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Star Wars DVD Set Previews/Reviews
Reducer2001 writes "USA Today has an article up that has a couple more details about the upcoming Star Wars DVD release. The cantina shootout between Han Solo and the green-snouted bounty hunter Greedo is virtually identical, but now it seems their guns fire almost simultaneously." Reader Jutebox150 writes "Time magazine has an early preview of the Star Wars DVDs and gives some justification for Lucas issuing the updated versions of the trilogy and talking about his many mental and physical battles to finish filming. The article also describes a 2.5 hour documentary by Kevin Burns that traces the origins of the saga. 'The first cut of Star Wars,' Burns' narrator says, 'was an unmitigated disaster.'" Reader spoco2 writes "The Star Wars Original Trilogy is due for worldwide release on the 21st on DVD, but the first reviews are appearing already in Australia (obviously of the PAL version). Yes, they are the SEs with even more differences (Now Gredo and Han shoot at the SAME time!). I'm afraid I'll be waiting for the day when George reconsiders and releases the untouched originals."
Oh shit. Time for a thread triage. Everyone complaining about how Star Wars is terrible and your childhood is ruined, reply here. People discussing Lucas and his never-ending quest to rape the franchise for more money, over on the left. If your contribution to the discussion is "HAN SOLO SHOT FIRST!", over on the right. GNAA... well, you know what to do.
"I'm afraid I'll be waiting for the day when George reconsiders and releases the untouched originals."
Riiight, you do that... can you also let me know when Duke Nukem Forever comes out?
------
"And may your days be long upon the earth."
he's embarrased by the original trilogy. he should just get it over with and release the damn thing.
Begun, this flame war has...
The Holiday Special is said to have been altered too. In the new edition, Jefferson Starship shoots first.
Where does the school board find them and why do they keep sending them to ME?
How tantric.. err..
So now we have Star Wars, Episode IV, designed by a committee edition. I may yet end up with the box set (we have a house full of furniture and need smaller things to put on our wedding "wannas" list.. yeah.. I hate the concept too, but practicality is winning on this one).
Norman Cook's Ode to Sl
as all guns are now replaced with walkie talkies.
*yawn*
well at least he seems to have made a partial concession on such a controversial edit. Show's he has at least one tiny spec of respect.
Call me a purist, but I think the akward "Kiss Goodbye" between Jar Jar Binks and Chewbacca in the cantina is unappreciated at best.
Also, I heard thanks to product placement, the death star now has the AT&T Logo slightly superimposed.
Lucas, tired of people still complaining that Han shoots first, and not at the same time as Greedo, will tweak the scene so that, even though the shots look simultaneous, it will be possible to demonstrate that Han's shot fired milliseconds before Greedo's.
However, I predict this will fail to silence the critics that still complain about Han stepping over Jabba's tail.
Han shot first.
Support the First Amendment. Read at -1
1. Han cries "Nice one kid, that was one in a million" BEFORE luke fires
2. The wookie DOESNT win and C3P0 gets an unexpected "backdoor suprise"
3. Han is now Luke's father (See change 1)
4. The final scene in ROTJ has yoda wearing a ninja headband
http://perso.club-internet.fr/willow/Index.html
I wasn't sure how seriously to take it, but it seems to be corroborated by the article. (talking about having a better CG Jabba in ANH)
Bush: He's Liberal in all the wrong ways.
*rolls up a newspaper and goes to Skywalker Ranch, finds George Lucas, and smacks him over the head four times*
NO! BAD GEORGE! GREEDO DOESN'T GET TO SHOOT *AT ALL*! BAD DIRECTOR! NO COOKIE!
"Destroy science and religion. Science would re-emerge exactly the same; but not religion." - Penn Jillette, paraphrased
One thing that was done on the Terminator 2 DVD was provide the original, plus the extended version with the deleted scenes. Both can be played all the way through as a movie even though the extended version is merely the original with deleted scenes spliced in, thanks to the wonders of random access media. My question is why Lucas hasn't taken advantage of that to allow certain scenes to be added/remove/changed to look like the original or enhanced version?
It would be cool if it didn't suck.
