LOUSY 'Star Wars' news! *UPDATED*

[Necromancer]

QUOTE (GhostGirl @ May 4 2006, 01:05 PM)

George is so good at coming up with more ways we can spend money on the same movies.

Yeah... next he'll release the version with the bloopers left in it. LUCASS SUCKS!!! So does Star Wars!!!

[Necromancer]

Here's my honest thoughts on the whole thing. People ask me why I hate star wars. Honestly... i don't. I can watch the movies and they're really not bad. What I hate is LUCAS and his exploitation of the fans. Fanboys of almost anything are an easy target for this. I'm slightly similar with anything that has to do with Batman. But I have the common sense not to go insane with things. It seems that Star War geeks are totally radical in their insanity for the merchandise that goes along with Star Wars. Though it's smart for Lucas to cash in on this insanity, I feel he's a pig for doing so. I mean... when is enough ENOUGH??? I know that there will be people who can't put food on the table, selling their plasma to get this DVD. It's insane.

 

Being that comics and sci-fi are so closely related, I've been around the mindless masses of Star Wars nutjobs and seen how devoted/obsessed they are to this mildly entertaining B-grade movie with top notch special effects. And let's be serious... that's ALL it is. B-GRADE. Not a damn original concept in the entire thing. Matter of fact, it's well known that Lucas ripped the entire plot off from a Japanese movie about Feudal Japan. I can NEVER think of the name of that movie or i'd list it here. But it's true. It's the same damn movie, only set in outer space instead of Feudal Japan.

 

I think Lucas is a damn pied piper and I think Star Wars geeks are rats just marching along behind him. The only one worse than him as far as taking advantage of the fan with silly merchandising is Gene Simmons. But at least THAT merchandise is good stuff based around an original concept that has more artistic merit to it than Star Wars EVER had.

 

 

[Arndrake]

[pedro2112]

QUOTE (Necromancer @ Sep 16 2006, 10:09 AM)

Here's my honest thoughts on the whole thing. People ask me why I hate star wars. Honestly... i don't. I can watch the movies and they're really not bad. What I hate is LUCAS and his exploitation of the fans. Fanboys of almost anything are an easy target for this. I'm slightly similar with anything that has to do with Batman. But I have the common sense not to go insane with things. It seems that Star War geeks are totally radical in their insanity for the merchandise that goes along with Star Wars. Though it's smart for Lucas to cash in on this insanity, I feel he's a pig for doing so. I mean... when is enough ENOUGH??? I know that there will be people who can't put food on the table, selling their plasma to get this DVD. It's insane. Being that comics and sci-fi are so closely related, I've been around the mindless masses of Star Wars nutjobs and seen how devoted/obsessed they are to this mildly entertaining B-grade movie with top notch special effects. And let's be serious... that's ALL it is. B-GRADE. Not a damn original concept in the entire thing. Matter of fact, it's well known that Lucas ripped the entire plot off from a Japanese movie about Feudal Japan. I can NEVER think of the name of that movie or i'd list it here. But it's true. It's the same damn movie, only set in outer space instead of Feudal Japan. I think Lucas is a damn pied piper and I think Star Wars geeks are rats just marching along behind him. The only one worse than him as far as taking advantage of the fan with silly merchandising is Gene Simmons. But at least THAT merchandise is good stuff based around an original concept that has more artistic merit to it than Star Wars EVER had.

If people are idiots and want to spend their money on this stuff, then by all means, spend away. I don't blame Lucas at all for doing what he is doing. There is obviously a demand for this type of stuff, so why deny your fans what they want simply because some people think it's not worth it? Frankly I find this attitude somewhat puzzling? Why blame Lucas? He's is only doing what any rational person would do in the same situation.

 

[Schro]

I'm with Pedro. Let's take a look at the history.

 

Made the original 3 movies, many loved them.

 

Put them out on VHS, huge demand for them.

 

Decided he wanted to redo some effects in the movies. Maybe he went a bit overboard, but I probly would to with the tools at his disposal. Rereleased in theaters. I enjoyed watching them again in the theater, others did too.

