New Darth Vader Costume Revealed in upcoming DVDs

Jethro73 writes "Whether you love or hate the Special Edition only release, you should be excited to see the new Darth Vader costume on the upcoming Trilogy DVD set. Here are some more details on the upcoming DVD set."

Comments

Decisions, decisions...

[grub]

Ah crap, now I'm stumped.

Do I make a clone of Jay Maynard's cool TRON costume or of Darth's outfit? Our annual Sci Fi convention is next month and I don't want to wear my Vulcan Ears for the 24th time.

Re:Decisions, decisions...

[airrage]

Is it just me, or does that guy with the TRON outfit look like the dude in Office Space always talking about his Swingline stapler? I'm serious, I think they're the same dood.

Seriously. Discuss.

Re:Decisions, decisions...

[hoggoth]

> Jay Maynard's cool TRON costume

I think the real TRON would definitely wear a cup and a girdle as part of this costume.

I really didn't need to see Milton's nads.

Re:Decisions, decisions...

[Saeed al-Sahaf]

Seriously. Discuss.

This was played out to it's sad sad end yesterday.

Re:Decisions, decisions...

[stephenisu]

Nawww he looked like the one who got hit by a truck and won a big settlement.

Re:Decisions, decisions...

[Anonymous Coward]

yeesh, I can't believe how many times I saw that guys package as I scrolled down the page. at least a jock strap would've kept his boys from being separated by the seam...

Re:Decisions, decisions...

[3.5 stripes]

Is it me, or does the new darth costume look like a guy with a white beard and glasses?

Re:Decisions, decisions...

[Anonymous Coward]

I hope he didn't offend you, Anonymous Milton.
Now lose some weight.

Re:Decisions, decisions...

[Jahf]

After ep1 and ep2 I think that picture is probably EXACTLY what I think of when I imagine a Sith Lord.

Re:Decisions, decisions...

[BMonger]

MY EYES!

(scratching out my pupils)

At least label the Tron costume NSF... Humans or something.

Re:Decisions, decisions...

[spleck]

Jay Maynard's cool TRON costume

How do you honestly say that as a cohesive thought?

Re:Decisions, decisions...

[Quarters]

BiMonSciFiCon?

Re:Decisions, decisions...

[Anonymous Coward]

Personally, I rather like the switch from black armor to flannel.

Re:Decisions, decisions...

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually I was wondering why that guy -- knowing in advance that his picture was going to be taken -- didn't try to lose a few pounds first. Or, at the very least, suck in that gut during the profile shot.

Re:Decisions, decisions...

[qualico]

LOL!

Thats what I was thinking.
Man, cover that with some circuit lines will ya!

Re:Decisions, decisions...

[Anonymous Coward]

I've got a better idea...how about you get rid of the stupid costumes altogether, and make an honest attempt to get laid by something other than your fist for once?

Re:Decisions, decisions...

[RLW]

no, he looked like the guy that made the "Jump to Conclusions" game.

Re:Decisions, decisions...

[mechugena]

Nothing says "come get me, girls" like an overweight, middle-aged nerd in a homemade Tron outfit with a beer belly and serious camel-toe*!

Almost made me lose my lunch!

* any resemblance to Slashdot readers is purely coincidental

Re:Decisions, decisions...

[Morbid_Angel666]

Dear God someone should have told that man that skin-tight white material is not advisable in public with nothing else on UNDER IT!!!!

Re:Decisions, decisions...

[Anonymous Coward]

Dont you mean Man-Toe

Re:Decisions, decisions...

[RedA$$edMonkey]

I find your lack of pictures disturbing.

Re:Decisions, decisions...

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

And the most scary part is that he's going to use his force powers to make us all buy his new DVD-trilogy, so that he can buy his new land-speeder(TM)! Even though he do have money enough...

Re:Decisions, decisions...

[Jahf]

Nah ... as a number of others have said I will never purchase a DVD of the "special edition" revisions. If he comes out with a DVD set of the original 3 episodes I'll go for it in a second.

Strangely I found ep1 MUCH more enjoyable when watching the DVD extended features. The pod race became as much about character as action on that DVD. But that doesn't change the majority of my problems with ep1 and ep2.

I will never buy ep1 and ep2 on DVD -never never never- unless they come out with a feature for me to edit away every scene where Annakin and Princess are along together. Tripe.

Re:Decisions, decisions...

[Tingler]

Nawww he looked like the one who got hit by a truck and won a big settlement.

no, he looked like the guy that made the "Jump to Conclusions" game.

Umm..... That was the same guy.

Re:Decisions, decisions...

[istewart]

Considering the general quality of those movies and the fact that Lucas did most of the writing and directing, I'd be more inclined to spell it "Shit Lord."

But that one was obvious.

Re:Decisions, decisions...

[ozbird]

Since Darth's new (old) outfit is a crotchless design (from the conception scene, where Anakin shows Amidala his "light saber"), you're probably better off with the TRON costume. There's nothing worse than losing your bails in a stumping.

Re:Decisions, decisions...

[G3ckoG33k]

"a clone of Jay Maynard's cool TRON costume"?

Please, do something even more cool - a Jayne Mansfield dress!

Um, this is a story?

[rbanzai]

So eventually we will see what this story is talking about? Why don't we post the story when that actually happens?

Re:Um, this is a story?

[mahdi13]

Don't worry, it's only 4 months away before we can get a peak at the Darth Vader costume on the DVD release of A New Hope!

Re:Um, this is a story?

[Metal_Demon]

Regardless of how geeky it is, I don't see why a dvd extra should EVER be "news"!

Re:Um, this is a story?

[greenskyx]

I agree. No picture of the stupid costume. BOOO!!!!

Re:Um, this is a story?

[Anonymous Coward]

Of course there is a picture! Though it looks a lot like George Lucas.

Re:Um, this is a story?

[Anonymous Coward]

George Lucas is vader!

Re:Um, this is a story?

[shadowmatter]

The picture is included with the article. See it here. Finally, a Darth Vader costume with some facial hair!

- sm

Re:Um, this is a story?

[stephanruby]

After an extensive search on Google, I found what the article was talking about.

Re:Um, this is a story?

[stephanruby]

I think George Lucas is on to something. Why release new movies when you could just as well release new costumes on DVD every four months.

Re:Um, this is a story?

[Anonymous Coward]

This is like the 8th story I've read in the past few months that was picture-oriented, but that didn't include one damned picture of relevance.

halloween

[jacquesm]

Pity, that's the wrong time of the year to come out with this, it would have been a smash hit !

image

[Ty_Webb]

From the yahoo article: "The first three "Star Wars" films debut for the first time in digital format on Sept. 21."

So any bets on when an image file is leaked?

Re:image

[gregduffy]

Any bets on whether that image will involve George Lucas and a whip?

Re:image

[Unknown Kadath]

Seriously. Even if LucasArts does manage to keep it under wraps until the release, if it's not available by about 2:00 am on Sept. 21, I'm going to be very disappointed in all those slavering fanboys out there.

-Carolyn

Re:image

[605dave]

Its not the first time the original trilogy has been available in a digital format. I have the laserdisc box set to prove it. As a bonus, it is the original films not the special editions. Now if I just had a laserdisc player that works...

Re:image

[monkeydo]

Laserdisc is analog.

Re:image

[coldguy]

Laserdisc isn't digital. At least, the video isn't. The audio might be on some discs.

Despite what some legacy advertising might have led you to believe, laserdisc is not digital video. It's not always digital audio, either. This is not surprising considering that the original "LaserVision" was basically a 1972 technology. LD video is pulse FM.

From here.

Re:image

[BlackHawk-666]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but laserdiscs aren't actually digital. They are a weird hybrid of digital and analog technology. IIRC they work like a CD, but the pits are of variable depth, making them more like a record where the needle moves up and down rather than sideways.

Re:image

[ericdano]

I have two laser disc players. Check Ebay for them....

Re:image

[Mac Degger]

Does laserdisc not count?

Anyway, all I wanna know is if these are the originals, not the remastered ones. Hell, at least put the option of showing the originals on there, it's a dvd after all.

Remember, Han shot first!

Re:image

[lptport1]

I will be less than satisfied if this is not an option, either. If he wants to reduce dissension amongst fans, it's his only hope.

Re:image

[AyeRoxor!]

Laserdisc is analog

Your link says There is a single track consisting of a continuous spiral of pits and "lands" (non-pits).

While it portends to explain how a track containing nothing but 0's and 1's is not digital, it fails. A record's grooves are analog. They vary in depth and width. They are not readily quantifiable. Anything represented by digits, i.e. whole integers, usually 0 and 1, is digital, regardless of what anyone says.

You can find a kook with a webpage saying anything these days... /shakes head

Re:image

[rbeloateash]

Exactly! Even the ET dvd has both versions on it!

News for nerds

[Anonymous Coward]

that I can agree with. ... stuff that matters?

Re:News for nerds

[uberdave]

Unfortunately, those two conditions are ORed together, not ANDed.

Re:News for nerds

[Anonymous Coward]

Occasionally XORed.

They're showing the album covers...

[Anonymous Coward]

Remember a few months ago when someone leaked the Star Wars DVD cover artwork and they got all pissy? Well, they're showing it on their own site. What gives?

wait wait wait

[The Other White Boy]

..new Vader suit?

*pre-emptive frowny face*

Re:wait wait wait

[welloy]

exactly! how can this be a good thing? I've been hoping the ending of eIII would be anakin emergining from something like the meditation chamber on the star destroyer in empire fully cloaked in the Vader suit (the old vader suit), with swirling gas, a la the 'arena' lightsaber duel on bespin, parting for him to emerge, with no sound but his heavy breathing.

a new suit would really interrupt the mood.

Re:wait wait wait

[G-funk]

He announced that yonks ago... Like it was needed... New vader suit == twice as many vader toys to sell.

Re:wait wait wait

[The Other White Boy]

ugh, somehow i'd managed to not hear that piece of information till now, i was hoping for the old suit. although it makes sense that he'd make some new suit thats ten times as complicated and 'technologically' advanced as the original suit and further ruin all the continuity, just as he did with the droids, and the starships, and the fighters and . . .

/grouchynerd

Re:wait wait wait

[SquadBoy]

Ok here is the backstory on the starships etc. It is covered in a few of the books that I read years ago before the movies beat any semblence of caring out of my system. The Empire is a dictatorship. By the time of Star Wars they have been in decline for many years due to the effects of being a dictatorship. Kind of like how it is still 1820 in North Korea.

Re:wait wait wait

[The Other White Boy]

two things:

1. i'd never thought about that point, thats a good reason to do that. i doubt lucas thought that up in the first place, but i can feel better telling myself that. doesnt explain the droids throughout the universe buuutttt..its better than nothing i guess. =)

2. ACK ITS YOU AND THAT SIG AGAIN! FOREVER TORMENTING ME! youve gotta tell me where that sig is from, its driving me crazy because i KNOW that i know it but its just not clicking.

Re:wait wait wait

[SquadBoy]

It was kind of clever. Not the first SF universe where things have gone backwards. Battletech comes to mind. I forget which book it was first in but yea Lucas stole it.

The sig. I was busy last time you asked.

http://www.cyphernet.org/cypherpunks/crossbows_t o_ cryptography.html

http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ijackson/quot es .html

Re:wait wait wait

[irontiki]

New vader suit == twice as many vader toys to sell.

If anyone here made as much money off of star wars toys as Meester Lucas you'd get erect nipples at the mere suggestion of a new costume for a major character. The boy pretty much invented the entire business of making bucks from movies by selling crap tie-ins.

Re:wait wait wait

[The Other White Boy]

ah, my savior. i was dead sure it was from an ancient speech, now i'll be able to sleep again. =)

Re:wait wait wait

[rburgess3]

Hehehe, it's also a faction of the Virtual Adepts in White Wolf's Mage: The Ascension game.
A quote from the game:
"Cypherpunks enjoy collecting collecting random trivia, esoteric data and hidden secrets [...]
and they force people with whom they associate to examine all sides of a problem."

Sounds like a typical /.er to me....

Re:wait wait wait

[Golias]

Not the first SF universe where things have gone backwards. Battletech comes to mind. I forget which book it was first in but yea Lucas stole it.

All Japanese robot anime, including "Battletech" (a.k.a. "Macross") goes back to Heinlein for the inspiration.

Lucas stole it, but not from Battletech, which hit the screen years after the first Star Wars film.

What made it cool in Star Wars was that the decay was there, but never really explained, implying a rich history of the rise of an Empire. The prequels are in the process of over-explaining and de-mythologizing everything about Star Wars, reducing it to something far less cool. Alas.

On a related note, I would gladly pay a premium "rip-off" price for the original theatrical releases of Star Wars on DVD, whether slightly touched up and restored or raw and scratched up. I won't pay one red cent for the Special Edition versions. George Lucas can go screw himself.

Re:wait wait wait

[Golias]

Don't worry about it. In 2017, Lucas will release a "Very Special Edition" of episodes 4-6, with David Prowse digitally matted out of the shot and replaced with a fortysomething Christopher What's-his-face wearing whatever cool cyborg costume was introduced in Episode 3, lip-synching with the original dialog of James Earl Jones, except altered so that he never drugs and tortures Princess Leah, but instead offers her a refreshing beverage from his floating fountain dispenser.

Then he will refuse to sell all previous versions in any format, and pretend they never existed, insisting that this new Vader is the one he "meant to do" all along.

Re:wait wait wait

[SquadBoy]

First of all Battletech is not Macross Macross is Robotech. But your basic point stands. I did not mean that Lucas stole it from the Anime that was just an example. What I think is that he stole it from whatever author in the SW books first used it.

You are also right as with many SF meta themes Heinlein was one of the first to use it.

Re:wait wait wait

[irontiki]

"cool cyborg costume???"

You must be smoking some of Uncle George's crack; the new Darth Vader costume is an ill-conceived reprisal of Leia's widely revered gold bikini. Hayden Christensen has been working out for months in preparation for his new outfit.

Re:wait wait wait

[The Other White Boy]

might be too late for you to see this..but when nerding out at a comic/anime/scifi/etc con a couple months ago (megacon for those curious) there were bootleg dvd booths owned by a company called A+ Entertainment. they had dvds of the thx original laserdiscs ripped to dvd, pretty professional looking boxes, menus, and even some special features. cost me $60 for the trilogy, but totally worth it. looks way better than vhs and only pauses at the point where they probably had to flip the LD, but its not much worse than a layer transfer on a dvd normally anyway.

i'm sure those people exist on the net somewhere if you want to pick those up, but the divx rips floating around kazaa seem to be pretty popular too, albeit without some of the fun stuff.

