Star Wars: The Complete Saga (1977-2005)

[Panama Jack]

Originally Posted by bobbyh64

Does anyone even think Disney will release semi-special editions of the OT? I can't imagine them removing some of the changes and not others. Nor would I want them to. The original versions should be released because they are the real movies and have more of a right to exist than the special editions.

Lucas's attitude about his films seems really crazy to me. I just watched the Blu-ray version of THX 1138 and compared the CGI scenes to the original version of the movie and the changes seem so ridiculous to me. Even if the CGI looks good, what's the point in making changes 50 years later? He even added a single CGI shot to American Graffiti to make the skyline more colorful.

I think it's funny how in the past Lucas said special effects should be used to help tell the story and not be the focus of the movie and he also promoted film preservation. There isn't much evidence that he actually agrees with either of these things he said.

Well, the good news is that George is no longer involved, and TFA demonstrates that Kathleen Kennedy and the folks at Lucasfilm, while they respect him, are not afraid to push his opinions aside to do something that they feel will be better.

Hence, I think we might actually one day get a more updated version of the special editions that pulls back on some of the dumber and more reviled changes. Instead of the artists being told what to do by one person, now they can look at the films and decide by consensus which changes worked and which ones didn't. CGI rocks in ANH... bad. Ian McDiarmid in ESB... good. Han shoots first... put it back the way it was.

Maybe the fact that this latest 4K scan of the OT is of the special editions will end up being a good thing, since they will have to go in and update the CGI. Maybe as they are doing so they will re-think the changes themselves and throw out some of the dumber ones.

Time will tell. I for one, would LOVE to see an updated Special Edition without George involved. That is, as long as they also release the UOT along with it.

[Mighty Max]

Cg rocks weren't bad, as a theory.
While they weren't needed, it wasn't as bad as some other changes.
HOWEVER...
They should have been freaking consistant. They shouldn't magically disappear and they should have been further out so that R2 has a way to actually get into the alcove he was hiding in...

[Fang Zei]

My theory?

George probably considers the 2011 version his final "edit" of the movies in terms of content. The 4k remaster, which was probably authorized right before he sold the company in 2012, I'm betting simply upscaled the existing digital shots.

However, there was a rumor that George had actually made Han shoot first again. So maybe he did take the 4k version as an opportunity to tweak the movies one last time. I doubt Lucasfilm cares about making any changes themselves. They know fans have been clamoring for the original versions and that a 4k remaster of the SE isn't what's going to sell in vast numbers.

[imsounoriginal]

Originally Posted by Fang Zei

My theory?

George probably considers the 2011 version his final "edit" of the movies in terms of content. The 4k remaster, which was probably authorized right before he sold the company in 2012, I'm betting simply upscaled the existing digital shots.

However, there was a rumor that George had actually made Han shoot first again. So maybe he did take the 4k version as an opportunity to tweak the movies one last time. I doubt Lucasfilm cares about making any changes themselves. They know fans have been clamoring for the original versions and that a 4k remaster of the SE isn't what's going to sell in vast numbers.

We may not like it, but 4K discs with the SEs on them will sell like hotcakes.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by imsounoriginal

We may not like it, but 4K discs with the SEs on them will sell like hotcakes.

Are any 4k discs selling like hotcakes?

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Mighty Max

Cg rocks weren't bad, as a theory.
While they weren't needed, it wasn't as bad as some other changes.
HOWEVER...
They should have been freaking consistant. They shouldn't magically disappear and they should have been further out so that R2 has a way to actually get into the alcove he was hiding in...

They also look terrible, you can actually see the same rock's been duplicated like it's some shitty photoshop comp, it's just so tacky.

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

They also look terrible, you can actually see the same rock's been duplicated like it's some shitty photoshop comp, it's just so tacky.

The film was supposedly converted to 3D - I have the feeling the rocks were added as part of that.

[rickah88]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

Are any 4k discs selling like hotcakes?

Someone linked an article stating that 4k media is selling at a higher clip than BD did at the same point in its lifecycle. Although I can't remember if that article factored in hd-dvd sales, as that was the competing format at the time.

[Fang Zei]

Originally Posted by imsounoriginal

We may not like it, but 4K discs with the SEs on them will sell like hotcakes.

Everyone who's got the hardware would buy it simply because it's Star Wars in 4k, but even a lot of them would be pissed it didn't include the unaltered versions.

More importantly, they wouldn't release it this early when only a small percentage of the blu-ray consumer base has adopted 4k.

[imsounoriginal]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

Are any 4k discs selling like hotcakes?

Format's doing well so far, and Star Wars will always sell.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Fang Zei

My theory?

George probably considers the 2011 version his final "edit" of the movies in terms of content. The 4k remaster, which was probably authorized right before he sold the company in 2012, I'm betting simply upscaled the existing digital shots.

