Star Wars: The Complete Saga (1977-2005)

[Gacivory]

My viewing order in prep for Rise of Skywalker is.

Phantom Menace
Attack of The Clones
Revenge of the Sith
Solo
Rogue One
Star Wars/A New Hope
Empire Strikes Back
Return of the Jedi
The Force Awakens
The Last Jedi

[steel_breeze]

Originally Posted by crissrudd4554

As for what the saga was meant to be as there’s too many different ways to look at it. Lucas wrote Star Wars as ONE film! Not THREE, ONE! Problem was it was TOO big a story to condense to ONE film. So he had no choice but to divide it into three parts, each becoming their own movie. However the first would need to be a hit in order for the other two to be made. From that angle it made total sense for the first film to be more or less self condensed.

...

It was only out of the success of that film that they were willing to go forward by having the series take place in the middle and eventually give it the ‘A New Hope’ title. Another thing to keep in mind was although Lucas had plans to go back to the beginning after 4-6 were completed, making the OT proved exhausting and thus he basically gave up on those plans.

...

Even to say the saga was always meant to be six parts is not fully accurate. Some of the actors as well as Lucas noted there were potential plans to do a 7-9 at some point in the future but ultimately those plans were dropped for a time as well. It wasn’t until after completion of the PT that Lucas declared it was all meant to be a six parter.

It is nice to remind people of these things from time to time; sometimes in these threads I just assume a base knowledge of STAR WARS history... but I s'pose some of the younglings might not know. And just for the record, Mark Hamill speaks of a time when Lucas told him it would be a TWELVE part series, as well.

The most fascinating thing to me is that SPLINTER OF THE MIND'S EYE was originally written to be the STAR WARS sequel if STAR WARS had failed at the box office. It would require a comparatively low budget and re-use some of the same sets. But in that story Vader is not Luke's father and Leia is most definitely not Luke's sister, lol. So like any other reasonable and practical filmmaker, Lucas was keeping his story options open so he could make whatever he was able to make. He didn't -- at that time -- have one single grand vision; it was a fluid thing, depending on finances and whatever new creative impulse might strike his fancy.

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by steel_breeze

It is nice to remind people of these things from time to time; sometimes in these threads I just assume a base knowledge of STAR WARS history... but I s'pose some of the younglings might not know. And just for the record, Mark Hamill speaks of a time when Lucas told him it would be a TWELVE part series, as well.

The most fascinating thing to me is that SPLINTER OF THE MIND'S EYE was originally written to be the STAR WARS sequel if STAR WARS had failed at the box office. It would require a comparatively low budget and re-use some of the same sets. But in that story Vader is not Luke's father and Leia is most definitely not Luke's sister, lol. So like any other reasonable and practical filmmaker, Lucas was keeping his story options open so he could make whatever he was able to make. He didn't -- at that time -- have one single grand vision; it was a fluid thing, depending on finances and whatever new creative impulse might strike his fancy.

That's a fantastic novel.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by crissrudd4554

Ooooooooffff where do I begin?? It’s been SOOOOOOO long since I last commented in here but I feel there’s been enough discussion in the last few pages to warrant my rejoining this topic. Anyways MY preferred order?? Release order mostly cause I feel that’s the more principal thing to do with any franchise (how many watch Temple of Doom before Raiders???) but I also appreciate the saga order from a story concept even though there’s various story aspects that don’t always mesh. But I’m not here to talk about that.

As for what the saga was meant to be as there’s too many different ways to look at it. Lucas wrote Star Wars as ONE film! Not THREE, ONE! Problem was it was TOO big a story to condense to ONE film. So he had no choice but to divide it into three parts, each becoming their own movie. However the first would need to be a hit in order for the other two to be made. From that angle it made total sense for the first film to be more or less self condensed. Yes doors for a sequel are left open (Vader’s survival, mention of an Emperor, etc) but the story more or less wraps around. A farm boy from a dessert planet wants to join the Rebellion and fight the Empire and lives out his dream. Every one lives, more or less, happily ever after. Blah blah blah.

Lucas may have wanted this to be part four but the studio intervened. Kicking off a potential series in the middle will throw off your audience so it was just STAR WARS. No more no less. It was only out of the success of that film that they were willing to go forward by having the series take place in the middle and eventually give it the ‘A New Hope’ title. Another thing to keep in mind was although Lucas had plans to go back to the beginning after 4-6 were completed, making the OT proved exhausting and thus he basically gave up on those plans. It wasn’t until the early ‘90s that he began to feel inspired enough to proceed with the PT. However that doesn’t change the fact for nearly a decade chances of a PT were slim.

