On May 3 when Starwars.com announced Lucasfilm LTD and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment would finally release the Original Trilogy, unaltered on DVD, fans rejoiced. For good reason, as it seemed George Lucas has finally given in to the relentless pleading from countless fans for the original version of the movies on DVD.

Caught up in the excitement, few wondered out loud exactly what form these would take. Certainly fans have become well used to amazing and pristine DVD releases of Star Wars movies with incredible soundtracks on DVD.

This, however, is not to be for this release of the movies.

This week, a number of details about the release have come out, and for many, the news is terrible.

I'm not going to go into this in much detail, as it is already well documented over at the fine DVD site, TheDigitalBits.com. Below are the key points, but if you really want some detail, do head over to The Digital Bits for much more.

DVD Release Details

Video source: Same as used for the 1993 Definitive Collection Laserdisc.

Widescreen: Letterboxed, not anamorphic as the other Star Wars DVDs are. (IE, compared to most DVD releases which are anamorphic, these can't possibly look as good as good as they would if anamorphic.)

Note: These DVDs will apparently not include the amazing restoration seen in the Special Edition set. They will not look as good, nor will they sound as good as the Special Edition sets.

Added: We received a set of scans from Video Watch Dog's Jan / Feb 1994 issue, which was a review of the Definitive Collection Laser Discs we're referring to here. It's an interesting look back. Check the scans out here. If you have comments on this, whether you are delighted to get them in any form, or are disappointed with the details, write us, and we'll post your emails. For or against, feel free to state your opinion, but of course keep it professional.

In short, not only is it going to look like a 1993 TV, it's going to sound like a 1993 TV too.

This is NOT the original theatrical experience.

So this is my opinion. All of you crybabies who keep threatening to stop watching / buying / discussing Star Wars due to the alleged abuse at Mr Lucas's hands....please, do just that. Go away. I am ready to go on enjoying these films with others who love them as much as I do. Then maybe the term "Star Wars fan" can go back to meaning what it should, not just a crying bunch of whiners who are never satisfied with anything they get anymore.

Deal with it or move on. I won't miss you.

1. No amazing restoration as in the Special Edition - Lucas and McCallum both said that the restoration of Ep IV as seen in the Special Edition made it look better than the original release. If we're wanting everything to be as it was...a full-on original version...then not having the restoration makes perfect sense.

2. The won't sound as good as the Special Editions - Again, if we're going to be consistent in our desire for purity, this is good news. The original versions didn't have 5.1 Dolby Digital EX soundtracks. They had good old Dolby. So presenting the films with their original non-digital audio only makes sense, assuming folks really want this collection to be the original versions.

3. Non-anamorphic - First, only folks with widescreen TV's will notice any difference. That having been said, I can understand this complaint a bit more. Even unrestored film would have a higher resolution than non-anamorphic DVD. I'm just wondering if the reason behind this is that Lucasfilm doesn't have useable non-special edition prints of the films from which they could make new anamorphic transfers.

Just my ramblings....

Wow, is anyone as angry as I am? I am having a hard time keeping my thoughts “professional”, but here I go… I was excited about the special edition films when they were originally released. However, Star Wars made me angry. The whole Han-Greedo thing ruined the movie for me and I didn’t care for the Jabba scene. That scene was originally cut for a reason and it needed to stay that way. The changes I really enjoyed were bits in the Death Star and the space battle (and yet, they still did not fix Vader’s lightsabre in the escape scene! And some of the sound effects were dorked up as well). I wasn’t as angry with Empire, but my two favorite lines were changed for whatever reason. Luke screaming down the shaft was lame (I heard that was changed on the DVD, but I haven’t seen it). I couldn’t bring myself to see Jedi; I never really liked it anyway. Eventually, I saw it on VHS and laughed my butt off at the Suddenly Seymour Little Shop Sarlacc. Gimme a break. The only OT set I currently own is the THX VHS in widescreen that came out in the early ‘90s. I refuse to buy the special editions and have been working with friends to figure out a way to make DVDs out of the laser disc versions. I was very excited initially to hear about the release of the Original Trilogy, but am now just angry (again) with the additional announcement that it is just more bantha pudu. George needs to wake up and really listen to the fan base that has made him the multi-millionaire he is. What is his problem, anyway? I sometimes get the impression that he hates Star Wars and the whole thing is a big joke to him. What’s next? Jar-Jar in 3D? That’s a great idea. I’m getting in line right now! I plan on continuing my protest, and since I do not own a VCR anymore will likely never watch the OT again (unless in the unlikely event an HD-DVD OT is released… I’ll be dead by then probably).

Okay, so I saw the good news: Lucasfilm is finally releasing the *original* Classic Trilogy on DVD. Spiffing! Finally, I'll have a solid DVD version of the original Star Wars trilogy, the way I remember it from my childhood, and I'm all about that.

Then I got the rest of the news: the 9/12/06 release is going to be the 2004 DVDs bundled with the Theatrical Release versions as "bonus discs." Something's starting to stink here; don't you guys think every Star Wars fan already *has* those versions? Why on earth do we need to buy those again just to get the "bonus" features that are really the main attraction? Make no mistake; every purchase of this release will be done *despite* the inclusion of the SE version, not *because* of it. I, for one, would much rather see these 2-disc sets consist of the Theatrical Version on one disc and a second disc of extras...you know, like Lucasfilm did with the Prequel Trilogy releases? I'd even prefer a single-disc barebones Theatrical Version release to this; what am I supposed to do with *two* copies of ANH:SE?

