Star Wars Saga Blu Ray set confirmed to be in the works

[KubrickFan]

If any of you 'moaners and groaners' would listen to any interviews with George Lucas, before the Special Editions came out, or on the Bonus Discs of the Blu-ray set, you would know that the original releases of A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi were way ahead of what was available in the way of Special Effects when they were made.

Lucas explains the changes on the VHS Special Editions prior to each movie, and when you then watch the film, it becomes a lot more enjoyable (at least for me) and I never watch the movies out of order, any more.

I used to watch them the way SpringHeelJack suggests: IV, V, I, II, III, VI, but now watching them in the correct order with those MINOR changes in OT the story is more complete.

I think the major problem here is that those of you who never saw the original trilogy in a movie theater beginning in 1977, don't realize how far advanced special effects were thanks to George Lucas and his fledgling ILM company. After the OT during the re-releases to the theaters is when we got our first taste of the changes. When Lucas announced that he was going to go back and do Chapters One, Two and Three, it was a big challenge for him because of the advancement of SFX in the industry.

On the Special Edition VHS, and Standard DVD's, he introduces each one with notes on why he made the changes, and I have bought into that. Some of those changes grated on me for a while until the "new" chapters started coming out to the theater, and then I realized what Lucas was doing and I rolled with the flow to enjoy the complete Star Wars experience the way the creator had intended it.

Has he gone too far with the Blu-ray releases? You betcha!!! I'll be the first one to ask why the "NO!!........noooooooooooooo!!!" is in ROTJ, but there isn't anything we can do about it, it is truly George LUcas' vision of how he wanted the finished product to be seen.

We can all gripe about 'who shot first', or the creepy addition of Hayden Christianson in the final scenes of ROTJ, or the change in the closing music celebration. But what is done is done, and we all need to take our "happy pill" and be thankful that we finally got it all on Blu-ray, for a reasonable price.

If you own the Special Edition DVD's of the Original Trilogy, then you have the non-anamorphic version of the "original" movies to sit back and watch complete with 2.0 stereo, (add a little sarcasm here), and watching the OT on a Blu-ray player even "highlights" the flaws in the movies.

I will say I wish that George Lucas had given us anamorphic prints of the OT as a bonus feature on the Blu-ray trilogy, but when I watch the 'new' versions of all six movies, I am not the least bit distracted by the changes that have been made. I don't cheer them, but after listening to Lucas' explanation about them, I buy into it and enjoy the movies that much more.

One more thing. Be thankful? For what? He used masters that are 7 years old (with scanning of film that's ancient), used DNR on Episode I, still didn't manage to fix the mistakes that the 2004 "remastering" created in the first place, added a few new mistakes in the process, added new CGI bits (mostly unnecessary), ported over a couple of older bonus features, and left off the best. On one hand he's willing to spend millions of dollars on 3D conversions of his movies, but on the other he doesn't even go for the best presentation of his preferred versions. He's only doing it for a profit, so why can't anyone be critical?

And please, "his vision"? He couldn't let Greedo shoot first in 1977? He couldn't add a "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" in 1983? And what about the changes in the prequels? He directed, wrote and produced those, with his own money, so there would be no reason to alter things that he couldn't do the first time on those. And yet he did.
He constantly keeps changing his mind about a lot of things, and the "explanations" that he gives (if he gives them at all) are usually contradictory. This whole situation is just getting ridiculous. Someone needs to say to him that enough is enough.

[jpanimation]

I never watch the movies out of order, any more.

You do know that ruins the climax of The Empire Strikes Back, right? Please tell me you're not ruining it for first time viewers in your family.

[dvdjunkie]

After watching Star Wars Clone Wars Seasons One through Three I can now say that George Lucas was right in the changes he made with the movies. It all makes a lot more sense, since the Clone Wars happens between Chapter Two and Three of "Star Wars".

Maybe a requirement for all Star Wars junkies is to watch "Star Wars Clone Wars" before being so critical of the changes made to the movies.

Note jpanimation:

Watching them in order does not ruin it for anyone. I have just come to the conclusion that it is like any good book, you start at page one and read the chapters in order, not out of order.

Besides how does it ruin it for someone who has never seen the movies? I don't quite understand that. Open for any discussion.

[DarthPrime]

The big cliffhanger (Vader's big reveal) from Empire is ruined if you watch them 1 - 6. If someone has never seen Star Wars before, and doesn't know the ending of Empire they should watch the Original Trilogy first.

Maybe people should view these as a set of 9 movies. If someone hasn't watched them before I think they should view Star Wars, Empire, and Jedi in their original versions first. Then go back and watch the current Blu-ray editions of Episode 1 - 6. That way they get to see the originals that made Star Wars a household name/classic (faults and all), then see the Prequels and the updated Originals that blend in with the Prequels.

