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Star Wars Uncut Project Complete

An anonymous reader writes "In 2009 we discussed the Star Wars Uncut Project, a crowd-sourced effort to re-create the entirety of Episode IV as series of 15-second clips filmed and submitted by fans. Well, it's done at last, and CmdrTaco has written his review of the two-hour film. He says, 'A great number of shots demonstrate technology well beyond what was available when the original Star Wars was made. Other shots are stylishly animated in CG. Others are rotoscoped in mediums from chalk to pencil to marker. There’s also a plethora of stop motion, claymation, and even some puppetry to go around. [A] few shots are only slightly modified from the originals, but those are the rarity, and generally done to pull off a specific joke. ... It's a glorious achievement.'"

24 of 175 comments (clear)

  1. Early reviews by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 5, Funny

    Early reviewers say that the result is worse than the original, but much better than the Special Edition.

    --
    Ezekiel 23:20
    1. Re:Early reviews by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      I realize you were joking, but to be honest, it's a really cool idea that produced something completely and totally unwatchable. I made it through less than five minutes, and that was extremely painful.

    2. Re:Early reviews by somersault · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Such as.. commenting on Slashdot? This is a really unique arts project, and it's probably worth watch through just for the laughs.

      --
      which is totally what she said
    3. Re:Early reviews by LateArthurDent · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I realize you were joking, but to be honest, it's a really cool idea that produced something completely and totally unwatchable. I made it through less than five minutes, and that was extremely painful.

      I personally had the exact opposite reaction. I thought it would be completely unwatchable, but once I started watching it, I couldn't stop, because it was awesome.

      I plan to watch it again with a group of friends.

    4. Re:Early reviews by jd2112 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Early reviewers say that the result is worse than the original, but much better than the Special Edition.

      So, Han and Greedo shoot at the same time?

      --
      Any insufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology.
    5. Re:Early reviews by funkatron · · Score: 3, Funny

      I realize you were joking, but to be honest, it's a really cool idea that produced something completely and totally unwatchable.

      So it's art!

      --
      "Welcome to our world. We are the wasted youth. And we are the future too." Yes, I know these are stupid lyrics.
  2. Don't get attached...Lucas will just re-cut it by elrous0 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Next edit will replace everything with bad CGI, have a crying Han Solo beg Greedo for his life, and feature an extended 3D sequence of an aged Jar Jar Binks dancing a jig and flipping off the camera.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    1. Re:Don't get attached...Lucas will just re-cut it by Mordok-DestroyerOfWo · · Score: 4, Funny

      All while snorting mountains of cocaine off of dead hookers, because why not? Can't make it any worse...

      I always wondered what led to the creation of the Holiday Special.

      --
      "Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right" - Salvor Hardin
  3. Just one question by Baloroth · · Score: 4, Funny

    Does Han shoot first?

    --
    "None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license." --John Milton
    1. Re:Just one question by oodaloop · · Score: 4, Informative

      Yes he does.

      --
      Tic-Tac-Toe, Global Thermonuclear War, and relationships all have the same winning move.
    2. Re:Just one question by CohibaVancouver · · Score: 4, Informative

      Does Han shoot first?

      See for yourself, at the 49 minute 12 second mark. Here's the time-coded link:

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ezeYJUz-84#t=49m12s

    3. Re:Just one question by Alranor · · Score: 5, Informative

      Han has much nicer boobs than I remember.

    4. Re:Just one question by root_42 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Only on Slashdot this gets moderated informative... :)

      --
      [--- PGP key and more on http://www.root42.de ---]
  4. Watched it this weekend by oodaloop · · Score: 5, Informative

    Overall, I found it hysterical and very creative. 2 of my favorite parts: After the initial iconic text scrolls off the screen, there appear several Facebook-like comments, one of which is by Alderon_Dude, "Thank god I live on a peaceful planet!" The other is when Obi Won first shows Luke his father's lightsaber, done in a noir setting, apparently done just so he can say, "in a more civilized age" like Humphrey Bogart. There's a few Kill Bill references sprinkled here and there, a scene done like The Big Lebowski, etc. I loved it.

    --
    Tic-Tac-Toe, Global Thermonuclear War, and relationships all have the same winning move.
    1. Re:Watched it this weekend by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      What, you mean it's like the 2-hour film version of slashdot?

