In case you missed it, yesterday was International Star Wars Day. To commemorate the event or, in some cases, dash the hopes of nerds everywhere, Lucasfilm took the opportunity to announce the full details of the Strar Wars Saga’s impending release on Blu-ray.

Before you bother to read on hoping for some good news, I will save you the suspense. The original, unmodified original trilogy will NOT be in this collection.

Yes, that’s right, if we want to watch Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi in their original, non-Lucas tinkered with versions, we will just have to keep watching those “Definitive Collection” THX Laserdiscs. I’ve got mine, how about you?

However, if you don’t care about how things should be and, instead, want to keep rewarding George Lucas with money for fucking up his own movies, feel free to read on and get all the details.

The six films of the Saga are accompanied by three discs of extras totaling over 40 hours of material – some new, some old. Here’s the full press release from Lucasfilm.

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We’ve talked much over the last couple years here at the site and on The Flickcast podcast about how much we really don’t care for the first trilogy of films in the Star Wars saga. For those of us who thought of the original Star Wars (before it was known as Episode IV) as an inspiration for what we do, the second trilogy of prequel films, beginning with The Phantom Menace, were better left alone and unspoken of as if they didn’t even exist.

Sadly, one man in particular seems determined to keep reminding everyone that the prequel trilogy does exist and also seems determined to squeeze every penny he can from it. That man is, of course, George Lucas. His latest transgression? The Phantom Menace in 3D, coming to a theater near you on February 10, 2012.

Yes, you read that right. We can now look forward to the exploits of Jar-Jar Binks, the “acting” of young Jake Lloyd and the excitement of discovering that a once gifted storyteller has clearly lost his way, all in the marvelousness of 3D. This information comes to us via a press release from Lucasfilm.

My favorite part of the press release? This gem: “Supervised by Industrial Light & Magic, the meticulous conversion is being done with utmost respect for the source material, and with a keen eye for both technological considerations and artistic intentions.” Excuse me while I throw up a little in my mouth.

Mr. Lucas, in the name of human decency, let it go.

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment just made every geek’s day by finally announcing the Star Wars Blu-Ray box set. Set to release in September of 2011, the studio plans 3 distinct high-def sets which will hopefully suit the needs of different fans.

A nine-disc box set called ‘The Complete Saga’ will contain all 6 flicks plus 30+ hours of special features, deleted scenes, alternate scenes and a in-depth exploration of the Star Wars archives. MSRP on this puppy is $139.99, however Amazon.com already has it on pre-order for just short of $90.

For fans of the original trilogy, an aptly titled ‘Star Wars: Original Trilogy’ contains the 3 original flicks only (episodes IV-VI) and will be listed at $69.99 MSRP. For fans of only the prequel movies (a rare breed, for certain), the ‘Star Wars: Prequel Trilogy’ will suit their preferences with the 3 prequel flicks (episodes I-III) and priced at $69.99 MSRP as well.

While the official Star Wars press release is rather skimpy on details, one question I can’t help asking: Will the sets contain the original theatrical cuts of the trilogy or the 90′s-era re-release cuts? I think you can surmise my preference and I’m sure Lucas will experience an Internet-backlash of epic proportions if that decision doesn’t go the way I hope it goes.

So there you have it. Can you wait until September 2011? I know I can’t.

Some films deserve to make the record books or be encapsulated forever in history books, and some films are Big Mama’s House 2. Luckily, the National Historic Registry hasn’t selected that film, but instead is including 25 films on their list for 2010 and immortalizing some of Hollywood’s best of the past few decades. From THR:

The films, which include Hollywood classics, documentaries, innovative shorts and genres from virtually every era of American filmmaking, span the period 1891-1996. This year’s selections bring the number of films in the registry to 550.

George Lucas’ 15-minute student film — Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB, made in 1967 at USC — also made the list, as did The Empire Strikes Back, his much-lauded 1980 Star Wars sequel that was directed by Irvin Kershner.

Other classics such as Airplane, The Exorcist, and All the President’s Men also made the list of soon to be immortalized films. Check out the complete list after the jump.

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This week on The Flickcast Chris and Matt are on duty and discussing, dissecting and, in some cases, dissing some new movies, TV shows, comics, games and geek stuff. Among the topics this week are more on The Walking Dead, the debut of Conan’s new talk show, upcoming films Skyline and Friends with Benefits, George Lucas and the new Force Unleashed II video game, the Back to the Future Trilogy on Blu-ray and the bizarreness of Robert Altman’s 1980 film Popeye.

