Star Wars: The Complete Saga (1977-2005)

[disneywildcat]

Originally Posted by CapGzillaRangerPrime

Why doesn't Disney do a release of the complete saga themselves rather than Fox?

The only downside would be the ridiculous price

Fox still has the home video distribution rights to all the existing films (except the original) till 2020. Fox still has full perpetual distribution rights to the original film.

In terms of digital, Lucasfilm has the digital distribution and television rights to all the films except the original.

[TitusTroy]

Originally Posted by BillieCassin

Not to turn it into a PT/OT debate (too late...) LOL - I would disagree that it better illustrates the themes of the movies. It represents the retcon'd "theme" that Lucas used to tie the films together based on a much later decision (much later, as originally Obi-wan was the focus of the prequels, not Anakin), but it doesn't represent Star Wars at all.

If you ask anyone what their classic representative image of Star Wars is, it's very very unlikely to be youngling Anakin in front of a random Tat landscape. Yes, the subtle Vader shadow is there - but most are going to miss that anyway in consumer-land, and let's face it - Star Wars isn't supposed to be "artsy". It's supposed to be big, dramatic, epic. There is nothing Star nor Wars in that picture, and it only reminds folks of the worst of the series.

In any case, I was just stating that the majority of folks who expressed an opinion about it at release, if you want to wade a few thousand pages back, was negative on it - which is why I found it interesting that someone is lamenting it's loss.

I don't think that Obi Wan is the first name that comes to anyone's mind when thinking about the movies...Anakin is the entire series...his redemption arc is the main theme...showing the young, innocent Anakin with the Tattoine landscape is the perfect depiction of innocence lost...I don't mean that the move is artsy but the box-art cover felt that way...the Vader cover looks boring in comparison

and yes Luke is on the box-art...I was thinking about one of the teaser posters for the movie which clearly showed Darth Vader's shadow behind a young Anakin...Anakin and Luke are obviously the central figures of the original series and this is re-enforced by the new Force Awakens movie where Luke and Vader are still very important elements...Kylo Ren is apparently a Vader fan/disciple...so they nailed the box-art perfectly with the first release

[svenge]

Originally Posted by TitusTroy

Anakin is the entire series...his redemption arc is the main theme...

Only diehard PT/SE Kool-Aid drinkers believe that canard, as Lucas retconned that narrative almost twenty years after the original three films were completed.

The official 1983 Lucasfilm documentary "From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga" tells it quite differently. Of course this was before the dark times, before the Prequels. Back before Lucas became more [marketing] machine than man, twisted and senile.

Originally Posted by From Star Wars to Jedi

"Ten years ago, in a galaxy very very near. George Lucas imagined a world no one else had ever seen. When he placed it on screen in 'Star Wars', in 1977, he asked us to see it through the eyes of a restless and idealistic young man, Luke Skywalker. Through three films, Luke would travel through the farthest reaches of his galaxy seeking adventure manhood and wisdom."

Note that of the four major official vintage Star Wars documentaries ("The Making of Star Wars", "SPFX: The Empire Strikes Back", "Classic Creatures: Return of the Jedi", and "From Star Wars to Jedi"), only FSWTJ was omitted from the 9-disc Blu-ray box set. Of course, the reason behind that is obvious: It had to go down the Lucasfilm "memory hole" 1984-style because it clearly conflicts with the changed narrative orthodoxy and shows how much revisionism Lucas inflicted on the series with the PT and SEs.

[Nailwraps]

To me, it's this now;

-I-III Anakin's story
-IV-VI Anakin and Luke's Story
-VII-IX Luke's Story

[RYJAPE21]

Originally Posted by Obi-Wan Kenobi

Wow, Ewoks: The Battle for Endor premiered 30 years ago tonight on ABC. Anybody else watch them when they first aired? Caravan of Courage is ok for a TV movie, but I always really enjoyed The Battle for Endor. Far superior to Caravan to me. Teek is awesome. What are the chances that Disney releases the two ewok TV movies on blu?

I loved the Ewok movies growing up and still hold onto my DVD copy. The Disney Channel used to air them WAY back in the day. The Gorax still freaks me out though

[happydood]

Originally Posted by TitusTroy

I don't think that Obi Wan is the first name that comes to anyone's mind when thinking about the movies...Anakin is the entire series...his redemption arc is the main theme...showing the young, innocent Anakin with the Tattoine landscape is the perfect depiction of innocence lost...I don't mean that the move is artsy but the box-art cover felt that way...the Vader cover looks boring in comparison

and yes Luke is on the box-art...I was thinking about one of the teaser posters for the movie which clearly showed Darth Vader's shadow behind a young Anakin...Anakin and Luke are obviously the central figures of the original series and this is re-enforced by the new Force Awakens movie where Luke and Vader are still very important elements...Kylo Ren is apparently a Vader fan/disciple...so they nailed the box-art perfectly with the first release

Respectfully, I disagree. I think if any image represents what these movies were as originally planned, it's C-3P0 & R2-D2. In fact, Lucas said as much that they were the birth of the story- as a reference to their counterparts that appear in the opening scene of Hidden Fortress. As much as I respect Lucas for what he's created and think Darth Vader is an iconic image, Anakin wasn't initially intended as the face of the series. That is a retcon, for sure.