Then, the bombshell: despite Lucasfilm's deserved reputation for fanatical attention to detail and the well-documented work that went into the Special Editions, the Theatrical Versions are going to be non-anamorphic DVDs made from old masters?!? Look, we all know that the Theatrical Versions were cleaned up before being made into the Special Editions, and I have no doubt that those cleaned-up masters are still in the Lucasfilm vaults. Why not use them? And even if the transformation to SE was a consumptive transform (why, in the digital age?) and the old masters are all that are available, why not at least make them anamorphic transfers? After all, the original movies were SHOT as anamorphic! (Doesn't that mean it's actually MORE work for you to release a lower-quality version?)

Let me be completely honest: I have the OTV trilogy on VHS. I have the SE trilogy on VHS. I have the revised SE trilogy on DVD. I've paid my dues and bought the same movies three times already. I have no hesitation about buying the Trilogy a fourth time - provided that Lucasfilm at least shows me a little respect for my support over the years. A non-anamorphic DVD release of the single most famous film trilogy in existence from a company whose commitment to visual quality is absolutely legendary feels like a deliberate slap in the face to all the fans who have been there for Lucasfilm since Day One.

In a perfect world, my dream release would be an anamorphic release of the OTV trilogy after the 1990s remaster but before the SE changes - that is, cleaned up as much as possible but with no scenes added, changed, or removed. Dirt and scratch removal is a must, special effects cleanup would be neat, but nothing beyond that. Toss in the deleted scenes, maybe offer a branching-view option to fold those into the OTV as an OPTIONAL "extended cut" (like we might have seen if the prequels had never existed) and basically do a full-blown DVD release in the same way the Prequel Trilogy got the full-blown DVD treatment, and I'm more than a happy guy - I'm a happy guy singing Lucas's praises and preaching The Word. THAT'S a trilogy I'd plunk down my money for right now, then count the days until I got it in hand to shelve next to my Special Edition version.

As things stand, though, a non-anamorphic bare-bones release of the OTV trilogy is actually lower quality than the laserdisc-to-DVD rips that are available online. I think the fans - and the movies - deserve something better from a commercial Lucasfilm release.

I thank you for your time and patience, and I urge Lucasfilm to reconsider its plans for this release.

// With more from the same fan:

The Special Edition releases of the Classic Trilogy did three things. First, they cleaned up the old masters to pristine quality. Second, they cleaned up the special effects. Third, they changed some footage - Greedo shoots first, Jabba in ANH, and so forth. Of these, the rancor in SW fandom revolves around the third change.

When I say I want the Original Trilogy on DVD, what I mean is that I want it without the "revisionist history" introduced by the third level of changes. Cleaning up the masters falls under "minimum acceptable practices" when releasing a classic movie on DVD, just as anamorphic widescreen does. These are purely technical issues, and none of them relate to the Level Three changes. Cleaning up the special effects, like erasing the matte boxes and such...that can honestly go either way. I don't mind it, and I don't think most Hardcore Fans really do, either.

It's Greedo shooting first and getting rid of the yub-yub song that gets under my skin. Cleanup is one thing, but wholesale changes are another matter. I'm not even saying that I dislike the Special Editions - just that there's a place for both, and the Original Trilogy is a masterwork of filmmaking that should be preserved in the highest quality available. Once a movie - let alone a trilogy - attains that status, it is no longer solely the author's property; it is a treasured memory for millions (if not billions) of people, a key piece of our culture - and to see Lucas dismiss all that simply breaks my heart.

Um, maybe I’m too cynical, but what did we expect? I knew if Lucas ever did release the OT it would be crap. He doesn’t give a flying Ferrari what fans want, just how he can make money. He just sits on the fence, does enough to look like hes pleasing us, but keeps enough away so he can bleed us for more money. Were not the fans that got him where he was, to him we’re just more money. He seems to be so interested in cashing in that fans become obsolete. Regardless of what we all think, all the major media will hear will be “lucas releases old Trilogy for fans”. And they’ll all think, “geez man, how tops is Lucas, giving the fans what they want”. Little do they know we got a 1993 transfer in a new package. And all he'll care is that he’s just made a truckload of cash of re-releasing another half-arsed effort. Hell, I’ll release the original trilogy on dvd, and it’ll be better than his effort. He’s all about the cash people. I’m certainly not shelling out for yet another release and giving Lucas and extra few bucks for doing nothing. But unfortunately, well all still pay for hyperspace and every other thing he charges through the nose for, so hell be laughing all the way to the bank. I mean, the dude charges for wallpapers and screen savers on Starwars.com, what the hell? Have we not seen this coming?

And anyone who says we should be happy they’re out, in the words of Al Gore, they’re foolish fools. Who cares if they’re out. Buy a Laser disc or digitize your VHS. The whole point of releasing them is that they’re in dvd quality. If I sell a commodore 64 in a brand new computer case, would you buy it? Of course you wouldn’t, you’d just get a commodore 64. That’s what he’s doing. He’s just trying to shut us up. Ain’t gonna work.

I have to say that I'm astounded and disapointed at the reaction by the fans to the recent DVD announcement. Few of you went through the "dark age" of Star Wars in the mid 80's to early 90's when the only content available was expanded universe content created by West End Games for the Star Wars RPG. At the time, even the hint of a book series like Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire trilogy brought major main stream press, because there was no other content to consume.

