Star Wars (1977) original Blu ray. Crappier than ever.

So the 2004 versions are preferable over the 2006?

 

The main discs in the 2006 versions are exactly the same, no difference whatsoever. However, the 2006 versions contain the bonus disc with the non-anamorphic theatrical versions.

 

I don't think there's a difference as far as I know, except packaging.

 

The (awesome) bonus disc from the 2004 box set is also not part of the 2006 re-release.

 

Just released on YouTube... a reimagining of the final duel between Obi-Wan and "Master of Evil, Darth" Vader. Top-notch effort!!

 

That is an addition/ alteration I could definitely get behind. It is more honest to their Jedi roots vs the most boring fencing exhibition we have to settle for.

 

What computer game was that taken from? Or maybe it was an "outtake" from when Lucas when was tinkering with the 2004 dvd box.

 

No video game - just a fan who worked on this clip over the past year or so.

 

I forgot the smiley.

It looks like it is from a video game or something that Lucas would do to tie in with the prequels.
No thanks.

Not a fan of the fan edits unless it's for preservation or trying to restore the theatrical cuts.

 

I like it,it's a great effort from a fan. Truly enjoyable.

 

Episode 7 was finished in 4K, whether the effects were done at 2K or not is another matter. The IMAX scenes never dipped below 1.43:1 at 4K and the Laser screenings received a 4K DCP from the 4K DI.

Hopefully for IX they’ll render all the effects at 4K too but if not at least uprez the effects and don’t lose all that lovely resolution in the source material of what the camera shot. I expect J.J. will be doing much more full AR IMAX for IX than VII’s Escape from Jakku scene which was mind blowing in Laser IMAX.

 

Well I actually completely agree. I don't want a fan making all the decisions either.

Jaws, Halloween and Taxi Driver are all popular films made within a few years of Star Wars' release that have seen recent remasters in the past 5-6 years, and they all generally look like pretty good if not great restorations. They figured it out, surely Disney could assign a small panel to do the same? If they haven't already.

Heck, Night of the Living Dead came out just 9 years before Star Wars, and that film has always looked awful on home video release. The Criterion Blu-Ray sports a proper commissioned professional restoration, funded in part by the George Lucas Family Foundation, and it's never looked better. It's not over-sharpened or processed looking.

 

I agree completely. The fan edits and "re imagining" efforts are awful.

4K77 and 4K83, however, are solid private individual efforts that will hold me over until we finally have proper official versions of the OT.

 

Gee, I did the colorized HD version of Night of the Living Dead for Legend Films (in the summer of 2004 at Sunset Post), and no less than George Romero approved it and they interviewed him for the release and put a quote from him on the box. And he also said, "this is the only time I've ever made any money on this film!" It's an interesting story.

I'm honestly not sure where the original 16mm camera negatives on Night of the Living Dead wound up, because that was a film that was very, very widely bootlegged, plus the Mob was involved, all kinds of lawsuits... that was a huge mess. But as I've said before, even if you got 5 Oscar-winning cinematographers in the same room at the same time to look at one image... you'd get five different opinions. Which one is right? Are there any absolutes, or is it just a judgement call? What if they get three Tech IB prints with which to compare Star Wars, only all three prints look different from each other? How you decide what the final reference really is?

My guess is that even if the final 4K color version is perfect, there will be people in the world who will criticize it and insist that they and only they know how it should look. Opinions are like that.

If the movie has 3000 shots, and 2100 of them are 2K VFX that were uprezzed to 4K, does that really qualify as finishing the film in 4K?


S/VFX Shots Race

 

I wouldn't say that all fan-edits are awful. Take Spicediver's Dune Alternate Redux for example. That's the closest interpretation to the book we'll ever get to see the Lynch film. Yeah yeah, not official schmifill! There was even a brilliant take on the Prequel Trilogy if you don't mind Japanese dialogue with English subtitles too.

 

You can take that to the bank. But I am confident I will be happy with a professional release of the originals.

As I have said before, I do hope they fix the junk mattes, and at least choose color's that make the lightsabers look correct. I do want them to look the best they can on Hi-Definition televisions.

 

Screw that! I demand 4K HDR!

 

Me too and I'm sure we'll get them.

 

So much hard and great work and it means absolutely nothing.

 

The versions that come in the 2006 DVD, aka "GOUT" are garbage. Full of issues. They are non-anamorphic widescreen and don't even have surround sound. I would track down the "Harmy" versions which are a lot better imo.

 

They are Dolby Surround/Stereo matrix encoded so they do have surround sound.

 

The Harmy Despecialized editions of Episode IV and VI have been superceded entirely by 4K77 and 4K83.

 

And are about to be superseded completely by authorized 4K scans from the original camera negatives. Just give it a few more months...