Well, that's that. The original STAR WARS trilogy is history I think. (1 Viewer)

[RobertR]

Since when has that been a factor?

That's exactly my point. Lucas, for some unfathomable reason, decided to "fix" things that NO else in the entire WORLD was even CLOSE to thinking was "broken".

What makes it more annoying is that Lucas never bothered to fix FX that DID have things wrong with them.

 

[cafink]

In that case, I agree with you completely!

 

[Tom-G]

I don't know of ANYONE ANYWHERE who EVER had any complaints at ALL about the pacing of the unaltered scene.

True, and I'm sure you will remember, Robert that Star Wars also won an Oscar for editing (Marcia Lucas, George's wife was one of the film's editors).

 

[Carlo_M]

You all Know my disdain for the SEs, but I'm still not sure that what we see is "censorship." A lot of the SE had to be put back together from fading negatives and different sources. Maybe the timing was off a little on a splice here and there? I don't know. But I do know that there are plenty of laser blasts that still hit in the rest of the OT, even the SE versions, and also in TPM.

So as much as I dislike the SEs, I think this is one conspiracy theory that I'm not going to subscribe to. Your opinions may vary, of course, but that is mine.

 

[Brad_W]

Deleted because I posted in the wrong Star Wars thread.

sometimes I'm a real dumb ass.

 

[Sam Davatchi]

I don't know. But I do know that there are plenty of laser blasts that still hit in the rest of the OT, even the SE versions,

Yes but they are “clean”. We don’t see people getting shot and burned the way they did in the classic A New Hope anymore. I mean people with normal costumes not Stormtroopers! If you say there are many examples, please name just one in the Special Edition trilogy and I will check it.

 

[cafink]

It's not a laser blast, but what about the severed arm in the Cantina?

 

[Carlo_M]

Well, I won't debate if the blasts are clean or not, I don't study them frame by frame.

To me, this isn't the same as replacing guns with walkie talkies on ET, or even Greedo shooting first. Those change intent.

This looks like splices were altered by a split second (remember there are 24 frames per second) and if they were cutting together the best elements they could find for the Original Trilogy, I could see where they might have to re-splice scenes that would lead to a slightly different splice version. There is nothing different about the intent of the scene, and we still see the guy get blasted, it's not like he lives miraculously through the blast.

I don't know. I honestly think Lucas screwed up the OT with the SE versions. I just don't think this one was totally intentional. Again, just my opinion.

---edit---

If Lucas were that worried about laser blasts hitting, I don't think he would have put that scene in TPM where Maul gets cut in half. That's worse than any blaster hit...

 

[Jefferson Morris]

Lucas might not have confirmed this theory, but it's definitely NOT fan apologia.

Carl,

Having read your previous remarks, I knew that you weren't apologizing for Lucas (we're in total agreement on the not-so-special editions). I was just wondering if the other person you were referring to was.

Regarding Lucas' motives for changing the laser hits...who can say? To me, many of the special edition alterations/amendations/revisions simply defy rational explanation. There's no logical reason to have made these changes--they were just the work of a shifting (and alas, increasingly questionable) artistic temperament.

Then again, the bi-section of Darth Maul in TPM (and that little blood cloud when the lightsaber goes through him) could certainly be taken as an indication that the bearded one hasn't gone totally soft on us. But that doesn't necessarily mean he wasn't censoring himself in the New Hope special edition. Again, looking for consistency here may well be a futile effort. The "pacing" explanation could be as likely as any.

Then again (again)...sometimes the deleterious effect of on-screen violence on children is judged according to their ability to mimic it. This is why films like Jaws were given a PG rather than an R, since the then-wiser MPAA concluded that it was unlikely that children would start trying to eat eachother in swimming pools after seeing the film. Gun violence is always considered more problematic (although how removing the little road-flare squib effects changes this I don't know). So again...Lucas could still be censoring himself, since gun violence could be considered "worse" than lightsaber violence.

Shit, I don't know. Those lost squibs are just another cool thing about Star Wars that's been fucked up, possibly forever.

Bitterly Yours,

--Jefferson Morris

P.S. Checking those LDs again...

 

[Eric Bass]

As a former foaming-at-the-mouth pissed off fan, I solved the problem by just not even watching the movies anymore...any of them.

 

[Jefferson Morris]

As a former foaming-at-the-mouth pissed off fan, I solved the problem by just not even watching the movies anymore...any of them.

