I didn’t even know I had the original theatrical versions of those movies until I looked at the dvd covers going through storage in my garage. It’s so cool that I’m one of the few people who owns these versions or even knows about them.
I paid $40 for the complete set 10 minutes ago. Well worth it. I'm not too fussed about the quality of the OT as growing up the television we had wasn't the best so it'll be even more of a nostalgia trip.
Technically both versions are THX certified, the video master was created for the Definitive Collection laserdisc set, the first Star Wars release to have the THX certification. Which is also why it uses the 1993 sound mix. I think considering the source, the dvd was well encoded.
Definitive Collection laserdisc set and a fan preservation of them were always my favorite go to version until the 2006 DVD came out. I originally picked them up when they came out at Walmart with a graphic novel reprint of the comics for like 5 bucks each, later I picked up a used set in a tin box (Best Buy exclusive I believe).
Me, too. Bought it the week it came out and have since thrown away the ANH and ROTJ special editions. Made the mistake of watching them both this summer against my better judgement and they went straight in the trash.
I think these are one of the best ways to watch original theatrical. Been a fan since the beginning. Even with the gritty texture these DVDs are much better quality than any versions shown in theaters way back in 70's and 80's. And bubble screen tv presentations or vhs of days long past. Those were truly gritty and I still loved them. Glad I own a collection of varying versions dvd, vhs, etc. Including these. Its still a very solid way to watch original theatrical In this modern day era.
I have Star Wars and Empire original versions. I do love seeing them and the unaltered stuff is as good as it was..What hooked me on film back in Feb 1978 at my local Odeon
I was there at Wal-Mart at the stroke of midnight to grab all 3 of these and each one came with a trade of the original comics for that movie. I love the Special Editions, but I do like having access to the originals (even if they aren't "enhanced for a widescreen television").
Thank God I got it back when it was released! Many people didn’t bother cause already had the DVD box set containing the special edition cut. I already knew the value of it at the time.
The 2006 bonus disc. 4:3 Letterbox not anamorphic widescreen. Interlaced and not progressive scan. Used a telecine not film scan meant for Laserdisc. It was component video and not composite and state of the art in 1993. D1 Master tape. With really first generation DNR.
@@Knightmessenger yep the 2004 box set that had the Empire of Dreams bonus disc, were certainly all special editions, as Lucas commenced his attempted brainwashing on all the once loyal fans
There are no "original versions" of Star Wars. They were being edited even while early prints were sent to theatres and even after the film had been released it was still being edited. People who saw it in theatres in 1977 saw a different version depending various circumstances. So, let's not get too worked up about Special Editions having multiple versions. It's almost impossible to get the definitive original version as well.
There is another drawback with this transfer. If you zoom the picture to fill the screen then the subtitles (Gredo and Jabba) are off the screen. It’s worth seeing out the vastly superior despecialized versions where all the changes have been reversed. There are some very clever people out there!
It's highly unlikely that Fox/Disney will ever release the original trilogy of Star Wars films in UHD. Lucas was totally against releasing this set at the time, after releasing the Special Editions. Lucas was totally pissed off with various people asking him when the original trilogy would be coming out on DVD, then Blu-ray, that he just decided to push forward with the Laser disc transfers. Disney/Fox aren't really bothered about releasing these originals, nor are they that bothered about licensing back catalogue titles from the Fox archive to boutique labels. Those days have gone. Disney prefer streaming and the future seems set as to what Disney ultimately prefer over old formats in the long run. Star Wars as a standard trilogy certainly won't resurface on the physical media market. And I firmly doubt Disney will ever release the original untouched trilogy of films again. Most studios don't really care about old films, but naturally look toward future film releases. It's now left to boutique labels to carry the torch with older films. These standard DVD releases will become highly collectable in the future I would imagine. Worth keeping hold of.
@@dr.impossibleofcounterpunc1984 It certainly is an interesting scenario of wait and see? Just know, Disney are corporate WHORE$, and if they can release physical media of the original trilogy of Star Wars films once Lucas drops off the perch, then they will. They know the OT franchise is a license to print money; and they won't be missing out on an easy return from their 2012 outlay.
@thedys70 Disney have multi-billions. As a corporation, they don't really need to worry about losses in the long run. In the future I can see media Corporations becoming smaller, and concentrating on streaming as the next level of entertainment. As for Star Wars, the original films. If they do appear, it will be the streaming services that Disney offer in the future. Physical is in its twilight years, and the process of moving to stream ever forward is inevitable.
We can only hope that we will get a remastered version of the originals. I am sad to say it will likely take George to become one with the Force for that to happen.