> The first cut of Star Wars,' Burns' narrator says, 'was an unmitigated disaster.'"
Surely he means "the first episode"?
Most annoying part about the Greedo change: the original version was a justifiable shooting in any state in the Union! Somebody's holding a gun on you and threatens your life - that's clear-cut case of self-defense, and you're entirely within your rights to shoot the bastard.
There's an in-depth review at Digital Bits, including some screen shots of the major changes.
For all of you who, like me, didn't get the Greedo reference, (probably less than 1% of /.) here's a link which explains the whole Greedo and Han thingamy bob.
Who is Greedo and what did he and Han shoot and WHAT THE HELL IS THIS ALL ABOUT?!
Pinky: "What are we going to do tomorrow night Brain?"
Brain: "I would tell you Pinky but this 120 char limi
I'm still holding out for the version where Han and Greedo hug eachother.
people complain because Lucas seems to have the Michael Jackson syndrome with the original SW trilogy.
He can't stop altering it, to the point where it will soon all start falling apart.
And both men live on so-called "ranches", so it gives one pause to wonder...
"If you think the problem is bad now, just wait until we've solved it." --- Arthur Kasspe
The article also describes a 2.5 hour documentary by Kevin Burns that traces the origins of the saga.
Did anyone else mis-read that as Ken Burns and think Only 2.5 hours? That must be one of his short films!
You people aren't being hateful enough...
In the original movie, Han Solo and Greedo are in the Cantina sitting at a table together. Greedo informs Han there is a bounty on his head, and threatens his life. Han in a casual sort of way shoots Greedo before he can get a shot off. In the re-release, Lucas changed this so that mean, evil Greedo shots first, but misses, and the more honorable Solo takes him down after that.
The reason this upsets so many people is that this scene established Han Solo as an anti-hero in the movie. He was a rogue and a pragmatist. The core appeal of this character was that he was not so damn foolish as to take his chances and let someone get the first hit in, if he knew a fight was coming. Han was street smart. He would strike first to survive.
Although many on slashdot are loathe to admitt it, this was part of the charm and good writing in the first movie that created its appeal. You had classic heroes,like skywalker. Who were good, but naive and ultimately had super powers to help them do the right thing. You also had heroes like Han who would do the right thing, but get dirty doing it. Characters like Leia were somewhere in between. She was "good" but willing to lie and sacrafice others for her cause. Reality tends to reflect this, which is why the movie spoke to so many so strongly. The changing of the Greedo scene cheapened the movie and its core complexities. Hence, the hatred on these fair forums.
my two cents,
-Iowa
"He who laughs last, didn't get the joke."-Cap
There is a scene in Lawrence of Arabia where you see a camel riding slowly towards O'Toole taking time to do it. This was the entrance of Omar Sherif. Afterwards David Lean said he got it wrong, and that that particular buildup ended too quickly, however, he did NOT change it for the reasons given.
Although George Lucas's modifications to the original Star Wars Trilogy may be making it more cinematically pleasing, and maybe even more to how he would have liked it to originally turn out, what he is doing could be interpreted as defacing. The original Star Wars Trilogy are works of art in themselves.
Everyone would have thought it ridiculous if Picasso took some of his earlier work back, and touched it up to make it more realistic, or in fashion. I think the same way about the Star Wars Films.
Web Sig: Eddy Currents
Seriously people stop supporting this nonsense. Even if you don't plan on buying all these hacks, this constant deluge of information about changes, edits and new editions of this crap is still supporting this garbage by keeping up the visible mindshare capital of this franchise.
I don't believe any of these pictures are classics or sacred treasures but these films are not like Director's Cuts where the original vision was changed to get the movie to market, no matter what Georgie says. He is 'Robin Williamsing' these things because of his change in character after become a parent. That is, some famous actors, directors, etc... at some point feel everything they've done should some how be compatible with things their kids could watch.
--- I do not moderate.
Lucas on colorizing the three stooges.
"Star Wars" creator George Lucas, who testified with Steven Spielberg before Congress in the 1980s against colorization and other forms of alteration, said the process yanks such slapstick performers as the Stooges out of the black-and-white universe they belong in.
