CT Should Disney release the unedited original trilogy on Blu-ray or not?

I understand why so many fans are hoping for this, but I'm not so sure it would be for the best... unless they were just extras on a future box set release for fun or something. If they are re-released as the official versions of the films, it would cause so many problems and so much confusion within the overall saga.

Many of the changes Lucas made were for continuity reasons (Boba Fett's new voice, adding certain creatures in the background, updating the emperor in Empire, replacing Sebastian Shaw at the end of Jedi, etc...), and, while it's undeniable that some of the other changes were just plain dumb and pointless, some of them really were for the best and make for a more fluid viewing experience. Plus, these are the versions that the newer fans are already familiar with.

Do you really think the original, unedited versions of IV - VI should be re-released on Blu-ray as the official canon versions of the movies? I honestly think I prefer the new versions as canon, as they work better for the overall viewing experience. It would be fun seeing the movies how they were when they were first released, but like I said, only as an extra.

Do you think Disney should re-release the unedited versions? If they do, should they be considered the official versions again (the versions that will appear in all future complete saga box sets, completely undermining the edited versions)?

 

Of course. That would be the first thing I would do if I were an exec at Disney. In fact, I'll bet that's exactly what they're thinking right now.

Simply, it is good business sense. There is a market there. the site originaltrilogy.com and the lengths fans have gone to make unedited versions of the originals speaks to that.

 

Fair enough. But do you think they should be regarded as the canon versions of the films again?

 

Honestly, don't really care about canon. Like it or not (and believe me, for me, not) , the prequels...exist...and they are what they are.

 

Exactly. Whether or not you like them, the prequels are part of the story, and the story has to make sense. The unedited versions of the originals do not work at all with the prequels as far as continuity goes, which is why I think they shouldn't be considered canon anymore.

 

Well, no. I mean, the small changes are really just annoying for the most part and stick out like neon lights. Little things like the..."Noooooo" at the end of ROTJ change are...unnecessary. Same with the thing with Han shooting...second. I personally prefer the weird emperor in ESB...first time I saw ROTJ, different emperor, never bothered me. The OT doesn't need any changes to gel with the PT. Should just have been left alone.

And honestly, the PT is...a big drop in quality compared to the OT in terms of...everything...and so it is insulting to have the OT being scarred like that.

 

I have to disagree. Some changes were necessary.

Having an emperor recast works if the old trilogy is on its own. But its not. New fans are going to be watching the films in chronological order, prequels first. You would have the same Palpatine all the way through Episodes I, II, & III, but then when he shows up in Episode V again, there's a new guy... then they switch to the old guy again in Episode VI? That would be very confusing.

Also, Boba Fett's voice. In episode II, he is established as a clone of his father. Therefore, he would logically have the same voice as all the other clones. In the original version of Episode V, he has a voice that is very clearly not the same.

I could go on forever... the two trilogies in their original forms don't work as a single unit.

 

I dunno, maybe the emperor at the time had a head cold? I prefer the look in ESB.

As for Boba...I didn't notice that one so much. But then I can't really get through the special editions. Sure, whatever.

The changes that bother me most are...

-- some very obvious CGI. Especially in Jabba's palace

-- Greedo managing to miss at point blank range

-- Hayden Christensen at the end of ROTJ, alongside...old-aged Obi-Wan

just generally the CGI changes aren't done very well and aren't integrated very well with the rest of the trilogy. As I said...they stick out like a bright neon light. Imagine taking a classic film like Lawrence of Arabia and putting in dancing CGI thingies every other scene. Don't you think people would get annoyed?

 

I totally agree with you on the pointless changes (except for the Hayden Christensen appearance. I think that makes the most sense considering the fact that it was the last time he was recognizable as Anakin. I can remember having no clue at first who the old guy was next to Obi-Wan and Yoda my first time through the movie. Plus, it's a great way to bridge the two trilogies together).

Han definitely shot first, and the random CGI dance sequence in Jabba's palace was... ugh. But then again, so was the original version of that scene lol.

I just think the changes that maintain continuity should be left alone.

 

The idea that the theatrical versions (or the original Special Editions for that matter) should be essentially abandoned to history because of continuity issues presumes that continuity is either the only, or the most important, consideration. But what if we want to look at Star Wars from a historical perspective? As a film? Analyze its evolution - both the films themselves and the bits of 'backstory' glowing underneath the visible skin of the story itself?

