Unaltered Original Star Wars Trilogy on Blu Ray?

[batguy]

Agreed. Disney is very farsighted. That's probably why Lucas wanted Star Wars in their hands rather than Fox or Warner Bros or somebody else.

I think in the next decade fans like us will be startled at how quickly the SW world starts losing its OT focus, though. The mindset that "the OT is the real thing and everything else is questionable continuations" is very prevalent for anyone born before about 1990. That bias has pervaded much longer than it would with most franchises because there was such a huge spread in quality/popularity between the older & newer trilogies.

In a few more years us OOT fans may start coming off like a fan of early Disney stuff who says, "THE disney princesses will always be Snow White & Cinderella & Sleeping Beauty. These modern ones . . . meh. Not in the same ballpark."

 

[edge10]

Mike uses the Reliance showreel as an example, comparing it,....the BD's & the GOUT,....Mike's is closer to the original,....natural colours,......you need someone who loves & knows Star Wars to get colours right

https://vimeo.com/123475322

J

This video really helps to show the real travesty of not allowing the original to be available:

[video=vimeo;122058147]https://vimeo.com/122058147[/video]

No matter what GL would want you to believe, movie making is not a solo endeavor (pun noted). Many, dare I say hundreds, of people helped to make SW happen, not just Mr. Ego. In fact, the efx team won an Academy Award for their efforts, and we are not being allowed to enjoy their efforts.

 

[Laspector]

That video about the x-wing and the star field was very very cool!! That part where he made the stars go up and then down, I would swear the ship actually changed directions!!

Love this kind of stuff!!!!!

 

[The Terminator]

That video about the x-wing and the star field was very very cool!! That part where he made the stars go up and then down, I would swear the ship actually changed directions!!

Love this kind of stuff!!!!!

Indeed, it's fun insight into film as a medium

 

[Inquisitor Peregrinus]

I think the strongest possibility is a new OOT 4K super-special-awesome edition box set in 2023 for the 40th of ROTJ. That gets them the other side of rights reversion and ANH becomes the only film that they have to share rights on. LFL has undoubtedly done a whole lot of work in-house on the down-low in preparation for rights reversion, but we're likely not going to hear anything til 2020, and ROTJ's anniversary would give them a couple more years to finish up depending on the outcome of the reversion process.

My strongest hope for such a release would be 4K Blu-Ray original theatrical and properly-finished Special Edition of each (i.e., addressing the errors and omissions that are all over each version of SE that's come out from '97 on). I know too well not to hope for a branching-story type of setup, though, as nice as that might be. So you could have the SE Death Star Battle, but no Han and Jabba scene, for instance. *heh*

Tangentially related: I'm actually hoping in the 2020-2025 range, we'll also get redone 4K versions of the Prequels, as well. 3D versions, too.

--Jonah

 

[BLADE and BRUSH]

I think a lot of people are stuck in the mindset of the Original Trilogy as a single entity. Disney can release each film individually for their respective 40th anniversary. In doing so, the supposed distribution rights issue disappears. The assumed "hurdles" that keep getting brought up just don't strike me as the great obstacle people make them out to be.

Based on what Jaitea posted, Disney seems to have at least 2 sources for a Star Wars '77 release next year. Lets face it, the 40th anniversary of SW'77 is far more important than Empire 2020 or Jedi 2023. A re-release of the original movie 5 months from now doesn't preclude or undermine the eventual 9 movie box set when the sequel trilogy concludes either.

 

[JD]

An issue with putting out yet another version of ANH - 4K, unaltered, as part of re-release of the entire saga or whatever - in 2017 (to celebrate 40 years) that I haven't seen mentioned might be LFL/Disney's reluctance to do so due to interfering with potential (home) sales of Rogue One/Episode VIII (and maybe even TFA).

TFA was released digitally/blu-ray on April 1/5, so we might see Rogue One in home around that same time. ANH was released on May 25 - so, if they want to stick close to actual release date it would be around that date. That might be a "sweet spot" as it would be almost 2 months post-Rogue release.

