8mm Forum: STAR WARS 'despecialised Edition.'

This is topic STAR WARS 'despecialised Edition.' in forum General Yak at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Steven J Kirk (Member # 1135) on February 07, 2019, 05:55 PM:

Available for some time around the Internet, some clever people produced this 'despecialised' version of STAR WARS, as it was in 1977. There is a documentary about it on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGrXO2RDzLg

Made from various sources including laserdisc, this is good colour and quality and as close to the original experience as we are likely to get. It is currently available on 'Internet Archive' as 'Star Wars 1977.' Search for that or here is the direct link. It is 720p and requires a one third stretch as given by a widescreen television. This is the direct link:

https://ia600700.us.archive.org/24/items/Popcornarchive-starWa rs1977_z15in/Popcornarchive-starWars1977_z15in.mp4

You may need Quicktime. Right click over the image ( if it works correctly ) and select download video as...

Posted by Rodney Bourke (Member # 1646) on February 19, 2019, 06:46 PM:

This Documentary on You Tube about how George Lucas keeps cutting and adding to the Original Star Wars is interesting.

And the American Film Registry still is waiting from Lucas Films original Print of Star wars.

Trying to get a Good original 1977 Star wars Print is hard to get even on VHS or Laserdisc according to the Documentary, but getting the best 1977 Print they need to look at a Derann Super 8 Star Wars Print. Amazingly they have not lost there Value and seem to fetch over $1000 Aust on ebay when they come up from time to time.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on February 20, 2019, 11:36 AM:

The really neat thing is, if you can find it (which I did), there IS an ORIGINAL 1977 STAR WARS out there on super 8 scope!

it's actually a "cineavision" scope print, and it was taken from an original 1977 print (before all the corrections and it states no, "episode 4" but just, "It is a period of civil war").

The Derann print, whiel lovely, is taken from a later 1982 re-issue and has the "episode 4" and the other changes up to that time on it, so it isn't actually the 1977 original.

Fortunately, this 1977 version was printed on L.P.P. film stock and while the color isn't quite as rich as the derann re-issue, it is more than passable. There aren't many of these "77" versions out there! They are as rare as "hens teeth" [Smile]

Posted by Rodney Bourke (Member # 1646) on February 24, 2019, 06:20 AM:

Hi Osi

that's interesting you say L.P.P. is the only true Star Wars Print in Super 8.
I looked at ebay Australia, USA and UK for a 1977 alternative copy of Star Wars on VHS, Beta and Laserdisc and the earliest copy I could find was 1980,s and I thought the SW Special Edition in 1997 was were all the changes happened turns out George Lucas did them, 1997, 1980 & 1981. Which makes sense because thats when all these Video Rental Shops opened in the early 80's. But if a true 1977 copy exists out there on Tape or Disc let me know.
https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_changes_in_Star_Wars_re-releases

Posted by Rodney Bourke (Member # 1646) on October 04, 2019, 05:37 PM:

I wonder how close to the original this 16mm copy of Star Wars is?
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/16mm-Feature-Film-STAR-WARS-1977-Uncut-Theatrical-Scope-GORGEOUS-PRINT/333344844135?hash=item4d9ce6a967:g:psgAAOSwSxtdkP7n&frcectupt=true

Posted by Janice Glesser (Member # 2758) on October 04, 2019, 06:36 PM:

138 watchers so far....Love it! Can't wait to see what it goes for [Smile]

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on October 04, 2019, 06:43 PM:

These Star Wars auctions are always great to watch.

as for my previously mentioned Cineavision (scope) STAR WARS 1977 print, the last reel is quite fun to look at for the individual frames as, throughout the whole last battle sequence, I noticed the splice lines in between almost every shot, and those splice lines were eliminated in later prints of the film, which is one of the things that makes this so rare.

There was also an "Empire Strikes Back" Cineavision print but quite sadly, THAT one was printed on Kodak SP an so, sadly, the print I had, no longer had perfect blacks. the colors were good, just on the downhill slide. Also, the negative material was not as good, as it had a fairly high amount of wear and tear to the original reel changes.

at least in the case of the 16MM up for sale, it's low fade and has great color. I have seen some prints that have obvious fade, STILL go for over 1,000.00 dollars! [Roll Eyes]

[ October 05, 2019, 09:43 AM: Message edited by: Osi Osgood ]

Posted by Barry Attwood (Member # 100) on October 06, 2019, 04:47 AM:

About 25 years ago I bought all 3 of the original Star Wars films on 16mm scope, the original was on a low fade stock, very nice colours etc., but the other 2 were on Kodachrome, which really looked amazing, to say I bought them on the Saturday and sold them on the Sunday, ah those were the days!

Posted by Rob Young. (Member # 131) on October 07, 2019, 05:40 AM:

Barry...WOW! Kodachrome Empire and Jedi...the stuff of dreams!

Posted by Barry Attwood (Member # 100) on October 07, 2019, 06:41 AM:

Rob,

If it wasn't for the amount of money I had invested in them I seriously considered keeping them, but alas ecconomic sense came to the fore! The Kodachrome prints were amazing, and will still be amazing to this day!

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on October 07, 2019, 10:11 AM:

6,300.00!!!!

Good Lord, this dude totally SCORED!!! [Eek!]

Posted by Larry Arpin (Member # 744) on October 07, 2019, 11:43 PM:

Another print showed up:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/16mm-Star-Wars-Episode-IV-A-New-Hope-1981-Re-release-Scope-Complete-Feature/123931703400?hash=item1cdae7b868:g:5JkAAOSw1MBdVBlc

But 2 reels are faded.

Posted by Rodney Bourke (Member # 1646) on October 08, 2019, 07:43 AM:

Sadly this 16mm Print Has parts in Red, better to stick with a Derann Super 8 Print, Also a lot Cheaper.

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