8mm Forum: The Pod Race extract Star Wars Episode 1.

This is topic The Pod Race extract Star Wars Episode 1. in forum 8mm Print Reviews at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on July 27, 2006, 08:38 PM:

A must for any Star Wars fan, with a running time of about 15min this Scope extract is action packed, the print is exellent quality the sound mono but incredibly good. The story is basic in nature with much of the race between young Aniken and Sebulba.I guess its the modern day version of Ben Hur the scene where Aniken re-starts his engines had my speakers rattling away just brilliant [Smile]

"you dont need stereo here " I have collected many Scope prints over the years and I would regard this one as one of the best, and a great addition to any Scope reel presentation highly recommended.
Graham. [Smile]

Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 270) on July 28, 2006, 01:54 AM:

Graham, I have just rerecorded the sound in stereo from the DVD and it does make a difference. People should be aware though that the scene isn't complete, it is slightly abridged (a few minutes are missing).

Posted by Andrew Wilson (Member # 538) on July 28, 2006, 12:12 PM:

How long did it take you jean-marc?..Andy.

Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 270) on July 28, 2006, 12:39 PM:

A few hours, maybe, I can't tell exactly as I did it over a several day span...

Posted by Mark Norton (Member # 165) on July 28, 2006, 01:47 PM:

I've recorded this one direct to my GS from DVD also, took some doing as this extract is well edited but the result with the rear surrounds cranked up is fantastic, well worth the effort. I also added one of those CHC Dolby intros to the start, but re recorded part of the star wars theme that 'synced' well with it. Also added music to 'The End', rounds the whole thing off nicely.

Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 270) on July 28, 2006, 04:58 PM:

Well done Mark, a very sophisticated retracking, indeed.

Posted by Rob Young. (Member # 131) on August 11, 2006, 03:53 AM:

Hi, Jean-Marc.

I just noticed your comments about a few minutes missing...

I have to say that I haven't seen the super 8 extract but I believe it is made from a 35mm release print.

The version of the pod race in the theatrical release version does differ from that of the DVD version (Lucas can't leave anything alone, can he?), so I presume the 8mm version isn't actually abridged, just inherently shorter and different to the DVD version???

What do you think? The DVD version basically has a few extra shots and changes during the race...

Posted by Andrew Wilson (Member # 538) on August 11, 2006, 10:50 AM:

I think your right Rob;knowing as we all do,i think HE has
fiddled with the pod race for the dvd release.Andy.

Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 270) on August 11, 2006, 12:22 PM:

Rob, interesting input indeed. I agree with you, Lucas has been known to fiddle with his films between the theatrical and video release.

There might be new material added on the dvd, but...

There are actual bits missing. The whole presentation of the pilots at the beginning, for instance, is shortened and when you look both versions side by side, you can see exactly where the cuts were made. At least one accident is missing (and it hasn't been added, I'm sure it's been removed from the thetrical print). And, when Anakin's engine fails, there's a couple of shots missing (when he grabs the loose cable, after putting the fire off, and before changing the power coupling... Yeah, I'm a geek, I know). [Big Grin]

OK, enough of that... Potential buyers just need to be aware that they can't pick-up the nice stereo sound right off the digital disc.

Posted by Kevin Faulkner (Member # 6) on August 12, 2006, 04:31 PM:

JM, Now if you were to crystal control your GS with the pedro unit you could make a file of the sound for us so that we with Pedro units could use your file sound on our own copies. Just a thought. A beep on the number 3 would then give us a sync point [Smile]

Kev.

Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 270) on August 13, 2006, 04:08 AM:

Kev, as it's done on a computer, I keep all video files in mpeg format (easier to sync when you see images). They are too big to be put online. Generally, people send their prints to me and I redub them for a fee (I have more than 40 titles available, some are German releases that can be retracked in French or English).

Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on December 11, 2017, 05:14 PM:

I recently picked up a used copy of the Pod Race digest; other than two lines (not at the same time) in the first third, it's a mint copy.

So I ripped the audio from the DVD and started trying to match up the sound track. There are a LOT of changes throughout the 13 minutes of the Super 8 version. What was also disappointing was realizing how much detail was missing from the film print, which is acceptably sharp but not amazing, slightly overly contrasty, nor is the color spot on as it has a desert orange over-warmness to it.

I'm not expecting it to look like the DVD, and projected on a big screen, the film is impressive to look at. But the difference side-by-side is far greater than I would have expected.

Haven't tried it with the track yet, but I did finish an edit. So, once I've tested it, anyone who wants this could have it as a stereo, ac3, or SPDIF-wave file.

Posted by Jason Smith (Member # 5055) on December 11, 2017, 06:14 PM:

I would be interested in getting that audio file from you Bill! I haven't watched my copy in awhile but I seem to remember my copy having a lot of contrast as you said.

Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on January 02, 2018, 07:39 PM:

Jason, please send me a PM with your best email address. I can either use WeTransfer.com or Dropbox, depending on your preferences!

Posted by Adam Deierling (Member # 2307) on January 03, 2018, 09:09 AM:

The super 8 print is taken direct from the theatrical 35mm print.

Fun fact about this: The theatrical release of the Phantom Menace was shorter. In fact, when the film came to video (and believe me I was first in line back then) it did not come out on DVD. I bought a widescreen VHS copy which was the theatrical version and the pod race matches the super 8 print perfectly. The DVD did not come out until about a year after the VHS release. I remember it being a really big deal because it was the first time a Star Wars movie had been released on DVD. To entice more people to "double dip" Lucas added in a bunch of scenes and extended some others for the DVD.
Those scenes have now become standard to the film and its not surprising that most people would recognize them as "missing" from the pod race extract.

Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on January 03, 2018, 03:12 PM:

Very helpful, Adam. And here I thought the Derann folks had done some tour-de-force editing! The extract plays with perfect continuity, but the added scenes definitely fill out story details, so you can't go wrong either way.

Just wish the film looked a little better than it does, but with the volume cranked up and a big wide image, you can't go wrong! It just rocks. Very impactful.

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