And Svenge, as much as I can relate to and appreciate your perceived grievances, your fat-jokes and senile references are as transparent as they are mean-spirited. If you're not on the wrong side of 40 yet, the irony will be that you'll never get the irony once you are. Lucas sold his company. And here you are holding on.

[svenge]

Originally Posted by happydood

Lucas sold his company. And here you are holding on.

Just because the company was sold doesn't mean that the damage to the franchise has been repaired.

Of course while I'd prefer that the entire PT (and the ham-fisted SE changes inflicted on the OT it to "tie it in" with the prequels) be banished to the realm of non-canon EU stories, I'd gladly settle for the proper unmolested versions of the OT films be given a proper release on BD.

[happydood]

Originally Posted by svenge

Just because the company was sold doesn't mean that the damage to the franchise has been repaired.

Of course while I'd prefer that the entire PT be banished to the realm of non-canon EU stories, I'd gladly settle for the proper unmolested versions of the OT films be given a proper release on BD.

And I'd like the original versions, too. So, should an artist just stop once you're convinced they have nothing more to say? It doesn't work that way. In many case you represent yourself well, so I don't get the 'senile' stuff unless it's a result of some other too-close-to-home stress.

[svenge]

Originally Posted by happydood

So, should an artist just stop once you're convinced they have nothing more to say? It doesn't work that way.

It's one thing for a film director to make bad movies in furtherance of a series, but it's quite another thing to retroactively make the earlier good movies worse to make them "fit" with the later ones.

To use a metaphor, were the OT a child then I believe that Child Protective Services should have been called on Lucas long ago.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by happydood

Respectfully, I disagree. I think if any image represents what these movies were as originally planned, it's C-3P0 & R2-D2. In fact, Lucas said as much that they were the birth of the story- as a reference to their counterparts that appear in the opening scene of Hidden Fortress. As much as I respect Lucas for what he's created and think Darth Vader is an iconic image, Anakin wasn't initially intended as the face of the series. That is a retcon, for sure.

Only the droids weren't "the birth of the story", that's more of the Lucas Kool-Aid. They were intended to be an homage to Hidden Fortress, yes, but Lucas' original assembly of the film focused on Luke as much as it did the droids; he sees the space battle from the ground, there's all that stuff with Biggs and their friends etc. It's only when Lucas showed the rough cut to his own friends and they advised him that it was a bit like American Graffiti in space that he took a different approach to the cutting of the story, getting rid of Luke's original introduction and opening it solely from the POV of the droids. Thus began the legend that he "always intended it that way", just like everything else...

[TitusTroy]

Originally Posted by happydood

Respectfully, I disagree. I think if any image represents what these movies were as originally planned, it's C-3P0 & R2-D2. In fact, Lucas said as much that they were the birth of the story- as a reference to their counterparts that appear in the opening scene of Hidden Fortress. As much as I respect Lucas for what he's created and think Darth Vader is an iconic image, Anakin wasn't initially intended as the face of the series. That is a retcon, for sure.

And Svenge, as much as I can relate to and appreciate your perceived grievances, your fat-jokes and senile references are as transparent as they are mean-spirited. If you're not on the wrong side of 40 yet, the irony will be that you'll never get the irony once you are. Lucas sold his company. And here you are holding on.

I don't think Anakin/Darth Vader as the face of the series was retconned at all...there's a reason A New Hope is titled Episode 4...the original trilogy was always intended as the middle trilogy...George Lucas always wanted to show the turn of Anakin...he might have also wanted to continue Luke's story in Episode 7 somewhere in the distant future but Lucas' first priority was telling the story of Anakin's fall...that itself to me shows that the 6 movies were indeed about Anakin's fall and redemption

Luke was an important element in Anakin's story not vice-versa

[svenge]

Originally Posted by TitusTroy

I don't think Anakin/Darth Vader as the face of the series was retconned at all...there's a reason A New Hope is titled Episode 4...the original trilogy was always intended as the middle trilogy...George Lucas always wanted to show the turn of Anakin...he might have also wanted to continue Luke's story in Episode 7 somewhere in the distant future but Lucas' first priority was telling the story of Anakin's fall...that itself to me shows that the 6 movies were indeed about Anakin's fall and redemption

Luke was an important element in Anakin's story not vice-versa

There's quite a few problems with your theory:

1) It wasn't established that Darth Vader was Luke's father until midway through the screenplay drafting process of TESB, as exhibited by multiple media reports and even the official Star Wars website. To wit:

Originally Posted by Starwars.com

Lucas going back and forth on the identity of Luke’s father can be clearly seen when comparing the first draft from February 1978, in which Luke’s father appears as a Force ghost along with Ben Kenobi, to the handwritten version of the second draft in which Darth Vader was Luke’s father.

