This article first appeared on Michael's DVD Info Page as a news item for 18/8/2004. No, I am not a big Star Wars fan. I took this assignment mainly because none of the other reviewers on Michael's website would or could accept the invitation.

Star Wars DVD Boxed Set Extras Preview

I spent this morning on the pointy end of Fox Home Entertainment's marketing spearhead for the Star Wars trilogy DVD boxed set. The venue was one of Village's Gold Class theatrettes inside the Crown Casino Complex on Southbank, Melbourne.

In attendance was Michael D. (looking fresher than I was after my power walk across the CBD) and about ten other delegates representing various media interests. Darth Vader was there too, sipping a latte and skulking around the foyer to emphasize his ascendancy in the up-coming prequel, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The Emperor's evil undergraduate is looking and sounding healthier these days, due to finding gainful employment again after his termination at the end of Return of the Jedi twenty-odd years ago.

The presentation itself featured a 50 minute preview of the DVD supplements on disc four of the boxed set, which hits retail outlets on September 22. While we cannot reveal specific details about titles and sleeve cover artwork, or talk about the contents of the documentaries and other special features, it should all appeal to hardcore fans of the trilogy as well as casual habitués of fantasy cinema, of which I count myself a member. Based on this appetizer, I would prefer to have these bonus supplements included in the box, rather than buying the trilogy as a three-disc set to save some pennies. The extras are worth having, especially given the status of these films in the wider context of blockbuster and SF movie history. The documentaries and interviews certainly make this apparent.

Judging by the rampant zipper lines and cross-colour video artefacts, the assembly of documentary snippets we saw had been recorded in ratty composite mode. One assumes that the shrink-wrapped version will be of a professional standard. We did not get a sneak peak at the actual movie transfers or menu authoring, but stick around for technical appraisals of the films themselves, discussions of any new or modified footage, and a full rundown of the extras package in a few week's time.