Star Wars: The Complete Saga (1977-2005)

[steel_breeze]

Originally Posted by Hardback247

Here's your answer regarding Episode VII:

What Happened In George Lucas' STAR WARS EPISODE VII - YouTube

LOVED that video; thanks for the link! I'm absolutely 100% on-board with the new Disney STAR WARS flicks... and yet I still also wish -- in seeming contradiction with what I've just said -- that Lucas was still involved.

[motorheadache95]

Originally Posted by Mefan101

The way I see it, the "Unaltered" OT would fit much better in a world where no other Star Wars movie existed. There are things in the SE that fit more (in terms of look, canon, & continuity) with the Prequels, and even the new films. For example, I know there are some people who hate the different voice for Boba Fett, but when it comes to continuity, it makes sense.

.

Yes, that's essentially how I look at it (I highly prefer the UOT though). Lucas will tell you (and this is evident the way the box set is presented) that the films should be watched in Episode order. His modifications starting with the DVD versions (being done while he was working on Episode III) was essentially retroactively turning the originals into sequels.

The alteration that really brings this home is turning the ghost of Anakin into Hayden. Without the context of the prequels, this would make no narrative sense. You couldn't watch the original trilogy in a vacuum and suddenly have this younger unrecognizable guy show up as Anakin at the end. It's meant to bring the story BACK full-circle to how you saw him before he turned. This ties into Lucas' notion that the full saga makes the story more about Anakin than Luke.

The UOT I look at as just the three films, by themselves, as they existed for nearly 20 years before all the Special Editions and prequel stuff started happening.

[Raphdude]

Originally Posted by BenjaminG

So far, it looks like Star Wars 40th anniversary is about as disappointing as Star Trek's 50th.

Why do we keep doing this to ourselves.

Exactly,
The Star Trek 50th came and went without a whimper, so did the 40th of Star Wars.

[Mefan101]

Originally Posted by motorheadache95

Yes, that's essentially how I look at it (I highly prefer the UOT though). Lucas will tell you (and this is evident the way the box set is presented) that the films should be watched in Episode order. His modifications starting with the DVD versions (being done while he was working on Episode III) was essentially retroactively turning the originals into sequels.

The alteration that really brings this home is turning the ghost of Anakin into Hayden. Without the context of the prequels, this would make no narrative sense. You couldn't watch the original trilogy in a vacuum and suddenly have this younger unrecognizable guy show up as Anakin at the end. It's meant to bring the story BACK full-circle to how you saw him before he turned. This ties into Lucas' notion that the full saga makes the story more about Anakin than Luke.

The UOT I look at as just the three films, by themselves, as they existed for nearly 20 years before all the Special Editions and prequel stuff started happening.

This goes for movies like The Force Awakens, and Rogue One as well.

There's some continuity with the look of the Yavin Base in Rogue One and in A New Hope (Special Edition). I remember watching Rogue One and A New Hope (the Unaltered Version, Despecialized) back-to-back. There was something a little off when watching the 1977 version of Star Wars after watching Rogue One. The transition from one film to another was not as "strong" as the time I watched A New Hope (SE) after seeing Rogue One for the first time in theaters.

[motorheadache95]

Originally Posted by Mefan101

This goes for movies like The Force Awakens, and Rogue One as well.

There's some continuity with the look of the Yavin Base in Rogue One and in A New Hope (Special Edition). I remember watching Rogue One and A New Hope (the Unaltered Version, Despecialized) back-to-back. There was something a little off when watching the 1977 version of Star Wars after watching Rogue One. The transition from one film to another was not as "strong" as the time I watched A New Hope (SE) after seeing Rogue One for the first time in theaters.

Supposedly Gareth Edwards watched a 4K restored screening of A New Hope when working on Rogue One to inspire the visual design, and it was confirmed to be the same altered version as the Blu-Ray. Plus, as much as Rogue One and The Force Awakens were meant to feel more retro and like the classics, they're still modern films with a blend of practical and CGI effects, a look I suppose has more in common with the revised editions in a lot of ways.