 

Releases new movies on dvd. Sell great, but some complain they can't get the original movies on dvd.

 

Cpl years later, sells original movies on dvd to meet above demand.

 

At each stage he is just meeting demand, and barely at that. Not sure why he's being labeled a commercialist. Was he perfect? No. But he's certainly not the demon some make him out to be imho.

 

If you want an example of someone overselling their material, try Monty Python. They have more compliations than anyone else on the planet. Not sure why they get a pass but Lucas doesn't.

 

Heck, you could even make a case that Rush is overselling. Rush in Rio, Replay, and now R30? But they're not. They're meeting (actually catching up) with demand.

 

I know there's the NON-anamorphic side of things, but I'm not addressing that. It's an issue, but my guess is most folks don't care about it. I could be wrong.

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

QUOTE (Jack Aubrey @ Sep 12 2006, 01:14 PM)

QUOTE (1-0-0-1-0-0-1 @ Sep 12 2006, 12:49 PM) QUOTE (Jack Aubrey @ Sep 12 2006, 12:27 PM) I'm bumping this because the DVDs are due to be released soon. Remember: the original versions will be NON-anamorphic and in 2.0 stereo. DO NOT BUY THEM! Jack, are these new DVDs NON-widescreen (4x3 pan & scan)? Or are they non-anamorphic widescreen transfers? They are non-anamorphic widescreen transfers. QUOTE (Schro @ Sep 17 2006, 12:01 AM) I know there's the NON-anamorphic side of things, but I'm not addressing that.  It's an issue, but my guess is most folks don't care about it.  I could be wrong. That's actually the main reason for the griping about this particular release. For those who don't own a 16x9 widescreen TV and have no plans to obtain one in the near future and are Star Wars fans, then Schro is right -- they won't care about anamorphiwhatever widescreen transfers. For those who already own a widescreen set, and for those who realize that widescreen is where TV is headed, Lucas' decision to release a Star Wars DVD set that is pretty much incompatible with these TVs is sorta mind-boggling.   For those who have no idea what anamorphic means, I'll avoid the clinical explanation and make it simple:   Anamorphic widescreen = Good for watching on both "normal" 4x3 TVs and 16x9 widescreen TVs. Non-anamorphic widescreen = Good for 4x3 TVs, bad for 16x9 widescreen TVs.   When DVDs first came out about 10 years ago, 16x9 widescreen TVs were barely a blip on the radar here in the U.S. (and other countries that had yet to adopt hi-def television). Some movie studios saw into the future and made sure all their widescreen DVD releases were anamorphic so that they'd fill up a widescreen TV display without losing picture quality. Some studios released non-anamorphic (letterboxed) widescreen DVDs, which look fine on a "normal" 4x3 TV, but would need to be stretched to fill a 16x9 set, thereby decreasing picture quality. Not a big deal, since the vast majority of TV owners back then watched their new DVDs on a 4x3 TV.   Soon after that original DVD rollout, those newfangled 16x9 widescreen TVs started to creep into people's local electronics stores. Movie studios that released non-anamorphic widescreen DVDs realized their movies wouldn't look good on these new TVs, so they started producing anamorphic DVDs. Some even re-released popular older titles with new anamorphic transfers.   For the past 5 years or so, pretty much every new widescreen DVD is anamorphic. It's the standard now. The only ones in the stores that aren't are some obscure titles that were never re-released since DVDs first came out. And in the last couple of years, widescreen TVs have been flying off the shelves. If you don't own one, you probably know someone who does. So for George "Mr. Latest Technology" Lucas to release a DVD set of arguably the most popular movie trilogy in history with a non-anamorphic transfer is... . NOBODY releases non-anamorphic DVDs anymore. I don't have a problem with him releasing these DVDs to meet the demand for them. But why release them on an antiquated format? Why alienate the ever-growing widescreen TV-buying public?   So, those who own a widescreen TV or are planning to buy one, and who are Star Wars purists who think the original theatrical versions of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi are the only versions worth watching, will be forced to watch them on DVDs that will look only slightly better than the VHS versions. That is until George releases them AGAIN in anamorphic format a few years from now.

