Could the original, unaltered STAR WARS be on its way to Blu-ray? (1 Viewer)

[Carabimero]

All the changes bother me because I grew up on the original versions of these movies. It's like if the French were to suddenly put a mustache on the Statue of Liberty. It all irks me to no end.

My response to this is to quote my favorite line from AMADEUS:


"Well...there it is."

 

[Worth]

Something that really bugs me about EMPIRE: When looks tells R2 he was "lucky to get out of there," instead of the masterfully written line, "Lucky you don't taste very good." That line explained why the swamp creature spit him out. It's indirect, it's funny, and it worked. The other line makes me want to upchuck.

Why change it?
Because Lucas originally wrote it that way and Kasdan/Kirshner changed it on the set, so Lucas changed it back. Ugh.

That may be a case where there were differences between the 35mm and 70mm mixes.

 

[laser]

The only reason I prefer the Special Editions ('97, not the later messes) is because the image is more pleasing to look at. Remember that the movies were restored before the new stuff was added. All existing transfers of the unaltered trilogy are washed out.

 

[TravisR]

Here's the thing that gets me. I'd have to go through the movies to list each change that irks me, but off hand, the only things that really bother me in the newest version of STAR WARS is the sound Obi-Wan makes to scare the Sand People away, the added Jabba scene, and Greedo shooting at Han. It's possible there's something else that is not jumping to my mind, but other than those things, I'm mostly okay with the current HD version. Of course EMPIRE and JEDI are different matters.


How do others feel?

One thing from the Return Of The Jedi SE that I don't like but I never see mentioned by others is the blast wave that comes out of the second Death Star. Conversely, I think the Death Star blast wave in Star Wars (A New Hope) is one of the most successful changes in the SE because it integrated into the shot well, it looked like it could have been part of the original and it made the original explosion more impressive. I guess the length of the shots in ROTJ required that movie's blast wave to be really fast and it's just awkward looking to me.

 

[Bryan Tuck]

Something that really bugs me about EMPIRE: When looks tells R2 he was "lucky to get out of there," instead of the masterfully written line, "Lucky you don't taste very good." That line explained why the swamp creature spit him out. It's indirect, it's funny, and it worked. The other line makes me want to upchuck.


Why change it?

Because Lucas originally wrote it that way and Kasdan/Kirshner changed it on the set, so Lucas changed it back. Ugh.


It's stuff like that which makes it unwatchable for me. And I agree about the pacing being ruined at the end. Apparently one person in a SE test screening thought Vader was still on Cloud City so now we are all treated like idiots and the pacing is ruined.

Take this with a grain of salt, but I think I remember reading that the "Lucky you don't taste very good" line was an ad lib by Mark Hamill (though Kershner/Kasdan may have had something to do with it). For all I know, it could have been an ADR ad-lib. At any rate, when the sound editors were preparing the new mix for the SE, they went with a take of the scripted line, and apparently didn't realize it was different from what was in the movie before. I've always found that a little difficult to believe, as it's a fairly well-remembered line, but I guess it's not out of the realm of possibility.

That may be a case where there were differences between the 35mm and 70mm mixes.

If the in-theater recording of Empire that's been floating around is to be believed, this is not the case. "You're lucky you don't taste very good" was in the 70mm version, too.

 

[Oliver Ravencrest]

The only changes that don't bother me are in Empire, the extended Wampa attack and cave scene and the added windows on Cloud City. I love seeing the Wampa eating and dripping with blood.


I hate Hayden's image as Anakin's Force Ghost in Jedi. Why does he look like his younger self but Obi-wan doesn't look like Ewan? lol The Han/Greedo scene is awkward looking when they shoot simultaneously. The Han/Jabba scene from ANH is unnecessary, everything was pretty much covered in the earlier and better Han/Greedo scene. Plus, Han stepping on Jabba's tail is awful.Those are the changes that bother me the most.


My nephew is 14 and loves Star Wars but don't think he's ever seen the original versions. Other than the SE DVDs, I only have full screen VHS versions of Star Wars and Jedi, Empire is just a copy I taped from a friend's copy. I should break those out and show him them. I hope we do get a good Blu-ray release of the originals one day.

