TheMaulMan

Neil, what version of the original trilogy would you recommend for best video quality, the '93 or '95? Is the LD itself better than a DVD rip of it? What about for sound quality? From your email, am I correct in saying the LD sound resolution is actually higher than the DVDs?

Interesting, Neil. The accuracy argument, I mean. But again, it reaffirms your point of view of what you think SW is and isn't. Star Wars isn't a work in progress, it's Star Wars '77. And Star Wars '77 can't be improved, just more accurately depicted. I disagree with this in the sense that I think Star Wars '77 and the various revisions are seperate entities; I get different things from each one, and appreciate them for different reasons. If Star Wars '77 was released tomorrow on DVD I'd be first in line. That will always be the masterpiece that changed our lives. These revised versions have kept SW fresh for me, and I value them also. I learned something about audio on DVDs. I always assumed they were DVD-A quality. Damn, the Empire end credits sounded so great to me...so full. That's not even CD quality?? What about the isolated score to Superman? Same deal?

Not true, K.M. Due to the digital clean-up, Star Wars has NEVER looked this good, even in the original theatrical release. I do hope they will take the time to digitally remove the matte lines for the HD release. Heck, the set is worth the price for John Williams fans just to hear the end credits of the trilogy in DVD-Audio quality! Beautiful!

This analogy is the problematic thinking I'm talking about. The clearest that Star Wars has ever looked is compared to a ripped and torn picture. Why? Because there's a "thunk" now when the Stormtrooper hits his head? Because ten seconds of music is too low? Because 1 in a million will notice the tuba coming from the wrong speaker? And best yet...because Star Wars looks better when it isn't so colorful. And sharp. And clear. And detailed. And loud. banghead

Ah, now we get to it. Neil, you say that your boot is "about as close to the original as you can get on home video. To me, this was Star Wars. It looked and sounded like Star Wars." So isn't your sense of nostalgia what we're really talking about here? Isn't your main concern preserving the warm and fuzzy feelings that the original Star Wars gave you when you were young? What if you had a picture of a girl for 20 years, a picture that you thought was just beautiful and perfect. Then, imagine a friend took that picture and scanned it...cleaned it up, maybe added a new background, sharpened it, enhanced the color. It's still the same girl as before, and essentially the same picture. In fact, to anyone else, the picture looks BETTER. But to you, it doesn't inspire the same feelings. Sure, it's clearer, sharper, there's more to it...but it's not the picture you fell in love with, not exactly. And damn, there're even a few flaws that weren't there before. And so the only way to get that old feeling is to look at the old one. Isn't this how you are with Star Wars, Neil? You want it to be as it originally was forever, frozen in time. The slightest change from its original form seems to be an affront to your sensibilities, a threat to your love for the original. You'd think as much as you love Star Wars '77, you'd get at least SOME enjoyment of seeing it in this form, with such enhanced detail and color. But I guess this clarity just doesn't match up with your fuzzy memories, does it? After all, Star Wars was NEVER this clear before...why does it need to be this clear now? I imagine you'll really hate it when the HD version is released. Myself, I'd be glad to have both pictures of that girl. I would find value in each.

I agree. The right and mature thing to do is address these mistakes, and admit error. Eventually, I believe we will see an explanation for all the issues.

Again, I can understand the disappointments, but I can't understand how a Star Wars or even John Williams fan can't recognize all the good in the new DVD set. I sit and watch A NEW HOPE in awe, not believing the astounding image quality. I am literally seeing the films in whole new light. The lightsaber color and dialogue problems greatly annoy me, I do admit, as does the dialed down fanfare in the Battle of Yavin. I can't speak to the reversed music channels because I know I wouldn't have noticed it...because I still don't notice it even knowing it's there. Bottom line...IT'S NOT PERFECT, PEOPLE!!! GASP!! MISTAKES WERE MADE!!! OH, THE HORROR! In a few ways, in a few places, the DVDs are worse than previous releases. That's a shame and a very frustrating disappointment. This simply shouldn't be. BUT...in every OTHER way, they blow any other release of the Star Wars Trilogy out of the water. 95% of it is spectacular. Isn't it possible to be REASONABLE about this? Can't we say what's awesome about it, while also acknowledging the problems? To me, it's incredibly immature to latch on to a few mistakes and say the release is a disaster or a waste when so much effort and care was obviously taken OVERALL to restore these films. Lucas DIDN'T HAVE to go to such lengths to get the image to sparkle like it does. He could have spent less money and put out a much poorer image. The fans still would have been happy with a normal DVD image and not known the difference. He didn't HAVE to fix any more effects, and add more UNADVERTISED material. He did this to make the releases the best they could be. The mistakes are inexplicable. BUT THEY DON'T COMPLETELY WIPE OUT EVERYTHING ELSE.

Ah yes, right you are, Dr. Jones. I always skip that track when I listen to my cd. What is "Hoth Imperial" from?

I'm listening to it now. Yes, you're right. "Yavin Republic" is music from Episode I of course, but has been slowed down, which has lowered the pitch. "Tatooine Republic" I believe is unreleased and previously unheard Episode II music! I recognize a brief snippet near the end from the Across the Stars music video. "Yavin CIS" is another clip from Episode II slowed down. "Hoth Imperial" I do not completely recognize, though it is reminiscent of Empire, during the segment that ends with General Riekan saying, "Prepare for ground assault." Cool find!