[Riv]

^

 

Great explanation. Thanks.

 

What are you thinking, Lucas? Even 'Back Door Babes 6' is amorphic.

[Arndrake]

QUOTE (1-0-0-1-0-0-1 @ Sep 17 2006, 01:38 AM)

So, those who own a widescreen TV or are planning to buy one, and who are Star Wars purists who think the original theatrical versions of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi are the only versions worth watching, will be forced to watch them on DVDs that will look only slightly better than the VHS versions. That is until George releases them AGAIN in anamorphic format a few years from now.

That's probably his plan. It seems that lately, he's been milking this cash cow and the fans for as much as they are willing to pay. Lucasfilm's home video dept probably figured, and correctly so, that most fans wouldn't notice the DVDs not being anamorphic. Then after a bunch of fans complain bitterly about the poor quality of the movies on their widescreen TVs, then the company will come out with the anamorphic transfers. And the fans will pay for them as well.

 

I am starting to get a bit purturbed by how many versions of these films I have in my video library. Second edition tapes with the THX remastering. Special edition on VHS. The first release DVDs with the 'special edition' versions. I guess I've been as dumb as the rest of the fans.

 

QUOTE (Riv)

What are you thinking, Lucas? Even 'Back Door Babes 6' is amorphic.

 

[Necromancer]

QUOTE (pedro2112 @ Sep 16 2006, 02:03 PM)

QUOTE (Necromancer @ Sep 16 2006, 10:09 AM) Here's my honest thoughts on the whole thing.  People ask me why I hate star wars.  Honestly... i don't.  I can watch the movies and they're really not bad.  What I hate is LUCAS and his exploitation of the fans.  Fanboys of almost anything are an easy target for this.  I'm slightly similar with anything that has to do with Batman.  But I have the common sense not to go insane with things.  It seems that Star War geeks are totally radical in their insanity for the merchandise that goes along with Star Wars.  Though it's smart for Lucas to cash in on this insanity, I feel he's a pig for doing so.  I mean... when is enough ENOUGH???  I know that there will be people who can't put food on the table, selling their plasma to get this DVD.  It's insane.  Being that comics and sci-fi are so closely related, I've been around the mindless masses of Star Wars nutjobs and seen how devoted/obsessed they are to this mildly entertaining B-grade movie with top notch special effects.  And let's be serious... that's ALL it is.  B-GRADE.  Not a damn original concept in the entire thing.  Matter of fact, it's well known that Lucas ripped the entire plot off from a Japanese movie about Feudal Japan.  I can NEVER think of the name of that movie or i'd list it here.  But it's true.  It's the same damn movie, only set in outer space instead of Feudal Japan.    I think Lucas is a damn pied piper and I think Star Wars geeks are rats just marching along behind him.  The only one worse than him as far as taking advantage of the fan with silly merchandising is Gene Simmons.  But at least THAT merchandise is good stuff based around an original concept that has more artistic merit to it than Star Wars EVER had.    If people are idiots and want to spend their money on this stuff, then by all means, spend away. I don't blame Lucas at all for doing what he is doing. There is obviously a demand for this type of stuff, so why deny your fans what they want simply because some people think it's not worth it? Frankly I find this attitude somewhat puzzling? Why blame Lucas? He's is only doing what any rational person would do in the same situation. I agree my attitude toward it is puzzling because I still wish to hold movie makers to a higher standard. I feel that movies are art and not just a marketing tool. I don't think he originally planned on Star Wars being such a hit with all the merchandise, but as an artist, he should have somewhat of a respect for the fan and limit how much merchandise is put out there. Being that Star Wars nuts are not rational people, it's quite exploitive I feel.