Re:wait wait wait

[Anonymous Coward]

He's like 7 feet tall now, right?

'cause it would be st00pid if he were just barely 6 feet tall still, if that much.

See, 'cause Darth Vader is this really tall guy, so it would be dumb to hire the same guy again.

Ob. Triumph the Insult Comic Dog quote.

[weeboo0104]

Said in regards to a guy in a Darth Vader Costume. "And which button do you press when you want your parents to come pick you up?"

Re:Ob. Triumph the Insult Comic Dog quote.

[eclectro]

Another Triumph the Insult Comic Dog quote to a "Nerd of the Rings";

"Seriously, have you ever talked to a woman without having to give your credit card number."

Re:Ob. Triumph the Insult Comic Dog quote.

[rco3]

Thank you. I had never heard that one. Holy fucking shit, that's funny.

Re:Ob. Triumph the Insult Comic Dog quote.

[sir99]

See the video here, along with many more gems.

Re:Ob. Triumph the Insult Comic Dog quote.

[Fryboy]

Talking to a heavily pregnant Nerd mother:

"..that will be the last time your kid will ever see female gentalia.."

Just like another recent movie...

[PTBNL]

Darth Vader makes his costume out of pajamas in order to win an amateur wrestling contest to win money to buy a car to impress a girl.

So there you go. Black pajamas with a motorcycle helmet.

Re:Just like another recent movie...

[Tumbleweed]

Yeah, and the name he _was_ going to use was 'Dark Helmet,' but the announcer guy changed it at the last second because he thought it sounded silly or something.

Re:Just like another recent movie...

[SmackCrackandPot]

Darth Vader makes his costume out of pajamas in order to win an amateur wrestling contest to win money to buy a car to impress a girl. So there you go. Black pajamas with a motorcycle helmet.

If he were large for his age, he could have gone as a mutant ninja sumo wrestler.

Re:Just like another recent movie...

[DarkHelmet]

Hey! There's nothing wrong with the nickname "Dark Helmet" *points to nickname*

Don't make me come and pummel you and your four digit UID. ;)

Re:Just like another recent movie...

[Tumbleweed]

You'll note I said the announcer did that, not me. I didn't live long enough to continue using a 4-digit UID by insulting people with dark helmets. I do not lack faith, so do not be disturbed. :)

Just one question?

[ageoffri]

Does Han Solo shoot first? If not then I will NOT even think about buying the DVD's. I can't stand revisionism especially when it is to make something more PC!

Re:Just one question?

[vapid transit]

That's exactly what I was going to say!

Re:Just one question?

[Anonymous Coward]

"Does Han Solo shoot first? If not then I will NOT even think about buying the DVD's."

So you'll only think about buying the DVDs if he DOES shoot first? I'm not a moderator, but your comment makes no sense!

Re:Just one question?

[The Ultimate Fartkno]

> Does Han Solo shoot first?

Shoot what? You mean he doesn't point a walkie talkie at Greedo and run away?

I've been duped!

Re:Just one question?

[mahdi13]

You could always blink during that part and you would be none the wiser.

Re:Just one question?

[BgJonson79]

Sorta OT:

What exactly is all this talk about Han shooting first? I read about it here all the time but I've never been able to figure out what people are talking about.

Re:Just one question?

[grahams]

In the original film "Star Wars" (nowadays referred to as "Star Wars: A New Hope: Episode 4: The Magical Beginning of an Epic Space Quest thru Time"), there was a sequence in which Han Solo and a character named Greedo are having a discussion, in the Mos Eisley Cantina, regarding Solo's debt to Jabba the Hutt. At the end of this conversation shots are fired.

In the original version of the film, Han Solo shoots Greedo, but in the 1997 "Special Edition" re-release Lucas changed it so that Greedo shot first and Solo is simply defending himself.

Re:Just one question?

[Palshife]

He's outlining the classic struggle that will divide families and destroy lives. Those that like the original Star Wars movies abhor the Special Edition releases because changes were made that completely changed the landscape of the movie.

The specific instance he's referring to is the scene in the Mos Eisley Cantina where Han is confronted by Greedo, the bounty hunter. During their conversation, Han draws his blaster under the table points it at Greedo. When he feels like he's got no other choice he fires, killing Greedo in cold blood.

In the special edition, Greedo fires the first shot, forcing Han to "retaliate" by killing Greedo in self-defense.

Down with SE.

Re:Just one question?

[pkey]

In the original version of the Cantina scene, Han shoots Greedo under the table before Greedo shoots at him. In the ruined version of the Cantina scene, Greedo, an experienced bounty hunter shoots first and misses from all of 3 feet away. This was apparently done to make the scene more PC and not have a "hero" doing something underhanded, never mind the fact that the "hero" is supposed to be a smuggler and a scoundrel.

Re:Just one question?

[ERJ]

There is a scene near the beginning of Episode 4 where Han is cornered by a bounty hunter named Greedo. In the original movie Han shoots Greedo, Han shoots first. In the modified, re-released movie, Greedo shoots first and Han, defending himself, fires back to kill Greedo.

I guess the basic idea is Lucas didn't want Han looking like a bad guy and a lot of fans got their undees in a bundle about it.

Re:Just one question?

[WCityMike]

"Does Han Solo shoot first? If not then I will NOT even think about buying the DVD's."

So you'll only think about buying the DVDs if he DOES shoot first? I'm not a moderator, but your comment makes no sense!

Most Star Wars fans know what I'm about to say -- it's not a particularly esoteric piece of knowledge: in the original trilogy, Han Solo shot first. Lucas altered this in the Special Edition so that Greedo shot first, because he felt that the original version made Han too "cold-blooded." Obligatory Google searches here and here.

Many Star Wars fans, including the poster to whom you responded, dislike Lucas' altering of Solo's actions, because they feel it came from a place of political correctness, wanting to make Solo less of an anti-hero and more of a hero.

Re:Just one question?

[The Ultimate Fartkno]

In the original, non-special-edition of Star Wars, Han ends his conversation with Greedo by just shooting him. In the special edition, they edited and re-FX'ed the scene to have Greedo shoot first, narrowly miss, and *then* Han shoots. Much like Luke screaming as he falls in Empire, it's a tiny FX tweak that seriously changes something about a *character.* I (and *many* other people) absolutely hate the change and it seems like purists are going to steer clear of any DVD release that doesn't at least have the option of seeing the original version.

Now if they'd just take those stupid shock waves off the Death Star explosion... *that'd* be something to write home about.

Re:Just one question?

[beuges]

Is it really that big a fucking deal?

Re:Just one question?

[Darth Maul]

Yes, the official release are the SE with the Greedo Incident (TM).

If you want the original, there are widescreen LaserDisc rips to DVD available as torrents right now. They have menus, audio commentary, and are even anamorphic 2.35:1. Check the usual torrent sites. The DVDs are amazing.

Re:Just one question?

[Diego_27182818]

In the original release of A New Hope, in the cantina scene with Han and Greedo, Han shot first at Greedo. In the special edition remake, Lucas edited in Greedo firing off a shot first.

Now Greedo's shot was way off and had no chance of hitting Han, so it didn't affect the overall story any. The problem people have with it is that it changes Han's character from someone who's willing to shot first and take charge to a character that is more reactive.

Re:Just one question?

[mgs1000]

In the DVD version, Han will just declare bankruptcy, and Greedo takes him to court.

Re:Just one question?

[edw]

In Star Wars, Han Solo shoots Greedo in the cantina as Greedo draws his weapon. In Star Wars: Episode Four: A New Hope: Special Edition Han lets Greedo draw and fire before shooting him under the table.

Some people, myself included, think that this change is quite lame. Han is a smuggler, not a school teacher, and as such, he survives by shooting first. Making him a nice guy from the start destroys Han's scoundrel to upstanding citizen transformation through the three movies.

My advice: There is no need to watch any Star Wars movie more than once, with the exception of The Empire Strikes Back. Every other Star Wars movie blows. It is not a coincidence that Empire is the only movie that wasn't directed by Lucas or, in the case of, wretch, Return of the Jedi, a Lucas lackey.

Re:Just one question?

[Anonymous Coward]

Is Darl McBride playing Greedo?

Re:Just one question?

[Anonymous Coward]

In the original version, Greedo is pointing a gun at Han from about 18" away and making it clear that he's going to shoot him. Han slides his own gun out under the table and shoots Greedo before Greedo can shoot Han.

In the Special Edition, a spring mounted Jar Jar doll shoots up from under the audiences' seats and impales them in the asses, brutally raping their childhood memories, then George Lucas buys Nebraska with the profits.

Re:Just one question?

[Anonymous Coward]

Not to mention that how it was done was truly pathetic.

Han Solo was doing something like taking care of a wedgee or replacing his ass which caused him to move his head about 5 degrees towards the left for a fraction of a second.

Lucas used that timeframe to draw the shot which of course missed, but nothing else in the scene was changed. So, Solo looks unphased like nothing just happened and proceeds with the under the table shot just as planned.

Anyway, I never thought anything bad of the first version, if anything, I thought it gave Solo some attitude. Plus he had Greedo's gun in his face, so it was self-defense already.

Re:Just one question?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes, I understood that, it was his use of double negatives that negated his intended argument that confused me... sorry, I guess I just added to the confusion! :p

Re:Just one question?

[jdavidb]

When he feels like he's got no other choice he fires, killing Greedo in cold blood.

You've highlighted why this has never been an issue to me. If Han had no other choice, then in my opinion, the killing of Greedo was not done in cold blood; it was done to save his own life and was not substantially different from what happened if Greedo shot first.

Re:Just one question?

[Anonymous Coward]

Goddamn, that's funny!

kudos.

Re:Just one question?

[Jahf]

From the point of plot, I say yes.

Ok so let us magnify the scale here just a bit and see if the point becomes evident:

If Hamlet had killed Rosencrantz and Guildenstern after they had made an attack on him, rather than killing them because he knew that someone (Claudius) had told them to kill him then Hamlet would have been the righteous hero who prevailed in an upfront manner and there would have been no questions about it.

Instead he killed them through trickery and without -direct- evidence of their plans. Doing so made him the dark hero who was able to strike first when in jeopardy and left questions going long afterwards about whether he was "right" or whether he was presumptuous.

If you've seen the play (or Star Wars) more than once, then your questions are answered at the end. But for the first time viewer it lets you question for awhile the real motives behind the protagonist (and let's face it, Solo was at LEAST as much of a protagonist as Skywalker if you use the definition of change as the bases for a protagonist). It gives a much darker sheen to the movie.

It is specifically that darkness in the first three movies that have been obliterated so far in ep1 and ep2. There is no questioning of loyalties ... we KNOW who the bad guys are and who the good guys have been up through ep2. There is no "grey side" so far unless you count adolescent puberty ... which seems funny but is really sad because it shows that Lucas has, if not sold out, at least decided that his audience can't handle moral questions. Or theological ones ... midichlorians [sp?]? Bah. I am perfectly capable of deciding that Solo (or Hamlet) are in the end "good guys" without forcing them into the mold of the prototypical hero.

Do I equate Lucas and Shakespeare? No. But Star Wars has probably had a much more profound affect on most people today than Hamlet and if you disregard the endings of the 2 characters (actually you shouldn't, since all of Lucas' characters seem to get just deserts at the end except for Anakin's mother and a few extras ... he can't handle true tragedy) the situations are -very- similar.

Re:Just one question?

[EnglishTim]

But it's not just the greedo scene - it's all the other scenes he adds with loads of CGI in - like all that crap with the jawa falling off that big ugly creature - it just doesn't fit in with the rest of the movie effects.

The only stuff I thought was reasonable was the set extension stuff in Cloud City, where windows were added so you could see outside. That, and the re-compositing of some sections so you could no longer do things like see through the cockpit structs of the Snowspeeder.

Re:Just one question?

[1u3hr]

Lucas didn't want Han looking like a bad guy

Funny though that Ford, as Indiana Jones, several times shot or attacked preemptively without noticeably coming off like a bad guy. Anyway, any "fan" who takes this so seriously is definitely going to buy every new DVD, regardless of what they say now.

Re:Just one question?

[kevinadi]

Which I think ruins the whole movie. Han should shoot first like in the original. He won't be a good smuggler if he waits to be shot all the time. Besides, it gives us a view of the dark side of Han which is very cool.

Can't blame Lucas tho. He seems to be more inclined to entertain the kids rather than making a dark scifi movie. That's why all the new releases are so chock full of cuddly characters.

One of the best part in the original is after Han shot that greenish guy and walked out cooly "sorry for the mess".

Re:Just one question?

[JohnLi]

Solo was just practicing pre-emptive self defence.

These are not the edits you are looking for. :)

Re:Just one question?

[Babbster]

Yeah, but maybe Greedo was going to lead Han out of the cantina, giving Chewbacca a chance to "subdue him," blah, blah, blah. The simple fact is that it makes Han Solo's character more interesting (especially in terms of the way he changes through the three movies) if he does the preemptive strike rather than waiting for Greedo to miss from TWO GODDAMN FEET.

That's obviously the worst part of SE (with the stupid addition of the Jabba scene in the hangar coming in second IMO). That being said, I'll still buy the damned set, if only to get the 5.1 experience (and secondarily the video quality bump). I'll just close my eyes and chant during the worst of the SE "bonus" material.

Re:Just one question?

[BlackHawk-666]

Not before Gredo claims that Han has stolen his Linux code IP and released it as open source. Gredo hires some lawyers and the rest of the movie plays out as a court room drama, with a seague into a hospital drama when the our of court settlement doesn't go in Han's favour.

Re:Just one question?

[doublem]

I am NOT a fan of the way that Lucas has changed the character of Han Solo.

For me, part of the original Star Wars saga involved the changes that Han Solo went through thorough the course of the movies.

He WAS a heartless mercenary with loyalty to his ship and His Wookie and that was about it.

The moment when he shows up at the end of "An New Hope" and blasts the Tie Fighters is supposed to show how he has changed, how his motivations and alliances have become altered by his experiences with the rebels.

