Star Wars on DVD!

     Finally! I don't know why George Lucas has waited so long to release his masterpiece to the world on the highest quality a/v medium known....D V D. But it has finally happened, and all I can say is, it's about time!! After the Vikings loss Monday night, I drowned my sorrows in the rain, waiting in what had to be an 800 person long line, for Best Buy to open its doors at midnight. It was well worth it. Here is a look at the scene there (through the eyes of my cell phone):

My girlfriend being hassled by security.


The Dark Lord was on hand to "encourage" sales.


The line wrapped around Best Buy and across the parking lot.

     As you can sort of see, it was crazy. Lots of people (nerds), radio sponsored, local news stations, and the Minneapolis Star Tribune were there. Trivia for giveaways, and pleasant conversation.

     Now, onto the DVD itself. This IS NOT the original theatrical release; this was the special edition of the special edition. A few new tweaks, for better or worse I'm not sure. But here are a few examples:


Though these pics are kind of small, you can see clearly here that actor Sebastian Shaw has been replaced with the image of Hayden Christiensen (who plays Anakin in episodes I & 2) for the final scene in Return of the Jedi.





This is something that has always bothered me, and I like the fact that GL fixed it. The correct actor (Ian McDiarmid) now portrays the Emperor in The Empire Strikes Back. However, he changed some of the dialogue which I am NOT happy about.


     There are many other small to moderate changes GL made to his films. Here is a site that shows a few more: Star Wars DVD changes

     Of course besides the obvious stuff, the sound has been tweaked into digital 5.1 surround EX, plus THX mastering both aurally and visually (it sounds fantastic if you have a good home theater). There are all of the original trailers from the '77 release (I can't believe anyone went to see the films after seeing these horribly cheesy trailers). Also included is a 2.5 hour documentary on the phenomenon of Star Wars (longer version than was on A&E last week). There is a playable Xbox demo version of Star Wars: Battleground. There is a small preview of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith...which is actually just a short showing the making of the new Darth Vader costume. Lots of other little goodies as well. Do yourself a favor: treat yourself to this experience, and purchase this fantastic DVD box set NOW!!