CT What is your favourite version of the Classic Trilogy

For Tunick.

Yes, I added the Blu-Rays, as people own them now.

 

Before the BluRay, I would have said the 1977 version. But I just love what they did to the scene with the Tuskens, which had never really worked for me so well before. The weird/scary howl, the rocks illusion. Those rocks! Are they real or just in R2's imagination? Is or is it that the lack of rocks is R2 being paranoid that the Tuskens will find him? Cool scene, makes the movie that much better to me. WEIRD=GOOD!

Hmmm, I notice now that the poll is about the entire trilogy. I also would have said the 1983 version of ROTJ before this new BluRay. ROTJ finally feels like a proper ending to the saga, and it makes the original trilogy a bit more interesting too IMO.

 

I assume this poll is referring to the actual content of the movies and not picture quality. If PQ is equal across the board, my vote goes for 1977. I spent, like everyone who grew up with the films, the first 20 years of my life enjoying that version. Growing up even if I wasn't watching the movies per say, they'd still be on in the background while I played with my Star Wars toys. Every sound effect, all of the dialogue timing, the pacing, everything, is forever burned into my memory. When I sit down to enjoy the OT, those are the versions I prefer. However, when I sit and watch, I also like seeing the best PQ and AQ I can see so I'll usually throw in the best available version. I bought the Blu-Rays and I do own the 2006 release of the original version. At the moment I'm enjoying the blu-rays but from time to time it's nice to revisit an old friend so I'll put up with the inferior PQ and AQ and fire up the 2006 bonus discs. If I ever had the opportunity to own the unaltered movie on blu-ray, I'd put that in 100% of the time.

 

Special Edition for me

ROTJ aside, it was the first time I got to see the OT in the cinema, and the buzz about the new scenes and updated effects was fantastic.

I used to watch the 77 version of ANH every week at my Dad's house, so to see "new star wars" was thrilling.

The awful colouring of the DVDs puts me off those, and I'm yet to see the Blu-Rays (will do at Xmas)

 

Blu-Rays for me; about as close as we can get at home to actually seeing these on a theatre screen, also fantastic audio.

 

The 2004 DVD release for me. I understand, obviously, the significance of the original theatrical releases of the CT, and the important place it holds for many people, as that's how they first got exposed to Star Wars. However, I personally prefer the "Special Editions" on the DVD release, because the films got enhanced/better due to most of the changes (the new things added to Mos Eisley in ANH, the improved effects during The Battle of Yavin/The Battle of Hoth in Empire & the ending celebrations in Jedi are my absolute favorite changes). The changes I don't like (Shaw getting replaced by Hayden at the end of Jedi & Greedo shooting at Han) don't ruin the CT for me at all.

Viva Los Angeles!

 

77.

 

Blu-Ray. I don't mind the changes, and the quality of picture and sound is astounding.

 

Good choice for a poll. Judging by the numbers so far, it seems to me that fans would appreciate having the choice to purchase the original versions.

 

Me too... and as such, I voted for the 2004 DVDs. I also like that they had the (mostly) cleaned up effects of the SE, while changing back some of the more objectionable SE changes (such as removing Luke's scream while he fell on Bespin, or making the Greedo/Han shots closer to being at the same time).

Also...
"Classic Trilogy...
1977 Theatrical Release"

 

The 2004 DVD release . . . which I watch all of the time now.

 

OK, fess up. Who voted for the 97 versions?
[image=http://www.digitalbits.com/reviews3/starwars/4-05-1997.jpg]

 

Read the thread

I did. But it's more for the thrill and hype of seeing it on the big screen. Made me feel like a kid again.

 

1997 Special Edition. Just because the lightsabers are okay, the colours are fine, and there are not as many inconsistent changes like in future releases.

 

2011 Blu-Ray is the best.

 

2011 Blu-Ray is the ultimate way to experience the OT.

 

My issue with picking one is the fact that it seems with every new version of the film that is released there are changes I like, ones that are unnecessary but I do not mind, and ones that I do not like. There hasn't been one that I'd call my personal favorite version.

For example I really liked the additions to Cloud City. With the way it was spoken of by Lando (with lines like "You are beautiful. You truly belong with us here among the clouds) I was expecting something much more glamorous and beautiful than what we saw in the theatrical cut. Another change I thought was for the better was adding Ian McDiarmid into EMPIRE STRIKES BACK as that not only helps it fit in with the PT better, but RETURN OF THE JEDI as well. (Plus Ian McDiarmid is the man!) In the Blu-Ray I like the new larger gate into Jabba's palace. Sure it won't do anything for us who have seen the films before, but for new viewers it adds more of a sense of mystery and suspense like "What the Hell is behind that thing!" (And heck, they had to get the Rancor in there somehow right) I also like Victory Celebration at the end of JEDI a lot more than Yub-Nub. Much more feeling and beauty to it.

Then we have the ones that are just unnecessary, but I don't think really hurt the films and aren't really that bad. Such as Ewoks blinking and Vader's arriving on his ship towards the end of EMPIRE. And the constant changing of the Krayt Dragon calls. Just kind of pointless.

And then there's those that I don't like. Mainly the Han and Greedo scene (the obvious one). George said that it was to make Han more heroic, but Han was supposed to be a scoundrel at the time. That was a part of his character arc. And then there's the new "NO" at the end of Jedi which doesn't bother me as much as it does most, but I still don't really like it and think the scene really does work a lot better with Vader being silent.

So in short, there to me is no perfect STAR WARS to all my desires. I actually admire Lucas' sentiment that he doesn't want to abandon his films and wants to improve them. And while I think in places it was justified, he just usually goes too overboard with it. Would be awesome if we could cut and paste the edits in and out of our DVDs so we can have the version we want (or at least that would work for people like me who would want to mix and match the special editions and theatrical cuts)

 

1977.

Feels like a perfectly rounded and edited film.

 

Actually, the fullscreen version of the OT taped off cable with Christmas commercials is the best, but it wasn't one of the options.

 

I was leaning toward the version that I reenacted in the woods behind my house when I was a kid. Captain Picard and Leonardo made guest appearances. Beat that, O-OT.

 

Screw that. The CBS Valentine's Day airing with the Charlie Brown special before it is clearly superior. After all, everybody knows that Charles Schulz is the real genius behind "Star Wars".

 

I honestly wish I could see that.

What's funny is I remember as a kid the versions I grew up with which were taped off the television in the mid-80s and I remember every commercial. I remember the German polka album infomercial on ANH and the cheesy Gillette shaving commercials off my ESB tape. Those tapes sadly have been recorded over, but I would know the commercials if I saw them. For me, that was my Star Wars childhood--there was no toys, comics, magazines or novels at the time. Weird to think about it now. My mom always used to say I was born in the worst possible time to be a Star Wars fan--too late to appreciate the original theatrical release, but too late to fully appreciate the 1990s re-birth. I do wish I still had my tape of Droids reruns.

 

Yeah, I didn't have commercials sadly, but I practically grew up on the TESB VHS tape my mom rented every weekend.

It was a sad realization when 1986 or so rolled around and I gradually realized there were increasingly few Star Wars toys at the local K-Mart.

 

I voted for the '77 trilogy. The versions of ESB and RotJ that traveled back in time were MIND-BLOWING!