Today the fans are spoiled. I've contacted several of my friends who were also around to see the movies in 77', and their reaction is the same as mine. We want the trilogy in it's unaltered form. No restoration. No remaster. Period.

What most people mean by "We want the originals" is that they want the remastered versions. If you truly want to see the originals as they were seen in the theater (and let's face it, most of you don't) then the remastered versions aren't the films you want.

As for the "He's ruined my childhood memories by not releasing anamorphic, 5.1 surround sound, perfectly color balanced versions of the films," that's bull. I watched the original trilogy to death on VHS in the mid 80's to the point where the tapes fell apart. I loved every minute of it. No surround sound, and with dirty tapes heads on a 27 inch screen. Those things didn't matter to me, and I'm sorry, they didn't to most of you either when you were kids. So please, just get some perspective.

I thought that when they restored the negatives a few years ago they restored every old can of film Lucas could muster from his basement.
THEN they essentially re-edited the special editions... Remember, they had to redo all the optical effects from scratch?

Anyhow. This is a sham.

If they did not do the 3k negative scans of all available snippets of film the other year when they did the HD transfers I would be stunned.
Lucas cares TOO much (as he should) about this little project and I am surprised if he would actually have missed here..

Tooo strange. Seems like it almost is like we're being set up for a slight-of-hand whereas these OT versions would soon become available in BlueRay format.

Fox/Lucasfilm has done this sooooo many times before.

As for the release of the unaltered versions, I am mixed. I would possibly watch them, but I would never buy them. However, I think people are being a little unfair in their complaints. I realize that the capability to make them surround exists, but the films (espeically A New Hope) were released at a time when most theaters had only mono and some had stereo. A 2.0 track is reflective of what they remember. George never wanted to release these versions of the film again and is being kind in giving in to the fans. I think what he's doing should be accepted with joy instead of anger or complaining. You just can't satisfy some people.

Keep up the good work

PS. It would be nice to see John Williams rescore Episode 4 to match the other 5 movies, can you start working on George to get that done?

"See the title crawl to Star Wars before it was known as Episode IV; see the pioneering, if dated, motion control model work on the attack on the Death Star; groove to Lapti Nek or the Ewok Celebration song like you did when you were a kid; and yes, see Han Solo shoot first."

Is all that true (the part about the opening crawl, anyway), if they're simply transferring the laserdisc to the dvd? Yes, I know we'll hear the original celebration song, etc., but the part about the opening crawl really sounds like the '77 version. Is there any way this is some misunderstanding? Or maybe they decided to go with the laserdisc version after that story was written. If that's the case...please...reconsider!

"See the title crawl to Star Wars before it was known as Episode IV; see the pioneering, if dated, motion control model work on the attack on the Death Star; groove to Lapti Nek or the Ewok Celebration song like you did when you were a kid; and yes, see Han Solo shoot first."

Is all that true (the part about the opening crawl, anyway), if they're simply transferring the laserdisc to the dvd? Yes, I know we'll hear the original celebration song, etc., but the part about the opening crawl really sounds like the '77 version. Is there any way this is some misunderstanding? Or maybe they decided to go with the laserdisc version after that story was written. If that's the case...please...reconsider!

But my excitement quickly turned to anger when I heard rumors, later confirmed, that the films will not be of a restored type in any form but they will be from laserdisc masters which are not anamorphic widescreen but in fact letterboxed 4:3 pictures. This is a highly disappointing development. It is in fact below standards of any DVD released today. It is certainly below Lucasfilm standards.

Im an active member in the Star Wars community: a member of the 501st Legion and Fan Force. Ive done various promotions and events in celebration of Star Wars such as midnight premiers, charity events, and DVD launch events. But I can no longer see myself being enthusiastic about supporting a cause that does not support its fans in this manner.

These films in their original theatrical versions are an important part of cinema history as well as American history. They have inspired millions around the world and have influenced generations of filmmakers, writers, and artists. Yet disdain of these original films have been a sore point among fans for a long time. These are the film we grew up with, the ones that inspired us. These are the films that created a new mythology for the last 2 generations. Most of us understand that Mr. Lucas has a right and desire to improve upon his vision, but the fact is many people did fall in love with the originals in their unaltered form.I think the films and the fans who fell in love with them deserve more respect than what is currently planned.

One thing that always comes to mind when you think about companies like Skywalker Sound, ILM, THX and of course Lucasfilm Ltd. is technical quality.

Releasing the OV without doing a new transfer is the single most surprising and disappointing decision since "Greedo shoots first"!

What i ask George Lucas for is:

-A new anamorphic transfer without digital restoration but from the best source he can possibly find -The original analogue Dolby stereo mix in 2.0

Recall this mistake of a bonus feature and do it right for gods sake!

While I was delighted to hear of the original unaltered release I was ready to go and buy it when it comes out. But as the excitement died down and the dust settled, I realised I didn’t give any thought to how it would appear. Its been a long time that we have waited to hear the good news that Lucas is releasing the original trilogy DVD’s, and so we expect it to be done up properly like they did with the 2004 Special Editions. After all they have the resources and we can wait a little longer. I can say that the standard which they did the 2004 versions are amazing and look as if the movies were made yesterday and so I expect the same standard with the Original Editions. It sounds as if we’re being done short again. Great, finally releasing the Original Editions but not so great when they are in poor quality picture and sound. This again is not respecting the loyal fan base. I respectfully ask the powers-that-be at Lucasfilm to give us due respect that we deserve and start listening to our wishes and ideas of what could be done.

