This is topic Star Wars Re-release in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Greg Anderson (Member # 235) on 12-03-1999, 12:19 PM:
I'm just wondering if anyone can report on the quality of the Star Wars Episode One re-release. Are the prints in good condition? Are these screenings being tucked away in the smaller auditoriums? Just curious.
Posted by Jim Ziegler (Member # 86) on 12-03-1999, 02:36 PM:
The print we got is scratched. We put it in a mid-size (200 seat) house.
Posted by Mark Tiedemann (Member # 164) on 12-03-1999, 05:17 PM:
One the print we received, there was about 3 minutes of footage missing in reel 4. Also, there was quit a bit of sprocket damage in all of the reels, and the tail for the last reel was missing. We put it in our smallest house.
Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 12-03-1999, 05:24 PM:
3 minutes of footage missing? THAT can't be such a bad thing... 
Posted by Tyler Skinner (Member # 229) on 12-03-1999, 06:40 PM:
The Print I recieved wasn't in too bad of condition, no scratches, just some dirt on the reel changes which isn't surprising and easily fixed. I put it in a medium sized house (250)
My Question: Is Lucas re-releasing this for charity? or, for Christmas merchandising/ Oscar nominations? hmmm... tough one there...
Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 12-03-1999, 06:46 PM:
Oscar nominations?Maybe for Yoda as Best Jedi Master in a token cameo role.
Posted by Chris Erwin (Member # 176) on 12-03-1999, 06:59 PM:
In order to be different and artistic, I would be supprised if the next pre-quel comes to a theater near you in glorous View-Master!But, alas, if a theater can be a good neighbor and help a few people with a charity show, I'm all for it regaurdless of other motives.
--Chris
Posted by Kelsey Black (Member # 126) on 12-03-1999, 07:02 PM:
Well, if any of us are lucky, we'll get one-another's filmguarded prints... I know that the one I got and filmguarded was in GREAT condition when I got through with it.
good luck everyone.
Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 12-04-1999, 12:04 AM:
Our print seems to have some focus problem; I just can't get it as sharp as I think it should be. It has a slight lengthwise 'curl' to it; it doesn't seem heat embossed.. don't know what's going on. Other than that, it's pretty good; no scratches or 'extra' splices.
Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 12-04-1999, 12:14 PM:
The print we got at TT17 is pretty good!It was wound emulsion IN / head OUT and all the splices were one sided with TWO I.D. frames. Although I don't agree with the emulsion IN, I can see that whoever did it knew what he was doing.
All the splices were made with a "Hollywood" splicer, too. Not too many people use those and out of that subset of people, not too many know how to use them RIGHT. (I know I've tried. It takes practice, baby!) That's my second clue that whoever had that print knew what he was doing. (Okay, maybe 'she')
There were no scratches and very little dirt. I F.G.ed the print and it looks prety 'cherry'! It looks a but 'soft' in the focus but in might be my proj. I'm working on that.
Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 12-06-1999, 12:47 AM:
Yes, but why do you need TWO reference frames?
Posted by Greg Anderson (Member # 235) on 12-06-1999, 12:54 AM:
I saw the movie at the new Jordan Commons theatre in Utah. I can't give the projectionist's viewpoint on it but, from the customer's point of view... The print was a little dusty in places but, otherwise, in great shape. The only green scratch was for a few seconds in the closing credits. Overall, a great presentation in DTS. I happen to like this movie anyway... and this was a great way to see it again.
Posted by Raj Sheth (Member # 121) on 12-06-1999, 02:39 AM:
I noticed that our print doesn't kick into Digital for most of the film. We are running it in a Dolby Digital house with a penthouse reader. The error rate is almost a constant 7 or 7.5. Anyone else having this problem?------------------
"I sometimes realize
that I can only be as
good as you'll let me."
- Eddie Vedder
Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 12-07-1999, 06:44 PM:
Try FIlm-Guarding the print and that may hide enough of the perf area scuffing that is corrupting the frame grabber and the error rate may drop lowenough to work
Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 12-08-1999, 02:18 PM:
I don't cut off two ID frames, but when you see certain things like that you get a clue that whoever did it had some idea of what he was doing. I don't particularly agree with a few of the things I see, now and then but how the heck am I going to tell some guy who's been runing projectors for 25 years that he shouldn't cut off two frames.I just meant that you can tell what condition the film is going to be in from just a few clues like that. (eg: If you open up a can to find a tangle of film, you can pretty much bet the film will be in crappy condition.)
Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 12-08-1999, 03:35 PM:
I get very upset when we get a print with the leaders cut with no ID frame considering the number of popcorn pushers I have no intention of putting a print on the screen where I am not sure of that the leaders are correct for the reel in question
At the cinesphere a print comes in without an id frame and then the splice it goes back in the can and the exchange is compelled to deliver a new print
Two years ago we had a charity benifit at $300 a ticket of a 70mm print and two reels had the wrong leaders and the whole house had to be refunded. Since then the theatre requires all prints 24 hr in advance and in good condition.
The reaction from the distributors wasn't pretty but the lawyers made them understand the consequences of that one disaster and what that they ahd two choices either say no print available or supply one under those terms and funny they haven't screwed up since ( they usually send two prints ) 
Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 12-08-1999, 05:02 PM:
Ya' know, at M.H. College, I sometimes think I spend more time rehabilitating prints than showing them! Some prints are soooo crappy!I've got my Work Study students inspecting the prints as they build them and they do a pretty good job. (I never stray too far away in case there's a problem.) Aside from the prints being really dirty and the leaders and tails being all messed up, the number one thing we find is film breaks that weren't properly repaired. They just stick the jagged ends back together and tape them. My guy(s) cut them out and splice them right.
We rarely bother sending prints back for replacement anymore because the last two times we did the replacement was worse! Sometimes I think they should pay ME 'cuz I fix up their crummy film!
Posted by Joseph Pandolfi (Member # 223) on 12-11-1999, 02:54 PM:
I screened the print for our theater Reel 2-7 had a small scratch only noticable on light scenes like the pod races and the village scenes. Good SRD (4.5 to 5 No "F's).