HA HA. It looks like Lucas did tinker with the DVD releases for The OT of STAR WARS

[BigJim]

Re: Dave2112

Actually if you look at a FAQ somewhere on the Star Wars site (or at least it sued to be there) after Phontom Meanace came out, alot of people questioned (and a few press questioned Lucas directly on this at more than a few press junkets for Phantom Menace) why Qui Gon did not disapear into the ether after he died like Ben did, and is burned. Lucas said that not all Jedi's can do it, and that it is a learned thing. That he was supposed to have a scene of it in Attack of the Clones, but didn't know where to put it, and said that it will be somewhere in Revenge of the Sith. Yoda actually teaches Obi Wan how to do it in Revenge as it is something that only Yoda knows how to do. This is why you don't see Qui Gon talking in spiritual form to Anakin at all. Appearantly he shows this to Obi Wan as he is seeing the Jedi's are being killed off, and it is a last ditch training thing. Now weather it actually makes it into the films final edit or not is beyond me now, but Lucas said it will be addressed in the upcoming film. Now I am assuming that it had to be taught to Anakin too as he shows up at the end of ROTJ, but it might have been only tught to Obi Wan as he tells Vader "If you strike me down, I'll become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.". One would have to assume from that that Anakin is not taught it by Yoda as he would have known what Obi Wan would have become. Maybe Anakin is able to do it because he is "the chosen one" and so by default can do it. Who knows.

Liam Neeson was supposed to be in AOTC but was recovering from a motorcycle acciedent at the time. George had to make do with splicing some of his dialogue into AOTC from TPM (As Anakin is going atomic on the sandpeople's arses).

The physical evaporation is a more difficult achievement I think, than the appearing as a spectre. Pretty much anyone can be a spectre, even non force sensitive individuals. Takes a force-sensitive to see them though. I think.

 

[BigJim]

And in the right climate, one individual, suitably driven and skilled, can tip the universe into darkness. For darkness has followers, especially where discontent, isolation or fear hold sway. In such a climate enemies can be fashioned, imagined out of thin air, and suddenly all good is lost, all perspective vanishes, and illness taked hold."

From Jacen's lips to God's ear.

 

[Strider]

I would have less of a problem with this if he would still make the originals available.

 

[Dave2112]

This I agree with, and I see the point several of you are making. Again, I personally have no problem whatsoever with Lucas making these any way he wants, and I love the new look...it's what's always been in my head anyway. BUT...if people want the originals, they should have access to them.

Here's the problem with that, though.

The originals aren't even original anymore. The whole reason Lucas started doing the Special Editions was because the originals had deteriorated to a point where they HAD to be fixed or lost. I'm not sure if a watchable true original edit even exists anymore, outside of the VHS' already owned by some folks.

 

[BigJim]

True Dave, but they wouldn't be hard to make a digital copy of. You could have a re-mastered and "fixed" version that looks so close to the original cuts that only a true anorak like you or me who's seen the films upwards of 50 times each (or two or three hundred in your case😀) or someone with filming experience could tell the difference.

All people like myself and Strider mean (I think) is things like the original Death Star explosion, the beakless Sarlacc(which looked so much more horrible than the new version) etc.

Am I asking too much, or am I missing something simple here?

 

[theshire]

I saw a quote the other day from George Lucas, something akin to: 'The original versions of the movies were half-finished. I'm sorry if fans watched a half-finished movie and fell in love with it.'

In a way, I can sympathise with that. You only have to watch the documentary in the boxed set to see how rushed the original movie was.

And I'm pretty sure Qui-Gon is more important than he appears. The idea with his voice shouting at Anakin during AOTC is that somehow Anakin's rage has tapped into the spirit of the dead Jedi Mastr who discovered him. That's more major than the movie makes it seem.

 

[BigJim]

I gather that Nieson would actually have appeared in spectral form were it not for his accident. Ho-hum, such is life.


Thought for the day: Who the hucking fell had the idea of making Vader's lightsabre pink in ROTJ??? 😡 😡 😡

"Luke, give yourthelth to the dark thide. It ith the only way."

I apologise if Krokus or any other gay members of the forum take offence at that remark, but put this in an artistic perspective. In the original cut both Vader's and Obi-Wan's sabres were supposed to be blue-white. Vader's was changed to red because of its suggestiveness: we were to infer anger, rage and agression from the red colour. Are we to infer that His Darthness had a feminine side from the new colour?😕


Didn't someone also say there was a strange effect that occurs when Darht and Luke first cross blades in ROTJ? There is. For a second Luke's blade becomes transparent and you can see Vader's through it. Almost like the blades were merging or something. Odd.

 

[BigJim]

Yanno, that new Anakin ending is beginning to grow on me.


Still wish they'd ditch the Sarlacc's beak though. 😀

 

[BOFH666]

Still wish they'd ditch the Sarlacc's beak though. 😀

Ever see "Little Shop Of Horrors"? The one with Rick Moranis as Seymor? I keep expecting the Sarlacc to break into "I'm a mean grean mother from outer space and I'm baaad".

 

[BigJim]

Isn't it funny tht Peter Mayhew looks like Howard Stern's long lost brother in the making of DVD.