"Would color distract from their comedy and make it not as funny anymore?" Lucas said. "Maybe just the fact that they're in black and white makes it funny, because their humor is dated. But by putting it in black and white, it puts it in a context where you can appreciate it for what it was.
"But you try to make it in full living color and try to compare it to a Jim Carrey movie, then it's hard for young people to understand. Because you're then thinking you're comparing apples to apples, when you're not. You're comparing apples to oranges. I'm saying it's not fair to the artist."
Part of Star Wars' charm was that while the special effects were advanced for the time, they were NOT excessive to any degree beyond being how they directly supported the plot. The extra things running around Mos Eisley, windows in Bespin... it just started being more distractive than immersive. The only two I absolutely agreed with were putting in the Jabba scene (yeah, it wasn't done well, but it did actually help establish Han a little more) and fixing the Hoth shots so you couldn't see AT-ATs through the actual instrument panel. (I'd never noticed before on small TV's, but almost a must for a high-quality DVD on large TVs.)
Don't get me started on Guido shooting first, that completely changed Han's daring go-for-it attitude as a lawless smuggler out only for himself. Having them shoot at the same time I can accept logically. Han decides to shoot, Guido sees it in his eyes and shoots as well. Of course, Guido missing makes little sense at 3 feet, but if he had hit him it would have been a pretty short movie. What really bugs me about this change was that it was never "I wanted to do this, but I couldn't", it was "I've changed my mind about how much of a lawless guy Han was at the beginning, thus weakening his story arc as he progressed to a caring person."
Huh, guess I got myself going. Anyway, I guess I'll go hit the local antique and pawn shops to see if anyone's ignorant mothers have turned in the laserdiscs of the originals...
R: That voice. Where have I heard that voice before? B: In about 365 other episodes. But I don't know who it is either.
I am so disappointed in you geeks - with a picture like Leia and her stunt double sunbathing in *the* outfit (at the Time magazine link), you guys are worried about who shot who first. Shouldn't we all be talking about whether or not that footage is included in the special edition?
*I hang my head in shame.*
I for one welcome our new [insert main topic] overlords.
Han shouts first!
Norman Cook's Ode to Sl
Why is everyone trying to act like it's not a big deal that R2-D2 and C-3P0 are being replaced with Crow and Tom Servo?
Get your Unix fortune now!
Way to go, Reducer2001, by slipping that referral ID into the link for the box set. On a Star Wars thread, too boot; it's sure to generate a lot of cash.
However, Six Seconds in Tattooine provides testimonies from witnesses that were never called before the Palpatine Commission, and these indicate that there were no less than three separate shots fired. Also, don't you find it suspicious that Han Solo, a known Wookie sympathizer, would be fingered as the lone gunman? Why do we never hear mention of his Hutt gang connections, going back several years? His checkered history with Lando Calrissian, the very man who would one day encase him in carbonite? And who, as we well know, was the second Death Star shooter?
But of course the most valuable piece of evidence is the original, unedited Lucas film. If we play the scene repeatedly in excruciatingly slow motion, you can clearly see Greedo's head moves back... and to the left. Back... and to the left. Back... and to the left. Back... and to the left.
I am Sartre of the Borg. Existence is futile.
From theforce.net (http://boards.theforce.net/Classic_Trilogy/b10002 /16704309/?596)
---LIST OF DVD CHANGES---
A NEW HOPE
Confirmed :
- The opening crawl has been re-done to match the colour/quality of the PT opening crawl.
- Lightsaber effects have been fixed. The colours now appear more vibrant and the blades better defined.
- The lettering on various Death Star panels will be written in Aurebesh rather than English.
- An improved version of Jabba inserted into his scenes.
- Greedo still shoots first...however, Han's reaction is 'much more realistic'.
- R2's panels will be consistantly blue in all of the space shots, instead of just a few of them.
- The Dianoga now appears more lifelike and not so obviously Stop-Motion.
- The matte-painted hall in the detention block has been fixed rather than just having a bright white light at one end.
Rumoured :
- Stormtrooper voices redubbed by Temura Morrison (Jango Fett).