It makes perfect sense for the Han Solo we meet at the beginning of "A New Hope" to shoot first. He isn't a hero yet, and it's foolish for Lucas to claim that "A hero doesn't do that sort of thing."

Lucas is trying to whitewash the very stories he created, and in so doing he ignores the very precepts of the Journey of the Here that he pompously claims were the foundation of the characters.

Solo begins as a mercenary, and that's all that he is.

By the end he's one of the heros, but he doesn't start as one.

Do some research Lucas. Not even the Buddha started off that way, and a lot of heroes have tragic histories where they weren't exactly heros. Hell, the most interesting heros are the ones that were at one point villains.

I liked Han because he changes. He grows as a sentient being.

Re:Just one question?

[Anonymous Coward]

har har har... oh you mean you weren't trying to be +5 funny?

Re:Just one question?

[kerrbear]

Instead he killed them through trickery and without -direct- evidence of their plans. Doing so made him the dark hero who was able to strike first when in jeopardy and left questions going long afterwards about whether he was "right" or whether he was presumptuous.

Sounds like a certain president I know.

It's ok, my karma will cover the loss

Re:Just one question?

[Anonymous Coward]

Instead he killed them through trickery and without -direct- evidence of their plans

No. He read the letter that they were bringing to the English king so that he could be executed without causing a scandal for Claudius. He altered the letter so that it order the execution of the bearers. He then escaped the ship to England during a pirate attack by being captured by the pirates, and later returned to Elsinor.

Hamlet did have direct evidence of the plot to have him killed. In spite of this, there is no evidence that Rosencrantz & Guildenstern were aware of the contents of the letter (it was sealed, and Hamlet was able to re-seal it after his forgery because he was the heir apparant and had a royal signet). The point is, Hamlet's situation was entirely different; he killed the two men without knowing, and without caring, whether they knew that they were bringing him to his execution.

Re:Just one question?

[Teddy Beartuzzi]

Bah. Soon you'll be trying to convince me that the film never said "A New Hope" when it was originally released.

Re:Just one question?

[athakur999]

I don't know about that scene, but I've heard rumors that in order to boost appeal, the scene where Darth Vader uses the Force to choke Admiral Motti will be replaced. In the new release, Darth Vader will cup his hand, wave it towards Motti, and yell "you're fired".

Re:Just one question?

[Bingo Foo]

No, he threatens Greedo with a U.N. resolution.

Re:Just one question?

[Anonymous Coward]

So you'll only think about buying the DVDs if he DOES shoot first?

Uh, yes. That's exactly what he means. Who the fuck wants to see a shitty revisionist movie where Greedo, in a stunning and obscene display of incompetentcy misses Han at point-blank range to provide some politically-correct justification for Han to shoot him back. Not me, and not him either.

I'm not a moderator, but your comment makes no sense!

Maybe you're not a moderator, but are you retarded?

Re:Just one question?

[VValdo]

This is just a rumor, but I heard that in the newest version, Han Solo gives Greedo a hug.

W

Re:Just one question?

[Libertarian001]

"Those that like the original Star Wars movies abhor the Special Edition releases because changes were made that completely changed the landscape of the movie."

News flash! Stop being a slathering fan boy (and I say this as someone who likes all the movies and has read all the books and all the comic books, played the RPG, some of the computer games and used to have damn near all of the toys. And you're the fanboy here). I liked the originals when I saw them when they first came, and I like the SE now. Now, I don't like the "Greedo shoots first" change and yet I don't allow it to ruin the experience for me. Nor do I go ranting all over a board full of geeks about it. It's a fucking movie, and not even an original one at that. It's meant to entertain. For me, and judging by sales for several million others as well, it does that just fine. So please, get off your high horse and quit pretending you're even remotely qualified to speak for the entirety of Star Wars fans.

Oh, wait. Who am I kidding. I see Star Wars differently than you do. I must not be a real fan.

Re:Just one question?

[pknoll]

I liked Han because he changes. He grows as a sentient being.

Just so. I agree completely. It's called a "character arc", Mr. Lucas, and in the original version of the film, a meaningful one.

Re:Just one question?

[shantipole]

If you want to get anal about it (which is what people seem to like to do) if you read the novelization it is not actually stated outright that Han fires first, it is merely implied.

Re:Just one question?

[doublem]

You could say that Han's arc is a "redemption" story, and a far less melodramatic one that Vader's in "Return of the Jedi." He's still a scoundrel but he's one of the good guys.

In other ways, the opening section of "Return of the Jedi" is a completion of that arc. They rescued Han from his past in "A New Hope" by giving him a purpose and meaning for his life, a cause to fight for other than his own hide, while in "Jedi" they rescue him from some of the consequences of his past. He "relapsed" into his past at the end of "Empire," but he achieved a final salvation at the beginning of "Jedi."

It isn't really until the beginning of the Endor mission that Han really is a "Hero" in the sense that Lucas sees him, and at that point he has become a far less interesting character. He loses some depth when he's a through and through hero and not just a scoundrel doing something heroic.

Re:Just one question?

[Palshife]

Woah! Hi, I'm Matt. Pleased to meet you.

We're both Star Wars fans. Notice I didn't tell anyone what to like or what to hate in my description. I may have put my own little twist on it to make my preference known, but that's all.

You and I are different because we view different parts of the experience as important. You don't allow the Greedo change to ruin the experience for you. That's fine. I don't allow the added CG shots of Cloud City to ruin the experience for me. It just looked better. I thought it was bad ass.

When I say, "Those that like the original..." I was referring to those like me that prefer the unchanged originals to the SE. I wasn't trying to make any kind of blanket statement for all Star Wars fans. If need be I will write appropriate apologies to those that feel misled.

And, I'm sorry, but you must be pretty dense if you believe that the release and re-release of version after version is altruism on Lucas' part. It's clearly an attempt to milk the franchise. Of course the sales are good. You said so yourself, we've all been buying this stuff for years. Comics, games, books, everything. History has shown that us Star Wars fans will buy just about anything with the logo on the box. I bought the SE cassettes back in the day, and now I'm wishing I hadn't.

We have the same fervor when it comes to these movies, otherwise you wouldn't have jumped on me here. In the future, try not to act like a six year-old when someone disagrees with you. Present some real arguments.

And don't look now, but you just ranted "all over a board full of geeks about it."

Re:Just one question?

[Anonymous Coward]

Shhhh!

If the real full name of "Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope" is known to be "Star Wars" it totally messes up the illusion that the prequels matter.

Re:Just one question?

[Golias]

Likewise, Greedo did not really know whether Han would be killed. He was just collecting a bounty head, alive, for repayment of a debt. Han didn't want to gamble on Jabba's mercy, especially since he didn't have the money yet, so he shot Greedo in cold blood to escape.

Re:Just one question?

[jcoleman]

Having read about this topic (and replied to it in disgust) about a thousand times, I can honestly say this is the most thoughtful response to the change in the film I've ever seen.

Here's another thought...Han is *still* a smuggler. He *still* charges an outlandish fee to Luke and Han for ferrying them to Alderaan ("we could almost buy our own ship for that!"). Taken out of context, the Greedo scene makes Han a little "nicer." Unfortunately that's not who Han is at the beginning of the film.

Two more things to consider: Han's shot comes too quickly after Greedo's to have been reflex. he must have shot at the same time as Greedo or a fraction of a second later. Also, there is no way that Greedo, a bounty hunter and professional killer, would have missed at such close range. These facts lead me to believe that this scene, now more of a western-style gunfight, is to underscore the fact that Han very nearly could have died but a higher power (the Force, duh) kept him alive. The scene still shows that the galaxy is a dangerous place, particularly when the criminal underworld is involved. It also still shows that Han is willing to do what is necessary to stay alive (Greedo would certainly have taken a second shot, given the opporunity).

I would argue that the new effect does not change Han's character significantly, and actually adds a little more to the story.

Time to quit procrastinating and write my finance paper...

Coleman

Re:Just one question?

[Anonymous Coward]

"Also, there is no way that Greedo, a bounty hunter and professional killer, would have missed at such close range."

While it's not canon(explained in multiple books, not the movies), Greedo was no professional. That was the first time he'd done anything (like the 2nd time he'd ever even had a blaster). He was just supposed to intimidate Solo, which fits in EXACTLY with how the scene was originally. Greedo wasn't interested in shooting him anyway, at least not in public

Now the Special Edition screwed the whole thing. Solo's character in the movies AND all the books dealing with that scene

Re:Just one question?

[dododge]

In the DVD version, Han will just declare bankruptcy, and Greedo takes him to court.

But does the Chewbacca defense work in the Star Wars universe? The mind boggles...

Re:Just one question?

[MBraynard]

You are incorrect. The Anakin character is a very 'grey' individual in AOTC. Much more so than Han in the originals.

Also, in the first film, Senator Palpatine is a 'greyish' guy unless you were a geek and knew in advance about his metamorphasis (and I did not).

Re:Just one question?

[GPB]

I just don't understand how Greedo could have missed at that range. If he was that bad of a shot, he would not have lasted long in his line of work. Granted we know Han kills him but presumably that wasn't his first day on the job.

-B

Re:Just one question?

[Jahf]

I disagree. Annakin is in no way grey. He is a child and he continues to act like one. He doesn't even pretend to have anyone's interests but his own and the 2 loves of his life (mother and princess).

Unless ep3 changes things he is going to go from "I'm a Jedi because that's who clothed and fed me but boy do they annoy me" to "Ooooh, I'm a Sith now and I get to do whatever I want so *nyah*".

It's a shame since he should have been the epitome of a tortured / conflicted character ... but so far there has been very little turmoil. The sandpeople attack? Pretty black&white writing (we didn't see him struggle at all with his decision, he just killed). Is he upset? Maybe, but only in a pouty "I'm good at fixing things" way.

Besides, if you listened to ep4 through ep6 it was pretty clear that Annakin was a Jedi that got turned to the Dark early on and before that was considered good. Doesn't seem to have been much struggle.

Your character is not defined ("grey", "light" or "dark") until you are enough of an adult to take responsibility for yourself and he hasn't gotten there as of ep2 and apparently about the time he gets to be a full adult he very definitely becomes "dark". There is a reason he is still an apprentice by ep2 ... until his personality is known (and I think it just got decided in ep2) Obi-Wan has to take responsibility for fixing anything he might do.

Even in episode 6 when Darth becomes Annakin again he is never "grey" unless you assume that for all the time prior he has been planning to overthrow the Senator/Emporer. You could make that argument but I disagree. I don't believe he came back to the "good" until he discovered his love for Luke at the very end and his switch was immediate and definite. No extended psychological torture or soul searching. And he only did it when he -knew- that he and Luke could beat the Emporer (that is Annakins consistent weakness ... he is internally very lacking in confidence despite his bravado).

As for Palpatine ... no grey at all ... from a plot standpoint perhaps since you don't see everything at first but unless you're lacking in voice recognition skills (you don't need to see his face to know it is at least the same actor) you pretty well know what is going on. Hell even in his "Senator" role he is pretty doggone slimy. Besides, you don't need to be a geek to remember the Emperor from ep6 and put two and two together. Of course I'm not a SW geek and don't know any details about the "metamorphosis" (no spoilers please, I don't like to have bits of even bad cinema ruined) you mention, so perhaps I'm off here but based on 5 movies so far the dude looks pretty dark to me.

I will say that I think perhaps Jengo was a bit grey, but he never got the chance to show too much of it. And Jimmy Smitts looks conflicted (or is it constipated) enough in his minor shots to perhaps be such, but his part is too small to have a clue.

Re:Just one question?

[StartledGnu]

Close. In fact in the newest version, Solo gives Greedo a pre-emptive blow job.

Re:Just one question?

[Anonymous Coward]

Since when does McBride act? Er... when not in court.

Re:Just one question?

[dagar17]

Can't blame Lucas tho. He seems to be more inclined to entertain the kids rather than making a dark scifi movie. That's why all the new releases are so chock full of cuddly characters.

Unlike the 3rd movie of the originals that had the evil, vicious, non cuddly characters known as ewoks.

Re:Just one question?

[The_dev0]

He WAS a heartless mercenary with loyalty to his ship and His Wookie and that was about it.

That's the most romantic thing i've EVER heard.

Re:Just one question?

[RevAaron]

OK, I'll bite- what's wrong with the screaming? It's not like we didn't already know that Luke was a big, whiney puss and all. I certainly wouldn't expect him to hell a kilometer facing it with stoic strength...

Re:Just one question?

[BollocksToThis]

In the special edition, Greedo fires the first shot, forcing Han to "retaliate" by killing Greedo in self-defense.

It wouldn't have been so mind-numbingly bad if Greedo hadn't fired a shot like a retarded monkey after a nice fat bag of crack.

"I'm taking you in, Solo, but first I'm going to fire my pistol at that spider crawling up the wall a foot up and to the right!"

Re:Just one question?

[Anonymous Coward]

Thank god he didn't edit away the broomstick that pushes up the foot of the AT-AT on Hoth! That has to be one of the funniest moments in the entire trilogy, right up there with the stormtrooper walking into the door.

Neato!

[Safety Cap]

We can buy the Box Set of the originals (4-6), then in a few years we can buy 1-3, and THEN we can buy them all again (master set 1-6, plus bonus-never-before-seen-scenes!).

Re:Neato!

[anthonyclark]

Lord of the rings will do the same thing. First there will be a 3 episode extended edition box set with some extra stuff and some new bookends or something. Then there will be a super extended edition with scenes like Eowyn defending the Rohan women and children in the caves of Aglarond. (the eowyn scene is shown briefly in the fellowship theatre version DVD's preview of the Two Towers).

Hollywood releases crap because people will still watch it. Just like you or I will do the minimum amount of work to not get fired. The movie industry will try to con us all into buying the same movie 10 times over. You or I would so the same if we thought we could get away with it.

Re:Neato!

[corbettw]

plus bonus-never-before-seen-scenes

You mean like changing the scene in the hospital room on Hoth so that now Han kisses Luke? Or maybe Chewie, I'm not sure which is worse.

Re:Neato!

[maxbang]

No, I think the movie industry will keep getting us obsessive, trivia hoarding, hyper-anal movie nerds to buy the same movie 10 times over.

Re:Neato!

[simcop2387]

to quote comic book guy in a recent episode.

this movie was horrible, i will only see it 3 more times.... today.

Re:Neato!

