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George Lucas May Be Completely Evil

gabec writes "Sci-fi Wire is reporting a couple rumors about the changes being made to the original Star Wars trilogy for its next release. That being that Natalie Portman may be being inserted into Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and that universally reviled Jar Jar Binks may be being inserted into Episode IV: A New Hope. May The Force forbid." Mind you this is reported as rumor, but it's so unsurprisingly possible...

60 of 971 comments (clear)

  1. Stupid Star Wars nerds by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    You're like abused wives. You keep coming back for more, even though it hurts.

    1. Re:Stupid Star Wars nerds by digitalunity · · Score: 4, Funny

      I'll take all the punishment George can give out for just a little more Natalie Portman

      :)

      --
      You can't legislate goodness. Let each to his own destiny, by will of his freely made choices.
    2. Re:Stupid Star Wars nerds by Gorbie · · Score: 3, Funny

      In Boston we can get the fans at the Fleetcenter to chant "Wife-beater" at Jason Kidd during a playoff game. Maybe we need to come up with a chant for Lucas to be heard at theaters across the nation.

      "NERD ABU-SER! NERD ABU-SER!"

      Of course any chant with Jar-Jar's name in it wouldn't be worth the breath it expelled...so we'll leave him out of it!

    3. Re:Stupid Star Wars nerds by grytpype · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yeah, you SW nerds should be on Maury.

      Maury: How did it feel when you saw how much Episode 1 sucked?

      Nerd: Ah felt betrayed, and ah felt abused. He abused me like ah was a wet food stamp!

      Maury: But you stood in line for weeks to be the first nerd to see Episode 2!

      Nerd: [Nods, weeping]

      Maury: Well, why do you keep going back to him?

      Nerd: Because ah LOVE him! I LOVE George Lucas!

      --

      - Have a picture

    4. Re:Stupid Star Wars nerds by matrix29 · · Score: 4, Funny

      You're like abused wives. You keep coming back for more, even though it hurts.

      Damn and I was hoping in Episode 3 we find out Jar Jar Binks is actually the thinner version of Jabba the Hut. I figure Jar Jar (once he realized how badly he screwed over the Federation and after he grew a conscience) started over-eating to subsume his growing guilt, started a black-market trading operation to undercut the Empire financially, and finally lost his mind when he started eating his Queen Amidala dancer-substitute. Face it folks - Jar Jar is Jabba the Hut. Once you accept it, all of it makes sense.

      --
      "Face it, a nation that maintains a 72% approval rating on George W. Bush is a nation with a very loose grip on reality.
  2. I knew it.... by NetJunkie · · Score: 5, Funny

    As soon as Lucas said he was waiting for the new three to be released before putting the originals on DVD, I said he was going to do this. What will it be called, Super Special Edition? Speciai Edition Pro? 32-Bit Special Edition Turbo?

    1. Re:I knew it.... by flying_triguy · · Score: 4, Funny

      How about Star Wars Trilogy - XP

  3. But why??? by RayChuang · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'm not sure if this is even a good idea.

    It might work for continuity purposes (in George Lucas' mind), but frankly, most Star Wars fans prefer Episodes IV-VI to be as unchanged as possible even after Episode III is released. Lucas will be accused to overtinkering with the first Star Wars trilogy, and that won't win him friends among old-time Star Wars fandom, that's to be sure.

    --
    Raymond in Mountain View, CA
    1. Re:But why??? by _ph1ux_ · · Score: 5, Insightful

      as much as I love star wars - I cant stand lucas... basically I see him as someone who's whole career is riding on the one good success he had - A new Hope, ep IV....

      He is *not* the genius visionary that all his buddies and hollywood ass kissers like to tell him he is - he just had one really good idea - but now he is just a greedy flipping bastard without imagination and vision. The star wars universe has been built up and expanded upon by the great fans that have loved the original seed that lucas planted and nurtured it into a mature and full concept - the only thing lucas does for the sar wars universe these days is capitalize on it.

      he is not a good director, he is just someone who stumbled onto something that became great - regardless of him. but he keeps his imperial grip on the concept and makes himself more and more into the palpatine we despise....

      /rant

    2. Re:But why??? by crimoid · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I've been a Star Wars fan from day 1. Sure I'm annoyed with Jar Jar, and sure there are moments in EVERY episode that are corny, but I love the story - every version of it.

      Personally I would LOVE for Lucas to tinker with ANY episode that he wants to. Barring a complete rewrite of the story I'll be chomping at the bit to see what layers of the story can be added.

      If he blows it and introduces something new and corny I'll just watch my older VHS copy of the episode, no harm done. If he pulls a rabbit out of the hat and adds more depth, or better effects, or ties the story together better I'll eat it up.

      Star Wars isn't sacred and written in stone. It's just a story, one of the most epic stories ever told. Obviously as time goes on the story will grow (fan fiction, Lucas himself) and evolve (remastering, etc.). Given the advances in technology I'd love to see all of the episodes stiched together seamlessly. How many of us wouldn't want to fiddle with the originals if we were in Lucas' position?

    3. Re:But why??? by ajs · · Score: 5, Insightful

      "[George Lucas] is *not* the genius visionary that all his buddies and hollywood ass kissers like to tell him he is"

      Heh, I always love to hear this kind of uninformed sillyness. It's what keeps me going.

      First off, as for directing, Lucas is good. He directs well, and his visual sense is utterly amazing. He's terrible at some things, and I would never rank him with someone like Kubrik or Hitchcock. There are, however, only a handful of people who can make a movie as physically engaging as episodes IV, V and II. Technically he does a good job.

