You're missing at least one other possibility: Some of the issues with the 2004 DVD's may be quietly fixed for this release. That would be a great reason to include them in a package most die-hard fans will be buying.

Wow. All the energy spent in this thread could power a third world country for a year.

Count me in for these.

I'm glad to have the original versions, but I would so rather have the other discs be vintage extras instead of the 2004 versions. Old school documentaries like 'The Making of Star Wars' and 'From Star Wars to Jedi', the outtakes and footage that appeared on the 'Behind the Magic' cd-rom, etc.

Some people just like to bitch. Lucas certainly isn't the first to milk us. (Yes, he's milking us), yet no one seems to bitch when 50 millions versions of every other movie come out.

Still excited about this! Just less that excited about being forced to buy the SE's...

Actually since I have the 2004 versions... It would be cool to have the 97 special editions packed with the originals.

For all of you anti-capitalist socialists out there who have hatred and jealously for successful individuals, I have advice for you: don't buy anything from Lucasfilm.

I am very much looking forward to buying the originals on DVD. I have no doubt these will look and sound very good -- even if they are not quite up to the 2004 quality. In addition, I have no doubt they will be anamoprhic. I only wish these would be released on HD DVD or Blu-ray this fall, as well --- but I'm sure that's still at least a couple of years away as Lucas has never been one to release his films too quickly on a new format.

Well said. Why I can't even sit through the SEs. Getting these, definitely.

Sure they do. People bitch about Mask of Zorro, Black Hawk Down, Leon, The Patriot, The Fifth Element, etc. (funny how those are all Sony titles), every time a new version of one of those is released. It's just that those films combined have nowhere near the fanbase that the SW flicks do.

All I am saying is that these DVDs better have an insert. That's all I care about anyway. Insert baby!

No Holiday Special = No Sale

People are STILL mad. Not mad anew. It's been decades of stupidity from GL. It will take decades to erase the anger. However, when these actually hit the streets, I'll bet that soothes many people.

If these don't offer anything over the LDs, then there won't be much point to picking them up for me, not til my player dies or something. But at least it'll take away any need I might have to get a better LDp, that will never happen now.

i think it is sad that george is putting a gun to everyone's head and forcing them to buy the special editions. that greedy bastard.

Damn you Lucas for bringing years of happiness to my childhood and adult life! You bastard!!!!!!!!1!!!11

I think it's more sad how much anything Star Wars related seems to deeply impact some people's personal lives and/or psyche. I mean, when you've got people here saying it'll take YEARS to ease the anger associated with such minor nuances.. something is deeply, seriously wrong.

Well some people should count their blessings while they still have them. If I had a fanbase as ungrateful as the Star Wars one, I would say the hell with it, and I'd never waste a single second of my time catering to them.

I think you need to be a little more sensitive towards victims of childhood rape.

first let me say, ! i will be in on these as well. i never thought they would be released.

i know it is early, but how are these going to be packaged? will they match the prequel trilogy packaging or will they match the currently available SEs? will the OT be bundled in FS versions of the SEs (the gold packaging) or only with the widescreen? and if the OT is bundled with the FS versions, will it be P&S as well?

I hope Lucas releases these in snappers and flippers just to further drive some of you nerds insane!

Agreed. But at least he's taking the wind out of the sales of the bootleggers.

I fully support this idea.. but I'll up the ante and say it should be spread across multiple discs to give it that authentic CAV Laserdisc feeling. I want to experience these films as I first did on Laserdisc!! Where's my satisfaction?!

I'm sure it's unlikely to happen, but wouldn't it be hillarious if this new release sells more than the first DVD release? That'll pretty much send the message loud and clear to George that his devotion to his precious SEs is in the minority.

On a side note, I often wonder why directors do this? Why do they change their movie, claiming it's better now, and the reason it was bad the first time was because of money, or experience, or the studio forced them, etc., etc.? I've got news for all directors who do this - NOBODY ever prefers the "special edition" to the theatrical version they first saw. So DON"T do it.

Mr. Spielberg, nobody likes walkie-talkies instead of guns in E.T. Mr. Mann, nobody likes your "true vision" of what The Last of the Mohicans was supposed to look like. Mr. Badham, nobody cares that you didn't like seeing your 1979 version of Dracula in full living color; guess what - WE DO!

To Spielberg's credit, at least he gave the public both versions of E.T. on DVD the first time. But many times, these directors are actually ashamed of the versions we fell in love with in the theater and want to pretend like they never existed, hoping the public will eventually get so old they forget what the original looked like.

Sorry folks, I'm afraid it doesn't work that way. The way you filmed it when you were young and inexperienced is now a representation of that time period and is now a part of film history. Nothing is ever going to change that.

Well I dunno. Cool idea for sure, but I actually liked some of the changes made to their original versions. Cleanups for lightsabers (even tho they turned out pink....grrr).

I'll skip these just cause I don't need em, but it's a very cool idea indeed. I knew he'd do it. Anything to make a buck now that he can't make any new movies, lol.