I felt bad selling these. I repurchased them. I dont care about using the zoom feature on my tv and seeing black bars all around. This is the best, the original unaltered.
Only thing is, the first movie still has “Episode IV” in the beginning. I want to see the actual original SW movie without it. I had in on VHS but it got munched…I do have the DVD’s
I have these. Got them years ago for cheap. And I'll keep them forever because it's the only way to watch the original versions on DVD (too bad they're letterbox). I'd give anything to have widescreen original versions on Blu-ray.
I wasn't happy with them. If you use an early DVD player from say 1998-2001..., you may notice all the original scenes from 1977 have a pause In front of them before they play as if they are just inserts. Really pee'd me off at the time as that was when they first released. More modern DVD players don't show the pause as they are smoother and quicker when it comes to changing to different files on the fly.
I own the DVD collections of Star Wars - Original Trilogy + Bonus Material & The Prequel Trilogy in BOTH FULLSCREEN & WIDESCREEN! I'm keeping the WIDESCREEN DVD set & am looking to off-load the FULLSCREEN DVDs!
I had episode 5 and 6 of these DVDs from the age of 10, so I watched the original unaltered versions on the “bonus” disk my entire childhood nearly. I also picked up the original unaltered version of episode 4 later on.
last year I found all 3 dvds of the original trilogy. I got em for cheap. They were in good condition too and I started watching these and thought I never see the theatrical version. And had to keep watching the special edition version on tv or streaming. But no I can watch all three on dvd if I want to
I bought these specifically when I found out they were different from the releases in the Trilogy Box, however, they were slightly disappointing as they are 4:3 with largesd black banners and only stereo
I own this box set. These DVDs of the theatrical version of the original trilogy look like old VHS tapes. The image has black bars on the sides & top/bottom and it has a lot of grain & dirt. - My solution; I got copies of the Despecialized edition of the theatrical version of the OT. That is in hi definition, the images are clean and they are properly letterboxed.
Bought the original version on VHS when the thx VHS came out, then bought the VHS of the special editions like was shown in theaters, both full screen though, so when it came out on DVD I got the widescreen set. Then these came out. Not gonna buy the same movies again. That being said, I do have a DVD in each of my widescreen DVDs that are the original versions. Ask me no questions, I will tell you no lies.
For years I would watch these on TV and think that ROTJ wasn't that good. Having seen all of the OT multiple times on the big screen when they first came out, and liking them all, I was wondering if my tastes had changed. Several years ago I had an opportunity to purchase each of these, which I unhesitatingly did, after which I promptly watched both Star Wars and ESB, but not ROTJ for the previously-stated reason. Then last year, I decided to watch it for some reason and I liked it, as I did when I first saw it in 1983. It occurred to me the reason I haven't liked it since is because I wasn't watching the theatrical version (which is what I originally saw and liked), but the revised version -- which sucks, and I don't ever want to watch. My advise to everyone is: if you haven't seen the originals as theatrically released, you have no idea what you're missing. That being said, unfortunately, as you're never going to get to see them on the big screen, watching them on TV is the next best thing.
I had these versions but they either got "borrowed" by a friend or I lost them somehow. So I ended up getting the blu ray version of Harmy's Despecialized trilogy. And I love it. But yeah I also bought another new official version at the same time so it's kosher.
I have those editions, but the brazilian ones cause I'm from Brazil, but it's the exact same one as yours, same covers, same images on discs, everything, but all in portuguese, the only real difference is that the dvd case are white for those 3 episodes and the prequels too, my cases are a translucid white instead of black. I got those editions in 2006, after I bought it that year I never saw it for sale on physical stores here ever again, and I bought it in a supermarket my parents used to go to XD
A little query for you regarding Anamorphic Widescreen, as you mentioned it on this episode. I recently discovered that a couple of my DVDs (For a Few Dollars More and Goodfellas) have the issue of having the picture set back in a box, like Star Wars does on the disc you reviewed. I'm sure this wasn't the case when I originally purchased them. Is it simply that I have since upgraded both TV and player and the old one would blow up the image, whereas the new one doesn't? I've tried zooming, but with limited success. I bet I've more in my collection like this too!!