[oldgame]

Family Guy- KISS oh man I've lost all faith in mankind - YouTube

[Mefan101]

Originally Posted by oldgame

Family Guy- KISS oh man I've lost all faith in mankind - YouTube

Aaaaaaand this is the kind of perosn I'm talking about. "Oh how can you like the Prequels and Special Editions?! WAH!"

Hey, no offense, but:

[steel_breeze]

Really enjoying my first time through this director's commentary on PHANTOM MENACE. Lucas is such a smart & intellectual storyteller; every single beat is well thought-out... if only he'd been better with casting, dialogue, and coaxing nuanced performances. Everything "on paper" is pretty great... which is why I think I've begrudgingly learned to embrace these prequels after a decade of hate. I definitely have to be in "intellectual" mode when I watch them, and not "emotional" -- except when it comes to Williams' music, which always evokes the feels. In fact, now that I'm writing this, I realize how much heavy-lifting Williams does for me in these movies. And he does it so well.

[The Batman Professor]

I agree, I just wish Williams had not been treated so shabbily in CLONES. Reusing cues from PHANTOM was shite.

[Scarface32]

Originally Posted by Mefan101

I watched ROTJ more than the others.

Well as a fan of ROTJ, can you understand my hatred with the altered version? I can't stand that they replaced Sebastian Shaw as the Ghost Anakin with Hayden Christensen.

And what pissed me off the most in 2004 when I bought the DVDs, I had no warning. I knew they wouldn't be the originals, but I figured they'd be the 1997 Special Editions. Boy was I wrong. Rather than the '97 SEs, they were edited even more and became '04 DVD cuts. the 2011 Blu-ray cuts had even more sacrilege done to them.

I was mostly ok with the 1997 theatrical Special Editions. Yes some things I didn't like, but overall it was ok. But when the DVDs came out, it was a totally different animal.

[crissrudd4554]

I don't hate the SE's or the Prequels. I can even admit some things in the SE's are better from certain technical and story levels. And just to inject a childhood story here, my introduction to SW was the OUT although by the time I was 7 I owned both the OUT and '97 SE's. Anyways my childhood friend who's the son of my mother's bff from high school grew up with the '97 SE so naturally he liked it better. Sure being younger I was more stubborn about which is the better version but I've been able to respect opinions somewhat more growing up.

That said, my big gripe in all of this is how the OUT is just left to dissipate into the past with the only superior version being available is a fan edit that is downloaded online. Arguing what does/doesn't work with the SE's for me is irrelevant because either way the SE's were designed to replace something that already had a global impact and essentially changed the face of cinema. Don't get me wrong. I can respect artists being artists and Lucas is certainly an artist but not giving the buying public the choice over which cut to watch is an insult. Granted Lucas, or rather at this stage Lucasfilm/Disney, does not owe us anything but nonetheless the lack of availability of a restored OUT is very sad.

This is why IMO the SE's are a big pill to swallow for those who prefer the OUT. It isn't necessarily the altered film that's the problem, but that its designed to take the place of something that actually meant something to a lot of people. It's like having a family portrait only to come home to find your parents had someone digitally remove your dog from the photo and replace it with a cat.

[Mefan101]

Originally Posted by Scarface32

Well as a fan of ROTJ, can you understand my hatred with the altered version? I can't stand that they replaced Sebastian Shaw as the Ghost Anakin with Hayden Christensen.

Well, I understand, but it doesn't mean I agree. For me, at first glance, I thought it was cool seeing something like that, after watching the Prequels, and getting to know the story of Anakin Skywalker (especially after seeing Revenge Of The Sith). I thought I ended up not liking it, but it was because of the toxic, negative feedback that was surrounding me, specifically online. My true feelings about that change is that it never bothered me the slightest. I was first introduced to ROTJ with the original version (the CBS/FOX VHS), and I loved it. It's still nice to see the original ending sometimes, but that version is in the past, canon-wise.

[Scarface32]

Originally Posted by crissrudd4554

It's like having a family portrait only to come home to find your parents had someone digitally remove your dog from the photo and replace it with a cat.

That's how I feel about replacing Sebastian Shaw with Hayden Christensen.

