STAR WARS ON BLU-RAY - FALL 2011 (1 Viewer)

[Derek Miner]

Originally Posted by Douglas Monce

I remember seeing Empire Strikes Back in 1980 and thinking to myself, they are going to have to go back and redo the effects in Star Wars, because the stuff they were doing in Empire was leaps and bounds above the first film. I wasn't surprised at all that it was eventually done. I've never liked the Jabba CG, and I thought the Han/Greedo thing was unnecessary, but I really liked the new space ship shots. I felt it helped Star Wars match the work that was done in Empire and Jedi.

 

 

One of the interesting things I took away from being at Star Wars Celebration this past weekend was that despite all of George Lucas' dependence on CG technology, there is still a basis in modelmaking in the prequels (and perhaps to some degree, the Special Editions)... two of the guests at the convention were original modelmakers Lorne Peterson and Jon Berg, and I was surprised to note they both had model shop jobs on the prequels. I'll have to paraphrase, but I think one of Peterson's comments was that models were still favored when detail was going to be large enough or movement was slow enough to be noticed. The panels included plenty of archive photos of the models being built and shot, and it is quite amazing to see the detail on such things.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Mike, your a mod now? Sweet, congrats lol.

 

Okay, resume the bitching.

 

[Brandon Conway]

Originally Posted by Derek Miner



 

One of the interesting things I took away from being at Star Wars Celebration this past weekend was that despite all of George Lucas' dependence on CG technology, there is still a basis in modelmaking in the prequels (and perhaps to some degree, the Special Editions)... two of the guests at the convention were original modelmakers Lorne Peterson and Jon Berg, and I was surprised to note they both had model shop jobs on the prequels. I'll have to paraphrase, but I think one of Peterson's comments was that models were still favored when detail was going to be large enough or movement was slow enough to be noticed. The panels included plenty of archive photos of the models being built and shot, and it is quite amazing to see the detail on such things.

 

Oh, definitely. The PT uses far more models - really, a whole lot of models - than people realize.
 

 

[MielR]

Originally Posted by TravisR 

     Quote:

 

 

As for OOT fans belittling people's opinions, look at any prequel thread and you'll see lots of people taking shots at anyone that dares to like a movie that they don't like.

Except that the prequels are different films and that's a different subject. They're not alternate versions of the OT and that really doesn't address at all what I said about OOT fans not criticizing SE fans for their preference.

 

I personally don't care what films people enjoy or don't enjoy. If I don't like a movie, I don't watch it. My issue is ONLY with the alterations to the Original 1977, 1980 and 1983 versions of the Star Wars trilogy. I know that the fact that the prequels exist at all bothers a lot of people, but I just choose to ignore them.....except when that becomes impossible to do because aspects of the prequels are inserted into the OT. For instance, when Hayden Christiansen is inserted into Return of The Jedi. That is the only instance where I have a problem with the prequels.

 

I don't like the fact that they're bundling all 6 movies together, but if the Original versions of the OT films were included, I'd buy the set, and sell the prequels on eBay. But I can't justify spending over a hundred dollars (or whatever the msrp is going to be) on the prequels, PLUS the versions of the OT that I don't like.

 

Lucas' rhetoric does seem to be softening, so I will take that as a cue that perhaps the Original versions will be available somewhere down the line, perhaps when the OT is released individually, which we know will happen if prior release patterns are followed.
 

 

[Cory S.]

Brandon,

 

To your point, if you've read Knoll's "Creating The Worlds of Star Wars in 365 Days", you'll see that you're correct in your assessment about the model work in the Prequels.
 

If I'm not mistaken, they used more models on the Prequels than the Originals...

 

[Yohan Pamudji]

Originally Posted by TravisR
 

It's a long thread but I haven't seen anyone say something along the lines of "Buy the SEs and like it!" and anyone that thinks that is ridiculous. I'll be the first guy to say that this should be like Close Encounters and have the original cut, the SE and the DVD versions on there but just because I'm not tearing my hair out and cursing George Lucas doesn't mean that I'm demanding that other people have to watch or like the SEs.

That's all you had to say, man. I can live with that!

 

[Yohan Pamudji]

Originally Posted by Brian Borst

Lucas once said that "movies aren't released, they're taken away from you". Maybe he just needs to cope with that. Most other directors seem to do fine with that knowledge.

Do you have a link for that quote? I've never seen it, but it certainly falls in line with his handling of Star Wars. I think this is how a lot of artists feel--directors, visual artists, musicians, writers, etc.--but very few (none?) have taken it to the extreme that Lucas has.

 

[MielR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yohan Pamudji 

Do you have a link for that quote? 


 

I think the quote was "a movie is never finished, only abandoned."

 

[Bryan^H]

 

Originally Posted by MielR

 

My issue is ONLY with the alterations to the Original 1977, 1980 and 1983 versions of the Star Wars trilogy. I know that the fact that the prequels exist at all bothers a lot of people, but I just choose to ignore them.....except when that becomes impossible to do because aspects of the prequels are inserted into the OT. For instance, when Hayden Christiansen is inserted into Return of The Jedi. That is the only instance where I have a problem with the prequels.