Andy Lunn thanks for your message, yes this is another interesting one, many DVD’s that were originally released as Widescreen were not necessarily Anamorphic widescreen for 16:9 TV’s some were just 4:3 Letterboxd editions that maintained the films correct aspect ratio but did not stretch the image resulting in the films appearing in a box on newer TV’s. I know this applies to some of the earlier releases of the mentioned films, in fact my original DVD of Goodfellas was before dual density DVD’s and was a flipper which I had to turn over half way through the film!! Thankfully this was not an issue on any DVD’s circa 2002 and isn’t an issue with Blu-ray or 4K but certainly there are DVD titles out there that are non-anamorphic although thankfully no flippers anymore!! I’m thinking about doing a sub-series called Home Media Minefield Explained where I simplify some of the jargon out there and explain things such as aspect ratios, audio versions etc. Do you think that would be something of interest to TH-cam audiences? 🤔
@@homemediaminefield Cheers Keith, that's useful info for sure. My Goodfellas was a flipper, my Wild Bunch is one too, so I'm guessing that will have the same issue. Haven't watched it in years, but will have to have a look. I do need to check through them to weed out and replace, but if 2002 is around the time that the issue should not be a problem anymore, then it shouldn't be as big a job as I'd originally feared. Crazy though that I mustn't have watched some of my collection for a fair few years. I do like the idea of a sub-series. It'd be a nice edition to the weekly reviews and unboxings.
I own the first and second dvd release of The Great Escape, if you call it that. The original release is the most terrible dvd release of a film I have ever seen. The bars nearly cover the whole screen. The second release is just a repackaged version of the first release.
Letterbox dvd was only somewhat common in the early years of the format. If you purchased those dvd's around that time, you probably had a standard 4x3 television. Anamorphic dvd's display a fairly identical picture to letterbox dvd (or laserdisc) when viewed on a 4x3 screen. Usually the back of the dvd will say 16x9 enhanced, enhanced for widescreen tvs or anamorphic widescreen. Any of those terms mean its designed to automatically unsqueeze on a widescreen tv and fill the sides properly.
So all of the original versions are in widescreen. (Letterboxed non anamorphic) The region 1 dvd's say widescreen because the remastered edition was also available there in a fullscreen pan & scan.
@@Knightmessenger all right thanks, I think I got an Region 2 Version. German Edition. If the theatrical Version is widescreen then, I should watch it on a modern/regular 16:9 TV and Not an old 4:3 TV, right?
@@GabobStrulli The original versions of the films are non anamorphic letterbox no matter which version you buy since they are considered "bonus material". The Widescreen/Full Screen label only applies to the 2004 "enhanced" versions that are included in the same package on disc 1.
I got them!!!! But in a "Pirate" BOX SET. XD Anywy....I love to watch the originals, specually Ep4 and 6. I´d love to have the version on individuals DVD....maybe someday.
Ok just wanted to say thank you for saving me money, so these idiots just took the laser disk version and slapped it on a dvd and said here you go, I have the laser disk ones so there is not a need to buy the dvd, this is why star wars fans got pissed, we wanted the original trilogy upgrade, lucas said up yours.
Totally agree - HATED those photoshopped covers; it wasn't like we didn't have enough Star Wars poster art to choose from.... Berkley, Hildebrandts, etc. This is one of my anal retentive pet hates: bogus dvd and bluray "artwork". Original cinemas bill posters please! Also hated the early-mid 90s VHS covers as well, but the 1997 special edition silver and gold trimmed artwork was acceptable.
@@thedys70 Yep, those covers were pretty bad. Even the art on the back of those DVDs is better than the front. Do we know who did the art for those inserts? Was it Drew Struzan? My hope is that they are going to use the original poster art for the 50th Anniversary Blue Ray and 4K Ultra HD release of the ORIGINAL versions of the Original Trilogy. I know it won't happen, but that's what I'm hoping will happen. Even though it won't.
@@brihiggins Hearing you bro; hoping common sense [and the lure of rattle of the ca$h register] prevails! Can't think of who that artist was; any tragics out there who can help us out with this trivia?
I would like them to release it in higher res, but regardless of the res, I will watch these anytime over the "special editions." Not all the changes are bad, but the bas outweighs the good.
I had to make ISO backups of my copies of these, as they've started showing signs of disc rot. Which is very disappointing since I take good care of my home media.
