Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Complete Season Four Blu-ray Release Date and Cover Art.

Clone Wars: Season Four is headed to home video on October 23, 2012, keeping in the tradition of releasing the previous season after the new season begins airing.  I am sure some marketing expert knows why they do it this way, but my confusion continues.

The set will feature a style similar to the Season Three set and different then the original Season One and Two releases.  This time we get Darth Maul on the cover.

SOURCES: IGN and Blu-ray.com Forums

Star Wars Want: Blu-ray Genndy Tartakovsky Clone Wars Series

There is a gap in my Star Wars Blu-ray collection that is just screaming to be filled.  We have Blu-ray releases for the original trilogy, the prequel trilogy, the Lego Star Wars: The Padawan Menace special, and each season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, yet one of the most recent Star Wars video releases has yet to get the Blu-ray treatment.

Genndy Tartakovsky's micro-series premiered on the Cartoon Network in 2003 and subsequently saw a two-volume DVD release in 2005.

Currently these DVD's retail on Amazon.com for $38.02 for Volume 1 and $45.94 for Volume.

Transitioning this series to a single Blu-ray disc release simply makes to much sense to be ignored and seems like a simple way to make a few bucks for Lucasfilm.

Volume 1 contains 20 3-minute episodes and has a run time of 69 minutes, while Volume 2 contains 5 12-minute episodes and has a run time of 64 minutes.

I can understand not wanting to confuse kids and parents regarding the current Clone Wars series, but fans should be able to purchase this series without having to go the "used" copy route.

I am sure that many of my fellow fanboys and fangirls would agree, can we have the Tartakovsky series in Blu-ray? Pretty please?

Review: Lego Star Wars: The Padawan Menace Blu-ray

The license partnership between LEGO and Star Wars has resulted in a slew of wildly popular video games, an entire line of Star Wars LEGO toys and related nicknacks. Most recently there was a 22 minute TV movie special that aired on Cartoon Network during San Diego Comic-Con 2011. 

The home video release features a two copies of the movie, one on DVD and one on Blu-ray.  Each disc also contains identical bonus features.  No digital copy of the movie is included.  The bonus features are two animated shorts; "The Quest for R2-D2" and "Bombad Bounty."  There are also two "Star Wars in 2 Minutes" with a kid summarizing the original trilogy and prequel trilogy separately with LEGO animations.  The final bonus feature is a Dee Bradley Baker narrated "The Clone Wars Animated Comics" told from the perspective of a few Clones. 

The set retails for $13 dollars and is availble exclusively at Walmart.  I am glad they included the bonus features and two copies of the movie because for $13, 22 minutes goes by pretty fast. 

There was a lot of sight gags in the movie, some of them worked better then others.  I really enjoyed the Palpatine in the Senate chamber scene where he raises and lowers the cowl of his robes. 

It was fun to see the Man in Flannel appear a few times with the set crashing Dark Lord. 

Ian/Han was amusing enough if a tad obnoxious and overall the kids featured in the film didn't capture my imagination except when one got his camera eaten by a dewback. 

Some of the assembling and disassembling got a bit old for me as I was watching, but I think that was more then made up for by some humorous dialogue, especially the self-deprecating Yoda.

I think I may actually like the short "Bombad Bounty" which features Vader, Jar Jar and Boba Fett better then the feature on the disc. 

I would say that this movie will probably play much better with the younger fans then older ones, but if you are a collector or hardcore Star Wars fan then this should still be added to your collection.

Star Wars Blu-rays Feature: THX Media Director

Some cool new THX technology is making its debut with the Star Wars: Blu-ray release, THX Media Director is a new technology that will allow enabled devices to automatically adjust to the best possible settings to experience the media.  This is pretty nifty, if you are like me and fiddle with the audio and visual settings on your HDTV between TV channels, programs, Netflix, DVD, and Blu-ray discs. 