[natelr]

and by then High Def DVD's will be out and we get to do it all over again! AHHHH

Re:Neato!

[Anonymous Coward]

I think Han kissing Luke would be kinda hot, myself.

Re:Neato!

[fleener]

Your logic is faulty. Why would we purchase anything other than episodes 4 through 6? And even to do that, one must stomach the Cult of Lucas and all it has come to represent.

Re:Neato!

[MrDickey]

No, we can't buy the box set of the originals. Only the special edition of the first three movies is coming out on dvd. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty pissed at the fact the originals are just being covered up. They were the only good star wars movies, and they should be saved for the posterity. Granted, the special editions are pretty much the same movie, but when you modify old movies like that you ruin their original charm. I'd buy the old movies on DVD in a second, but I can't say the same for the special editions.

Re:Neato!

[JFMulder]

And don't forget the HD version a couple of months afterwards, without the new added scenes, because the media is too small. And then 2 years later, the VHD (Very High Definition) version, which is on the new GDVD format, with the added scenes, but then it's the alien who shoots first in Episode 4.

Re:Neato!

[Jahf]

Easy answer: just don't buy it.

I've got the extended editions of LOTR1 and LOTR2 and I found them worth it ... I skipped the initial theatrical release DVDs. I will be skipping the "all 3 in 1 box with more extras" for now. However, I probably WILL buy it if it ever gets mastered onto a high-def DVD after the HD-DVD standards get flushed out (read: at least 5 years). Then I'll donate my extended regular DVDs to my father or the local library.

There aren't very many movies I'd shell out for twice just to get HD but this would be one of them. Generally speaking any movie that wasn't stored digitally to begin with does not appear to get any benefits from the HD formats since they already have very visible film artifacts in the regular DVD format.

Speaking of which, I need to call Best Buy ... mod off topic as you will if this tangent pollutes the post, but I just want to say DO NOT pay for the extended warranty from Best Buy if the component is relatively advanced and you don't live near a major service center ... they farm it out to the locals and in the case of my 3 year old TV the locals said "oooooo ... we haven't seen an HD capable TV before". They have had it since February 14th (happy valentines day to me!) and while typing this I got the call I'll finally get it tomorrow (4/20 ... also our anniversary which means we will be out of the house and won't get it until 4/21 :). Ahhh, feels good to vent.

Re:Neato!

[Anonymous Coward]

Go away.

Re:Neato!

[Archimonde]

I'm 22 now. By the time that ultimate collection is released i'll be dead by then.

Wow, that's so great

[signe]

Nope. Still not going to buy it. Lucas should take a cue from Spielberg (with ET). Release a big box set that includes both the "special edition" and original releases. Then you might get my attention.

Until then, I'll get by with my laserdisc versions of the originals.

-Todd

Also on the new Star Wars Oh-So-Special Edition...

[artemis67]

Alderaan shoots first.

New Vader Costume?

[Anonymous Coward]

You're gonna warn us before you show us another fat man in a leotard, right?

The Movie Is Still Gonna Suck

[MS_leases_my_soul]

There is just no way Lucas can direct this movie and not have it suck. All the fancy new costumes and special effects is not going to change that (and arguably will make it worse).

Whatever. We all know we are still going to bittorrent it and yet still go to see the big fight on the big screen.

Re:The Movie Is Still Gonna Suck

[Flentil]

I see...I say judging downloaded low-rez movies is bad and suggest that a star wars movie might actually not suck and get modded a troll. Nice starwars hating movie pirate loving moderators you got here. sheesh

Re:The Movie Is Still Gonna Suck

[carpe_noctem]

...and yet still go to see the big fight on the big screen.

Wait, go where?

Seriously, I have no intention of seeing the third movie in the theatre unless movie critics drive up to lucas' house with flowers in hand. I saw the first one in the theatres multiple times, and then saw the second one in the theatre opening day. After being burned hard twice, I'm pondering whether the third movie is even worth the 700Mb of disk space it'll take to torrent. =/

Re:The Movie Is Still Gonna Suck

[Anonymous Coward]

"still go to see the big fight on the big screen"

Make that "We all" minus one.

I got duped into going to see 2, which I did NOT want to see. I wouldn't download 3 even out of curiosity (e.g. there is none).

Re:The Movie Is Still Gonna Suck

[Anonymous Coward]

> We all know we are still going to bittorrent it and yet still go to see the big fight on the big screen.

Says you. As a kid I got stuck at a friend's house watching a rerelease of the first trilogy. The whole thing. Good God do I ever hate Star Wars.

Re:The Movie Is Still Gonna Suck

[Anonymous Coward]

If any of the other five (or whatever) Star Wars movies are anything to go by, then this new one is likely to suck just as many balls. Nothing to do with viewing it on a computer.

Re:The Movie Is Still Gonna Suck

[rikkards]

I saw the first one in the theatres multiple times

It took you multiple times to realize the first one sucked? :)

Re:The Movie Is Still Gonna Suck

[carpe_noctem]

hahah, I was young and impressionable. -cries-

Spoiler Alert!

[Hanzie]

Don't bother reading the articles.

Just in case Yahoo news gets slashdotted, I've typed a plaintext mirror:

Newsflash! In movie 3 of the Starwars Hexology, Darth Vader will be seen wearing something different! Fashion Moguls can get an avanced look at cutting edge fashion for "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..." by buying the DVD set.

George Lucas says:

"Our fans have been eagerly awaiting every morsel of `Episode III' as we divulge it. We're giving it to them piece by piece."

Talk about stringing it out for money. Lucas is the master.

Another highlight:

Also, experience how Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor have prepared for the epic lightsaber battle that has been anticipated for more than two decades: the climactic showdown between Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

SPOILER ALERT:
Of course, since Vader and Obi-Wan duke it out again in IV, the 'climactic showdown' will probably not end in the death of either character in III, unless Lucas has begun hiring script-writers from Star Trek TNG.

Re:Spoiler Alert!

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't bother reading the articles.
Just in case Yahoo news gets slashdotted, I've typed a plaintext mirror:

Karma Whore Alert!

"Yahoo slashdotted" my ass...

Re:Spoiler Alert!

[maxbang]

Climactic showdown as in when Anakin gets toasted by Obi-Wan and horribly disfigured. Not as in either of their deaths. I think I have been trolled.

Re:Spoiler Alert!

[HTH NE1]

Maybe Vader gets his body lopped off, but the Emperor saves his head to be transplanted onto a completely mechanical body. Now that would tie in nicely to the scene on Degobah where Luke sees himself lopping off Vader's head.

Then again, maybe I'm giving Lucas' vision too much credit.

Re:Spoiler Alert!

[servognome]

Yes you are giving Lucas way too much credit. It was great finding out that the Republic Army was clones, then the line in ANH "Aren't you a little short to be a stormtrooper" makes much more sense. Of course Lucas said Storm Troopers weren't clones.

Re:Spoiler Alert!

[svallarian]

what, no ascii rendition of the costume to go with the article?

Steven V.

Fashion in Sci Fi

[ferralis]

*sigh* I was ok with the fashion of the princess in the first one and some claimed it was the only redeeming feature, although it in no way made up for the rest of the movie. The second one was almost redeemed by Yoda's show of force. Extrapolating from this, there will probably be one interesting thing about the third movie... So, is Darth's costume the one interesting thing about the next film? Or will we have more than that? It's almost worth watching the film to find out... (+1, Pithy)

Re:Fashion in Sci Fi

[Mateito]

> I was ok with the fashion of the princess in the first one and
> some claimed it was the only redeeming feature,

The only redeeming feature in the second one is that Natalie Portman didn't wear a bra most of the time.

Re:Fashion in Sci Fi

[halivar]

I was MOST ok with the princess's fashion in the third one.

Oh wait... we AREN'T talking about the originals?

Shucks, I still wanna see hot grits in a steel bikini.

They're going to make...

[uberdave]

They're going to make Darth Vader look like George Lucas??

Re:They're going to make...

[Kyn]

Man, that looks like something my cat crapped out.

If I had a cat.

But that's besides the point...

Re:They're going to make...

[disntrstd]

I can only imagine the audience cheering after George falls into the pit and gets horribly deformed.

Re:They're going to make...

[Anonymous Coward]

No, this is the new costume

new Darth costume

Re:Trolling.....down the sewers of the strand with

[Psiren]

Then turn off Star Wars stories in your /. preferences. Geez, the amount of whining that goes on here about Star Wars is amazing.

George Lucas ...

[MrSelfDestruct]

DIE! DIE! DIE!

What new evil has GL released on the DVD release of the original trilogy? Han shot first, dammit.

mumble, mumble, mumble

Re:Trolling.....down the sewers of the strand with

[theM_xl]

Whatever happened to Star Trek?

*remembers Voyager, Insurrection and Nemesis*

Do you really want me to answer that?

I don't get it

[Anonymous Coward]

What, Darth Vader is really ... GEORGE LUCAS???!!??!! I would never have seen that coming! Oh, wait ... you mean, it's just a picture of Lucas in a Yahoo News advertisement^W press release. Oh, ok.

Re:I don't get it

[tj500]

hahaha --same thing

Re:Also on the new Star Wars Oh-So-Special Edition

[FortKnox]

In soviet russia??


Yeah, yeah, yeah... mod me down :-P

I want to see the costume

[Stavr0]

Right. Now.

I got good karma, so I'm gonna make this an annoying rant. What's the point of submitting a story for every damn little detail about ep III? What's next? A series of insightful articles on Sen. Padme hairdos? PUH-LEEZE.

Ok mods. Do your worst.

Re:I want to see the costume

[natefanaro]

Next they're going to release this AMAZING detail from Episode III:

Someone, in episode III, is going to see in to the future and we'll all watch in awe and amazement as the deathstar is destroyed!

Re:I want to see the costume

[goldspider]

"A series of insightful articles on Sen. Padme hairdos?"

Close! Replace "Sen. Padme" with "Natalie Portman", and "hairdos" with "hot grits" and I think you'll have us a story!

Re:I want to see the costume

[Lord_Pain]

Actually I'd like more detail on Senator Padme's torpedo rack!

/deperate loser

Re:I want to see the costume

[Anonymous Coward]

quit the whining about ''mods do your worst''

your post was actually pretty good all by itself

Re:I want to see the costume

[doublem]

I hear 'ya. Personally, I'm looking forward to the day when she acts in a movie with a decent script. She CAN act, and she's good at it, but that Lucas jerk gets pathetic performances out of everyone.

Re:I want to see the costume

[Anonymous Coward]

I got to look at the pictures of the dude in a tron outfit, and see his bulge, and his anti bulge in the back. That makes it worth it for me!

Re:I want to see the costume

[Lord_Dweomer]

"What's the point of submitting a story for every damn little detail about ep III?"

To build hype.

wait...

[Spatula Sam]

So this is the new vader costume? I'm skeptical.

Re:wait...

[Deaden]

I'd say that captures the evil of the dark side very well.

Re:wait...

[DrWhizBang]

ooh, terrifying. i'm scared - almost enough that i may not watch it.

Re:wait...

[FroMan]

Yeah, they are not using the Imperial March when Vader is on screen anymore either. They are switching it to Gustav Holst's music from his Planets Suite, "Lucas, the Bringer of Crappy Prequels."

Re:wait...

[stevef]

No, that would be the inspiration for the Ewok costume. Pretty creepy, if you ask me.

Re:wait...

[bahwi]

No, you gotta click the picture and click next a few times to get it.

Here is the new Darth Vader costume(He's the one in the back, behind the starship "trooper")

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/0 40 420/482/xmun10304200808&e=4&ncid=

Re:wait...

[CommieLib]

Nonsense. Here is the new Vader costume.

Re:wait...

[Jugalator]

The only way to explain this is that the plot twist of Episode 3 is that George Lucas *is* Darth Vader. And this time it won't be a character in the movie screaming "Nooo!" about it, but the audience...

costumes

[theMerovingian]

Reminds me of the big controversy over nipples on the bat suit.

News?

[Reducer2001]

Um, didn't we get a 'sneak peek' at Darth Vaders costume in 1977? What's going to be different about this one?

Re:News?

[TheRealFixer]

It's gonna have rocket launchers, and fly.

Re:News?

[Reducer2001]

I can't tell if you're joking!!!!

Darth Vader

[Soporific]

Keeping guys from getting laid since 1977.

~S

I should RTFA

[w3weasel]

I should read the RTFA, but this reads as... "Buy the trilogy, get a FREE DarthVader Costume!!"
Man, those marketeers know their audience!

You young punks make me want to puke!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

"Natalie Portman"?!!!!

Carrie Fischer r00ls all your lame asses!

Gold bikini uber alles!!!!!

plus, you have the whole implied incest angle...

why?

[MasTRE]

> Whether you love or hate the Special Edition only release, you should be excited to see the new Darth Vader costume on the upcoming Trilogy DVD set.

No, I should not be. I may be, but I really should not be excited about that.

Birth of the lightsabre

[darthcamaro]

Holy crap - screw Darth Vader - some of the bonus features are worth a kidney!!! LIke this for example.. "The Birth of the Lightsaber: Its unforgettable hum and scintillating glow are instantly recognizable around the world. Now, viewers will discover the origins of this elegant weapon from a more civilized age in this documentary devoted to the lightsaber." I'm gonna make my own Lightsaber and Darth Vader's gonna teach me how!!!!

Re:Birth of the lightsabre

[Polkyb]

Ermm... I'm pretty sure I've already seen the documentary about all the weapons in the originals (how they made the sounds and light show and all that). They're just filling the DVD up with old stuff to make it look like they've been doing *something* for the past two years

Re:Trolling.....down the sewers of the strand with

[Hanzie]

If I handn't already posted, I'd mod you up as +1 informative.

My sincere thanks for the excellent advice.

Re:Trolling.....down the sewers of the strand with

[Anonymous Coward]

Ooooo! Touchy touchy! Spend too much time living in a bad movie and not enough time in reality? WHere do you live? Your parents' basement? Get a life.

scrubbing brush

[not_a_product_id]

aaarrrgghhh... Don't remind me! I just finished scrubbing my eye balls

Pink Frilly Dresses

[turgid]

If Darth Vader were to appear in a pink frilly dress, how many people would go to fancy dress parties in his image?

Re:Pink Frilly Dresses

[Anonymous Coward]

I already go to parties in frilly dresses... BUT...

www.thumb.com has already approached "the Darth Vader in a dress" idea.