To be honest I’ve not been able to do a side by side comparison, however my understanding is that the transfer is from the same master used to create the laserdisc back in the 90’s… I hope this helps ☺️🙏🤞👍🏻
Unfortunately, my copies don't work...the second discs simply don't load, no matter which player I use. Scored a replacement, and it doesn't work either. Curious if the discs use a codec the players I have access to simply no longer support, because the 1st discs work. 😶
There’s a better way look for 4k77 which is the the original version taken from a thirty five milimeter print cleaned up ananmorphic sound Dolby stereo or thx or. The 70 milimeter six track in 5.1 dts
Wasn't the quality in this really bad? I'd like to watch the original cuts of these films in a good high quality.... but I wouldn't go out of my way to watch or even buy them. I have the skywalker bluray boxset and I'm happy with that. The special editions of these films were what I had growing up, those and the prequals is starwars to me. As well as the original starwars battlefront games or that revenge of the sith ps2 game 😋🦊
It's weird how this big deal from 2006 is being treated like a rare, unknown thing. After all the statements about how the originals would not be released again, it was surprising to see this release announced on the official site back then. I looked forward to the release date and was at Best Buy as soon as it opened. At the time, I still had a traditional type of TV, 27", and everything looked fine on that. It was after I got an HDTV about four years later when I saw just how inferior it was, and had to zoom in a bit without taking away any picture. This whole set was done to try to prove how "superior" the newer versions were to the original prints, almost like a joke. I refuse to just accept the changes to the movies that I liked for decades. Now I watch the Despecialized editions.
Why do people want these on High Definition, they are intended to be the original untouched version, "GET IT" UNTOUCHED... meaning no HIGH DEFINITION. People are are weird when it comes to HD, it's not the End All Be All. DVD quality as fine enough, You don't need a Blu Ray player.
So the special edition haters who trashed Lucas in that documentary (The People Vs George Lucas) for not releasing the original versions on dvd, obviously didn’t know about these limited edition dvds. So the special edition haters were just flat out stupid for complaining over nothing.
The unaltered versions were not presented in quality that was up to date with modern dvd transfers, namely how most dvd's are optimizee for widescreen televisions. With the bluray and 4k sets of the special edition out since, the gap has widened as there is no official release of the originals in HD.
I didn’t even know I had the original theatrical versions of those movies until I looked at the dvd covers going through storage in my garage. It’s so cool that I’m one of the few people who owns these versions or even knows about them.
I paid $40 for the complete set 10 minutes ago. Well worth it. I'm not too fussed about the quality of the OT as growing up the television we had wasn't the best so it'll be even more of a nostalgia trip.
Bro i paid 1$ for the episode IV, im so happy!!
The price for this box set skyrocketed this year for some reason. Picked mine up at a thrift store a few years ago. Looks nice on a CRT TV.
Forty dollars is less than what they cost new in 2006 because each film was sold separately at about $20 each.
Not bad
Technically both versions are THX certified, the video master was created for the Definitive Collection laserdisc set, the first Star Wars release to have the THX certification.
Which is also why it uses the 1993 sound mix. I think considering the source, the dvd was well encoded.
God I missed those badly.
Definitive Collection laserdisc set and a fan preservation of them were always my favorite go to version until the 2006 DVD came out. I originally picked them up when they came out at Walmart with a graphic novel reprint of the comics for like 5 bucks each, later I picked up a used set in a tin box (Best Buy exclusive I believe).
I have this DVD set.
Me, too. Bought it the week it came out and have since thrown away the ANH and ROTJ special editions.
Made the mistake of watching them both this summer against my better judgement and they went straight in the trash.
Congrats.
Great
I think these are one of the best ways to watch original theatrical. Been a fan since the beginning. Even with the gritty texture
these DVDs are much better quality than any versions shown in theaters way back in 70's and 80's. And bubble screen tv presentations or vhs of days long past. Those were truly gritty and I still loved them. Glad I own a collection of varying versions dvd, vhs, etc. Including these. Its still a very solid way to watch original theatrical In this modern day era.
I don't think they are better than in the theater, as we were seeing it right off the film there with no digital compression.
I have Star Wars and Empire original versions. I do love seeing them and the unaltered stuff is as good as it was..What hooked me on film back in Feb 1978 at my local Odeon
I was there at Wal-Mart at the stroke of midnight to grab all 3 of these and each one came with a trade of the original comics for that movie. I love the Special Editions, but I do like having access to the originals (even if they aren't "enhanced for a widescreen television").
Thank God I got it back when it was released! Many people didn’t bother cause already had the DVD box set containing the special edition cut. I already knew the value of it at the time.
Great
Yes, I see them all the time at flea markets. Dvds tend to be the new versions, to get the originals you have to find old VHS.
Yeah
The 2006 bonus disc. 4:3 Letterbox not anamorphic widescreen. Interlaced and not progressive scan. Used a telecine not film scan meant for Laserdisc. It was component video and not composite and state of the art in 1993. D1 Master tape. With really first generation DNR.
*in Europe Wii were lucky to get the wide-screen copies of the old films!* 💡
Getting them was worth it and definitely worth recommending to young generations like myself who saw the special editions
Actually Han just shoots Greedo with no discussion of who shoots who first.
