What do you consider to be the best official home video release of the trilogy so far?



I would have to say the Definitive Edition laserdiscs are the best because they contain the theatrical versions and don't have the weird colour issues of the DVDs.

 

There hasn't been one yet, in my opinion. We get laserdisc transfers of the OOT, weird colored SE's, etc. I am hoping for the OOT and SE in full HD with correct colors and proper sound mixes. The soundtrack got buried in the last DVD release. And please George, give us the OOT one last time. This time do it right. Thanks.

 

I like the 90's trilogy box with the Vader, Trooper, and Yoda heads. If only the Blu Rays had that kind of packaging.

[image=http://www.coolwatersprods.com/images/kershVHS.jpg]
But I've heard this is only in fullscreen?

 

Those were my favorites as well, brings back memories. I remember when I was a kid watching those all day with my sister's boyfriend. Good times.

 

Those VHS's were how I was introduced to the OT when I was 6. I still have them!

 

The OT got VHS releases in Europe in 1995. Those were good. But VHS is passé, obviously.

 

These (1995) were released in both letterbox & pan-&-scan on VHS. Advertised as "the last time the original trilogy will be available." At least we were warned.

The Holy Grail of OT purists for a long time was the UK Executor laserdisc release of these which many a bootleg was made from, & which the eventual OOT bonus feature version on the individual 2006 DVD versions was made from. It's still a standard-definition, 4:3 letterboxed version. Please refer to the Saga thread for nauseating insights as to why this is worth committing mass suicide/murder over. Feel free to discuss the various shades of pink that Darth Vader's lightsaber has been displayed in.

I recommend Google for any confusion regarding 'slugs' attached to Emperor Palpatine in Return Of The Jedi. I had no idea what they were, or even noticed them, until the trainspotters brought them up.

 

My vote goes to the 90s VHS released it was my first formal steps into stat wars formal (I had seen scenss of it when it was on TV but didn't know what it was. I also remembering seeing a commercial for it on a show I taped and remember when the Muppet babies spoofed it). It was magical for me and will never forget it. I watched ANH so many times that the tape broke

 

The DVDs with the original non special editions movies.

 

I have the widescreen versions of that THX-enhanced "one last time" edition; got it at Suncoast December 1995 after a parent got me the full screen ones. The complete case is black with Vader's face on it, and contains each tape side by side with those cover designs. I don't really like those covers, but I generally like movie covers to look like or similar to the original movie posters.
From what I've read, the Definitive Collection laserdisc seems to be the best because of the extras included. I've never watched them though.

 

If the 'Definitive Collection' you're referring to was the 1995 release, yeah the extras were excellent (I had VHS dubs I made from a friend's set). Each movie had its original Making Of doco, ROTJ had both Classic Creatures & From Star Wars To Jedi, plus they had heaps of vintage trailers, some of which haven't been released since.
I think there were a few other bits & pieces, too - pretty impressive collection of extras for a release before the era of DVD.

 

Having finished viewing the new Blu-Rays...nothing else even comes close (seriously). The level of background detail leaping off the screen is amazing-I've seen so many things I didn't even realize were there before; the sound mix is equally impressive. Facial expressions are quite abit more apparent too-it really gives alot more depth to Hamill's acting in particular There seem to be some matte-box issues with the space battle in ROTJ, but the ground battle seems alot more linear now, somehow (I'm guessing wider-angled shots; it's more clear what is going on, and it is not the Ewoks winning.

The level of background detail that just leaps off the screen is honestly pretty amazing; it's within a hair of practically making these seem like picture-perfect remakes of the originals. Absolutely love them.

 

Agreed. On every point. The Endor Battle seems less one-sided somehow. And I had the same experience with the acting and noticing little nuances in facial expressions. The BluRay format even seems to work wonders on the acting in Episode I. Who knew??

Though, like you said, some of the matte boxes are kinda disappointing for someone who looks for them. Turning the darkness up just a tad eliminates most of the ones visible in space, but once inside the Death Star, the tie fighter's matte boxes are pretty visible. But since everything else besides the matte boxes are clearer than we've ever seen them before, it doesn't seem so bad.