  5. Link to the project by sirdude · · Score: 4, Informative

    Here's the link to the project. Very considerate of the OP and SoulSkill to not provide it with the post :S

  6. Already blocked for german IP adresses by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    "This video is unavailable in Germany since it might possibly contain music for which the necessary rights have not been granted by GEMA" (my translation).

  7. Who's this CmdrTaco guy... by MikeTheGreat · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...and why do his posts jump to the front page?
    Man, how many more people is Slashdot going to auto-post (I mean, how many more people beyond Ian McAllister and this "CmdrTaco" )?

    This is totally unfair

    *ducks*runs* :)

  8. The best joke.. by wbr1 · · Score: 5, Funny
    At 6:33 there is a poster in the background:

    JOIN STARFLEET
    [starfleet logo]
    We Don't Choke Minions

    Hilarious

    --
    Silence is a state of mime.
  9. SOPA by gmuslera · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Is a great example on why SOPA, PIPA and all the bunch should not exist. There is a whole world of crazy things like this that could be done and won't because this kind of laws, that could enrich us all (and yes, i saw it). I think that George Lucas approved that this could be done, but there are too much other things that this kind of idea could be applied.

    1. Re:SOPA by Fned · · Score: 5, Informative

      The laws that limit how much of this can be done are hundreds of years old.

      Under the original terms of American copyright, Star Wars would have gone into the public domain six years ago.

  10. Re:cant wait by LoyalOpposition · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I do believe copyright is necessary, but should only be about 15 years tops (no renew option).

    Why is that? Seriously. Do you believe that authors and inventors would no longer create writings and discoveries if there were no copyright? I imagine that ancient Rome's monopolies on copyright were quite below par, but I doubt there would be many people claiming that there was no art in ancient Rome.

    Or, look at it another way. The beneficiaries of writings and discoveries are the people who read the writings and use the discoveries. (That's interpreted loosely: obviously, one doesn't read a painting.) The copyright monopoly is part of the price we pay in order to do that. In the same way that I want to pay as little as possible when I buy a gallon of gasoline, I want to pay as little as possible when I read a writing. We shouldn't be looking at the most length for copyright monopolies, we should be looking at the least. In fact, I've seen reference to studies purporting to claim that two years is plenty long enough for a copyright in contemporary times.

    I really think that the reason things have gotten so turned around is that our legislators and artists have conspired against us. By that, I mean that copyright owners have given large amounts of money to legislators who promote strengthening of copyright, and the legislators have in turn passed copyright laws that give much more profit to copyright owners who are then able to give large amounts of money to legislators. In fact, I've read that the original copyrights were for that very purpose. Monarchs granted letters of patent to their supporters.

    I would like to see copyrights reduced to two years. I would also like a return to the previous requirement that a copyright notice appear on the writing. In fact, I would like to see a requirement that current contact information appear so that it would always be possible for people who want to copy to negotiate a license. If the contact information goes dead, then so does the copyright.

    I would also like to see patent reduced to two years. I would also like it to be limited to things that can't be reverse engineered. Patent declarations tell us how to make something, and is part of the payment an inventor makes to receive a monopoly. If it's obvious how to make something then the payment is worthless.

    I would also like to see trade secret eliminated entirely. Why are we paying the monopolists if we can't ever get the benefit?

    I would also like to see trademark weakened considerably. However, I'm not sure how to do that. Maybe allow each company only a single trademark? And it has to refer to the company name somehow? The reason I'm suggesting this is that it's supposed to give consumers confidence that the quality of the product is sufficiently high, and that it's not being counterfeited by a lower-quality producer.

    Finally, I would like to see free unicorns and rainbows. Frankly, I think I'll see the latter before I see the former, so long as the conspiracy of monopoly continues.

    ~Loyal

    --
    I aim to misbehave.
  11. I participated in this project by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    And if you look closely at the background in my scene, you'll find a disk, a back flap, and a scorpion.

  12. Re:cant wait by Ihmhi · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I've said it before and I'll say it every time. A year from the first day of sale is more than enough. Damn near every medium you hear of (books, movies, games, etc.) makes it money in the first few weeks. A saying in the game and movie industries is that if you don't turn a profit by the end of the sixth week then it's a flop.