Christmas would be an obvious sales push. If they were to hold off until Christmas, they might feel that interferes with Episode VIII, which is due December 15th. However, that might also be seen to help sell VIII.

Who know what the suits will think - but, I'm sure someone will be overpaid to overanalyze sales trends and all that.

 

[Riceball]

Based on what Jaitea posted, Disney seems to have at least 2 sources for a Star Wars '77 release next year. Lets face it, the 40th anniversary of SW'77 is far more important than Empire 2020 or Jedi 2023. A re-release of the original movie 5 months from now doesn't preclude or undermine the eventual 9 movie box set when the sequel trilogy concludes either.

That would make a lot of sense, although Disney doesn't really do this a lot of other studios love to see people double or triple dip, esp. when it comes to big franchises like Star Wars. They could release all of the movies individually then later on they can release a box set with extras to entice fans to double dip. However, by this time most fans have seen all of the extras and behind the scenes videos out there since they've been included with every DVD and Blu-Ray release so including enticing extras might be difficult, although I do wonder if including the Ewok movies and/or the Holiday Special as a bonus would be enough to entice people who bought the re-re-releases to buy the box set? At this point I think that's about all that's left that could make people double dip unless there's some enticing extras that haven't been included on any release to date, perhaps the original Star Tours footage?

 

[Inquisitor Peregrinus]

I also don't think Disney/LFL will try to arrange a distro deal with Fox for ANH next year, for fear that Fox will make potentially-unreasonable demands before their rights for the remaining films revert in 2020. It's safer for them to wait until the othre side of that line.

--Jonah

 

[JediMichael]

So when they transfer from film to a digital medium, are using the highest quality version of the printed film from the completed movie they have? ....and therefore need to have 2 versions between special edition and not SE. Right?
Also, when they do transfer to digital, what is the highest possible quality they can go? Would scanning straight to 8k be an issue. I think they should scan at the absolute highest for future resolutions we aren't at yet if possible.

 

[Riceball]

So when they transfer from film to a digital medium, are using the highest quality version of the printed film from the completed movie they have? ....and therefore need to have 2 versions between special edition and not SE. Right?
Also, when they do transfer to digital, what is the highest possible quality they can go? Would scanning straight to 8k be an issue. I think they should scan at the absolute highest for future resolutions we aren't at yet if possible.

There really is no resolution with film it is what it is. That said, any film stock they have available to them will almost certainly have to be cleaned up after scanning. There's going to be lots of scratches and dust along with color issues, matte lines, and inconsistent saber effects.

Assuming that 8k is even possible right now, there should be no reason why they couldn't scan it in at 8k. The only concerns would be time needed to scan that high, storage, and the capability of actually working at 8k. They could down res it if 8k is too difficult to work with but I think they'd prefer to work at 8k if it was scanned in at 8k because of the issues they're running into with the SE masters and their lack of resolution.

 

[JediMichael]

I know they have 8k cameras, but at this point, not really much to show it on. But good to have it stored at that res for the future. I just wonder how much space it would take.....perhaps whats after a terabyte. Crazy.

 

[batguy]

IIRC the resolution of 35mm film equates to at least 5k or more.

A lot depends on the stock and lighting/conditions. The 35mm film we get from pro crews in the 21st century looks A LOT better than some of the 35mm film shot in the 1960s-70s.


IMO it's worth doing any SE-type digital modifications in at least 4k. CGI-created images seem to need higher resolutions just to attain enough detail/realism to blend in with footage of real things. It takes a 4k rendering of a CGI spaceship to look adequate against a 2k backdrop image of 40yo matte paintings & models.

 

[The Terminator]

So when they transfer from film to a digital medium, are using the highest quality version of the printed film from the completed movie they have? ....and therefore need to have 2 versions between special edition and not SE. Right?
Also, when they do transfer to digital, what is the highest possible quality they can go? Would scanning straight to 8k be an issue. I think they should scan at the absolute highest for future resolutions we aren't at yet if possible.