[Arndrake]

QUOTE (Necromancer @ Sep 17 2006, 05:55 AM)

QUOTE (pedro2112 @ Sep 16 2006, 02:03 PM) QUOTE (Necromancer @ Sep 16 2006, 10:09 AM) Here's my honest thoughts on the whole thing.  People ask me why I hate star wars.  Honestly... i don't.  I can watch the movies and they're really not bad.  What I hate is LUCAS and his exploitation of the fans.  Fanboys of almost anything are an easy target for this.  I'm slightly similar with anything that has to do with Batman.  But I have the common sense not to go insane with things.  It seems that Star War geeks are totally radical in their insanity for the merchandise that goes along with Star Wars.  Though it's smart for Lucas to cash in on this insanity, I feel he's a pig for doing so.  I mean... when is enough ENOUGH???  I know that there will be people who can't put food on the table, selling their plasma to get this DVD.  It's insane.  Being that comics and sci-fi are so closely related, I've been around the mindless masses of Star Wars nutjobs and seen how devoted/obsessed they are to this mildly entertaining B-grade movie with top notch special effects.  And let's be serious... that's ALL it is.  B-GRADE.  Not a damn original concept in the entire thing.  Matter of fact, it's well known that Lucas ripped the entire plot off from a Japanese movie about Feudal Japan.  I can NEVER think of the name of that movie or i'd list it here.  But it's true.  It's the same damn movie, only set in outer space instead of Feudal Japan.    I think Lucas is a damn pied piper and I think Star Wars geeks are rats just marching along behind him.  The only one worse than him as far as taking advantage of the fan with silly merchandising is Gene Simmons.  But at least THAT merchandise is good stuff based around an original concept that has more artistic merit to it than Star Wars EVER had.    If people are idiots and want to spend their money on this stuff, then by all means, spend away. I don't blame Lucas at all for doing what he is doing. There is obviously a demand for this type of stuff, so why deny your fans what they want simply because some people think it's not worth it? Frankly I find this attitude somewhat puzzling? Why blame Lucas? He's is only doing what any rational person would do in the same situation. I agree my attitude toward it is puzzling because I still wish to hold movie makers to a higher standard. I feel that movies are art and not just a marketing tool. I don't think he originally planned on Star Wars being such a hit with all the merchandise, but as an artist, he should have somewhat of a respect for the fan and limit how much merchandise is put out there. Being that Star Wars nuts are not rational people, it's quite exploitive I feel. Unfortunately, studio managers don't feel that way. To them, movies are business, not necessarily art. So their philosophy is to try to sell as much as possible and make as much money as possible. And if you exploit a few people along the way, that's capitalism.   "A fool and his money will soon be parted." - PT Barnum "A fool and his money were lucky to ever get together in the first place." - Harry Anderson

[Midway Hawker]

QUOTE (Arndrake @ Sep 17 2006, 11:28 AM)

"A fool and his money will soon be parted." - PT Barnum

A fool and his money will soon be partying - Steven Wright

 

[Jack Aubrey]

Lucas is double-dipping with the same stuff in a new package. Don't fall for it!

 

This just in from Digital Bits:

 

QUOTE

[W]e've confirmed with 20th Century Fox that the new Star Wars Trilogy DVD box sets are just re-packs of the previously released 2-disc sets (in the case of the Prequel set) and presumably the recent Original Trilogy 2-disc DVDs that had both the SE versions and the non-anamorphic original theatrical versions of the films. The key point is: THERE'S NO NEW CONTENT. So be advised and spread the word.

[workingcinderellaman]

That's cool. I bought the original trilogy on VHS right before the 'improved' versions came out in theatres. I always thought they would be collectables. They have interviews with Lucas where he talks about maybe making episodes 1-3.

[Mandalorian Hunter]

So, if it's non-anamorphic does that mean the picture quality is bad on widescreens? And is that regardless of whether I can select 4:3 on my TV?

 

Also, what's this about new trilogy boxsets? Episodes I & II are awfully expensive over here, so if it's cheaper

 

I still like the way my age kind of makes me exempt from the furore over the OT dvd's. I never had the chance to buy other dvd's, so these were really good value.

 

EDIT: I don't think anyone in their right mind should expect any new features until the Blu-Ray releases.

Edited August 25, 2008 by Mandalorian Hunter

[The Owl]

I have the box set that came out in 04. (The Silver box set)

 

It had the feature legnth documentary of the making of the origional (Empire of Dreams) trilogy. If this set has a simular feature for the prequel trilogy, it might be worth picking up.