It's hard to say. There's definitely a demand for exactly what he's making. At the very least, a company like Reliance Media who is doing a 4K restoration could use it as a guide.
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Harmy's Despecialized Editions of the Original Star Wars Trilogy
- Thread starter Anth0ny
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It's hard to say. There's definitely a demand for exactly what he's making. At the very least, a company like Reliance Media who is doing a 4K restoration could use it as a guide.
Disney has access to far better sources than 30 year old prints. even IB Technicolor ones. They have interpositives and separation masters. Both of these will be first generation and low contrast, thus having far greater resolution and dynamic range than a release print. Colour separations are on black and white film so you don't have to worry about colour fade.
The negative was in such a bad way when they did the '97 SEs and cobbled together from so many disparate film stocks they had to take it to pieces to clean it. The effects shots and opticals were printed on colour reversal stock. This saved them a generation of resolution loss and grain but turned out to have a shelf life of less than 15 years. By 1995 they were completely unusable. They then rebuilt it from the camera negative, re-composite original shots and re-made CGI shots. The negative is now conformed to the '97 version.
But film restoration has come on hugely in the last 20 years. It would be relatively trivial and comparatively cheap to do digitally what cost between $10 million and $20 million in the mid '90s to do photochemically. If they want to restore it they can. And it could indeed be perfect. Disney has one of the best facilities in the world to do just this.
Plenty of films in far worse condition have had spectacular restorations with fewer early generation elements. As I've posted before, I would be shocked if Disney hasn't catalogued and protected all the film elements they acquired in the LFL sale.
George Oscar Bluth II
Banned
Thanks, this is a very informative post.
Quality and because this isn't the actual theatrical version. Also there is some noticeable splicing at times.
Astral/H3X
Member
Me and my GF just finished watching this last night in preparation for Force Awakens today, and I gotta say I'm impressed. Was very happy with it.
The Hermit
Member
MrSaturn99
Member
Recently rewatched the original trilogy for the first time in nearly two decades, but I only had access to the Special Editions. I had so much fun revisiting them that the terrible CGI ended up being unintentional entertainment unto itself, but I wanted to see the originals for historic purposes. I'll definitely be checking this out within the next month.
The only thing I'd miss would be the new ROTJ ending music. I think Yub Nub's pretty fun in a hokey kind of way, but Victory Celebration is so much more powerful in wrapping up the trilogy that I actually shed a couple tears.
The only thing I'd miss would be the new ROTJ ending music. I think Yub Nub's pretty fun in a hokey kind of way, but Victory Celebration is so much more powerful in wrapping up the trilogy that I actually shed a couple tears.
Glass Shark
Banned
That work Mike Verta is doing looks incredible. Can someone clarify why he won't release it after he's done?
Same here.
From his website:
seems kinda dumb considering the popularity of harmy's public release and the lack of any legal team putting a stop to it, but Verta has been adamant for 10 years now about his project never being released publicly.
ChoklitReign
Member
I need urgent help. I burned ISO images of these just last week and they worked flawlessly from my desktop's DVD burner using MPC-HD. I never got a chance to try them on a DVD player before I left for my cousins - I don't have a DVD player in my house, but I did try them on a 360; didn't work, likely because burned ISOs are used often for pirate games. I had my most Star Wars-loving cousin open them up and he's real excited. I quickly tested them on three, THREE, DVD players in the house, and NONE of them work.
I've had the ISO for a long time; I think they're considered the originals, their file size each is about 8 GB - they're the copies before the 2.0/Respecialzied era. Note that I don't remember what format they were in when I downloaded them ~3 years ago, I just remember they were ISO images when I burn them this year; I don't remember if I converted MKV or AVCHD files to ISO or if the downloads were already ISO. I'm also suspicious about the folder structure - maybe that's why DVD players can't read it. At least one of the DVD players explicitly says it plays DVD+R DL discs; did something go wrong during the burning process? I used InfraRecorder and the Write Disc option set to defaults. If it plays from a computer drive why can't a DVD player? Should I try a Blu-ray player? I'm the only one in the family with one. I'm afraid I fucked up hard and will disappoint him.
Lastly, in case you think my method was naive or dumb, I used this video as a guide since there are very few guides on actually burning it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xj_NEpMob1Q&index=1&list=FL7WMOG6CRQ2Do3eRUtkDcyg
DISREGARD: They worked on the Blu-ray player -___-
I've had the ISO for a long time; I think they're considered the originals, their file size each is about 8 GB - they're the copies before the 2.0/Respecialzied era. Note that I don't remember what format they were in when I downloaded them ~3 years ago, I just remember they were ISO images when I burn them this year; I don't remember if I converted MKV or AVCHD files to ISO or if the downloads were already ISO. I'm also suspicious about the folder structure - maybe that's why DVD players can't read it. At least one of the DVD players explicitly says it plays DVD+R DL discs; did something go wrong during the burning process? I used InfraRecorder and the Write Disc option set to defaults. If it plays from a computer drive why can't a DVD player? Should I try a Blu-ray player? I'm the only one in the family with one. I'm afraid I fucked up hard and will disappoint him.