Playable XBox demo

[Zog The Undeniable]

I wonder how much billg paid Lucas to include that? Still, it'll be a talking piece in 20 years' time when you're watching ANH for the nth time and your grandkids ask you what an XBox was.

Re:Playable XBox demo

[general_re]

Still, it'll be a talking piece in 20 years' time when you're watching ANH for the nth time and your grandkids ask you what an XBox was.

No it won't, because in that intervening 20 years, Lucas will have replaced that box set at least three times over with newer, ever more "deluxe" versions. By 2024, the original trilogy will come on 15 discs, and include six hours worth of footage featuring the set carpenters as they eat donuts and drink coffee. You know how every so often, Yoko Ono "discovers" some previously unknown John Lennon track? It'll be like that.

Re:Playable XBox demo

[vandenh]

:)

Oh well.. they can download it to their mobile phone and play in on an XBox emulator. Mame 2024 here I come!

Funny

[cubicledrone]

I just happened to be watching Attack of the Clones recently, and I noticed something. With the exception of Count Dooku and Mace Windu, most of the other actors look quite bored most of the time, and I can't figure out why.

One thing about the original is that people actually looked as if they were part of the movie. The only scene in Episode II where Obi-Wan is really emotional is when they are pursuing Dooku at the end of the movie.

It just appeared to be a series of storyboards and ideas instead of a cohesive story. The Clone War was cool, but somehow I wonder if it's really worth it to spend umpty millions to put 87 different kinds of laser blasting vehicles on the screen and vast horizons of rendered landscapes when the cantina scene in the original was more interesting.

There are no "Who's gonna fly it?" lines in the new trilogy.

Re:Funny

[tuffy]

I just happened to be watching Attack of the Clones recently, and I noticed something. With the exception of Count Dooku and Mace Windu, most of the other actors look quite bored most of the time, and I can't figure out why.

I suppose even the best actor would look bored working in a blue room for 8 hours a day, acting to "that thing over there the FX guys will add later" and reciting lines from Lucas' less-than-stellar script.

Stuff like sets and props and made-up critters to act against really do help actors do their jobs better - and a really good script helps even more.

Re:Funny

[Genjurosan]

I'm glad you decided to take the red pill. Because if you took the blue pill, you would have had to spend even more money on all the crappy re-releases of the same movie.

It's the laser beams and light sabers that have been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.

Re:Funny

[RickHunter]

What's really amazing is that the Clone Wars animated shorts are better than the last two movies. There's no particular reason - they just feel more like the Star Wars we're used to. And there's definitely "Who's gonna fly it?" lines. Hell, ANAKIN gets a couple. (Like the sequence where he's zipping back and forth dogfighting with that Sith chick over Obi-Wan's head while Obi-wan lectures at him)

Re:Funny

[DrXym]

I expect standing in front of a green screen day after day talking to a tennis ball on the end of the stick doesn't make for Emmy award winning performances.

Re:Funny

[AeroIllini]

What's really amazing is that the Clone Wars animated shorts are better than the last two movies. There's no particular reason - they just feel more like the Star Wars we're used to. And there's definitely "Who's gonna fly it?" lines. Hell, ANAKIN gets a couple. (Like the sequence where he's zipping back and forth dogfighting with that Sith chick over Obi-Wan's head while Obi-wan lectures at him)

I think Clone Wars is better than the prequels because the Jedi are really modern-day Samurai, and who better to create Samurai action sequences than Genndy Tartakovsky? Lucas has the Jedi fight, and they fall like flies to a bunch of stupid droids. Tartakovsky has the Jedi fight, and Mace takes out an entire field of droids with his *bare hands*.

There were only a couple of spots in Clone Wars that I wish weren't so cheesy, such as the sequence with Padme and R2-D2/C3-PO in the snowstorm. That section smacked of Saturday-morning tripe. But the action sequences were definitely well done. The best thing about Clone Wars was that we finally get to see what the Jedi are capable of. Lucas has all this SFX power at his fingertips, and the Jedi fight sequences either look uninspired (the Arena Battle in Episode II), just plain silly (Yoda's fight with Dooku), or completely implausible (Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan vs. Maul in Episode I -- seriously: two against one? Maul would have been toast in under two minutes). I realize some of the Jedi fight sequences weren't very fast in the Original Trilogy, but there were technical limitations, and George made up for it by injecting emotion. He has no excuses now -- if the fight is going to be emotionless, it better be hardcore.

Re:Funny

[aastanna]

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic was quite good too. Great plot twist. There's still life in the franchise, it's just Lucas is completly incompetant.

Re:Funny

[davew2040]

You must've been watching a different set of Clone Wars cartoons than I was. The set I watched was a highly sophomoric bout of superhero-worship, whose characters lacked humanity every bit as much as the cardboard characters of Episodes 1 and 2. It was exactly the same sort of tripe as the last two movies (ooh, look how bold and resourceful Padme is!), with an extra dose of STUPID injected into its forehead (jousting droids? A gigantic, floating stamping machine??).

I'm very disappointed that Lucas has decided it's reasonable to illustrate the Clone Wars as an advertisement for the combat prowess of Jedi. Wars spanning hundreds of thousands of light years should be a little complex.

Re:Funny

[Trogre]

There are also no "Who's the most foolish, the fool or the fool who follows it" in the new trilogy.

And I suspect no breasts are grabbed either.

Re:Funny

[silicon not in the v]

Exactly, the dialog is really dull, it's delivered dully, and the actors look rather stiff and bored. I'll bet the uninterested acting has to do with the fact that there are no sets behind any of them. It is hard to get excited on a green-screen sound stage. How are you supposed to get into the part when there's nothing there, but your own imagination to interact with?

Re:Funny

[Deadbolt]

Most of the Jedi who died at Geonosis were woefully unprepared for any sort of large-scale battle. Note that the survivors were all either Jedi Council members or extremely skilled Knights. (And Anakin, cause he's The Chosen One and stuff.) Remember the guy who tries to jump Dooku in the gallery and then gets blasted by Jango? And then remember how Dooku flat-out OWNS both Obi-Wan and Anakin with his lightsaber?

Sad fact is that the Jedi have begun to lose their connection to the Force and their lightsaber training is pretty pathetic. Too many Jedi neglect their training and barely know Form VI, which is already the weakest of the lightsaber styles. Mace Windu has a deeper understanding of the Force than anyone save Yoda, and even without his lightsaber he's still dangerous. It all hangs together perfectly.

*rereads last two paragraphs*

Wow, I'm approaching geek nirvana. Smells like teen spirit.

Re:Funny

[AeroIllini]

Most of the Jedi who died at Geonosis were woefully unprepared for any sort of large-scale battle. Note that the survivors were all either Jedi Council members or extremely skilled Knights.
**snip**
Sad fact is that the Jedi have begun to lose their connection to the Force and their lightsaber training is pretty pathetic.

Ok, granted. I realize that the Order is in decline, and many of the Jedi have become complacent in peacetime, neglected their training, etc. But it would have been nice if that was shown in the movies at all. While knowing more about the Order via the Expanded Universe is all well and good, I would think a small tidbit like the *decline of the Jedi Order* might warrant a few moments' screen time. But no, instead we get to watch Anakin blow up a Trade Federation ship *by accident* at the tender age of 10, or whatever he was in Episode I, and see R2 suddenly grow rockets in a damn droid factory. (The Order's decline might have been mentioned in passing, but if it was, it was buried so deep in the steaming piles of poorly written dialog that I missed it. What I saw in the movie was a large group of Jedi whom I'd never met before and were historically handy with a lightsaber, get picked off like rookies by a bunch of *droids*, which not only don't use the Force, but presumably they can't anticipate attacks very well, either -- they seem to be just walking blasters. They should be absolutely no match for the Jedi, trained or not.)

I'm not trying to tear down your points above; they are fully valid within the realm of the Star Wars Universe. The Jedi have to fall at some time, and that won't happen until either a) they lose their skills or b) Dooku has an equally large army of Dark Jedi to defeat them, which I think he would find hard to hide. However, what we're witnessing here is George Lucas losing all respect for the Star Wars Universe. It's obvious that he just doesn't care about continuity or logical plot turns. He wants to make what he wants to make, and the Star Wars Universe be damned! He adds totally contrived plot devices for the singular purpose of adding an action sequence (the Podrace Wager, the Coruscant Speeder Chase, etc.) and these plot devices take away from the story so totally that it takes a couple of watchings of the movies just to pin down what's really going on.

All I'm asking from George is a little passion, not *just* about the CGI (although that element is undoubtably some of the finest on film), but about the characters, the story, and ultimately, the motivations behind the transformation from a democratic Republic to a totalitarian Empire. After all, when he first announced Episode I, he said that was what fascinated him the most about the prequels: the fall to darkness, both for a single person (Anakin) and for an entire galaxy (the Republic). The problem he has right now is the lack of any gray area, except for adolescents. Every character in the Prequels is either Good or Evil, with nothing in between. (This was not true in Episodes IV and V; case in point, Han and Lando.) I want to see some of that gray area. I want to see members of the Jedi order having doubt about the future of the Order and looking to Palpatine for guidance. I want to see Dooku's followers balk at his plan for domination and leave, or perhaps be destroyed. I want to see Jedi losing the faith and leaving in disgust. I want to see an attempt on Yoda's life, by someone trying to destroy the Order outright. I want to see infighting within each side of the battle, growing more dangerous as the stakes escalate, and enabling Palpatine to make a grab for power. I want the audience to not be sure which side of the war is the right one.

In short, I want to *witness* the downfall of a great Republic and a fantastically strong Jedi order, and the subsequent rise of a totalitarian Empire. So far, all we've gotten to that effect are a few ominous comments from Yoda, which just makes him look like a hopeless pessimist. The fact that the Bad Guys are droids, and therefore no

Re:Funny

[RickHunter]

If you've read the Zahn books and seen the original Trilogy and the Clone Wars shorts, you've seen everything about the setting that matters.

Promise me this

[Dragon218]

before I click on the article link...

There's no 'dangly parts' in spandex on that page... right?

Re:Promise me this

[ThisIsFred]

There's a second chin that's sort of dangling.

Re:Also on the new Star Wars Oh-So-Special Edition

[Anonymous Coward]

i've gotta hand it to you - funniest thing i've read this week.

Making my own DVD

[trapine]

I for one plan on ripping the tilogy and making my own DVD without the special edition crap. I would keep watching my VHS tapes, but they are wearing out!

Re:Making my own DVD

[Darth Maul]

BitTorrent is your friend. Rips from the LaserDiscs are available now. Enjoy.

Re:Making my own DVD

[Khan]

Where can I get the BitTorrent file from?

Re:Making my own DVD

[Darth Maul]

Try searching some of the popular torrent index sites.

*cough*torrentz.com*cough*

Re:Making my own DVD

[Anonymous Coward]

Where can I get the BitTorrent file from?

http://torrentz.com/search/?q=star+wars

Re:Making my own DVD

[Anonymous Coward]

And once the files are burned, you can print out DVD cover sheets. Ones based on the laserdisc and VHS "face" covers are here, here, and here.

Re:Making my own DVD

[trapine]

thanks ;|

could be worse

[WormholeFiend]

you know the scene in Empire when Lando brings Han to a dinner with Vader?

Vader could've just 'guessed' that Han would want to shoot him, and pulled Han's blaster right out of the holster BEFORE Han even grabbed it to shoot!

You know this is going to be in the next iteration of the ever shifting re-editions of the Star Wars movies...

Re:Trolling.....down the sewers of the strand with

[rjelks]

The sad thing is, I'd gladly take back Voyager if I could just forget about this Enterprise thing.

Isn't this supposed to be historical?

[Flentil]

I'm usually not disapointed by this star wars stuff, but it irks me that this historical DVD release is getting bundled with 1: pimping the new movie, 2:(worse) a demo of an upcoming Xbox game. SW video games have been more miss than hit and for all we know SW:Battlefront might suck like the Terminator 3 game, so why dump it in here?

Love or Hate?

[mumblestheclown]

bifurication.

try don't give a damn.

Re:Also on the new Star Wars Oh-So-Special Edition

[DjMd]

Alderaan shoots first.
Don't be ridiculous.
But the empire does have evidence (well hints, ok just hunches) that Alderaan maybe have (thought about vaguely) Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Oh and the Death Star? Thats totally not a WMD...

Special edition nude scene

[ocie]

Will Lucas edit out the brief (2-3 fame) nude scene from ROTJ?

Re:Special edition nude scene

[Anonymous Coward]

...and google is flooded with queries for "ROTJ nude scene"

Re:Special edition nude scene

[ocie]

As a matter of fact, I did a search right after I posted this. I found a couple of places that mentioned it, but unfortunately, no pics. If you watch the scene where Jabba's first slave girl is pulled into the pit, you can see her top come off as she falls in.

don't tell me

[fleener]

If Lucas shows us a Vader suit in Episode 3 that we haven't seen before, then we must assume the lame Episode 4 suit was an upgrade. This "new" suit had better be a clunky piece o' crap, for the sake of continuity.

Re:don't tell me

[kevinadi]

Nah, most probably it will look better but maybe doesn't work as good. It will be broken sometime before episode 4 starts because all the parts are second hand junk Made in Alderaan. Now you know why he destroyed Alderaan in the first place.

Although it'll be really cool to see the first ever vader costume is like Ned Kelly's armor with wires sticking out all over the place. Now THAT's an armor.

Re:don't tell me

[ScottGant]

Really, this "new" suit better have that tape recorder strapped to his chest like the "old" suit had.

The only thing really cool about the old suit was the mask...everything else was the tape recorder and a Batman utility belt with little flashies on it. Oh, and a big flowing cape.

Re:don't tell me

[Xaymot]

No, according to the series so far, the new Vader costume should look sleeker. Throughout the series design aesthetics have devolved from episode 1 - 3 until they are stripped of style and consist only of practicality and function (Episodes 4 -6).

That's why everything looks sleeker in the first episodes 1 and 2. So it would make sense that Vader's costume would be more streamlined and less practical... i.e. no switches and knobs on his chest.

Streamlined and sleeker does not equate to futuristic just fancy. And the empire ain't no fancy prissy gash fest.

Re:don't tell me

[el-spectre]

Maybe not, though. (dear god I'm discussing SW fashion. sigh).