      But no one sings Lucas' praises solely for his directorial work. The reason that he's refered to as a giant in the industry is the sheer number of times he's changed the way Hollywood works! You may have heard of the names Skywalker Sound, Lucasfilm, Lucas Arts, Pixar, ILM? These are all Lucas companies that have contributed hugely to the modernization of the movie-making industry. Having created any *one* of them would have been an achivement worthy of comment in Hollywood. Having created all of them is frankly stunning.

      There are also less... wholesome things that I credit the man with genius and visionary status for. He forsook pay on episode IV in return for merchandizing rights. He was frankly laughed at for asking for this, but the studio happily gave away the "worthless" merchandizing rights. No studio will ever be able to take that decision lightly again because it was George Lucas who showed Hollywood what those rights were really worth. That money paid to turn ILM and Lucasfilm into forces to be reckoned with in Hollywood and in turn founded Skywalker Sound, Pixar, and lots of other little companies as spinnoffs (can anyone remember the name of the medical imaging company that Pixar spun off?)

      You may or may not like or respect Lucas, and that call is all yours, but I think genius visionary is a title that can be safely awarded to anyone who slaps Hollywood to its senses and ushers in the age of digital effects and later digital film making.

    4. Re:But why??? by Krelnik · · Score: 4, Interesting
      > ...this kind of uninformed sillyness.

      > ...He directs well....There are, however, only a handful of
      > people who can make a movie as physically engaging
      > as episodes IV, V and II.

      How about practicing what you preach? Lucas did not direct V, Irvin Kershner did.

  4. HEY! by Dirtside · · Score: 5, Funny

    Jar-Jar is not UNIVERSALLY reviled: the Galactic Senate heartily approved of his proposal to grant Emp^H^H^HChancellor Palpatine emergency powers! Heck, even Anakin seems to like Jar-Jar, and we know what a hothead he can be. Don't you think Anakin would have dismembered Jar-Jar at the first opportunity if JJB was REALLY so reviled?

    Binks: A Future For Your Children. A Future For The Republic. Vote Today.

    --
    "Destroy science and religion. Science would re-emerge exactly the same; but not religion." - Penn Jillette, paraphrased
  5. No need for hysteria by ShawnDoc · · Score: 5, Interesting
    The main rumor is that Portman will film a "flashback" scene to be inserted into ROTJ when Luke asks Leia if she remembers her mother. (Implying that Leia was born a few years before Luke)

    Personally, I like the idea of this. It helps tie all 6 movies together and makes them seem like the series they are supposed to be. I mean, its not like he's totally changing the movie like he did with ANH and the Greedo scene.

    1. Re:No need for hysteria by Cheeko · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Except that Luke and Leia are twins. My guess is that in Episode 3, Obi-Wan takes Luke and Amadala takes Leia and they hide them, raise them etc. Likely Leia remembers her real mother cause she lived with her for a short time before her mother dies.

    2. Re:No need for hysteria by hoggoth · · Score: 3, Funny

      Why is everyone assuming the worst?

      Perhaps Lucas wants to acknowledge what a mistake Jar-Jar is by giving the fans what they want.
      The new scene will have Jar-Jar as a groveling, mistreated, abused slave of the Emperor. The Emperor will be in a discussion with his heads of state while Jar-Jar crawls in on all fours carrying a drink for the Emperor. Obviously beaten and broken, Jar-Jar cringes at each movement of his master.

      Of course... since Jar-Jar is obviously a racial stereotype this may not go over so well...

      --
      - For the complete works of Shakespeare: cat /dev/random (may take some time)
  6. How dare he... by tswinzig · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...make changes to his own movie!

    --

    "And like that ... he's gone."
  7. Re:I thought she was dead. by Saint+Nobody · · Score: 3, Insightful

    and luke thought his father died when he was very young, too. what's you're bloody point?





    SPOILER
    luke's father isn't dead. he wnet to the dark side and became darth vader.

    --
    #define F(x) int main(){printf(#x,10,#x);}
    F(#define F(x) int main(){printf(#x,10,#x);}%cF(%s))
  8. Isn't this the exact same crowd... by stubear · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...that wants to eliminate copyrights so ANYONE can make changes like this on a whim?

    Yeah, count my vote on that one.

  9. Bar Scene by falser · · Score: 5, Funny

    I think I'd be happy with this news if they decide to replace the alien that was bullying Luke with Jar Jar, and instead of Obiwan cutting off his arm he decides to rid the Star Wars universe of him once and for all:

    JJ: "Meesa wanted man in 12 systems!!!"

    Luke: "I'll be careful"

    JJ: "Yousa be dead like a da Gungans!!!"

    (swoosh! - lops off his head)

  10. May not be that bad. by Papa+Legba · · Score: 5, Insightful

    First I want to say that any lengthy insert would be a disaster. I think their is no argument at all on that subject.

    I can , however, see where a small insert would be helpfull to the story line. Something like a shot of jar jar watching luke meet obiwan and saying "the circle starts again" or something similar IANASW( I am not a script writer). A small item to help tie the first three with the next three. With the way that these movies were filmed, in reverse order, Something like this may be necesary to make them feel as a whole series again.

    The other possibility is that he needs to add elements to tie the last three to the middle three. For an example having queen amadala show in return to say that she was never gone but hiding out and once the emporer is defeated we need to go do this. He may have excluded these parts in the original filming becuase it would have created a cliff hanger in the movie that would not be resolved for 30 to 40 years. Now he can add it and start the work, striving for a completed nine movies over three sets of three.