Here are a few questions or suggestions that I have in mind for any future Original Trilogy releases:

1. Are we going to have the Anamophic Widescreen editions so that we can enjoy the films using the latest TV sets? Those TV sets do cost a lot of money so it would be a nice gesture to have this feature in the DVDs.

2. Many of us already has the Special Editions and so why include it with the Original Editions? We are in fact paying more for something we don’t want as we only want the Original Editions. Or better yet, Why not include the newly restored version and the old ‘cinema’ release version of the Original Trilogy?

3. Will there be any additional bonus materials, documentaries and deleted scenes that we’ve come to expect?

4. Are you going to release these on soon-to-be old format DVD’s before coming out with the high definition DVD’s and so once again make us part with our money? We need more information about your future plans. Please don't tell us that you have no plans yet end up doing it anyway. Maybe delay the release of the Original Trilogy films and release it when the high definition technology is available. Again we're willing to wait for this and this will actually make us buy the new high definition DVD players.

Lastly I would like to say that we the fans are tired (and extremely patronised) of being praised for our devotion to the Starwars Universe and yet being totally ignored and shunted aside of our wishes. A quote below from the director of publicity is a case in point:

“We absolutely appreciate the fact that these fans are so passionate,” Singh said. “It’s indicative of the fact that they care so much about Star Wars.” - director of publicity John Singh

Well if that is the case, then please go do it properly.

I bought the Special Editions of the Star Wars trilogy in September of 2004 already. The only reason I did this for subpar movies, in my opinion, was because George Lucas said the original trilogy as it was known in theaters would NEVER have another release after the one that happened in 1995. I have never liked the Special Editions. Most of the new additions in the movies do not marry with the films, and on top of that they edit out parts of the films themselves. So what is one supposed to think if they want to see their favorite movies? You have to buy the doctored, enhanced, "originals", not the TRUE originals. What is George Lucas thinking? I am sorry if he likes the Special Editions better than his original films, but they are NOT his original films. Why should I be forced to buy 3 sets of movies for movies I already have, and that have been ruined by tinkering after the fact, just so I can have something resembling the original films? I have thus far supported all official releases by purchasing them. This is the last straw. I now have a truly negative opinion about Lucasfilm. Unless they release the original theatrical films in at least anamorphic widescreen, my opinion will continue. He may as well have not bothered doing this release at all. All it has done is divide the fans more, and cause more emotional pain for those who enjoy the original Star Wars trilogy. The REAL original Star Wars trilogy.

1. This is supposedly a "treat" for the hardcore fans. However, the classic films are only available with the purchase of $30 individual discs of the Special Editions. This is truly insulting. Anyone who would care enough to spend $90 on these DVD's has already spent $70 to purchase those identical discs in the current DVD box set. The SE discs are a complete waste of plastic, and the films are only bundled together as a pretense to justify the outrageous cost and slapdash quality of the classic films' presentation.

2. The claim that the original pre-Special Edition film no longer exists is, plain and simple, a load of crap. The film was obviously scanned in and cleaned up for the Special Editions. Are you telling me that no one saved a backup copy of the original scenes before compositing in all the cartoon droids & rontos? That just defies all logic & common sense. You can't add effects to something if you don't have a clean copy to start with. Lucas is insulting our intelligence.

I never considered burning a bootleg before, but after this spit in the face from Lucasfilm, the fan-made reconstructions of the classic trilogy sound more and more appealing.

The most aggravating thing is, it would be so easy to make 99% of the fans happy. Spend a few thousand dollars, put together a really nice, cleaned-up version of the original films (with no added scenes or elements), and put it out in a commemorative box set with retro graphics. Heck, why not throw an option to choose between 2-channel stereo & a 5.1 mix while you're at it? You've already done 90% of the work preparing the Special Edition DVD's anyway. How hard is it to go back and take out the new sound effects? You don't even need a bonus disc of deleted scenes & crap, although there's no reason not to include one. Star Wars fanboys would be lining up around the block to hand you their $90, and they'd be thrilled to do it. It's a no- brainer, and you would clearly sell more than enough copies to make up for the minor expense. The most brain-dead film executive could think of this in his sleep. But apparently George Lucas's fragile ego is even bigger than his hunger for cash. Now you give us this steaming turd on a plastic platter and expect us say thank you and leave a nice tip. Well, this is one fan who says, "no thank you."

Now, where's that BitTorrent client?

At the age of 16, I had the fortune of being present at the first 70MM cast and crew screening of Empire Strikes Back at the Northpoint Theater in San Francisco in April, 1980. I remember Lucas and Gary Kurtz walking down the aisle, and addressing the audience. Gary said that we were about to see the first print of ESB in 70mm, the print had just come out of the lab that morning, and warned us that the colors might not be perfect. I remember being totally blown away by what I saw, the image so big and so sharp and clean. This is how I want to re-experience the original Star Wars films in my home. Nine years later, I got to see Robert A. Harris' restoration of Lawrence of Arabia in 70MM at the same theater and again was blown away by how beautiful the image was (and how I couldn't look at that crappy dirt and scratch laden pan and scan laserdisc afterwards!)This is how I want to remember and re-experience these films, and this is how they should be preserved.

As far as I'm concerned, and I'm no film expert, if Disney can take a 1942 NITRATE film like Bambi and produce the dvd that they did, with nary a dirt or scratch on that transfer, than so can Lucasfilm with the Star Wars Original Trilogy versions from 1977, 1980, and 1983.