Theoretically the empire is going downhill over time, so it makes sense that the equipment circa episode 4 is pretty beat up. Nonetheless, vader is the 2nd in charge of the whole deal, so one would assume that he's going to be taken care of. In the real world, many dictators have gold plated houses while their citizens starve. could be the same here.

Re:don't tell me

[Xaymot]

So, if Sadam Hussein's kids had gold plated AKs than Vader will have gold plated knobs?

Though that would be sweet, I'm not sure if it will play out that way. Although, that crude gold robo arm from episode 2 didn't make any damn sense.

Eh, I'll buy it. Lucas' decisions lately don't make any damn sense, so I'll pray for a gold plated Vader with switches.

Re:don't tell me

[Anonymous Coward]

Nope, the real reason for the suit-change is a blonde, heavily-muscled Austrian-American wanders onto set and says 'Hey Vader, nice suit; makes you look like a homosexual'.

This post was your ObSimpsons-quote for the story.

Re:don't tell me

[GPB]

If Lucas shows us a Vader suit in Episode 3 that we haven't seen before, then we must assume the lame Episode 4 suit was an upgrade. This "new" suit had better be a clunky piece o' crap, for the sake of continuity.

Just like they made the ship in Star Trek: Enterprise look less sophisticated than the ship in the original series...oh wait.

-B

Re:don't tell me

[16K Ram Pack]

No doubt he'll be able to fly in it.

I'll Just Wait, Thank You

[hal2814]

Does Lucas think giving us a sneak peek of Vader's new threads will get us to go out and buy the DVD set? I'll just wait until the day after the DVD is released and find one of the many pics that will be plastered all over the Web. Or better yet, I'll just wait until the movie comes out and see the costume there. Of course, I'll probably see it on one of the movie theater patrons before I actually get into the theater.

The only thing that will get me to go out and buy the DVD set is to include the non-Special Edition versions of the movies (preferably the THX ones), but I think others have already done a very good job of making Lucas aware of my complaint.

Compare and contrast

[adamofgreyskull]

UKians (and RestOfWorldians lucky enough to have caught the Fast Show/Swiss Toni spin off)...
Compare and contrast:

George Lucas
Swiss Toni

Re:Compare and contrast

[gowen]

Making a new Star Wars film is a lot like making love to a beautiful woman. You've got to start positively, with a chase, and some mild fisticuffs, a little diplomacy... ... then as your climax nears, you can just let little drips of information come out, about what is going to come...

Re:Compare and contrast

[PerspexAvenger]

Thankyou for that :) Now the entire office is looking at me funny, wondering what cracked me up...

Re:image (I've seen it...)

[pegboy]

I've seen it... looks like a cross between jar jar and an ewok. It turned black and shiny when darth doesn't wash it after a couple of months...

Oh man...

[Trolling4Dollars]

... I sure hope Lucas doesn't sour the franchise any further by trying to capitalize on the whole cyberpunk think:

Darth: Whoa! Pop quiz! Am I "the One" or am not I"? Dude?

Who cares!

[Blitzenn]

Stop living in the seventies and get on with life. Put away your polyester shirts and bell bottom pants. Its 2004 people! Who cares if Darth Vader's costume fabric looks different in the re-release of the remade release of the original remake.

Here's the news

[cubicledrone]

Episode III will be a musical

There will be a stirring piano solo accompanying a soundless lightsaber battle between Anakin and Obi-Wan, followed by a spectacular soaring performance of the theme from Star Wars with the entire cast of the film singing the new never-before-heard lyrics as a galactic chorale.

Darth Vader will then sing a solo baritone as the credits roll.

Re:Here's the news

[Hu's_on_first]

Hey, that's not so far fetched. Ewan McGregor is a pretty good singer, just watch Moulin Rouge. Of course, this being Slashdot, nobody here has seen Moulin Rouge due to it's lack of a lightsaber battle...

Re:Here's the news

[eaddict]

I've seen it! Count me! It was great.
Oops... didn't say anything geeky - I am bound to lose karma!

Re:Here's the news

[Rupert]

This is actually the first thing I thought when I watched Moulin Rouge.

Re:Here's the news

[Anonymous Coward]

Bollywood is producing it? So is padme dancing around a tree?

Re:Here's the news

[buckeyeguy]

(in fake theatrical producer accent)
"Picture this: Palpatine and Vader on stage together, as they knock out their rendition of "Puttin on the Ritz", just like in Young Frankenstein! It'll kill, trust me!"

Or re: the parent post, Vader doing a baritone, hmmm... "Ole Man Death Star", sung to the tune of "Old Man River?" Sure it could work. After the Ewoks and Jar Jar, I'm starting to like the idea of a musical comedy.

Re:Here's the news

[iphayd]

No, actually they will have Bill Murray.

"Star Wars, nothing but Star Wars, gimme them Star Wars, don't let them end..." (To the tune of the Star Wars Theme song).

Or maybe Bill Murray will be the new voice of Darth Vader.

Are you sure

[Anonymous Coward]

Whether you love or hate the Special Edition only release, you should be excited to see the new Darth Vader costume on the upcoming Trilogy DVD set. I might be interested, but I dont think you have any right to mandate that I am excited. For the record, I couldnt give a toss. So sue me.

Or...

[adamofgreyskull]

"Buy the trilogy, get to look at a sneak preview of the new/old Darth Vader costume, mortal, and be glad we've given you the chance. KNEEL BEFORE ZOD^H^H^HLUCAS EARTHLINGS!!!!"

Re:My first thought....

[tomstdenis]

You're all DORKs. Dork dork dorky.

dorky dorky malorky korky dork!

aw, man

[nesneros]

They're not putting the Star Wars Holiday Special on Disk 4? I wouldn't spend money on the special edition SW Films, but I'd easily drop $50 for an hour of laughter.

redeeming feature?

[WormholeFiend]

In Empire, Han gets carbonited.

In Star Wars Episode 3, Anakin gets carbonized.

Whocares

[apankrat]

who cares as long as the costume is made from 100% natural jar-jar skin ;)

Re:wait wait wait ???

[scovetta]

Wouldn't it actually be an old Vader suit??

Hunt down laser disc torrents

[Anonymous Coward]

I just grabbed them and obviously not dvd quality, their good enough for me.

Uh George, fuck you and your ass. Release the originals, give consumers choice or go fuck yourself. I've been offering these to all my friends. With these, most people I know won't by the special editions.

Let's just blow Empire Strikes Back, mmmkay?

[the_skywise]

If Lucas reveals that Anakin is Darth Vader in Episode 3, then there is *NO* suprise that Vader is Luke's father in Empire Strikes Back.

"Luke... *I* am your father"
"Yeah Dad, I saw that back in Episode 3"

I can only hope that Lucas has Anakin fall into the lava pit in one scene and then this new figure, Darth Vader mysteriously appears at the end of Episode 3. But no, Lucas has already said "We're going to get to see Anakin put the helmet on."

Which means the CORRECT viewing order for future generations of Star Wars fans MUST be... 4, 5, 6, and then 1,2 and 3. NOT in chronological order.

Or in the words of Comic-book guy... "Worst continuity, Ever!"

Re:Let's just blow Empire Strikes Back, mmmkay?

[fopa]

This effect is called 'in media res' which I think is latin for "in the middle." It's how a lot of stories and trilogies are done.

The way it works is that you start in the middle of a story when the confrontation is already underway, and you get some idea of what's going on at the moment. Then they go back to the beginning, usually through a flashback or by having 1 character explain the history of the conflict to another. Then you get the last part and see how the conflict is resolved.

The Odessey is a famous example of this effect. The book begins with Odysseus in a series of conflicts on his way home from Troy. Then he tells the story of how he was called the war and they defeated the Trojans, but he was blown off course on the way home. Then things flash back to his homeward journey, he returns and kills all the guys who've been courting his wife while he was away.

So, assuming Star Wars was intended to be done in media res, the correct order is middle, beginning, end. The series should be viewed 4, 5, 6, then 1, 2, 3, and if they come 7, 8, 9. Lucas just didn't do a good job of showing this.

Re:Let's just blow Empire Strikes Back, mmmkay?

[ArsSineArtificio]

Which means the CORRECT viewing order for future generations of Star Wars fans MUST be... 4, 5, 6, and then 1,2 and 3. NOT in chronological order.

Actually, the correct viewing order for future generations of Star Wars fans must be: 4, 5, 6.

Re:Let's just blow Empire Strikes Back, mmmkay?

[TrickFred]

Let's put it on... ...The last suit you'll ever wear.

Re:Let's just blow Empire Strikes Back, mmmkay?

[Mechanik]

"Luke... *I* am your father"
"Yeah Dad, I saw that back in Episode 3"

...

Which means the CORRECT viewing order for future generations of Star Wars fans MUST be... 4, 5, 6, and then 1,2 and 3. NOT in chronological order.


Hah! Any true Star Wars fan would know the correct viewing order is 4, then 5, then 6, and 1, 2, and 3 not at all.

Mechanik

Re:Let's just blow Empire Strikes Back, mmmkay?

[Anonymous Coward]

What?! Vader is Luke's father?! How about a spoiler warning next time, you insensitive clod!

Re:Let's just blow Empire Strikes Back, mmmkay?

[GoofyBoy]

>Which means the CORRECT viewing order for future generations of Star Wars fans MUST be... 4, 5, 6, and then 1,2 and 3. NOT in chronological order.

So should the Godfather be watch 2, 1, 3?

Re:Let's just blow Empire Strikes Back, mmmkay?

[Bob The Cowboy]

Which means the CORRECT viewing order for future generations of Star Wars fans MUST be... 4, 5, 6, and then 1,2 and 3. NOT in chronological order.

Actually, the correct viewing order for future generations of Star Wars fans must be: 4, 5, 6.

Yeah. Lucky Bastards.

Re:Let's just blow Empire Strikes Back, mmmkay?

[saynte]

Dumb question, but does it matter? Just because the shock for *us* is gone (which has been gone for a loooooong time) doesn't mean it ruins the storyline. So, if you want to look at it from another vantage point, the moment in ESB is then about Luke's shock, not ours, concerning the identity of his father. Just because we're less surprised as an audience does *not* invalidate the moment in ESB.

Re:Let's just blow Empire Strikes Back, mmmkay?

[Anonymous Coward]

Um no, he can reveal that anakin is vader/luke's father as long as he doesn't reveal it to Luke.

Re:Let's just blow Empire Strikes Back, mmmkay?

[neonduckshoe]

Or in the words of Comic-book guy... "Worst continuity, Ever!" Obviously comic-book guy never heard of highlander.

Re:Let's just blow Empire Strikes Back, mmmkay?

[afabbro]

Wait...are you suggesting that perhaps Lucas DIDN'T completely write out episodes 1 through 9 and then later decide to film 4, 5, and 6 for solid artistic reasons? You mean he just wrote "episode 4" and later the others, trying to keep it all straight in his head, and has been lying to the fans all along?

I'm shocked...shocked!

Re:Let's just blow Empire Strikes Back, mmmkay?

[anser]

I hope Vader bites Obi-Wan's finger off before he falls into the lava pit! Then the Eagles can come and take Obi-Wan and R2D2 away...

Re:Let's just blow Empire Strikes Back, mmmkay?

[spoco2]

Exactly... the whole point of that moment is that LUKE didn't know that Vader was his father... when watching the film WE also got a suprise, but these prequels do nothing to deminish LUKE's suprise at all.

And saying 'worst continuity ever' is just plain stupid as there is no continuity issue here, it's all fine. Jaba the hut shrinking between Ep1 and the crap Ep4 scene, then billowing out again for Ep6 is crap continuity, but this is NOT a continuity issue at all.

Re:My first thought....

[rjelks]

You do realize that by registering as a member of these forums you were automatically added to the National Nerd Roster, I hope.

Lucasfilms purchases OSDN

[Kakurenbo Shogun]

Lucasfilms and OSDN have just iced a deal that will give Lucasfilms majority ownership of all OSDN properties and full editorial control over Slashdot.

How else can you explain Slashdot participating in hyping a new Darth Vader costume by linking to a news story that doesn't have a picture of it? Come on guys! Don't waste my time posting the story till they're showing us a photo!

Re:Lucasfilms purchases OSDN

[Anonymous Coward]

Uh, dude. Hate to break it to you but that article did include a photo of the new armor. I know the design is not what you are use to but, George wanted to do a cameo, so he is the new flannel armored Darth Vader.

Re:Also on the new Star Wars Oh-So-Special Edition

[lone_marauder]

Alderaan shoots first.

Well, duh. Everyone knows Alderaan deserved it because of their imperialistic foreign policy.

It could be cool

[TrentL]

If it's based on a Ralph McQuarrie design, I have faith. A lot of his unused concept art kicks ass.

Re:It could be cool

[slycer9]

The fact that you specified that it's his 'unused' concept art that kicks ass worries me a bit.

'Oh, what you see in the movies from this guy kinda sucks...but you should SEE what they reject!'

Does anybody even care anymore?

[Munk]

I hate to say it, but I am a Star Wars Fanboy that just doesn't care anymore. I loved the original three films (4-6), used to play the Star Wars RPG, have read all the novels, etc (yes, my wife tells me to get a life). But I don't even care if Episode 3 ever comes out. After the huge disappointment from eps 1 and 2, we know 3 will suck because Lucas is still involved with it. Does anybody else feel the way I do?

Re:Does anybody even care anymore?

[TrickFred]

I'm the same. Loved the originals, read the books, still have all my RPG books, CCG cards, almost dumped a girl for falling asleep during Empire [yeah, i've mellowed since then], read all the books, up until Episode One came out. I watched it three times in the theatre, and tried desperately to like it. Haven't read any New Jedi Order books, don't own Ep 1 or 2, don't even watch 4,5, or 6 when they come on TV [always the SE's, can't stand the SE's].

My three year old's gonna grow up idolizing Harry Potter, instead of Han Solo, as I did. Boo.

Re:Does anybody even care anymore?

[AeroIllini]

My three year old's gonna grow up idolizing Harry Potter, instead of Han Solo, as I did. Boo.

Lucky for you, Harry Potter shoots first.

Seriously. He's starting to get pretty badass in Book 5.

And J.K. Rowling has no intention of "updating" Harry so it's less traumatizing for the kiddies -- in fact, the biggest theme in the books is that there is no rigidly defined good and evil. Everyone has the potential to be both (or either).