I got two of these, just in case:)
I got all 3 of these DVDs and I paid less than $15 each. No, it wasn't even a scam! Talk about win-win!
Got it for Christmas 2 years ago along with the family guy Star Wars trilogy.
Gold vs silver is full screen vs widescreen
but those gold/silver releases were the 1997 special editions only?
@@thedys70and the initial dvd release that only had the special editions.
@@Knightmessenger yep the 2004 box set that had the Empire of Dreams bonus disc, were certainly all special editions, as Lucas commenced his attempted brainwashing on all the once loyal fans
Love this. Star Wars on this channel every week please!
Ross Shepherd 🤣
You sound like the narrator of the Toys Train 4U channel
There are no "original versions" of Star Wars. They were being edited even while early prints were sent to theatres and even after the film had been released it was still being edited. People who saw it in theatres in 1977 saw a different version depending various circumstances. So, let's not get too worked up about Special Editions having multiple versions. It's almost impossible to get the definitive original version as well.
As for today VHS, LASER DISC and DVD are the only way to own the original. Other options are bootleg copies.
There is another drawback with this transfer. If you zoom the picture to fill the screen then the subtitles (Gredo and Jabba) are off the screen. It’s worth seeing out the vastly superior despecialized versions where all the changes have been reversed. There are some very clever people out there!
I don’t have the DVD version, I have VHS.
Ah yes, Star Wars (1977), rated U despite the lingering shot of of the crispy, smoking skeletons of Luke's aunt and uncle!! (Nice one sir)
Don’t forget when Obi wan chopped off that guys arm and we even got a nice close up of it
Got it. Unadulterated cultural treasure.
Got it
It's highly unlikely that Fox/Disney will ever release the original trilogy of Star Wars films in UHD. Lucas was totally against releasing this set at the time, after releasing the Special Editions. Lucas was totally pissed off with various people asking him when the original trilogy would be coming out on DVD, then Blu-ray, that he just decided to push forward with the Laser disc transfers. Disney/Fox aren't really bothered about releasing these originals, nor are they that bothered about licensing back catalogue titles from the Fox archive to boutique labels. Those days have gone. Disney prefer streaming and the future seems set as to what Disney ultimately prefer over old formats in the long run. Star Wars as a standard trilogy certainly won't resurface on the physical media market. And I firmly doubt Disney will ever release the original untouched trilogy of films again. Most studios don't really care about old films, but naturally look toward future film releases. It's now left to boutique labels to carry the torch with older films. These standard DVD releases will become highly collectable in the future I would imagine. Worth keeping hold of.
Agreed, thanks 😊 🙏👍🏻
They will when they are really desperate for Money.
@@Aaron_Heininger Not whilst Lucas is alive, probably by that time, physical will be a thing of the past, and streaming will be the no.1
@@dr.impossibleofcounterpunc1984 It certainly is an interesting scenario of wait and see?
Just know, Disney are corporate WHORE$, and if they can release physical media of the original trilogy of Star Wars films once Lucas drops off the perch, then they will.
They know the OT franchise is a license to print money; and they won't be missing out on an easy return from their 2012 outlay.
@thedys70 Disney have multi-billions. As a corporation, they don't really need to worry about losses in the long run. In the future I can see media Corporations becoming smaller, and concentrating on streaming as the next level of entertainment. As for Star Wars, the original films. If they do appear, it will be the streaming services that Disney offer in the future. Physical is in its twilight years, and the process of moving to stream ever forward is inevitable.
*I bought this set just for the Theatrical Releases*
*I hold on to them dearly*
We can only hope that we will get a remastered version of the originals. I am sad to say it will likely take George to become one with the Force for that to happen.
I felt bad selling these. I repurchased them. I dont care about using the zoom feature on my tv and seeing black bars all around. This is the best, the original unaltered.
Only thing is, the first movie still has “Episode IV” in the beginning. I want to see the actual original SW movie without it. I had in on VHS but it got munched…I do have the DVD’s
I have these. Got them years ago for cheap. And I'll keep them forever because it's the only way to watch the original versions on DVD (too bad they're letterbox). I'd give anything to have widescreen original versions on Blu-ray.
I have this set but it came in a tin box that housed the DVD cases inside. Still kind of neat sitting on the shelf.
I wasn't happy with them. If you use an early DVD player from say 1998-2001..., you may notice all the original scenes from 1977 have a pause In front of them before they play as if they are just inserts. Really pee'd me off at the time as that was when they first released. More modern DVD players don't show the pause as they are smoother and quicker when it comes to changing to different files on the fly.