I am VERY DISAPPOINTED in your company's decision to release old 1993 non-anamorphic transfers of these films. If these are indeed the versions to be released this fall, I WILL NOT BE BUYING THEM!

I hope to God that you will read my comments, as well as Bill Hunt's and Roberts Harris's comments on "thedigitalbits.com" and will act on them. If it is needed, please hire Robert A. Harris or Lowry Digital to RESTORE THE STAR WARS ORIGINAL THEATRICAL VERSIONS TO THEIR TRUE ORIGINAL BRILLIANCE WITH ALL DIRT AND SCRATCHES REMOVED FOR DVD AND FOR ALL FUTURE HIGH-DEFINITION FORMATS!!

There is nothing I want more! Bill Hunt of "thedigitalbits.com" said it best, "It should be done, it CAN be done!"

Lucasfilm I'm sure can afford it. PLEASE JUST DO IT!

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU

Restoration took about a month per film. As footage became ready, segments were downloaded onto a portable hard drive and shipped to Lucas for approval.

The result is as if a veil has been lifted: The annoying hail of visible noise is gone, and colors are richer. The footage seems to shine, as if brand-new. "We have given it the kind of sharpness which doesn't create ugly edges," Lowry says.

Beyond a stellar DVD, Lucasfilm now has a high-definition master stored in its vaults that won't degrade as celluloid does. The master can be used to make new film prints and high-definition DVDs.

George has new masters, untouched by ILM's CG department, this is what we want!

If Lucasfilm had released the remastered versions of the films, there would have been a flurry of emails complaining about how these aren't the "original versions." I'm sorry, but today's Star Wars fans are terribly hard to please.

I own the Definitive VHS set, and I'm glad to have that version available on DVD, matte boxes around Tie Fighter and all.

"See the title crawl to Star Wars before it was known as Episode IV; see the pioneering, if dated, motion control model work on the attack on the Death Star; groove to Lapti Nek or the Ewok Celebration song like you did when you were a kid; and yes, see Han Solo shoot first."

The laserdisc versions do not contain the original crawl!! So what are we really getting?

I’ve always been one of those fans who defended Lucasfilm. Ultimately, I regularly said, the films belong to George Lucas, and they’re his to do with as he pleases. But I am truly disappointed in this news. Not mad. Not ready to protest. Just disappointed. I don’t understand the idea of giving people the thing for which they’ve begged, only to provide a pale version of it. That’s not making a wish come true---it’s making a wish come true and the taking it back a little bit. I don’t know about anyone else, but, in that situation, I’d rather have never felt like the wish was being granted in the first place.

In the end, it’s not the end of the world. It’s three movies and a lot of childhood memories that can’t be erased by what MAY be a mediocre DVD release. But it’s definitely disappointing…

First, thanks for MANY years of great "Star Wars" coverage... you good people made the prequel era a blast!!!

Now, regarding the DVD releases and their questionable audio/visual integrity, let me say this: I'm just happy to have them on DVD, officially, with greater clarity than my well-worn VHS tapes!!! The fact that Lucas is releasing them shows that he cares about MY childhood as much as he cares about HIS vision.

I've resigned myself to the notion of buying Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon," KISS' "Destroyer," and the "Star Wars" movies over and over and over and over again as new formats and better versions appear on the market. Having said that, I welcome these DVDs into my library, and plan to enjoy these movies as I did when I was a kid.

Yes, they may not be all that we had hoped for, but just rejoice in the fact that we have them.

It was done in 93 for the laserdisc box sets in CAV format know as the Star Wars Trilogy Definitive collection.

It was the second THX certified Laserdisc title at the time. The first one was James Cameron’s The Abyss …Funny because The Abyss is also only available in a non anamorphic widescreen DVD…using the same 93 laserdisc transfer…it still looks pretty good too.

In 1995 using the same widescreen transfer and a new pan & scan one the Star Wars trilogy was release in VHS…This version is know as the THX VHS trilogy.

At the same time in 95 a Laserdisc version in the CLV format was also release using the same marketing and art as the VHS.

These transfer where state of the art at the time and on a good Laserdisc player still looks pretty good today…professionally transfer to DVD these master are going to look great…Just look at The Abyss DVD.

This transfer is by no mean grainy or faulty …it is a very good transfer.

Of course an anamorphic version of those films would have been better (Resolution wise mostly if you have a 16:9 set) but considering that those version where never suppose to be release…this is nice little bonus.

Just hope I did clarify the issue for some of you.

MTFBWY.

Lucas should show more respect for the crew that put his original vision on the big screen and the fans that gave him the luxuries he now enjoys. Give the fans what they want. give us the OOT DVDs but cleaned up and restored as the other versions of the trilogies have been. To release an unrestored print by the person who is such a stickler for a high quality movie experience is surely a black mark on his name.

Thank you

Take what you can get, and be thankful for it. If that's not good enough, there's always the Special Editions (which are really the only editions for younger fans). George Lucas prefers that you stick to the Special Editions anyway.

I as a fan won't be buying not as boycott because it's not the 'real' OT, but because it's looks like its not going to be value for my hard earned money.

I all ready have the Special Editions on DVD in a fairly cheap packageing, do i really need another set? No. Would I like to have the unaltered OT on DVD in a quality box? Yes I would.
Do I want a lot of bonus featues on a second disk, with behind the scene featurtettes, photos, the much desired deleated scenes? Heck yes!!! But it looks like we the fans who look for a value for money product won't be getting this.