    The point is a little dash of extra may not be so bad, have to see it to judge. Let's just hope this is not done as some marketting stunt to get us all buy the movies AGAIN.

    --
    Papa Legba come and open the gate
    1. Re:May not be that bad. by doorbot.com · · Score: 5, Insightful

      He may have excluded these parts in the original filming becuase it would have created a cliff hanger in the movie that would not be resolved for 30 to 40 years. Now he can add it and start the work, striving for a completed nine movies over three sets of three.

      My understanding was that the trilogies were supposed to be separate. Yes, there is a background story which flows between the nine, but each trilogy is (I guess) about a different generation. But hasn't Lucas said he wasn't going to make the third trilogy.

      Which brings me to my argument. I have yet to see any convincing evidence that there ever was a trilogy of trilogies. It seems to me that Lucas is just winging it, knowing Star Wars fanatics will blindly follow where their messiah takes them (call it fundamentalism if you want). He may have had the original trilogy in mind when he made the Ep IV (debatable) but I find it extremely hard to believe he had the entire series of nine in mind. Now, however, he's in a position to claim he had the whole thing in mind the whole time, and who is really going to question him? SW zealots take his word as Truth, and nobody else really cares.

      I'm actually planning on seeing AOTC tonight, so we'll see if Lucas manages to impress. I have the advantage of having no hopes that it will... so perhaps this movie will be rated on its own merit and not the merit of the supposed "universe" which "Lucas created." Newsflash: Lucas didn't do a hell of a lot... writers like Timothy Zahn did the great work extending the SW universe. Lucas just gets the credit.

      I'm a former SW fan (fanatic, perhaps, but only a bit beyond the "fan" level). Maybe that makes me a bit disgruntled and angry of how Lucas has fleshed out the plot to "his" movies -- that's fine if they're his movies, but you'd think he'd have the self-interest to make sure the new ones didn't suck. Episode I was just another example of Lucas's complete lack of talent.

      As Han says, "I call it luck."
      To which Obi-Wan answers, "In my experience, there's no such thing as luck."

      Well... who do you like more? I always liked Han.

  11. Tragic by Washizu · · Score: 4, Funny

    How dare he ruin the series by making changes to it after it was released.

    Ooh a new halflife patch!

    --
    OddManIn: A Game of guns and game theory.
  12. Bootleg Episode 3 by DanMcS · · Score: 4, Funny

    You know, I hear that if you cross the International Date Line thrice, backwards, at the equator, and then find the proper site in Taiwan, you can get a copy of Episode 3 before Lucas has a chance to mess it up...

    --
    Communication is only possible between equals
  13. Look on the bright side by Washizu · · Score: 5, Funny

    At least this opens the possibility that Lucas could redo Episode I.

    --
    OddManIn: A Game of guns and game theory.
  14. From the SlashDot Rumor Mill Dept. . . by PhxBlue · · Score: 3, Funny

    May I suggest a change of motto?

    Rumors for Nerds. Tabloid that Thinks it Matters.

    --
    !#@%*)anks for hanging up the phone, dear.
  15. Re:Maybe interesting... by damiangerous · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Just rent the tapes....

    You know, I'd buy them, if only I could. But you know what? I can't. I can buy the new versions of 4,5 and 6, but not the original versions. Lucas won't sell the originals anymore. So, no money from me, George.

  16. Re:I thought she was dead. by zeus_tfc · · Score: 3, Funny

    Darth Padme will be in a black leather get up complimenting Vader's attire.

    Natalie Portman in black leather... Mmmmmmmm...

    Uh, *Cough* Um, sorry, I was in a happy place there for a second.

    --
    "...At the end of the day"..."when everyone goes home, you're stuck with yourself." RIP Layne Staley
  17. Re:I knew it.... Star Wars XP - by mjstrom · · Score: 4, Funny

    with new integrated scenses - they're part of the script, they can't be removed.

  18. Re:Why? by cjpez · · Score: 5, Funny
    It's like removing words from the dictionary in 1984.

    lol. Right. It's imperative that we ensure our fiction is as absolutely accurate as possible. How will future generations know what might really have happened on Tatooine if it would have been a real place? Who can our children trust when they need to find out how the Rebel Alliance could possibly have destroyed the first Death Star assuming that either of those things existed in the first place.

    Please. Okay, yeah, Lucas may be a jerk for changing stuff around (if, indeed, he ends up doing so), but hell, don't liken it to 1984. It's just a movie.

  19. Re:I thought she was dead. by r00tarded · · Score: 3, Funny

    like george wont hack that bit out and change it to "she was able to sell a lot of action figures and posters when i was very young."

  20. Didnt you see the Simpsons episode... by Kynde · · Score: 5, Funny

    Jar-Jar sure aint "UNIVERSALLY" reviled.
    Hasn't anyone seen the Simpsons episode where the comic store clerk goes to sleep with a life-sized Jar-Jar doll saying "Oh Jar-Jar, no one loves you but me..." .

    Groening couldn't have been more correct there...

    --
    1 Earth is warming, 2 It's us, 3 it's royally bad, 4 we need to take action NOW
  21. Who gives a damn? by jcoleman · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The movies are the sole intellectual property of GEORGE LUCAS. They do not belong to you. They do not belong to the fans. They do not belong to the merchandisers. They belong to LucasFilm, which in turn belongs to George Lucas.

    These six movies are a saga. They tell a long, complex story with lots of twists and turns. When Lucas comes up with what he thinks is a good idea, he puts it in the mix. If he has to change a couple of things around to fit it in, he does. Big deal. It's not like he's going to change his mind on Darth Vader being Luke's father.