Of course, the guys also made new picks for your enjoyment this week including Matt’s pick of the drama spoof Fatal Instinct, featuring Armand Assante and Sherylin Fenn, and Chris’ double pick of Call of Duty: Black Ops and the upcoming Skyline, which hits theaters this Friday.

As always, if you have comments, questions, critiques, offers of sponsorship or whatever, feel free to hit us up in the comments, on Twitter, at Facebook and MySpace or via email.

This week’s pick takes us back into the heart of darkness with Francis Ford Coppola’s riveting Vietnam classic Apocalypse Now (1979). The film was written by Coppola and John Milius, along with brilliant narration written by Michael Herr. The movie was based off of Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness about a man who is sent on a mission to kill a rogue ivory trader in the heart of nineteenth century Africa.

Coppola and Milius loved the story and decided to set the film during the Vietnam War. The film stars Martin Sheen (Captain Benjamin Willard), Marlon Brando (Col. Walter E. Kurtz), Dennis Hopper (Photo Journalist), Robert Duvall (Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore), Albert Hall (Chief), Frederic Forrest (Chef), Sam Bottoms (Lance Johnson), Laurence Fishburne (Mr. Clean), Harrison Ford (Col. Lucas), and G.D. Spradlin (Lt. Gen. Corman).

Apocalypse Now has always been considered the quintessential Vietnam war movie not only for the sheer scope of the film, but because the production was just as massive as the war itself. Coppola had raised over twelve million dollars (eight million of which through his own company American Zoetrope) through investors and outside sources to begin producing the film in late 1975 after the release of the highly anticipated The Godfather II.

Coppola’s two friends George Lucas and Steven Spielberg contacted their friend and fellow film maker John Milius to see if he would be willing to write a story that blended most of Conrad’s themes, and the horrors of the Vietnam conflict into one solid script. Milius had written a Vietnam story in the late sixties and had shelved the idea once his directing career had taken off. Coppola told Milius to “put everything you ever wanted in a war movie before into the script.” The result was an absolute masterpiece.

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Welcome to this week’s On the Radar where we delve into all corners of the entertainment, tech and geek Internets for news, views and whatnot that may have escaped our regular coverage this week. Let is know if we missed something interesting. Otherwise, on to the links!

• Though it may not really have a reason to visit, the Green Lantern film site has gone live.

• In an effort to bring you some of the best trailer mash-ups of the week, here’s a brief rundown:

• Tron abides. The TRON Lebowski

• Three’s Company meets The Shining

• A joke? Sure, probably in there somewhere. Pee Wee meets The Hulk

• I vote for the one that takes place in space. Star Trek Vs. Star Wars: The Trailer

• You have to go deeper. Inception 1950′s Trailer

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Much like Dick Dastardly strapping Nell to railroad tracks once a week, George Lucas is at it again and re-releasing the complete Star Wars trilogy in theaters again, now in glorious 3D.

The last time, when Lucas released the original trilogy with “a few minor changes” like Greedo shooting first, and shoehorning Ghost Anakin into Jedi. Now that the fans have calmed down from that whole mess. Lucas feels that converting all six movies in a whole new dimension is just enough to stay topical. From THR.

Starting with “Phantom Menace,” Lucasfilm would use several higher-end conversion houses to work on the project. By late winter or early spring in 2012, the exhibition industry should have all the 3D screens anyone could want for such a release.

At present, pics are limited to 2,000-2,500 3D locations owing to an insufficient installed base of projectors and screens. Movie theaters are adding 3D screens at a clip of 500 a month in the U.S. Foreign exhibitors also are pushing into 3D as quickly as possible now that financing for the installations is flowing.

Also pushing the timetable is a potential breakthrough in 3D TV technology. With Samsung penetrating the market with 50,000-plus 3D-equipped sets and Sony recently sending its version to market, the home-viewing experience could be primed for 3D DVD versions of the films by the time the new 3D theatrical releases have run their course.

To sum up: much like he has in the past, Lucas is sacrificing what most thing consider the “holy trilogy” in order to progress modern technology. Boo for SW fans, yay for fans of entertainment technology. Expect to see the new releases mid 2012.

In case you haven’t heard of the Star Wars Celebration, it’s a semi-yearly official Lucasfilm event that travels the world, celebrating all things Star Wars. This year, the 5th such event was held August 12-15 in Orlando FL and was timed to mark the occasion of the 30th Anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back.

Culminating the event’s four days of parties, featuring cast and crew celebrities, fans, costumes, music, live entertainment, autographs, collectibles, and a myriad of Star Wars panels, was Saturday’s ‘Main Event’ featuring an hour-long one-on-one discussion between George Lucas and Comedy Central’s king of fake news, John Stewart. During their give and take, some rather big news was dropped on fans in attendance.