Lucas had a back story when he made the Original Trilogy, but when Return was finished he was though. I think its sad he had to change things in the Original Trilogy to get them to fit in with the Prequels. Not all the changes are bad (I do like some of them), but the original versions should not be thrown out. Other directors/studios, etc... release Special Editions/Director's Cuts, but they always provide the originals. While its nice that we do have the originals on DVD they are old Laserdisc transfers. Lucas has done nothing to these since the early to mid 90s when he cleaned them up to make the 97 Special Editions.

[disneyboy20022]

The big cliffhanger (Vader's big reveal) from Empire is ruined if you watch them 1 - 6. If someone has never seen Star Wars before, and doesn't know the ending of Empire they should watch the Original Trilogy first.

I know I posted this the page before this one, but here it is to prove your point DarthPrime regarding Empire

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZbV5hn_ET0U" frameborder="0"></iframe>

.Also there is no wrong way to watch the movies, to each their own.

Though I'd probably say the worst way to watch them is to watch them starting with Return of the Jedi and watch them backwards (please note sarcasm )

[dvdjunkie]

Now I am totally confused. In what order should a person watch them. If they have never seen them (not me, I was a projectionist in the 70s and 80s and worked at a theater that showed "Star Wars" three times a day for seven months, complete with an intermission thrown in so the people would visit the snack bar) why not watch them in order from 1-6. Watching the originals gets confusing when you see "Empire" and Darth Vader tells the injured Luke "I am your father) and I think that it sets up "Return of the Jedi" very well. Why would you want to watch "4, 5, 1, 2, 3, and then 6? I don't think that is what Lucas had in mind. I like watching these films in their natural order, sometimes, you know "4, 5, 6 and then 1, 2, and 3" but that's just once in a while. And I still have the original New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi on DVD, unaltered, except they are in non-anamorphic 4:3, but I watch them anyway, wishing that someday we would get the original trilogy with an Anamorphic widescreen. I don't even care about the 2.0 stereo, just the Anamorphic picture will do.

[SpringHeelJack]

Why would you want to watch "4, 5, 1, 2, 3, and then 6?

I explained my reasons above. Cliffs Notes version, watching 1-6 if you are totally new to Star Wars ruins the identity of Luke's father (which is like, one of of if not THE biggest shock endings of a movie ever) and sister while doing the 4-6 then 1-3 makes the prequels feel more like an afterthought. It's a way of giving the prequels a spot in the saga overall without spoiling much of the story. Theoretically, if one leaves TESB unsure if Vader is telling the truth or not, it also gives a little more uncertainty to the prequels trilogy, which prequels on the whole generally lack.

I don't think that is what Lucas had in mind.

I don't think even Lucas knows what Lucas has in mind anymore, as is evident by the constant tweaking of the original trilogy.

[milojthatch]

I think Lucas knows exactly what he is doing!

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-v ... iew-288523

[SpringHeelJack]

I was actually just going to post this to back up my "Lucas doesn't know what Lucas wants" theory. I mean, of COURSE Han was never shooting Greedo first. We just couldn't tell, despite the fact that they were both in the frame and Greedo never visibly fired a shot!

Every George Lucas interview I read anymore just makes me feel more and more uncomfortable, and it upsets me. I think he needs someone to like... talk out his issues with. I'm sure Carrie Fisher or someone can recommend a good therapist to him. I keep feeling like defending George is like having a friend who you think is probably a good and smart person but every time you introduce him to someone else he just starts blabbing on and on about shit that's just woefully incorrect. It's rough.

[TheSequelOfDisney]

I explained my reasons above. Cliffs Notes version, watching 1-6 if you are totally new to Star Wars ruins the identity of Luke's father (which is like, one of of if not THE biggest shock endings of a movie ever) and sister while doing the 4-6 then 1-3 makes the prequels feel more like an afterthought.

I'm pretty sure that everyone knows who Luke's father is. I've never even seen the films, I know who Luke's father is. It's hardly a shock when you're familiar with cinema.

[disneyboy20022]

I explained my reasons above. Cliffs Notes version, watching 1-6 if you are totally new to Star Wars ruins the identity of Luke's father (which is like, one of of if not THE biggest shock endings of a movie ever) and sister while doing the 4-6 then 1-3 makes the prequels feel more like an afterthought.

I'm pretty sure that everyone knows who Luke's father is. I've never even seen the films, I know who Luke's father is. It's hardly a shock when you're familiar with cinema.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZbV5hn_ET0U" frameborder="0"></iframe>

[dvdjunkie]

While I have time on my hands now and doing my rehab work to get back on my feet, I have something to say about the order of watching Star Wars.

Watching them in order from I through VI is the proper way to watch films.Nothing is spoiled in "Empire" or any other episode. Luke and Leiea were raised by different families and didn't know about each other. That's why when Darth Vader reveals himself as Luke's dad, he is in total disbelief. And Luke doesn't know that Leia is sister until later.

