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Fan Comments On OT DVD Announcement

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.

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10:15 AM CST 5/28/06

You may also wish to note on your "Don't Make Assumptions" page that the sound is only Dolby 2.0, which contains a bitrate of 192 kbits. Pro-logic could decode this to surround sound, but it begs the question why the original surround (which, yes, does exist) wasn't extrapolated to 5.1 at 448kbits. Or, best yet, having the original, uncompressed PCM Stereo track that was present on the Laserdiscs, using the actual element from the master and not a compressed-as-hell AC3 file made from it.

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.

I was just reading the article about releasing the non-special edition of Star Wars onto DVD. The article mentions that it will use the same video source as the 1993 Definitive Laser disc collection. I own three different sets of Star Wars Laser Discs. I have the original set that came out in the eighties and they are okay. The re-mastered edition was released which I believe is the one being mentioned here in the article that was released in the 90s was outstanding. I often watched this set of Laser Discs over the special edition ones because the untouched trilogy always felt comfortable to me. Anyways the picture is quite good and the sound is outstanding. When I decided to stop using the laser disc player a few years ago I actually dubbed those editions over to DVD. My analog transfer didn?t do it many favors but it still looked and sounded great. I am sure Lucasfilm would use a better transfer method than a composite video cable like I did. Anyway, all I am trying to say that if you are a fan of the trilogy that you grew up with then I would not hesitate to add this to your collection if you are worried about the video quality. Heck, until progressive scan DVD players came onto the market, Laser disc video quality was superior to DVD in most regards.

Personally I'm glad they are doing it this way. It's a shame the originals are so bad they can't use them, but I'm sure with the transfer they will be using that they will look close (if no better) to how it looks on my original box set on VHS. I enjoy the older look with the lesser quality as it holds nostalgic value and will be a great reminder of where this all originally came from before the restoration and improvement. This will truly be a way to grasp a piece of history making film in a way that should last longer than any format that it existed on before.

No thanks. I will simply pass on this set. As has been stated, Lucasfilm has yet again tried to soak the fans for another version of his revisionist saga release. To even say that this new version is just a bonus material and not the main reason any Star Wars fan would buy it is absurd. If Star Wars fans balk at it, Lucas will simply say, we put it out there for them and the fans prefer my new and "improved" version, they simply didn't buy it. Wrong George. We won't buy an inferior product and we all know that they could have done a stand out job on the films. I mean come on now, THX certified actually meant something at one point. We will accept nothing less than a restored anamorphic Digital 5.1 release. Come now, we are not stupid. I think honestly there is ego in place by Lucas, that is why he is trying every way to make sure fans will not buy it. Well George....I think you have done that, the side you don't want to realize is that you have lost ALOT of goodwill from fans. It is not something we will forget. I noticed that Radioland Murders was being released in anamorphic 5.1, are you telling us that this movie warrants this attention over the original release of Star Wars? We are talking film history here. By the way, fans made the film a phenomenon and made it a part of film history, I guess George has lost track of that.....\

Alright everyone..ENOUGH WITH THE CRYING ALREADY!!!!! For goodness sakes, I have been so frustrated and embarassed with my fellow Star Wars "fans" that I just can't take it anymore. For years I have heard all of you whining about how Lucas has "ruined" his movies with the Special Editions even though from a storytelling viewpoint they are obviously a VAST improvement over the originals. (the only exception being the Han/Greedo showdown.) Now you finally get what you want, a completely unaltered, untouched-up "pure" version of the movies complete with 80's era grainy picture quality, and you are crying again about how Lucas is "ripping you off." What, are these movies too "pure" for all of you "purists?" Are we actually saying we want re-mastered versions now? Wouldn't that interfere with the enjoyment of your 30 year old memories with all of that awful technology that Lucas has been "burdening" us fans with of late? I honestly don't know how you can even call yourself fans when the only thing you seem to enjoy is slagging off the creator of the very films you claim to love so much.

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.

please, you all need to get over it. how many times are really going to sit and watch these. basically all you need is to be able to go the scene of "Han shooting gredo first". I have on VHS, that is sufficient. That is the only real problem. I am ready for another revision with Biggs and Luke on Tatoinne and Bail blowing up on Alderan. maybe a scene of Vader on Corsecount and please trim the boring scene of the droids wandering the desert. Keep the revisions coming. I'll buy them.

This really shouldn't surprise anyone. When I heard that they were going to be released as a "DVD extra" instead of on their own, I knew right then it would be a cheap transfer copy. I konw website pundits are saying that the result will be little better than the laserdisk versions from 1993. Well, I was considering buying that version and making the DVD copy myself, and now they're saving me the trouble. Of course it would be better if Lucasfilm made a loving and finely crafted restoration of the original films, but we've known since the release of the "Special Editions" that Lucas hasn't got a clue how much we love the originals or why.

I personally don't see the reason for the outcry over the fact that the original version DVD release won't having all the bells and whistles of the other releases. In fact, I would think that the purists would be happy about this. Note the following:

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....

Is this an attempt by Lucas to sabotage the original theatrical cuts? Is he trying to show that his Special Editions are "superior"? thanks, Erik Bolling

this is george's way of hopefully ending the clamoring for the original trilogy. I'm sure you can tell in his interviews, and why it took a petition for this to get done, that he looks at the old trilogy as an unfinished bastardization of his want. Like it or not, and i don't, the special editions,and don't kid yourself more changes are probably in the works, are the ones he looks at with pride.---but yes it does suck. If your charging money, at least make the disc format proper.

Would it not be great, if has given into fans by this release ( something Lucasfilm said they would not do ) would be to throw in the SW Holiday Special. Im mean, it seams GL does indeed have a weakness for his fans. I think we would all appreciate that as a special feature on that DVD set.

Dear Force Folks,

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).

When will the "fans" be satisfied? The answer is never.
I knew from the moment I heard the details that there would be various ?fans? clamoring together to say he?s just giving a bad looking version of the film. Well no he isn?t, he?s giving you the ?original? version, just how you wanted it.
?BUT?, say the ?fans?, we want the original versions...we just want them to look better. In essence, the ?fans? want Lucas to ?change? the trilogy look the way that they want it too look. I?m sure the most intelligent ?fan? can come up with some rationalization for their hypocrisy, but that?s exactly what it is.
The fact is that every single frame in the current incarnation of Star Wars is a digitally altered shot. The current incarnation of Star Wars is actually an even better print than when it was released in 1977. The ?fans? know this, and yet they can be ok with that, as opposed to any other visual changes that are made to it. Where do they draw the line? The answer is that every ?fan? has a different place where they draw the line, and so pleasing everyone is impossible.
If there is one thing I can understand it?s the fact that it?s a non-anamorphic widescreen release which will ultimately make this DVD set completely inferior not just simply in visual quality, but in technical quality. That *could* be a genuine complaint to take into account.
I?ll be honest though, although I may understand, I can?t sympathize.
By the time enough people are worried about that, Dvd?s will be completely obsolete themselves. Then I?ll be itching to buy my Blu-ray edition of Star Wars complete with Jedi Rocks, and even Greedo shooting first, fully content that the O-OT will probably never see the light of day outside of the bootlegs of some ?fans? secret stash.
I will not by this DVD release. In fact, I will never buy any non special edition release. I don?t much care for the infamous ?Greedo shooting first? scene either, but you know what, Lucas has made it quite clear that that?s the way he wants his film to be viewed. If the Special edition is his ?original intent? that?s the way it was always meant to be viewed. If it?s his ?revision? then that?s how he wants it viewed now. That?s how I?ll buy it, that?s how I?ll view it, and that?s how my children will see it.
The original artist?s choice and freedom to tell the story the way he wants is more important than my own, or any other ?fans?, aesthetic preference.

// Copy of an email sent to Lucasfilm publicity by a fan:

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.

Ill start this by saying I?m a SW nerd like everyone else here, and am outraged by this news.

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 would probably guess that I am one of the few people responding to this article who have actually seen the original films in the theater.

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 find this news fan-freakin-tastic! When I say I want the old trilogy on DVD I don't mean I want the old trilogy that has been restored, I mean I want these movies exactly as they were seen when they came out! I want to see them as my parents did in 1977 and 81 and 85. I am very glad for this news and thank you for sharing it.

This is just silly.

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.

I am a huge Star Wars fan since I was a child. I was born in 77 so I was raised with Star Wars as a part of my life. I never really had much interest in seeing the original versions of the trilogy after seeing the special editions. I realize that there are a lot of people who prefer those versions, but I honestly think that the special editions flow ebtter with the prequels.

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.

Hi Guys, arent you missing the point of the OT DVD release? The whole point is to get the ORIGINAL trilogy, in all its pimply glory. I want to be able to see exactly what i saw in the theaters in 1977,1980, and 1983. If I want a cleaned up version, I'll just watch the special editions.

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?

I just went to starwars.com and clicked on the link (which is at the bottom of their home page) to the story about the dvd release. This is still in the story:

"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!

I just went to starwars.com and clicked on the link (which is at the bottom of their home page) to the story about the dvd release. This is still in the story:

It has been an interesting time to be a Star Wars fan. When I fist heard that the original unaltered versions of the Star Wars Trilogy were to released on Sept 12, I was ecstatic. I called other friends of mine and they could not believe me at first. To us it was as if Hell truly did freeze over. It wasn't the most perfect news, but the fact that it would be in 2.0 stereo sound and be sold together with its 2004 equivalent was only slightly troublesome.

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.

Hi there!

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!

Hello theforce.net,

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 think that's great to see the original Trilogy coming to DVD, but I could care less about anamorphic widescreen, or 2.0 audio. I'm grad to see them get released. I'll buy them, but I got to tell you that they might get one or two viewings. I love the 2004 versions. I think the fans should get a life and move on. That's the way I see it.

I was very excited at first like most to hear about the original theatrical editions of the Star Wars trilogy coming to DVD. However, I have been a fan of these movies since I was very young, grew up watching the trilogy, and I am EXTREMELY disappointed that some of the most loved films of all time are being treated in such a manner. It seems almost unbelievable. First finding out that the originals will be the "extras" discs in the sets, as if that was not enough of a slap in the face, and then finding out they are going to be in non-anamorphic widescreen.

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.

Lucas' passive-aggressive taunting of his fans with this DVD release is incredibly aggravating. Most of the annoying aspects of this decision have been rehashed into the ground, but there are two points which I feel could bear some additional emphasis:

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?

