Star Wars Blu-Ray

Perhaps one of the biggest events for Star Wars fans in years is the release of the Blu-Ray set.  From the initial announcement to the reveal of extras, the hoopla surrounding this release appears to be big news and I am sure many fans have already pre-ordered the set, no matter what was going to be included in it.

Apart from the obvious HD quality of the movies, the primary focus of the release is the extras.  Boasted early on, the release is to have deleted scenes never seen before.

First here is a link to the information.  Inforamtion also listed below –

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=6326

Anyhow, I am sure there is plenty to satisfy most fans but right away there will be some discussion and disappointment.  First off, there are no Original versions of episodes 4-6.  I know that many want to see this but Lucas has made it clear that he prefer not to show these, at least not until the next release.

My hesitation on purchasing this set stems from the idea that another better set will be out in a year and yet another the year after.  This is bound to happen and will keep happening until people stop buying them.  Don’t forget that we will have a 3-D release in a year or two and don’t be surprised to see more ultimate and complete editions in the near future.

There will be breaking points for some, mine was a while ago.  Some people will give up on buying every release because the new one has one or two extra scenes on it.  I had hoped this new release was more complete than not but by the brief description now available, it doesn’t appear to have everything.  Well, how could it have everything, really.

So anyhow, Star Wars on HD, hopefully the prints are superb and it should be a good set.  I will hold for now and perhaps if there is a really good sale I will go for it.  I may even wait until the next release later down the road. 

The breakdown of the 9-disc Complete Saga box set is as follows:

• Disc 1: Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace
• Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Ben Burtt, Rob Coleman, John Knoll, Dennis Muren and Scott Squires
• Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

• Disc 2: Star Wars: Episode II, Attack of the Clones
• Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Ben Burtt, Rob Coleman, Pablo Helman, John Knoll and Ben Snow
• Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

• Disc 3: Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of the Sith
• Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Rob Coleman, John Knoll and Roger Guyett
• Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

• Disc 4: Star Wars: Episode IV, A New Hope
• Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren
• Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

• Disc 5: Star Wars: Episode V, The Empire Strikes Back
• Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren
• Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

• Disc 6: Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
• Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren
• Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

• Disc 7: Star Wars Archives: Episodes I-III
• Deleted, extended and alternate scenes
• Prop, maquette and costume turnarounds
• Matte paintings and concept art
• Supplementary interviews with cast and crew
• Flythrough of the Lucasfilm Archives
• Additional Content

• Disc 8: Star Wars Archives: Episodes IV-VI
• Deleted, extended and alternate scenes
• Prop, maquette and costume turnarounds
• Matte paintings and concept art
• Supplementary interviews with cast and crew
• Flythrough of the Lucasfilm Archives
• Additional Content

• Disc 9: The Star Wars Documentaries
• Star Warriors (2007, Apx. 84 Minutes): Some Star Wars fans want to collect action figures...these fans want to be action figures! A tribute to the 501st Legion, a global organization of Star Wars costume enthusiasts, this insightful documentary shows how the super-fan club promotes interest in the films through charity and volunteer work at fundraisers and high-profile special events around the world.
• A Conversation with the Masters: The Empire Strikes Back 30 Years Later (2010, Apx. 25 Minutes): George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Lawrence Kasdan and John Williams look back on the making of The Empire Strikes Back in this in-depth retrospective from Lucasfilm created to help commemorate the 30th anniversary of the movie. The masters discuss and reminisce about one of the most beloved films of all time.
• Star Wars Spoofs (2011, Apx. 91 Minutes): The farce is strong with this one! Enjoy a hilarious collection of Star Wars spoofs and parodies that have been created over the years, including outrageous clips from Family Guy, The Simpsons, How I Met Your Mother and more — and don't miss "Weird Al" Yankovic's one-of-a-kind music video tribute to The Phantom Menace!
• The Making of Star Wars (1977, Apx. 49 Minutes): Learn the incredible behind-the-scenes story of how the original Star Wars movie was brought to the big screen in this fascinating documentary hosted by C-3PO and R2-D2. Includes interviews with George Lucas and appearances by Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher.
• The Empire Strikes Back: SPFX (1980, Apx. 48 Minutes): Learn the secrets of making movies in a galaxy far, far away. Hosted by Mark Hamill, this revealing documentary offers behind-the-scenes glimpses into the amazing special effects that transformed George Lucas' vision for Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back into reality!
• Classic Creatures: Return of the Jedi (1983, Apx. 48 Minutes): Go behind the scenes — and into the costumes — as production footage from Return of the Jedi is interspersed with vintage monster movie clips in this in-depth exploration of the painstaking techniques utilized by George Lucas to create the classic creatures and characters seen in the film. Hosted and narrated by Carrie Fisher and Billie Dee Williams.
• Anatomy of a Dewback (1997, Apx. 26 Minutes): See how some of the special effects in Star Wars became even more special two decades later! George Lucas explains and demonstrates how his team transformed the original dewback creatures from immovable rubber puppets (in the original 1977 release) to seemingly living, breathing creatures for the Star Wars 1997 Special Edition update.
• Star Wars Tech (2007, Apx. 46 Minutes): Exploring the technical aspects of Star Wars vehicles, weapons and gadgetry, Star Wars Tech consults leading scientists in the fields of physics, prosthetics, lasers, engineering and astronomy to examine the plausibility of Star Wars technology based on science as we know it today.