    He can do whatever he wants with his movies, and personally I think he's doing a fantastic job. All six movies will fit together as a cohesive whole when it's all said and done.

    This ain't Shakespeare, folks. Even Tolkien went back and corrected some continuity problems after LotR was published. So get over it.

    1. Re:Who gives a damn? by jcoleman · · Score: 4, Insightful

      He owes you a good movie? Listen to yourself.

      The "true fans." This is the problem with the movie industry. Everyone is so busy catering to the "true fans" that people forget about making good films. "Oooo, the Tolkien fans won't like it if we take something out of the book." "Oooo, the Star Wars fans won't like it if we put Jar Jar in the next movie."

      The fans' opinion does not matter. If you are truly concerned with artists making good films, then quit expecting them to cater to your every whim. It is not your film. Even if you have every single Star Wars figure, book, bedspread, drinking glass, etc., you still have no say in what an artist puts into his art. You don't hear art collectors saying "I like Starry Night, but I wish Van Gogh had put some more red in it. He owed it to us to paint a picture that we'd like."

      If you don't like what the artist has to say, how his story is told, or what accent his characters speak with then don't buy his work. No one is forcing you.

      You are truly the epitomy of a consumer.

    2. Re:Who gives a damn? by Servo5678 · · Score: 4, Funny
      It's not like he's going to change his mind on Darth Vader being Luke's father.

      The Year: 2007. The Empire Strikes Back: Ultimate Edition hits the screens.

      In a controversially updated scene, Luke follows Darth Vader to the Cloud City of Bespin, where at the climactic moment of the legendary lightsaber duel, Vader says...

      "No, Luke... meesa es your father!!!!!"

    3. Re:Who gives a damn? by marick · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The movies are the sole intellectual property of GEORGE LUCAS.

      Ok, I agree, George Lucas owns those movies. But the ideas he put down on film in episodes 4-6 are our common experience. They are part of our culture. We know what happened in the first star wars trilogy and we know what didn't happen.

      I'm from Boston, and I know that in 1986, the Red Sox lost the world series on a grounder through the legs of Bill Buckner. I also know that the Red Sox DID NOT win the world series, have not since 1918. As much as I wish it could be otherwise, this is the way the world is.

      Fiction is otherwise, but it's still a shared common experience. We all know Luke lost his hand in episode 5. We all know Han was encased in carbonite. We all know Yoda dies in episode 6. These are as much facts for us as the 1986 world series or the Apollo moon landing or 9/11/2001 or Tiennanmen Square.

      Now, suppose George Lucas could rewrite history. Would we approve? No, of course not. This is, in many ways, no different. Jar Jar Binks was not in "A New Hope". But now Lucas is saying "No, no, I can change history. I own this Intellectual Property and can do as I wish with it.". In short, yes, he CAN make a mockery of our common heritage. I, for one, certainly hope he doesn't.

      Episodes 4-6 stand on their own as a saga of epic proportions. They live on in my mind as memories of happy days in the past, before the dark times, before Jar Jar. I only hope my children will have the opportunity to feel the same way.

  22. What about the originals? by rob_from_ca · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Personally, I don't care what he does to his movie. The sad part for me is that all the work done on restoring footage and reworking original soundtracks is all thrown into these modified special editions. The _original_ films now only exist as worn VHS tapes. The first special editions were different; not necessarily better, but different. Any further rounds of modification will be different still.

    It's sad that the original films have become lost to consumers, and presumably will stay lost. How about if he releases the original, restored (but unaltered) movies on DVD first. Then he's free to add Jar Jar, Natalie Portman, Samuel Jackson, Matt LeBlanc or whoever the hell else he wants to Episodes IV-VI.

    1. Re:What about the originals? by b1t+r0t · · Score: 3, Funny
      The _original_ films now only exist as worn VHS tapes.

      That's odd. I could swear my laserdiscs were of the original films. Aside from the "A New Hope" title, that is. I hear that got inserted in the years between the original theatrical release and the video release. Damn, I wish I knew what happened to the ancient bootleg VHS copy that my family used to have way back when.

      --

      --
      "Open source is good." - Steve Jobs
      "Open source is evil." - Microsoft
    2. Re:What about the originals? by Krelnik · · Score: 3, Interesting
      If you are careful about the DVD mastering, you can do both, actually. Check out the Terminator 2: Ultimate Edition DVD sometime.

      It's a two disk set (or two sided disk, depending on when you bought it). On the first side/disk are three different edits of the film: the original edit, the "special edition" they did for cable a few years back, and an extended edition (hidden behind an easter egg) that includes a few more scenes that aren't even in the special edition. What's great about it is everyone gets what they want: Cameron can deliver the recut version he likes best, and fans can see the other two versions as well. (Cameron's preference apparently is the middle version, which is why the longest one is hidden behind an easter egg).

      How do they jam three separate edits of a 152 minute movie on one DVD? They don't. They take advantage of the seamless branching functionality that has been in the DVD format all along, and re-use the sections of the flick that are unchanged from one edit to the other.

      Now, the question is: is Lucas is smart enough to do this?

  23. Killing Jar Jar by jms · · Score: 3, Funny

    Here's an idea.

    Remember the scene where Greedo confronts Han in the cantena. Now we all know that in the original Star Wars, Han shoots first, but for the "special edition", Greedo shoots first, and his shot hits the wall next to Han.

    Imagine Jar Jar sitting next to Han. Greedo shoots first, blowing Jar Jar's head off. Han shoots second, killing Greedo.