THX Media Director works behind-the-scenes ensuring that your system will use the optimal settings to match the content. Embedded in the content at the source (the mastering studio), THX Media Director has information such as aspect ratio, surround sound format, 3D format, number of audio channels, and more. This data is read by the THX Media Director enabled gear, like future Blu-ray players, receivers, and TVs. Each piece then configures itself based on the information in the content.
THX was created to better the experience of moviegoers by making certain they were getting the best possible presentation of the movie. THX Media Director is a logical extension of that original goal. ~THX.com

Looks like I will be looking for a new little THX Media Director sticker on my next home entertainment center purchase.

SOURCES:   Endgaget and THX.com

Vader "Nos" Best: Rumored Change to Return of the Jedi Blu-ray

Floating around the Internet is that new dialogue is being inserted into Return of the Jedi for the Blu-ray release.  We haven't seen any official confirmation or denial up to this point, but a fan has taken the supposed leaked MP3 audio file and synced it up with the movie and put it up on Youtube.

Frequent listener's to The Forcecast will have heard Kyle Newman and the guys discussing, George Lucas' penchant for repeating themes, dialogue, concepts etc. in his film making.  If "No" is inserted in RotJ, it would provide a symmetry with Episode III.  When Emperor Palpatine informs Vader that he "killed" Padme in his anger, Vader goes on a droid crushing spree and utters "Noooooo."   That show of emotion and remorse is probably the last true glimpse of the Anakin dominant within Vader that George imagines until the climactic scene in Return of the Jedi.

Of course it is also possible that this is much ado about nothing, and that we Star Wars fans irrationally jump to conclusions based on the smallest scrap of a rumor.

We shall see...


SOURCE: i09

The Special Edition Treatment Strikes Back: Star Wars Blu-ray Changes

If I have learned anything in my many years of Star Wars fandom, it is that George Lucas is a perpetual tinkerer.  In many ways he is like Han Solo, constantly working on the Falcon, some times the changes are for the better, and sometimes the changes blow up in his face and end up with a Wookiee or Fanboy shouting at him. 

StarWars.com  has a nice article about some of the fixes that have been made  to the films and the process by which was used to pour over the films in preparation for the Blu-ray release.

The older films of Episode IV, V and VI required special care and attention. Already, for the 2004 release, the movies underwent significant digital restoration to have them align with George Lucas' vision of the six Star Wars movies being a single, seamless presentation. However, that is not to say that that work done for the 2004 release was simply ported over to Blu-ray.

"It went through three phases of QC (quality control) processes," describes Diane Caliva, Production Manager for Media Operations at ILM. "In addition to Lucasfilm reviewing, there were outside companies hired as well. The first was Blu-focus/THX QCing our masters. Then it went through Deluxe and their QC process. And at last was the emulation phase, by the Deluxe team . We would get 'kickback notes', and then Dorne and our team we would assess the shots, and go in and clean up the files."

In addition to some general cosmetic fixes such as correcting colors, fixing digital animation errors, etc.  George Lucas will be making a change on the scale of digitally erasing Sebastian Shaw and inserting Hayden Christensen into Return of the Jedi.

As has been long speculated we will be getting a digital Yoda to replace the less then ideal puppet Yoda in Episode I. 

MildConcernTV has a nice side by side video comparison of the dueling Yodas.

I generally appreciate the visual and auditory clean ups that have been done to the films, but one thing is for sure....Han Shot First!

SOURCE: Starwars.com and Film School Rejects

2 New Star Wars Website Promoting Blu-ray Release

StarWars.com has launched two new websites to promote the Complete Saga Blu-ray release September 16th.

The first site, is Star Wars: Moments Visualizer.  It gives you a chance to rank scenes from the six films as well as see how other fans have ranked those moments.  Moments has a very visual interface, which allows you to see an image and description of each scene.  From here  you can drag the films into your favorite section or you can go to the Duel tab and choose between two scenes.


The second site, Ask Vader has video clips of the Dark Lord and allows you to type in questions.  It looks like there are 92 different video clips of Vader including movement shots as well as responses.  My favorite so far is #89:  "I find your lack of articulation disturbing."

