Ever since I first watched Star Wars: A New Hope in the early 2000s with the added CGI I had always wanted to experience the original 1977 theatrical release exactly as audiences saw it.
For years, I searched for an original VHS copy but never had any luck finding one. Even if I had, by the time I became serious about tracking it down, televisions had advanced to at least 1080p, and an old 480p VHS transfer simply wouldn't have done the film justice.
Recently, I discovered Project 4K77, along with its companion restorations, 4K80 and 4K83, which preserve the original theatrical versions of the original trilogy. I was incredibly excited to learn these projects existed, and today I finally got my hands on 4K77.
Yes, the film is grainy, the lighting isn't as polished as modern releases, and there is no CGI and that's exactly the point. This is the closest experience to what audiences saw in theaters back in 1977, preserving the original look and feel of the film.
Wanted to share this with the community in case there are other Star Wars purists like me. 4K77 Link
Thanks for this. I have an original ‘80s VHS copy, but it’s not in the best shape. I’ve been wanting a decent un-fucked-with copy of the original for a long time.
Here is my copy I inherited from my great aunt. I haven't played it in 20 years, I have no clue its quality. I need to find a VCR.
Used to watch the heck out of these while I was playing Tie Fighter on PC.
This is incredible. What I would have given to have had something like this in the early 2000s! Thanks for sharing.
This is amazing! thank you for sharing. Hi-Fi baby!