I have seen copies of these DVDs at Goodwill many times over the last few years. Very easy to come by
I own the DVD collections of Star Wars - Original Trilogy + Bonus Material & The Prequel Trilogy in BOTH FULLSCREEN & WIDESCREEN! I'm keeping the WIDESCREEN DVD set & am looking to off-load the FULLSCREEN DVDs!
I had episode 5 and 6 of these DVDs from the age of 10, so I watched the original unaltered versions on the “bonus” disk my entire childhood nearly. I also picked up the original unaltered version of episode 4 later on.
I have all three, out of pure collecting, because the ones I see are the Sp. Edition, which improve the originals quite a bit.
I found these for $20 each 6 or 7 years ago at Easy Street in West Seattle.
Just found a trilogy set at Goodwill for $2. Was looking to buy the laser discs and a player for nostalgia....now I don't need to.
Wow that's a great find!
last year I found all 3 dvds of the original trilogy. I got em for cheap. They were in good condition too and I started watching these and thought I never see the theatrical version. And had to keep watching the special edition version on tv or streaming. But no I can watch all three on dvd if I want to
It's an original boxed set in the bookcase behind me.
Great collection, I have it and includes a dvd with documentaries.
I bought these specifically when I found out they were different from the releases in the Trilogy Box, however, they were slightly disappointing as they are 4:3 with largesd black banners and only stereo
i have the old vhs of each OT movie from the 80s. very charming
I have those editions in a boxset.
I own this box set. These DVDs of the theatrical version of the original trilogy look like old VHS tapes. The image has black bars on the sides & top/bottom and it has a lot of grain & dirt.
- My solution; I got copies of the Despecialized edition of the theatrical version of the OT. That is in hi definition, the images are clean and they are properly letterboxed.
Bought the original version on VHS when the thx VHS came out, then bought the VHS of the special editions like was shown in theaters, both full screen though, so when it came out on DVD I got the widescreen set. Then these came out. Not gonna buy the same movies again. That being said, I do have a DVD in each of my widescreen DVDs that are the original versions. Ask me no questions, I will tell you no lies.
I have the 2DVD version of each film : 1997 edition on the first, original on the second.
I found a box set at game exchange from 2008 that has these dvds for $8. Worth the money
I have this on VHS my friends.
I have these! I don’t remember where my ROTJ one is but I have ANH and ESB
I paid 2.99 each dvd at a thrift store goodwill
The Phantom Menace is actually rated U. Its just the bonus features on there that are rated PG.
rated U for Unwatchable
@@thedys70 hahaha! Yeah.
Could you recommend a DVD player compatible with this collection? Mine plays only the first half since it doesn't support dual layer 😢
For years I would watch these on TV and think that ROTJ wasn't that good. Having seen all of the OT multiple times on the big screen when they first came out, and liking them all, I was wondering if my tastes had changed.
Several years ago I had an opportunity to purchase each of these, which I unhesitatingly did, after which I promptly watched both Star Wars and ESB, but not ROTJ for the previously-stated reason.
Then last year, I decided to watch it for some reason and I liked it, as I did when I first saw it in 1983. It occurred to me the reason I haven't liked it since is because I wasn't watching the theatrical version (which is what I originally saw and liked), but the revised version -- which sucks, and I don't ever want to watch.
My advise to everyone is: if you haven't seen the originals as theatrically released, you have no idea what you're missing.
That being said, unfortunately, as you're never going to get to see them on the big screen, watching them on TV is the next best thing.
I had these versions but they either got "borrowed" by a friend or I lost them somehow. So I ended up getting the blu ray version of Harmy's Despecialized trilogy. And I love it. But yeah I also bought another new official version at the same time so it's kosher.
I have those editions, but the brazilian ones cause I'm from Brazil, but it's the exact same one as yours, same covers, same images on discs, everything, but all in portuguese, the only real difference is that the dvd case are white for those 3 episodes and the prequels too, my cases are a translucid white instead of black. I got those editions in 2006, after I bought it that year I never saw it for sale on physical stores here ever again, and I bought it in a supermarket my parents used to go to XD
What about the laserdisc?
A little query for you regarding Anamorphic Widescreen, as you mentioned it on this episode. I recently discovered that a couple of my DVDs (For a Few Dollars More and Goodfellas) have the issue of having the picture set back in a box, like Star Wars does on the disc you reviewed. I'm sure this wasn't the case when I originally purchased them. Is it simply that I have since upgraded both TV and player and the old one would blow up the image, whereas the new one doesn't? I've tried zooming, but with limited success. I bet I've more in my collection like this too!!
