Seven Thoughts on Disney Acquiring Lucasfilm from Today's Conference Call

This could theoretically open the door to the original, un-altered versions of the Original Star Wars Trilogy becoming available legally and in HD. Then again, it could result in them being just as buried as original cuts of Disney titles.

Seven (Make that eight and counting) things after listening to their conference call announcement just now:

1) Disney now owns all LucasFilm IP: Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Skywalker Sound, LucasArts (games), Lucas Books/Animation/Licensing/Marketing/Online, and ILM (the company that once owned Pixar), as well as the trademark for "Droid". Disney will now own all intellectual property rights with some distribution and licensing "entaglements" based on existing deals, much like how Universal still has the Marvel theme park license for a while yet and Sony makes Spider-Man movies.

2) Much was made of Disney's global licensed product and distribution reach making better use of LucasFilm licenses, with all emphasis on the $4.05 billion paid being relative to the value of the Star Wars franchise. For example, this would imply that any Star Wars (and Indiana Jones?) licensed comic books will now go under Marvel once the current Star Wars/Dark Horse contract ends, and video games would go through Disney Interactive.

UPDATE 1:: Bob Iger: "We're likely to focus more on social and mobile than we are on console. We'll look opportunistically at console, most likely in licensing rather than publishing, but we think that given the nature of these characters and how well known they are, and the storytelling, that they lend themselves quite nicely, as they've already demonstrated to the other platforms" ...so maybe Star Wars comics are safe at Dark Horse? ...I want to say no way in hell, when you own one of the two megalithic comic publishers...

UPDATE 3:: The Star Wars 1313 game is staying on track, per a LucasArts statement.

3) Disney plans to release a new Star Wars movie every 2-3 years starting in 2015. All of them will be in 3D.

4) Star Wars Episodes 7, 8, and 9 will be a trilogy. The treatment is done, is in "early stage development", and the movies are to be released every other year.

5) ILM will remain a studio-agnostic gun for hire. Disney does not want to change anything about how they operate.

6) Fox retains ownership and distribution of all existing Star Wars movies (until that contract expires... UPDATE 4:: Episode 4 is owned "in perpituity" and all other existing movies are owned through 2020). Disney can use any and all characters from the entire Star Wars canon in all of its new movies. All future films will be distributed by Disney, unlike Paramount retaining partial distribution rights when Marvel was acquired. No mention was made of who now owns the Star Wars Holiday Special.

7) They made it extremely clear that the Indiana Jones (and other non-SW) IP was not factored into their valuation of LucasFilm, only Star Wars and Star Wars-related IP. They made an oblique reference to "entanglements" (i.e., Paramount's distribution and ownership of the existing movies and, I expect Young Indy, if they remember it exists).

8) This may be reaching, but they made repeated reference to the broader reach of the Disney content family in general, and toward the end someone asked about the Disney Faeries and other "girl-oriented" IP expansions and how they'd handle that. Disney sidestepped addressing it in terms of specific plans, but acknowledged that they have many plans in this area for sure.

UPDATE 2:: Bob Iger: "We love the fact that this will take its place in our live-action strategy as a known and loved brand. We really like Star Wars’ potential on TV, and Disney XD would be a great home for that."

This means that the long-rumored live-action Star Wars TV series is just the tip of the iceberg. No word on how Clone Wars (distributed by Warner Bros on home video) falls into any of this.

9) I just realized this means that Disney now fully owns Captain EO and Star Tours. This deal has been in the works for a long while, I guarantee you. Think about it.

All in all, and call it controversial, but I firmly believe this is the best possible thing to happen to Star Wars in a long, long time.

I'm re-listening to my recording of the call and will update as necessary with corrections and additions.

Boxing Up Keaton (Kino's December 2012 Slate)

On the heels of Criterion's announcement come Kino's December titles.

The best and smartest thing they've done is collect their entire line of Buster Keaton Blu-rays into a box set hitting on 11 December. This provides a perfect way to save in bulk while investing in some of the most substantive silent film editions available. Every existing Keaton Blu-ray is included, adding only College from 1927, which will remain exclusive to the box until next year.

