I think that’s the thing prisons to do new inmates where everybody has to strip naked and get doused in insecticide powder.
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Isn’t one of the standard justifications for the lack of an official release lack of access to suitable material? The original negatives are apparently heavily damaged/altered from the special editions, the original and working prints gone or similarly damaged. And lack of access to theatrical prints of suitable quality? Least ways that seems to be the line from Lucas Film since they were bought out from Disney.
Also which version of the theatrical release is it? Apparently there were multiple changes made in 1977 and subsequent years even before the special edition. What sort condition is the print in? Film mediums aren’t exactly the best archival media. They take special storage conditions, can degrade spontaneously, and tend to rapidly break down with use. Theatrical prints are not ideal for restoration and remastering because of that last one. Especially back in the day they got run through the projector an insane number of times, and often needed repair or replacement. But in cases where original non-theatrical prints and original negatives aren’t available they become an important source for archival efforts and re-releases.
Lucas Film haven’t necessarily gone after fan cuts in the past. But if these guys are at risk its likely to be because of Disney/Lucas Film wanting that print for their own eventual re-release. Apparently there are also rights issues involved, with Fox owning distribution rights to Jedi and Empire until 2020, and A New Hope forever. So I doubt you’ll see anything official for a while. But if they really have any interest at all, they’re going to start collecting up as much early material as they can.
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I kind of find it hard to buy the idea that, once the movie turned out to be the most popular movie in the galaxy, nobody thought to say, “maybe we should save a copy for posterity?”
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Copy of what, the film?
The original film is lost due to copying it so much, IIRC. They still have master reels somewhere, and that is what they scanned and cleaned up for the bulk of the special edition, and that was scanned and cleaned up for the HD blue ray.
But no one has scanned and cleaned up the pre-special edition version. I am sure there are several copies of the film in 35mm sitting around that could be scanned. Honestly, you could use, what, 90+% of what you already have with the blue ray, and just scan the old scenes that were altered in the special edition.
But also to the point, they have made minor edits and updates to the film since 1977:
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If I was Disney/LucasFilm, and Fox was pushing their weight around with distribution rights to the movies and being jerks about it, I wouldn’t exactly discourage unofficial fan versions from being distributed.
“Oh gosh, looks like another high-res Blu-Ray quality copy of the movies leaked online. Sure is a shame we can’t put those out and make a few bucks, huh? Yeah, a real shame.”
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“Hello, is this Fox? Disney here! How you doing? Say—you guys like money, right?”
Done and done.
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EXACTLY!!!
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I’m sure Disney is waiting for Fox to screw up some where down the road. “What’s that Fox? Your X-Men well has run dry? Well maybe we should have a little talk…”
It wont happen anytime soon, as long as they can keep the Deadpool train running, but they are fooling themselves if they can’t see Disney’s lawyers circling them like vultures circling a dying animal.
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Bravo to the work done here, but having a magnificent copy of Harmy’s work I need no other copy of the film.
I got all 3 movies off bittorrent some time ago. Absolutely perfect quality.
The episode IV actually doesn’t say Episode IV: A New Hope, it’s just Star Wars and then the story scrolls up. Remember, the movie was never planed to have sequels, it wasn’t even expected to be successful.
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This version hasn’t been defucked, since it was never fucked in the first place.
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People over 30 don’t like the film as they originally saw it? What?
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Yeah but why do that if the bulk of their rights expire in 4 years. Wait it out so you have to get the minimum access. One deal over A New Hope, the rest of the rights revert to Lucas Film on their own. Instead of giving Fox a piece of all of it. Fox can’t go releasing their own because Lucas Film owns the actual movies.
I don’t think they care about it, and haven’t in the past. What I think they might care about is the physical print used, and what utility it may have in an obviously coming at some point official release. I wouldn’t put it past Disney to sue the guys for copyright infringement to get at the print. Rather than taking the much better PR route of engaging with this fan group and offering to buy the print.
Given Harmy’s work is the difinitive version of de-specialization, how does this stack against that?
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But Han shot or Han shot first and last isn’t as catchy - and Han shot first doesn’t mean he wasn’t also last.
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Right now no one is making any money off distributing the original versions of those movies. Surely there’s some dollar amount for the distribution rights that would be mutually beneficial to both parties.
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There’s some discussion of the differences here.
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I find Harmy’s to be superior myself but some film aficionados will like this version as it is closer to what was actually seen 39 years ago. Film grain and all.
Harmy used alot of sources to compile and create his.
This is just a straight copy of a 35mm print.
Harmy’s also has the addition of all the audio tracks (surround, stereo, mono, dubs, commentaries and isolated score!)
I don’t think Fox’s idiocy, or a wait for financial trouble would be the hold up. Fox only seems to own distribution rights. They don’t own any of the actual movies or intellectual property, of physical prints. And its not like there’s a situation where time or Disney borking things would give Fox access to making their own Star Wars. And presumably the currently available version of the original trilogy still operate under this same deal. Fox basically gets a cut by physically moving and selling DVDs and prints.
But I don’t see Disney going to the trouble and expense of putting out an un-altered re-release now if they can wait 4 years and keep more of the proceeds. Sharing profits on one is better than sharing profits on 3.
Yes but their making plenty of money selling the special editions. And its presumably part of the same distribution deal. I could see Fox potentially selling out the about to expire rights on Jedi and Empire, but only for an amount that’s in excess of what they can project they’ll make off them in the next 4 years. As for first one? Why the hell would Fox ever sell those rights back? For a minimal investment in handling physical media they get a piece of probably the most continually salable piece of media on the planet. Its basically free money. They’d have to be desperate. Disney on the other hand doesn’t need to get those rights back per se. Nothing about such a deal means they can’t sell, release, distribute, remake, de-make, and exploit the shit out of it. They just need to give a little piece to Fox when ever they put out the OT (and presumably the special editions too, and maybe the prequels Fox was involved in all of these). In 4 years, no negotiations, or overpriced buy outs necessary, they have to give a smaller piece to Fox. So why wade into it now and make the whole thing more expensive, more complex.
Like you said noone is making anything off the original cuts now, they’ve got it on lock so there’s no competition. Fox couldn’t release their own non-special edition cut. So its not as if all the people who want it now won’t buy it later, because they bought it from Fox instead. It’ll take a while to put something like this together. Remastering and such can take YEARS, when there’s good source material. And with Star Wars apparently there isn’t good material. And in 4 years Disney’s cut of the profit goes up. Effectively making the margin on whatever it costs to assemble that much better. Fox wouldn’t stand in the way of it now (even if they could, which I’m not certain they could) because, hey extra Star Wars money@! A gravy train they’ve otherwise been cut out of.
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