Disc
|
The Empire Strikes Back Special Edition, DVD, Bootleg, Dish Emperor version, China 2000
These versions were among the first bootlegs that started to appear in 2000. The source for these DVDs were the 1997 US laserdiscs of the special editions. Laserdisc was the High-end video format of the day, and using them as a source meant these DVDs were superior to VHS but not comparable to a properly mastered DVD.
Before the disc goes to the main menu, a Dolby Digital trailer plays. The movie is letterboxed widescreen, but not anamorphically enhanced. The Chinese subtitles are burnt-in and contained within the lower letterbox band. The only audio on the disc is a Dolby Digital 5.1 track, but I can't confirm that it is a bit-for-bit rip from the Laserdisc source. From the main menu you can select Play, a chapter menu or a button marked "AC-3" which just plays a minute-long surround sound demo.
This set came from Hong Kong in a flat envelope with just the discs and the artwork (You can see the fold along the spine on the insert). You had to provide the actual case yourself. This was standard practice for bootleg sellers. Note that they just copied the credits from VanDamme's Maximum Risk. Who would notice? No pride in their work...
If you were a bootlegger, Star Wars was a goldmine in the early 2000s. Lucasfilm's reluctance to release these films on DVD meant that numerous Star Wars fans paid up to $100 for a set of the trilogy. (Guilty as charged.)
From the artwork of these releases, they have been nicknamed the "Dish Emperor" versions. However, the actual content of the discs is identical to many other bootlegs. They were released with many cover variations, most of them using the John Alvin artwork you see here.
Dolby Digital trailer before main menu
|
Main menu
|
Chapter menu
|
Digital Cinema Sound demo
|
Fox fanfare
|
A long time ago...
|
Title card
|
Opening crawl
|
Binoculars
|
Binoculars
|
On Dagobah
|
Matte painting Special Ed.
|
Duel
|
Falcon dish in frame
|
End credits
|
End credits
|
