Official: The Star Wars DVD FAQ and Discussion thread

Since the same questions about the Original DVDs seem to come up each week, this thread will now be the place for these questions. Any new DVD threads that get started will be closed and redirected here. I'll keep this thread updated, with your help, so that whenever there are developments we can add them.

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FAQ

• The OT DVD release date is September 21, 2004. Lucas may release an "Archival/Ultimate Edition" of the OT, to bring it closer to his vision and to tie in better with the prequels.
  In addition, the Special/Archival/Ultimate Editions will be the only version of the OT official available on DVD, although many fans want the original versions to be released as well.



• With the obvious exception of TPM and AotC, any "Star Wars" DVDs you may see on Ebay are not genuine, even though they may have extras, Dolby 5.1 sound, etc. They are pirate copies usually taken from the official Star Wars laserdiscs.



• If you want to see the non-SE Original Trilogy in a better quality format than VHS, then your only current option is to acquire it on laserdisc. There are official releases of both the original films and the Special Editions available on laserdisc, but you will most likely have to acquire these from an online auction site like Ebay.
  Alternatively, you may want to consider buying the Original Trilogy on VCD, which is also an official release for the Far Eastern market, and can be brought quite cheaply at sites like Coolvcd.com



• These are cut scenes that may be included on the DVDs:
  
  ANH
  -Threepio getting tangled in wiring on the Tantive IV.
  -Luke out on the saltflats seeing the SD and Corvette, and then going to Anchorhead/Toshi Station (the cut Biggs scenes).
  -Aunt Beru making blue milk.
  -Alternate angles for the troopers searching the escape pod.
  -alternate angles/scenes for Luke and C-3PO looking for Artoo.
  -Alternate exterior of Ben's hut.
  -Luke NOT putting a restraining bolt on Threepio.
  -Alternate homestead, Death Star, Mos Eisley shots.
  -Cantina patron reporting Luke and Ben to the troopers.
  -Han & "Jenny".
  -alternate Vader & Chief Bast in the hallway.
  -Alternate Mos Eisley people in alleys, etc.
  -Luke blasting Leia's cell door.
  -Luke and Han congratulating each other after the TIE battle.
  -Alternate Yavin briefing angles.
  -Extended sequence of Red Leader talking with Luke.
  -The John D sequence.
  -Extended shots of the battle above the Death Star and the trench battle.
  
  ESB:
  -Alternate Wampa dragging Luke away.
  -Wampa hiding in the ice corridor where Han and Leia argue.
  -Wampa/Probot fighting.
  -Wampa hiding behind Threepio and Artoo in the hangar.
  -Tauntaun autopsy sequence.
  -The Probot using it's energy shield.
  -Extended bacta tank sequences.
  -Wampa/Rebel troopers sequence and Wampa room sequence with Threepio and Artoo.
  -Speeder/trooper/Probot fight.
  -Han/Leia deciding not to go into storage rooms, Threepio ripping warning label off storage room door.
  -Rebel pilots talking with Han over comlink.
  -Extended Hoth battle, with AT-AT stepping on troopers, POV in a speeder looking at an AT-ST.
  -Ion cannon control in cliff above the cannon itself.
  -Wedge/Luke walking to X-Wings, Vader walking through the base.
  -Extended Vader/Piett sequence (not much added).
  -Vader/Sate Pestage holocomm.
  -Extended sequence of Luke's training.
  -Han/Leia kiss on Cloud City.
  -Extended sequence of Han's torture.
  -Extended sequence of Luke getting into Cloud City.
  -Extended Cloud City escape sequence.
  -Vader leaving the gantry.
  -Extended Luke rescue sequence.
  
  ROTJ
  -Luke preparing Jabba's message.
  -Luke getting his hands mashed as he jumps up to the top of the Rancor pit and attempts to climb out.
  -Ree-Yees/Saelt Marae fighting on the Sail Barge.
  -Alternate Sail Barge footage.
  -The sandstorm.
  -The Executor and many Imperial ships orbiting the Death Star.
  -Vader/Jerjerrod going to greet the

 

love it.
wish this was here a few days ago before i started a couple of other threads.

oh, and first time i get to be FIRST POST!!!

 

WHeres the source?

 

I wonder if there will be any commentaries, cause I would love to see the original cast getting back together after a couple more years to talk about making all three movies. That would be the ultimate viewing pleasure, kinda like seeing all the Goonies together again. Can't 2006 come any sooner?


C'mon GL! Get a clue! We want the DVDs and we want them NOW!

 

Thanks for the info

 

What does "Luke getting his hands mashed" mean exactly?

 

Up!!

I have already seen 3 new DVD threads today. We need to make sure this stays on the first page so that every other new thread doesn't need to be locked.

 

Elfstar, in the ROTJ novel, when Luke is dropped into the Rancor pit, he immediately jumps right back up and grabs the grate. Somebody (Jawas?) use their rifle butts to smash his fingers and make him fall.

 

I am bit scared.

ANH can celebrate its 25th anniversary this year and yet we have heard nothing at all about a DVD release or any other kind of official "celebration".