35mm film can be "converted" to "digital resolution", if you will. And it'sin between 5K and 6K range. So scanning higher than that wouldn't get you any more information. But we are still quite far away from that seeing as how UHD displays being sold at the moment don't even reach 4K resolution yet. But in theory there's nothing stopping anyone from scanning film at 16K or whatever insane resolution. It's usually money that dictate such things

 

[cayman shen]

Since R1 is a ANH prequel, and it's basically just a two hour nostalgia fest, wouldn't a 2 pack with the ORIG SW be kinda sorta a perfect marketing gimmick? Not sure how they'd get ESB and ROTJ out but I can dream...

 

[gizmo]

I'll take a 2 hour nostalgia fest over the prequels anyday. That's the problem I had with the prequels, they just didn't feel like Star Wars. I don't hate them but they could have done with some nostalgia to make us feel at home.

Ben

 

[Too Much Garlic]

This video really helps to show the real travesty of not allowing the original to be available:

https://vimeo.com/122058147

No matter what GL would want you to believe, movie making is not a solo endeavor (pun noted). Many, dare I say hundreds, of people helped to make SW happen, not just Mr. Ego. In fact, the efx team won an Academy Award for their efforts, and we are not being allowed to enjoy their efforts.

Gives the sense of a dynamic motion.

Though I really like what Mverta is doing, I think he's making things too sharp, too separate, and dark. The original unaltered film looks better because it feels like the elements blend better together, whereas his, but also the SE and Blu-Ray release and actually many CGI shots has the elements edges too sharp and looks like a separate cut-out objects collage, rather than objects inhabiting one physical space of the frame. I don't know how else to describe it. It's too sharp and not blended enough.

I see no point in dissing Lucas. Star Wars is his. Though, any other studio and director is willing to offer theatrical cuts alongside their director's cuts or extended editions. That's the real issue. The fact that the original theatrical versions are being withheld for no other reason that he doesn't want us to see them anymore. That's basically the only issue I have regarding this whole thing. The prequels were not very good movies, in my opinion, but at least they tried to be their own thing, and though I really like TFA, it is basically a rehash of ANH sprinkled in with some RotJ, but set on a Hoth-like setting for the final attack.

 

[The Terminator]

Gives the sense of a dynamic motion.

Though I really like what Mverta is doing, I think he's making things too sharp, too separate, and dark. The original unaltered film looks better because it feels like the elements blend better together, whereas his, but also the SE and Blu-Ray release and actually many CGI shots has the elements edges too sharp and looks like a separate cut-out objects collage, rather than objects inhabiting one physical space of the frame. I don't know how else to describe it. It's too sharp and not blended enough.

I see no point in dissing Lucas. Star Wars is his. Though, any other studio and director is willing to offer theatrical cuts alongside their director's cuts or extended editions. That's the real issue. The fact that the original theatrical versions are being withheld for no other reason that he doesn't want us to see them anymore. That's basically the only issue I have regarding this whole thing. The prequels were not very good movies, in my opinion, but at least they tried to be their own thing, and though I really like TFA, it is basically a rehash of ANH sprinkled in with some RotJ, but set on a Hoth-like setting for the final attack.

It's extremely difficult to draw a line, where you want the film and its effects to end up. Do you want to push it to where the effects of the 70's looks more real, or the way it looked at the first screening on May 25th 1977. Or perhaps push the material to the very edge and make it really shiny, like it was shot, composited last week, and not 40 years ago. Like when they re-composite an effect shot, and we lose the black matte lines. Maybe add in fake matte lines after the fact. A trillion small options that all have a small impact on the whole.

Indeed, Mr George Lucas is quite unique, doesn't matter if you like it or not, but he is not like most other writer/directors, that is for sure

I saw your post on the Legacy forum :thumbsup

 

[jcoffman99]

I don't care what they do as long as the darn menus don't take forever to load like the current set. Dear Lord it took as long to load them as it did to watch Jedi.

 

[batguy]

I knew about the compositing of backgrounds & models affecting the physics of the shots. But honestly I never saw it as anything other than technical problems.

I guess even drawbacks/errors/limitations become part of the artwork once it hits the theater.