Sci-Fi Weekly reviews the Limited Edition DVDs. Nice point that not including a new commentary on the changes was a missed opportunity… We’ve heard the reasoning before, and starwars.com did some pretty extensive photo galleries, but it would have been a nice feature.
DVD roundup
Now that the dust of the Limited Edition DVD release earlier this week has settled a bit, here’s a few of the many reviews, opinions, and other media detris:
Time Out Movie Blog: An interview with Warwick Davis, who says: “Everybody wanted to see these versions.”
The Denver Post: The purists strike back. I know I’ve been in fandom too long when ‘puists’ means ‘people who whine about the EU,’ not people who hate the Special Edition changes.
The London Free Press: Star Wars DVD is overpriced. I don’t think anyone is actually paying $24.99. At least not this week.
The Salt Lake Tribune: 5 reasons this set goes to the dark side. Yeah, yeah, we know. Geez.
More such…
– Toledo Free Press
– The Crimson White
– Cinema Blend
– Detroit Free Press
– Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
And course, there’s always Starwars.com’s complete coverage…
Fans/Line OTP!
National ‘Han Shot First’ Day
You know why. (Just be warned, the cheapest shipping from StarWarsShop is ten bucks! Target isn’t looking so bad…)
To celebrate the occasion, USA Today has an article on bonding via DVD, and Blogcritics wonders who owns the movies – creators or fans?
From the Blogside
Apparently some other space franchise is 40 years old this week. Pablo has some thoughts on Star Trek, the mother of modern fandom.
JawaJoey considers the upcoming DVD release and reaction. I’m gearing up for the flood of disappointed/overblown/smug blog and forum posts myself…
Nar Cranor has advice for folks wanting to start a fansite. He has some good points, but it seems to me there’s a lot more to it than just finding something new… You have to do it well. Or at least, better than anyone else doing the same thing. And don’t start a forum (or a group blog…) unless you’re pretty sure you can bring in enough folks to populate it properly.
Reviews: RJ Peters on Bloodlines, and Suzanne takes on both Betrayal and Bloodlines.
Whine season opens early this year
No review copies of the new DVDs? The ‘piracy’ excuse seems kind of silly – there’s little (reported) that hasn’t been seen before, and has probably been illegally avaliable via all the usual suspects for years.
Of course, savvy fans – apparently not the bloggers at EW, at least before the fanboy hoards got to them – already know the transfers of the ‘originals’ are straight from the ’93 laserdisc masters and thus not going to be as good as the 2004 editions.
Popwatch’s second point/theory is something to ponder – are these stopgap DVDs? We do have that 2007 box set rumor.
Or, y’know, they’re just doing this on the cheap. It does seem strange seeing how much LFL loves to court publicity. And it makes me wonder if there’s something else on the discs. (Damn that Kool-Aid!) A preview of the animated TV show? The box set? Jar Jar in carbonite? Only LFL knows for sure… But don’t hold your breath.
Freebasing Jedi McNuggets
The bonus DVD menus for Return of the Jedi are less than thrilling. But then, it is the 80’s, when everything was fugly. Especially Luke’s hair.
This week on StarWars.com
Another exhaustive look at the differences between the original movie and the 2004 DVDs, this time focusing on Empire Strikes Back. Also check out 1980: The Empire Theatrical Experience.
Artist Lawrence Noble is profiled. I want that ESB fan club poster!
New stuff from Hasbro, including a really cool Sith Starfighter I can’t recall ever seeing before.
– What’s the Story, Round 6
– Road Trip in Seattle
– Original Trilogy Lenticular Posters
– Drawing LEGO Lando and Chewbacca
– New VIP blog: Mike Quinn
This week on StarWars.com
No Exile cover, but that’s understandable give the huge slideshow of the differences between the 1977 and 2004 versions of Episode IV that went up tonight.
Also…
– A look at the new LEGO game.
– Natalie Portman auctioning signed collectibles for charity.
– More of those giant wall coverings for Euro fans.
– Drawing Lego Han and Stormtrooper.
Flashback to 1977
The official site looks back at the Star Wars theatrical experience.
Also, the road trip makes its way to Miami.