SOURCE: Star Wars Moments and Ask Vader

More Star Wars Blu-ray Clips: X-Wings and Podracers

The official Star Wars Youtube channel and Walmart.com have provided us with some new clips from the Star Wars: Complete Saga Blu-ray collection.  One clip from Episode IV features the X-Wing attack on the Death Star and one clip from Episode I features the Boonta Eve Classic podrace.  Both clips feature both movie footage and behind the scenes commentary.

X-Wing Clip

Podracer Clip

Visit Walmart.com for the exclusive clip. 

SOURCES: Star Wars Youtube, Walmart.com, and The Star Wars Prequel Appreciation Society.

New Star Wars: Blu-ray bonus feature preview featuring John Williams and Yoda

Play.com has posted another clip from the bonus features of the Star Wars Blu-ray set, this time featuring John Williams discussing his thoughts on Yoda and Yoda's theme. 

I would assume this clip is from "A Conversation with the Masters," a 2010 retrospective on Empire Strikes Back that features George Lucas, John Williams, Lawrence Kasdan, and Irvin Kershner.



To see the clip, please visit Play.com.

Star Wars: Blu-Ray Content and Cover Art: Details and Commentary

May the 4th saw the release of extensive details and the cover art for this September's Star Wars: Blu-Ray release.  Below find my thoughts on the cover art, a list of special features followed by my thoughts, and finally a comment on the marketing gimmick used by Lucasfilm called "infinite zoom."

Cover Art Commentary

We have three different covers, stylistically the individual trilogy boxes are the same style, while the Complete Saga edition is drastically different.

I actually really like the Complete Saga Anakin/Luke on Tatooine art, however I can see why many fans won't like it.  If you watch the video on the Maythe4thbewithyou website, you see the complete unfolded cover art without the logo or any writing on it and its a gorgeous piece of art.  I am not sure if its water color painting but that is what it looks like to me.  My biggest critique is that you only see the back of Luke in a very ethereal way, I would have preferred the artist to capture Luke who really defines Star Wars for a generation of fans much more prominently.  I think its a rather understated and unique art choice and not something that I would have expected.  I would have expected a much more masculine and traditional cover art with bolder covers and sharper lines.  This is a soft and almost romantic take on the hero's journey.

The Prequel Trilogy box art is my least favorite of the group.  I do not really have a problem with the concept, but the execution bothers me.  I will say that it doesn't make sense not to feature Anakin prominently on cover.  I know we all love Yoda, but if Star Wars is really the story of Anakin, he should be the focal point of the cover.  What bothers me most is the greenish tint that permeates the entire cover, it just makes everything look distorted and sickly. 

I love the Original Trilogy box art. The blue color works for me a million times more then the green does on the Prequel Trilogy box.  I love the Vader/Anakin is the focal point of the art and how the Death Star is coming out of the top of Vader's helmet. Similar to the Complete Saga art however, it minimizes Luke too much.  If I was involved in it, I would have used a larger image of the Return of the Jedi Luke they used and positioned it where the Cloud City image is and moved the Cloud City image to where they put Luke.
 

 SPECIAL FEATURES: 

STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA ON BLU-RAY is presented in widescreen with 6.1 DTS Surround Sound. Special features include:

