theaters in 1997 with inserted scenes and improved special effects. Those "special editions" were further enhanced for the four-disc DVD set. With the original versions coming to DVD, here's what you'll see again:
• In Star Wars, Han Solo shoots a bounty hunter named Greedo. Lucas changed the scene later so it seemed that Greedo draws first, and changed it again for the DVD so that they appear to shoot simultaneously.
• In Empire Strikes Back, the ice creature that captures Luke Skywalker gets less screen time.
• In Jedi, Sebastian Shaw returns as Anakin in the movie's final scene. Lucas substituted Hayden Christiansen, who plays Anakin in the more recent films, for the 2004 DVD.
Back in 2004, Lucas told the New York Post, "The special edition is the one I wanted out there."
This new set of DVDs does not constitute "George changing his mind," says Lucasfilm's Jim Ward. "What we've always said is George viewed the revised versions of the films as the definitive versions."
Fan attachment to the originals is strong. The movies topped entertainment website IGN.com's recent chart of Top 25 Most Wanted DVDs.
"People want the option of having the movies that they remember and people are opposed to George Lucas' revisionist tendencies," says the site's Chris Carle.
The original films' video quality will not match up to that of the restored versions. "It is state of the art, as of 1993, and that's not as good as state of the art 2006," Ward says.
"Today Will Be A Day Long Remembered! That's Not True, That's Impossible!!!"
5 Comments -
Despite my initial, "Woo-hoo" about this news, truth be known, I really don't care. I have good DVD bootlegs of the originals and I never look at them. Sure there's a certian nostalgia to them, I suppose, but the newer editions are far superior. The originals look quite dated. I like how the revamped editions make these old films fresh and relevant. These are my favorite sci-fi films after all. In fact, I hope Lucas periodically tinkers with the CGI as it improves over the years. Does anyone really miss that old Ewok celebration song?
May 04, 2006 4:19 AM
No, of course not, but this is awesome news nonetheless. I, for one, will be pysched to see the original, hardly moving practical model of the dewback outside the Cantina.
Didn't we all say he'd do this? He's gonna make a mint. Another mint, and that's what matters.
May 04, 2006 7:11 AM
I got the new dvd set for my birthday that year and I still haven't watched all three movies.
May 04, 2006 7:20 AM
A good place to start with that set is the awesome 2-hour documentary - that alone is worth owning it. The documentary perfectly captures how Star Wars influenced a generation and changed the way we think about film.
You and that hardly moving practical dewback model. You're a hardly moving practical dewback model!
May 04, 2006 7:52 AM
No, you are!
The doc I've seen; you're right, it's awesome.
May 04, 2006 8:13 AM