The fact is that as of the completion of Star Wars' post-production in 1977, all that was established (or even conjectured) by Lucas was that Luke's unnamed father was a skilled pilot and Jedi Knight who was betrayed and killed by Darth Vader (a former pupil of Obi-Wan). By my estimation, the lame retcon of Obi-Wan's ghost in 1983's ROTJ saying that he told Luke about his father in ANH was "true, from a certain point of view" is the prototype and harbinger of all the bad retcons, revisionism, and hand-waving that plagued the franchise in the 90s-2000s. The lack of a fully fleshed-out character roster is highlighted by my next argument below:

2) If Lucas had all the major characters' identities and story arcs nailed down so early (no later than the theatrical release of Star Wars in 1977) then why the hell did he have Luke and Leia kiss? While creepy-ass Emo Anakin ogling Padme early in AOTC is one thing, it's still completely out of character for Lucas (both as a writer and director) to put even unknowing sibling make-outs into Star Wars. The historical record (and myriad draft scripts) show that the entire roster of characters was continuously in flux and the "Leia as Luke's sister" angle was not added until much, much later.

3) The first time episode numbers are even seen on-screen is in 1980 with the debut of TESB. The "Episode IV" and "A New Hope" additions to the opening crawl of Star Wars weren't added until the 1981 theatrical re-re-release.

4) It was never even fixed that there were to be only 6 "Episodes" that Lucas would be in charge of. Back in the 1980s, Lucas had outlines for a total of twelve episodes. Of course, the inevitable fatigue of creating just the three OT films put him off of that idea in short order. Regardless, if Star Wars is supposed to be primarily about Anakin then why create outlines for six films that would exist beyond his demise?

[rickah88]

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[The Great Owl]

After revisiting all six of these Star Wars movies on Friday, I have to say that I do not agree with the omission of The Phantom Menace when watching the "Machete Order."

In my opinion, the pod race sequence in The Phantom Menace is instrumental in defining the character of Anakin Skywalker. We really get a feel for his ease as a pilot, we sense his ability to improvise when working with machines, and we sense his insistence on being able to fix anything and everything.

Anakin's subsequent inability to "fix" certain things that he wishes he could fix (the death of his mother, the perceived danger to Padme, etc.) is the spark that leads to his path into the Dark Side later on.

There are a lot of lesser story elements in The Phantom Menace...Jar Jar Binks, midichlorians, etc., but I believe that the film, as a whole, fits into the storyline quite well.

[happydood]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

After revisiting all six of these Star Wars movies on Friday, I have to say that I do not agree with the omission of The Phantom Menace when watching the "Machete Order."

In my opinion, the pod race sequence in The Phantom Menace is instrumental in defining the character of Anakin Skywalker. We really get a feel for his ease as a pilot, we sense his ability to improvise when working with machines, and we sense his insistence on being able to fix anything and everything.

Anakin's subsequent inability to "fix" certain things that he wishes he could fix (the death of his mother, the perceived danger to Padme, etc.) is the spark that leads to his path into the Dark Side later on.

There are a lot of lesser story elements in The Phantom Menace...Jar Jar Binks, midichlorians, etc., but I believe that the film, as a whole, fits into the storyline quite well.

The elements you mention are there for sure, which is why I can appreciate what Lucas was trying to do as opposed to what he actually did.

[Nailwraps]

Originally Posted by motorheadache95

Hey, so is it true that Fox owns the original Star Wars?

They co-own it. Lucasfilm owns the film while Fox owns distribution.

[Arawn]

Originally Posted by BillieCassin

originally Obi-wan was the focus of the prequels, not Anakin

When Lucas talked about the prequels in the old days, he referred to both of them, not just Obi-Wan. It wasn't like it was supposed to be the Young Obi-Wan Adventures. How someone could watch the OT and take away from it that the prequels wouldn't feature Anakin is beyond me.

Originally Posted by BillieCassin

a random Tat landscape.

Yes - utterly and completely random!

Originally Posted by BillieCassin

Yes, the subtle Vader shadow is there

ha

Originally Posted by BillieCassin

There is nothing Star nor Wars in that picture

bwaahaha

Originally Posted by BillieCassin

It could only have been worse if Jar Jar was next to him.

Bending over, sniffing around his butt region, checking for farts. That would be best.

Originally Posted by svenge

Lucas had outlines for a total of twelve episodes.

The author said there is little doubt that Disney will use Lucas’s outlines for the next three movies. “Writers will absolutely take his outline. That’s in part what Disney bought,” he said.

[Adam_WM]

Disney/JJ/George himself have basically said they have thrown out George's ideas for the new trilogy.

[kamphausd1]

Originally Posted by Bluyoda

No offense but, that's why you fail. You clearly don't get Star Wars at all.
It represents Star Wars wonderfully, as Star Wars isn't about wars in space, or big, epic battles. It's a family saga, and the core story is about a father and his son, and their decisions....

And no offense to you, but telling somebody they don't understand Star Wars after having merely stated their own opinion in a perfectly sane, well-written and logical manner which in no way offends anybody makes you a gigantic troll. And that is why YOU fail!

[dubious]

Originally Posted by Adam_WM

Disney/JJ/George himself have basically said they have thrown out George's ideas for the new trilogy.