[Ben Reilly]

I was born in 1980.
My first SW movie was Return of the Jedi in a drive-in.
I grew up with the "holy trilogy" and that is all there ever was for the longest time.
Though I enjoy the '97 editions there are a few things that I cannot stand.
Most obviously are the replacement lines of Luke on Dagobah and Luke's "NNNNOOOOOOOOOO" when falling away from Vader.

I love the prequels. I saw The Phantom Menace 8 times in the theater.
I love the DVD versions of the Original Trilogy. I like Hayden being there at the end of Return of the Jedi, yes, it could have been done better, but it is still a good alteration.

I love Rogue One

I HATE The Force Awakens

[octagon]

Originally Posted by ElvisForever

So what? I stated what was going on (and he mislabeled it as "chiding"). Does this equate to me saying he doesn't have a right to speak his mind? Nice straw man there.

Actually, 'so what' is kind of my point there. If you're not saying there's something iffy or questionable about wanting to write your own movies instead of signing onto every jot and tittle of a Creator's vision then what are you saying?

What's your point?

Over the years a lot of people have suggested a lot of ways the prequels could have been done differently.

So what?

Originally Posted by ElvisForever

Your second example doesn't follow. Complaining, is not saying to re-film or change story.

Whoa, talk about a straw man. I've seen a lot of complaining and second-guessing about the prequels over the years but I can't recall too many people clamoring for Lucas (or anybody else) to go back in and 'fix' them.

The closest might be people talking about restoring the puppet Yoda or updating the CGI Yoda but I don't see anybody saying scenes should be reshot or entirely new scenes should be added.

Originally Posted by ElvisForever

As for questioning creators I do it all the time. What I don't do is say that this should be filmed this way, or this should be wrote that way.

No offense but I find that very hard to believe. Are you seriously saying you've never said a film would have been better if a certain scene had been cut or if a certain character had been written differently or played by a different actor?

I say shit like that all the time. And if there's anything to all that Law of Averages stuff I'm even right sometimes.

Originally Posted by ElvisForever

It is what it is, and crying and complaining to point of making no attempt to understand what was being expressed is not constructive to the artistry.

Maybe. Or maybe the legion of online detractors mercilessly mocking the living shit out of The Happening and Lady in the Water played some small part in M Night regaining his footing with The Visit and Split.

I mean, that's clearly ridiculous but I suppose you never know.

Originally Posted by ElvisForever

And heck yes I take Star Wars seriously. It is and will always be, because this series is an important part of my life.

So say we all, he said mixing his fictional references.

[Vlad Draculi]

Originally Posted by ElvisForever

Amazing how one could have opinions different than yours.

I don't recall every telling anyone they couldn't.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

The acid test for this will of course be how I feel about TLJ. If they can start to fill in the backstory gaps and expand the mythos at the same time then I'm gonna enjoy it a lot, and may even come around to TFA's charms one of these days.

I'm saving you a seat on the SS Fanbois

[Alan_Grant]

Originally Posted by steel_breeze

Watching the director's commentary on PHANTOM MENACE for the first time, and it occurred to me... the "three trilogies" when watched in Episode Order are a fascinating and unprecedented exercise in the "auteur theory" of filmmaking.

In Episodes I-III, Lucas was surrounded by yes-men who would never tell him when he was taking the story astray.

Actually, that is very untrue. Lucas had tons of people questioning lots of stuff he did, like making Anakin 9 in TPM. That was a big no-no for a bunch of people, and they wanted him to be Luke's age.

[bobbyh64]

Originally Posted by rodneyfaile

Attachment 167429

That should've been the cover on the Blu-ray.

[Arch Stanton]

Originally Posted by Mefan101

The way I see it, the "Unaltered" OT would fit much better in a world where no other Star Wars movie existed. There are things in the SE that fit more (in terms of look, canon, & continuity) with the Prequels, and even the new films. For example, I know there are some people who hate the different voice for Boba Fett, but when it comes to continuity, it makes sense.
.

The only change I like and think is positive is the new music at the end of ROTJ (Yub Nub is TERRIBLE).