    Everyone wins.

  24. Sequels to the Phantom Edit... by smackdotcom · · Score: 4, Funny

    Let's face it, the moment "Attack of the Clones" hits the video market someone's going to be chopping out the annoying C-3PO "comedy" bits. Any changes that Lucas makes to the originals will find themselves weeded out just as quickly by the die-hard fans. Along those lines, I'd like to be the first to suggest the naming scheme for the impending fan edits:

    Episode I: The Phantom Edit

    Epidose II: Attack of the Edit

    Episode III: TBA

    Episode IV: A New Edit

    Episode V: The Edit Strikes Back

    Episode VI: The Return of the Edit

    And of course Portman is going to end up a glowing ghost beside Anakin, Obi-Wan and the little green dude. Heck, it wouldn't surprise me if Lucas digitally inserts (a suitably make-up aged) Hayden Christensen instead of the guy who's playing Anakin now. Long story short--don't worry about it. The technology is there and the devout Star Wars afficiandos (you know, the guys who make their own vacuum-formed stormtrooper armour?) will have a definitive FAN-tastic version circulating out on the Net before you know it.

    --

    In a world without walls, there is no need for Windows.

  25. SCENE: Alderaan... by MagikSlinger · · Score: 5, Funny

    Jar-Jar and Bail Organa looking up at the ominous new star in the heavens.

    Jar-Jar: "Issa thata new moona, Bail Organa?"

    CUT TO Death Star interior as the Planet Pulverizer(TM) fires and hits Alderaan.

    CUT TO Jar-Jar binks being hidiously vaporized on Alderaan in a cruel twist of fate for giving the empire its power.

    So you see, people, it might not be that bad...

    --
    The bitter lessons of a veteran coder: http://bitterprogrammer.blogspot.com
  26. The tighter you squeeze the franchise. . . . by Salgak1 · · Score: 3, Funny
    . . . the more fans will slip thorugh your fingers.

    Now, all we need is a CGI Peter Cushing with a CGI Lucas beard and flannel shirt. . . .

  27. Different versions on DVD? by Dephex+Twin · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I don't know if George Lucas would want to do this, but what if the DVD had all three versions (or at least the original and the newest with both sets of new stuff)? That way, our beloved original is not lost, but there's some fun added stuff.

    Would there be any harm in doing this?

    mark

    --

    If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe. -- Carl Sagan
    1. Re:Different versions on DVD? by b1t+r0t · · Score: 4, Funny
      Would there be any harm in doing this?

      Yes. To George's ego.

      --

      --
      "Open source is good." - Steve Jobs
      "Open source is evil." - Microsoft
  28. Re:I thought she was dead. by joib · · Score: 3, Funny


    We're getting DEEP into nerdism here

    To say the least... ;-)


    It's interesting to note that while Vader does know he had a child, it isn't until he reads Luke's mind in ROTJ does he realize he had twin children.

    I don't see any inconsistency here. Anakin bangs wife -> wife gets pregnant. Even Anakin should understand that his wife is pregnant even if she wouldn't tell him, no matter how dim-witted he is. And seing how he acted in "Attack of the clones", that is plenty dimwitted indeed. Anyway, so Anakin joins Palpatine (hey, I would too if I'd get that cool black helmet with The-breathing-sound) and leaves Padme. Or maybe Padme dumped Anakin? You know, maybe she wasn't satisified, or she was plain weirded out when Anakin fingered her with that robotic hand (you can see the robot hand at the end of "attack of the clones")? ;-D

  29. That does not follow by mblase · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Many (not all) of us *do* want general freedom to modify the original films in this manner.

    We also want to have the choice of retaining the film in its original presentation.

    Lucas seems bent on changing the "Star Wars" movies a bit more with every major release so that the only way to get the original films may one day be to buy the VHS copies on eBay somewhere.

    Pfah to that. Not *everyone* wants to see the films "enhanced" with new footage, and I'd like to have the choice of not seeing it when I watch the film.

  30. Star Wars needs Service Packs by Picass0 · · Score: 5, Funny

    So now every year or two you'll have to patch Star Wars to keep it current. SP1 will patch inconsistancies with caracter's memories, age, and correct lightsaber colors!

  31. Not 9 Movies. No, really. Just 6. by Dirtside · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Back in 1977, right after Star Wars became a huge hit, Lucas had said that he did indeed have the rest of the story more or less sketched out, and that he thought it would take 9 movies to do it. Heck, originally he wanted to put the entire Anakin cycle in ONE movie, but it was way too long. He wasn't expecting Star Wars to succeed, he just wanted to make a fun movie. Then it hit it big and he said, "Hmm..." Anyway, originally he thought it would take 9 movies, but a short while later he realized that he didn't have enough story for 9 -- 6 movies would do. Ever since then is the oft-repeated myth that there's going to be 3 more movies after Episode III finishes. If there are, it's not going to be part of the Anakin cycle (well, naturally, since Anakin dies in ROTJ).

    I don't discount the possibility that there could be more Star Wars movies after Episode III, but I personally don't think Lucas will want to put out the effort. Remember, he's going to be 61 years old when Episode 3 comes out, and productions of this magnitude take a huge amount of effort. I suppose he could act in more of a supervisory role and let someone else handle more of the day-to-day duties, but, the question of Lucas' talent aside, would such movies FEEL like "Star Wars"? Hard to see, the future is. Not to mention the fact that the story arc would be more or less unrelated to Eps. 1-6, and we probably wouldn't have the same emotional attachments we've formed with the characters we already know.

