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Star Wars: The Digital Movie Collection Impressions & Special Features
Posted April 27, 2015 03:09 AM by
As anticipation continues to build for the December 18th release of director J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, the first new film in the Star Wars Saga in a decade, Walt Disney Home Entertainment has provided us access to the new Digital HD Star Wars Digital Movie Collection for review. All six films are currently available through Amazon and iTunes, separately or as part of a six-movie bundle.
Note: Disney supplied us with the iTunes edition of the saga's digital release for review.
The transfers used to produce the digital copies of all six films are virtually identical to the transfers used to produce the The Complete Saga's September 2011 Blu-ray release. No additional remastering or notable alterations are present. The resulting AV quality of each film -- at least by lower bit-rate digital standards -- is generally excellent, although the same source-based shortcomings that haunt the BD versions of Episode I and Episode II are as noticeable as ever. The digital files are approximately 4 to 4.5 GB per film as well, meaning the presentations, while impressive in their own right, aren't as impressive as their Blu-ray counterparts. Still, fans looking for yet another way to watch Star Wars will be pleased with the final product and, aside from an uptick in compression artifacts, will feel their money and time have been well spent.
The Stars Wars films also arrive with numerous extras, some of which are exclusive to the saga's digital debut. The content, exclusive or otherwise, includes everything from documentaries to deleted/alternate scenes to a variety of other surprises. The films' special features break down as follows:
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
Conversations: Doug Chiang Looks Back (HD, 5:23) - The Phantom Menace's design director, Doug Chiang, describes five guiding principles of design he applied to his work on the film.
Discoveries from Inside: Models & Miniatures (HD, 4:17) - Author/executive editor JW Rinzler interviews model ship supervisor Steve Gawley and model shop supervisor Lorne Peterson, touching on the small and large-scale models utilized during production of the first Star Wars prequel.
The Beginning (SD, 1:06:15) - Clocking in at more than an hour, this fly-on-the-wall production documentary delves into the development and principle photography of the film, starting with storyboards and staff meetings and moving through script discussions, the casting process (complete with audition footage), the newly casted Jedi choosing their lightsabers, a visit from Steven Spielberg, dressing sets and locations, dealing with severe weather and other challenges, filming against blue screen, voice recording for the various characters, editing, the many stages of visual effects, and much more.
Deleted/Alternate Scenes:
The Podrace: Theatrical Edit (12:28)
Bail Organa of Alderaan (0:17)
Complete Podrace Grid Sequence (7:01)
Anakin's Scuffle with Greedo (0:58)
Trash-Talking Droids (0:28)
Anakin's Return (0:18)
Battle on the Boarding Ramp (0:20)
Extended Podrace Lap Two (3:56)
The Waterfall Sequence (1:47)
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
Conversations: Sounds in Space (HD, 6:19) - Sound mixers Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood sit down at Skywalker Ranch to chat about their contributions to the sonics of Star Wars and share stories as to how they created several iconic effects.
Discoveries from Inside: Costumes Revealed (HD, 4:34) - A look at the costumes of the Star Wars saga with JW Rinzler and collections & exhibits senior manager Laela French, who gives Rinzler a chance to see Boba Fett's helmet, Han Solo's brown Hoth coat, a Tusken Raider robe and mask, Leia's Cloud City dress, some of Padme's gowns, Jedi robes, and Darth Vader's armor.
From Puppets to Pixels: Digital Characters in Episode II (SD, 52:21) - George Lucas and his team turn to then cutting-edge digital technology and effects to create, well, everything, including several completely CG characters, in this hour-long production documentary.
State of the Art: The Previsualization of Episode II (SD, 23:28) - Lucas, Burtt and the FX wizards of ILM provide an overview of the previsualization process, which was crucial in tackling the sprawling action sequences in Episode II.
Films are Not Released, They Escape (SD, 25:39) - Burtt and other members of the sound design team pull back the curtain on the sound recordings, effects, ADR, foley recroding, and music of Episode II.
Raid on the Droid Control Ship & Extended Arena Fight (3:54)
Padme's Parents' House (2:19)
Dooku Interrogates Padme (1:01)
Anakin's Nightmares (0:59)
Jedi Temple Analysis Room (1:03)
Obi Wan & Mace: Jedi Landing Platform (1:51)
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
Conversations: The Star Wars that Almost Was (HD, 5:04) - Film historians and writers JW Rinzler and Pablo Hidalgo examine the original draft of A New Hope and reveal alternate versions of key characters and events in Lucas' initial vision.
Discoveries from Inside: Holograms & Bloopers (HD, 3:21) - Rinzler and film archivist Monica Chin-Perez dig into the Lucasfilm Archives, where dailies, work prints, blooper reels, and other materials are preserved.