• Disc One- Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace
  • Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Ben Burtt, Rob Coleman, John Knoll, Dennis Muren and Scott Squires
  • Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew
• Disc Two - Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones
  • Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Ben Burtt, Rob Coleman, Pablo Helman, John Knoll and Ben Snow
  • Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew
• Disc Three - Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
  • Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Rob Coleman, John Knoll and Roger Guyett
  • Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew
• Disc Four - Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
  • Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren
  • Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew
• Disc Five - Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back
  • Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren
  • Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew
• Disc Six - Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
  • Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren
  • Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew
• Disc Seven - New! Star Wars Archives: Episodes I-III
  • Including: deleted, extended and alternate scenes; prop, maquette and costume turnarounds; concept art; supplementary interviews with cast and crew; a flythrough of the Lucasfilm Archives and more
• Disc Eight - New! Star Wars Archives: Episode IV-VI
  • Including: deleted, extended and alternate scenes; prop, maquette and costume turnarounds; matte paintings and concept art; supplementary interviews with cast and crew; and more
• Disc Nine - The Star Wars Documentaries
  • NEW! Star Warriors (2007, Color, Apx. 84 Minutes) - Some Star Wars fans want to collect action figures... these fans want to be action figures! A tribute to the 501st Legion, a global organization of Star Wars costume enthusiasts, this insightful documentary shows how the super-fan club promotes interest in the films through charity and volunteer work at fundraisers and high-profile special events around the world.
  • NEW! A Conversation with the Masters: The Empire Strikes Back 30 Years Later (2010, Color, Apx. 25 Minutes) - George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Lawrence Kasdan and John Williams look back on the making of The Empire Strikes Back in this in-depth retrospective from Lucasfilm created to help commemorate the 30th anniversary of the movie. The masters discuss and reminisce about one of the most beloved films of all time.
  • NEW! Star Wars Spoofs (2011, Color, Apx. 91 Minutes) - The farce is strong with this one! Enjoy a hilarious collection of Star Wars spoofs and parodies that have been created over the years, including outrageous clips from Family Guy, The Simpsons, How I Met Your Mother and more - and don't miss "Weird Al" Yankovic's one-of-a-kind music video tribute to The Phantom Menace!
  • The Making of Star Wars (1977, Color, Apx. 49 Minutes) - Learn the incredible behind-the-scenes story of how the original Star Wars movie was brought to the big screen in this fascinating documentary hosted by C-3PO and R2-D2. Includes interviews with George Lucas and appearances by Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher.
  • The Empire Strikes Back: SPFX (1980, Color, Apx. 48 Minutes) - Learn the secrets of making movies in a galaxy far, far away. Hosted by Mark Hamill, this revealing documentary offers behind-the-scenes glimpses into the amazing special effects that transformed George Lucas' vision for Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back into reality!
  • Classic Creatures: Return of the Jedi (1983, Color, Apx. 48 Minutes) - Go behind the scenes -- and into the costumes -- as production footage from Return of the Jedi is interspersed with vintage monster movie clips in this in-depth exploration of the painstaking techniques utilized by George Lucas to create the classic creatures and characters seen in the film. Hosted and narrated by Carrie Fisher and Billy Dee Williams.
  • Anatomy of a Dewback (1997, Color, Apx. 26 Minutes) - See how some of the special effects in Star Wars became even more special two decades later! George Lucas explains and demonstrates how his team transformed the original dewback creatures from immovable rubber puppets (in the original 1977 release) to seemingly living, breathing creatures for the Star Wars 1997 Special Edition update.
  • Star Wars Tech (2007, Color, Apx. 46 Minutes) - Exploring the technical aspects of Star Wars vehicles, weapons and gadgetry, Star Wars Tech consults leading scientists in the fields of physics, prosthetics, lasers, engineering and astronomy to examine the plausibility of Star Wars technology based on science as we know it today.

Comments on Special Features

The plus side is that we get two entire discs of new archival materials including deleted scenses, alternate scenes. We do get three new documentaries (Star Warriors, A Conversation with the Masters, and Star Wars Spoofs), but a lot of the bonus material is stuff that has been available before or at least seen before.

Each movie disc also contains two commentary tracks, the main commentary track is the same ones that were released with the previous DVD releases. For example for Episodes IV-VI we have had these same commentaries on the 2004 DVD Box Set release and the 2006 Special/Theatrical Edition Dual Disc sets.   The second set of commentaries will be interviews from Lucasfilm's archive with cast and crew and this could be really interesting depending on how much content their is in these commentaries. 

The biggest negative in my opinion is that it appears the deleted scenes will not be on the same disc as the movie they come from, so there will be no seamless branching option allowing viewers to insert deleted or alternate scenes into the flow of the movie.  That is too bad for Han shot first zealots or for those hoping to add Luke's lightsaber construction scene to the beginning of Return of the Jedi.