Here is my letter that I wrote to Jim Ward of Lucasfilm:

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

Hi, dunno if someone has already stated this but if you check Apple.com you will find details of what source material Lowry Digital used to clean up the Trilogy for 2004 release, The success of the ?Star Wars? films was such that even the master originals had worn badly. ?If a movie?s a real dog it sits on the shelf, the negative is probably pristine because nobody?s ever touched it,? says Lowry. ?But if you keep pulling that original negative off the shelf to make yet another duplicate, it collects dirt. Just by re-winding it you create static electricity, which pulls everything in. So there was dirt, scratching and a bit of flicker due to age.? Also check here.

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!

I would like to thank George Lucas for giving us Star Wars. It was an important part of my childhood. I love the movies and I always will. But enough is enough. I know they are his movies and his "Vision" (insert sarcastic loathing here), but they are also mine. It would not have been that hard to put the special editions and the originals all on one dvd. And now to come out with this crap is a slap in the face. So George, thanks for the memories, but that's it, I can live without them just fine you bloodsucker!

As for me, I don't think I'm interested anymore. I thought we were going to get the 1977 version that does not have "Episode IV: A New Hope" in the opening scroll. (Please--someone speak up if I'm wrong!) If I understand correctly, it sounds like we're getting the same thing that's on laser disc, and I already have that. I also have the Special Edition trilogy on DVD, so it appears they're not offering anything I don't already have. I might be interested when they release the TRUE original (even though I suppose this is close, perhaps the only real difference being the opening scroll of Ep. IV), even if it's a little grainy or not in digital sound. I am totally with the commenter who said earlier that it also needs some really good bonus features with deleted scenes (e.g. Luke looking up with binoculars to see Princess Leia's blockade runner being captured at the beginning of Ep. IV, if that still exists, and I would assume it does since they were able to put in a scene in the SE of Luke and Biggs talking just before the Battle of Yavin). And...I must admit I would resent having to pay for the Special Edition version AGAIN just to get to a bonus feature that everyone knows should be the feature presentation; it's the only reason to buy it since we already have the SE on DVD. The OT needs to be sold by itself (which should make the price much more reasonable), and as others have said, you just know that's going to happen in a few years, perhaps with digital picture and sound so many are wanting. I'm not gonna get mad at George; he's just not selling something I want to buy, and it sounds like I'm not alone, and he can take the consequences --good or bad--of that business decision.

Remember, we wanted the UNALTERED versions of the films. This reflects the true experience in the late 70's and early 80's. This is more about documentation of a specific period in the film's history (it's origin) rather than home theatre experience.

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.

Well I don't think I can say anything that hasn't been said already, but being a Star Wars fan I'll say my piece anyway. I fall in the group of fans that was born just after ROTJ was released in theaters. So for me remembering the first time I saw Star Wars is like asking me to remember the first time I saw my own mother. Star Wars has always been part of my life. Even though I loved the OT just as it was, I understand Mr. Lucas' desire to improve the movies. Some argue he's not improving them but as for me I like them. Having said that, i was at first excited to hear that the OT was coming out unaltered. Mainly so I can compare the difference between the two versions. The thought never crossed my mind that they would be released without Dolby 5.1, much less withought anamorphic widescreen. My plans for purchasing the OT were suddenly destroyed but I'm not worried. We all know about the marketing habbits of Mr. Lucas so I'm sure he'll come out with the OT again but this time it'll be remastered w/ the quality we know and love. I have to admire George's sense of humor however. He gave us EXACTLY what the fans have been asking for, the OT as originally seen in theaters. Sometimes I wonder if we'll complain when he decides to tinker with the prequel trilogy...

Are we totally sure that this will be a transfer from LD?
The official website posted this information:

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

For what it?s worth, I?m still on the fence about whether or not I?ll buy the circa-1993 OT films on DVD. I signed the petitions, I dreamed that the non-special edition films would be released on DVD some day, and I figured that day would probably never come. When I first heard the announcement, I was 100 percent ready to purchase them. I was EXCITED. I assumed, if nothing else, that they would feature new transfers of the films, and I hoped that we might also see some new bonus features---older featurettes, trailers, possibly even deleted scenes, etc. But, I told myself, it was really about the films. If I could just have good transfers of the original films, I?d be happy. Anything else would be icing on the cake. Then the news hit the net that the transfers being used were the ones created for the 1993 laserdiscs, and the wind was taken from my sails. At the same time, I began to wonder, ?If I had both the boxed edition that was released a couple of years ago and the new DVDs of the circa 1993 OT films, how often would I really watch the 1993 versions?? If the transfers weren?t news ones, why bother? Unless I?m mistaken, we still don?t have a complete list of special features for the DVDs, so I suppose there?s a chance that the bonus items might be of a standard so high that I couldn?t resist buying the DVDs?but I don?t have very high expectations for that outcome.

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?

Friends,

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.

When I first heard about the classic OT being released on DVD, I started hyperventilating. When I heard that they weren't going to be top-notch quality, I was slightly disappointed. But that won't stop me from buying them. You see, I don't own the OT on DVD. I don't like the changes, any of them. I'd rather have the originals. In fact, I bought a used VHS trilogy a little less than a year ago just in case my other tapes broke or wore out. Now that the originals are coming out on DVD, I rejoice. Lucas does listen to us.

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

For years, I have been waiting for a good DVD release of the original trilogy....and I am still waiting. Apparently the fine folks at LFL are either too lazy, or just don't care enough to put out a real definitive set of the original trilogy -- It would not kill them to invest some time and money to provide us a CLEAN and REMASTERED set of the original trilogy -- and I am not talking about the Not-So-Special Editions.... I have enough copies of the trilogy that I don't need another half-asked attempt. I will wait until LFL realizes that the fans who are dumping the money into the empire are those that grew up on the non-SE editions and they deserve the same respect as their cousins.... C'Mon George! We ask so little from you (and Episode 1 prooved that)....

I just want to clarify something for everyone. The 1993 Laserdisc transfer is the same as the 1995 widescreen VHS.

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.

Now, don't think I'm one of those "Oooh, It has the Star Wars logo on it, I must buy" fans. I know what I want, and I buy it. Personally, I have tremendous respect for George Lucas. Not only did he give us Star Wars, but he's continually trying to "improve" it for both himself and us. He just doesn't realize that we thought it was perfect as it was. Now he's making the origianl originals available for us, and we're less than greatful. Sure, it's not fancy shmancy, with anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Digital 5.1 and imrpoved picture, but it's the original version of the movies we all love, and grew up with, in a format that will last a lot longer than your cracked old video tapes. It's not the presentation for me, it's merely that they are there, and I can finally own the originals on DVD. I also have high hopes, as a salesheet I saw said " Original Theatrical Movie Version Plus Xbox playable Game Demo & More! (Disc 2)." I know I will be one of the fans counting down the days till September, you videophiles do what you want. If you think not buying the DVDs will hurt Lucas, well, you're mistaken.

I just can't understand why Lucas hates the original Star Wars so much. It is what got him where he is now. I feel sorry for all the work the original crew's work that pioneered the next generation of visual effects. Lucas has decreed that not only does the movie not exist, but the hard work of his crew no longer exists as well. Since Lucas hates his work so much, is it not fair that he returns all the profits he has earned from his "flawed" work? Should he not return all the awards he has won for his "flawed" work. Since, as he has decreed, they no longer exist?

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

I have to say the whole thing is just a joke - the only reason they are not restored to the high levels of the 2004 editions is because people would then perhaps edit there own versions - this way they can't. It also will be released again in a few years - fully remastered etc - so we have to buy yet again.

Next thing someone will complain about these movies not being in 1080p HD. The very fact these movies are being released at all is good news. It is like Ford bringing back the '65 Mustang, but complaining that there's no DVD navigation system or iPod connection.

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'm really happy Lucas is finally releasing the original Original Trilogy on DVD. I am however, disappointed the Special Edition won't be released on DVD. My opinion is that he should have released all three (DVD, SE, and OT) in a single DVD collection. Have all three editions of ANH, ESB, and ROTJ, on one or two DVDs? With today's technology, I have no doubt that would be possible and in my eyes, it would have been able to please all the Star Wars fan.

The way this is being done it's obvious that Lucas is NOT doing this for the fans. He's just throwing it out there so it won't look as good as the versions he prefers. My friend had told me that the original star wars movies were being sold on dvd and that they were laserdiscs transfers. Supposedly these were on ebay. It looks like Lucas found out and figured he could do the same thing. He could have done this years ago and made the fans happy but no, he said these would never be released on dvd and yet here they are so folks that want them will in effect be paying twice to get the original trilogy. The set we bought cause we were told these would never be released and now this set for those who want the movie the way they first saw it in the theaters. This had to be in the works for awhile otherwise how would Hasbro already have pictures of the exclusive three packs that will come out when the dvds' are released? It's really a shame the way the Star Wars Fan is being treated this year. First the 10 exclusive ugh figures with stickers and silver packaging and silver hologram I mean come on. Could you make it easier for workers and dealers to find these? I've seen more people running to the Star Wars section but they were only looking for the ugh figures nothing else. I wonder how many actually got into the collectors hands? Then the announcement that the original movies would be put on dvd but only as a transfer from laser disc. Whoop-ti-do. Just seems that Lucas does not care about the fans, only their money.

The Original Trilogy of Star Wars on DVD at last!!! Hooray!
But whats all this whining over the picture and sound quality? Everyone saying they won't buy it (them) because it's not what they want, it's not going to be realesed in widescreen or 5.1 sound, whatever.

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.

Well it appears that fans who wanted the "original movies on DVD" got exactly what they (we) wanted. These, in fact, will not be pristine transfers due to the fact that the "original moves" were not all that pristine! These are the ORIGINAL versions- scratches, pops, hisses and all.

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!

Very dissappointed with the "low quality" of the new DVD's. Should be anamorphic and sourced from a digital re-master.

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.")

For those who do not understand the disappointment many of us have in the poor quality and disrespectful treatment of this release: Imagine being told you will be receiving a cake for your birthday. You are normally not privileged enough to have cake but your birthday is a special occasion you have waited for all year. When the time comes, you are presented with a rock hard, 5 year old fruit cake. It?s a cake alright. That?s what you wanted wasn?t it. If you don?t eat this cake, it will be assumed that you don?t like cake and you will never be offered cake again!

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:-(

How can Lucas do something like this I am huge fan of his work and I am very angry at him for doing this not restoring the sound or picture for these original classics. I think if he is going to release something do it right. I was orginally going to buy these but if they are going to be as great of quality as the tapes I already have I think it's a waste of money.

OK, so there were three 2006 releases I was excited about:
Star Trek the Animated Series
The Tick complete series
And the original, un-effed up Star Wars movies.

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 ??????