Andy Lunn thanks for your message, yes this is another interesting one, many DVD’s that were originally released as Widescreen were not necessarily Anamorphic widescreen for 16:9 TV’s some were just 4:3 Letterboxd editions that maintained the films correct aspect ratio but did not stretch the image resulting in the films appearing in a box on newer TV’s. I know this applies to some of the earlier releases of the mentioned films, in fact my original DVD of Goodfellas was before dual density DVD’s and was a flipper which I had to turn over half way through the film!! Thankfully this was not an issue on any DVD’s circa 2002 and isn’t an issue with Blu-ray or 4K but certainly there are DVD titles out there that are non-anamorphic although thankfully no flippers anymore!! I’m thinking about doing a sub-series called Home Media Minefield Explained where I simplify some of the jargon out there and explain things such as aspect ratios, audio versions etc. Do you think that would be something of interest to TH-cam audiences? 🤔
@@homemediaminefield Cheers Keith, that's useful info for sure. My Goodfellas was a flipper, my Wild Bunch is one too, so I'm guessing that will have the same issue. Haven't watched it in years, but will have to have a look. I do need to check through them to weed out and replace, but if 2002 is around the time that the issue should not be a problem anymore, then it shouldn't be as big a job as I'd originally feared. Crazy though that I mustn't have watched some of my collection for a fair few years. I do like the idea of a sub-series. It'd be a nice edition to the weekly reviews and unboxings.
I own the first and second dvd release of The Great Escape, if you call it that. The original release is the most terrible dvd release of a film I have ever seen. The bars nearly cover the whole screen. The second release is just a repackaged version of the first release.
Letterbox dvd was only somewhat common in the early years of the format. If you purchased those dvd's around that time, you probably had a standard 4x3 television. Anamorphic dvd's display a fairly identical picture to letterbox dvd (or laserdisc) when viewed on a 4x3 screen.
Usually the back of the dvd will say 16x9 enhanced, enhanced for widescreen tvs or anamorphic widescreen. Any of those terms mean its designed to automatically unsqueeze on a widescreen tv and fill the sides properly.
@@Knightmessenger , they were very common in DVD before 2002. The original trilogy coming out in 2006 in Letterbox is inexcusable.
I have those to, had then years
I have these also along with the skywalker saga on bluray
Got 'em.
I have these in a tin. Best Buy exclusive.
What about the box it came in?You bought them all separately?
Yes, I purchased them separately back in the day but I think in some regions they were available in a box set too…
There exists a wide-screen dvd set of this limited edition.
What is the difference?
So all of the original versions are in widescreen. (Letterboxed non anamorphic)
The region 1 dvd's say widescreen because the remastered edition was also available there in a fullscreen pan & scan.
@@Knightmessenger all right thanks, I think I got an Region 2 Version. German Edition.
If the theatrical Version is widescreen then, I should watch it on a modern/regular 16:9 TV and Not an old 4:3 TV, right?
@@GabobStrulli The original versions of the films are non anamorphic letterbox no matter which version you buy since they are considered "bonus material". The Widescreen/Full Screen label only applies to the 2004 "enhanced" versions that are included in the same package on disc 1.
I’ve got them. Still the BEST!!!!
I got them when they came out back in 2006.
I have this on 📀 from eBay.
They’re bad transfers though from older laserdisc editions so the quality is arse
I got them!!!! But in a "Pirate" BOX SET. XD Anywy....I love to watch the originals, specually Ep4 and 6. I´d love to have the version on individuals DVD....maybe someday.
Ok just wanted to say thank you for saving me money, so these idiots just took the laser disk version and slapped it on a dvd and said here you go, I have the laser disk ones so there is not a need to buy the dvd, this is why star wars fans got pissed, we wanted the original trilogy upgrade, lucas said up yours.
Star wars fans got pissed because they're entitled babies.
I like the artwork on the paper inserts better than the DVD cover art. So I slid those in over the cover art. Looks much better.
Totally agree - HATED those photoshopped covers; it wasn't like we didn't have enough Star Wars poster art to choose from.... Berkley, Hildebrandts, etc.
This is one of my anal retentive pet hates: bogus dvd and bluray "artwork". Original cinemas bill posters please!
Also hated the early-mid 90s VHS covers as well, but the 1997 special edition silver and gold trimmed artwork was acceptable.
@@thedys70 Yep, those covers were pretty bad. Even the art on the back of those DVDs is better than the front. Do we know who did the art for those inserts? Was it Drew Struzan? My hope is that they are going to use the original poster art for the 50th Anniversary Blue Ray and 4K Ultra HD release of the ORIGINAL versions of the Original Trilogy. I know it won't happen, but that's what I'm hoping will happen. Even though it won't.