You would think that releasing a film(s) that made cinematic history Lucasfilm would have take a proper path as these films deserve.

A Nostalgic Path.

A Retro release.

Have the DVDs packed in covers with the origianal posters, instead of a photo montage that looks just like every other boring Star Wars product now a days. Since TPM came out SW products have been bland and sterile and this release looks to be exactally the same.

Have features focusing on the hard work put into making the models and costumes and sets etc, (eg SPFX the making of TESB), before it was easier to do on computers. Lets see and hear from the cast and crew who had to struggle for months to create Georgess vision before he changed it all and dissmissed thier efforts as being out dated and crude. They made the films give them the credit they deserve.

Star Wars The Origianl Trilogy deserves a proper release that as a peice of film history that chaged film, film makers and fandom the world over not as a inferior film that is shuned by its creator.

If a laserdisk transfer is all I can look forward to in September with out a bunch of extras that every other DVD is released with, than I'll keep money.

What we all want is the cleaned up SE versions without all the SE stuff added- which are essentially the THX VHS versions, more or less. And if anyone doesn't think we will get those TOO, doesn't know Star Wars marketing very well!

a concerned fan who WILL NOT be buying this set unless the above improvements are implemented.

(Maybe they're just suckering us in AGAIN and waiting for Blu-Ray/HD-DVD to bring out the "real thing.")

Of course a fruit cake is not a birthday cake and everyone knows that. Similarly, anamorphic transfers are pretty much standard for today’s DVD releases. When you hear of a new DVD, you can pretty much count on it being compatible with today’s 16x9 televisions. Wow, now I can finally watch my favorite childhood trilogy on my 8’ wide, permanently anamorphic projector setup!! When I first heard about the new release, I started to get buzzed about Star Wars again. I even considered getting back into collecting the toys after a 9 year hiatus (do the math to figure out what this coincides with). Now that I know that the new release is nothing more than a repackaged fruit cake, I think I will stick with my laserdiscs on the old 32” TV:-(

So the Star Trek animated DVDs are all pretty much not gonna happen The Tick is being released as a bull**** “Best of” set And we all know what is happening with Star Wars (I am not all that concerned with the animorphic situation, as I do not have an animorpic TV, but if this is true that they will never be released on DVD again, then this really should be released in the highest quality available to the format in 2006) My major concern is the Lucasfilm attitude that these three important films are “bonus features” like a “lost” “unaired” pilot of a 70s television series, which tells me that they will be low quality with no chapter stops (or if they really are from the laserdiscs, there will be an INTERMISSION at the point where the laserdisc had to be flipped), This attitude of “see how primitive these are ? I can’t believe you want them” upsets me. I’ve been saying this for years now: studios should use the Alien Quadrilogy as the standard of all future DVD releases: Animorphic 5.1 Theatrical and “Special Edition” versions of each film, and a second disc bursting with interesting extras. The three (six) Star Wars films collectively have to be the highest grossing films in history- What is the problem over at Lucasfilm ??????

Recognize the line, Mr. Lucas? It's from a good movie, like Empire and Jedi and even A New Hope, not like Episode I or II or even III.
I've since stopped buying toys. The only Star Wars related paraphenalia I even buy anymore are the comics and novels. Why do I do this even though I feel this bitter? Well, I still enjoy Star Wars and I think the writers and artists on the comics are doing a good job keeping the spirit of it alive, unlike Mr. Lucas and his crappy DVDs.

Anamorphic vs. grainy old transfers aside...... look how LFL is oficially marketing this thing.....
- It's the 2004 DVD's in new boxes with the original movies included as BONUS MATERIAL

I have the laserdiscs to DVD transfers and I am very happy with them... I will not be buying these fancy new boxes in September, my reasons are different than most everyone elses:

If these were TRULY the original releases we would have
1. No "EPISODE IV A NEW HOPE" tag on the opening crawl.
2. Aunt Beru's voice would be that of Shelagh Frasier.... not of the anonymous voice-over.

Plus..... I would need to have DELETED SCENES..... these DO EXISTS 1. all of the Biggs and Luke Scenes at Toschi Station 2. C-3PO Ripping down the warning sticker off the door of the Wampa cell at the Hoth Rebel Base 3. Luke Watching the "tanker / freighter refuel" from space :)

To get a great selection of deleted scenes from A NEW HOPE there was an LFL licensed product back in late 1996 that was a PC 2 disc set STAR WARS : Behind The Magic... I have it and it is great.

No thanks George..... my LD transfers are fine..... there is too much out there at toy shows and flea markets that you've already made your money from for me to acquire :)

May The Force Be With You ALL

"Star Wars is out on DVD. HOORAY!... WHAT?!?! It's the SE edition with enhancements and changes?!?! WAH WAH WAH! We want the original release without all the changes!!!... The Star Wars Trilogy is being released on DVD in its original format finally? HOORAY!...
WHAT?!?! They didn't fix anything and make it better?!?! WAH WAH WAH!!!"
Grow up people! You asked for the original version and that's what you got. Let's look at the word original.
It means "the source or cause from which something arises". Do you see anywhere in there "updated an/or enhanced"? No! And do you know why? Because if it were "updated and/or enhanced" it would no longer be an ORIGINAL.
To me, having the original means seeing it the way it was when I saw it the first time. It's like taking an old car and restoring it and then throwing expensive chrome perfomance parts in the engine, adding an expensive high tech stereo system, and tricking it out with hydralics and lighting. Great, the car impresses some and looks good from a distance but when you hop in to take it for a spin it no longer has that classic feel.
Personally I'm glad to have the original versions of the movies available on DVD finally. My only copies of the originals are on VHS. VHS won't last forever.
Nothing does. DVDs however will hold up much longer no matter what version they are.
Oh, and for those of you that are gripping because "it doesn't have anamorphic widescreen and won't fit right on my ridiculously expensive TV that most normal people can't afford", too frigging bad. It's not all about you.