However, there was a rumor that George had actually made Han shoot first again. So maybe he did take the 4k version as an opportunity to tweak the movies one last time. I doubt Lucasfilm cares about making any changes themselves. They know fans have been clamoring for the original versions and that a 4k remaster of the SE isn't what's going to sell in vast numbers.

I likes the sound of these being some sort of 'Final Cut' of the movies, it'd be AWESOME if they've finally cleaned up all the space-bound matte shots. And they can add all the rocks in front of Artoo that they want just as long as they don't look like they've been knocked up in five minutes AND aren't as continuity-defying as the current addition is, which is literally there in one shot and gone the next. Just...ugh.

As much of a "purist" as people think me to be, I don't mind changes to existing material that are done with taste and restraint and respect the original. I like all the CG stuff in the New Hope end battle. I like the expanded universe celebrations at the end of Jedi. Hell, I've never minded the Jabba bit in New Hope for what it is because it's an entirely additional scene, and I really like the redone CG (using the Phantom Menace CG model of Jabba) of the 2004 version. But man, those extra 2011 alterations push the bounds of Star Wars superfluity like never before, and that's saying something.

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

The film was supposedly converted to 3D - I have the feeling the rocks were added as part of that.

I agree, that still doesn't excuse how thoroughly amateurish it looks though.

[Panama Jack]

So let's assume Lucasfilm called YOU today and asked you to be in charge of overseeing a Final Cut of the special editions, then using this page as a reference (which lists most--if not all--of the changes that have been made to the Trilogy since the films' theatrical runs), what changes would you keep, which changes would you discard, and what new changes, if any, would you make?

(To avoid comments that you'd simply restore the unaltered theatrical cuts, let's assume that Lucasfilm tells you they will be also simultaneously releasing fully restored versions of the theatrical cuts in the box).

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Panama Jack

So let's assume Lucasfilm called YOU today and asked you to be in charge of overseeing a Final Cut of the special editions, then using this page as a reference (which lists most--if not all--of the changes that have been made to the Trilogy since the films' theatrical runs), what changes would you keep, which changes would you discard, and what new changes, if any, would you make?

(To avoid comments that you'd simply restore the unaltered theatrical cuts, let's assume that Lucasfilm tells you they will be also simultaneously releasing fully restored versions of the theatrical cuts in the box).

I would turn that job down. I don't really have a dog in the 'which set of alterations is superior' fights and would rather leave those decisions to the people who actually care about which revisions would make for the best final product.

[stvn1974]

I would get rid of the matte lines, make sure the lightsabers all matched and keep the fixed wampa arm. Other than that I would get rid of all of the other changes.

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by Panama Jack

So let's assume Lucasfilm called YOU today and asked you to be in charge of overseeing a Final Cut of the special editions, then using this page as a reference (which lists most--if not all--of the changes that have been made to the Trilogy since the films' theatrical runs), what changes would you keep, which changes would you discard, and what new changes, if any, would you make?

(To avoid comments that you'd simply restore the unaltered theatrical cuts, let's assume that Lucasfilm tells you they will be also simultaneously releasing fully restored versions of the theatrical cuts in the box).

I could definitely do that. I would have all four versions of the original trilogy available seamlessly branched. So, that would be the original theatrical versions in '77, '80, and '83, the 1997 versions, the 2004 versions, and the 2011 versions.

I'd probably have OUT on their own disc each and then have each of the other three versions seamlessly branched with the changes.

[Dreamliner330]

Originally Posted by Panama Jack

what changes would you keep, which changes would you discard, and what new changes, if any, would you make?

The most egregious stuff, of course, is the comedic bits that were added. They are painfully obvious and out of place. Let's remember though, Lucas made some sensible changes (set extensions, windows in cloud city, etc).

I'd probably keep most changes except character replacements (like ghost Anakin) and I'd definitely excise all the dumb comedic stuff.

[shinobipopcorn]

I'd keep the improved Death Star attack run, the new Emperor scenes in Empire, some Praxis effects (I don't think the Death Star needs one), and fix obvious errors like visible mattes and lightsaber errors. But other than that, I'd leave things be. Han shoots first, R2 doesn't taste very good, no extra rocks, yub nub, etc. (Well, that one's on the fence. I like the original celebration song better, but I like the added celebration scenes. Maybe I could compromise, but absolutely NO swapped Anakin ghosts.)

Oh, and I do like "Alert my star destroyer to prepare for my arrival" better than "Bring my shuttle". He sounds a tad more pissed in the former.

[Geoff D]

Man, the extensions to the Cloud City interiors look so good. One of my favourite changes for sure.

[Ernest Rister]

Maybe someday we'll have 8k SmartTVs with a drop down box asking us which choices we'd prefer when watching a fifty-year-old movie. Personally, speaking, if it were Fantasia, I'd be all over it. Gimme that 1982 Kostal score so I can scare my neighbors with the subwoofer.

[Nicolawicz]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Man, the extensions to the Cloud City interiors look so good. One of my favourite changes for sure.

Nah, it looks far more elegant without those obvious CGI windows.