Come to think of it, Harry Potter mirrors the Star Wars themes extremely well. Voldemort was once a regular student who was tempted by evil magic (Fall to Darkness), Snape is an egotistical, self-serving guy with heart (Dark Hero), Dumbledore is wise and learned, but hardcore when he needs to be (Jedi Warrior/Teacher), and Harry himself is the innocent boy with connections to a dark past who must "face his destiny." Oh, and he's pretty powerful, too.

Harry Potter is now what Star Wars used to be: under all that merchandizing sits a great story with fantastic characters and universal themes. I can think of many worse fantasy worlds for your three-year-old to be engrossed in.

I think it's time we all finally admitted that the Star Wars universe ceased to be compelling the moment midechlorians arrived on the scene. George has lost his touch with reality, so we need to pass the baton. Get over your fear of "Potter-mania" and your belief that Harry is only for kids and go read the Harry Potter books. They are every bit as good as the Original Trilogy.

Re:Does anybody even care anymore?

[TrickFred]

Touche.

I've seen the Potter movies, they seemed to be kind of formulaic, but at my age, everything's starting to look derivative. :) Then again, as the old saying goes, "Don't judge a book by its movie". I suppose you could be right, a lot of people are turned off of anime, for example, just because it's perceived as being for kids [ie-animated], when I'd rather re-watch anything from Miyazaki or Tezuka than watch anything new out of Hollywood. I'm not reading anything else right now, maybe I will take your recommondation. Thanks for the insight.

What about Batgirl?

[Toxygen]

I mean, if Batman has 'em, and Robin has 'em....why couldn't Batgirl get any?

Does Han still shoot first?

[Khan]

I know it sounds silly, but it's the only thing that will keep me from buying this. Why, you ask? Think about the trilogy and specifically the characters that start off as scum and end up heroes.

Han...smuggler, liar, overall questionable. Guido comes to "take him out" and what does he do? Shoots first. Kill or be killed. Runs away from the fight but then comes back after he realizes it's the right thing to do.

Lando...scum like Han. Betrays his friend to the Empire. Comes to the rescue at the end and helps rescue Han in "Jedi".

Vader...nothing needs to be said here about his character. Turns on the Emperor after he realizes that his life has all been wrong.

What do all these characters have in common? Redemption. They all start off "bad" and end up "good". And that is why I feel that changing that scene ruins Han's character development.

Could be cool. Maybe

[WebGangsta]

The article I read this morning refered to the "first time Darth Vader walked onto the set", and the filmed reactions of everyone involved seeing the character/costume for the first time. The article said it was a 'once in a lifetime' moment that could never be recreated.

The preview offers a first glimpse of the new Vader costume, too. "What we want to do is give people a sense of what it was like when Darth Vader steps back on the set again," says Lucasfilm's Jim Ward. "It's one of those moments that happens only once in the lifetime of a saga."

So if it's behind-the-scenes stuff, that could be kinda neat. Just saying.

Excited to see?

[AyeRoxor!]

you should be excited to see the new Darth Vader costume on the upcoming Trilogy DVD set.

Yeah, I really fucking would. But your link just goes to some pictureless article. Nice.

fair trade

[evenprime]

Holy crap - screw Darth Vader - some of the bonus features are worth a kidney!!! LIke this for example.. "The Birth of the Lightsaber: Its unforgettable hum and scintillating glow are instantly recognizable around the world.

I'll buy you the DVD set if you'll give me one of your kidneys. Those things are worth some serious money on the black market organs market ;-)

Re:fair trade

[ericspinder]

I'll buy you the DVD set if you'll give me one of your kidneys.

Can I give you one of my kidneys, it would be easier than the "arm and a leg" price of [maybe] $75 for the box set. Of course, I be getting the kidney from the butcher's trash bin, so the resale might be somewhat disapointing.

Give me muppets or give me death.

[Anonymous Coward]

I detest the new and ??improved?? CG in the SE.
Give me good old fashioned muppets anyday. ... and THIS is the worst. Darth Vader. costume. ever.

News Flash!

[Anonymous Coward]

Star Wars fanboi's analysis reveals that Episodes I and II suck donkey balls! These incredible results confirm the roughly 500 million prior observations that George Lucas has no idea what made the original trilogy cool and is now an effects (pardon me, FX)-crazy hack.

More important stuff

[UnknowingFool]

I know this may not be the most popular sentiment, but who really cares about how Vader will look like? What is important to me is whether we will actually see Natalie Portman naked and covered in grits.

Re:More important stuff

[Anonymous Coward]

naked = good

covered in grits = ????????

Re:More important stuff

[Anonymous Coward]

3.: PROFIT!!!!!!

My, Times Have Changed...

[bottlerocket]

Said Jim Ward, a Lucasfilm marketer and DVD executive producer, "Our fans have been eagerly awaiting every morsel of `Episode III' as we divulge it. We're giving it to them piece by piece."

No, actually we've become too bitter and jaded for that sort of thing now. Just get the damn thing over with and leave us to wallow in our broken-hearted geek misery...

Is it worth it?

[Ride-My-Rocket]

The Clone War was cool, but somehow I wonder if it's really worth it to spend umpty millions to put 87 different kinds of laser blasting vehicles on the screen and vast horizons of rendered landscapes when the cantina scene in the original was more interesting.

It must be. George Lucas wouldn't be making the movies if he didn't think people would buy into all those the SFX. Though personally, I don't think the SFX make up for the sorry lack of character depth or plot, so it's not worth it to me.

Costume Designers Got It Right This Time

[superultra]

You can definitely see the progression of evil there in Anakin: the silver metallic optical lens, the ominous anti-Kenobi look, the Sith-like pinstriped dark silk material and proto-Imperial Regiment tie that could only have come at the cost of thousands of Jedi....kudos to the costume designers, they've really managed to capture the essence of evil in this new suit.

Ooohhh, you have to wait to see the new Darth Vader suit? Then what is that Yahoo picture in the story? Oh. It's George Lucas.

Actually...

[paranode]

You won't even have to wait that long. They'll probably re-release them next year when all of these electronics companies want to push out the new higher definition DVD format.

Yay... all that money to build up the collection that is soon to be antiquated.

Civil Procedure, Star Wars Style

[ArsSineArtificio]

In the DVD version, Han will just declare bankruptcy, and Greedo takes him to court.

GREEDO: I need somebody to give this subpoena to Solo's Wookee co-pilot.
BARTENDER: Hey! We don't serve their kind here!

No deleted scenes?

[blincoln]

Is it just me, or was there a disturbing lack of deleted scenes being mentioned in that article?

When I buy the trilogy on DVD, I want the section from ANH with Biggs on Tatooine. I want the bits of the expanded snow monster things in the base on Hoth, and the shots of Lando on the outside of the Millennium Falcon rescuing Luke in ESB. I want the escape to the Falcon from Jabba's palace and the scenes on the *other* command ship at the battle of Endor in ROTJ.

Don't tell me you don't have them, Lucas, because I've seen them for sale on bootleg VHS tapes. If you can restore the Jabba scene in ANH, you can do those too.

Re:No deleted scenes?

[cant_get_a_good_nick]

If you can restore the Jabba scene in ANH, you can do those too.
I think that's a horrible example. The restored Jabba scene was one of the worst things that happened to the "improved" ANH. If you see "the making of", you see the scene was originally shot Han walking around a fat guy. He's able to go around his back from side to side. In the "improved" version, they add a full cgi Jabba, which means for Han to go side to side, he has to jump over his massive tail. Not only would this never happen (do you want to be playing jump rope with a loan shark that wants to kill you) but the way it was acted, Han does a discontinuous jump near vertical, then near horizontal for this to happen. That destroyed the suspension of disbelief for me for that scene, and to some extent the movie. Adding all the little characters and rats running around Tatooine didn't help. It it from a desolate planet where you could see why Skywalker(s) were desperate to get off and seek other things, such as adventure.

Yes Lucas, film technolgy has improved to where enabling your vision is easier, but don't destroy your film in the process. Technology is technology, using it takes skill, not using it seems to take more skill some times. You were able to create a world where a flashtube with some cut windshield wiper blades on the side became the most potent weapon an 8 year old could imagine. You don't need computers to do that.

Re:No deleted scenes?

[blincoln]

I think that's a horrible example. The restored Jabba scene was one of the worst things that happened to the "improved" ANH.

I'm not saying he should stick them back in. I just want to see them in a seperate deleted scenes section. Most of them I can only assume weren't finished anyway, so they wouldn't fit into the actual films.

Re:No deleted scenes?

[Coward the Anonymous]

Most of them I can only assume weren't finished anyway, so they wouldn't fit into the actual films.

That hasn't stopped him yet.

Re:Also on the new Star Wars Oh-So-Special Edition

[paranode]

But the empire does have evidence (well hints, ok just hunches) that Alderaan maybe have (thought about vaguely) Weapons of Mass Destruction

Not only that, but the Empire believes that Alderaan may be using code in its defense systems that infringes on the Empire's intellectual property. An entire legion of the Empire's lawyers awaits them.

Sneak Preview...

[DaedalusLogic]

It's menacing, and it will please your girlfriend. Drum roll please...

Re:Also on the new Star Wars Oh-So-Special Edition

[spagthorpe]

Diet Coke out the nose sucks....

Shit that was funny

(s core : - 500000 watts of flamebait)

[Anonymous Coward]

Just like that other dark hero, President GEORGE W. BUSH!!!!

Then don't number them...

[the_skywise]

That'd be fine. But Lucas is claiming to be paying homage to the serial. Y'know, where you see things in serial order. That's why he numbered the episodes. If he had left the numbers off I'd be more inclined to agree with you.

(Frankly, I think he would've gotten alot more mileage if Anakin had just been cloned in the clone wars, one clone turned to the dark side and became Vader and killed him, but it was Vader who had sired the children, not Anakin... That solves your suprise AND the goofy Obi-wan line in ROTJ "It is true, from a certain point of view...")

Pic of burned Anakin *SPOILER*

[kajoob]

If you haven't seen it already, a pic of Anakin after he is burned and charred is here. Definetly a spoiler, but pretty creepy. (yes, it's the real deal)

Heh...

[the_skywise]

Or in some cases just 4 and 5...

I find it intersting that fans refer to the movies as:

Star Wars
Empire Strikes Back
Return of the Jedi
Episode 1
Episode 2
(and probably) Episode 3

Re:Heh...

[Noren]

You're mixing lists, the first three are the correct full names and the second three are commonly used abbreviations. An 'apples to apples' comparison of shorthand common names would be:
Star Wars
Empire
Jedi
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3

I guess this is a bit strange. I think it's partly due to neither "Phantom" nor "Menace" being a good abbreviation for a film... though I suppose "Empire" isn't the least ambiguous nickname either. Of course, none of the first three have the word "Episode" in their titles, so that nickname possibility was out- their proper names are:

Star Wars
The Empire Strikes Back
The Return of the Jedi
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones

Lucas has sown confusion about this by releasing different movies (deceptively labelling them as "reissues") which reuse some of the footage from the classic trilogy- these were named Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, and Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi. I suppose the shorthand names "Episode 4" through "Episode 6" would refer to these films, but the quality of these zombies (which were composed of edited cuts from the classic films interspersed with random crap) was very poor so there's rarely a reason to mention them.

Star Wars is irrelevant

[happyfrogcow]

The three new Star Wars films are greatly irrelevant. Lucas had a chance, and failed to live up to standards he set 20+ years ago. Much like The Matrix, fans hope that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Something to cling to and say, "That was worth the wait." The only saving grace for The Matrix 2 and 3 were that they were released promptly after each other, lessening the sting of feeling "ripped off". Star Wars has no saving grace at this point. I'd rather watch my VHS copies of the original 3, which I taped off T.V. back in the 80's, than submit my time and money to the rubish that Lucas turned the franchise into.

Re:Star Wars is irrelevant

[Anonymous Coward]

BOO HOO! But it's not irrelevant enough for you to come here and wank off about it, huh? Fucking whiner. All you "Lucas ruined my life" jackasses should examine why this matters so much to you. Get a life.

Been done before

[zjbs14]

Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

That's not the new vader costume...

[Anonymous Coward]

That's George's Armani suit. He probably disposes of them after every wearing. He can afford to since he's gotten every one of us suckers to repeatedly repurchase Star Wars VCR tapes and DVDs.

At this point you're just a tool if you keep buying into this Star Wars franchise.

The Characters of Star Wars

[Fred Smythe]

"An in-depth look at how favorite characters came to be."

Do you suppose Lucas is egotistical enough to dedicate so much as twelve seconds of this to Jar Jar Binks?

Re:Could be cool. Maybe

[HeghmoH]

Sigh. If they would spend more time making a movie that didn't suck and less time on this self-important drivel like this, maybe the movies wouldn't have turned into such a schlockfest. Although I doubt it.

Shouldn't that be OLD costume?

[jazman]

Well, if Ep3 is a prequel to Ep4 (or wherever it was we saw DV for the first time), and if DV is wearing something different from what he wore, er, I mean, will wear, in Ep4, then what he wore in Ep4 will be the new costume and what he wore/will wear/wioll haven wear/whatever in Ep3 will be the old one.

Also on the DVD

[GeekyMike]

How I Screwed the Coolest Franchise Ever
commentary by George Lucas

No.

[Inoshiro]

The shock goes from the audience not knowing (which wasn't really a shocker since the early 1980s anyways, since everyone knows), to Luke having to come to terms with the fact that his father is the man responsible for destroying Alderaan in episode 4, and also responsible for a great many other evils.

This coming to terms with how twisted Vader is and how close they are together is a major turning point for Skywalker's character.

But I'm sure you just want to nitpick and whine more.

Interview with Harrison Ford quite revealing

[Hamster Lover]

I recall an interview with Harrison Ford where he describes his reaction to his lines for Star Wars.

In no uncertain fashion he told Lucas, "I am not saying this shit", and just winged some of these lines.

It seems that a movie needs synergy between actor and director to get the best out of both, even if it is sometimes negative. Lucas has surrounded himself with "Yes, sir" actors, uninspired lines, and a dismal story. He doesn't seem to understand the mix that is needed to recreate the magic from the original series and the actors never question his vision.

Re:Interview with Harrison Ford quite revealing

[RatBastard]

Alec Guinness was quoted in an interview as saying that the script for Star Wars was the worst script he's ever seen in terms of trying to say the lines.

