Star Wars: The Complete Saga (1977-2005)

[rickah88]

Originally Posted by DMRI2006

What the heck is that? You mean DisneyWars?

Sequel Trilogy.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by DMRI2006

What the heck is that? You mean DisneyWars?

Say what you want about DisneyWars but they got my ass back in a theater seat after an almost ten year absence.

Sure, it was probably no picnic for the theater seat but, you know, whattayagonnado.

[Scarface32]

Originally Posted by octagon

Say what you want about DisneyWars but they got my ass back in a theater seat after an almost ten year absence.

Sure, it was probably no picnic for the theater seat but, you know, whattayagonnado.

But their release schedule

December releases are the worst. You have people with the flu coming to see the movie, caughing all over the place. Inconsiderate people. Stay home if you're sick!

[DMRI2006]

Originally Posted by octagon

Say what you want about DisneyWars but they got my ass back in a theater seat after an almost ten year absence.

Sure, it was probably no picnic for the theater seat but, you know, whattayagonnado.

lol. I'm going to DisneyWars and they know precisely what they are doing in appealing to a certain fanboy demographic (which I'm a part of), but these things are now officially corporate products and will be for forever more. New movies every year until we're all dead -- exactly the kind of franchise milking Lucas never wanted to do.

Anyway, hopefully the new movie will be fun regardless. Grabbed the Despecialized and Grindhouse versions online of the OT to tide me over for a few days.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by Scarface32

Did you explain to him that tri = three, and there were eight Harry Potter movies?

It was an excruciating conversation in general so I just smiled and nodded.

[Ernest Rister]

Rooster tells audience what happened in Robin Hood...(face plants on keyboard)

Robin Hood - Robin Hood and Maid Marian Got Married - YouTube

Good Lord, fellas and ladies...

[kidglov3s]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

Rooster tells audience what happened in Robin Hood...(face plants on keyboard)

Robin Hood - Robin Hood and Maid Marian Got Married - YouTube

Good Lord, fellas and ladies...

"Well he just straightened everything out" has to be about the laziest bit of screenwriting I can think of, ha ha. What an unfortunate production, Disney was really hurting and it's all up there on the screen... or isn't. And that that was the best they came up with, that there were probably hundreds of rejected even worse bits of narration to wrap things up.

[JoshKelhoffer]

Originally Posted by rickah88

I like the PT, and the OT, and so far the ST.

I like the OT and ST. The PT, I've always found it perplexing that people like it. The story sounds, in a lot of place, great on paper. But the execution was poor. The biggest problem there needed to be more subtlety in the dialogue. Like in the scene from AOTC where Anakin is opening up to Padme about Obi Wan. He says one line of dialogue that perfectly says everything, but then whines about it for another 30 seconds.

As an editor, I cringe at the pacing of those three films. There is a scene where they are chasing after an assassin and they stop the chase so Obi Wan can give Anakin a lesson. No, no, no. Never stop a chase to have a little discussion. It betrays the emotional rhythm. Plus, we already get a sense that Obi Wan is busting Anakin's chops all the time from scenes both earlier and later. So in losing that scene, the story stays on point and the only problem we really create in losing that little moment is we generate a small continuity error, but one that is easily explained and assumed. We saw Obi Wan snatch Anakin's flying lightsaber and we see them enter the club together. It's only natural to put two and two together and figure that Obi Wan handed Anakin's lightsaber back.

I also don't quite get a genuine film experience out of AOTC and ROTS. I am not sure how to best explain that. At times, they feel like an impression of films. "Anakin, hold me like you did in the fields on Naboo" or something like that. I get what Lucas was doing. It just doesn't jive with me. I don't think Lucas is dumb like people make him out to be. I just think some of his decisions were wrong, because I genuinely wanted to care for the relationships in those films, but lack of genuineness created by the warping of old Hollywood cliches just takes me out of the experience.

A lot of people claim TFA is just a re-hash and on paper, it is. But the experience doesn't feel like a re-hash because I'm invested and care about the characters. They have personality and don't feel so, for lack of a better word, glib. So it still ends up feeling unique. I think it's the best film JJ Abrams has made so far.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by kidglov3s

"Well he just straightened everything out" has to be about the laziest bit of screenwriting I can think of, ha ha. What an unfortunate production, Disney was really hurting and it's all up there on the screen... or isn't. And that that was the best they came up with, that there were probably hundreds of rejected even worse bits of narration to wrap things up.

