Tangent 21 - Star Wars comes to DVD... finally!

Posted by
Maffrew

Posted on
21:06
Apr 21 2004

Star Wars comes to DVD... finally!

That's right, the original (nearly) Star Wars trilogy is coming to DVD on September 21st, 2004. Rejoice.

There is a twist, however. The DVD Boxset will include Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI - The Return of the Jedi. The twist is that it's not the original Original Trilogy, it's the Special Edition Original Trilogy, which was released in the cinemas in the 90s with updated special effects, which, according to Lucas, brought the films closer to his original vision.

The set, which could possibly be the most anticipated DVD release ever, will include a big stack of extras, including an original 2.5 hour documentary entitled 'Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy', featuring interviews with over 40 members of the cast and crew from all three films, and many other delightful things. Also included will be previews of the upcoming Episode III, new Star Wars games and audiocommentaries on the films by people such as Carrie Fisher and Irvin Kershner.

So, all in all it looks like a fantastic boxset. But should we be getting more?

The Special Edition trilogy, while excellent, contains changes that many fans are to this day unhappy about (Greedo shooting first, anyone?) and many want the original versions to be made available. George Lucas though, thinks that the Special Editions make the films better (as will his Ultimate Editions, which he is planning), and he has all but vowed that the original theatrical versions of the films will never be released again. Which presents a problem, because it's not just die-hard fans of the trilogy that want to see them. Star Wars affected an entire generation and that generation is clamouring to see the films that they remember, not bastardised versions of them.

Lucas' followers say that the films are his intellectual property and that he can and should be able to do whatever he pleases with them, and that's certainly a powerful argument. It's his artistic vision, and in many ways, his life's work.

The other side of the coin, however, would argue that Lucas owes it to cinematic history to make sure that the original versions of the film can be viewed, remembered and studied in the decades and centuries to come. They marked a turning point in cinematic history, and that should not be allowed to be forgotten easily.

What do you think?

10 Replies and 3019 Views in Total.

Byron "Live. Grow stronger. Fight another day."

Lucas is quite within his legal rights to withold Star Wars. (I don't think he *should* be, but that's for another thread.) Exercising those rights, however, makes him out as one desperate control freak. It's like an author pulling their book from the market, re-writing chunks of it and banning the original from seeing the light of day.

If you release something into the public domain, I think you've a duty by your public not to subsequently withdraw it. Lucas should do what Speilgberg did with ET and release both versions side-by-side. Indulging your ego at the expense of a lot of hacked off fans is not a good way to endear yourself.

Personally I think Star Wars is a load of derirative tosh, but it sets a very dodgy precedent.

Posted: 21:25 Apr 21 2004

PictureOfFlowers "When things are at their darkest, it's a brave man that can kick back and party." - Lt. Tuck Pendleton, Innerspace

Ahhhh, the age-old discussion...

Lucas has said that these special editions are now the definitive versions of the films. The last time the original versions were released on VHS all the advertising and everything said "available to buy for the last time". Personally I think it'll take something pretty major to make him change his mind, he seems too stubborn and wouldn't relish eating that big a slice of humble pie.

So, the special editions are all we're gonna get in the foreseeable future. No amount of bitching about it is gonna change that. Maybe if no-one bought this new DVD he'd take some notice, but that's not gonna happen.

The only idea that's currently giving me hope is that maybe, possibly, hopefully we'll get a posthumous release of the proper original trilogy. When Stanley Kubrick died, his self-imposed ban on a video/DVD release of A Clockwork Orange was lifted. So maybe the same thing'll happen when George Lucas shuffles off this mortal coil...

Maybe I'm clutching at straws here. Knowing him he'll probably have some rule in place in his estate to prevent this. But like I say, this is the only way I can see an official DVD release of *the* Star Wars trilogy ever happening.

Posted: 01:29 Apr 22 2004

Byron "Live. Grow stronger. Fight another day."

by PictureOfFlowers
The only idea that's currently giving me hope is that maybe, possibly, hopefully we'll get a posthumous release of the proper original trilogy. When Stanley Kubrick died, his self-imposed ban on a video/DVD release of A Clockwork Orange was lifted. So maybe the same thing'll happen when George Lucas shuffles off this mortal coil...

Maybe I'm clutching at straws here. Knowing him he'll probably have some rule in place in his estate to prevent this. But like I say, this is the only way I can see an official DVD release of *the* Star Wars trilogy ever happening.

I think you're right that this is a personal hobby-horse of Lucas. When he goes, I imagine his estate will let the almighty dollar decide for them, and the (probable) wait will have bloated the demand for the originals to a place Lucas' girth would be proud of.

Copyright runs out 75 years after a person dies so they'll be released eventually whatever the case.

I pity the judge and jury who end up with the inevitable lawsuit. May the force be with them, cos they'll sure need it!

Posted: 02:40 Apr 22 2004

Wesley - Go ahead and hate your neighbor; go ahead and cheat a friend. - Do it in the name of heaven; you can justify it in the end.

I have 2 widescreen VHS copies of the original version.
One the original original with the washed out colours ans the cleaned up re-release from 94.
Kinda regretting now I didn't also pick up the THX enhanced version when it came out, but I was a penniless student at the time.
As soon as I get a DVD writer I'll be comitting both versions to DVD...

Greedo shooting first makes
A) Greedo look incompetent and about as menacing as a mince pie
B) Han Solo look even more incompetent for letting him fire first...

Posted: 09:19 Apr 22 2004

DJ Billy You can't really dust for vomit.