The other major standout is Josef von Sternberg's The Blue Angel (starring Marlene Dietrich) on 4 December. This is the first time it's been available on home video.

Those two giants join remastered editions of two Mario Bava movies (Baron Blood and Kidnapped), along with various others. Hit the link above for the full rundown on...Facebook (blech).

Moleskine Notebooks Skyrocket 250% in Price Overnight

The new Evernote-compatible Moleskine notebooks are available for pre-order. For 24-freaking-dollars-95 American, you get a notebook that your Evernote app can scan thanks to its "special paper".

Unfortunately, these will be massively successful, which means that the ridiculously inflated price point will stick.

After resetting my password, I realize that I used Evernote exactly once, in 2008. Huh.

Amazon Instant Releases an iPad App (That Kinda Sucks)

On the heels of Hulu Plus releasing an AppleTV app, Amazon has put Amazon Instant Video on the iPad. I downloaded the app, and sure enough...no AirPlay compatibility. Watch everything you want, only on your iPad and not on your TV. I'd love to watch all of The West Wing on my TV, not necessarily so on my iPad.

Regarding THE HOBBIT in Three Parts

Peter Jackson is in the "more money than God" tax bracket. He's not making a third Hobbit movie for the money.

I'm not personal friends with the guy. I've never spoken to him in person. I really, really love his early films as well as his Lord of the Rings trilogy. King Kong lost a bit of its luster after the first viewing, and The Lovely Bones is a narrative that I'm convinced no one could make "fun" (since it's drenched in dreariness).

If there's a third movie to be made, it's because the narrative bears out with the breathing room of three features. As far as I know, part of the issue is the 150-160 minute limit arbitrarily placed on the studio by the exhibitors. Jackson isn't making a trio of 4-hour movies, and I trust that he is focused on telling the best story possible. Then again, I think that 48fps isn't an aberration on the face of cinema, so what do I know.

E.T. Blu-grade on 9 October

This release complately ditches the 2002 "enhanced" cut, which included digitally-altered effects shots and loads of things that fans complained about. Spielberg saw the light in a way that George Lucas never will with Star Wars and killed it. Bravo to him.

Here's the temp box art and a rundown of what's new, missing, and held over on the new Blu-ray as compared to the 2002 Limited Edition DVD:

New

The E.T. Journals:  In this all-new bonus feature, retrace the day-to-day experience of creating E.T from never-before-seen, behind-the-scenes footage shot by Academy Award®-winning cinematographer John Toll.   This piece will give viewers a unique feeling of being on the set and living the excitement of what it was like to make E.T.

Steven Spielberg & E.T.*:  Watch an all-new interview with Steven Spielberg, as he reflects back on the film and discusses his experience working with the actors, as well as his overall and current perspective on E.T.

Deleted Scenes*: Two scenes from 2002 version of the film. 

A Look Back*:  A special insider’s look into the making of E.T. featuring interviews with Steven Spielberg, the cast, and others intimately involved with the film.

iTunes/Android Digital Copy (which you might actually use) 
Ultraviolet Digital Copy (which I doubt you will redeem or use)

Missing

The 2002 "Enhanced" Cut: the inclusion of the above scenes from this cut is a sufficient record of it in history for me. I would never watch the do-over cut anyway.

Spielberg introduction from 2002 DVD: it auto-played on the 2002 cut disc, with the director explaining and justifying why he opted to do the digital retouching and recutting. Also not a loss.

Cast/Filmmaker Bios and Production Notes: did anyone use these after IMDb on phones came into existence?

A "Space Exploration" thing for kids: no one will miss this, especially since it erroneously listed Pluto as a planet**

Any of the Laserdisc extras not on the 2002 release: I remember a really good doc on there

Previously-Available

The E.T. Reunion: The cast and filmmaker reunite to discuss their thoughts on the impact of the film. 

