|
|
Post by strangebrew on Feb 17, 2016 11:05:34 GMT -6
These articles might be of interest to some of you. An underground group has recently digitized a film print from the original 1977 theatrical run of Star Wars. Every release since then, including the 1981 theatrical rerelease, has been edited by Lucas and Co. The first link is a general overview, the second one is a more in depth look and interview with the guy behind the project. Took them 2 years, a labor of love. www.ew.com/article/2016/02/16/star-wars-restore-1977moviemezzanine.com/the-fans-who-saved-star-wars/Also talk about Disney doing their own original release. Hopefully they won't mess it up like other companies have in similar circumstance (*cough* WotC new OD&D LBBs covers *cough*). The film is available to download where these things usually are, not sure if there's a streaming source, but fair warning - the file is 25 gigabytes (!!!) |
|
|
|
Post by geoffrey on Feb 17, 2016 12:58:37 GMT -6
I thoroughly approve. Those guys are heroes of cinema.  |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2016 12:11:57 GMT -6
I'm actually surprised that Disney hasn't released a Theatrical edition already. It's more money that they are just sitting on. Not that Disney needs more money at this point.
The article talks about a presentation to Disney. I guess, since it was released online, that the presentation didn't go so well.
|
|
|
|
Post by strangebrew on Feb 18, 2016 22:58:57 GMT -6
I'm actually surprised that Disney hasn't released a Theatrical edition already. It's more money that they are just sitting on. Not that Disney needs more money at this point. The article talks about a presentation to Disney. I guess, since it was released online, that the presentation didn't go so well. The article discusses three different fan edits/versions. There is the "Despecialized" version (been out for awhile), the "Negative1" version (came out about a month ago), and a third version made privately by a Hollywood composer/editor. The Despecialized version (which I've seen) is pretty good, and uses bits and pieces from different versions of the film to try to recreate how the original studio reel looked. It's my understanding that it's based on a Technicolor print, with a deep, rich color palate, and is viewed by the editor as a kind of 'remastered' version of the original film. The Negative1 version (which I just watched last night, and which is the basis of this post) is taken from an original 1977 theater reel that has been minimally faded. While the Despecialized is meant to be a crisp, remastered version of the studio reel, this is a remastered (in terms of removing scratches and dust from the each frame) theater reel, so it is meant to be the exact thing most people saw in the theater in 1977. I'm under the impression that there is a change from studio/master reel to theater reel. This reel also isn't Technicolor, so its much 'whiter' than the Despecialized version. Some scenes are quite grainy, but I really enjoyed it. Gives it a crafted quality. Then again, I love the pop and hiss of records, so I might just be a hipster doofus. The version that was shown to Disney executives was the privately edited one, which has never been released publicly. In the article the editor basically says that he made it for his own personal reasons, and the company knows about it, so if he released it they would know who to go after. It is apparently similar to the Despecialized version. This might be a ton of pointless minutiae for some people, but I love it. And this board is full of tons of (I dare say) pointless OD&D minutiae, and I love it  |
|
18 Spears
BANNED
Yeah ... Spear This Ya' Freak!
Posts: 251 
|
Post by 18 Spears on Feb 18, 2016 23:50:27 GMT -6
This might be a ton of pointless minutiae for some people snipgot it with 1 try and you'uns didn't even have to ask! i'd gladly buy an unaltered copy of the '77 film but I realy couldn't care less one way or the next |
|
|
|
Post by Finarvyn on Feb 19, 2016 5:20:41 GMT -6
I'm with Gene here. I would enjoy owning a copy of the original 1977 film, before it was edited or added to in any way. That would be cool.
|
|
|
|
Post by ritt on Feb 20, 2016 12:02:09 GMT -6
This is fascinating, and I wholeheartedly agree that those responsible are heroes of cultural preservation.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mushgnome on Feb 20, 2016 23:40:28 GMT -6
Han shot first!!
|
|
18 Spears
BANNED
Yeah ... Spear This Ya' Freak!
Posts: 251
|
Post by 18 Spears on Feb 21, 2016 8:16:12 GMT -6
can somebody post msg me a good spam/virus free link to this version or mebbe put it in a hidden place found somewhere around here closeby?
|
|
|
|
Post by strangebrew on Feb 21, 2016 9:24:51 GMT -6
As far as I know it's only available via torrent downloads. AFAIK there isn't a streaming video available. Considering the file is huge (21 gigs for the movie, the other few gigabytes I mentioned are various extras), if it were streamed it would have to be so compressed that it would kind of ruin the point.
