Star Wars: The Complete Saga (1977-2005)

[Nailwraps]

Originally Posted by MacEachaidh

That seems odd. Why would they do that? Are they reframing them as separate movies but with a continuing theme? The new one's still "Episode VII", isn't it?

Yes, the new one is still VII (it will even be mention in the opening crawl).

[MacEachaidh]

Yeah, that isn't really what I was asking.

[motorheadache95]

Originally Posted by MacEachaidh

That seems odd. Why would they do that? Are they reframing them as separate movies but with a continuing theme? The new one's still "Episode VII", isn't it?

Well back when the movies first came out nobody really called them by their Episode numbers. Look at the old video releases all the way up to the 1995 "Faces" versions-- they're basically just "Star Wars," "The Empire Strikes Back," and "Return of the Jedi."

It wasn't until the prequels where the whole "Episode #" became a thing-- I remember more people called the first film Episode I more than "The Phantom Menace." I'm not sure why that's how it caught on, but I'm guessing it's because the emphasis on the film being a prequel, and the title was just awkward and confusing to people.

[MacEachaidh]

Yeah, I hear what you're saying, and I confess that was me as well -- I never really thought of the episode numbers either until the first of the PT was made. Up until then, I think most people figured three films was all we were going to get, so the fact that it was the middle of a story arc made no nevermind.

And yes, now I think of them as episodes, just as you say. But I don't understand, now that people have actually come to think of them as episodes, why they would reverse that and take the episode numbers away. That's what I was trying to make sense of, small issue though it is.

(Mind you, there are many things I don't understand in Blu-ray releases. For instance, why were the Superman Anthology discs given no titles? How can Zavvi release steelbooks with utterly blank spines? Why are films like Terrence Malick's The New World released on Blu-ray only in the director's least-preferred of the three possible cuts? Negligence or error I can comprehend, but who makes conscious, intentional choices like these? )

[Scarface32]

Originally Posted by MisterKorman

Because all the Star Wars films are being re-promoted without the episode numbers. The steelbooks and digital versions are both without numerals.

Are they still in the movie though? During the opening text scroll, do they still say "Episode I" etc. on them?

Anyone that bought the digital versions, let me know.

[Vlad Draculi]

Originally Posted by motorheadache95

Well back when the movies first came out nobody really called them by their Episode numbers. Look at the old video releases all the way up to the 1995 "Faces" versions-- they're basically just "Star Wars," "The Empire Strikes Back," and "Return of the Jedi."

It wasn't until the prequels where the whole "Episode #" became a thing-- I remember more people called the first film Episode I more than "The Phantom Menace." I'm not sure why that's how it caught on, but I'm guessing it's because the emphasis on the film being a prequel, and the title was just awkward and confusing to people.

No, they had the episodes on them well before then. Hell, my dad recorded the movies off TV back in the late 80s and they all had the episode numbers. It confused me because I asked him why it says Episode IV when it was the first one.

BTW, I just learned that there is apparently some dragon skeleton on Tatooine in the first movie. WTF? Does anyone know if that is true?

[Scarface32]

Originally Posted by Vlad Draculi

No, they had the episodes on them well before then. Hell, my dad recorded the movies off TV back in the late 80s and they all had the episode numbers. It confused me because I asked him why it says Episode IV when it was the first one.

BTW, I just learned that there is apparently some dragon skeleton on Tatooine in the first movie. WTF? Does anyone know if that is true?

The funny part is I remember a news reporter talking about the 1997 re-release back in 1996, and she said "Star Wars, now called A New Hope" – But it wasn't a "now" moment, George added that title in 1980 for the home video release. So it's been "A New Hope" since 1980, even though the original 1977 release just said "Star Wars"

News anchors are funny

[svenge]

Originally Posted by Scarface32

The funny part is I remember a news reporter talking about the 1997 re-release back in 1996, and she said "Star Wars, now called A New Hope" – But it wasn't a "now" moment, George added that title in 1980 for the home video release. So it's been "A New Hope" since 1980, even though the original 1977 release just said "Star Wars"

News anchors are funny

Actually, the "Episode IV: A New Hope" tagline wasn't added to Star Wars until the 1981 theatrical re-release. [SOURCE]

Not to mention that weren't any home video releases of it until the "Video Rental Library" VHS/Betamax tapes that were put out in 1982 anyhow...

[Nailwraps]

Originally Posted by Scarface32

Are they still in the movie though? During the opening text scroll, do they still say "Episode I" etc. on them?

Oh, of course!

Heck, even the opening crawl on TFA will have "Episode VII".