Within a Minute: The Making of Episode III (SD, 1:18:00): Lucas and producer Rick McCallum lead the charge on this Revenge of the Sith documentary, delivering a candid overview of the film's production and taking particular time to introduce key players, artists and technicians in each stage and department.
The Journey, Parts 1 & 2 (SD, 12:34): From the film's final shot to its premiere and beyond, the cast and crew of Episode III reflect on their experiences and reminisce about their contributions to the Star Wars universe.
ILM Episode III: Siggraph Reel (SD, 4:05) - A visual effects breakdown montage.
Deleted/Alternate Scenes:
Yoda Communes with Qui-Gon (0:52)
Grievous Slaughters a Jedi / Escape from the General (2:45)
Seeds of Rebellion (0:57)
Exiled to Dagobah (0:37)
Anakin Kills Shaak Ti (0:29)
A Plot to Destroy the Jedi (0:56)
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
Conversations: Creating a Universe (HD, 8:25) - Episode IV art director Joe Johnston meets Episode IV set dresser and Episode I & VI second unit director Roger Christian for the first time in yet another conversation exclusive to the saga's digital release. The two swap stories and experiences, talking about their work with Lucas, building the Millennium Falcon, their contributions to various aspects of the productions, and more.
Discoveries from Inside: Weapons & The First Lightsaber (HD, 3:14) - Rinzler interviews Christian, who shows off a handful of original Episode IV props, including Han Solo's blaster, the stormtroopers' guns, the Tusken Raiders' gaffe sticks, and, of course, Luke's lightsaber.
Anatomy of a Dewback (SD, 26:16): A look at the process of turning the rubber puppet dewbacks of the original trilogy into moving CGI creatures for the special edition release of A New Hope.
Star Wars Launch Trailer (SD, 1:09): An original theatrical trailer.
Deleted/Alternate Scenes:
Tosche Station (5:14)
Aunt Beru's Blue Milk (0:23)
The Search for R2-D2 (0:35)
Cantina Rough-Cut (7:09)
Old Woman on Tatooine (0:16)
Stormtrooper Search (0:46)
Darth Vader Widens the Search (0:26)
Alternate Biggs & Luke Reunion (0:28)
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
Conversations: The Lost Interviews (HD, 9:31) - "The Lost Interviews" features a series of never-before-heard audio interviews with the cast and crew of A New Hope, along with rare behind-the-scenes photos and footage.
Discoveries from Inside: Matte Paintings Unveiled (HD, 4:42) - Artist and matte painter Harrison Ellenshaw laments the lost art of matte painting, examines some of his original work, and briefly details the elegant techniques used to make a matte painting convincing.
A Conversation with the Masters (HD, 25:11) - This 2010 retrospective will probably be of most interest to fans, as it features George Lucas, the late Irvin Kershner, Lawrence Kasdan, and John Williams looking back on The Empire Strikes Back.
Dennis Muren: How Walkers Walk (SD, 1:54) - A vintage featurette narrated by Muren.
George Lucas on Editing The Empire Strikes Back (SD, 3:24) - A 1979 interview with Lucas.
George Lucas on The Force (SD, 5:19): In this 2010 interview, Lucas expounds upon the greater meaning and implications of the Force, its light and dark halves, and its importance to the resonance of Star Wars.
Deleted/Alternate Scenes:
Han and Leia: Extended Echo Base Argument (1:35)
Wampa Attacks (2:35)
Yoda's Test (1:13)
Hiding in the Asteroid (0:58)
Alternate Han and Leia Kiss (1:51)
Lobot's Capture (0:49)
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
Conversations: The Effects (HD, 9:33) - I only wish this engaging roundtable discussion were longer. ILM creative director Dennis Muren, monster shop supervisor Phil Tippett, ILM chief creative officer and senior visual effects supervisor John Knoll, and visual effects supervisor Roger Guyett shoot the breeze about all things FX, touching on the personal aspects of their careers, their earliest encounters with Lucas, the things that drew them into the world of visual effects, their favorite shots and sequences, and more.
Discoveries from Inside: The Sounds of Ben Burtt (HD, 5:21) - Ben Burtt reveals the origin of the most unforgettable sounds of Star Wars, among them R2-D2's warbling and beeping, the hum and clash of lightsabers, and Darth Vader's breathing.
Classic Creatures (SD, 48:02) - A vintage exploration of the menagerie of Star Wars creatures, compared to and contrasted against the grand tradition of movie monsters hosts by Carrie Fisher and Billy Dee Williams.
Revenge of the Jedi Teaser Trailer (SD, 1:27) - A trailer with an early title card.
Return of the Jedi Launch Trailer (SD, 1:30) - A second trailer.
TV Spots (SD, 0:49) - "It Began" and "Climactic Chapter" TV spots.
The only difference is no more Fox fanfare, just a new Lucasfilm intro (except Episode IV). But yes, I'm not against digital copies, but $19.99 a movie is too much.