 

Haven't had the opportunity to watch the prequels yet, but I'm eagerly looking forward to it. Just finished ROTJ this morning and man, what an incredible movie. Absolutely love the two major changes (I think there's lots of little changes all over the film, but that might just be stuff that's always been there and was never terribly visible til now); the SIZE of Jabba's door is honestly intimidating. 3PO and R2 look like they're actually 3 3/4" action figures next to it.

As for the Noooo: I honestly got a chill over JEJ bellowing NOOOO over 5.1 surround sound. It's not Vader being mopey; it's more "You won't like me when I'm angry!".

Not sure if there's anything to be done about the matte boxes in ROTJ, but we pretended they were shields for years, so I'm just doing that again.

 

Exactly. Same here. Really though, if you adjust the darkness on your screen the matte boxes in the ROTJ space battles are pretty much gone.

There's also this hideous serpent puppet on the ceiling of Jabba's lair I was hoping not to see on the BluRay. You can see it/him/her while Threepio sentences Han and Luke to death. I guess I'll have to continue pretending it's some sort of ugly decoration. It has this really long extended tongue that just sort of stays there and looks horrifically fake. I really shouldn't even be pointing it out to anyone.

 

Actually, I've always noticed the tongue creature (no idea what it's called.) I don't really mind it; it's sort of cool that there's this creature on the ceiling of Jabba's palace with one goal, and one goal only:

To lick the arm of Jabba's protocol droid.

 

Now that I understand the tongue's motivation, it may not bother me.

Now if I could only rationalize backwards Boba.I'm sure I'll think of something.

 

Heh heh, you're welcome.

But yeah, I really love these new editions; I mean, even the stormtrooper armor of all things benefitted. It's considerably less cheap-looking now.

Anyway, one thing I've noticed-the new BRs really cut down on alot of the "grime" we've come to associate with these films, to the point where I'm wondering if the super-used look everyone adores about the OT was mostly crud on the negatives. Stuff still looks old, but it doesn't look like the Empire visits the local landfill every time they need to build a Star Destroyer. Stampid, have you noticed this?

 

Honestly, the only time I watched the new editions of the OT I was running on nearly three days of sleeplessness. I'm sure half of the wonderful new things I noticed about the films were pure hallucination. When I actually buy the discs and watch them I'll let you know.

 

lol, ok. Try to sleep more.

 

Though I will say that the models and matte paintings look 100% alive and real in the OT. And yet so bold and jump-off-the-screen-new-looking that most of the original effects match and even surpass the CG of the prequels. Which is another reason why I think the OOT-only crowd will actually be missing out this time. If you haven't seen these movies in HD, all SE-additions aside, you haven't really seen these movies.

 

Yeah, I'd agree with the opinion that not watching these films in HD is definitely missing out. And you're correct about how good (most) of the FX work looks now; there's a few things I think don't look that great (the shot of Vader's shuttle leaving Endor in ROTJ looks like a painting, but it's a nice painting, so that's okay ) but this is definitely the most gorgeous home release ever.

 

I like the widescreen version of the vhs boxset from 2001 with the AOTC sneak preview as a bonus feature. Thats the one i had and i use to love it because it was when i first got a decent version of the OT in widescreen and also all the box art perfectly matched my TPM and AOTC vhs tapes. I have the best memories with this one because i really thought it was a pre curser for what the dvd 6 pack set was going to look like (back when i thought it was going to drop as soon as ROTS was finished).

Its a shame ROTS didn't get a vhs! just for symbolic reasons if nothing else it would have been fantastic to have just one vhs box set of the Prequel trilogy. I would love to see what it would look like on a shelf next the the vhs of the OT. It would probably just look really satisfying.

 

That's exactly why I'd rather not watch them. It'll make not having a quality OOT even more frustrating. Every SE bit would be like having a big watermark on the corner of the frame.