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by Scarface32

Are they still in the movie though? During the opening text scroll, do they still say "Episode I" etc. on them?

Anyone that bought the digital versions, let me know.

Of course...why in the world would you think LucasFilm had stripped out the episode numbers? Don't you figure they have better things to do with their time?

[Lutz]

Originally Posted by Vlad Draculi

BTW, I just learned that there is apparently some dragon skeleton on Tatooine in the first movie. WTF? Does anyone know if that is true?

I always thought it was a BANTHA skeleton?

[ArdathBey]

Originally Posted by Lutz

I always thought it was a BANTHA skeleton?

[Scarface32]

Originally Posted by svenge

Actually, the "Episode IV: A New Hope" tagline wasn't added to Star Wars until the 1981 theatrical re-release. [SOURCE]

Not to mention that weren't any home video releases of it until the "Video Rental Library" VHS/Betamax tapes that were put out in 1982 anyhow...

Eh, close enough

Thanks for the info

[chip75]

Originally Posted by Lutz

I always thought it was a BANTHA skeleton?

It's a krayt dragon, that funky noise Obi-Wan makes to scare off the sand people was a krayt dragon call.

[batjag]

I'm pretty sure that removing the episode numbers from the marketing materials is purely a business decision.

Lucasfilm probably feels that advertising the new movies as episode 7, episode 8, etc, might turn off new viewers who haven't seen all the previous films.

I imagine that going forward, the anthology films as well as episode films will be promoted as though you don't have to have seen any other Star Wars movie. They want the films to seem inviting to as many people as possible, and putting episode number 12 or whatever on the poster might make the movie feel like it has too much baggage.

It's like the James Bond movies. Spectre is certainly going to carry on with story elements from previous movies, but they're not going to put James Bond 24 on the poster because they want people who've never seen a Bond movie to feel free to jump on board.

Of course the episode numbers will still be on the opening crawls where necessary, but that's for the "advanced" Star Wars fans. Everyone else will just ignore them.

[Scarface32]

Originally Posted by batjag

It's like the James Bond movies. Spectre is certainly going to carry on with story elements from previous movies, but they're not going to put James Bond 24 on the poster because they want people who've never seen a Bond movie to feel free to jump on board.

For the most part the James Bond movies are self-contained stories. Star Wars on the other hand is a single story that extends multiple movies. Not really the same thing.

[kidglov3s]

Originally Posted by batjag

I'm pretty sure that removing the episode numbers from the marketing materials is purely a business decision.

Lucasfilm probably feels that advertising the new movies as episode 7, episode 8, etc, might turn off new viewers who haven't seen all the previous films.

I imagine that going forward, the anthology films as well as episode films will be promoted as though you don't have to have seen any other Star Wars movie. They want the films to seem inviting to as many people as possible, and putting episode number 12 or whatever on the poster might make the movie feel like it has too much baggage.

It's like the James Bond movies. Spectre is certainly going to carry on with story elements from previous movies, but they're not going to put James Bond 24 on the poster because they want people who've never seen a Bond movie to feel free to jump on board.

Of course the episode numbers will still be on the opening crawls where necessary, but that's for the "advanced" Star Wars fans. Everyone else will just ignore them.

I find the hesitancy to shy away from higher numbers interesting. I think audiences can handle it more than executives give them credit. If I had access to alternate universes, for instance, I'd be curious to compare, say, the business of Step Up All In to the business of Step Up 5.

[chip75]

Originally Posted by batjag

Lucasfilm probably feels that advertising the new movies as episode 7, episode 8, etc, might turn off new viewers who haven't seen all the previous films.

I think the episode titles help cross-promote the older films, that's why they're re-issuing the box set, you want people new to Star Wars to buy the other movies or see them in theatres if they get re-released. It's "here is Episode VII ... now go and watch the first six."

They want new fans to invest in the Star Wars Universe.

Plus they always confused fans anyway by introducing us to Star Wars four episodes in!

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by kidglov3s

I find the hesitancy to shy away from higher numbers interesting. I think audiences can handle it more than executives give them credit. If I had access to alternate universes, for instance, I'd be curious to compare, say, the business of Step Up All In to the business of Step Up 5.

They already did it with the STAR TREK films and for the exact reason mentioned. It's why it was Star Trek Generations rather than Star Trek VII: Generations and so on.

[Geoff D]

And don't forget the 7th installment of Police Academy. Once they get past six it's the done thing to drop the numbers, though it's only for the marketing in Star Wars' case as it WILL have Episode VII in the crawl, I guarantee.