I am incredibly confused. There appear to be more DVD box sets of the original (and only) Star Wars films than Gungans who died in battle. I know there’s much debate about which one to get, so I turn to you for advice.
I’m only interested in ep IV, V and VI, and only DVDs. I’m also in the UK, which might make things a bit more difficult, but if someone can say “Yes, grasshopper, you must only get the 2008 Ultra Master DVD Release Pack with the Gronblish Mega-highlights”, I will be a happy person. Thankee.
If you want 4-5-6 in a box and you want the original versions and you can view Region 1 DVDs, then you want the 2008 box set. 3 of the disks are the Special editions, and 3 are the originals. Lucasfilm has never released a set with just the originals, at least not in America.
Region 1 DVD release history for the original trilogy:
2004: Special editions only
2006: Individual 2-disks sets for each movie - 1 special edition, 1 original version.
2008: 2006 versions stuck in a box.
Unfortunately I can’t help you with Region 2, if you’re limited to that.
I would wait. Now that Disney owns the rights, hopefully we’ll get a fully cleaned up effects-wise, but otherwise original trilogy. One doesn’t exist right now… the closest we have is the DVD release in 2006 (and again in 2008) which includes the unaltered original trilogy. However, the problems with this release are numerous: first, it’s not blue-ray. It’s not a proper anamorphic widescreen. There is no surround sound. Finally, it’s missing all the SFX cleanup that the special edition received. This last part I consider a nice-to-have, but even if they’d just do an exactly original trilogy with proper video & audio, like any other movie from the 70’s that gets released on Blue-ray, I’d be all over that.
Are there any whisperings going around about the latest format that’s going to be better than Blue Ray? You might want to hold off until then, because as sure as that comes out, there’s going to be a SW made for that. Probably re-edited yet again by Lucas, too.
In case you didn’t get it from the above poster, Lucas no longer owns Star Wars. Disney does and can do whatever they like with them, including remastering the theatrical cuts if they like.
Sorry about the delayed response to this - I’ve been mostly offline over the weekend dealing with what felt like never-ending domestic crises!
I can view Region 1 DVDs, but I’ll have to check if they’re available in the UK. I’m sure some enterprising soul will have them on eBay, at least. Thanks for the clear, unambiguous direction there; it’s exactly what I needed!
Yes, I know there’s a bit of a flaw in my argument there, but I was listening to Weird Al’s “The Saga Begins” and so was thinking of Gungans at about the time I was writing this post.
My primary reason for buying these DVDs is to introduce my girlfriend - who has never watched Star Wars (gasp!) to the original trilogy. I’m both intrigued and slightly worried by what Disney will do in terms of re-releasing the originals, with or without modifications, and also what their plans are for the long-term future of the universe. I expect they will try to turn this into a long-term series of films, but can they keep the magic alive?
Not quite.
20th Century Fox still holds the home video and theatrical distribution rights for the original 6 films until May 2020, which means we’ve got a long wait unless Fox and Disney work something out before then. Technically Disney can alter and remaster them as much as they want, but they can’t distribute them for another 6 years.
Also, Fox has distribution rights to Star Wars (AKA A New Hope) in perpetuity. I’m sure Disney’s lawyers and money people are working to change that, but as far I know, no deal has been made yet.
But now that Disney owns the rights to the movies, money talks. Lucas tinkered and that’s why he felt the need to make changes and release new versions. Disney doesn’t care about tinkering, they just want to make cash. And buying out Fox’s stake and releasing an unaltered Blu-ray trilogy would net them all the money in the world.
It will be interesting if an original, unedited version of the trilogy would be made in Bluray, however. It sounds like a duplicate of the original master tape of Star Wars was made, but it isn’t clear if it’s the original or the special edition
Woo! LaserDisc player! I’ll just dust off my DiscMan, pop in my MC Hammer CD and be all set to watch!
According to Wikipedia, Pioneer made LaserDisc players until late 2009, which is astonishing. There can’t have been much of a market, even if they were just selling replacements for some die-hards who would only give up their LDs in an over-my-dead-body scenario. Amazing.
Today my girlfriend asked me if we could please watch the Star Wars trilogy over the Christmas holiday, as she’s never seen them, and is feeling a gap in her cultural knowledge.
Of course, I think that sounds like the best Christmas ever. The problem is: I don’t own the movies, and I am very much an ‘originalist’, or as much as one can be these days. Doing a quick google search this morning, it looks like this is the only way to get the original, no added scenes/effects version on DVD. That can’t be true. Gouging desperate geeks at $100/movie is way not cool. Is there a cheaper way to get what internetting has told me is the 1993 cut of the movies?
I’ve never quoted myself years later to correct myself, but I disagree with myself on this one.
I now believe there are limitations on the theatrical releases that prevent Disney from cleaning up and releasing theatrical versions. Something to do with home video distribution or something. Maybe it’s been resolved, but I’m not sure.
If you need proof the prequels weren’t actually bad, you can find the Star Wars Holiday Special in its entirety on youtube.
I hadn’t seen it since the original airing, which I was too young to retain much from, but man it’s poodoo. Even the Boba Fett cartoon. I think the animators were on acid.
