Of course I meant “untouched” as in non-Special Editions. A remastering would be required.
And the combined DVD/Blu-ray market is $18 billion, so yes, I think a trilogy pack of those three movies in their original form would bring in a massive chunk of change across both formats.
The non-special editions are already available, and I think in DVD format.
I’m waiting for the next format.
I don’t think so. The DVDs are special, IIRC. I still have the originals on VHS, and am pretty sure I would have upgraded format if I could have.
Or maybe I was just asleep that year.
Lucas did release them, but only in a non-anamoprhic edition (you have to zoom or else you get black bars on the top and the sides) and they’ve been out of print for years. Technically, all DVD releases of Star Wars are currently out of print. The only ones currently for sale are the Blu-ray packs.
The only problem I really have with the Special Editions is Han shooting first. Otherwise, I actually like them. In fact, some parts are an improvement. (For instance, restoring the scene where Luke meets up with Biggs right before the assault on the Death Star) I also really liked the music at the end of ROTJ. And removing Sebastian Shaw’s unibrow – he’s a burn victim. He’s not going to have these big bushy eye brows. (Replacing him with Hayden Christenson…I’m kind of meh on that)
I, for one, would prefer that Disney ignore the Expanded Universe entirely and do something completely original. I haven’t waited decades for a book adaptation.
I think the reaction to Han shooting second is a bit overblown. I prefer the original on that point but it’s a pretty minor complaint compared with other problems. Like the poorly done and pointless scene with Han and Jabba. And cluttering up scenes with awkward and unnecessary CGI additions.
Everyone is going to have slightly different opinions on what’s wrong with the special editions though. A Bluray release of the original versions - either unadulterated or with a few minor tweaks to fix glitches in the old special effects - would overcome most objections and win Disney a lot of fans.
Indeed, but Fox has the rights locked up to the original trilogy until at least 2020 apparently.
Well I suppose that thought was just too good to be true.
[Darth Vader]Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo![/Darth Vader]
That’s what Lucasfilm says.
Fox is not a problem. With Lucas out of the way, they can release it. I don’t care who does it, it just has to be done.
I’m sure they will ignore the EU, except maybe a few characters or other references, in much the same way the Clone Wars animated series does. It will be wholly original stories not using any of the sundry outlying projects. Lucas has, apparently, developed a storyline for the sequels (despite saying he never did or never would) and they’ll be basing it all off that, most likely set 30 years or so after Return of the Jedi (which, as it actually is now 30 years since Return of the Jedi, makes sense when any of the original cast returns).
Disney’s been very willing to work with other studios to co-release properties in the past, so I can easily see them doing proper remasters and coordinating a release with Fox. (And knowing Disney, we’ll see a theatrical round, and standard, box-set, and collector’s set releases to both DVD and Blu-Ray) It’s a quick way to recoup some of their investment costs and get some money in the bank; I highly doubt they’d sit on that goldmine another eight years waiting for Fox’s rights to expire, and since disc formats are already on the wane, they’d be foolish to let pass the opportunity to get some cash out of the home video market as soon as possible.
For my part, though I know a lot of people don’t like the idea of 3D conversions, I hope they can get out of the (apparently) exclusive deal to bundle the 3D Episode I with Panasonic 3D gear. I had to wait nearly two years to get Avatar in 3D thanks to the Panasonic bundling deal. Disney’s one of the primary studios pushing home 3D, and I can’t see them being all too happy with aligning themselves with one manufacturer.
No one said it had to be a book adaption. Fans are annoyed though that twenty-years worth of canon material is being tossed out. A lot of favorite characters, books, comics, etc. I think there are ways you could keep them canon, without throwing it away.
Besides, a lot of stuff from the movies comes from the EU. (Lucas even borrowed stuff for the Special Editions)
In the end, it’s Lucas’s story, yeah. BUT, at the same time, you can’t really blame fans for being upset, when for years, you have popular characters, that they’ve grown attached to, now being told, oh, fuck that, that doesn’t exist anymore. WTF? It kinda sucks. As I said before: just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
(Besides, I believe there were certain things that Lucas said were off limits. Now he said he never intended Luke to get married. Well, then why wasn’t that one of them? I’m just sayin’)
There were two releases of the DVDs, one with the special editions and one with the original untouched versions and the special editions.
I have them. Actually I have Star Wars on all formats, pan and scan VHS, widescreen VHS, two different DVD versions [as above] and the blu-rays.
My gawd I’m a nerd!!!
I think the Mos Eisley scenes needed more in the, Obi Wan does call the place “a wretched hive”, which would suggest it was a busy, highly populated place.
I liked the addition of ships coming and going in the distance when Obi Wan introduces us to the city/outpost in the distance. But there was a fine line between more creatures hanging about in the background and distracting stuff like the droid buzzing around the heads of storm troopers, or one robot swatting another in the foreground.
As opposed to episode IV, which had Luke & Biggs flying slowly away from the Death Star as it exploded.