I've been a supporter of Star Wars for many years. I've bought videos, books, comics, toys, etc. I was a member of the Star Wars fan club for almost 10 years. It was 2 years ago that I realized that I came to a realization that George Lucas is a chisler.
This started when it came time to renew my membership in the fan club 2 years ago. Membership was jacked up 10-15 bucks so I could also get Hyperspace. Big deal! I didn't want Hyperspace! I let my subsciprition lapse.
There are other examples I could give of George Lucas being a chisler. This DVD situation is just another piece of evidence. He doesn't care about the fans. He just sees them as automatons with wallets. "How about buying some more crap?" he says. "OK," we all say like sheep. I think we, as the fans, need to stand up and say "No more!" With all the time and money that we, the fans, have spent on Star Wars, it's as much ours as it is his now. We need to not buy these DVDs at all and send a message to Mr. Lucas that we're mad as hell, and we're not going to take it anymore!

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.

For Christ's sake LUCAS!!! Put the wide-screen 1995 boxed set version on DVD!! It is cleaned up and the sound is great. Plus Han still shoots first and everyone is happy. You made a masterpiece in 1977 and 1980. You began your decent into HELL halfway in 1983 with all those muppets and teddy bears and especially with the beginning of all those poop and fart jokes that you loved to repeat over and over in the remainder of the pieces of crap you dished out with episodes I, II, III. Give me the stuff you did right and you may keep the rest.

Hi, TFN and all STAR WARS Fans.......

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

I am a huge star wars fan and I just wanted to say I will be buying the set for collection purposes only the special edition is the one that will always be watched because lets face it the effects albeit amazing for there time are now 30 years out dated. All those who had to have the original versions and are upset that they are not updating the audio and video quality are hypocritical because if Lucas did adjust the quality of the movie then it wouldn't be the original movie now would it.

For those who are disappointed with the release of the originals, I say" this is what you asked for." I was around in 1977 when Star Wars was released and I can honestly tell you that I am not angry about the "Special Editions". I'm glad that George Lucas took the time to re-work HIS movies instead of someone else. What you will see on these DVDs are all the reasons that George Lucas decided to make the adjustments. I don't understand the grumblings. You wanted the experience of 1977-1983 all over again and here it is in 2.0 stereo and grainy picture. Enjoy. Be careful what you wish for, because you might just get it.

Since I lost my Star Wars OT Set in hurricane Katrina, I have not yet had a chance to replace them. For me, this is the perfect opportunity to buy the original trilogy DVD set, and, as a bonus, get the theatrical release versions as well. I probably would have bought the set anyway, even though they are letterboxed. I've got to believe that they will look better than the laserdiscs.

OH MY GOD! I have never heard so much whining in my entire life!

"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.

Why it is people (including myself) have been begging for the "Original Unaltered Trilogy" on DVD, and when GL finally caves in, they whine about it not being "DVD Quality" ?? When I asked for the Original Trilogy on DVD, that was EXACTLY what I meant - O-R-I-G-I-N-A-L Trilogy. Original - the same way I saw in when I was 6 and my sister dragged me in the theater, kicking and screaming. Original - the way Han shot first, and you could see the glass rod holding up the Falcon as she was tractor beamed into the Death Star. Original, the way Obi Wan's lightsaber dimmed when he held it a certain way, and Vader told him his powers were weak - I thought that was a perfect explanation for the dimming lightsaber effects. Original - the way the movie was when it changed my life forever.

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. :-)

i'm not really sure why people are angry about this. i thought we wanted the originals. i know i do. is the '93 laserdisc version much different from what people saw in theatres in '77?

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.)

Here would be my letter to George Lucas:

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, but no thanks. If Lucas wants to release the O.T. without cleaning them up at all, well, I see no reason not to buy the bootleg DVD's copied from Laser disc. Sounds like they'll be just as good as what Lucas wants to sell us (but for much more). I'll wait until he decides to do the O.T. with cleaned up picture and sound to take advantage of the modern technology he helped usher in. How many films from old have been 'cleaned up', - NOW WITH REMASTERED DIGITAL PICTURE AND SOUND- and you don't hear anyone complain, "oh, it's not like the original with crappy sound and picture quality". We've never had a problem with remastered Godfather, or Jaws or E.T. (except for the guns being removed from the police for walkie talkies). It's like he's mocking us saying 'oh that's what you want, well that's exactly what I'm going to give you. Now quit complaining and you'll see that I was right to fix them" I say fixing picture and sound quality to take advantage of modern technology is different than altering character (Han shoots first) or adding Jabba to the spaceport, or little droids hitting each other on the head while singing a song. I will say to George that the improved space ship shots taking off from Tatooine and Yavin 4 are definitly improvments that took advantage of this technology, but know when to say when, or keep some people around you that WILL say NO to you.

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'.

but those godawful dvd ?photomontage? covers need to be redone. i wish they would use the original art from each movie?s release.

they reek of ?wal-marty? quality.

Dude how lame is that?
Come on Lucusfilm! I say give the fans a break! You're already making us buy it AGAIN! Make it right, make it sweet.

I?m not much of an audio/video-phile so all of this talk about anamorphic vs. non-anamorphic and aspect ratios is completely meaningless to me. As long as I can get the original trilogy in letterbox format I don?t care if the sound isn?t cinema-quality or if a few matte lines are still visible. I was screwed on a bootleg copy a few years ago so to actually have the OT on disc with Lucas Film?s blessing is awesome. I didn?t buy the previous release of the Special Editions (due to my loathing of the re-inserted Jabba the Hutt scene and my inexplicable loyalty to Sebastian Shaw) so I don?t feel like I?m being taken to the cleaners this time around.

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

I keep hearing aobut how it is "HIS" movie.... you couldnt be more wrong. Yes he wrote it, directed it and heck he created STAR WARS. But there is something everyone keeps overlooking.... WE PAY FOR IT, from everything from his toylines to even the DVD releases, it is our dollar that made these movies and keeps george rich, so you know what, no matter how you ratinalize it, STAR WARS is the fans movie not Georges movie. He is ruining our movies so he can get even more of our dollars. and man we must be stupid because we keep buying his crap.

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.

In regards to the transfer...I am disapointed a bit. I will probably pick them up. Well maybe not! I keep thinking now, if they are going to release them in a crumby version...They may end up doing it again in anamorphic!

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.

I am a Star Wars fans that love and enjoy all six movies?all six one of them. Episode III is now something of the past and the fact that I can sit down and enjoy with my kids the entire saga the way Lucas wanted us to see it?is the greatest gift a long time Star Wars fan could have ask ?This was a 30 years in the making gift for us?yes for us ? geeks? ?who grew up dreaming about this fantastic universe ?playing with the Kenner toys ?collecting everything ? Hell I still do!!! By the why for us fan and collectors?it is never about buying everything?it?s about collecting everything ?there is nothing negative about that?not for us. So for me the fact that Lucasfilm is actually releasing on DVD what was suppose to no longer exist ?is another a great gift and a proof that they actually listen to us fan?having those movies as an extra for every fans personnel archive is wonderful. But it?s not like I will watch them all the time, for me and also for a lot of other fans the actual SE-OT are the ones that fits perfectly in Lucas completed saga.

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!!!

How many times have a purchased Star Wars? First in the only available choose years ago, full-screen VHS. Then I bought the THX Remastered Black Box collection, which was beautiful. Finally, like an idiot, I believed Lucas Arts when they said the originals were gone forever, so I bought the Special Edition DVD box-set. And like many, as soon as DVD became available, I wrote and watched listened for anything at all about releasing the originals to DVD, UN-special-editonized, so to speak. I told myself, that's it, no more purchases of Star Wars. Enough it enough. Then the announcement, and boom, I'm hooked again. Until I hear it won't even be up to entry-level DVD specifications. I'm a very budget-minded Star Wars fan. But I want my original film in anamorphic wide-screen. If I wanted a shovel-ware product, I'd just buy a bootleg copy of the originals. Or I'd have the VHS THX black box release burned to a "backup" copy. I guess whoever you are, when you become a Billionaire, you're out of touch with the regular Joe, us, the ones that made it so. I'm not buying this version unless I see anamorphic wide-screen, and the original 6 channel soundtrack. Thanks for nothing George.

If true, George Lucas seems to be honoring the fan request for the original trilogy in the cheapest , laziest way possible. Does he plan to offer them again in the anamorphic version with cleaned up sound down the road? Probably, as part of the set that will include all 6 films in one package! This should be a wake-up call to all of saps that have made him rich all these years!

This doesn't surprise me at all. GL has said that the new versions were his definitive vision and that was the end of the story. I'm sure he sits there in his office and just cannot comprehend why there is a multitude of fans who prefer the original releases, and why everyone just doesn't love his changes.

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.

Once again it's being released. Once again the mindless sheep will go out and spend money on the same thing. BAAAH Sheep BAAAH. He has you so brainwashed and standing in line like lemmings. They'll release this version and then wait until the new DVD format comes and RE-RE-RE-RE-RELEASE it and everyone will line up again to buy it. BUT WAIT, he won't put the special scene in where Luke goes to the bathroom on the deathstar and Boba Fett is in the bathroom and reminds him to wash his hands... AND HE'LL RELEASE IT AGAIN with that special added scene and the SHEEP WILL LINE UP TO BUY IT AGAIN.

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.

I think what a lot of people were expecting when asking Lucasfilm for "The Original" of these movies was the THX Remastered editions that were released on VHS a while back... in other words the original "Cut" of the film, but Visually Enhanced with an improved Sound Track. As a Completist I'd love to have a DVD copy of the Remastered version as well, but as a Purist I'll be happy with the version they are releasing. I for one bought the Definitive Laserdisc version (along with a Laser Disc player) just for that old school experience so it will be nice to have it on DVD without having to change discs in the middle of the movie!

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.

I think Mr Lucas wants people to appreciate how much work has gone into the Original Trilogy. Without his hard work and tinkering they would not be films seen as a modern story, but classics from the 70?s and 80?s.

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?

the fact is we wanted to have versions of the unaltered films and now we've got it we're complaining. the reason the sound is unaltered is that it is original sound and the picture is unaltered because that's what it looked like back then. the fans can't have it both ways. we can't say 'we demand the pure, untainted originals' and then be surprised when we get them. it's ridiculous. all i used to hear was 'we want a piece of cinema history, we need the originals' but apparently not. now we want the latest 5.1 sound and digitally enhanced picture. where do you draw the line? the fact is they're giving us the originals. in fact, is it not true that star wars will be the '77 version with no 'episode iv' tag? (which i think is great...). presumably that won't be from the definitive laserdisc source as that was the later version??? anyway, we've finally got what we wanted - so shut up and be happy.