- The Emperor may possibly make an appearence to address the Senate in a new scene.
- The Imperial March may be inserted into the score in certain parts to maintain continuity with the other films.
- The 'Binary Sunset' shot outside the Homestead could have clouds to match Luke's later POV shot.
- Rumours of work on Obi-Wan's death scene with CGI.
- Door closings/openings could be smoothed out without the frame jumps.
- Rumour that the aliens and other creatures blink now to make them look non-mask like.
- Vader and Obi-Wan's fight scene may be upgraded with CGI work.
- Battle of Yavin shots cleaned up and recomped.
Denied rumours:
- Bail Organa will not be in ANH, for when Alderaan blows up.
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
Confirmed :
- The opening crawl has been re-done to match the colour/quality of the PT opening crawl.
- Lightsaber effects have been fixed. The colours now appear more vibrant and the blades better defined.
- Ian McDiarmid is now in place for Emperor Palpatine's scene, rather than the monkey-eyed old woman. There are also a couple of new lines in this scene.
Rumoured :
- The Tauntauns could be re-done with CGI. .
- Rumour that the missing Wampa Attack sequence may be back into the beginning of the film
- 'Grander escape sequence' between Lando, Leia, Chewie, C3PO and R2 in Cloud City.
- Possible additional deleted scene(s) with Yoda on Dagobah.
- Boba Fett's voice redubbed by Temura Morrison (Jango Fett).
RETURN OF THE JEDI
Confirmed :
- The opening crawl has been re-done to match the colour/quality of the PT opening crawl.
- Lightsaber effects have been fixed. The colours now appear more vibrant and the blades better defined.
- Hayden Christensen appears at the end of the film in place of Sebastian Shaw as 'Ghost Anakin'.
- The Rancor's matte-lines have been removed.
- Naboo now appears in the end celebration sequence.
- In Vader's death scene, Shaw's eyes have been recoloured (to match Hayden's) and his eyebrows removed (as they would never have survived).
Rumoured :
- Palpatine's Force Lightning may have been re-done.
- Rumour that the Jedi Temple now appears in the background of Coruscant during the end celebration sequence.
- Work done on background matte-paintings.
- Rumour that the Ewoks have had CGI work done to animate their facial features.
- Rumour that Watto appears during the Tatooine celebration sequence at the end.
Denied rumours:
- Padme does not appear at the end alongside the ghosts of Anakin, Ben, and Yoda.
MISC INFO
Audio Quality
- "I spoke with Ben Burtt recently. He mentioned the upcoming Star Wars DVDs. It seems that they were able
Check my journal for gmail invites!
Let's see.
I could respect a director who makes a controversial film decision (Han shoots first) provided that the film is made well, and it doesn't look like a mistake (see my film because it's controversial trash)
I could respect a director who admits to making a mistake in a film (or believes that his greater vision was compromised at first release) and rereleases the film with corrections (Greedo shoots first) provided that the film is remade well, and it doesn't look like he's just caving into a compromised version of his vision.
But I can't respect this. Either Lucas is stating that his vision was for Han to be a chior boy in bad boy clothing, or that his vision wasn't important enough to stand by, or that he has no vision, he's just doing whatever the polls say.
After watching Kirosawa's "The Hidden Fortress", I am fully convinced that the success of Star Wars was part plagarisim and part mistake. Lucas's disneyland inspired lightening up of the film in it's theatrical re-relase was touted as being closer to his true "vision". Every improvement detracted from the story and lightened the tone of the film. I mean, Luke's family was just killed, and we're supposed to be laughing at visual gags when it's time to go find Han. "Empire Strikes Back" probably was saved due to the extra help he brought aboard. Help which he now eschews in the episode 1-3 films.
Let's face it. We'll never have a good Star Wars until the Master stops driving his Empire into the ground in the name of Profit.
I cant believe after 4 years of lurking i registered on /. just so I could post this.
WALMART PRE ORDER
Dont feed the monkeys. and yes I could have posted AC.
Please don't turn this release into an E.T. Anniversary Edition where, among other things, the guns are replaced by flashlights. Mr. Lucas, stop the second guessing of yourself and minimize the political correctness. Just give us the film we remember!