If you know how to do torrent downloading then it should be easy to find. We're entering a legal gray area so I'll leave it at that. If anyone is totally insistent on such shenanigans send me a PM and I'll lecture you on the error of your ways. For shame. Poor Disney just made only a scant $2 BILLION on the most recent SW movie so we shouldn't be taking any more food out of their poor children's mouths.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mushgnome on Feb 21, 2016 9:54:05 GMT -6
FYI there is now a 720p version that is only 2.6gb, available from the same sites. My personal favorite "re-imagining" of A New Hope is called "The War of the Stars." Silly, but good fun: vimeo.com/151257979 |
|
18 Spears
BANNED
Yeah ... Spear This Ya' Freak!
Posts: 251
|
Post by 18 Spears on Feb 21, 2016 17:59:37 GMT -6
found it watched it -their wasnt' as many changes as I though there would be. still looks great tho! :-D
|
|
|
|
Post by strangebrew on Feb 22, 2016 21:41:23 GMT -6
found it watched it -their wasnt' as many changes as I though there would be. still looks great tho! :-D Not sure if you're comparing it to the edition that was originally released on VHS, or the later Special Edition, but here's a video comparing the original cut to the Special Edition rerelease. It's interesting/nauseating to see all the extra CGI bits they threw in there. Really makes everything look too busy. New Hope Special Edition Changes |
|
|
|
Post by ritt on Feb 23, 2016 17:52:25 GMT -6
The "Special" Edition: One of the best films of the seventies transformed into a mediocre nineties movie. It would be a near-forgotten campy novelty today if not for the Orwellian suppression of the original.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mushgnome on Feb 23, 2016 21:19:05 GMT -6
Those f'n Mos Eisley CGI giant lizards, man... I want to do bad things to them in a Carcosa campaign.  On a lighter note  vimeo.com/62322967 |
|
18 Spears
BANNED
Yeah ... Spear This Ya' Freak!
Posts: 251
|
Post by 18 Spears on Feb 23, 2016 21:25:21 GMT -6
The "Special" Edition: One of the best films of the seventies transformed into a mediocre nineties movie. It would be a near-forgotten campy novelty today if not for the Orwellian suppression of the original. mediocre --- near forgotten --- campy novelty --- Orwellian ... I understand wanting the original movie, so do I & id pay good money to have it. but it sounds to me like you'uns just need something to hate and I don't know what to tell you about that. so lets jjust skip to the part where all you'uns dogpile on me and tell how stupid I am for not raggin on lucas and stars wars on bluray. |
|
|
|
Post by ritt on Feb 26, 2016 11:03:34 GMT -6
I understand wanting the original movie, so do I & id pay good money to have it. but it sounds to me like you'uns just need something to hate and I don't know what to tell you about that. It's not a matter of being pissy over one movie, or "Needing something to hate" (Trust me, my job gives me no shortage of that), it's the larger issue of copyright and trademark being used to protect artists and allow them to put food on their tables (Good) vs. Copyright and trademark being something that locks down our very shared culture (Bad). Star Wars is a complex issue, as it's a relatively recent work and the creators are still alive. But, to me personally, Conan, Superman, and Mickey Mouse are not complex issues: Nothing from the Depression or before should be owned by anyone. It should be public domain. And even if someone were to disagree with me that the '77 cut is the superior version of the film (And many 90's kids do, and that's totally OK. Star Wars, like comics, is very much a generational thing.), the '77 version is still a very important landmark in the history of popular cinema and should be available for that reason if no other. |
|
18 Spears
BANNED
Yeah ... Spear This Ya' Freak!
Posts: 251
|
Post by 18 Spears on Feb 26, 2016 19:54:59 GMT -6
fair enough ritt. there'll alwahys be folks that like new better than old but I'm with you-- star Wars '77 is a great film that id like see on disc somesday soon.
|
|
|
|
Post by geoffrey on Feb 26, 2016 22:07:25 GMT -6
What kills me is the following dichotomy:
1. Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of the Jedi (1983) are not readily available for sale.
