Unaltered Star Wars Trilogy Coming to DVD

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

I'll be getting this. I have the originals on VHS, but that's VHS, man.

What about the versions from the late 90s? Where they first added the 3D stuff and stupid whatever his name was in the place of Anakin Skywalker. Were there other changes then, or was that it?

The version released in '97 was the Special Edition. It cleaned up the existing special effects and threw in a large amount of additional CG, much of it pretty intrusive. ("Hey, there's an empty spot in this shot where Luke and Ben are driving into Mos Eisley. Let's throw in a couple of droids goofing around--you know, for the kids!") The most major change was probably the addition of a previously unused scene where Han confronts Jabba in the first movie. At the time it was originally shot, Jabba was a fat guy dressed in furs instead of a huge slug thing, so they overlaid him with a 100% CG slug Jabba. I'm sure you can find a meticulously catalogued list of all the changes using Internets.

Hayden Christensen didn't replace Sebastian Shaw as Anakin's ghost until the 2004 DVD release, which had even more things altered than the '97 cut. Again, there's surely a list to be found on no less than eleven dozen fan sites.

[fantasyjunkie]

I'm happy that an unedited version is coming out. And I get to see Han SHOOT FIRST!

[Chris]

I love all of the movies, but just to make it clear. The uncut versions are shorter?

[edczxcvbnm]

I feel like reviving this thread to say how smurfed up this actually is. Here is the low down.

- Not the original theatrical release
- $90
- It will be the 1995 laser disc rip
- 2 channel stereo sound in stead of 6 channel sound(like the original theatrical release)
- No cleaned up picture

So in a <img src="/xxx.gif"><img src="/xxx.gif"><img src="/xxx.gif"><img src="/xxx.gif">ty attempt to give the fans what they want they decided to smurf them some more. If I wanted the laser disc release I would go download it and burn it to DVD myself.

This set became ultra unattractive.

[Jebus]

I agree with ed, but seeing as how my VHS copy of RotJ has completely dissapeared, I'll probably end up getting these anyway.

Sigh.

[I Took the Red Pill]

I'll end up getting them eventually, but I'm in no hurry. The VHS's will do for now.

[Big D]

Don't worry, in a couple of years they'll release the 'original TV edition' of the movies - basically, a DVD that perfectly reproduces the movies in the format they had during their original TV broadcast. Non-widescreen, original special effects, and classic TV commercials. It'll be like re-living the good old days when nobody owned very many pre-recorded movies and watching something on TV was a big deal.

Actually I jest.
If hard-core weirdoes are going to pay even more money for an inferior version of something they already own, then that's entirely up to them. If George Lucas is getting richer because of it - well, then good luck to him.

At some point in the future, I *might* own these movies on DVD. Maybe. Haven't seen part III yet, though.

[Zeromus_X]

Meh. Wait...how many times does this make this? Oh well. I already have it on DVD, I don't need to buy it again for the fifth time.

[DudeSon2004]

To buy or not to buy.

[Necron]

What's the point in releasing the original when we can have a better looking digitally remastered one? I don't get it. :surprised

[lovehurts]

George is a genius ,star wars "was" a work of genius.

The point of these releases. Is that it wont be altered....the newer copies arent just remastered. They have extra scenes and horrible edits that upset the fans such as haiden christen at the end of rotj or bright lights that make the trench scenes in a new hope look like a christmas set.....He just edits the dumbest things such as for another example in a new hope when obi wan comes to scare away the tusken raiders to save luke .....the sound that was original in that scene was perfect and was adored by fans . He replaced the sound that obi wan used to scare away the tuskens with a chessy "granny is taking a crap" sound effect....Just horrible . These were classic films, Im all for him fixing up the pixels making the scenes crystal clear but he cant handle that. I was ok with adding a sgi jabba the hut in a new hope I was ok with the special addition releases. But this new obsession these new releases are garbage and maybe it only takes true fans to see that but he's not of control.

[fantasyjunkie]

I totally agree with Lovehurts

[Arkada]

I am also inclined to agree. This is why Im glad I have the origional VHS versions that are all unedited.