All I can say is, I am not surprised. I am a huge Star Wars fan, a fascination that takes me to the Action Figure collecting stage of Star Wars. Any Star Wars toy collector could let you know that Lucas has fallen to the Dark Side of capitalism. To make a profit is normal but Lucas has taken in to even further lengths. Repack after repack, Ultimate Galactic Hunt gimmicks, and now this. We all know that in 3 years Lucas will re-release the Original Trilogy with the restoration knowing that fans will buy those as well. This is one Star Wars fan who is one Cantina Han Solo repack away from leaving it all and finding something new. I hear that Battlefield Earth isn't as bad as we all thought. Might have to consider going that way.

Is there a date as to when G.L. will do the restoration of the OT? and then re-re-release it? I think I'll hold out this time for what I want instead of what they are willing to give me.

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

A long time have I waited for this?? and now the disappointment is complete. Cheated is the only professional adjective I can come up with right now to express my utter disappointment with Lucas. I?ve three VHS copies of the originals that I still watch, Han will always shoot first in my world, yet when I heard that the originals were going to be released on DVD I was giddy with excitement. My wife thinks I?m insane purchasing another set of Star Wars DVD?s, and I?m now beginning to think that she may be right. I look at this as Lucas milking the faithful, yet again, releasing what would now be considered sub par quality movies in terms of visual and audio definition merely to silence his fans that have for quite some time clamored for the originals that we grew up with and loved. I?m going to leave it at that before I start to rant and rave, and suffice to say I will not be buying the new ones as much as my heart desires them. The winds been taken out of my proverbial sails and I honestly feel let down by the man, perhaps he?s been consumed by the darkside and will rule his empire in the same Hollywood fashion he?s so long spoken out against; poor quality, little substance, minimal effort, maximum profit.

May the force be with you,

Here is my comments: We as fans as fickle and always unsatisfied. We finally get what we've been asking for, for YEARS and it's still not good enough. To me Lucas gave us EXACTLY what we asked for the films UNALTERED. That means no cleaned up soundtracks no fixing the obvious crappy black boxes around the TIE fighters in space Yadda Yadda Yadda.... I think come September we as fans are in for a rude awakening. When we see how good the cleaned up special editions really are compared to what we remember as great from our childhood.

It all seems like a storm in the teacup to me. These are supposed to be the 'original' and 'unaltered' versions after all.

MONEY MONEY MONEY, It's all about Money. These are the Original Versions, the ones that fans and have been crying for all along. These are the ones that they are getting. Then next year, or the year after, NOW COMING TO DVD - THE TOTALLY NEW REVAMPED ANAMORPHIC VERSIONS OF THE ORIGINAL STAR WARS TRILOGY. THIS IS WHAT YOU ASKED FOR. Then in a few years after that. NOW COMING TO DVD - THE TOTALLY NEW REVAMPED ANAMORPHIC VERSIONS OF THE ORIGINAL TRILOGY - NOW WITH NEWLY ADDED DELETED SCENES. And fans will buy them. This process will keep happening year after year. It's all about the Money.

I must express my disappointment after reading this news. My God, releasing these essential classics after so many years and then doing it in appalling quality is unforgivable. For years Lucas has been laughing in our face by not going the distance for his fans and not releasing the versions we grew up with. Now, when he finally decides to (sort of) listen to the fans, he is laughing in our faces AGAIN by releasing the old LaserDisc releases. I have those releases at home on dvd and must say that although the quality must be a little bit better than what I have, I am still amazed that lucas won't release this in the pristine quality that we are used to on Star Wars DVD's. Aaargh. Will I buy the set? Probably. And that is exactly what Lucas knows better than anyone. We are suckers, that's what we are.

Obviously the people on here who are complaining about the rest of us complaining about the original trilogy release need to clean the ears a bit and learn a few technical terms. I havn't heard ANYBODY say the original trilogy release should have cleaned up special effects, or Dobly 5.1 sound. So drop it. That arguement doesn't hold any water. We are all fine with Dolby 2.0 (or Dolby Surround, as it was know back in the day). We are also fine with the special effects the way they are (were). You need to learn the definition of the terms: ANAMORPHIC or ENHANCED FOR 16X9. What these terms mean is that on a widescreen television, that you are seeing about 33% more resolution, than if they are NON-ANAMORPHIC. This is the STANDARD in ALL DVD RELEASES today. ANAMORPHIC does NOT mean ALTERING special effects shots, or CHANGING the sound format. So, when you complain about our LEGITIMATE complaints, you sound like i diots. Don't enter into the conversation unless you know what is actually being talked about. Thanks.

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.

Seriously, this is pathetic, would people please stop complaining about something we've been asking for since the special editions? You wanted the originals, you got the originals, no questions asked. Course in return you had to give up your precious Anamorphic Widescreen and Dolby Digital Surround, but honestly, is this not the price to pay for such a rare opportunity? I will gladly give up my anamorphics and surround sound for the chance to see Star Wars wihtout anything unecessary, such as the words A New Hope or Episode IV. The lack of greedo shooting first will also be a much celebrated event at my house.

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

I'm thrilled that the original trilogy will be released in it's not so wonderful edition. Fans put the pressure on Mr Lucas to release the original version and that's just what's he's doing. Let's remember that this is the version we fell in love with, so sit back and enjoy the clicks, pops, and white noise that started it all.

I was excited to hear about the original release of the Star Wars trilogy, but after reading that they wouldn't even put half the effort as the first DVD release of the original trilogy (which had many glaring mistakes itself) I was quite disappointed. I know that Lucas said he didn't want to do them, but if they are going to take the time to do them, they should at least make them DVD quality (anamorphic, touch up some of the mistakes in the FXs, ect.). It's sad that LFL is continuously not taking the time to put the OT on DVD like it deserves (withOUT mistakes for example Luke's lightsaber having a GREEN in ANH on the first set of OT DVDs. Come on...if my wife can catch it who isn't a big fan like myself, why can't the people who MADE the film catch it?).

I think it is time that people stop complaining about anything and sit back for a while. Star Wars is released on DVD and altered through and through and everyone complains. and now star wars is released with no changes at all and everyone complains... suck it up people, if you don't like it, go make your own movie, until then let George Lucas do what ever HE wants with HIS movies.

I'm just happy to finally get to own them. I guarantee the version I saw in the movie theater in 1977 had scratches, hissing, and other imperfections. Shame on us for asking for this original version then slapping LFL for not making them up to today's standards. Would it be nice if they were perfect, sure, but he should tread carefully when asking as a fan base for something. Mr. Lucas did not have to give this to us at all. He could have said, nope the SE versions of the film are the new cannon. Live with it.

I totally agree with the Digital Bits in saying that releasing any widescreen DVD in a non-anamorphic fashion at this point in time is TOTALLY unacceptatble, whether it is Star Wars or Caddyshack 2. It is like releasing a computer today with only USB 1.1 ports! Ridiculous. Lucas definitely lost a sale on me with this one.

I can't believe all this belly-aching over the new DVDs. I'll take the "original" Star Wars in any form I can thats easy to watch. I own the Laserdiscs that the DVDs will be transferred from. I'd watch those versions all the time if it was convenient to set up the player all the time.

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).

To Whom It May Concern,

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.

Wah, Wah, Wah!

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 at minimal expense and effort to himself, but can you blame him? Lucas has no interest in those unaltered versions anymore. But he?s putting them out anyway.

Quite frankly, I?m now completely convinced that George Lucas could give $100,000 cash to every person that?s ever viewed one of the Star Wars movies and someone would find a reason to complain that it wasn?t $100,001. If you?re not going to be happy no matter what Lucasfilm does, then don?t buy their products, don?t view their movies, and quit whining. I know it?s fashionable to bash Lucas and Lucasfilm, but you?re not changing anybody?s minds at this point. Everyone who?s decided that ?George Lucas raped my childhood? has already decided, and those of us that enjoy the Special Editions just as much (if not more) than the ?unaltered trilogy? will continue doing so. Just think, if Lucas hadn?t decided to put out the ?unaltered? trilogy in this particular manner, you wouldn?t have anything ?new? to complain about, would you? Heaven forbid the gripers not have any fresh ammunition to gripe with?.

If what people want is the "warts-and-all" original Star Wars Trilogy... they can't complain when what they get is the "warts-and-all" original Star Wars trilogy. What... people don't want the effects altered but the sound and picture quality should be? Double standards? Cake and eat it too? Be grateful your getting what you were told you'd never get.

For people who don't understand what anamorphic is...

For everyone out there who says these are bonuses and should not be released in anamorphic take a look at the bonus disc for the OTC. It is anamorphic and THX certified.

In the age of digital TV's watching these versions with a black box around it is completely unacceptable. As for Dolby 2.0, why would I want to watch it that way than 5.1. Remember George always says his movies should be seen in the best possible state. This is why he recommends calling in and ratting out theatres who do not show his movies in the best form. George I think I will call and complain that the source print sent from you was the main source of the problem.

For those of you who don't own a HDTV and don't understand what an anamorphic transfer is I will break it down for you in simple terms. No Anamorphic means It will not fill your new widescreen TV when you eventually buy it.

Bill Hunt and the folks at the Digital Bits are a standard to live by amongst the DVD community. Their knowledge about the technology and their expectations are bang on. I have been following them for years.

George is a hypocrite and a greedy Hollywood grub and this is the proof. He has complained for years that he would not release the OT until it was in the best possible condition. Now he goes and pulls a stunt like this.

Bravo Mr. Lucas you have just taken the opportunity to prove what we already knew. The fact that you could not track down every copy of the originals, yet make the statement that they no longer existed and had been destroyed make you a liar. You withdrew from the directors guild because you felt you were treated unfairly. I would like to thank you for taking the utmost care in treating your loyal legions of fans with the utmost disrespect.

Guys, I love ya, but the extreme reaction to the "imperfect" re-release of the Original Trilogy is way over the top.

Prior to this year, Lucas had no intention of giving fans the original cuts of his films at all. (Or perhaps he did, but that's the marketing saavy that's made him so rich).

Like it or not, the new editions are the films that he considers to be the definitive versions. He made the damned films...he gets to choose.

Now, finally, we're getting the original product on DVD and I hear whining about the format? It's not like the 1993 laserdisc versions are recorded on vinyl!!!

I happened to own the laserdisc versions at one time and the visual and audio quality simply blew me away. Hell, I was thrilled to own the VHS re-release back in the day.