Friend, to this day I catch grief about calling that movie out. We all have different priorities. You combine writing like that with rampant recycled animation that goes on and on throughout the movie, you've got the worst film made by Walt's aging and retiring crew. Robin Hood is a narrative trainwreck made on a budget requiring embarrassing short cuts. Sorry, everybody. I try -- hard -- to tell the truth even when I know it's going to piss people off. Doesn't mean I'm telling anybody they shouldn't like it. It just is what it actually is.

[captveg]

I'm just gonna step in real quick to make a couple statements:

- I quite like Return to Oz. It's odd, a but unhinged, and has some excellent designs and ideas among some wishy-washy pacing and narrative. 30 years later I certainly don't care what its box office performance was - I enjoy what I enjoy regardless of public reception.

- While Kasdan, Kershner (and Kurtz to a lesser degree) were obviously very influential in the day-to-day decisions making on The Empire Strikes Back, Lucas did more than just "sign the checks". He was an involved producer in the current Feige/Kennedy mold. You not only have his particular story ideas present (Vader/Luke relationship), but you have things such as him ordering a last minute reshoot to pickup a few shots to orient the audience at the end of the film when Lando and Chewbacca are in the Falcon on the medical frigate. So, yes, the influence was the most balanced with other creative artists for ESB, but it's not like Lucas was some silent partner, either.

[captveg]

Originally Posted by master gandhi

When they first released the special editions theatrically, I never thought these would replace the unaltered versions. I just saw them as a fun alternative to entice us to go see them again in theaters.

This. They were fun at the time because they were seen as an interesting alternate variation - a "Special Edition", if you will.

That they became the permanent versions is where it became a major problem.

[Mighty Max]

Wait, I'm so lost...

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by captveg

This. They were fun at the time because they were seen as an interesting alternate variation - a "Special Edition", if you will.

That they became the permanent versions is where it became a major problem.

That's not how I remember it. When the THX-remastered versions were released on video in 1996 they actually had a sticker on which said 'Star Wars available for the last time' or something to that effect.

[captveg]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

That's not how I remember it. When the THX-remastered versions were released on video in 1996 they actually had a sticker on which said 'Star Wars available for the last time' or something to that effect.

They did, but the general public was rather unaware of how literal that statement was. Most just saw that as the latest marketing ploy, akin to the McRib "disappearing forever after a limited time!" A few of us thought it could be actually literal, but we also assumed that the original versions would return at some point because, hell, $$$.

[rickah88]

Originally Posted by JoshKelhoffer

I like the OT and ST. The PT, I've always found it perplexing that people like it. The story sounds, in a lot of place, great on paper. But the execution was poor. The biggest problem there needed to be more subtlety in the dialogue. Like in the scene from AOTC where Anakin is opening up to Padme about Obi Wan. He says one line of dialogue that perfectly says everything, but then whines about it for another 30 seconds.

As an editor, I cringe at the pacing of those three films. There is a scene where they are chasing after an assassin and they stop the chase so Obi Wan can give Anakin a lesson. No, no, no. Never stop a chase to have a little discussion. It betrays the emotional rhythm. Plus, we already get a sense that Obi Wan is busting Anakin's chops all the time from scenes both earlier and later. So in losing that scene, the story stays on point and the only problem we really create in losing that little moment is we generate a small continuity error, but one that is easily explained and assumed. We saw Obi Wan snatch Anakin's flying lightsaber and we see them enter the club together. It's only natural to put two and two together and figure that Obi Wan handed Anakin's lightsaber back.

I also don't quite get a genuine film experience out of AOTC and ROTS. I am not sure how to best explain that. At times, they feel like an impression of films. "Anakin, hold me like you did in the fields on Naboo" or something like that. I get what Lucas was doing. It just doesn't jive with me. I don't think Lucas is dumb like people make him out to be. I just think some of his decisions were wrong, because I genuinely wanted to care for the relationships in those films, but lack of genuineness created by the warping of old Hollywood cliches just takes me out of the experience.

A lot of people claim TFA is just a re-hash and on paper, it is. But the experience doesn't feel like a re-hash because I'm invested and care about the characters. They have personality and don't feel so, for lack of a better word, glib. So it still ends up feeling unique. I think it's the best film JJ Abrams has made so far.