If you wanted the "Original" in a cleaned up form - you should have SPECIFIED, people... but then again, it wouldn't be "Original" anymore, now would it? It would just be another form of the Special Edition without the "Jedi Rocks" dance and an appearance of Jabba in Docking Bay 94 this time...

THANK YOU, FOR THE ORIGINAL UNALTERED VERSION ON DVD, GEORGE LUCAS!!! Some may think I'm a sucker for it, but I've already made my pre-order. :-)

one thing's for sure, GL isn't even reading any of this, so you can all put your righteous indignation away. GL has become a success not by living in the past, but by looking to the future. you think he's releasing the originals because he read a complaint in a web site? please. 17 advisors thought it up and ran it by him before he even acknowledged it. c'mon folks, he's got a multi-billion dollar dinosorporation to run.

and anyway, this is HIS ART. vision is in the hands of the artist, not the audience.

don't like it?
don't buy it.

come autumn, i'm getting mine.

(and on that note, half of you complainers are STILL going to go out and get it, so don't even try to tell us about your frustrations for being a loyal and dissappointed fan.)

Dear Mr. Lucas,
Since you have decided to release the original versions of the Star Wars movies on DVD(which I and many other fans appreciate greatly), I ask that you please release them in the anamorphic widescreen format. It makes no sense to do otherwise. Many of us early adapters have owned DVD players since 1997 or 1998, and we bought them hoping to own the OT and have it presented in the superior to VHS and Laserdisc format that is DVD. We have waited a long time for this and there are high expectations for the release of these films. If taken directly from a laser disc, and presented in a flat widescreen format with a fraction of the resolution of an anamorphic DVD presentation, these dvds will be giving us a picture that was the best possible available in the early nineties, not the mid 2000s (or what was even the best in the late nineties for that matter). I am not asking for digital sound, that would be absurd considering that the fans wanted the original versions, so of course they should come with just 2.0 sound. I believe that the original release versions of the OT are all very important historically and socially in our culture, and they should be preserved for future generations. It would be great to have a completey restored and pristine transfer of these movies, but I can wait on those if you plan on releasing them in the future, perhaps in the hi def format. You cannot, of course, please everyone, but I am confident that if you presented the currently availabe elements in the anamorphic format, the overwhelming majority of fans would be pleased and take it as a very nice gesture that you, Mr. Lucas, do care about the rabid Star Wars fanbase. I look foward to future releases of the movies and the changes you may add to them, be it new effects or a 3D presentation, but I also hope you give the due respect to your own films and the fans that they both deserve. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
a life-long Star Wars fan

Thanks - and let's not give him our money until he realizes 'my fans DO have a breaking point, maybe I should think about what they want and not what my company or I want'.

they reek of “wal-marty” quality.

I will finally have the films the way I remember them best. Wonky sound, matte lines, and all.

Everyone loved the idea of finally getting the OT release without all the "Improvments" George Lucas has made, and now they want them back in, I mean yes even if you dont get the added scenes, music and surround sound, but you still want the clearity, and restorations, you still get an altered version, I for one will be buying this new release, because to be honest with you the last good versions of these movies was the versions before the "Special Editions". As good as even the special editions were the '04 DVD releases were terrible.... way to many obsurd changes for my taste...

As for George trying to sponge more money out of us.... I totally agree.
It is all about the money, see we got great movies back in the 70s and 80s out of george for one reason..... He was hungry, Now he is Very, very,very rich and doesnt really care how the movies look as long as he gets even richer out of it.... Hence the poor qualityand storyline of Episode 1.
Maybe someday he will come to his sences and finally give the fans what they want, but until money is no longer important we all have to suffer.

It would be a nice, welcomed addition, if they didn't charge this price. Maybe just a small three pack priced around 30 bucks or something. But to pay like 60 or whatever is kind of silly, since MOST people already have the other versions.

It is a great time to be a Star Wars fan…with the 30 years anniversary coming up next years and the two televisions shows in pre-production…we should all be exited and happy about all of this!!!

Well I guess I am still dreaming too much for a 32 year old guy …but for me that’s a good thing …and I know I can thank Star Wars for part of that.

May the force be with you…Always!!!

It's obvious to me that he is making a statement here. I honestly don't believe its for the quick buck. What GL is trying to do here is CONVINCE you that his versions are so much better. Why should he update them with todays graphical standard? That might make his newer, shinier versions appear trite and overdone. By putting both versions in the set he wants you to watch both and make the OBVIOUS conclusion to yourself, like some infomercial patsy, that yes, the new versions are so much better!

It's like that Persuasive Arguement speech you have to do in High School english class. Only George is using visual aids.