    It has occurred to me that an "interim" movie would be possible, something that takes place between episodes 3 and 4 (call it "Star Wars: Rise of the Empire" with no "Episode N" part) that bridges the 20-year gap... maybe giving some details of the Empire's atrocities, Luke and Leia's upbringings, maybe Han's background, etc. Just a thought of my own.

    --
    "Destroy science and religion. Science would re-emerge exactly the same; but not religion." - Penn Jillette, paraphrased
  32. You're just who Lucas is looking for by Wind_Walker · · Score: 4, Insightful
    I do not mean to offend you, but you're exactly the kind of Star Wars fan that Lucas wants. You'll take any shit that he puts on celluloid and eat it right up. Since you say "...I'll eat it up" I assume that means you'll buy the new version of his movies. Wow, another couple billion in his pocket. And if it sucks, then you'll still rent the video and see how bad it sucks; only about 200 million in his pocket.

    Oh, and calling Star Wars one of the most epic stories ever written is pathetic. Read some books for God's sake. Ever heard of The Illiad? The Odyssey? The Maha-Barata? Fucking BEOWULF, for God's sake! Get out more!

  33. And now by The+Cat · · Score: 5, Funny

    From the home office in Anchorage, Alaska, the TOP TEN PLACES TO ADD JAR-JAR IN EPISODE 4:

    10. Orbiting Tatooine in the opening scene.
    9. Sweeping the hallway on the Princess' ship right before the stormtroopers cut through the door
    8. In the first escape pod from the Princess' ship
    7. Standing behind Obi-Wan at the bar
    6. Under the table during Greedo and Han's conversation
    5. Admiring the Millenium Falcon from the doorway just prior to its departure
    4. Running a lemonade stand on Alderaan
    3. Last (almost) through the blast doors
    2. Porkins' co-pilot

    ..and the NUMBER ONE place for Jar-Jar in Episode 4:

    1. In the exhaust shaft!

  34. R2D2 Memory by bigdavex · · Score: 3, Funny

    Lucas also reportedly told E! Online that the reason droids C-3P0 and R2-D2 have no memory of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader is because their memories have been wiped prior to the beginning of Episode IV, the original Star Wars movie. "[C-3P0's] memory system has been erased, and so has R2's," Lucas told the site. "So they don't remember anything from the first trilogy. I'm telling you something from Episode III, but I shouldn't be telling you that, but I think most of the fans already know that."

    That explains a lot. R2 doesn't fly in episodes 4-6 because he forgot he can.
    --
    -Dave
  35. Re:Not 9 Movies. No, really. Just 6. by Dirtside · · Score: 5, Informative
    As an addendum to the above post, here's a quote from the Star Wars FAQ on the official Star Wars website:
    # Episode VII and Beyond

    1. Wasn't Star Wars going to be nine or more parts? Will sequels be made set after Return of the Jedi?

    Early on in the saga's development, some thought was given to have a trilogy set after Return of the Jedi. George Lucas has long since changed his mind, and the entire Star Wars saga will now encompass six episodes, starting with The Phantom Menace, and ending with Return of the Jedi. There will be no future Star Wars films set after Return of the Jedi.

    --
    "Destroy science and religion. Science would re-emerge exactly the same; but not religion." - Penn Jillette, paraphrased
  36. Re:Remember the classics... by Zordak · · Score: 5, Funny
    As for Windu, he will probably be killed of in a down and dirty backstabbing (maybe even physically by Palpatine himself), or die last in a glorious "last stand of the Jedi" against Palpatines clone troopers. Personally I would like the former better, but I don't think Lucas can resist the "last stand" cliche.

    Actually, I got ahold of a bootleg copy of the script for EP III on the internet, and found this interesting little piece of dialog just before Mace Windu's death:

    Boba Fet: Hello, my name is Boba Fet. You killed my father. Prepare to die.

    Mace Windu: STOP SAYING THAT!!!

    --

    Today's Sesame Street was brought to you by the number e.
  37. I can see it now.. by Bowie+J.+Poag · · Score: 5, Funny



    Episode IV: Jar Jar steps in Jawa poo.

    Episode V: Jar Jar steps in Jabba the Hut's poo.

    Episode VI: Jar Jar steps in Ewok poo.

    I just think Lucas is trying to insert "poo" analogies in his films. Pretty soon, Vader will be re-dubbed to refer to his army of "stormpoopers". Han Solo will be encased in poop instead of carbonite, AT-ATs will step in poop, and and the climax of the saga will be when Vader gets unmasked, only to say "Poop, I am your faaaa-tha."

    Save The Planet - Nuke California,

    --
    Bowie J. Poag

  38. from email... by GoNINzo · · Score: 5, Funny
    There's going to be an extra scene included in the DVD release of EMPIRE STRIKES BACK coming up next year! Basically, it expands on the scene where Vader reveals his fatherhood to Luke, and ties up some loose ends created with the release of Episode 1.

    INT: BESPIN GANTRY - MOMENTS LATER:

    A furious lightsaber duel is underway. DARTH VADER is backing LUKE SKYWALKER towards the end of the gantry. A quick move by Vader, chops off Luke's hand! It goes spinning off into the ventilation shaft. Luke backs away. He looks around, but realizes there's nowhere to go but straight down.