2. Countless bad, forgettable, bizarre, stupid, brainless, boring, etc. movies ARE readily available for sale. (Just dig through the $5 bin at your local Walmart to see what I mean.)
Really?
|
|
mindcontrolsquid
Level 4 Theurgist
"There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man..."
Posts: 118
|
Post by mindcontrolsquid on Feb 26, 2016 22:54:22 GMT -6
What kills me is the following dichotomy: 1. Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of the Jedi (1983) are not readily available for sale. 2. Countless bad, forgettable, bizarre, stupid, brainless, boring, etc. movies ARE readily available for sale. (Just dig through the $5 bin at your local Walmart to see what I mean.) Really? Welcome to the world of entertainment media. It's kind of like fly-fishing: you wade around in a meaningless ever-flowing stream for a long time hoping to find the one thing you're actually looking for. |
|
|
|
Post by Finarvyn on Feb 29, 2016 11:26:47 GMT -6
I have a book somewhere with the transcript of the original plus the changes in the extended. I presume that the creators of the restored versions had access to similar material, because I'd hate to rely on "yeah, I think it went something like this" 40 years later. |
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on Mar 3, 2016 21:33:28 GMT -6
The "Special" Edition: One of the best films of the seventies transformed into a mediocre nineties movie. It would be a near-forgotten campy novelty today if not for the Orwellian suppression of the original. Orwellian is the perfect adjective for the whole bizarre affair ritt! Im so glad I got to see the original. Don't own such a copy but would pay good money for it. |
|
18 Spears
BANNED
Yeah ... Spear This Ya' Freak!
Posts: 251
|
Post by 18 Spears on Mar 4, 2016 5:16:02 GMT -6
The "Special" Edition: One of the best films of the seventies transformed into a mediocre nineties movie. It would be a near-forgotten campy novelty today if not for the Orwellian suppression of the original. Orwellian is the perfect adjective for the whole bizarre affair ritt! Im so glad I got to see the original. Don't own such a copy but would pay good money for it. ive been called stupid and worse and its probly true but even I know movies are 'pretend' and seeing you'uns getting your drawers in a knot over them makes me feel real smart. \ |
|
|
|
Post by xerxez on Mar 4, 2016 8:37:54 GMT -6
I'm not insecure enough to call someone stupid over a difference of opinion, 18.
My comment is simply that I woyld prefer to watch the original unedited version I saw at the movie theatre.
I personally don't care for the CGI enhancements or changing the cantina encounter.
I agree with ritt that thier whole stance on the thing and the conceptual changes has been wierd, though it probably relates to the business end of the films, an area in which I am ignorant.
|
|
|
|
Post by jeffb on Apr 12, 2016 19:12:21 GMT -6
late to the party as usual..but How does this differ from the original theatrical releases on the bonus discs from the widescreen original trilogy release of a few years back? At this point in my life, I cannot recall all the little details from 1977 and how it differs..I barely recall what I had for breakfast Of course Im aware of the (e)special(ly) craptacular editions. The set below has them on the main disc, and I have the special editions as well as original releases on VHS still, collecting dust. www.amazon.com/Star-Trilogy-Widescreen-Theatrical-Edition/dp/B001EN71DG |
|
|
|
Post by Mushgnome on Apr 13, 2016 7:13:20 GMT -6
How does this differ from the original theatrical releases on the bonus discs from the widescreen original trilogy release of a few years back? I haven't seen them, so take my comments with a grain of salt. The criticism I have read of those DVDs (the "original theatrical releases" bonus discs) is that they are TV-quality, non-anamorphic video sourced from the 1993 Laserdisc release, as opposed to going back to the original 1970's sources and undertaking a high-def, collector-quality archival/restoration effort. Many fans believe this was an intentional manipulation by Lucas, to make his Special Edition look better by comparison. I'm sure Disney will get around to it, now that they own Star Wars. Disney understands the value of legacy and nostalgia. |
|
|
|
Post by jeffb on Apr 13, 2016 19:28:11 GMT -6
Thanks for the clarification They do not look as good as the Special Editions. Those are very crisp , tight, and cleaned up. That said I only ever watch the theatrical releases, enjoy them, and they don't look horrible. I hope Disney comes through with a higher quality version. |
|
|
|
Post by Falconer on Feb 12, 2017 16:00:19 GMT -6
I have been watching the Negative One film. Truly a work of art!
|
|
