Comments | swashbuckler332: “That's impossible! Even for a computer.”

swashbuckler332

“That's impossible! Even for a computer.”

Jan 12, 2013 18:24

I just watched Star Wars.

Not Star Wars: A New Hope. Not Star Wars: Episode anything.

Just plain old Star Wars.

I stumbled by accident across a project by a fan who has created 720p HD editions of the original Star Wars trilogy from various sources. The project is in 720p for several reasons, including both the processing power it would have ( Read more... )

science fiction, film music, john williams, cinema, star wars

Comments 7

marinshellstone January 13 2013, 03:23:34 UTC

I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see this!! :)

Most of the reality of my adult life is a direct result of being obsessed with Star Wars as a child. Seriously. My career, my marriage, my religion!

swashbuckler332 January 13 2013, 12:04:36 UTC

They're really easy to find. Just Google the title and “Despecialized Edition” and it'll come right up (the guy who made it has a “Let Me Google That For You” as his “download” link). It comes as an ISO, which can be burned onto a Blu-ray if you have the burner for it (I don't). Quicktime won't play it but VLC will (with all of the audio options), the picture quality is better through the HDMI connection than through AirPlay (which will only do stereo anyway, which is fine for the stereo and mono tracks, but if you want to listen to the six track 70 millimeter mix, you need HDMI for 5.1 sound).

The reason this post exists is because there were many times watching this yesterday where I felt like the seven-year-old during the 1981 re-release who went to see film every weekend. One of the advantages of having divorced parents is that I got to see movies twice or more without wearing either one of them down too much. What were they going to say anyway, “No, I don't want to go see Star Wars today?” Ridiculous. So I saw Star Wars a lot ( ... )

michelle1963 January 13 2013, 06:25:19 UTC

Thanks for reminding me of an awesome memory. I was 13 when Star Wars made its debut. I saw it in a movie theatre, and was transfixed from start to finish. Yes, this movie changed a lot of things about film making. But at 13, it just seemed magic.

swashbuckler332 January 13 2013, 12:20:25 UTC

My father once told me how after he and my mother first saw the film (before they took me), and they were driving home, he felt he shouldn't just be driving on the highway, but zipping through the Death Star trench.

michelle1963 January 13 2013, 19:30:13 UTC

LOL! What an awesome feeling. :)

rwarner January 14 2013, 03:00:44 UTC

This is made of so much awesome! I've been wanting to introduce my son to the Holy Saga, but I didn't want him to watch the SEs as his first introduction to them. The non anamorphic versions of the non SEs released on DVD a while back look like crap. THIS looked better than any of the HD broadcasts I've seen on Spike or any other channels. Can't wait to watch TESB and ROTJ.

swashbuckler332 January 19 2013, 23:07:19 UTC

Empire is slightly less revelatory because there was really little done to the Special Editions and later of that film other than a bit of digital sprucing up (although I am very glad to get the original version of the Vader's conversation with Palpatine back, as well as the elimination of the unnecessary additions of Vader travelling to his shuttle at the conclusion, which in addition to being totally redundant, ruins “Hyperspace,” one of my favorite cues in the score.

On the other hand, the alterations to Jedi really ruin it for me, particularly the “Jedi Rocks” sequence. Oola's fate was a real shock for me as a child, and it really drove home what a dangerous place Jabba's palace really was; it really raised an already tense sequence to a new level for me. “Lapti Nek” is a musical sequence, but it is very straightforward and narratively driven. “Jedi Rocks” has a chronic case of the ”cutes” which totally runs counter to the tone of the sequence (much the way that the overblown and comical entrance to Mos Eisely messes with what is ( ... )