Which Star Wars Complete Saga BR to buy?

I think their work looks like crap. Based on the comparison, I'll take the 2006 Bonus DVD edition. It hasn't been over-sharpened and and the whites pumped up so much.

 

You're basing this off a 10 second YouTube clip?

 

They struck new Interpositives (IPs) and cut the IPs for the Close Encounters Special Edition. I'm not sure what Lucas did in 1997 for the revised Star Wars, since digital intermediates were not widespread back then. I would bet it was a patchwork with several different kinds of positive & negative elements.

One problem with doing any kind of scans from theatrical prints -- even lo-con prints -- is that the blacks are crushed in terms of digital video. Highlights look great, and color can look natural, but there's not enough low-level detail. For this reason, you need an inherent low-contrast source like the camera negative or an IP. This is a huge reason why the so-called "fan restorations" really suck. It's kind of like a (well-intentioned) fan doing a "restoration" from an LP instead of going back to the master tape: the master is almost always going to be better, assuming it still exists.

I think it's fair to say that Disney and Lucasfilm are keenly aware that there's a market for the original theatrical versions, and there's money to be made there. The question is more a question of timing and whether a deal can be worked out with Fox. They could wait it out until Fox's home video rights evaporate in 2020, or do something before then -- it's a good question what makes more business sense:

Tangled Rights Could Tie Up Ultimate 'Star Wars' Box Set (Analysis) »

 

Well, not that it matters lol, but I bought the 2011 complete saga today. Pretty excited to watch them with the kids.

Got a buddy working on the Despecialized editions, but don't currently have them.

 

It does matter. I think it's pretty cool that you and your kids are getting into Star Wars. Enjoy!

 

The obvious problem with waiting it out is that Fox owns the original film in perpetuity. Waiting it out would just give them the distribution rights for Empire, Jedi and the prequels.

 

You've forgotten in one day more about mastering film than I'll ever know. I just reap the benefits of what guys like you do for a profession. That said, IMO, many of the fan restorations far from suck. The Stars Wars Silver Screen v1.6 (Emphasis on the 1.6) is fantastic, and to me is much more enjoyable than the official Blu-ray. From what I've read, it's goal was to provide a close approximation of what it was like to see the film in a theater circa 1977. In that I think it succeeds tremendously. The scans of Empire and Jedi that are out there are pretty good, too (Jedi, especially).

 

I agree. In the case of original Star Wars, the fan projects is the only way to go

 

There is a machine called an Arri LocPro, which is a small film projector you can literally bring into a video mastering room. If we have a perfect print of something, we can fire that up and compare it directly to the video image being worked on. The trick is... finding a perfect print that has accurate color chemistry and is still in one piece. And even then, film projection color space and contrast are not the same as video color space and contrast. It's tougher to match than you might think.

Compounding this, there's no magic setting where the print looks great all the time in the scan, so even that doesn't quite tell you the truth. It tells you how (say) a 1980 print looks in 2016... not necessarily how it looked in 1980.

 

I just got the "Despecialized" version. I think they use a tad too much oversharpening when you compare frames, but when youre watching the film it looks very good! It really pops! This has been my first chance to compare the original film with the special editions. Wow, he really did add a lot. I was watching the entrance into Mos Eisley a couple times, which is where he really lays on the digital effects. It's sort of annoying that he went overboard. Instead of just showing a robot standing on the street, he has to give it a little "comedy routine" where it bats down another robot. Or someone frightens a riding beast and there's a little comedy bit of people falling and swinging. Completely unnecessary action which feels silly and unnecessary. It's a little like Peter Jackson and his falling bridges. Funny though looking at how rough the original was in places. The speeder entering town where they painted out the wheels is just so awful by any standards and what's funny is that a robot walking in front of the speeder is also half blurred out! They didn't even take the time to properly do the shot. I guess this was before digital frame by frame manipulation so what could you do? But I can see why Lucas wanted to touch it up, although I think he went way overboard. A perfect example of where he did it right is the big creature outside the cantina. In the original there's a big puppet that barely moves. In the special ed. the same creature is there, only with a bit more liveliness to it. Much better but not distractingly so. And of course the explosions are a thousand times better throughout. The original destruction of Alteron is really sad, obviously a couple matted stock explosions.

But my judgement on the fan "Despecialized" version 9.5/10!! It's a winner!

 

Smear Vaseline on the lens to blur the wheels out.

Other than 2001: A Space Odyssey, special FX were only at a certain level and usually required some tolerance from the audience. Star Wars came in and set a new bar.

There were some flaws, but they were minor compared to the end result. Nothing like that had been seen in 1977. It set special FX in film on a whole new level.

 

I think the FX added to the Special Edition haven't aged well and cry out loud DONE IN THE 90'S!!! I much prefer the originalpractical efects as rough as they may look at some places. The 1997 Jabba looks like the typical waxy render of the 90's (and it was redone in 2004 for the DVD's) , all the crowd and criatures in Mos Eisley look overdone and redundant, the new X-Wings at the begininning of the final battle, same as before, overdone and fake looking CGI of the 90's even some ship-to-ship chasing looks overdone as ships move way too much like trying to say "hey, we're in the 90's look at what I can do now". They all look fake and dated while some, 'though not all, of the original practical FX look quite good.

 

In the 90's when I was a teenager I liked to take photos fuzzy and out of focus looking, sunsets most of all. Best and cheapest way to get it? Cellophane from a cigarette box in front of the lens. So don't be surprised by the vaseline staff.

 

Would be funny if Fox/Disney/whoever related would buy Project 4K77's results for an official release.^^

 

That would be wonderful!

 

I've finally done it - after 31 years I'm no longer willing to buy Star Wars again.

If a 4k perfectly mastered original edit came out I'd probably rent it once.

They've waited too long.

 

Yeah, the original destruction of Altamont always bugged me, too.

 

Is there a link where I can purchase the product?

 

I have these, anyone know why they were letterboxed? They are barley watchable in that aspect

 

I believe they were made when standard definition 4:3 aspect ratio tube televisions were the norm. While many DVDs were made with anamophic widescreen so that the movie would play open on a 16:9 television, those sadly were not.

However, there are digital versions of the unadulterated theatrical cuts in anamorphic widescreen which were lovingly created using those as the source. Sniff around the "originaltrilogy.com" forum, and you should be able to find what you are looking for.

 

I know what you mean, I have the original trilogy despecialized

 

It's not for purchase, as it is not an official release. You'll have to download it from a torrent site which is, of course, free.

 

The Mouse will not see one cent from me until the Original UNADULTERATED Theatrical Trilogy is released on Blu-Ray, preferably upscaled to 4k or HDR10 from the 70mm prints. Not sure they exist, or if that it is possible, but I know that @Vidiot will know.

Also, Thanks for all of the insights behind the scenes Vidiot, much appreciated.