So I will continue to preach to people to watch them in proper order, which is start with Episode One and go through all the films in order til the end of Episode Six. That is the proper order to watch them in.

[rexcrk]

^^^

O_o

You... can't be serious...

[dvdjunkie]

rexcrk wrote:

You... can't be serious..

I am totally serious. Why would anyone want to juxtapose the storyline by starting in the middle and then coming back to the beginning. If you sit down and watch the films in order (three one day, and the other three the next) it only makes sense that this is the way the story unfolds and should be watched.

There is no "big reveal" in the film, unless you call the confrontation with Darth Vader in "Empire Strikes Back" the "reveal", we all know it is coming if we watch it from the very beginning.

We know that the twins were separated at birth, but they don't. In fact, think about it..........Luke finally tells Leia who she really is in "Return of the Jedi".

Watching the films out of order is confusing to most, and very much against the way they were intended to be watched. Even Lucas himself will tell you that they are intended to be watched in order, I - VI.

I have watched all six of these films in ONE sitting, and after almost 14 hours, I have come to the conclusion that those of you who watch them out of order are just not understanding what the story of Star Wars is and should pay more attention to the films and forget about all the minor glitches here and there, and watch them for what they are, six of the better sci-fi/fantasy films.

[rexcrk]

No, just.. no.

If they were truly intended to be watched in order from I-VI then Lucas wouldn't have spent all that time explaining the Force and such in A New Hope. Why have all that explanation in the fourth installment instead of the first? In fact he would've just /started/ with Episode I in the first place.

And, yes, Vader's big reveal in Empire and Luke finding out him and Leia are brother and sister /are/ big deals and watching the prequels first /will/ spoil that.

[dvdjunkie]

No it doesn't spoil that.

Remember, Luke knows nothing about the force. It is Obi-Wan who takes the time to explain to him about the force and about Darth Vader and how he succumbed to the 'dark side'.

There are no wasted moments in the first three films and if you watch them in order, it is very thrilling to watch things unfold and you know it is coming, but when, and then when Luke loses his hand while fighting Vader and is told who his father is, has a lot more impact than if you watch it first and then go back to the beginning.

The original intent of "Star Wars" in 1977 was to be a nine-film release to tell the whole story. Thus, George Lucas brought us Chapter 4, 5 and 6 first because that was how he first saw the story unfold.

When he semi-retired after number six, he said that there would be no more. A couple years later he recanted and said he would go back to the beginning and show how Darth Vader becomes Darth Vader, and all the things leading up to the story that is unfolded on Chapter 4 "A New Hope".

We can all watch these movies any way we want, but when I first watched all six movies in order with my 10 year-old grandson, he thought it was a great story, and now whenever he watches the films (he inherited my original trilogy DVD set and the Prequel Trilogy set on DVD) he always watches them in order and in his words "It tells a complete story".

[DarthPrime]

I can see where watching them in order I - VI tells a complete story, etc... However I still don't recommend it for people that have not watched Star Wars. Watching the Original Trilogy first is really the way to go. You get the big reveals, etc... just like we all did when they were first released. Then you get the Prequels as a back story.

There are so many great things in the Originals that just don't work if you don't know about them, and watch the Prequels first. Vader as Luke's father is the big one, but you also have Luke/Leia's relationship, and even the reveal of Yoda (if you don't know Yoda is a Jedi).

[DisneyJedi]

Really, I'd have to agree with DarthPrime. When I got the Blu-ray set, I actually REFUSED to watch the movies starting at Episode I and I still do when it comes to watching the whole saga.

See, I grew up watching the movies starting at Episode IV, no matter which edition, and I don't plan on changing that. It feels more to watch the original trilogy first and then the prequels.

[milojthatch]

Watch in whatever order you wish to, but as for me, I'm watching from Eps. 1 to 6.

[Maerj]

I was actually just going to post this to back up my "Lucas doesn't know what Lucas wants" theory. I mean, of COURSE Han was never shooting Greedo first. We just couldn't tell, despite the fact that they were both in the frame and Greedo never visibly fired a shot!

Every George Lucas interview I read anymore just makes me feel more and more uncomfortable, and it upsets me. I think he needs someone to like... talk out his issues with. I'm sure Carrie Fisher or someone can recommend a good therapist to him. I keep feeling like defending George is like having a friend who you think is probably a good and smart person but every time you introduce him to someone else he just starts blabbing on and on about shit that's just woefully incorrect. It's rough.

I rerad that as well, so I went back and rewatched the original version of that scene and Lucas is correct. You do not see who does what! You see Han reaching for his gun, Greedo holding a gun on him, then all of a sudden: a close up and explosion. I didn't believe it myself but he was right, lol.