Let's face it...what we're getting in the fall is far superior to the format that the films were released in back in 1977, 80 and 83 when Dolby sound was almost impossible to find in theaters, let alone THX. The fans long for the nostalgia of the Original Trilogy, but they want all the bells and whistles of the 21st century.

I contend that you can't have it both ways. Or, at least, you shouldn't gripe when you don't get it both ways.

By and large the people writing on this issue sound like a bunch of whining 3 year olds. If you don?t like what is being presented to you for purchase, don?t buy it. It?s the most powerful statement you can make as a consumer.

I really don't see the big deal some people are making about the presentation of the original versions. In 97 the original prints were saved and restored resulting in the Special Editions. The original versions were gone after this process. After years of complaining the Lucas camp is releasing the original versions of the trilogy (basically as bonus features) the only way they can, transfered from the laser discs. People are still complaining that they are not being restored or fixed, the fact is that they have already been remastered and restored in 97 and 2004. A truely unaltered trilogy would be not remastered and does not have a dolby 5.1 track added. Just remember he didn't have to release the original versions or any version of the trilogy on DVD at all. It will be nice to have the original versions on DVD, but people should be happy with what they are getting instead of acting like the Lucas camp owes them.

As disapointing that the news is that the new-old DVDs will not be good quality, I think I'll use the oppertunity to save my money (for once) and wait the year or so before they are released again--which is only a matter of time.

I may, however, still have to splurge for JEDI only to enjoy the "Yub-yub" song in all it's glorious splendor.

Hello,

While I?m looking forward to seeing the original trilogy on DVD, I?m also not surprised that the quality will be lower than people are used to. This is for several reasons, the biggest being economic: Lucasfilm spent money in restoring the movies for the Special Edition and the DVD release already. These are being released despite Lucas? well publicized desires, and since he doesn?t really want to do this anyway, convincing him to spend even more money on more restoration efforts would be difficult. That being said, I don?t think it will be terrible either; the quality will not, I?m sure, be unwatchable. I don?t think anyone has cause to complain about this release that was never supposed to be, no matter what the quality.

Dear TF.N

Like many others I am underwhelmed with the disgraceful attitude that has befallen the OT. It is not just that the films themselves are so beloved, but the shabby and seemingly disrespectful way in which any film in this day and age should be so treated. I feel that the all-too obvious manhandling of the 2004 editions (dodgy lightsabre effects, re-dubbing and worst of all recasting of certain pivotal scenes had already lead the way in which these films would be forever treated).

I shall not be purchasing this new set, and I'm sure many others will join in with my 'idealistic crusade,' until such time as these films (like many others) get the treatment they rightfully deserve.

Kind regards.

I think what people don?t realize (or continue to forget begrudgingly) is that these versions of the films are considered by Lucas ?Incomplete?.

Why put a huge budget together to restore these films BEYOND what they have been done? You?re basically getting what you (The ?purists? who feel Lucas raped your childhood) b*tched and whined about since they put the 2004 set out. The ORIGINAL versions of the films as you saw as a child and yes, they?ll be better then VHS and they?ll look better then they did on Screen and in VHS. You get Widescreen, but not anamorphic, you?re getting Dolby 2.0 sound, but not Dolby Digital 5.1 or better.

Why? Because that type of version of the films just does not exist and would likely cost millions to do so and when you get down to it, Lucas can?t be blamed for it. He?s giving you who asked for these films EXACTLY what you asked for. Period.

Hello,

Thanks for offering the chance to vent about yet again another failure for Star Wars fans. I really don't know where to begin, but I am tired of being fleeced and raped by licensees and companies that just don't care, including Lucasfilm itself. Pop a logo on it and we will buy.

What I really cannot understand about these apparent sub-par DVD's that are coming, is that they are indeed coming from Lucasfilm. This is the same company that pioneered special effects, brought so many advancements to the film process, THX, digital film, etc., and yet George is going to allow a set of DVD's like this to be released.

Although I personally feel that George Lucas has left Star Wars behind him and it's obvious the level of care put into products and merchandise has come to a standstill, it is still unbelievable that such a substandard set of DVD's would be allowed from such a leader in the industry. He doesn't seem to mind milking the cash cow, but won't take care of it anymore.

In the grand scheme of things, what is required to accomodate 16x9 TV's and make these original cuts anamorphic is simply a no-brainer. Matter of fact, it wasn't even a thought that these may not be until the horrible news started to show up. There are SEVERAL forgettable, terrible, and discount-bin films on DVD that have been enhanced for 16x9, and yet Star Wars, the biggest film saga known to mankind, can't even give the treatment to the original cuts? It is an insult.

George, let Lowry Digital Images fix the 2004 editions that were OBVIOUSLY a rushed, half-ass job, and for crying out loud, enhance the original cuts for 16x9. These DVD's as they stand won't even look good on the equipment you have at home.

I'll be honest, I was somewhat disappointed. I'm happy to have the pre-digital versions for nostalgia's sake, but it seems like they're putting out the minimum effort necessary to get something released. I was not expecting, nor do I want, pristine, cleaned-up and re-mixed versions, I want the sort of gritty look that movies of that age display. BUT, I mean, how much work is it to do it right? I'm fine with the grain and 2.0 audio, but come on, it's not that hard to make it anamorphic and just get it right. As the Digital Bits article describes, they could come out with higher-quality source material if they really wanted to.

I'll still buy it, but I'll also remember that it's not quite what we fans were looking for. Hopefully they'll have the cut scenes (more than just the ones in Behind the Magic; I want to see the ROJ sandstorm and the others shown in the Insider a while back) and some special features that will make it worth it.

Hey All,

Just wanted to chip in my two cents on this issue. I too was very excited by this news, originally, and am very disappointed by the news that they will be the same masters as the 1993 Laserdiscs.

I do not want them to make the audio 5.1 or anything fancy like that. These movies were originally mono or stereo, and as such, stereo is just fine for them, in my opinion.

What I do want isd a clean, anamorphic transfer. I don;t want them to clean up the matte lines. I don't want them to remove every tiny scratch (maybe the large, experience-degrading sort, though). I don't want them to alter any of the backgrounds. What I do want, and what I think most people upset about the lack of a new master for these want, is a *clean picture*. Not yellowed whites and dingy colors like even the latest run, best quality VHS versions. I want the transfer cleaned up to restore the colors and clarity of the movie to what it originally was, in theaters. These movies were not as rough and grainy in theaters as they are on the Laserdiscs, and shouldn't be that way on DVD. Sure, this makes the imperfections more notable, but wer loved these movies at high picture quality with those imperfections to begin with.

In summary - don't alter the sound. Don;t clean up the effects imperfections. But do restore the color vibrancy and picture clarity.

I think what Lucasfilm is failing to realize here is a decent-looking version of the original unaltered films that anyone can watch on any kind of television would end the griping (and the bootlegging) once and for all. The only reason anyone owns a laserdisc player in this country anymore is because of "Star Wars." The fact that some people either held onto such old technology or sought it out for three movies should tell them something. I know I'm not just speaking for myself when I say I don't care about the new formats that will be hitting the market over the next few years; if GL releases a DVD version of the OUT that's on par visually and audibly with his 2004 CGI redux, I'll turn a blind eye to the fifty other versions of "Star Wars" that will undoubtedly be released before 2012.

I'm a little confused by the the format that Lucas and Co. has decided to release the unaltered trilogy in. At first hearing that they were releasing it I thought It was just another way to make a buck for the company. But upon hearing they would be transfers from the old laserdisc set I thought what are you thinking? Why give the fans more reasons not to buy them when you have the technology to make them shine? For one why not use the remastered release from 1995. I remember the commercials touting how cleaner the transfer was and even showed split screen shots to prove they looked better. And there is no reason they can't make them anamorphic. The only reason I can see for Lucas to keep these in a standard format is so people don't re-edit the movie using both DVD versions and sell there own bootleg special edition where Han shoots first.

Lucas has three months to fix these problems. If he was a real man of the fans he would spend the extra money to dowhats right, He'll more than make up for it in sales.

Well, It seems that Lucas is true to his word, when he says "unaltered" he means unaltered. Like the last offering of the original trilogy, I will pass and watch my VHS tapes intstead. Also, the price point is way to high at $29.95 SRP. I'll buy a bootleg lazer disc version instead before I would buy these. They would be cheaper and about the same quality. George is just being a d%#* now. I'm about ready to be done with all things Star Wars forever. Star Wars will always remain a fond childhood memory but the current trend of ideas are ones that I cannot deal with. Hey George treat your fans better that what you do. After all you would not be a BILLIONAIRE with out us.

Hi,

I have to say, what lucas and company are doing here are really low. There is no reason why they can't bring the theatrical versions to dvd in good form. All these excuses about they can't find the negatives to the originals, and other nonsense. For a man who prides himself on leading the industry in technology, he's sticking it to us and himself. If lucas wants to lose customers and make people angry, he's sure working hard at that.

I'm a little disappointed to be honest. I can handle the 2.0 sound, and matte lines, because that's what the OOT was. What I don't understand, is choosing to use a 1993 master to produce this set and release is on a non-anamorphic DVD. It reaks of laziness. What some fans don't understand is that having an anamorphic transfer, which is the standard of DVD releases, is not changing or cleaning up the OOT. It simply gives you the most resolution possible , and an experience more closely resembling that of seeing the movie on a theatre screen. If anything, having an anamorphic transfer would make these movies look closer to what was on the screen in 1977, 1980, and 1983. And even if they did go and clean up the source material, that is not altering it. A lot of fans are saying to stop whining about this. He (Lucas) is giving us what we wanted. I disagree. He's giving us his inferior, lack luster version of what we wanted. I and many fans wanted the unaltered trilogy presented in the highest quality possible while still being the unaltered trilogy. What Lucas is "giving us" is not even standard quality. And don't even get me started about having to buy the 2004 discs again. Raiders of the Lost Ark was "unaltered" and cleaned up, restored, and given the anamorphic treatment. Why not Star Wars?

I find it ironic that the people who have been complaining for the UNALTERED versions of the OT, are the same people that are now complaining that Lucas will not ALTER them to look and sound better. Most of the restorations in the SE came from the fact that Lucas wanted to do them originally but did not have the technology to do so. Now, people want him to use that technology to make the film look better on DVD, but not use it to add scenes or effects. Who decides what can be changed and what can't? Lucas cannot possibly please every Star Wars fan.

