

Why Finding the Original 1977 'Star Wars' Verges on the Impossible - ingve
https://www.inverse.com/article/3942-why-finding-the-original-1977-star-wars-verges-on-the-impossible

======
pbreit
Epic effort to create original hi/good-def version:
[http://youtu.be/dHfLX_TMduY](http://youtu.be/dHfLX_TMduY)

~~~
Udo_Schmitz
More recent longer video:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXifjbxZDAM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXifjbxZDAM)

I have to say—if he only wants 100% legal versions—the 2006 bonus DVDs (GOUT)
are pretty much what was in cinemas in the early 80s. And even the 35mm and
70mm prints in 1977 differed at least in the sound mix. And the
fanedit/despeacialized editions are hard to not find on the internet. I would
not call that “Deep Web” :-/

~~~
pbreit
Oh, shoot, that was the one I thought I was linking.

------
js2
"I couldn’t do laserdiscs because no sane person has a laserdisc player these
days."

I guess I'm insane because I still own a laserdisc player and three
laserdiscs: Episodes IV, V, and VI.

~~~
johan_larson
Yeah, I don't know why he was so quick to dismiss that. The laserdisc versions
are the same as the original theatrical releases, aren't they?

------
jaimebuelta
I find The Han Solo Shot First Issue very interesting because it plays with
how significant Star Wars is.

At this point, no one can be surprised by the movies. In particular, everyone
knows that Han Solo is one of the good guys, from the beginning.

That wasn't true when it was first released. At the point of the encounter
with Greedo, the audience doesn't know if Han is going to be a traitor.
Chewbacca is more menacing than ever on his first scenes, and Han is
definitively a shady character.

Now, all that doesn't make sense. We know Han (and Chewie) to be the "good
guys", even if we never saw the movies. We can't be surprised by then...

Similar stuff happens with Yoda appareance and Vader revelation. They are
plots that we know in advance, effectively changing the movie experience...

------
acomjean
I may be in the minority, but despite some groan worthy aditions (jaba the hut
in mos-isley, stupid busy backgrouds), I thought the special additions looked
and sounded better.

The minor changes to the story didn't upset me. Han is totally getting his gun
ready, but looks lamer because he survives on luck (missed shot).

There are photos from a couple scenes described in my StarWars Story book
(from the 70s) that just aren't in the movie, so maybe the whole thing was a
little shaky to me anyway.

------
smpetrey
Finding the beta-max tapes are actually kinda fun to look for on ebay and at
estate sales.

------
driverdan
The special edition VHS tapes from the 90's are unedited from the original.
It's surprising he didn't have them if he was such a big fan of the re-release
since they came out close to that time.

~~~
agumonkey
Are these the same ?
[http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m5...](http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.TRS0&_nkw=Star+Wars+VHS+Trilogy+Box+Set+1992&_sacat=0)

------
MBlume
> Why is it so difficult for a fan, like me, who doesn’t want to suss out
> shady Deep Web torrents

It's...not that hard? The Pirate Bay is a fairly user-friendly website?

~~~
pavel_lishin
I think he's not saying that it's hard to find a torrent; I think he's saying
that it's hard to find a legitimate, legal copy that he could pay for.

~~~
ajross
And I think the grandparent was saying that any such discussion is incomplete
without referencing the value provided by the sharing community.

