San Fran, CA Well it's about time....

Well, the covers look fine. I guess the old school poster idea isn't as marketable for some reason (that's what I would have liked!)

- kay dee

 

you mean like these?

[image=http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/9439/collectionclassic3ng.jpg]
[image=http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/8800/collectioneditdroid0cx.jpg]
[image=http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/7396/swtrilogynewkind33qv.png]
[image=http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/515/collectionotse9ay.jpg]

 

Yup, like those. But I'm really not questioning the new covers too much. Undoubtedly there has been extensive research done in the area of marketing DVDs and there is a reason they go with that sort of character collage style.

Average Joe perusing the shelves "I remember the Ewok and the chick in that slave costume. That chick was hot! I'm buying this!"

The new ANH cover style borrows heavily from one of the classic posters actually. It's just kind of modernized (more photoshop looking than painted poster artwork).

[image=http://www.starwars.com/episode-iv/release/video/img/20060516_iv_bg.jpg] [image=http://artfiles.art.com/images/-/Star-Wars-Poster-C10288775.jpeg]

- kay dee

 

I agree with you, Kat. I like the new covers better than the '04 ones, especially ROTJ (can't go wrong with slave Leia). But I wish they would have used the original poster art. That's what made "Star Wars" stand out. In this day of Photoshop, I still love original painted art in movie posters. Hopefully, that trend will start again, as will lobby cards. At least the gold will match the prequel trilogy when they're put side by side.

 

Oh no, I agree! I also like the painted artwork look of the old movie posters. I just found it interesting that the new ANH cover was like a modern version of the poster. And the new ROTJ cover is reminiscent of this poster

[image=http://artfiles.art.com/images/-/Star-Wars-Episode-VI---Return-of-the-Jedi-Poster-C10284317.jpeg]

I've decided I like the new ESB cover the least. I guess the Gone with the Wind thing just doesn't fly these days.

 

Yeah, too bad. *singing* "Where is the looooove?!"

 

Another reason to dislike the new ESB cover... is it just me or isn't that a photo of Han from ANH (Vest is either ANH or ROTJ. I'd need a higher res pic to really see. Sleeve length leads me to believe it's an ANH pic though).

- kay dee

 

It is, click on the pic for a full size.

And if you look carefully at the ESB and ROTJ covers the main characters all have an outer glow on them. Even Wicket.

 

Yeah, I had clicked on your thumbnails. But I couldn't see the pants or pocket detail 100% well enough to make the call on the Han outfit for certain.

Uh, would they put Luke in his ROTJ outfit on the ESB cover? I think NOT! LOL!


Saw the glows, that's why I made the photoshop comment. It doesn't bother me, it's just a common effect. Oh wait, or maybe you are pointing out yet another similarity between posters and new photoshop art.

I need to go to sleep.

- kay dee

 

I think if they are going to have the original cut of each film, the original artwork should go with it

 

For Pete's sake, why do they keep using photos of Luke with a hairstyle that doesn't match the hair in the movie?? That has been bugging me about the previous DVD cover for ANH for a long time now, and they keep doing it! There are so many great photos of Luke, such as the ones reproduced endlessly on the collectible cards I had as a kid, that I wonder why they are using photos that were obviously costume tests or publicity shots, as opposed to images from the movie itself.

Maybe this is just my childhood crush on Mark Hamill talking

I guess the new covers are OK, but I also wish they had gone with the posters.

 

Even in the Special Edition posters in'97 they used an ESB pic of Leia as reference for the ANH poster, and the image of Luke and Vader dueling from ESB for the ROTJ poster. If they weren't going to use the poster art for the DVD's, they should have maybe have had a contest among fans to design them.

 

These actually match the prequel trilogy widescreen boxes. This one would say this was planned from the very start. I knew it... I just knew it.

 

the spines do anyway. The art still is smeg.

 

Same problem with Han - I'm pretty sure that is also one of the promo stills taken well after (or well before?) the movie was filmed. I noticed his hair was shorter in some of those studio shots when I was researching the Han costume.

-kay dee

 

actually the cover art are similiar styles too.

 

Funny how the '04 versions have the original artwork on the DISCS, not on the covers! Since each film coming out in September will be two discs, I wonder if they'll change the artwork, like keep the original versions with the corresponding artwork, and the '04 versions with "Special Edition" artwork.

I wonder if, for the 30th anniversary, they'll re-release the poster art, but with the same font as the prequels, using the episode #'s and sub-titles, like "STAR WARS EPIDODE IV A NEW HOPE". Anyone care to photoshop it?

 

The 04 discs are going to just be shovelware. The same shiny coaster we had 2 years ago.

 

I wish they could've at least used a promo pic that had Mark with his old nose :
[image=http://www.guerrestellari.net/athenaeum/emero/rstone0877.jpg]

 

Okay, more signs of total disdain for the OOT from it's own creator.

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/mytwocentsa120.html#emp
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/#mytwocents
http://www.starwarz.com/tbone/editorials/original_original_trilogy_dvds.htm

 

I'm afraid I'm going to avoid this release altogether. George Lucas is either evil, or needs immediate psychiatric help.
Hmmmm, lemme see if I can wrap my brain around this...George Lucas (read mega-exaggerated air quotes ----->) "doesn't know" if anyone is really interested in the theatrical editions of the original trilogy...yep, he needs immediate psychiatric help.

 

Arguably the most popular and most loved films of all time. Nah, nobody wants to see those...

 

Both

If this is not changd, as we get closer to the date, I may as well forget purchasing as well and bow out of anything having to do with it. Why bother when the boots are of better quality?

 

*sigh* I'm a sucker, I'll still buy it. Well, at least they got this right:

Episode IV will feature the original 1977 version of the opening crawl (sans the "Episode IV" text) which has NEVER been released on home video before

OK, George IS crazy!

Well... at the same time as he was preparing the 1997 versions, Lucas apparently went on a little tear and recalled every release print of the theatrical versions that he could get his hands on, and he had them all destroyed. Which means that when Lucas said back in 1997 that the original theatrical versions of the Star Wars films no longer existed, he was serious. He apparently tried hard to make sure of it.

He destroyed the negatives too. OK, they were in bad shape but that just makes me so sad to think that bit of history is gone.


-kay dee

 

Yet George still can't destroy bootlegs of the "Holiday Special" floating around. I wonder if on the "new" '04 versions they'll fix things like incorrect lightsaber colors and the gargage mattes on the ships. Anne, looks like your store will be getting some of the '04 discs in for trade at work.

I'm still wondering why they didn't wait til the 30th anniversary to release these. Unless something ELSE is planned for that.