I am 26 years old and have been in love with Star Wars since before I can remember. I remember seeing ROTJ in the theater when I was very young. I have seen the unaltered OT on VHS more times than I can ever count. Ever since the SE was released, I have watched these versions every time since. The new effects and scenes are a vast improvement over the originals. I understand that many fans who have been around much longer than I have, remember watching the original Star Wars in the theaters and are very passionate about the way the movies looked originally. Many people have different opinions about how the OT should be seen and what should and shouldn't be changed. Lucas does not have the time/money/effort to get input from EVERY fan and keep changing the OT accordingly. He will never be able to please everyone and so he does his best to make the films that HE loves. Remember, we were the ones who fell in love with his movies in the first place and over time we will grow to love the SE as well. Thankfully, Lucas has now given us the chance to re-live our past and see the movies as they were ORIGINALLY seen several years ago.

The Hong Kong bootlegs of the original trilogy laserdiscs are probably just as good quality as these DVDs. Thanks, guys.

I'm really tired of the fanboys whining about the fact that the new Star Wars DVDs will not be 'anamorphic' widescreen and Dolby 5.1. Have you people forgotten that we went 20 years with only VHS??????? You go too far in wanting perfection (obsessive perfection, which is a clinical disorder, fanboys, look it up.) and forget that the whole point is, we wanted the originals on DVD, preserved forever. And that's what we're getting. My ears work just fine for Dolby 2.0; they always did. And my eyes might notice the matte glitches and such since the films won't be restored the way they are with the Special Editions, but so what?

As a child I loved every single frame of these movies, regardless. Are you people saying you PREFER the tooled-with editions? I liked the restoration and some of the added scenes for the SE, who didn't?

But what gave me a lifelong love of film in the first place (as well as a lifelong obsession with Star Wars) was that film, Star Wars, complete with vaseline-fudged landspeeder scenes. Complete with matte glitches and regular old Dolby 2.0. Life is not perfect. Neither are these films.

I'll be buying the Original Trilogy on DVD come September. I love the Digital Age and I love the best quality in films. I'm glad there are filmmakers out there like George Lucas and James Cameron who care about the best sound, picture, and advancements in technology for films. But enough is enough! I grew up with blurry antenna instead of cable. I grew up with laserdisc, then VHS, then DVD. I grew up with Dolby 2.0 stereo sound. My life was not wrecked because I did not have THE BEST PICTURE AND SOUND EVER! All of this push toward digital upon improved digital and HD is one of the biggest marketing scams in history. I know because I work for a company that promotes all of this stuff. We have become spoiled sick when we gripe over a DVD. Honestly!

That's why we should love them. Even with small imperfections, they're the best films ever.

I think people are making way too big a deal out of this. The originals are coming out on dvd finally! Anamorphic or not, they will still look better then any home video release of these films to date. I for one am happy, and will be picking my copy of the trilogy up bright and early on 9/12.

With details surfacing on the Setember releases of the original versions of the Star Wars trilogy, I'm perplexed. Having bought the 2004 box set, I was very much pleased with the picture and sound quality. I still wasn't that bothered with the changes that came with the special edition release (save for putting Hayden in Return of the Jedi), and like many others thought Lucas would never release the original versions on DVD. Upon first hearing of the news that he is actually going to release them on DVD, I thought it was pretty good news and considered selling my box set because these new releases are to include both the original and special edition versions. Now hearing the discouraging news about using the laserdisc transers from 13 years ago, along with 2.0 surroung and non-anamorphic widescreen, I think I'll keep my 2004 box set. It's a trade off, really. The special editions will have superior sound and picture, as where the original versions won't.

If I had to choose, I'd go with the non special edition versions, but maybe if these releases were to be cleaned up. This is just one fan's opinion.

Good morning,

When I first read about the OOT (Original Original Trilogy) DVD release, I, like many others, was off-the-wall excited. Finally, a chance to see the movies the way I remember them from my childhood. And when I read these were nothing more than glorified '93 laserdisc transfers, I was understandably very disappointed.

Deep down, part of me is relieved to have any form of the unaltered OT in my collection, and it's a good reason to get rid of my bootleg OT (which happens to be a transfer of the '93 laserdisc set). That said though, it would have been a true marvel to see these movies in their better looking, better sounding formats. I've always enjoyed the Special Edition trilogy, and the DVD edition as well, but it's always been frustrating to not have a similar quality OT set.

With about 850 DVDs in my collection, I have a great many movies in duel editions. Lord of the Rings both in theatrical and directors cuts, Hellboy, Sin City, Alien(s) and many others. And why do I own both?

Because sometimes I want to watch the film I saw in the theater, and sometimes I want to watch the film as it "was meant to be seen". With all the dual editions I own, each version is always in comparable quality to it's recut version.

I think more than anything else, this has really cut deep into my trust for the Lucasfilm brand. Even though I would have bought the Special Edition DVD release anyway, when I did buy it, it was under the assumption that we'd never have the opportunity to own the OOT on DVD. Through careful wordplay and slightly bending the truth, Lucasfilm's PR team played out the situation to sound like absolutely no version of the original theatrical releases still existed, and no other version would EVER be released on DVD. Now we have news of the impending release of these laserdisc transfers.

I tried to have faith in Lucasfilm, but I've thrown most of my trust for them out the window. I wont be surprised in the slightest when they announce Episodes 7,8 and 9, or when they release the OOT on HD-DVD or BluRay, in superior quality (because by some miracle, they were able to track down quality transfers of the original movies, but tracking them down was only made possible by funding received from DVD sales of the latest release). And of course, aren't we about due for a Prequel Special Edition trilogy? Here's their chance to win me back though: When the Special Edition Prequels come out, replace Jar Jar with a less crappy character.

I am so sick of all the BS on the release of the Original Trilogy on DVD. It's Lucas's masterpiece not ours (fans) if you don't like the changes made, well...too bad. I happen to think the changes are great and dont wish to see a less than pristine copy of the movies. Its stupid that all these people are boo hooing about not having the OT in its unaltered state, I say, so there, servers you right for not adjusting to CHANGE. now you finally got what you wanted, a badly edited, poor picture/sound, just like the seventies, thanks for keeping up folks, don't let the 21st century hit you in the ass on the way back in time. The version of the OT as they are not is as best as they can be, regardless of Han shooting first. Lucas didn't want to portray the smuggler in such a cold light so the change is, in the end, his to make. Such a fuss. Just enjoy the movies or go watch something else. Lets have enough of this relentless blather about which is better, The films are shown any way that the creator/ artist wants them to be. period.

No thanks... I'll stick to my VHS copies.

This is all just George Lucas' evil plan. I think that beard-o is either planning on?

a. Putting out these crappy versions of the original movies so that people and more to the point, HIS FANS will once again indeed be disappointed and annoyed. When they don't sell, he can then say, "see, they did not sell. I told you everyone want's the new versions!" and he can go on pretending that they never existed.

b. He is going to put these out and after HIS FANS run out to drop more money down his pocket he will then eventually re-re-re-release cleaned up anamorphic versions of them as they should have been all along in this day and age and have bent us all over once again.

Either way he wins and once again his fans take another Jar Jar in the thermal exhaust port. I am so sick of his furry face, gobble neck, flannel wearing, money making schemes. I use to respect him, but now realize he is basically a one or two hit wonder hack who thinks of nothing but money! He can stick his movies. All ten variations of it.

I personally am not buying them and adding to the pile of many variations I already have. We as fans just need to make sure that HE understands why!

Lucas will release this poor quality version and I bet next year for the 30th anniversary they'll re-release them on HD or Blu-ray completely restored and cleaned up. I'm peeved about it, which is why I won't buy them. I'll rent them and burn copies then wait for a suitable release that's worth my cash.

Quit whining. Everybody pissed and moaned that they couldn't get the original version, now that they're getting exactly what they asked for, it's not good enough all the sudden. Nobody's forcing you to buy it, so take or leave it and shut up about it.

Quite Frankly, all of the complaining about this release disturbs me. For ages, George Lucas has stated how he doesn't even want the original versions of this movie to be seen any more. As they are his creation, it was his right to feel that way. For years and years, certain fans complained and hammered him for this decision. They went on and on about how the pre-special-edition movies would not be able to be seen in their homes forever, as they only had videotape versions, which were wearing out. They yearned and begged for the old versions of the movies on DVD format.

George Lucas had no obligation to do this for these people, but... Finally, he gave in and is offering a more permanent, digital version of those same 1993 pre-special-edition films on DVD. But, this still isn't good enough. People are demanding perfect quality, thoroughly restored and enhanced masters of the old versions of these movies. But, here's what people fail to realize: The pristine look of the special edition DVD's is due to a huge financial investment by Lucas and a long time of work put in by Lowry (among other groups). They physically painted out scratches, dirt, and imperfections off of each frame of each movie. They re-mixed and mastered the visuals & sound. That was an enormous undertaking. What makes people think that Lucas would make that same investment again for old versions of 3 movies that he has repeatedly said that he doesn't even want people to see any more? I don't feel that he should have to.

Furthermore, "Purists" claim to only want versions of the movie which haven't been altered in any way. If "purists" really want to be able to see the movie how they originally looked, then they should realize that this is technically what they're getting. In fact, the original Star Wars had a monaural (non-stereo) soundtrack. In some ways, these 1993 versions aren't even the original versions of the three movies. To expect pre-special-edition versions of the film, BUT with better looking color, improved clarity, and a better soundtrack tells me one thing... many of these people don't really want the "true original versions" as much as they want versions that don't remind them of the prequels. To claim to want unaltered original versions, but then demand visual and audio enhancements is hypocritical (in my opinion).

Finally, FAR LESS than 1% of all screen time in these 3 films contains visuals that differ from the orginal, original trilogy to the 2004 DVD release. And most of it changes absolutely nothing which impacts the story, motivations, or major plot points.

We wanted the originals, we are getting them with the blue lines around the Rancor and the mess up light sabers. I would not want them any other way, hooray! for Lucasfilms. I will be there at midnight to buy my DVD's and deluxe action figures.

Im Sure Lucas will not realease anything bad. Hes a bussiness man and he depends on us to buy stuff as we depend on him to make great stuff. I think the dvds will be fine, because george knows that if we wanted bootleg quality we'd go buy a bootleg! And Personaly im buying the full screen set so this anamorphic bussiness means nothing to me.

We asked for the originals... thats what we are getting.

TF.N,

Looking at the release plans for the original trilogy I find that I have little complaint. In fact, I am amazed that people are whining that they're NOT in 7.1 surround, restored, letterbox or whatever other whistles and bells the Special Edition or DVD versions (which let's not forget, are included in this 2 disc set) have on them.