 

[SilverWook]

One thing from the Return Of The Jedi SE that I don't like but I never see mentioned by others is the blast wave that comes out of the second Death Star. Conversely, I think the Death Star blast wave in Star Wars (A New Hope) is one of the most successful changes in the SE because it integrated into the shot well, it looked like it could have been part of the original and it made the original explosion more impressive. I guess the length of the shots in ROTJ required that movie's blast wave to be really fast and it's just awkward looking to me.

It would have been more effective had we not seen a similar effect in Star Trek IV just six years before.


Of course, George couldn't resist fiddling with the first DS explosion twice. It just looks weird now with all the color drained out of it, and that weird purple haze added in.

 

[AshJW]

Some changes were ok, some look decent, some not.


Over all I must say, none of the changes were necessary.

I hate Hayden's image as Anakin's Force Ghost in Jedi. Why does he look like his younger self but Obi-wan doesn't look like Ewan? lol ...

Because Obi-Wan died as the older man, Anakin "died" as the young man.

So I can understand this change - also I don't like it either.

It would have been more effective had we not seen a similar effect in Star Trek IV just six years before.

It was in Star Trek VI.

And the effect was far better than in both Star Wars films.

 

[Brian Dobbs]

John Landis speaks.


http://comicbook.com/2015/09/19/disney-to-re-release-theatrical-cuts-of-the-original-star-wars-t/


It was a Halloween festival...could it be a trick, not a treat?


Nothing is mentioned about them being in HD. Is it assumed?

Keeping my fingers crossed! This seems too good to be true! Please oh please!

 

[TravisR]

It would have been more effective had we not seen a similar effect in Star Trek IV just six years before.

I've only seen one of the old Star Trek movies (Frist Contact) so I'll have to take your word for it.

 

[Tom M]

John Landis speaks.


http://comicbook.com/2015/09/19/disney-to-re-release-theatrical-cuts-of-the-original-star-wars-t/


It was a Halloween festival...could it be a trick, not a treat?


Nothing is mentioned about them being in HD. Is it assumed?

Seems to early to be a Halloween prank. Besides, whenever has John Landis ever pulled a similar prank? Never, to my knowledge.


While I actually prefer the SE's, I would also like to have the original theatrical cuts of the trilogy in HD.


Like Fox Mulder, I want to believe.


Time will tell.

 

[SamT]

Because Obi-Wan died as the older man, Anakin "died" as the young man.
So I can understand this change - also I don't like it either.

No he didn't. He died old.

 

[SilverWook]

I've only seen one of the old Star Trek movies (Frist Contact) so I'll have to take your word for it.

 

[SilverWook]

Some changes were ok, some look decent, some not.


Over all I must say, none of the changes were necessary.





Because Obi-Wan died as the older man, Anakin "died" as the young man.

So I can understand this change - also I don't like it either.




It was in Star Trek VI.

And the effect was far better than in both Star Wars films.

I got my roman numerals backwards for some reason.

 

[Steve Christou]

I'm so glad Lucas sold the Star Wars rights to Disney, any more changes and he would have got rid of poor old Sebastian Shaw altogether. I wouldn't put it past him.

 

[SamT]

I just saw this link and it's as fun as the redletter reviews

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=2&v=xxf1c3fzDOU

 

[SilverWook]

I'm so glad Lucas sold the Star Wars rights to Disney, any more changes and he would have got rid of poor old Sebastian Shaw altogether. I wouldn't put it past him.

 

[Oliver Ravencrest]

Because Obi-Wan died as the older man, Anakin "died" as the young man.

So I can understand this change - also I don't like it either.

Vader became Anakin again after he saved Luke from the Emporer and died old

 

[andySu]

Vader became Anakin again after he saved Luke from the Emporer and died old

He was still Anakin, only driven by vengeful hate of a gifted power that was corrupted by that sadistically positively prime evil, Palpatine, that deceived tricked and robbed Anakin of the goodness within him for just another pawn for the emperors own personal cause of paranoia.

 

[andySu]

... that is too funny.


meme be surprised! Its me, Ani... oh your not, Ani where's, Ani?