"It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
Here's a online comicthat pokes a little fun at the "Han/Greedo shoots first" argument.
I'm not tense. I'm just terribly, terribly, alert.
And so began down the path to the Dark side.
2. The shot of Carrie Fisher and her stunt double? Whoa.
My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.
If I was a typical moviegoer for the original trilogy, then he's banging his head on the wall for nothing, or actually self destructively.
I was just mentioning my reaction to Star Wars (EP:IV ANH) yesterday.
There were these inexplicable commercials on TV about some movie, but I couldn't make heads or tails of them and ignored them along with spots for Palmolive Dishwashing Liquid, Fleismann's Margarine and anything about the upcoming 6 O'clock news. Then a friend calls, with an almost frantic voice, and asks have I seen the new movie something something. No... Go see it! Drop whatever you are doing and go see it!
Well, you don't get a phone call like that every day (though it may give the MPAA some ideas) I ask and it so happens my Dad, brothers and sister are already planning to go see it, because they've been told this is something really different. Gosh, what can this bee?
So I'm sitting in the theater with my bucket of popcorn and soda and watch the titles, ready for another thrilling cinematic experience, or at the worst, ninety minutes of nursing my snacks and then immediatley forgetting about what I've seen. It wouldn't be like that. Above the broad curvature of a planet a little spacecraft is coasting along with something like short bursts of phasers hitting it. Then the star destroyer seemingly passes overhead while the sense-surround in the theater rumbles and popcorn I just put in my mouth falls back out into my lap. Wooowwww....
The rest of the movie passes with chills of excitement and oohs and ahhs, I probably would have won a staring constest as I don't think I blinked once the whole time. I'd be back a few times, others would be back every day or a few showings every day for months.
When I got home, still late afternoon, I stood in the sun on the driveway with my jaw still slack at what I had seen. Looking up, as if expecting to see a star destroyer cruise over my house. It seemed space fantasy had taken a big step forward and it clearly had a significant impact on millions of others as Star Wars was a massive merchandising success (my sister still has piles and boxes of original stuff, clearly it impacted her more than myself.)
Video games would suddenly take on certain similarities to Tie Fighters, X-Wings, R2D2 and Darth Vader was the epitome of cool.
Star Wars rocked the world and gave George Lucas the finances and clout, which have carried him these 27 years, to do a great many things other producer/directors could only dream of.
It really is pretty awful that he can't be happy with this original artifact and, like some old silver coin with a patina, feels he has to polish it with some course cloth until it's bright, shiny and utterly unattractive to those who appreciate it for what it was.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
I am a Star Wars fan, but not hardcore in any sense of the word. I have never seen the 1997 redone versions, mostly because redoing that movie sounded like the most retarded thing I had ever heard of.
I didn't even know about the Cantina shootout thing until this post, but it might be one of the gayest moves a filmmaker has ever made. The thing is, it is NOT a "Star Wars Nerd" thing....it's a film thing. If what I have read here is true, that is a MAJOR change to a subtle but important incident in the movie. If people don't understand why that change makes a difference, then they don't understand the movie or the character of Han Solo. It's not about whether the movie agrees with all the times you've reenacted the scene with action figures in your bedroom, it's about a movie that was good because of the story it told and the characters it developed being hacked by a director who used to know what he was doing but has now fallen off into a pit of mediocrity.
I can't believe the other changes he made either. Fuck continuity...who CARES for chrissakes? Who would complain about the lack of coninuity? No one. Who would complain about fucking up a masterpiece? Apparently quite a few people. Isn't this movie being made for the audience to enjoy? Apparently not because now the artist is rehashing his work, to the displeasure of the fans, on some kind of ego trip that's supposed to make up for the fact that he will NEVER make a movie that good again.
What is it with people? You go out and make one of the better scifi movies ever made and then shit all over it when it's released to DVD to support continuity with movies that NO ONE thinks are as good as the originals. Dumb Dumb Dumb.
Sorry, this turned into something closely approximating nerd-rage, but it's about ART...and if it's one thing I hate to see it's artists who sell out and forget what they used to be about.