I love Star Wars and have re-bought the films in almost every home video format there has been at least once (usually multiple times), but I just can't bring myself to buy these yet when they are more expensive than the superior existing Blu-ray editions.
Also I think it's that in the past I knew I was rewarding / supporting George Lucas and his independent companies to continue to make all the stuff they made - most of which I loved. Maybe it's unfair of me, but with the high price this feels like a bit of a cash-grab by huge companies that don't need to profiteer so much. People used to criticise Lucas for re-releases, but it contributed to every new project they started. This just feels like it's lining Disney's pockets as they race to get their $4Bn investment back.
Have them on all formats, "upgrading" them as they come over the years. Watched the Blu of Star Wars Episode IV last night, and the image quality was an incredibly distracting experience. As mentioned above, these new downloads are from exactly the same masters, but are lesser in bitrate and won't do much better, so it's a Hell of a lot of money for a few mediocre extras bolted on. By contrast, I watched my Unspecialised edition of Star Wars not long ago, and it looks wonderful, without any of inconsistent/fluctuating colours which kill the official Blu copy, and appreciated the original work done making the movie without any of the screwing around with it in later years.
It they want to get people to pay out again, then release the original versions of the OT so that they at least get something different.
@Ashamed Pegasus, @benricci
I disagree, I think these are intended for anyone who is a fan of the films. The reason for the complaining is simple - these are poorer value than the Blu-ray set. A similar price for a poorer product. That is is true whether you own the Blu-rays or not.
@snipemonkey: Evidently some people do just that but who are they? The people I know will watch short me-tube video clips and other minor videos on their phones but don't watch movies, or live sports that way. So who are these people do it and don't they realize the damage it will eventually cause to their vision? (maybe they are the same fools who listen a max vol. on their headphones?).
As for this set... Lower quality in both picture and sound. Still the doctored versions of the OT only. No sale for me. Hopefully this won't sell well and the studios will learn a lesson. There is a limit (I hope) to how far buyers will accept convenience and novelty over quality.
This is the type of thing that has tainted Star Wars for years. Money grubbing BS! Shame on Disney for this. They were earning my respect with what I've seen of The Force Awakens but wow what a greedy way of handling this release. Period! I will not pay for this.
@reidw: My boss, for one. He watches movies on his phone while riding the train back and forth to work. Says it's the only time he actually gets to see anything he wants to watch (he has 5 young kids). We were talking the other day and he mentioned how much he enjoyed INTERSTELLAR and I just thought "...wow... on your iPhone?" Almost made me cry.
Like @snipemonkey 's boss, I wouldn't mind owning the digital versions for traveling occasions and such, but I agree that I definitely won't be paying $120, or even $90, to purchase the digital copies when I already own the blu-rays. Maybe if they were $5 a piece or I could get them through D2D. Still hoping that Episode IV makes it to D2D since it's owned by Fox still.
Disney gets a slap on the wrist for removing the Fox logo and fanfare for the 5 of the 6 films. Although, I did talk to customer service, my complaint went to marketing, and they are going to try and fix it.
Incidentally, do the ROTJ trailers have the Fox logo (it'd be ironic if they did!)?
Disney paid $4 billion for Lucasfilm (half in stock). They're going to do everything they can to earn that investment back. Don't be surprised that it seems expensive, although $15 per movie is not really all that expensive. I don't know why anyone who has these on BD would want them anyway unless one is insane and has to watch some version of Star Wars almost every waking moment. (OK, maybe if your kids want to watch it in the car on a Pad or smartphone).
Removal of the Fox logo is unfortunate, but par for the course. IMO, all original logos that appeared when a film was originally theatrically released should always be kept, but new logos, reflecting new ownership, can be placed in front of the originals. If Disney had class, that's what they would have done.
I have the vcr tapes , DVD all versions and blu ray and I know Disney will be releasing a ultra hd version , hopefully re re mastered in Dts x , then. Ill b buying them again. Digital copy no Ty, but if it drops to like $10.......
I know I already saw this information mentioned somewhere else before, but I wish the reviewer would've noted which of those Special Features are exclusive solely to this digital set. I don't recall now. I believe none of the deleted scenes were, correct? Anyone have a link to what's exclusive? Maybe on SW.com?
I, myself, think that the unaltered Original Trilogy will be re-released for the 40th anniversary of Star Wars.
That out of the way, yea, I think that the digital copies are for hard core fans of Star Wars anyways. I am quite satisfied with The Complete Saga box set.
to the one commenter who has said fox's logo should go back on to the digital versions, there was not an opportunity to renegotiate for logo preservation. hence the removal of all versions of the fox structure, including the older CGI structure by Flip Your Lid productions, in its static angle version.
@zoetmb, the castle could go on, but it would mean renegotiating for preservation, which disney did not do with pre-avengers phase 1 and 2
As anticipation continues to build for the December 18th release of director J.J. Abrams' 
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