Lastly, in case you think my method was naive or dumb, I used this video as a guide since there are very few guides on actually burning it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xj_NEpMob1Q&index=1&list=FL7WMOG6CRQ2Do3eRUtkDcyg
DISREGARD: They worked on the Blu-ray player -___-
Ivan Amiibo
Banned
George Lucas is a massive ego maniac control freak who ruined his movies!
Here's MY re-edit to CORRECT these crimes against the fandom with MY special title for it that includes MY name, so you know just who rescued you from that egotistical control freak.
Here's MY re-edit to CORRECT these crimes against the fandom with MY special title for it that includes MY name, so you know just who rescued you from that egotistical control freak.
They're not actually called "Harmy's Despecialized Editions", they're just made by Harmy.
and I guess you can make anything sound shitty if you capitalize random words like that. one single fan did this for free in his free time and decided to share it. what an asshole.
Nappuccino
Member
Have you watched them? I assume not.
Ivan Amiibo
Banned
fair enough, but it takes a weird quality on when someone's name always seems attached to these kinds of edits or at least to the ones I've seen come up from time to time. It's a funny looking situation to an outsider.
edit: i will acknowledge my attempt at humor sucked
There are literally so many different rips and reconstructions from so many different sources that putting names on them is necessary in order to tell them apart.
Your comment would make more sense if this were one of the fan edits that tried to "improve" the films like Lucas did, a number of which are out there. But that's not what this is, this is more of a film restoration than a film edit. He didn't pick and choose what he thought was better or correct even obvious mistakes, he simply went through and reconstructed the theatrical version as well as he could with the material that's out there.
B-B-Bomba!
Member
Climbdown accepted, Ivan Amiibo ...
gutter_trash
Banned
I got this as a Christmas gift, I am very happy with it!
streams well onto PS3 too and the sound is amazing (PS4? what's up with you and codecs?)
Lucas can eat poop.
Harmy wins
streams well onto PS3 too and the sound is amazing (PS4? what's up with you and codecs?)
Lucas can eat poop.
Harmy wins
PeakPointMatrix
Member
So what is preventing Disney from attempting a restoration and release of the original movies again?
In the much broader picture, only a minority actually cares.
AstroZombie
Banned
Worth the 45GB download.
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Risk of market saturation and a relatively small customer base for it.
Everyone's freaking out about TFA now, but let's see how everyone feels in 2019 when the young Han Solo sidequest movie comes out.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
People have shifted their hopes (as they do every 2 or 3 years) to May 2017, actually.
PHOENIXZERO
Member
Fox owns the rights to the original and IIRC the distribution rights of the other five until 2020.
Anything done with the first movie would require Fox's cooperation.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
PeakPointMatrix
Member
I dont understand how so many other smaller, irrelevant, and even obscure films are able to secure the finances to have remastered/restored films released while something like a restored original Star Wars trilogy is seen as a risk.
This is a franchise whose Bluray release of the original trilogy saw the changes make headlines on national news. This is the franchise whose audience is too small to appreciate a rerelease?
Even the saturation arguement makes little sense to me since most fans were marathoning all of the films in preparation of FA anyway. Whole theaters screened the older films in anticipation. There's more merchandise crammed into every possible plane of existence than there has ever been, and they're worried that adding arguably the most culturally valuable version of film for consumer consumpstion would be the straw that breaks the camel's back?
I don't buy it.
To get the original cuts up to scratch for a Blu-ray release is no small feat. It would take money and resources to do it. It would also be better spent doing a full preservation rather than just creating a new video master.
When Lucasfilm was a private entity it was a small (relatively speaking) company. As I understand it margins, especially for VFX work and post production are razor thin. As such, while it had world class facilities that could do it they were more productively used to make new films. So for a small company it would be, not necessarily a risk, but certainly an unnecessary financial encumbrance.
We know from the existing Blu-rays, which re-purposed masters which were nearly a decade old at the time of release, Lucasfilm did not like spending more money than necessary on preparing new releases. They seem to have encoded the most recent version, with a few altered shots presumable for the aborted 3D re-release, and called it a day. I also suspect that is what the much mooted 4K master Reliance was working on was for.
Now with a major corporation things are different. Disney has an entire department whose sole reason to exist is to restore and preserve their titles. A department with a budget and facilities not tied up with other work. That is why I am more positive about the possibility of a re-release of the original cuts now that I have been for a long time. I find it hard to believe a company as invested in preserving and protecting their film assets would not do the same for something as valuable, financially and culturally, as the original Star Wars movies.