I'm with Lucas on this one I'm afraid. Millions of fans will say that they want the original versions, but Lucas could quite rightly say that, as the special editions are what he originally intended and were what he had in his head long before the original versions were seen by fans, the special editions *are* actually the 'original versions'.

I don't see a problem with someone amending any piece of work to include something that was originally intended but that they were previously not able to include.

And besides, I don't think the additions/changes take anything away from the films. On the contrary, I feel they enhance them.

Having said that. I'm not a 'Die Hard' Star Wars fan, so maybe my argument will be from a different perspective to other peoples'.

Posted: 11:52 Apr 22 2004

Wesley - Go ahead and hate your neighbor; go ahead and cheat a friend. - Do it in the name of heaven; you can justify it in the end.

My issue stems from the fact that I saw the first Star Wars on my fifth birthday way back in 1977.
The version released in 1997 is not the same movie - which is why it has the Special Edition appendage to it's name.
It's like Warners having the bright idea to colourise Casablanca and change the ending to Rick get's the girl...

(Edited by Wesley 22/04/2004 12:41)

Posted: 12:09 Apr 22 2004

DJ Billy You can't really dust for vomit.

by Wesley
It's like Warners having the bright idea to colourise Casablanca and change the ending to Rick get's the girl...

To be fair I think that's just a *slight* exaggeration on the level of changes made in the Star Wars special editions

Posted: 12:56 Apr 22 2004

Wesley - Go ahead and hate your neighbor; go ahead and cheat a friend. - Do it in the name of heaven; you can justify it in the end.

Admittedly my only problem with the special edition is the greedo thing.
All the rest is irrelevant fluff, like driving into Mos Eisley, or the additional X- & Y-Wings for the Death Star battle.
They don't add anything to the film.
Most of the additions to Empire and Jedi are equally cosmetic, about the only exception being restoration of the wampa scene.
The Greedo thing however changes the perception of Han Solo and the people he works with entirely.
Instead of being potentially deadly smugglers they become a bunch of clowns the Keystone cops could probably take down.
The only menace is Boba Fett lurking in the background at the meeting with Jabba.

(Edited by Wesley 22/04/2004 13:39)

Posted: 13:28 Apr 22 2004

MonSTeR No big eyes! No magic powers! No giant robots!

by Wesley
Admittedly my only problem with the special edition is the greedo thing.
All the rest is irrelevant fluff, like driving into Mos Eisley, or the additional X- & Y-Wings for the Death Star battle.
They don't add anything to the film.
Most of the additions to Empire and Jedi are equally cosmetic, about the only exception being restoration of the wampa scene.
The Greedo thing however changes the perception of Han Solo and the people he works with entirely.
Instead of being potentially deadly smugglers they become a bunch of clowns the Keystone cops could probably take down.
The only menace is Boba Fett lurking in the background at the meeting with Jabba.

I couldn't agree more

The scene where Solo kills Greedo in cold blooded nonchalance summed up his character at the start of the trilogy perfectly. Solo had to earn honour through the film, that was that character's journey. That's why you thought he COULD fly off and leave the rebels at the battle of Yavin. The Greedo scene neuters the character.

Having said that... 'Allegedly' one of the reasons Lucas won't reissue the original versions in the digital format is so that "definitive fans' editions" aren't made where the cosmetic effects are kept in, but certain scenes are removed and replaced with those fromt he original edits.

Personally I have no idea if this is possible technically, but I bet if it WAS possible and the original versions were available, you'd see the correct story with the updated visuals all over the net. And perhaps rightly so

(Edited by MonSTeR 22/04/2004 18:37)

Posted: 18:35 Apr 22 2004

Milky "Busted - Now that you're gone, I'm sleeping with the light on..." Pof, 2005

by MonSTeR
(quotes)

Having said that... 'Allegedly' one of the reasons Lucas won't reissue the original versions in the digital format is so that "definitive fans' editions" aren't made where the cosmetic effects are kept in, but certain scenes are removed and replaced with those fromt he original edits.

Personally I have no idea if this is possible technically, but I bet if it WAS possible and the original versions were available, you'd see the correct story with the updated visuals all over the net. And perhaps rightly so

I've seen a version of A New Hope on DVD which has the original Greedo scene but keeps all the other additions from the SE's. It was obviously a cut from the THX movie from the point just before Obi Wan & Luke are introduced to Han till after Han leaves the cantina.

I *detest* the Greedo scene in the Special Editions. It just doesn't work properly. There is no way Greedo could miss from that range, even a Stormtrooper couldn't miss from there

, and if the intent was for Greedo to miss on purpose(as I've read elsewhere) then that also fails as it doesn't look like he was shooting to intimadate Han. From what I heard Lucas changed the scene because he felt that it wasn't right that Han would kill someone in cold blood. But he hardly killed Greedo in cold blood. Too me the original scene was really well done. Yes Han killed Greedo but he had to, it was a kill or be killed situation, Greedo had made that obvious and if you read any of the Star Wars back-storys you can see why Greedo would want Han dead.

The only other scene in the SE's that annoys me is Vader leaving Cloud City in Empire. It is obviously not James Earl Jones' voice and the timing seems off on the action..by this I mean I don't understand how Vader managed to get onto the bridge of his Star Destroyer just in time to watch the Falcon getting away. I didn't think it took that long for the Falcon to turn round and pick Luke up compared to how long it would take for Vader to walk through Cloud City to a docking bay, board a shuttle and be taken up to the Star Destroyer, dock then walk from the docking bay to the bridge.

Mehh..maybe I'm being picky

Posted: 19:28 Apr 22 2004

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