Overall this is a ton of material, some new, some old and some old yet still new to me.  I am very excited to get these discs. 

Commentary on "Infinite Zoom" Marketing

This September, the Star Wars Saga comes to Blu-ray for the very first time. Now you can be part of this groundbreaking release, through the magic of “infinite zoom” technology. When you share this site with your friends, exclusive imagery from the release will be revealed. And the more the site is shared around the world, the more the world will see.

So spread the word today and “zoom” into the ultimate insider’s view of Star Wars on Blu-ray!

The idea of "infinite zoom" is interesting.  Its basically creating Easter eggs that are unlock able not by codes or other tricks, but by spreading the link through social media.  I actually think the potential applications of this are cool.  It does strike me that this would be better suited for a video game, where the zoom could be unlockable characters, levels, abilities, etc.  Basic details and sales specs for a Blu-Ray doesn't seem like the use for which this system was designed.  It was a nice try, but I don't think the what was revealed really fit they way it was revealed.

The other issue is the fact that traffic caused the website to crash.  Which is both a positive and a negative, on the plus side it shows just how much interest there is in Star Wars, on the negative side, I wonder if this kind of traffic should have been anticipated and planned for.  But I will leave that to those in the technical internet community that know a lot more about that then I do to judge.

CONCLUSIONS

Thanks to all the folks at Lucasfilm and all the fans around the world for making our communities "holiday" so much fun today.  I already have my Complete Saga Blu-Ray on pre-order and if you haven't yet made the conversion to Blu-Ray, I can't think of a better reason then to enjoy Star Wars in high definition.  September 16th is just around the corner.

You can pre-order Star Wars on Blu-Ray at Amazon.com:  Complete Saga 9 Disc Set for $89.99

SOURCES: Starwas.com and Maythe4th.StarWars.com

Star Wars Blu-Ray Details to Be Revealed On-Line May 4th

 Are you excited about the Star Wars: The Complete Saga Blu-Ray release coming this fall?

If you are like me and can't wait to get your hands on the Star Wars Blu-Rays on September 16, then you want to check out a special announcement by Lucasfilm on the holiday of all holidays.  May 4th.

May the 4th be with you.  Get it, fourth, force.

On May 4th at 6:00AM PST (9:00AM EST) visit a special new website set up by Starwars.com:  http://maythe4th.starwars.com/

Currently the website has a countdown clock until May the 4th, but we should be getting some pretty massive news regarding the specifications and possibly the external and internal look of the box set.  The tag line for the announcement is; "all will be revealed."  

I highly suggest you pre-order your copy of Star Wars on Blu-Ray now, as they are going to be flying off the shelves.  In fact, if you don't have a Blu-Ray player yet, go get one, and while your at it pick up The Clone Wars on Blu-Ray, it looks incredible.

You can Pre-Order Star Wars on Blu-Ray at Amazon.com:  Complete Saga, Prequel Trilogy, Original Trilogy.

SOURCES:  StarWars.com, Maythe4th.starwars.com, and Jedi Temple Archives

Star Wars Blu-Ray Special Features To Be Revealed In Star Wars Insider #126

 
The complete 6 movie Star Wars Saga will be coming to Blu-Ray on September 16, 2011.  The Complete Saga Box Set will feature 9 discs, 3 of which will be special features weighing in at over 30 hours of bonus material.  What will this bonus material be?  It looks like we will get our first look at what some of these special features will be in the official Star Wars magazine, Star Wars Insider #126.  

According to @SW_Insider, an unofficial twitter account for Star Wars Insider, the tentative street date for Insider #126 will be June 15th, 2011.  

Stay tuned to Lightsaber Rattling for continued coverage of the Star Wars Blu-Ray release and my in-depth review of the set as soon as it arrives from Amazon.com. 