    Darth Vader: Obi Wan never told you what happened to your father.
    Luke: He told me enough! He told me you killed him!
    Darth Vader: No... I am your father!
    Luke: No, it's not true! It's impossible.
    Darth Vader: Search your feelings... you know it to be true...
    Luke: NO!
    Darth Vader: Yes, it is true... and you know what else? You know that brass droid of yours?
    Luke: Threepio?
    Darth Vader: Yes... Threepio... I built him... when I was 7 years old...
    Luke: No...
    Darth Vader: Seven years old? And what have you done? Look at yourself, no hand, no job, and couldn't even levitate your own ship out of the swamp...
    Luke: I destroyed your precious Death Star!
    Darth Vader: When you were 20! When I was 10, I single-handedly destroyed a Trade Federation Droid Control ship!
    Luke: Well, it's not my fault...
    Darth Vader: Oh, here we go... "Poor me... my father never gave me what I wanted for my birthday... boo hoo, my daddy's the Dark Lord of the Sith... waahhh wahhh!"
    Luke: Shut up...
    Darth Vader: You're a slacker! By the time I was your age, I had exterminated the Jedi knights!
    Luke: I used to race my T-16 through Beggar's Canyon.
    Darth Vader: Oh, for the love of the Emperor... 10 years old, winner of the Boonta Eve Open... Only human to ever fly a Pod Racer... right here, baby!
    {Luke looks down the shaft. Takes a step towards it.}
    Darth Vader: I was wrong... You're not my kid... I don't know whose you are, but you sure ain't mine...
    {Luke takes a step off the platform, hesitates, then plunges down the shaft.}
    {Darth Vader looks after him.}
    Darth Vader: Get a haircut!

    --
    Gonzo Granzeau
    "Nothing the god of biomechanics wouldn't let you into heaven for.." -Roy Batty
  39. Episode III spoiler by jafac · · Score: 5, Funny

    I just got an email from George Lucas himself, asking me what I think of his proposed outline for Episode III (he said his outline for II finished up a week after filming started, we all know what a disaster that was, so he's trying to get a headstart on III).

    In III, it is 15 years later. The Clone Wars are in full swing. Chancellor Palpatine's "War on Secessionists" has killed many innocent people, but has failed to bring Count Dooku to justice.
    Amidala has secretly had Anakin's love babies - while Anakin has been called away to fight the "War on Secessionists" with his side kick ObiWan.

    Jar Jar accidentally flips the latch on Amidala's window in her high-rise as she leans on it to look out on the beatiful sunrise one morning (er - I wonder what Jar Jar was doing in Amidala's room in the early morning?). Anakin totally blows his top, and abandons his post, returning to Coruscant, he confronts Jar Jar, who admits that he was "doing" Amidala, and that Luke and Leia are really HIS. Anakin force-grabs Jar Jar, and lightsabers his arms and legs off, then shoves him out the same window, and before dropping him 5000 feet, tears his torso to shreds.

    In the meantime, ObiWan is instructed by Yoda to NOT confront Anakin, but instead, to protect Luke and Leia from his growing rage. So ObiWan successfully evades Anakin on Coruscant, abducts the children, and spirits them off to Bail Organa's home planet of Alderaan. To have him adopt them as the Jedi's ace in the hole against the growing menace of their loose cannon, Anakin.
    Anakin finds out and decides that the Jedi council is plotting against him, and needs to be destroyed. And so, he destroys them. Three escape. Yoda, Mace, and a new Jedi, Ell Ron Hubbardi played by John Travolta. A long hunting sequence plays out where Mace Windu and Ell Ron lead Anakin on a wild goose chase through the streets of Coruscant in a speeder, while Mace and Ell Ron philosophise about the meaning of life, the force, phenomenology, etc.

    While they stop for food at a "Space Denny's", Mace goes to the bathroom, and Anakin finally catches up to Ell Ron, and uses the Jedi Mind Trick (TM) to convince him that Mace is evil and that they should destroy eachother. Mace comes out of the bathroom, and they have the lightsaber duel to end all lightsaber duels. Properly disposed of, Anakin now ignores the two and pursues Yoda. But by now, the trail is cold, and he ends up on Alderaan, looking for the kids, so he can destroy them. ObiWan finds him first, and they duel nearly to the death, and Anakin is plunged into a volcano.

    Mace has destroyed Ell Ron Hubbardi, and it is in the remains of the shattered high-rise that was the Space Denny's that the emporer encounters him, all pissed off and shit. The emporer turns him to the dark side, and has him change his name to Darth Vader. The emporer says that he will tell everyone that Darth Vader is really Anakin, rescued from the Volcano, and rebuilt with off the shelf cyborg parts.

    Yoda catches up with Obi Wan, and tells him that they've got to change plans a bit, because having BOTH twins on Alderaan is a single-point of failure, so Obi Wan takes Luke to Tatooine, and sells him as a slave for a cheap hooker. Luke is eventually sold through several owners, who decide to get rid of him as soon as they find out how much he whines, until he ends up in the same fate as his grandmother Shmi. Eventually, Owen comes to love Luke and sets him free, and even stops molesting him - but continues to keep him on as a farmhand. Yoda, in the meantime, has hidden himself on Dagobah.

    Oh yeah, and one twist he wants to add.
    The Space Denny's actually gathers roadkill from all around Coruscant. People who have fallen out of windows, or their speeder's seatbelts weren't fastened, etc. And grinds them up as mystery meat. So Mace and Ell Ron were actually eating bits of Amidala and Jar Jar. And when Anakin stopped to warp Ell Ron's mind, he also took a bite of Mace's hamburger, containing bits of Amidala. In this way, Amidala's body became part of the force, and this is the route through which she becomes a ghost at the end of the re-made episode VI. Also, they'll have to reshoot the scenes where Vader takes off his mask in Episode V and VI (and his ghost scene at the end of VI) to replace him with Windu. This is also how Jar Jar's ghost ends up in Episode IV, because he was eaten by Mace, who was Darth Vader. Jar Jar's ghost will be in the scene where Obi Wan is killed, he'll tell Luke; "Luke! Meesa tink yoosa better get a runnin boss" - but he won't admit to being his true father, because that would present an obvious continutiy error with Episode V. In fact, it will never be revealed to Luke who his real father is, and when he pulls off Vader's mask at the end and sees that it's Mace, he'll chalk up the skin color difference to volcanic scorching or something.