Strong medicine, that. I hope I never get to that point, although as I said before, I'm getting more crotchety as I advance in years.

I suppose we'll always still have our memories of the originals, even if the films themselves have crumbled to dust, and I realize there are worse iniquities in the world, like famine and terrorism, but still, if they're allowed to disintegrate into oblivion...that simply sucks.

This has been said a million times by a million people, but it bears repeating: Despite all the "It's his property" arguments, if Lucas does indeed withhold the original films, he will do a disservice not only to the original fans, but also to the thousands of talented people (with names like Kasdan, Kurtz, Kirshner, etc.), whose ranks include some who are no longer with us (Marquand, Brackett), who worked so hard to imbue Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi with the magic they possess.

--Jefferson Morris

 

[Carlo_M]

This has been said a million times by a million people, but it bears repeating: Despite all the "It's his property" arguments, if Lucas does indeed withhold the original films, he will do a disservice not only to the original fans, but also to the thousands of talented people (with names like Kasdan, Kurtz, Kirshner, etc.), whose ranks include some who are no longer with us (Marquand, Brackett), who worked so hard to imbue Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi with the magic they possess.

Excellent, excellent point.

I just watched Willow and also realized that its story is Lucas, but the screenplay and director were other talents. No man is an island.

 

[Sam Davatchi]

I just watched Willow and also realized that its story is Lucas

Sorry but that story is from JRR Tolkien and Moses!

 

[Chuck Mayer]

Sam,
Haven't you seen the ADS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BEFORE there were hobbits...
BEFORE there were wizards...
there was Willow!
Just ask the marketers
Decent movie, but I HATE those ads!
Take care,
Chuck

 

[Sam Davatchi]

Personally I love Willow and think that it’s a great effort from both Lucas and Howard and it even contains some dark and scary moments. I’m sure if someone asks Lucas, he would acknowledge that the idea is taken directly from Lord of the Rings. It’s his little version of LOTR.

Yes I have heard about that AD. I’ve not seen it. I have to say that it’s pretty ridiculous and they should be ashamed to run such an AD! I mean what were they thinking? People are not stupid.

 

[Chuck Mayer]

True, so true, Sam.

My fiancee loves the ads, but only b/c I get fired up. It's just typical crappy marketing, tying into to something "new" and "cool".

Take care,

Chuck

 

[Carlo_M]

Oh man, now I've heard everything...

Damn ad people. No wonder they aren't let into that club in Last Days of Disco.

"I don't want that kind of people in my club."

 

[Mark Zimmer]

While Lucas insists that the OT will never be released again, things change. Disney said the same thing about the original Fantasia about ten years ago ("own it for the last time"), and lo and behold, here it is on DVD.

And, at the risk of getting ghoulish, the bearded one is not going to live forever, especially if he doesn't lay off the fatty foods. There is SERIOUS money to be made out of the OT, and if he doesn't want to make it, someone else will, eventually.

Oh, and Han shoots first. End of story. One CGI change I wouldn't mind seeing is putting the now elderly Mark Hamill into the Vader suit at the end of ROTJ. [ducks]

 

[ShaneP]

I really don't mind most of the changes that Lucas has made to the OT. Most of the added/improved special effects add to the immersive quality of the films. However, that being said, I grew up with Star Wars and prefer to at least be able to see it the way I remember it. It was THESE movies that made Lucasfilm. The original unmodified versions from 1977, 80, and 83 should be preserved for future generations (and me too.) The special effects were made with techniques vastly different that those that are being used for the new episodes. Changing little parts has drastic effect on how certain characters are perceived by the audience. Watch ANH and tell me what class of movie it is when Luke finds his Aunt and Uncles still smoking skeletons. That scene brings the reality that war isn't sterile. It is called Star Wars, right? Like life, everyone (read Han Solo) is a shade of gray, not black of white. I believe that Han would have shot first to save his neck. He was a smuggler with a price on his head on a remote world in a rough city. He KNEW he would have to kill Greedo to escape, and probably had done similar acts before. So, to sum up my rambling, I would gladly buy two copies of the OT if I could have one set of them being the unaltered versions. That's my 2 cents, I hope someone with some sort of influence over at Lusasfilm is reading this. Now lets hope EPII turns out to be what we all hope it will be.
Shane