SOURCE: @SW_Insider on Twitter

Star Wars Blu-Ray Release Date Update: September 16th

StarWars.com has provided us with an update regarding the release date of Star Wars on Blu-Ray.  The official confirmation is that the street date for the three different Blu-Ray sets will be Tuesday September 16th.

UPDATE: The most anticipated Blu-ray release ever -- the Star Wars Saga -- emerges from light speed on September 16, 2011!

For the first time, all six of George Lucas' epic films (Episodes I-VI) are united in one complete set. Fans worldwide are able to pre-order now with online retailers.
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will release Star Wars in three distinct sets to meet the needs of every Star Wars fan:

• Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray (9-disc Set includes all six films)
• Star Wars: Prequel Blu-ray Trilogy (3-disc set includes Episodes I-III)
• Star Wars: Original Blu-ray Trilogy (3-disc set includes Episodes IV-VI)

Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray will feature all six live-action Star Wars feature films utilizing the highest possible picture and audio presentation, along with three additional discs and more than 30 hours of extensive special features including never-before-seen deleted and alternate scenes, an exploration of the exclusive Star Wars archives, and much more.

Time to take a week of vacation starting September 16th and stock up on provisions for some serious Star Wars Blu-Ray marathoning....

SOURCE: STARWARS.COM

Star Wars on Blu-Ray: Rumor: Special Editions Only

The following article is rumor only based off of a very amateur Norwegian to English translation.


A Norwegian Magazine, Release recently had an interview with Twentieth Century Fox's Vincent Marcias, in which Mr. Marcias discussed the Star Wars Blu-Ray release.

Among the highlights that I can glean from my rough google fueled translation:

*Compared sales to that of Avatar: Special Edition which sold 5 Million in USA and 4 Million outside of USA and expects Star Wars to surpass this.


*When asked about DVD releases, we will probably see Star Wars remain available on DVD but no updated releases as they are focusing on Blu-Ray.


*When asked about what edition of the movies will appear on the Box sets he indicated that it would be the 1997 Special Editions with enhancements and that they have been re-mastered.  


*When asked if Lucas would release the Original versions on Blu-Ray he said he could not comment.  

Any Norwegians out there who want to take a shot at translating the interview it is available below:


Release Interview with Vincent Marcias (Pg. 8)


Google Translation Tool, I used to attempt to read the article. 

Source:  David Wharton at Cinema Blend

Star Wars Blu-Ray Official Release Date: September 27, 2011

News from Amazon.com today that the Star Wars Blu-Ray release which was previously announced at CES as coming in September has officially gotten a release date of September 27th, the final Tuesday in September.  

The Star Wars Blu-Ray release will feature 3 collections, Complete Saga, Prequel Trilogy, and Original Trilogy.  The retail price for the three sets will be $139.99, $69.99 and $69.99 respectively.

You can Pre-Order The Complete Saga for $89.99 on Amazon: HERE

You can Pre-Order The Prequel Trilogy for $44.99 on Amazon: HERE

You can Pre-Order The Original Trilogy for $44.99 on Amazon: HERE

For full details on the original Blu-Ray announcement click Lightsaber Rattling's story: Here

Star Wars on Blu-Ray: Coming to A Galaxy Near You September 2011

From the Official Site's Announcement:

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will release Star Wars in three distinct sets to meet the needs of every Star Wars fan:

• Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray (9-disc Set includes all six films)
• Star Wars: Prequel Blu-ray Trilogy (3-disc set includes Episodes I-III)
• Star Wars: Original Blu-ray Trilogy (3-disc set includes Episodes IV-VI)

Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray will feature all six live-action Star Wars feature films utilizing the highest possible picture and audio presentation, along with three additional discs and more than 30 hours of extensive special features including never-before-seen deleted and alternate scenes, an exploration of the exclusive Star Wars archives, and much more.
Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray will be available for $139.99 US/$179.99 CAN and the Star Wars: Trilogy Sets for $69.99 US/89.99 CAN. Pricing for each set will vary by international territory.

