Retro Video Series: Star Wars Original Trilogy Home Video Retrospective 1982-1995
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- Опубликовано: 28 июл 2022
- For this episode, I explore the Pre-Special Edition home video releases of the Star Wars Original Trilogy across VHS, Betamax, & Laserdisc in the U.S. and Japan. Credit to Oliver Harper (www.olivers-retrospectives.com) for providing B-roll footage of The Definitive Collection Laserdisc set.
Much thanks for these information sources:
CultureDog Sam Hatch
/ culturedog
Laserdisc Database
www.lddb.com/
Star Wars on Video
www.swonvideo.com/
Original Trilogy - Star Wars Forums
www.originaltrilogy.com/
#starwars #laserdisc #vhs #homevideo #starwarsoriginaltrilogy #anewhope #theempirestrikesback #returnofthejedi #lucasfilm #georgelucas #starwarsanewhope
Featured music:
"Avalon Averted"
by HEMI
From the album AVALON
Leash Records
www.hemimusic.com/
Play on Spotify: open.spotify.com/track/2uaKxy...
©2022 RavensFilm Productions℠
www.ravensfilm.com/
/ ravensfilm
/ ravensfilm
/ ravensfilm 
Развлечения
Fantastic video, very comprehensive!
Just a little correction for accuracy's sake:
The original VHS of Star Wars didn't have Hi-Fi stereo sound, but had stereo sound on the linear track which usually contained the mono audio. To make these tiny tracks sound a little better, they were encoded with Dolby-B type noise reduction. That's why there is a disclaimer, stating "Mono compatible". A regular VHS machine would play these tracks as Mono without the noise reduction. The quality of these tracks was definitely not Hi-Fi.
Hi-Fi audio on videotape was introduced by Sony on the Betamax format in 1983 and the technology was quickly adapted by VHS as well.
Thank you for that note! I appreciate it!
Great video! I still have my 1995 "Faces" VHS box set just for the nostalgia. It was my first official set of the movies which I got for Christmas when I was 13 (we previously had recordings of the movies from HBO or something, I'm not sure exactly where they came from). Nowadays it's all about those Project 4K versions.
The Harmy Versions or Despeacialized Versions he did is the best to capture the original theatrical experience.
It took years to make. About 2013??? When they were released on the internet. This Fan restoration was great but the problem was not in the quality but was the ability for most in the US at that time. Only 10 percent had equipment that could play them so I had to wait until 2020 when they eventually were copied to Blu-ray bootleg and I eventually got to see them.Harmy and crew took years of research of 35 milameter film prints and endless avenues to do this.
By far the Only Versions of the Original theatrical release of the Star Wars Trilogy to date unless you may know more.Good Video 😎
Awesome summary of the weird winding road of the OG Trilogy’s home video releases!! 👍👍👍 I have just in the last month obtained the three Faces LDs, and am motivating myself to clean up my basement/mancave with the promise that once it’s clean, I’ll buy myself a laserdisc player. I have owned the GOUT DVDs ever since they first came out, but I still want a laserdisc player anyway, beyond having the ability to play the Faces LDs.
I grew up on the THX pan and scan "faces" box set. I had no idea there was so much variation in releases before that.
I have that CD box set behind you 👍👍👍
Thanks! I did a separate video about it too.
Nicely done Nick. Must have taken ages to assemble this. *I kept seeing your updates regarding this video*
I like the Japan bonus material from Star Wars to JEDI in digital audio, Making of Star Wars, SPFX, Classic Creatures. I have the two sets that have them.
I have the box of “widescreen” vhs, like 1993, with “making of video”. I had seen so many times in cinema. We had a Beta video from 1983-‘89, and taped three films off HBO. Got the ‘97 special on vhs. The Blu-ray set in what 2009, made me buy a Blu’ player.
I can´t believe this video only has 110 likes, including mine. Great stuff.
Thanks. I have no idea how things work on RUclips. One video will get like a 1,000 views, and the next three will struggle to break 200. Thanks for liking and engaging with this one, though!
I have the CLV “faces” widescreen LD and Definitive CAV widescreen box set of all three. These were the last LD releases before DVD.
Just watched this today. Great job on this video.... I loved it... maybe someday in our lifetime we'll get the original theater cuts released ...someday.... ALSO I have the same VHS boxset you have.... such a great looking boxset..... and I SUBSCRIBED ;)
I got the 2006 Limited Edition DVDs which had the "theatrical" bonus discs. However they are exhibiting signs of disc rot, so i backed them up into an ISO format and fortunately I was able to save all three.
Fantastic Nick love your retrospective videos
There were also versions on more short-lived formats, like CED, etc.
I have the Executor VHS box-set only and it's nice.
I'll probably record the 4K77 projects on D-VHS when 4K80 is done.
I did do a supplemental video covering as many of those obscure formats as possible, but it was difficult due to the lack of materials to utilize for demonstration purposes.
@@ravensfilm Thank you for the information.
I wonder if it was released on Video2000 in Europe. If so, then it probably commands high prices.
Thanks for this!
You, Nick, are hardcore👍
Awesome video!!
Great video, very interesting topic. Unfortunately my Star Wars VHS collection is a bit all over the place (all UK).
I have a 1988 "All Time Greats" Empire Strikes Back, 1989 versions of ROTJ and ANH. Widescreen ESB from 1991. And the "one last time" widescreen set (individually bought UK - the artwork is a cropped version of the Japanese Laser Disc). I do also have the GOUT DVD set. Mehhhh.