The Evolution and Creation of E.T.: From idea to screenplay, throughcasting and making the film.  

The Music of E.T. - A Discussion with John Williams:  Interviews and footage focused on the long-standing relationship between John Williams and Steven Spielberg.

The 20th Anniversary Premiere: Composer John Williams played the score of E.T. live at the Shrine Auditorium for the re-release premiere of E.T.   This featurette gives us a behind the scenes look at this presentation.

Original Theatrical Trailer
Special Olympics TV spot

Designs, Photographs and Marketing: E.T. Designs by Production Illustrator Ed Verreaux, E.T. Designs by Carlo Rambaldi, Spaceship Designs by Ralph McQuarrie, Designs by Production Illustrator Ed Verreaux, Production Photographs, Marketing E.T.

*denotes extras also found on the Combo Pack DVD
**yes, I know Pluto was still a planet in long-ago 2002

Robin Hood XXXXIV: The Director's Cut

Universal announced an Unrated Director's Cut of this spring's Robin Hood earlier today. It got lost in the shuffle after Lionsgate's Apocalypse Now press release landed in my inbox. This new cut from Ridley Scott is 15 minutes longer. I never saw Russell Crowe is a Bloke Wot is Called Robin Hood, but I hope that the longer cut adds depth and texture to it in the way other Scott "long cuts" have.

Apocalypse Restored to 2.35

The best part of today's announcement of the Blu-ray release of Apocalypse Now (19 October) is that the Theatrical Cut and the "Redux" version are both in 2.35:1, the movie's original aspect ratio. Our long 2.00:1 nightmare, begun by the otherwise-brilliant Vittorio Storaro, is at last over--on this picture, at least.

The press release in my inbox says there will be two versions: (1) the 2-disc Two-Film Set, which contains the 1979 and Redux versions, old extras and some new ones, and (2) the 3-disc Full Disclosure Edition, which duplicates everything in the Two-Film Set and adds George Hickenlooper and Fax Bahr's Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse, more extras, a 48-page booklet, some pieces of art and so on. October is becoming an expensive Blu-ray month for cinephiles.

Pirates of Penzance At Last!

Almost exactly a year ago, I wrote a Disc Wanted article on the 1983 Pirates of Penzance, which starred Kevin Kline, Angela Lansbury, and Linda Ronstadt. I've gotten official confirmation from Universal this morning that it is coming to DVD on the 14th of September this year, with 2.0 Stereo audio (as originally recorded) and an anamorphic widescreen transfer. No extras are specified, but I'm sure we'll know more soon enough.

Kevin Kline as the Pirate King

Private Ryan Re-deployed

I haven't had time to re-watch the replacement copy of Saving Private Ryan that arrived this afternoon, but I thought it'd be good to get the physical differences in packaging out there to those who'd be interested.

I find the implication here hilarious. That is to say: the original disc that I was sent was unclean and impure.

The Yellow UPC label is the only noticeable outward difference...

...but the key is that the new Disc 1 now has a blue label instead of grey (like Disc 2 seen on the left).

Paramount Officially Recalls Private Ryan

As reported here yesterday by way of The Digital Bits, there's an audio synch issue with all Saving Private Ryan Blu-rays currently in the wild. Today, Paramount issued an official recall posted at The 'Bits. Apparently, the issue is related to a mastering error at "valuable partner" Technicolor prior to mass duplication.

People who already have discs in hand can follow these replacement instructions from at The 'Bits (where you can read the rest of it):

"Technicolor has set up the following toll-free numbers for consumers who have already purchased the Saving Private Ryan Sapphire Series Blu-ray, which provides details on how they can receive a replacement copy -- US and Canada: 888-370-8621, UK: 08000-852-613. Consumers can also return the Blu-ray to the stores where they purchased the product to receive a replacement. Technicolor expects to have replacement discs available at retail no later than Tuesday, May 18."

Digital Bits Editor Bill Hunt (scholar, gentleman, and good guy) has confirmed that the "fixed discs" will have yellow UPC labels.