I've always found it perplexing people don't like it. Two can play that game.

I try to view the SW films as a whole, not compartmentalize. It's been much more rewarding for me.
We all know that you can always find flaws, in anything, if you look hard enough. I tend not to over analyze and it's saved me a lot of grief over the years. I also don't place SW on this divine alter that some folks seem to do. They are among my favorite films, but at the end of the day they are just that: very good films.
But everyone has their particular view on things.

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

That's not how I remember it. When the THX-remastered versions were released on video in 1996 they actually had a sticker on which said 'Star Wars available for the last time' or something to that effect.

Yes, I remember the TV ad actually stating it was the last time to buy the unaltered originals. However, I remember thinking, "Is this just marketing BS or something?"

[Hardback247]

Originally Posted by JoshKelhoffer

The biggest problem there needed to be more subtlety in the dialogue. Like in the scene from AOTC where Anakin is opening up to Padme about Obi Wan. He says one line of dialogue that perfectly says everything, but then whines about it for another 30 seconds.

You can't expect someone to become an evil tyrant without having at least some anguish in his life.

Also, the 1930s sci-fi serials the series is based on weren't very subtle either.

[iamsometal]

Originally Posted by JoshKelhoffer

[Show spoiler]I like the OT and ST. The PT, I've always found it perplexing that people like it. The story sounds, in a lot of place, great on paper. But the execution was poor. The biggest problem there needed to be more subtlety in the dialogue. Like in the scene from AOTC where Anakin is opening up to Padme about Obi Wan. He says one line of dialogue that perfectly says everything, but then whines about it for another 30 seconds.

As an editor, I cringe at the pacing of those three films. There is a scene where they are chasing after an assassin and they stop the chase so Obi Wan can give Anakin a lesson. No, no, no. Never stop a chase to have a little discussion. It betrays the emotional rhythm. Plus, we already get a sense that Obi Wan is busting Anakin's chops all the time from scenes both earlier and later. So in losing that scene, the story stays on point and the only problem we really create in losing that little moment is we generate a small continuity error, but one that is easily explained and assumed. We saw Obi Wan snatch Anakin's flying lightsaber and we see them enter the club together. It's only natural to put two and two together and figure that Obi Wan handed Anakin's lightsaber back.

I also don't quite get a genuine film experience out of AOTC and ROTS. I am not sure how to best explain that. At times, they feel like an impression of films. "Anakin, hold me like you did in the fields on Naboo" or something like that. I get what Lucas was doing. It just doesn't jive with me. I don't think Lucas is dumb like people make him out to be. I just think some of his decisions were wrong, because I genuinely wanted to care for the relationships in those films, but lack of genuineness created by the warping of old Hollywood cliches just takes me out of the experience.

A lot of people claim TFA is just a re-hash and on paper, it is. But the experience doesn't feel like a re-hash because I'm invested and care about the characters. They have personality and don't feel so, for lack of a better word, glib. So it still ends up feeling unique. I think it's the best film JJ Abrams has made so far.

Agreed on every point. The PT movies, particularly AOTC and ROTS, feel like 2+ hour video game cutscenes, from the late 90's/early 2000's. In pixel count, they're more detailed than those early 00's games, but in terms of editing, framing, dialogue delivery, it all just feels really student-film. And I agree, not discounting GL's intelligence, but his choices and getting caught up in the crafting of the film nearly entirely in the editing bay, relying on digital manipulation of everything in the frame, including and most detrimental to, his actors performances.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

Yes, I remember the TV ad actually stating it was the last time to buy the unaltered originals. However, I remember thinking, "Is this just marketing BS or something?"

Don't underestimate the Force [of Lucas]. Dude wasn't joking, although I still feel it in my bones that we're gonna get the original originals released next year, it's too big an opportunity to pass up. And what better way to hype up the reappearance of Luke Skywalker in Ep VIII than by going back to the beginning?

[captveg]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Don't underestimate the Force [of Lucas]. Dude wasn't joking, although I still feel it in my bones that we're gonna get the original originals released next year, it's too big an opportunity to pass up. And what better way to hype up the reappearance of Luke Skywalker in Ep VIII than by going back to the beginning?

The OOT on Blu-ray would be the perfect marketing tie-in to Rogue One's Blu-ray release and the 40th Anniversary of the series in May.