All of the people who are so brainwashed by the SW dogma and mindlessly say "IT'S HIS MOVIE AND HE CAN DO WHAT HE WANTS WITH IT" have got to wake up. If it wasn't for the mindless masses of jedi-wannabes who continue to shell out the money for this HE WOULD BE NOWHERE. I understand an artist's right to alter his work, but if you can't find it in you to remember the people who got you where you are and in some way show gratification by doing right by those people you should be forced to sit in a room and eat nothing but the cast-away VHS copies of your movie (like a big helping of humble-pie) until you promise to stop being such a pompous jerk. Stop victimizing the people who remember something from their childhood that was meaningful to them and had it stomped on by an egotistical self-centered hollywood fascist. Now here's the other thing: If you go out and buy this version he'll once again see that he can milk the mindless and you as the sheep lose. If you don't buy he'll say "I guess you didn't want it" and you lose again. I can see it now - he's sitting in his emperor's chair laughing and laughing.

For me, I grew up with these Original Cuts which are finally getting released. Those are the movies I fell in love with. Nothing they've done to these films over the years has been an improvement in my opinion. I will always enjoy the early versions more.

Remember that until Timothy Zhan’s books in the Early 90’s Star Wars nearly died out from the public mainstream.

The advert for these DVD’s is “Original Theatrical Versions”. And that is exactly what we are getting. He didn’t want to put them out, he considers them now incomplete versions of the story – but he has now conceded (and how often does he do that?) And if they are laserdisc versions then the sound & vision still would have been digitally re-mastered. Albeit not 5.1. And a lot of people have been complaining about Lucas’s digital approach. I think that he wants the impact and the original limitations of effects production to be fully felt. It isn’t a question of being ‘petty’ but an example to value what is being done today and how far film has come.

When I originally got the Special Edition version of Episode 4, I used to compare it to my original version. The digital tweaks in Star Wars make complete sense to me.

The reason why we are so passionate about Star Wars today is because Lucas revitalised Star Wars in many forms thanks to the Novels, Comics, Prequels and Special Editions.

A lot of work has gone into keeping the Star Wars myth alive. By putting both versions of each film in the same pack he is not just showing what Star Wars has grown from, but he is showing the Legacy of Lucasfilm. I think that this is OK. We are the older and original Star Wars generation – there are many other generations on the way up.

That all being said – I personally prefer ‘Bring my shuttle’ to ‘Alert my Star Destroyer…..etc”

I believe there are some other O.T. restoration projects already well under way, plus DVD copies are available of the laser disc. If George Lucas isn't willing to support his fans, I no longer see reason to support him. Enough is enough

May the force be with you,

We want the movies approximately like they were given to us in 1995 (Which was EXACTLY as they were seen in 1977, 1980 and 1983): 1. cleaned up visually (once again, for the idiots, this does NOT mean altered in any way), and 2. in the highest resolution possible (highest resolution doen't mean altered, it means more lines of vertical resolution, this does't change the effects or the sound). VHS has around 250 lines of resolution, Laserdisc had about 400 lines of resolution, and DVD has about 480 lines of resolution. This should make it pretty clear to even the dumbest, most argumentative posters on here what we mean by BETTER QUALITY. I hope so, anyway. You see, 480 is a higher number that 400, hence why we are complaining about Laserdisc quality. Got it? I hope so.

I must add that I firmly believe that the reason Lucas is dumping the old laserdisc quality versions on us is NOT a money issue. I think he is just being spiteful because of all the people begging him, and even sending him petitions for the originals. He is sick and tired of hearing it and is saying "here, take this crap, stick it, and shut up about it!!"

For the record, I am all for Lucas right to make ANY changes he wants to to HIS movies. I don't even mind some of the SE changes. I just think that anyone who would go to the time and expense of tracking down all of the old prints of the un-altered films, only so he can destroy them and make the new one's the "only ones" is something of a control freak. It's like Joseph Stalin re-writing history. Go read 1984, and you will see what I am talking about.

People need to accept this as what it is, truly a gift for fans who just want the original trilogy.

What's all this garbage about better sound/picture/blah blah blah? If you want those, buy the Special Editions, as that's what those things were all about. Me, I just want to relive the nostalgia of the originals, while enjoying the STORY, which is what it's all about (not your amazing anamorphic wide screen HD television).

I wish to express my joy to hear that the "Original" classics are finally being released on DVD. In my opinion, the DVD box set should of been set up to give the viewer the "Option" to watch either the "Original" unaltered version or the "Special Edition" version. This would definitely would of pleased all STAR WARS fans. I was disappointed that it was only the Special Edition version.

Now when I heard the news that the "Original" unaltered version will finally be released, I was very excited, until I read the report that this version will not be of the same quality as the Special Edition. This is a huge disappointment, especially coming from George Lucas.

Come on George!! There are a lot of people who truly enjoy & respect your work, which is why people want to see/own the originals because they're the one's that started it all and it would be a shame to dismiss it as obsolete and outdated. Both the "Originals" & "Special Editions" are a part of STAR WARS history & it would be a shame to not give the originals the same quality treatment as the Special Editions.

Please reconsider this decision and give the origianl unaltered trilogy the respect it deserves.

I want my cake and I wanna eat it too!

How dare George Lucas not spend several million dollars to restore and retool the unaltered original versions of films he doesn’t even consider “complete”?!?

Gimme a break. I’m as big a “Star Wars” fan as anybody, but enough is enough. Some of these people need to realize that they’re just movies. He could’ve not put out his “Original Unaltered Trilogy” in any form whatsoever. Instead, he dug around to find a way to make it happen. Sure, he did it