Excellent review !
I have both the Technidisc and Japanese Special Collection of the original Star Wars... Both are wonderful but the Special Collection always gets the nod for me because of the CAV encoding gives them a far better visual sharpness. As far as I can tell, the Dolby Surround mixes are identical but both are wonderful
Thanks for the input!
The sound remixes on the Definitive Collection are simply astonishing, prime examples of Dolby Surround and Pro Logic being nothing to sneeze at
I have the standard play p&s LD with the original stereo mix, technidisc 1994 widescreen LD & the original theatrical cut bonus disc dvd. From what I’ve read it seems that the definitive version has a transfer unique to the technidisc transfer. I’m not sure what widescreen transfer was used for VHS but the definitive version is what the faces & the dvd I have are based off.
I know when I compared the audio for raiders the original vhs was mono so it might be that technidisc used original element for the transfer because it appears that the definitive and possibly the vhs widescreen were all done from the same master but just edited for each release which makes sense for how lucasfilm- films’ were released at the time.
I personally don’t like the despecialized color timing and do enjoy the technidisc much more. I think it has a lot of purple in the famous sunset scene and especially in that one shot of C-3PO the whole background is a dark rich purple.
Overall I think we can all agree that we just want better releases in 4K for the whole Star Wars franchise. These new steelbooks are a step in the right direction but I would have much rather gotten a complete Mando series set
Dude, what about the CED releases... :P
A really fun listen, and I learned a couple things. Solid editing, approach and demeanor.
Unfortunately I have no experience with CEDs and there’s not a wealth of knowledge available about those releases to discuss them.
@@ravensfilm Just being tongue in cheek. It is a pretty fascinating format, for me at least. Almost unbelievable RCA pulled it off at all.
Thank the stars for 4K77, 4K80 and 4K83
Great series on the story of the original trilogy, thank you🙏 Could you do a video on the Story of Star Wars abridged and how they were produced? I learned about them this week 😳 Produced by George Lucas with access to original voice and fx tracks, they sound great and were released on 8 track and vinyl, that would be legend 🙂
I honestly have no knowledge regarding this. Sorry.
@@ravensfilm no worries, but if anyone can find out about them it’s you 🙂👍
Very nicley done man. i want all the versions. i dont need them i just want them :)
so i'm a 90's kid and before 1997 starwars wasn't a big thing until the special editions and whats interesting is that i know lots of people who were kids back in the day that saw the special editions ONLY and never the orginal versions. because of this most of them have gotten so use to the 1997 versions and all the others onwards that they can't un see it.
when ever they do see clips of the original release its often been quite mixed, even at times thinking it looks worser. not quite a fair judgment, but you can see the phycological effect the special editions and other altered versions have created in the minds of people who became starwars fans from 1997 onwards.
The story that i heard was that if George releases those versions, he would have to pay his ex wife. He was able to do that back in 2006 cause those were bonus discs. And i wouldn't be surprise if George has it on his contract that Disney can't release those.
Yeah, I’ve heard that hypothesis. It just seems awfully petty, especially since George sold it all a decade ago. There’s apparently a new VICE docuseries on Star Wars where Marcia Lucas is interviewed with some abrasive things to say.
@@ravensfilm to be honest the special sdtins and unsktred versions dont rrly seem to diffrent other thdn new effects and remastered picture and sudio
Davey dredd I watch the 4k80 video
I have recently obtained that. Haven’t had time to watch it, yet. It’s the only one of the three that I’ve grabbed so far.
@@ravensfilmI’m loving the 4k80 version. Seriously impressive
I watched this and other videos before but I still forget which is the best version to buy for home video release.. which would you recommend? Is the star wars limited edition widescreen dvds the best for not adding stuff and looking pretty good?
The 2006 DVDs are a fine starting point since it’s on a more accessible format. I would probably suggest the Japanese Special Collection from all the word I’ve heard of it if you are a Laserdisc collector. Otherwise, I’m quite pleased with my pre-THX Widescreen LDs. None are perfect, but those would be the high tier options. VHS is fine as well, but the quality will be the lowest of them all.
I love Star Wars, I worship The Empire strikes back, but I despise Return of the Jedi. Even seeing it aged 13 in 1983, I thought it was dog sh@t compared to the first two films. I've seen it once since when it was released in cinemas in 1997. I walked out midway through, only returning when I knew my two friends who I went to it with, would be leaving the theatre. Seeing as I was the designated driver that day.
Very unfortunate that the film didn’t gel with you. I know what it’s like when a trilogy capper sucks. ROTJ is the most problematic to me of the three, but I still am able to find the value in much of it. There are many ways it could’ve been stronger. Han & Leia could have had more to work with instead of coasting through much of the story. It’s not a knock on the actors, just the storytelling. Many points of character development were missed with Han & Lando hashing out a reconciliation, too.
@ravensfilm I agree, it all felt like it was rushed. Even the production values. The sets of the first two movies are incredible, but I was not impressed with ROTJ's sets, or the cinematography, or the acting. The effects were improved, and John Williams did his best as always,. But the film fell completely flat for me in 1983, after anxiously waiting three years for it, after The Empire strikes back. I had hoped it would have equalled or bettered Empire, seeing as it was the finale. But it was a total let down.
Luke I am your daddy!