Re:Interview with Harrison Ford quite revealing

[Anonymous Coward]

So, Natalie Portman is a "yes, sir" actor?

Interesting...

Re:Interview with Harrison Ford quite revealing

[Myrcurial]

EXCELLENT SIG! Time for a little Tae Kwon Leep!

Re:Interview with Harrison Ford quite revealing

[STrinity]

I believe the Ford quote is actually, "You can write this shit, George, but no one can say it."

Re:Interview with Harrison Ford quite revealing

[JavaLord]

In no uncertain fashion he told Lucas, "I am not saying this shit", and just winged some of these lines.

Ford is actually good at winging lines and improv. In Indiana Jones he came up with the great ending to what would have been another boring swordfight scene..

One scene in particular has become a small legend for film geeks: The Swordfight Scene. In the scene, Indy is facing off against a clearly talented swordsman in an Indian market place. After the swordsman tosses of some incredible moves, challenging Indy to a fight, Jones pulls out his gun and shoots the man. What's "legendary" about this scene is not the witty way in which it ends, but for the fact that it was not the original ending. In the script, Dr. Jones does take on the swordsman, having an extended, bravura fight scene that ends with Indy as the winner. However, on the day the scene was shot, Ford had severe diahrhea- a result of eating some locale cuisine while on location- and he begged not to have to film the elaborate fight scene. He suggested to Spielberg that Indy simply take out his gun and "shoot the bastard", and the rest is film history (to use a ridiculous cliche).

Re:Interview with Harrison Ford quite revealing

[Mose250]

I'm not sure that this proves that a movie needs synergy... it may prove, however, that Lucas' writing is shit. See also: Ep I and II.

Wow, Darth Vader looks a lot more ...

[JMZorko]

... erm, _mature_, judging from the photo on the article. Gone are the days of the black cape and metal mask, he kinda looks like my grandfather now -- all warm and fuzzy :-)

Regards,

John

Triumph Quote

[stopbit]

I AM TRIUMPH OH HUGE NERD!

Yes.

[the_skywise]

Not *everybody* knows, and as the story declines in popularity, new generations will discover it anew and want to watch it in chronological order. If the movies weren't numbered I wouldn't have an issue with it. But they are... implying that there's an ORDER to viewing it.

And Vader didn't destroy Alderaan in Episode 4. Tarkin did.

But I'm sure you just want to nitpick that, too.

Well...

[Hamster Lover]

could you see her ever telling Lucas, "I am not saying this shit" ?

Didn't think so. :)

Re:Well...

[STrinity]

She reportedly did give Lucas a hard time over the quality of his writing while filming Episode II. Rumor is he wanted to replace her with Kiera Knightley (who, if you recall, played Amidala's double in Episode I) but she was unavailable.

Re:Well...

[CAIMLAS]

Yeah, I don't think that would've happened even if she were available.

Knightley is a much better acress, much more attractive, and well. A bit more priss. :) She'd have told Lucas where to shove it, I suspect.

Not that I'd have minded seeing her in Ep2 - she's a hell of a lot more attractive than Portman. And she can act fairly well.

Fan Re-Do?

[taradfong]

Since the prequels disappointed everyone, and since at this point people can roll-their-own movie on their PCs, why don't we start a 'GNU-SW' and re-do the prequels ourselves? Some changes I'd like to see...

1) More space battles. To me, this, not the creatures, is what makes Star Wars, well Star Wars. In Episode 1, there is more or less one and it was terrible. Yes, I know space battles today are 'easy' and the CG guys want to show off, but I want to be entertained, not impressed.

2) Spacecraft Continuity. Yeah, I know you're trying to show off how computers can make ships with complex geometry. But I like the good old Ralph McQuarrie ships. To me the grimy 'raw' look of the Rebels and the austere design of the Imperials was magic.

3) Less creatures. I mean, having aliens as background is cool, and introducing one or two key ones (e.g. Yoda & Jabba) worked, but to introduce a dozen or so and try to give them personalities just is too much to digest in one movie. Come to think of it, Jabba and Yoda worked better than any CGI creature I've seen to date...

4) Ralph McQuarrie. As much as anything, his artistic genius made Star Wars, well, Star Wars.

5) Story. You know, actually I don't have that big of a problem with the Episode I & II stories if you can strip away the execution. Seemed to me that there was a good foundation that was ruined by execution and stupid details.

Of course, whether a rag-tag Rebel-like team of internet hackers can do better remains to be seen...

Re:Fan Re-Do?

[Anonymous Coward]

And with geek actors like tron-guy it'll be AWESOME!

Re:Fan Re-Do?

[Eastree]

Of course, whether a rag-tag Rebel-like team of internet hackers can do better remains to be seen...

According to the 20 MB "Episode 3" I downloaded on Kazaa in 2001 (very shortly after the release of Episode 2), yes. What I downloaded was a 30 minute fan-film with effects about on-par with Episodes 4, 5, and 6. Sure, some of the leading characters weren't in it (it was a side story that might have been in one of the novels -- I haven't read them ... yet). But everything else proved worthy.

Perhaps a "rag-tag Rebel-like team of internet hackers" should make episodes 7, 8, and 9. When I was a kid, people were saying there would eventually be nine movies. I think there should be. (licenses seem to be the biggest issue -- then would it be the first FOSS-inspired movie?)

scary

[fred fleenblat]

I clicked on the link to see the new Darth Vader costume and I was surprised to see that it looks a lot like George Lucas.

Uh... what?

[Anonymous Coward]

Are you stupid? Prequels are meant to be viewed after viewing the originals. When you watch Pulp Fiction, do you skip around the DVD so you can see the scenes in narrative order? Does it makes any fucking sense to watch the Animatrix shorts before watching The Matrix? Are you going to try to fit all the historical fiction you read in your life to historical order? Jesus, you whiny dumbass fanbois are actually making me feel some sympathy for that filthy rich no-talent hack George Lucas. If I had to deal with morons like you as my primary customer day after day I'd say, "fuck it, just throw in more special effects," too.

Look ma, my first Flamebait!

[Weaselmancer]

...and I'm not even posting anonymously. Time to tank some Karma.

So, on to the flames.

Does anybody give even half a fuck about Star Wars anymore???

Why is this dreck still selling? You know, when I was a kid I saw a movie called "Star Wars". It wasn't a franchise, it wasn't a series, Vader was a bad guy, and nobody was related to anyone, so it was okay for Luke to kiss Leia.

Vader jumped the shark when he didn't kill Luke. Any half-decent villain would have offed his own son right then and there, and never looked back. Add to that his squishy, girly death scene and you don't even have a villain. Just a victim. Agh. How 90's. Let's form an encounter group called "Living Through the Dark Side : When the Force Goes Bad."

Remember - Lucas has been losing his mind for years now. The first symptoms were Ewoks. Then Jar Jar. And finally, Greedo shooting first. Wouldn't surprise me a bit if Vader's new costume was an "I'm with Stupid" t-shirt.

EOF.

(end of flame)

Weaselmancer

There can be only ONE...

[the_skywise]

There were others? :)

Jar-Jar costume is Darth Vader version 0 ...

[mr_death]

Meesa finds your lack of faith disturbing.

It was "IN NAZI GERMANY"!

[TuringTest]

you insensitive clod!

Christmas Special?

[Anonymous Coward]

I wonder if the documentaries will mention the Christmas Special... Thats definitely part of the evolution of Star Wars, its the first time Lucas dicked the fan boys for money...

Double negatives.

[Anonymous Coward]

I understand your sentiment but you're contradicting yourself with the double negative. If Han does not shoot first, then it's the original cut and Han is still the 'pre-emptive' shooter. Yet, you say that if Han does not shoot first then you won't even think about buying the DVD's. But then you say that you dislike PC revisionism.

And if they show us this...

[PsiPsiStar]

"We're going to see the evolution of this character and go places with Darth Vader we've never gone before,"

Are you trying to tell me that Episode 3 won't be set "a long time ago in a galaxy far far away."

Besides, if they show us the lightsaber duel and tell us how Anakin becomes Vader, why are we going to go watch the thing? The script is going to suck if Lucas wrote it. The guy's forgotten he can't do dialog.

Of course, there's always special effects.

And when our children ask us where we were when Episode 3 came out, we can tell them proudly "Watching 'Kill Bill 2'"

Queer Eye for the Sith Guy

[psychogentoo]

Relax guy, I'm sure Lucas will give Vader a "Queer Eye for the Sith Guy" make over.

Wait just a minute here...

[Infonaut]

The Clone War was cool, but somehow I wonder if it's really worth it to spend umpty millions to put 87 different kinds of laser blasting vehicles on the screen and vast horizons of rendered landscapes when the cantina scene in the original was more interesting.

You realize that you're insinuating in Slashdot of all places that story *may* be more important than special effects.

Next you'll tell us that Battlefield Earth sucked.

New Costume is a lot like the old costume...

[AskFirefly]

but with nipples.

I had an original edition video arrive...

[Anonymous Coward]

...in a charity bookshop I volunteer in last week. Someone donated all three original videos, and I discovered they were worth well over 200 thanks to George Lucas's desire to continuosly upgrade the series...

dont be silly

[WormholeFiend]

Lucas is not that dumb.

He's saving the deleted scenes for the Star Wars Episodes 1-2-3-4-5-6 Ultra Box Set.

Possibly with Darth Vader's new suit digitally inserted in Episodes 4-5-6.

Lucas is a worse "revisionist" than I thought

[ianscot]

I must be really naive. I always figured Solo was a smuggler who'd been part of Jabba's organization. Seemed like Jabba was after him for some shipments that didn't make it or something -- looking to settle an old mob score, basically.

God, if Solo had actually been part of some sort of organization that had responsibility for keeping the peace on Tattooine, he sure as heck didn't do a job of it. First he kills off one of Jabba's henchmen in a preventive attack that maybe prevented Jabba getting a scrap of information for a few minutes, but only raised the stakes and made Jabba more interested in nailing him. (He also calls attention to Luke and Obi Wan in the process when they're only trying to lay low -- by murdering the guy in cold blood right where the Storm Troopers are sniffing around.) Then he high-tails it out of town when things get rough. Eventually he gets caught, and his friends have to risk their lives to rescue him. Pretty inept work for someone with a massive organization behind him and all the military cards in his hand, if the analogy you're suggesting works at all...

Hey, maybe George Lucas also cut a scene from SW in which Solo completely changes his story about why he killed Greedo, claiming he did it all because he was already fighting on the Rebel side and that Jabba was somehow connected to Vader and the Emperor. After that he could disclaim any previous connections to Jabba (no arms smuggling) and talk about liberating the people of Tattooine. Hopefully his supporters would forget about the original shooting being murder of an unarmed go-between, and all...

God, I always kind of liked Solo for all his flaws -- but you make him sound like a spineless, self-righteous weasel.

Not as fun...

[aka.Daniel'Z]

... (or as dramatic?) as Illiad's version..

Once and for all -- the CORRECT viewing order.

[JonTurner]

>>the CORRECT viewing order for future generations of Star Wars fans MUST be...

Wrong again! The CORRECT order is #1, followed by #2, then STOP! Why? Because the films which followed sucked -- The later films are more a ninety-minute infomercial for Skywalker Ranch special effects than a platform for advancing the storyline.

Surely I'm not the only person here who wishes Lucas would have held to his original plan of following R2 and C3PO through the advance of the Empire, rather than leaning on the editorial crutch of dewey-eyed kids, cutsey aliens, political correctness revisionism, and "gee whiz" factor of special-effects for their own sake? (and yes, this includes all those annoying computer-generated "actors" we've grown to hate.)

Re:Also on the new Star Wars Oh-So-Special Edition

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually, it was because Bail Organa was having an affair with an intern and tried to "wag the 'droid" by lobbing a couple of missles at the Death Star.

Merchandising! Merchandising!

[starsong]

Where the REAL money from the movie is made!

Today: New Vader costume.

Tomorrow: Episode III the Flamethrower!

By #1 do you mean

[the_skywise]

Episode 4 or Episode 1? :)

God!! Doesn't this guy have anything original...

[Anonymous Coward]

Lucas is still trying to suck royalties out of Star Wars. I think they guy would suck-start a Harley if he thought it would get him some money.....

Give me those Star Wars/Don't let them end!

[SeanAhern]

never-before-heard lyrics

Really?

White beard & glasses Darth

[Timmy D Programmer]

Yes, but these are special glasses that are actually a Glabildion Face Parasite, that grows into an entire suit by the end of the show!

Am I the only one

[Zepalesque]

Who is wondering how they are going to transform that boy-band punk into the towering meanace that scared the living crap out of me when I was six?

maybe idiots will

[boarder]

I absolutely will not go see the movie unless all of the below occur:

a) 85% of critics say it is amazing, not based on tech merits

b) 95% of my peers say it is amazing, not based on tech merits

c) I am impressed by the bittorrented download

After the second Matrix I made the same vow about the third. I still haven't seen the third in the theatre but did see that horrible movie via BT. I can't tell you how happy I am to not have paid $10 for that POS.

I'll BT Ep3, and if it passes my muster I'll pay to see it (I give money where money is due).

I also will not be buying these DVDs... I already have the movies in one format, so have no need for them in another. They'll be available in HD-DVD in a few years anyway.

Darth Costume made of DVDs?

[billstewart]

I've seen chain-mail-like costumes made of AOL CD coasters before, so I guess this is the next step...

SE edition ripped down to NON SE?

[AbRASiON]

I've been waiting for a Star Wars thread to post this so it might not get mod'd off topic.

Basically, I'm wondering who here plans on purchasing the SE trilogy DVD set and then re-authoring it BACK to the original?
I'm figuring if you pirate a copy of Star Wars LD rip it's not so bad if you actually own a copy of the SE's (unfortunately)

Also some people (god I hope so) with talent might be able to make a really really nice version of the movie using the SE versions and the LD and some kind of software to clean up a good non SE edition.

I finished downloading a NON SE edition LD rip last night and while it was good there was some graphical anomalies I'd like to see removed and I'd love a peice of 5.1.

So, does anyone here (perhaps a Star Wars guru) know if the changes are ALL ADITIONS to the SE's and how feasable it would be to fix them back to their original form but maintiain the high quality of the clean up (that we've been lead to beleive will occur to the SE's)
??

- Scott