 

 

 

I agree wholeheartedly. That one scene shows just how arrogant Lucas can be. There was always a mysterious presence to Vader that made my imagination soar...that is until I watched the prequels and realized Anakin had a life that was about as exciting as watching paint dry.

You can ignore the prequels until some tool splices a prequel character into a classic film.

 

[Nick Martin]

Originally Posted by MielR
 

I don't like the fact that they're bundling all 6 movies together, but if the Original versions of the OT films were included, I'd buy the set, and sell the prequels on eBay. But I can't justify spending over a hundred dollars (or whatever the msrp is going to be) on the prequels, PLUS the versions of the OT that I don't like.

 

Lucas' rhetoric does seem to be softening, so I will take that as a cue that perhaps the Original versions will be available somewhere down the line, perhaps when the OT is released individually, which we know will happen if prior release patterns are followed.
 

 

 

There's my reason I don't want this set right there verbatim.

 

Regarding Lucas' 'rhetoric'....

 

Just because Lucas might use one term to describe something and then use another term at a different time doesn't really mean anything other than people tending to over-analyze words and phrases far too much. It doesn't really mean anything but whenever a director, actor, author, whomever talks about something and uses different terms depending on the situation, people often take that to mean something more when it usually doesn't and isn't worth the trouble of getting worked up over them.

 

[Brent M]

Originally Posted by TravisR



The reason I don't like that addition is because it drops the "Bring my shuttle" line which, for some reason, always sounded badass to me.

That's the only change to Empire that really bugs me. I hate the "alert my Star Destroyer to prepare for my arrival" line that replaced it.

 

[MielR]

Originally Posted by Nicholas Martin 

 

Regarding Lucas' 'rhetoric'....

 

Just because Lucas might use one term to describe something and then use another term at a different time doesn't really mean anything other than people tending to over-analyze words and phrases far too much. It doesn't really mean anything but whenever a director, actor, author, whomever talks about something and uses different terms depending on the situation, people often take that to mean something more when it usually doesn't and isn't worth the trouble of getting worked up over them. 

You're probably right, but it's interesting how many other people here and on some SW-related sites have taken these recent comments of his as a glimmer of hope. BUT - I'm only cautiously optimistic. I learned not to get my hopes up after the '06 non-anamorphic releases.
 

 

[Brian Borst]

 

Originally Posted by Steve Christou

 

Apparently, Lucas has taken this somewhat further in the new version:

 

 

[Jonathan Kaye]

As Yoda might say, "needs second thread, it does not, hmm?".

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Given that this one was started by an industry insider, I'm sure his intent was not to fill the boards with yet another SW thread. That being said, perhaps this should be merged with the other SW thread. What say you, Moderators?

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Steve/ Brian, love the clips!

 

[Ronald Epstein]

This is now the official discussion thread. I have

closed the older one and moved many of your posts here.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

LOL. I must be so tired of the SW films (and previous talk about them) that I completely missed this (and the resurrection of the other) thread for 3-plus days.

 

Maybe that's a good sign.

 

_Man_

 

[Ryan-G]

I'm not trying to touch off a flame war...

 

But I really don't understand why it is if Peter Jackson says "The theatrical versions of LotR are my definitive version", everyone says...

 

"Too bad, the extended editions are not what the director wants, so whether or not they're out doesn't matter".

 

But when Lucas says "The special editions are my definitive version", suddenly it's...


"Who cares what the director says, his wishes don't count, only the original versions count".

 

It's an amazing double standard here, and I often wonder in these threads, is this the Microsoft effect? No matter what he does people will just attack? Even if he releases the original versions, I'm sure there'll be just as much venom because he dared release the prequel trilogy.

 

[Cees Alons]

Ryan,

 

To me the point is... theatrical versions should always be available. So should a broadly published director's cut or otherwise new edition.

 

Morally - I know the legal situation might be different, unfortunately - the original creator(s) has (have) no right to suppress them, because ( / after) they have been officially exposed to the public. When we have been enjoying a work of art, and it may have touched us and possibly moved us, it has become part of the artistic and cultural heritage of this world, we are fond of, or hate, or have been changed by.

 

The original theatrical version is such a work of art, and under certain circumstances a newer version of the same film may become one too likewise.

 

No wonder people may ask for that work of art to remain available to them.

Sort of like the people of Paris have no moral right to demolish the Eiffel Tower.

 

Of course discussions will always remain if a small change, made by the original creator, establishes nothing more than a correction, or if it threatens to destroy the original and create a new work. But such discussions do not alter the principle.

 

Also, the whole matter is totally independent, or should be, of the question which version (if more than one came to existence) you like most.

It's purely about the availability of the original work of art and the original creator losing some of the power (morally, morally) to totally suppress it once it has entered the public realm.

 

 

Cees