As for whether they should be extra features or what, I don't know. There's a Blade Runner set that has like five versions of the film on it. The idea isn't so much that the theatrical versions should be released instead of the newer edits, but rather that they should be released with a level of quality that befits their part in the story of the saga.

 

I doubt that new fans who want to enjoy Star Wars for the first time are going to be very concerned with the evolution and historical perspective of the films. They're just going to want to relax and watch the series from the beginning. In order to provide those fans with the best viewing experience possible, the current Blu-ray set of I-VI is the best option. The continuity is about as good as it's going to get, and they won't miss the old versions to be upset about any of the new changes.

For those who DO want to see the scenes in all their original, unedited glory, and see how Star Wars films have evolved, then I think having the original versions as extras on the next release would suffice. I don't see how that would be undermining them at all.

It just makes sense for the new versions to be experienced first for new fans.

 

I don't really have a dog in this fight. Does it matter that the first time I encountered The Hobbit was in animated form? Anybody can come to a particular story in any number of forms. If I were to show someone the films personally, I'd probably try to make their experience of them as close to how I remember them/like them as possible. But I don't particularly care which version is the 'headliner' on a blue-ray set. It really could go either way: "the latest edit plus the original theatrical versions!" or "Star Wars as it was originally released, plus the newest Creator's Cuts!"

 

I guess it depends on the person. I'm one of those who is big on continuity & has to know what is considered official canon. That being said, I still feel like I could enjoy any version of Star Wars to date. However, if one is to look at Star Wars as a complete saga (including the prequels & EU), canon and continuity are important.

 

I'd buy no less than three copies of the original.

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Yeah, why not? The newest version should always remain canon, of course, but It's totally valid to want to watch the films as they were presented at the time of release. Especially for films that hold an important place in the evolution of cinema. "Star Wars" was a technical marvel at the time of release, but it's hard to fully appreciate it when there's so much new content put in there.

If they just want to include the originals as an extra on the next box set, that's fine, as long as the video quality is top-notch. I think of what Francis Ford Coppola did when he brought the Godfather trilogy to b
Blu-Ray. With out changing a frame of content (he even left in the film grain because he felt it was an important part of the films identity), he personally oversaw a ridiculously detailed restoration of the films, with beautiful picture quality. The result is essentially the purest representation of what those films were in the 1970's. That's what I want for Star Wars.

I was raised on the Special Editions, I have no animosity towards them, and I will always consider them the "official" versions of the films, but I see now downside to releasing the originals as well. In fact, I only see a lot to gain.

 

Moving to CT

 

I think the original version should be restored to viewing shape and released, yes. I think it's ridiculous that some of us OT fans are being penalised for liking it as it was released. I get GL couldn't do all he wanted due to money and other constraints. I get it's his universe. I just don't think us fans should be frowned at for liking what he decided to release in the first place.

 

It will take a while, but I have no doubt that it will happen.

 

An unequivocal YES! For the love of all that is good, YES!

 

I honestly do no care. I love the Special Editions of the Original Trilogy. The original theatrical cuts of the OT look horribly dated, IMO.

 

The canon system states that the most recent versions of the films are the canon versions, and that would be the 2011 blu-rays. Even if the OOT were to be released, that wouldn't make it the most recent version - it's just a re-release

Then again, they say they're abolishing the current canon system, but I still wouldn't be surprised if that applied. Personally, I love every single change made to SW, and it's definitely a more cohesive saga experience edited the way it is. Tactically, yes, it is a good idea to release the OOT for the fans who want it, but a bad idea to de-canonize the current versions, as it would alienate a large group of fans. They've already stated that they still want to use plenty of PT material, as they know there are tons of fans of that.

 

Why would a dated look be wrong? They weren't made yesterday.

 

Sure, release the originals on Blu-ray. I don't see a problem with it really. Like others have said, it'll show the evolution of the movies over time. Personally though, the only change I had a problem with is Greedo shooting first and not just because it was an act that changed Han's character, but because the effect in the movie looks absolutely atrocious. Han's unnatural head shift is just plain bad.

 

There are numerous reasons for the originals to be widely available in a modern format. Nostalgia and personal preference aside the original trilogy, and especially Star Wars, changed the way that films were both made and perceived - it's a shame that the OOT isn't more widely accessible, because as it stands at the moment basically your choices are find them on an outdated medium (VHS, Laserdisk), or pirate them.

There's no reason that two cuts of a film can't coexist - best example is Blade Runner.

Should they be considered canon above the current cut? Probably not, no.

Should they exist? Absolutely.

 

They would but they don't have permission to do so.