Amazing that isn't it? His picture from the 1970's looks more fasionable today than it did then, but now he looks like he should be back in the 70's. Heh heh.

I never did hear that he had wanted Spielberg to direct it. I remember about that time, before they had secured any director for it, that Spielberg was asked why he didn't direct one. I remember him saying something similar to why he would never direct a James Bond movie "I would love to but I would make it about the gadgets, and that would destroy what people live about the movies." or something like that. I am going off of 22 year old memory. I don't remember what the exact quote was on why he didn't think he would be a good director for a Star Wars memory, but it was something similar. So it is just funny that it said that in the Documentary on the 4th DVD.

Odd that. On my 4th disk it said he couldn't ask Spielberg because Lucas resigned from the Guild of Directors or something after an argument. I guess it's like a union thing or something?

It look like Lucas also slowed down the Milenium Falcon's upside down turn around over the cloud to go back and grab Luke hanging upaide down under cloud city to it original speed from the ramped up speed in the Special Edition of the Empire that was released in 1997. The sped up version in the 1997 S.E. judt didn't look right. Wonder it he wil speed it up again in the HD Ultimate Edition DVD.

Is the ultimate edition gonna be a 6-pack? *sighs* Lucas you bastard, you're costing me a fortune.

All this and I have to get a new Darth Vader lightsabre for the fancy dress party...

 

[theshire]

Last night, I finally finished listening to the audio commentaries for all three films, and I recommend that you listen to these, guys; they are extremely interesting. Hearing how Lucas' ideas evolved from his original two-hundred page script is fascinating, and I found myself agreeing with him on the subject of the Ewoks and their deeper purpose.

There is one thing he said in the Jedi commentary that I didn't agree with though.

I've never understood people that think that as soon as you use digital technology to create a creature or place it somehow looks 'fake'. Jabba's palace is full of rubber puppets; how do they look any less fake than CG characters? None of this is real anyway so I don't see the problem!

Well, CG characters do look faker in general because they don't fit in with the background, and are too clean and shiny for the rest of the movie. You have to remember that Lucas wanted the sets for the movies to be all dirty so they looked used and lived-in, and CG tends to contradict that.

It's also very interesting to hear from Ben Burtt about how the sound effects were done. That sounds like the most enjoyable job in the world! 😀

 

[BigJim]

Ah, that would explain it Buggs.


Yes shire, I totally agree with you. For a guy who's made gazillions at doing what he does very well, George can sure talk some bollocks sometimes.

 

[BigJim]

Mark Hammil's acting.

Some of you might remember that I've commented a couple of times that Mark Hammil was a below average actor at playing Luke Skywalker. Well I've got to qualify that, because I've realised something...

His acting only strikes me as truly mediocre in Return of the Jedi and I reckon there's a reason for this.

In ANH and ESB Luke is the inexperienced, whiny kid who's taking his lessons. Once ROTJ rolls round he's an arse-kicking macho man who's ready to take on the galaxy. Now I think Hamill had more in common with Luke's earlier incarnation than in the second one, which is why he seems so wodden in ROTJ.

Anyone else have an opinion on that?

 

[Dave2112]

Actually, Jim, I thought Luke was a hell of a lot deeper in ROTJ. Now, remember, I'm talking from my knowledge of Luke as a complete character through the whole Expanded Universe. You are correct in your assesment of Luke in the first two films, but in ROTJ, your take on him as an ass-kickin' mofo is a bit one-sided.

He was struggling more in ROTJ than at any other point in his "career" as a Jedi. This was the true crossroads, the moment of truth, and I for one think that ROTJ adressed this at least adequately.

 

[theshire]

Lucas said in the commentary that Hamill matured significantly between A New Hope and Return of the Jedi, much like his character. That explains the difference in performance, to me.

 

[BigJim]

Actually, Jim, I thought Luke was a hell of a lot deeper in ROTJ. Now, remember, I'm talking from my knowledge of Luke as a complete character through the whole Expanded Universe. You are correct in your assesment of Luke in the first two films, but in ROTJ, your take on him as an ass-kickin' mofo is a bit one-sided.

He was struggling more in ROTJ than at any other point in his "career" as a Jedi. This was the true crossroads, the moment of truth, and I for one think that ROTJ adressed this at least adequately.

Oh yes, I totally accept that my description of Luke's character was quite shallow; but I guessed most people would both realise that, and appreciate that he went on to mature quite a bit.

My comment doesn't centre on Luke hardly at all, it's about Mark Hamill's ability to portray him. I personally feel he did quite well at the "callow youth" persona (as Harrison Ford described it), but was wooden and a bit wanky at doing the much deeper, more confident Luke in ROTJ. That was my point.

 

[BigJim]

I've yet to listen to the commentary. I'll make a start tonight...

Lucas said in the commentary that Hamill matured significantly between A New Hope and Return of the Jedi, much like his character. That explains the difference in performance, to me.

As I said to Dave, that wasn't really my question. It's not a thing about whether he's matured or not, it's whether he can portray a certain character.

I personally feel Luke had more in common with the younger, less confident and more naive Luke from ANH and ESB than he did with the far more self-assured, confident and powerful Luke from ROTJ. Just my impressions of course.