At Lucasfilm the restorations would have either had to pay for themselves or have been financed at a loss. As noted by others this would not be a sure thing as the market for it is probably smaller than some of us would like to think; most people don't care what version of Star Wars they are watching. At Disney there is no such necessity as the money to pay for it is already allocated and accounted for. So any additional revenue brought in is a bonus.
It is also worth noting that George Lucas' artistic vanity is no longer the deciding issue it used to be. From numerous interviews with LFL staff I have read, everyone at the company wanted to put the originals out but they had to get it past George. Even then he relented in '06 but with the caveat that it was done as cheaply as possible.
The original plan was to do a cheap and dirty scan of an IP, but it became clear that so much work would have to be done to get it good enough for DVD, let alone HD and beyond, it would have blown the budget allocated for them. So we got the '92 Laserdisc masters instead.
Yautja_Warrior
Member
Came across these Despecialized Editions pretty recently and they are amazingly well done. The amount of time and work that went into making these is unbelievable.
Cannot wait for the final version of Return of the Jedi to be released (big mkv version) so I can then convert them and burn them to blu-rays and enjoy the original Star Wars movies, without all the changes.
Got some blu-ray cover + disc art ready, which I really like, made by FrankRT, which Harmy himself has approved.
http://frankrt.deviantart.com/art/Star-Wars-Trilogy-Blu-rays-432009586
Will look great on my shelf next to my Complete Saga boxset.
Cannot wait for the final version of Return of the Jedi to be released (big mkv version) so I can then convert them and burn them to blu-rays and enjoy the original Star Wars movies, without all the changes.
Got some blu-ray cover + disc art ready, which I really like, made by FrankRT, which Harmy himself has approved.
http://frankrt.deviantart.com/art/Star-Wars-Trilogy-Blu-rays-432009586
Will look great on my shelf next to my Complete Saga boxset.
Denton
Member
It even has an extremely old school czech dub which completely mutes music in some scenes and features a completely hilarious translation that does not reflect what the characters are saying. The dubbing of my childhood. hehe
PHOENIXZERO
Member
D'oh!
I've watched the despecialized edition of a New Hope tonight, and I don't understand what went through George Lucas' mind when it comes to special editions. There were a few nice improvements here and there, but most of the added CGI brings absolutely nothing of value to the overall experience. I'd go as far as saying it makes it even worse.
For some reason he became obsessed with CGI and the results were a total disaster for both trilogies.
For some reason he became obsessed with CGI and the results were a total disaster for both trilogies.
zero shift
Banned
Jesus fuck. I am hardly a huge Star Wars but the changes that I have seen Lucas make are unbelievable. They are so tacky, needless, and already dated.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
Quoting to say thanks for posting this.
Why Lucas butchered his way through his own movies I will never understand.
excelsiorlef
Member
Artists sometimes just can't let go.
JeTmAn81
Member
Because it's not a sacred cow to him. Most people are nowhere near reverential when it comes to their own art, in fact many artists are highly critical of their own creations, successful or not.
If he hadn't gone out of his way to erase the theatrical versions from history none of this would really matter.
George Oscar Bluth II
Banned
I found this Mashable article that talks about The Library Of Congress having a nice 2K scan and carefully preserved 35MM prints. These prints were never meant for archival purposes.
Lots more info here.
Lots more info here.
"For some reason"? He likes technology. He likes new creating and implementing new filmmaking tech. And he was able to do so with the biggest CGI powerhouse in the world at his disposal.
A lot of it hasn't aged well, as late 90s/early 2000s CGI tends to do but I don't think it's a big mystery as to what suddenly possessed him to phase out practical and film for CGI and digital in the later movies.
show me your skeleton
Member
no james earl jones credit is crazy.
interesting they have him as 'lord darth vader' here, did that stick or was it due to 'darth' not being a title yet?
thecouncil
Banned
So is downloading and watching the Harmy versions not considered piracy or do we just look the other way because George Lucas sucks?
It's definitely piracy, hence why the OP can't link to it.
Darth wasn't really a title at that point, so it was being treated as a first name. He's called "Lord Vader" many times over the course of the trilogy as an honorific, so there is some logic to it.
thecouncil
Banned
Ah. I thought there were stronger consequences around here for promoting piracy. This is a thread about it, I've seen links to it in other threads and people are forever telling people to download them when they ask about watching the movies. Maybe the rules are a bit more lenient than I thought about the topic.
I laughed.
show me your skeleton
Member
i assumed that was the case.
as far as I know downloading and watching the despecialized editions is completely legal as long as you also own the legit versions of each movie
DiipuSurotu
Banned
"Lord Darth Vader" is also used in Splinter of the Mind's Eye, the first EU novel (released before the EU was even a thing, actually).
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