Don't forget, Lucas was adamant that these versions would never be released, and has backed down to huge fan pressure (and undoubtedly enormous profits on a limited DVD release that every sane Star Wars fan MUST own). Online petitions have been on the net for years about such releases - it seems a bit rich now to complain about a lack of 21st century-quality extras. I own the 1993 laserdisc set. It's fantastic, and a DVD release of that very set is perfect for what this set demands. The original versions of the three films, not the remastered late 90's versions. I WANT to see the grainy picture, hear the stereo sound, see the garbage mattes around the TIE fighters. That's the Star Wars I was raised on, the Star Wars I watched 100 times as a kid.

Just my thoughts, I blogged on the official site bemoaning the lack of a video release of Sith, in order to complete my video collection of the six films. I was flamed for it, but lo and behold, a few months later I bought a VHS copy of Sith for my collection. I'll likely never watch it, but that's not the point.

It seems that finally, truly, Lucasfilm are listening to the audience, and I couldn't be happier. Saying that, I wish they'd used the original poster art for the DVD's instead of the photo montages, especially the Revenge of the Sith Vader image on the Empire DVD cover. That's just wrong...

This is the final nail in the coffin of my disillusion. Lucas evidently feels a bizarre loathing towards his original work and the circumstances which created it. It is important to view Star Wars within the history of cinema and understand what its technical innovations were at the time. Anyone who sees it now in its current 'definitive' form will only find computer graphic visual goop mixed in with traditional model effects -- an artistically unmotivated combination.

Why doesn't Lucas simply re-shoot the original trilogy? Even though no one will see it, he can put his anxieties to rest about making the definitive version and rewrite history for his own sake. After all, he only seems interested in his own opinion on the matter anyway.

Just wanted to offer my 2 cents...

As with most of the posters here, I have to agree. It is absolutely shameful the way Lucasfilm treat their own films. Not just the forthcoming 'original' release - just look at Luke's green saber in last years ANH, or Vaders pink/orange/red saber from ESB/ROTJ - mistakes very easily corrected. And the sound for ANH dialogue was terrible!

So now, 2 years on from one shoddy release, comes another. I already have copies of the theatrical cuts - done by a fan - from the 2004 DVDs. These were painstakingly reconstructed from the DVDs and the Laserdiscs and are fantastic - even down to re-inserting the original backdrops in Bespin, in the same quality as the DVDs. So if one person on a home PC can do it, why cant Lucasfilm?????

Disgusting.

And to the poster who thought we were dragging him and Lucasfilm 'through the mud' - its because we care. Its love, in point of fact.

Rant over :)

I read your article "Don't Make Assumptions" and was quite shocked. Is Lucasfilm _trying_ to alienate its fans with this release? They took something the fans have been asking for for many years (the original trilogy in its original format) and decided to release it. BUT they choose to do it in the worst possible format. Unremastered, when they have to have restored prints available from putting the Special Editions together; you can't put in high quality special effects if the rest of film is of poor quality. Pan and scan, instead of the entire movie.

Then they charge a premium price for the set: $60 for all three together is the _reduced preorder_ price, when the Special Edition trilogy set (a much higher quality product, even if most fans don't like the content as well) often sells for less than $50. The visual quality and format (unrestored, unletterboxed) is the quality of a DVD you find in the $4 bin at Wal-Mart, yet Lucasfilm is charging a minimum of $20 per movie.

I am a diehard fan. I have the Special Edition trilogy on DVD already, and if the Original trilogy were going to be in a decent quality and letterboxed, I would gladly pay the $60 to get them as well. As it is, however, I'm not going to spend that kind of money for poor quality crap; given the discrepancy between the price and the quality, I'm sorely tempted to download it and burn it to DVD myself as a form of protest. I want people who make movies/tv shows I like to make a hefty profit so they will keep making the things I like. But there's a difference between making a profit and price gouging, and Lucas has crossed the line on this one.

The announcement to release the Original Unaltered Star Wars trilogy was certainly very exciting news when we heard it because a lot of people's wishes were granted. However, as time went by, people began to compain about many things, starting with having to buy the 2004 versions again, followed by their dislike towards the new covers (which I really like by the way), and now the big discussion about the movies being released in letterbox format.

Although it's not exactly the best reception LucasFilm could have had to giving the fans what they wanted, the fans are fully entitled to their opinions, and in some cases, their opinions are very justified.

If it was up to me, I would work hard to give the fans what they want, because now that the theatrical Star Wars is over, it should be left on a positive note, not a war of fans vs. LucasFilm.

The release of the O-OT should be done in the highest quality possible, because that's what LucasFilm means to a lot of people; quality. This means letterbox format should be out of the question.

Secondly, my biggest buff is with the re-purchase of the 2004 DVD version. I don't want to have two copies of the same, flawed, version of the original trilogy. This is where I think LucasFilm should be putting most of their effort right now. They should be analyzing the orignal trilogy as well as the prequel trilogy to fix up all graphical mistakes, bad dialogue, plot errors, and all the other things that lower the quality of the Star Wars saga. After this process is done and a "final edition" is created for all six movies, an edition that is incomparable in terms of quality, this version should be released to the public along with a high quality unaltered theatrical version of each film.

With this high quality boxed set on the market, LucasFilm would have satisfied the fans and left the Star Wars saga on a very positive note. This way, whenever somebody remembers Star Wars, they would have this amazing boxed on their video rack, and they would remember these days with a smile.

Quite frankly, it's more than frustrating. It's infuriating.

Ever since I got my DVD player, I've been waiting for these movies, as has probably everyone who loves not only Star Wars, but cinema in general. I'm not going to debate the issue of Unaltered vs. Special Edition, because that's been done to death. For me, it's never really been about OOT vs. SE. It's been about having the choice. This release, however, is not about giving fans a choice. Comparing the SE DVDs to the OOT discs is like apples and oranges. It's an issue of product quality at this point. The format is DVD. Not laserdisc, not VHS. For a company like Lucasfilm (who seems to be forward thinking about every other technology in cinema) to release this substandard transfer on an unsuspecting public seems not only disingenuous to the fans, but a step back in what has been a progressive push for better cinematic experiences, both in the theater and the home.

Shame on Lucasfilm for thinking that there's no audience for this release. Even "niche" releases, which sell small runs, have the industry standard of anamorphic widescreen and at least decent quality transfers. It's shameful that marketing drives what should be one of the most heralded releases EVER on DVD. Even with the advent of high-definition discs on the horizon, DVD won't be dead for at least another 10 years. Give us a DVD package that we can point to and say, "Here's a company that cares about its fans. Here's a company that understands that people want to honor the history of film." Don't just slap a transfer that's over 10 years old onto a disc and say, "Here, kids, this is what you wanted, enjoy," and then when people don't buy it say, "See? You never wanted it in the first place!"

As excited as I got when they announced this, I honestly don't think I'll buy it now. Yes, I may be buying in to some clever plot by Lucasfilm to shuffle the OOT under the carpet, but at this point I think the DVD I can create in my mind's eye would be better than this DVD on a TV screen.

I am extremely disappointed with what appears to be sheer laziness and greed on Lucasfilm's part. I waited a long time for a release of the Original Trilogy on DVD. Then, in 2004, they delivered. Somewhat.

Instead of the beloved classic I had grown up with, I was, to put it best, tricked into settling for the "Special Edition" release from 1997, low quality CGI and all, including the now infamous "Greedo shoots first" edit. Then, earlier this month, I learned that a release of the original, unaltered version would be available this fall. I was overjoyed. Finally, I assumed, I would be able to view the series, in its original form, in a high quality presentation. It did not matter to me that the version would be packaged with the same DVD edition I had purchased earlier.

Or, at least, that is how I originally responded. Today, I read the article both on theforce.net and thedigitalbits.com, and what I saw deeply saddened me. To think that the film will go without being remastered, without sound enhancing, or even anamorphic widescreen is appaling, to say the least. Now, the DVDs appear to be little more than an attempt by Lucasfilm to cheat their loyal fans out of another $60.00 before the inevitable 2007 release, and the equally inevitable high-definition release.

Because of these developments, Lucasfilm can count on having $60.00 fewer come September.

As far as I'm concerned, the recent Special Edition DVDs are the true versions of these films, and in fact I look forward to extended versions of all six films in an "Archive" (or Ultimate) Edition DVD box set in 2007. That said, I'm willing to purchase the original trilogy if for no other reason than the nostalgia factor. That said, I own a 16x9 widescreen TV and have no use for letterbox films. Anamorphic widescreen has been the industry standard for years and there's simply no reason LFL shouldn't release them as such. I'm not one to jump on the bandwagon of complaining internet fanboys, but this time I have to agree with them and will not purchase these films if they remain letterbox. If you're going to do something, do it right or don't do it at all. It's simply not worth the ire of the fan community that this issue is raising. I have a measure of faith that LFL will see the reasonableness of this and take the proper measures to rectify the situation.

I'm writing about the OT on DVD. While I am disappointed over what seems to be another case of 'make a buck' laziness from Lucasfilm (like hawking the Attack Of The Clones 'Droid Control Ship' deleted scene as a major selling point, and then including it as a poor, extremely lackluster work-in-progress that didn't receive nearly the attention the restored deleted scenes on the DVDs have,) I must say I have to laugh: for years, we've been clamoring for the unaltered original trilogy on DVD without changes, 'just the way it was.'

Well, the joke's on us... that's exactly what we're getting.

THEDIGITALBITS' editorials about how the SW original trilogy should be presented on DVD have echoed my sentiments perfectly! I hope to God that Lucasfilm has read them, and will act on them. When Robert Harris claimed that the OST can be properly restored and rescontructed to look steller on dvd I shed a tear! There is nothing I would want more than to see these versions reconstructed and restored by Robert A Harris with all dirt and scratches removed. IT SHOULD BE DONE. IT CAN BE DONE! If Disney can take a nitrate film like Bambi from 1942 and present it on dvd like it currently is, with nary a dirt or scratch than so can Lucasfilm with SW! Those 1993 laserdisc masters were pathetic, for even back then. If we fans are to be subjected to those, then I will NOT be buying those new dvd's.

Lucasfilm, hire Robert Harris to restore the original trilogy to its full brilliance in anamorphic widescreen, free of all blemishes!!

George, You can afford it, just DO IT!

May the force be with you,

After reading some of the comments, I'm rather dissappointed in some of the fans.

This was a rather sudden announcement, did you really think George Lucas was going to spend thousands of dollars to clean up the original versions just to appease the fans?

I wanted the Unaltered Original Trilogy--not a different version of the Special Editions.

