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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

A restored version of the original Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope 35mm print has been uploaded online [arstechnica.com]. The version contains none of the CGI effects or edits found in later editions, is not made from cut up sources like previous fan efforts, and has a better quality than the digital version included on a 2006 special edition DVD release:

The group behind the release, dubbed Team Negative 1, is made up of Star Wars fans and enthusiasts who spent thousands of dollars of their own cash to restore the film without the blessing of creator George Lucus, or franchise owner Disney. Lucas has famously disowned the original theatrical version of Star Wars, telling The Today Show [today.com] back in 2004:

The special edition, that's the one I wanted out there. The other movie, it's on VHS, if anybody wants it. ... I'm not going to spend the—we're talking millions of dollars here, the money and the time to refurbish that, because to me, it doesn't really exist anymore. It's like this is the movie I wanted it to be, and I'm sorry you saw half a completed film and fell in love with it.

Lucasfilm later claimed [arstechnica.com] that the original negatives of Star Wars were permanently altered for the special edition releases, making restoration next to impossible. How Team Negative 1 got its hands on a 35mm print of the 1977 release of the movie is a mystery. But for fans who don't want to see ropey CGI, a pointless Jabba the Hutt scene, and know for a fact that Han shoots first, this restored version of the film—even with some pops, scratches, and colour issues—is the one to watch.

The only official digital release of the original theatrical print was made back in 2006 as an extra feature on the DVD special edition. Unfortunately, those transfers—which were made from the same source as the 1995 Laserdisc release—weren't anamorphic, and only featured compressed Dolby 2.0 audio. That's not to mention that the transfer itself used an aggressive form of digital noise reduction, which erased some of the finer details of the film.

Original Submission