Original Star Wars DVDs are coming for real
OK, so I guess I’m going to have to eat my own words — but only some of them. It’s true that they are coming out on DVD, and they’re going to pull a Disney, which means they’ll only be out for a limited time, and basically scare you into buying them before time runs out.
I just ran across the story over on Yahoo!, but I’ve also got to tip my hat to commenter Volker, whose comment I saw just as I was heading back here to post the news.
I’m not, however, going to take back what I said about nobody wanting to watch the ewoks singing or the crappily cut-out ships in every space battle in “A New Hope.” I may sound like a heretic to other Star Wars fanboys out there, but with only a few minor exceptions (Jabba’s palace dance number, Temeura Morrison’s voice, Solo shooting first), the Special Editions are infinitely more watchable. And who wouldn’t be excited for Dolby 2.0! Turn your subwoofers off for this one, kids!
Here’s the the announcement straight from the Sarlacc’s mouth.
And yes, I’ll be buying them.
Non-Special Edition Star Wars coming to DVD?
Look, don’t shoot the messenger when this turns out to be a load of crap, but The Digital Bits seems pretty confident that the original Star Wars films will be coming to DVD this year.
This is no joke and we’ve bent over backwards to confirm it’s the real deal. Our very best industry sources have been checking in over the last couple of days - independently, I might add - with word that Lucasfilm and 20th Century Fox are finally going to be releasing the original theatrical versions of the Star Wars films on DVD… good old regular DVD… sometime in the second half of this year. You read that right - the original THEATRICAL versions. THIS year.
I don’t buy it for a second. Yes, we’re all nostalgic for seeing Greedo shoot first, and yes, the musical number in “Jedi” was far, far worse than anything Jar-Jar was capable of, but be honest here. Do you really want to see those outlines around the Star Destroyers. These will be fun for about five minutes, and then you’ll realize that they haven’t aged well. Nobody’s going to miss Jabba and Solo’s encounter in Docking Bay 94, but who’s really longing to see the big Ewok jamboree again?
In short, they’ll sell like crazy, and then sit on a lot of DVD shelves, unwatched. Not that it’ll really matter because I don’t believe this for a second. Sorry.
The most amazing ‘Futurama’ news ever
You’re sitting down, right? Good, I figured as much.
Futurama lives.
You heard me right. There will be new ‘Futurama’.
This is straight from the keyboard of none other than Philip J. Fry himself, Billy West.
HERE’S GREAT NEWS!
Here’s the official word on Futurama!!
David X. phoned me about an hour ago and said that this Futurama project
is a done deal! Here’s the word from DX—-
There are 4 DVD movies that we’ll start recording at the end of July or
August.Full feature length FUTURAMA movies.
Everybody is excited to get back together—as I am!Into the Future,
Billy
West posted that Thursday afternoon on his official forum, so it’s about as official as it can get until you hear something from David X. Cohen or Matt Groening.
What’s my take?
This is as awesome as awesome can get. Yes, I’d like the series back on TV, but this doesn’t put that out of the question by any means.
Hardcourt action
I notcied this little doozy over on Deadspin.com, which is a pretty comical blog for sports fanatics, albeit a pretty snarky one too.
It took a while, but there’s finally a porno version of Kobe Bryant’s legal troubles from recent years. It’s titled “Tobey Bryan’s Backcourt Violation.” (warning: adult content)
Tobey Bryan’s Backcourt Violation delves into the sordid life of a rich, powerful sports superstar who craves anal sex as much as he covets another championship ring.
Sold.
Oh sorry, my bad, I just realized an obvious mistake. It’s Tobey Bryan and not Kobe Bryant. And this guy plays for the Los Angeles Shakers, not the Los Angeles Lakers. Sorry for the mix-up.
Your morning Kong
The AP has a nice review of the original “King Kong” on DVD. It’s nice to see an older movie get the star treatment for its DVD release, and it seems like they pulled out all the stops to put the extras together.
Possibly the most intriguing part:
The DVD’s Disc 2 documentary shows how an “obsessed” Jackson and his effects crew dedicated themselves to using the techniques employed by “Kong” effects chief Willis O’Brien and his collaborators in the 1930s: stop-motion animation, back projection, live action inserts, matte paintings, puppets, miniatures and other vintage forms of cine-magic.
Using the original shooting script, a few surviving models and a lot of guesswork, Jackson and Co. reshot the scene in which “Kong” expedition sailors come to a grisly end in a canyon guarded by a giant spider, lizard and crab. The filmmakers built models of the monsters and made them come to life via old-school stop motion.
…
A DVD extra intercuts the cleverly “aged” footage with the actual “Kong” scenes. It fits right in.
Certainly sounds like it’s worth checking out on Netflix
‘Seinfeld’ stars to be on ‘Regis and Kelly’
Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Michael Richards will be taking a break from the whirlwind that has been their post-“Seinfeld” careers to make an appearance together on “Live With Regis and Kelly” next Wednesday, it has been announced.
I couldn’t ask for a better birthday present. Except for maybe an i-Pod.
In case you’re wondering, yes, of course they’ll be trying to sell you something. The foursome will be on the show to promote the release of the Season 5 and 6 DVDs, which are due to come out a day earlier.
Keeping my fingers crossed
It’s probably worth noting that Jason Lee hosts Saturday Night Live, with Foo Fighters as the musical guests tonight.
Even if Jason Lee’s comedic range basically spans only the jerk spectrum, from angry jerk to remorseful jerk, he’s still good at what he does. At it won’t be the host that ruins it this time (Steve Forbes, Michael Jordan, Rudy Giuliani), it’ll be the bad writing and bad cast members.
Update: Zell Miller. Ugh.