People buy dvds of old movies all the time that aren't updated at all, with MONO audio and really bad video and still like them. That's the nostalgia of it all. That's why it's being released in this way at all. If you want the new quality without the effects--OK, shut your ears and close your eyes whenever you see it on your special editions---but this version is for the people who want to experience it as it was originally--not your "Oh my god! I can't take all of the CG scenes!" DVD edit. If you feel really bad, then consider that this probably won't be very expensive--maybe like $9.99 for one of them--Buy it, don't, or buy it and take it back. Don't be so dissappointed.

I, for one, am thrilled about the upcoming OOT release, regardless of the restoration issue.

Look:

(1) Lucas has said he doesn't want these versions out there anymore. I believe him. Now we can debate about whether he's changed his mind for the fans or for the money (and really, do you think he needs the money?), but the fact is, *he's changed his mind*. This is what so many of us said we wanted.

(2) Yes, we have the original laserdisc versions, but laserdiscs are more subject to deterioration, and they only play on equipment that is outdated and fast becoming irreplaceable.

(3) The original versions of these movies actually were in stereo, not in 5:1 surround sound. I don't want my black-and-white movies colorized, and I don't want my stereo movies sourround-ized.

Would I prefer it if the picture were cleaned up so that it looked as sharp as the 2004 DVD releases? Sure.

Would I like it to be in anamorphic widescreen? You bet.

Will I drop $60 for the OOT on DVD even if it's not perfect? Is a Hutt slimy?

Hello all,

Well, what should have been (and started out to be) great news for fans of the original theatrical versions of the classic Star Wars trilogy just seems to be going from bad to worse.

I wasn't crazy about the fact that we would be forced to buy the Endlessly-Tampered-With Edition on DVD (yet again, for those of us who already have it) if we wanted official copies of the original versions on DVD, but I was perfectly willing to do so if it meant having nice, clean DVD copies of the original edits.

Then the fine print started in... the picture quality wouldn't be up to the standards of the 2004 ETWE release. Okay, no worries there. Personally, I thought that much of the picture quality and color correction of the 2004 DVDs looked like hell (particularly on the original Star Wars) and was just fine with a clean DVD copy of whatever re-mastering job was done for the THX LaserDisc set that came out in the mid-'90s. Surely they'd at least be giving us something of that quality, right?

Now it's starting to sound like it might not even be up to that standard, and is instead something along the lines of the LD set which was released in 1993. Okay, fine... but a nice new DVD transfer of even those masters would probably suit me okay.

But then, sadly, came the deal-breaker.

The Theatrical Versions of the Original Trilogy... will be released in a non-anamorphic format.

And here we come to the heart of the matter for me. If Lucas didn't want to spend the money and time to clean up the picture on these, fine... but WHY on earth put out DVDs which don't even rise to the level of basic industry standards? Anamorphic widescreen has been the standard since about 2000. It's not just some geeky technophile thing that a handful of people will notice. With HDTV becoming more and more prevalent and widescreen HDTV forming a large part of that, an awful lot of people are going to notice if LFL puts out a non-anamorphic transfer of these Theatrical Versions.

The specific problem that I have with this is, I have a widescreen television set, and as with all widescreen TVs, it requires the coding of anamorphic widescreen in order to produce an image that fits the screen. Otherwise the picture will either be stretched out horizontally, or else it'll be grainy as hell if I use the "zoom" setting.

Bottom line, if these DVDs do come out in a non-anamorphic format, then they will be utterly useless to me.

I would urge LucasFilm LTD., in the strongest possible terms, to reconsider releasing the theatrical versions of the Original Trilogy in a non-anamorphic format. I don't think it's all that much to ask that these DVDs rise to the least of the current industry standards, and be viewable on a widescreen television set.

I love star wars. the prequel trilogy not so much. I did grow up with star wars. I was two years old when a new hope was released. I have spent a lot of money on star wars. I deserve quality merchandise in return. I think george should love his fans just as much as his fans respect and love his movies. I will not be duped into buying another box set after this box set. I want a complete version of the original trilogy, treated with respect that it is due. Not raped and pillaged like the special edtions. I liked that the original trilogy was restored and "cleaned up" as it were. I beg george to please reconsider his decision to do his fans over once again in favour of revenue making. Please remember george, you are going to make even more money from us with your upcoming television series. I can't wait to see what you have in store.

Good luck whatever you decide....

I guess it's an age thing, anyone born in the 'New Era' wouldn't 'get it', and that's not meant to sound condescending, just an observation. If you were raised on the Special Editions, or late-era video copies which were of good quality, and then the DVD's, you honestly wouldn't appreciate the thrill of getting the originals in their true versions on DVD. Just my thoughts, I blogged on the official site bemoaning the lack of a video release of Sith, in order to complete my video collection of the six films. I was flamed for it, but lo and behold, a few months later I bought a VHS copy of Sith for my collection. I'll likely never watch it, but that's not the point.

To whom it may concern:

I am writing to you to please reconsider releasing the O-OT on DVD in September in Non-Anamorphic Video. 99% of the DVD's released on the market by every company are anamorphic for two reasons: They can be watched at the highest possible resolution, and they can fit perfectly on a widescreen TV without losing 1/2 of the TV screen.

Many fans have waited years for this release, and Star Wars has always been about the highest quality of anything on the market. I just don't understand the decision of this, cause it will be inferior to any DVD that is out there.

With all due respect, I will not be buying this DVD set because I feel these will not be any better than my Laserdisks of the movies I have had for years. I want to buy this so bad, and I know so many people that want to also, but I just feel the low quality of this release is not worth the money.

When it comes to the quality of the original unaltered trilogy on DVD, I would expect at least the 1995 THX-mastered edition quality; the same I have on laserdisc. I think that the sound should be on par with the current DVDs, as well as the restoration. It is not the grainy quality and 2.0 sound that people want; they want the original story without the additional SCENES. This is almost insulting, coming from George Lucas: he is simply taunting us. "You want this!?!?!? Go fetch!" and after all the money that we have all spent on all the stuff he has licensed, the multiple revisions of the movies, and all the various movie releases, he shows no respect for the fans' wishes, who have helped him build his enormous media empire. He is about quality, and he is supposedly about preservation of old films; why can he not make a decent compromise in this situation? This is really not paying due respect to the fans' requests. Again, it is the original scenes that we want; not the original quality. This is cheap and insulting of him. And while we're at it: why aren't the DVD cases the original VHS artwork from the eighties either? This new covers pale in comparison....

I hope Lucas and Co. can show a little more respect when this set is debuted. No one wants a below-quality DVD when it can be made otherwise.

A small group of fans have whined for years about not getting the original versions on DVD. They've dragged Star Wars and George Lucas through the mud and the rest of us just had to be quiet and take it. Now they're getting the DVD's and they're still complaining. It's unbelievable.

I am very pleased to see that TFN is being active in this sham being perpetrated by Lucasfilm. Kudus to you guy for caring.

The news that the OOT was coming to dvd was probably the most exciting home video news i've ever heard, and from the sounds of things it looked like we were getting a new transfer from the original print of the actual 1977 version, complete with the original soundtrack.

The news about the reality of the situation was more shocking to me than the original announcement.

I really cannot believe that this is happening. I really cannot fathom why Lucasfilm would do this--theres just no good reason. It really is baffling.

I hope Jim Ward has enjoyed his run in the home video industry because his reputation just went down in flames.

It almost seems like Lucasfilm is going out of their way to screw consumers.

Consider this: In 1993, the original negative of the Star Wars was restored in preparation for the Special Edition. It was washed by hand, cleaned of dirt, had some of the deteriorated pieces replaced by new prints and was restored to its former glory. This was then given over to ILM to add the CGI additions to. You see what that means:

There is a fully-restored 35mm negative of the OOT just sitting in the Lucasfilm archives gathering dust. It is as good as the quality we saw in theaters in 1997--which is to say, incredibly good.

Price to do a new scan that can be used for both SD and HD releases: well under a hundred grande. Thats hardly an investment for the deep pockets of Lucasfilm when you consider the monumental importance of this act.

If Lucasfilm actually bothered to put an effort into this they would do that. Its what every old film that has been released on dvd has done.

Godfather, Raging Bull, Dog Dag Afternoon. All in fantastic, sharp, pristine new transfers that were taken from the original prints. Its standard practice.

But instead we get a 1993 Laserdisk transfer. You when the last time i heard of that happening? In 1999. When most of us were still watching dvd tapes and the prequels hadnt even come out yet.

A non-anamorphic, laserdisk master with stereo sound. The picture will soft. The colours may bleed. Those with widescreen televisions will hardly be able to stand watching the tiny, fuzzy image.

This is a piece of junk. What is the point of releasing it? I have my Laserdisk transfers already. This release has no reason for existance.

Should we "shut up and be thankful" for this release, as some ignorant fans have recommended? I dont think so. We are not being unreasonable. The reason we wanted the OOT on dvd was to take advantage of the dvd quality. Lucasfilm might as well be giving us a VHS transfer.

I will not be buying it and hope everyone else boycotts it as well. Its a disturbing move by Lucasfilm whom i have always trusted to give fans care and quality product--this time they have done something so horrifying that i may never trust them again.

I have written numerous letters to Lucasfilm and Jim Ward, as have thousands of others. I think this needs to be stopped and companies know that they cant get away with this kind of swindling.

Thanks for putting this on the main page TFN. Keep it there. Theres still many months ahead--its not too late for change. Lucasfilm can easily get the original print, scan it and transfer it to dvd--its not very complicated.

I don?t understand the disappointment of so many people about the announcement of the format of the Star Wars DVDs coming out this fall. Even before the original trilogy was released on DVD, fans of the original format claimed to be so desperate for the films in the original theatrical presentation that they would take them in any form. Now they are getting them and they are still upset.

Lucas couldn?t win with this release. By releasing them in the format announced, he has invoked the ire of those that are mad that they won?t be in a format that is standard for today. Yet, if he could make the improvements, there would be plenty of fans that are mad that they don?t look the way they did when they were originally released.

I?ve seen all the films during their original theatrical releases. I?m buying the DVDs that come out of this fall for the nostalgia factor and because they supposedly won?t be coming out again in that format. I probably won?t watch them much, as I prefer the current versions, but I?ll be glad to have them.

I'm disappointed, but what did we expect? He said he'd never release them, and that they "didn't exist" anymore.

People complain that George should know better than to put out crappy video on a DVD and that anamorphic is standard. Well, to him it seems the OOT are nothing more than extras on the DVDs of the SEs. He's just including them as a reference. Not as the version of the film he wants you to watch with the lights turned down and the sound turned up. He's not wasting anymore time with the OOTs and he doesn't really want us to either.

It could've been a better release, but at least we are getting them. And I think they'll still look better than any VHS or LD copies out there.