@@brihiggins Hearing you bro; hoping common sense [and the lure of rattle of the ca$h register] prevails! Can't think of who that artist was; any tragics out there who can help us out with this trivia?
I actually just took the discs with the original trilogy and slid them into the nice looking black and silver trilogy box
Thank you so much for this video. I have just ordered all 3 from ebay for under £7.
Excellent deal, enjoy… thank you 😊🙏👍🏻
I would like them to release it in higher res, but regardless of the res, I will watch these anytime over the "special editions." Not all the changes are bad, but the bas outweighs the good.
It does. And I have a set. 🎉
I had to make ISO backups of my copies of these, as they've started showing signs of disc rot. Which is very disappointing since I take good care of my home media.
My copies are the region 1 versions.
This is important! How are they compared to their original laserdisc release?
To be honest I’ve not been able to do a side by side comparison, however my understanding is that the transfer is from the same master used to create the laserdisc back in the 90’s… I hope this helps ☺️🙏🤞👍🏻
Good
Three words: Star Wars Despecialized!
Was there a release for the PAL - Region (Region Code 2)?
Yes, it was released in Regions 1,2&4 if you’re able to find them… my set is Region 2 UK ☺️👍🏻
Unfortunately, my copies don't work...the second discs simply don't load, no matter which player I use.
Scored a replacement, and it doesn't work either.
Curious if the discs use a codec the players I have access to simply no longer support, because the 1st discs work. 😶
There’s a better way look for 4k77 which is the the original version taken from a thirty five milimeter print cleaned up ananmorphic sound Dolby stereo or thx or. The 70 milimeter six track in 5.1 dts
Some changes were fine but the original version of these movies deserve a visual remaster.
Yeah
Ihave blu-ray box.
Wasn't the quality in this really bad? I'd like to watch the original cuts of these films in a good high quality.... but I wouldn't go out of my way to watch or even buy them. I have the skywalker bluray boxset and I'm happy with that. The special editions of these films were what I had growing up, those and the prequals is starwars to me. As well as the original starwars battlefront games or that revenge of the sith ps2 game 😋🦊
The quality is good but it’s still watchable
You meant that Han shoots first, right?
No. Han shoot, Greedo dies. End of story.
At 7:40 he says, “Greedo shoots first.” That’s what happens in the SE version, not the original.
If you got these when they came out like i did then consider yourself lucky..If you find them get them..
It's weird how this big deal from 2006 is being treated like a rare, unknown thing.
After all the statements about how the originals would not be released again, it was surprising to see this release announced on the official site back then. I looked forward to the release date and was at Best Buy as soon as it opened.
At the time, I still had a traditional type of TV, 27", and everything looked fine on that. It was after I got an HDTV about four years later when I saw just how inferior it was, and had to zoom in a bit without taking away any picture. This whole set was done to try to prove how "superior" the newer versions were to the original prints, almost like a joke. I refuse to just accept the changes to the movies that I liked for decades. Now I watch the Despecialized editions.
Yeah I know
I sold my original TIN SET years ago for quite a bit of money. The non-anamorphic LD release looks terrible on anything other than an old CRT tv.
Why do people want these on High Definition, they are intended to be the original untouched version, "GET IT" UNTOUCHED... meaning no HIGH DEFINITION. People are are weird when it comes to HD, it's not the End All Be All. DVD quality as fine enough, You don't need a Blu Ray player.
Look into 4k77 it’s way better
Harmy rocks
@@thedys70 4k77 is better
@@samuel-wankenobi won't be watching until 4K80 is completed; then it's bingeville on the 4K trilogy
@@thedys70 Pretty sure it's been done for years
No te creo, en vhs quizás, pero en dvd no existen
It's not the original original. It's the laserdisc version.
Have the Star Wars original disc but Lucas put it in 4:3 ratio with poor laser disc transfer, he was being a brat
So the special edition haters who trashed Lucas in that documentary (The People Vs George Lucas) for not releasing the original versions on dvd, obviously didn’t know about these limited edition dvds.
So the special edition haters were just flat out stupid for complaining over nothing.
The unaltered versions were not presented in quality that was up to date with modern dvd transfers, namely how most dvd's are optimizee for widescreen televisions.
With the bluray and 4k sets of the special edition out since, the gap has widened as there is no official release of the originals in HD.
I mean these aren’t official releases but yeah it is not the special edition
holy cow check your mic levels when you record.
4:3, pointless.
Thanks ! been looking 4 it so many years to enjoy it like I did in 77, without that CGI shit 🙂
Yeah