Neil, you know we all appreciate your passion for this, but you must also realize how most others will view it. All the mistakes you mention are indeed there, of course. I think others' frustration may come from the fact that you think the DVD has absolutely nothing going for it -- that these few mistakes have ruined the experience of the film entirely. To say that "nothing is right about the audio..." well, that's just wrong. Realistically, we have never heard Star Wars sound as spectacular as this. If you have a quality 5.1 setup, you are hearing Star Wars, both sound effects and score, with a clarity and power that you have never experienced. This is how you've been wanting to hear the film for your whole life. Don't misunderstand me...the glitches in the dialogue quality and score suck. They are absolutely disappointments, no question. Overall though, they are like a few pimples on the face of a gorgeous girl...distracting at times and unfortunate, but the girl remains beautiful.

When I turned on the English 2 channel mix, the music in the section in question seemed mixed even lower than in the 5.1. Not just for the opening fanfare, either...it seemed lower than the 5.1 for several measures past the infamous inaudible portion. If you turn on the foreign language mixes, however, the music is audible -- just the way it always has been. Which, IMO, doesn't lend credence to the "creative decision" claim. What, Burtt thought the English speaking folk would get a kick out of overwhelming sound effects? But I guess the Spanish and French people just wouldn't appreciate it. :roll:

I am sorta with Neil on this. For me, the perfect release in 2007 would include versions of the trilogy exactly as they were released in 77,80, and 83. No changes, no enhancements...nothing. Just snapshots in time. Then, we'd also have the newer versions, with even more fixes and revisons than the current DVDs. These would be in HD, and would be, at long last, the FINAL version of the trilogy. Once it's released in HD, that should be it. To me, this idea could appeal to Lucas on the basis of showing the progress of technology...perhaps as a learning tool. Everyone loves before and after pictures, right? Perhaps this could be billed as that. "See the Star Wars trilogy as it was 30 years ago, and see how it's creator continued to improve and enhance his films over 3 decades." I think this would be a fanboy's dream, but I doubt there would be much mass appeal. I think the mass market set for years to come in the one that is out right now.

Above mentioned disappointments aside, I do want to emphasize that I am enjoying the hell out of these DVDs and they are 95% incredible! DVDs like this are the very reason to have an HDTV and surround sound setup, as I am fortunate enough to have. I never thought the films would look so good until the HD release. The picture quality has surpassed my expectations. Can anyone think of any other DVDs with this kind of video clarity? Fans of Empire ought to be particularly pleased...the film looks like it is a new release. It has NEVER looked this good! The perfect set it's not, but it's certainly quite worthy and exciting to experience in your home theater. Despite its flaws, it's a great way to rekindle your love affair with the Trilogy...until the PERFECT DVD (or HD?) release in 2007!

I really hate to say anything negative about the DVDs. I love Star Wars, and have been looking forward to having the trilogy on a format like this for 20 years. Overall, they are great...cool menus, interesting extras, beautiful picture and outstanding sound. I'm seeing details and colors I've never noticed before, and the impact of the score is something I've always dreamt of experiencing at home. I have a 5.1 setup, and I must admit that even as well as I know the SW score, I would have not noticed the rear channels glitch. I am in love with this score, but I don't consider myself an obsessive audiophile. This glitch would have gotten past me. Honestly, even with the rear channels turned up and knowing about the glitch, I didn't notice anything. I thought the score sounded fantastic. However, I would have noticed the dialing down of the Battle of Yavin music. I obviously don't like it, but it doesn't completely surprise me as a creative decision to emphasize the sound effects there, especially if Burtt had anything to do with it. Disappointing yes, but I wouldn't call either of these things disasterous. What bothers me the most in the set is the LIGHTSABERS! Here is the ICONIC Star Wars weapon, and they're messed up on the definitive release of the films. Luke's saber is clearly GREEN in one shot of A New Hope. The rest of his saber shots look just like before, and I expected they would have been worked on. Yes, the Vader/Obi-Wan duel is improved, but the sabers are only colored, not removed and replaced, so the same strange effects remain in places. In ESB, Vader's saber is pink in some shots. In ROTJ, not only is the color of Vader's saber pinkish in many shots, in a few shots it doesn't even have a white core, and thus barely even looks like a lightsaber. For me, the lightsaber problems are more "disasterous" than anything else, especially Vader's. A Sith Lord with a pink lightsaber! Would you call this a glitch? How could this have been overlooked? It's always something with Star Wars lately. For every good we get, there's something else we must endure. Why can't they get something *just right* anymore?

Wow guys, I'm only a newbie, but I feel so much love already! Thanks everyone...I wish I could say I thought long and hard about it, but it honestly just popped in my head when I heard Lucas' commentary. Though I must admit I did get instantly excited about the idea. Of course, the problem with that is now I really WANT this to be the story...and will probably be disappointed if it isn't! I'm afraid midichlorians will be an Episode I only affair...and I was so sure Lucas was going to expand upon it. I think in his mind, they were conceived to further the symbiotic relationships theme, as well as to add a scientific element to Anakin's immaculate conception. Also, as a concrete way to measure a Jedi's potential...specifically, to inform the audience that Anakin had the make-up to be the most powerful Jedi ever, i.e., unprecedented potential. Those things established, I don't think he feels the need to mention them again. BTW, I never did feel the outrage about them that some have. I never thought they were, or were intended to be, a scientific explanation of the Force. The Force is the same as it always was: an energy field. The midichlorians are what channels the Force. Every living thing has them, so every living thing can touch, and is part of, the Force...just as before. Here's an idea, though: does the fact that Anakin loses so much of his body mean that he loses some midichlorians...and therefore some of his connection to the Force?