And another thing, if/when lucas eventually releases the OT will it be the SE only? It seems he has disowned the original version over the past years and i have a gut feeling that we'll never see a release of those again. That kinda saddens me, cuz in my opinion, they are by far the SE's superior. Alot of you guys were introduced to Star Wars through the SE's and perhaps some of you haven't seen them at all.

What are you guys opinion?

Should we just forget the original editions and embrace the SE's as the OT?

What would be a good way to celebrate ANH's birthday?

 

What a wonderful thread you've discovered...Seriously.

 

What about the extended Obi-Wan/Luke on Dagobah scene in ROTJ when OB1 tells the whole story of Anakin's fall to the dark side?

 

up!

 

Good post, Trump. It is nothing short of scandalous that there are no plans to release the original version of the OT on DVD. (Heck, they should have been released a long time ago.)

I bought a pirated copy of the original 1977 Star Wars film on DVD from Singapore. That's the only choice Lucas has given me, so I unhesitatingly took it.

 

up, please

 

Not that I'm doubting this will happen, but is this just speculation on your's or TFN's part, or do you have sources stating this may be the direction on how the eventual DVDs will be packaged?

I know that there are other deleted scenes not mentioned in the list, but what you have listed, and if included shows promise.

 

well, you know this stuff wont come out until the new trilogy is done (because they will probably talk about stuff from all of them at one time or another on each film).

I would like to see a directors commentary track. It would be pretty insiteful

Does anyone think Lucas would have modify/add some "new" things into the OT to make it jive with the new trilogy?

 

yeah I heard somewhere that they were recording scenes to the OT. Perhaps we will see a Ultimate Edition?

 

There were a few deleted scenes in The Phantom Menace that I would have loved to have seen in the TPM DVD but they weren't there.
eg. Darth Maul jumping up on to the ramp to fight Quin-Gon as the ship was leaving Tatooine and Quin-Gon fights him off.
OR
Artoo-Detoo falling off the floating landing pad on Coruscant and Artoo flying back up on rockets.

By the way, do you know that Superman 4 has 45 minutes of deleted scenes that hardly anyone has seen?

 

Exactly how are the quality on the bootleg DVD's? For the love of god, I couldn't wait another 3 ***king years for Lucas to release the OT so I said the hell with it and shelled out $80 for some bootlegs off of EBAY.

What exactly am I getting myself into? The whole thing with Dolby 5.1 sound kinda reeled me in..how good do you all think the quality is going to be..I'd appreciate input from anyone who owns bootleg OT DVD's.

This is a sample of the ones I bought...it would be item 1524962402 on Ebay (how the heck do you put links on here?)

Thanks and may the force be with you
Mike

 

Rise my friend

 

ILVIKINGSFAN11, here is a post I posted awhile back on another thread:

Yesterday I received a small package from Singapore: The SW DVD I ordered. That's right, a copy of the original 1977 film, copied from the 1995 THX laserdisks. And yes, it's widescreen.

Overall, it is very good. I'm about 97% satisfied. Here are the few nits:

1. If I select "Watch Movie" on the menu, it goes to that THX screen and keeps looping back to it over and over. To watch the movie, I have to select chapter one, and then everything works fine.

2. Several times during the movie, the loudness of the sound goes down for 5-10 seconds, then comes back up. It's not a huge dip, but enough to notice if you're paying attention. To be fair, my wife didn't notice it most of the time. (I'm anal when it comes to this movie!)

3. There is a slight pause (maybe one second) every time the people making this copy had to flip or change laserdisks. So this happens about 4 times throughout the movie.

4. Right after Leia kisses Luke on the fourth moon of Yavin, the entire screen goes white for about one second, then everything's OK again.

These are all just nits, however. I'm very, very happy to have this little gem. I paid only $12.99 for it too, with no shipping or tax.

Does this mean I'm going to stop trying to get Lucas to make his own DVDs of the original OT? By no means. It just means that now I have something to tide me over until then.

Unfortunately, the website that I bought this from doesn't exist anymore. I don't know where to get one now.

 

Two follow-ups to my last post:

I just took a look at that ebay page, and the cover with "THE NEW HOPE" on it looks exactly like mine; so I imagine you got the exact same DVD that I have.

Regarding ESB: I heard that this one is good except for one thing: The sound is slightly out-of-sync with the picture in the last 25 minutes of the show.

Regarding ROTJ: I haven't heard anything about it. Make sure to let us know.

Also, I kind of doubt that these DVDs are the Special Editions. The packaging on mine indicates that it is SE, but it most certainly is not. (This is a plus as far as I'm concerned.)

Lastly, this is how you post links. For example, if you wanted to post the link to the ebay page you would type something like this:

Click(link=http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?MfcISAPICommand=ViewItem&item=1524962402+)here(/link) for link.

Just replace the parentheses () with brackets [], and this is what will happen:

Click here for link.

 

This can always be upped

 

I like this thread.

I'm not typing this for the purpose of keeping it on the front page so that no new DVD threads are created.

I honestly am fond of this thread.