All I want is the original theatrical editions, cleaned up with no extra bits added. I'm not buying another Star Wars product until they release that.
While there has been no director's/extended editions in a traditional sense, there has been multiple versions of the films with new scenes and/or new effects.
My wish list is for the set to include both the Special Editions and the Original Editions. Since the originals were made on 35MM and all that, they can clean them up for HD easily enough. They were able to do it with that 35MM print of the lost initial edit of The Prisoner's first episode that was found in a closet somewhere and put on Blu-Ray. I feel sad for people who hate Extras -- they're the best parts of DVD/BR releases as far as I'm concerned. If everything were just bare-bones we might as well stayed with VHS tape. One extra I'd love to see is the Star Wars Holiday Special. Considering Lucas has gotten into bed with both the Family Guy and Robot Chicken guys, I can't see why he couldn't have some fun with this skeleton in his closet. Imagine including it with MST3K-style commentary, or Robot Chicken-animated deleted scenes. It'd be a blast. (Odds are, though, certain actors may not allow it to ever see the light of day again!) Alex
The Rifftrax guys did, indeed, do a commentary for the Holiday Special (you watch it with a copy you Got frOm yOur friend Greg, in LakE VIDEO, Illinois.) So that much wouldn't be too hard. As much as I'm getting into BD now, I don't think I'd buy Star Wars on it. Frankly, I'm over Star Wars. I have the OT on DVD and that's all I need. Yes, it's the crappy over-animated and fudged with "special editions" but it suits my "needs" as much as possible I suppose. I'll buy the BD if there's a version released with the original movies cleaned up and adapted for modern TVs. No CGI BS edited in. Hell, I'll buy it if at the very least that remove the Greedo Shoots first/they shoot at the same-time nonsense.
I think with BD they could easily include both versions via seamless branching but I'm sure they'll screw this one up some how.
True, but one doesn't call it "The Super Fabulous Extreme Deluxe Ultimate" edition. In fact, the last SW trilogy I bought on DVD contained some pretty extensive add-ons and special features. (Unlike the half-assed LotR Blu-Ray discs that were recently released, with the expectation of doing the extended cut several months later.)
It is odd these scenes never get re-inserted. I mean, the Jabba scene is pretty pointless, as it is basically just a rehash of the Greedo scene. But that got re-added in 1997. Are Biggs, Camie & Fixer, and Han's girlfriend even more pointless than that?
^ Well, the Jabba scene at least works with the already established narrative flow of the film when created in 1977. The Biggs scene really doesn't (which is why it was cut in the first place). I don't know about Han's girlfriend.
Well, of course there was the report back in '03 that Jimmy Smitts filmed some scenes showing him trying to get the stolen data tapes to Leia that were to eventually be inserted into ANH for the ULTRA SUPER MEGA FINAL EDITION release. Will the madness never end?!?
From what I understand what Smitts actually shot were scenes of Bail Organa for TPM. Bail Organa was originally played by Adrian Dunbar but his scenes were cut from the theatrical version of TPM. It's logical that GL would want to introduce Organa into the saga earlier than AotC and reshooting the Dunbar stuff was the perfect way to handle that introduction.
And what about the supposed replacing of the Yoda in Episode I with a different CGI model which more closely matched the one in II and III? Has this actually been done?
But wasn't there supposed to be a new version of TPM which incorporated it? (Before any talk of Blu-Ray, that is.)
I don't think there was any talk about LFL doing a TPM: SE for DVD other than the usual fan chatter. Lucas and McCallum usually implied in interviews that they were saving everything for the next format.
If LFL did a TPM SE for DVD, wouldn't they keep that kind of P.C. on the Q.T.? Because if it leaks to the rest of the U.S.A. somebody could end up M.I.A. and we'd all be put on K.P.
The one ridiculous missing scene from the Special Edition is an actual showing of Palpatine dissolving the Senate and Bail Organa actually dying.
You jest, but I can see that scene so clearly in my head... and I bet the farm they do do that. Hehe, do do!
Lucas decided, fairly late in the editing process, that the movie would be stronger if first section was from the droids' point of view only, and that the viewer should not know whether there was any civilization on Tatooine or if the droids were escaping to an empty desert wilderness. There was some strong resistance from editor Marcia Lucas, who had cut the early scenes with Luke and wanted them left in. But, even though it's hard for most of us to remember what it was like to not know Luke was on Tatooine, I think Lucas' choice was the right one. It wouldn't be bad to have them included as bonus material, but because Lucas cutting them was pretty fundamental to the narrative of the movie, I don't see them being put back in. But, it wouldn't surprise me if I was proven wrong, either. The Greedo dialogue was re-written originally because the Jabba scene was cut, so I agree they are redundant and never thought the re-insertion of the Jabba scene added anything. --Justin