Official Site Trailer

So Lucasfilm will be releasing three different Blu-Ray box sets come September, an exact release date has not been announced but it will be a Tuesday as with all media releases (September 6th, 13th, 20th or 27th).  The Blu-Ray release will come in three different box set versions: 

Box Set #1:  Star Wars:  The Complete Saga

This is the big one, a 9 disc set.  That means we are looking at 6 discs  for the movies (1 each) and 3 Blu-Ray discs chock full of special features.  The press release claims we are getting over 30 hours of special features, that means roughly 10 hours per special feature disc.

I am really curious as to what they mean when they refer to the "Star Wars archives," it would be really interesting to see some form of interactive timeline with early versions of the script interspersed with concept art that tells the how the story evolved until it reached the big screen. 

This box set is by far the best value, if you buy the Prequel Trilogy and Original Trilogy separately its only a couple cents less then buying the Complete Saga, and for the same price you get the 3 bonus discs.  Save up and buy the Complete Saga it will be worth it. 

As an early adopter of HDTV and Blu-Ray, I have been waiting for this set for a long time.  Blu-Ray is an incredible format, The Clone Wars television show on Blu-Ray is stunning and one of the best Blu-Ray discs I have seen visually to date.  Given the exacting standards of George Lucas, Lucasfilm, and ILM I am sure that the conversion of the six movies to Blu-Ray will be stunning.  But don't just get stuck on the visuals lets not forget the music of John Williams or the sound effects of Ben Burtt and how awesome they will be on Blu-Ray. 

You can pre-order Star Wars: The Complete Saga at Amazon for $89.99, $50 off the retail price of $139.99. 

Box Set #2:  Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy

This seems like it would be the third best seller of the three sets.  If you have a Blu-Ray player and are a Star Wars fan, then why wouldn't you buy the Original Trilogy.  Whereas some Star Wars fans hate the Prequel Trilogy, while I don't understand this viewpoint, I think there is a large enough minority to make this box set the third place finisher of the bunch.

You can pre-order Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy at Amazon for $44.99, $25 off the retail price of $69.99.


Box Set #3:  Star Wars: The Original Trilogy

If you can't afford the Complete Saga, or just don't like the Prequel Trilogy, then this set is for you.  It doesn't sound like we will get the original theatrical edition packed in with this release, so if you don't mind the Special Editions, then this box set should provide a Star Wars experience that transports you back to the moment you first saw the Star Destroyer catch the Tantive IV.

You can pre-order Star Wars: The Original Trilogy at Amazon for $44.99, $25 off the retail price of #69.99.

Stay tuned to Lightsaber Rattling for more Star Wars Blu-Ray news as it breaks....

Major Star Wars Announcement w/Panasonic at CES 2011 on Thursday 1/6/11

The Official Site has announced that Darth Vader and members of the 501st Legion will be onhand at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this Thursday at the Panasonic Booth(#9408).

The announcement will be made at 11:30 AM PST/ 2:30 PM EST.

Most common speculation has that it will have something to do with either the Star Wars 3D release or the Blu Ray release.  Though Dunc at Club Jade has an interesting thought that it might be related to Panasonic's new handheld gaming device dubbed "The Jungle," and could be tied into the ability to play Star Wars: The Old Republic MMORPG on the mobile device.

My guess is that it is to announce some sort of exclusivity or bundling deal with the Blu Ray release and Samsung Blu Ray players or Televisions.  We will all find out Thursday. 

During Celebration V (CV) George Lucas and Lucasfilm has announced that both Star Wars Trilogies will be released on Blu Ray in Fall 2011, without yet giving a release date.  Official Announcement Link

Lucasfilm has also previously announced that all six movies will be re-processed and re-released theatrically in 3D, starting with Episode I:  The Phantom Menace in 2012.  Official Announcement Link

ILM's John Knoll talking about sterio-conversion of Star Wars into 3D.  Video Link

Star Wars Films Coming to Blu-Ray in 2011

starwars

Lucas reveals that the six movie Star Wars saga box set is coming out on Blu-Ray in 2011. Will feature deleted scenes.

http://twitter.com/starwars