    - - -
    I'm not sure what to say to George. I mean, I think he sent it to me by mistake - I actually opened it by mistake, because the subject line was "Enlarge your penis 500%!" -
    I think it's a great idea that hes getting a headstart, and I kind of like this better than where it looked like it was headed.

    --

    These are my friends, See how they glisten. See this one shine, how he smiles in the light.
  40. Other Rumored Changes by OneWeirdFish · · Score: 3, Funny

    Unfortunately, Lucas won't stop at the Special Edition. After the release of Episode III ("Ani, Get Your Gungan") he plans to go back and further modify the original trilogy. Here are a few other of the rumored changes straight from the brain of one weird Fish. Special Special Edition (2008). * Jar Jar is digitally inserted into every scene in Ep4, Ep5, and Ep6. * Stormtroopers carry walkie-talkies instead of blasters. (Hey, they never hit anything important anyway.) * Luke's haircut is made presentable, but now he looks like "Hanson." * Ian McDiarmid replaces Clive Revill in the Emperor-hologram scene in Ep5, except now is a CGI construct less believeable than bikini pinups of Lara Croft. * Han Solo's Special Edition line, "It's all right, I can see a lot better now" is replaced with "It's all right, I never had hibernation sickness, I was only fooling." * Aunt Beru's looped lines are redubbed by Fran Drescher. * The sweeping John Williams asteroid theme is replaced by the music from the 1979 arcade game "Asteroids." Ultra Special Special Edition (2012) * Chewbacca is digitally removed from every shot and replaced with Jar Jar Binks. Han Solo's line "It's not wise to upset a Wookiee" is replaced with "It's not wise to upset a Gungan." * Footage is added of Imperial Academy forces being trained in weapons use by Don Knotts. * Digital lip-sync technology is used to change Luke's line "Nooo-ooo-ooo-oooooo!" into "Yippee!" * To make it more obvious that Senator/Chancellor Palpatine is really the Emperor in disguise, a set of Groucho glasses is added to every shot of the Emperor. To every shot of Palpatine is added a halo. * The Wampa Ice Creature is now a cameo role played by Shaquille O'Neal, complete with musical number and dancing girls in skimpy fur bikinis. The scene goes on tour as the "Wampa Ice Capades." * The entire John Williams score is scrapped and replaced with Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon." Some fanboys claim it fits with spooky synchronicity in certain scenes, usually after the imbibement of several non-prescription herbal remedies. Incredibly Special Ultra Re-release Special Special Edition (2025) * Jar Jar Binks is made a Jedi Knight. * Jar Jar Binks destroys the Death Star. * Jar Jar Binks is shown to be a cunning and foresighted adversary who allowed himself to be manipulated by Palpatine into proposing legislation to create the Imperial Army. Says Jar Jar in Episode 2, "Revenge of Jar Jar," "Nowsa meesa has a eeeevil Emperor where meesa want!" * Luke Skywalker is digitally erased from the picture and replaced with a member of the 2025 Swedish Bikini Team. * C-3PO is re-dubbed by Dennis Franz, who plays the Brooklyn-born Lt. Sipowicz from "NYPD Blue." * R2-D2 is given the BFG from Doom XII and goes on a rampage in Cloud City to rescue C-3PO's disconnected parts. * Han Solo no longer accidentally activates Boba Fett's jetpack to send him careening into the Sarlacc Pit. Instead, Han indicates that Boba Fett's shoe is untied, whereupon the bounty hunter looks down, trips over his own foot, shoots himself in the neck, gets tangled up in his own grappling hook cord, and says "D'oh!" a la Homer Simpson. Fett then windmills his arms wildly on the edge of the skiff, falls into a batch of wet cement, and explodes with near-nuclear force. Han Solo then quips, "The fool! He doesn't even have shoelaces." * Governor Tarkin, Han Solo, and Jabba the Hutt replaced with an aging Mike Myers doing Dr. Evil, Austin Powers, and Fat Bastard, respectively. The Ewoks are replaced with Mini-Mes.

  41. Star wars is like microsoft by 192939495969798999 · · Score: 3, Funny

    When they had no money, the quality was "better". As they progressively get more money, quality dives, to the point of purposefully going back and wrecking the few things they did have right in order to increase profits. Imagine Star wars Episode IV version 3.1B... if they had to re-release the movie 5 or 6 times to make all the necessary adjustments for the series to actually flow together. Imagine Star Wars controlling 45% of the movie market, fighting off monopoly lawsuits left and right, and a director that owns an island somewhere in a galaxy far far away...
    sir_haxalot

    --
    stuff |
  42. Cheap way to extend copyright forever by Reziac · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Every time you release an altered version of a previously copyrighted work, you can claim a NEW copyright. So if ANH gets re-edited and re-released in 2002, it gets a fresh copyright date -- 2002 -- without having to actually be a new work from scratch.

    I'm not sure of the legal standing of this wrt to the original version, but for practical purposes it's probably effective as a method to extend copyright forever.

    --
    ~REZ~ #43301. Who'd fake being me anyway?