Lucas announced that both Star Wars trilogies would be getting the full Blu-ray box set treatment next year. Fans have been clamoring for high-definition Star Wars goodness for some time, though it would seem they still have a while to wait, as the box sets are set to release sometime in Fall 2011. No exact date was set, nor were prices for the box sets announced. However what was announced was that in addition to the standard cast commentaries, behind-the-scenes footage, interviews and retrospectives, fans will also be treated to some amazing deleted scenes.

To get a taste of what’s in store for next year, be sure to hit the jump and check out an especially cool deleted scene from Return of the Jedi. In this deleted scene we see Luke building a replacement lightsaber  in a cave somewhere on Tattooine. As he works, C3-P0 appears to stand guard outside while Vader and the Emperor attempt to locate him using the force. Enjoy!

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The San Diego Comic-Con panel for the upcoming LucasArts sequel to The Force Unleashed opened with some amazing cinematic footage from the game. In the footage previewed to Comic-Con attendees, Vader reveals to Starkiller that he is in fact a clone, produced to Vader’s exact specifications and designed to be the perfect apprentice.

But the news goes from bad to worse, as Vader explains that he is actually a failed clone. Prone to strange and distracting flashbacks and weird memory-holes, Vader declares Starkiller useless and orders him killed. Starkiller of course, has other plans. Using his incredibly powerful force abilities, he breaks free of his bonds, destroys his Stormtrooper captors and proceeds to flee the planet Camino, becoming a fugitive in the process.

The footage from Force Unleashed 2 really set the tone for the big Lucasarts panel revolving around the upcoming sequel to one of the best Star Wars game properties in recent history. A second clip shown at the start of the panel, begins to reveal the back-story to this sequel, showing Starkiller on the run from Vader now, taking his ship and heading for a nearby planet to rescue his friend General Rahm Kota. ‘Unleashed 2′ is revealed to possess a very rich storyline with deep character development as we follow Starkiller on his journey to be reunited with his one true love, Captain Juno Eclipse.

Hit the jump for a preview of the gameplay, some of the new force powers available in the sequel, as well as a very special Comic-Con exclusive reveal of a small, but pivotal character who will appear in the new game.

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We like to stay clear from most rumors when it comes to movie news, but sometimes there is something that comes along we can’t pass up. This time, the news is in the form of a possible plot leak of the upcoming Indiana Jones sequel, which would be the fifth film in the series.

Many people remember Crystal Skull as being the Phantom Menace of Indiana Jones films, with things like aliens, monkey kidnappers, and the entire concept of Mutt Williams, but this newest rumor could be the thing that saves the Indy franchise. From the New Zealand website Stuff:

Harrison Ford’s final outing as Indiana Jones will be “emotional and exciting” as the franchise heads back to its roots after a badly received fourth installment.

Indiana Jones 5 will begin shooting next year, and much of the plot line will be centered around the Bermuda Triangle, an area over the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of aircraft are said to have disappeared.

Movie bosses have assured fans the film will stay true to the series’ roots, and won’t contain lots of state-of-the-art special effects.

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One of the greatest and perhaps most under-appreciated feature of stand-alone GPS devices from Garmin and TomTom is the ability to download and use custom voices. Who doesn’t want the A-Team‘s Mister T shouting as you drive, “I pity the fool who doesn’t turn right in point two miles?”

I don’t want to live in a world where such things aren’t possible. TomTom specifically, has brought some great voices to market over the past few years. Homer Simpson as an example. KITT from Knight Rider for another. Even David Hasselhoff has his own voice pack for GPS devices. And yet, something’s been conspicuously absent: Star Wars!

Finally, this deficiency has been resolved with TomTom’s first officially-licensed Star Wars voice download. First up? Vader. For $12.95 you can download the Darth Vader voice to your TomTom device and begin geeking out every time you get in your car. Some of Vader’s helpful lines for the directionally-challenged include:

“Depart. Your destiny lies with me. Obi Wan knew this to be true.”

“Turn around when possible. I find your lack of faith disturbing. Then, take the third left. Sense your way.”

“Left turn ahead. Then, go around the roundabout. The circle is now complete. Sith exit.”

Awesome. TomTom plans to release additional Star Wars-themed voice packs in the near future. C3P0, Yoda and Han Solo are coming soon and will probably be priced similarly. Hit the official TomTom Star Wars portal for some great free content for your GPS including Star Wars-themed start up screens, sounds and car icons.

In the meantime, check out a great video of Darth Vader recording some instructions after the jump. You won’t want to miss this!

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