Even to say the saga was always meant to be six parts is not fully accurate. Some of the actors as well as Lucas noted there were potential plans to do a 7-9 at some point in the future but ultimately those plans were dropped for a time as well. It wasn’t until after completion of the PT that Lucas declared it was all meant to be a six parter.

Much of this reads like the official Lucasfilm™-sanctioned telling of the tale.

Originally Posted by steel_breeze

Ugh. To each his/her own... but I'm the opposite: happiest when watching 4K77 v1.4. The less the original has been mucked around with, the greater my happiness.

So much this. As much as people bleat about Lucas wrecking Star Wars with the SEs (me included) I'd still rather watch his version of events than some random shnook who decided to ruin it in his own unique way. The Revisiteds are a travesty.

[bobbyh64]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

That is wrong on so many levels.

Lucas had a huge sprawling saga in mind from the beginning. The success of the first movie simply enabled him to continue telling the stories he first dreamed up in the early 1970s

Remember, the Saturday matinee serials that inspired Lucas typically had 12 episodes. It's just that they were 20-minute episodes and they were spaced a week apart.

But the original Star Wars is still a self-contained movie. It had to be because a sequel wasn’t guaranteed. Just because it was titled episode 4 later on doesn’t make it any less of a complete, self-contained movie.

[crissrudd4554]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Much of this reads like the official Lucasfilm™-sanctioned telling of the tale.

Heyy cut me some slack. I almost was gonna go into how Lucas later claimed there was ‘never’ an intention to continue the saga after six films, that it was all conjured up by the media! You most certainly won’t find the ‘truth’ of those aspects in the ‘sanctioned’ story!

[RancorKeeper]

The threads were there for a PT, but the OT didn't lay any threads down for a ST. ROTJ wraps everything up nice and neat.

[steel_breeze]

Originally Posted by RancorKeeper

The threads were there for a PT, but the OT didn't lay any threads down for a ST. ROTJ wraps everything up nice and neat.

That's only because Lucas was friggin' SICK of it all. There was originally at least one thread intended for the later Episodes: the "other" Yoda speaks of in EMPIRE was NOT supposed to be Leia, and Leia was NOT supposed to be Luke's sister... but there was supposed to be a different "Luke's sister" we'd encounter in Episode VII. But like I said, Lucas became tired of the whole thing and created the Leia connection to tie everything up.

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by bobbyh64

But the original Star Wars is still a self-contained movie. It had to be because a sequel wasn’t guaranteed. Just because it was titled episode 4 later on doesn’t make it any less of a complete, self-contained movie.

I'm not arguing any of those points, in fact I don't think anybody has

But to make it a self-contained story, he had to shelve many of the ideas he already had before 1976

[bobbyh64]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

I'm not arguing any of those points, in fact I don't think anybody has

But to make it a self-contained story, he had to shelve many of the ideas he already had before 1976

Well, you quoted that entire paragraph of my post and said it was wrong on so many levels, so...

[bobbyh64]

I’m pleased to announce that after watching Rogue One for the third time I enjoyed it much more than my first two viewings. I’m not sure exactly why it clicked for me this time. Maybe I had to adjust to the idea that it’s almost exclusively plot-based and the characters take a back seat to the plot.

I still have my previous complaints but they just don’t bother me as much. It’s not as fun as the Saga movies and it could’ve done with a little more humor to lighten things up. I still think the CGI on Tarkin and Leia looks horrible. They shouldn’t have even shown Leia’s face. Just show her from the back or side. And Tarkin shouldn’t have had those extreme close-ups. Just show him from behind or the side as well.

Also that first scene with Vader seemed lame and unnecessary. They should’ve just waited till the end to show him. I love that last scene with him fighting the rebels with the John Williamsesque choral music. Overall a really solid movie though. Chirrut Imwe is a great character and I love his musical theme in the film. It’s very similar to Across the Stars from Attack of the Clones.

I’m going to revise my viewing order to R1, 4-5, 1-3, and 6-8. I’m calling this the Rogue Rister Order.

[steel_breeze]

Originally Posted by bobbyh64

I’m pleased to announce that after watching Rogue One for the third time I enjoyed it much more than my first two viewings.

...

Also that first scene with Vader seemed lame and unnecessary. They should’ve just waited till the end to show him.

Glad you dug it! It's become my fourth fave, I think, even though I initially didn't love it either. But I'm the weirdo (or genius? ) who has haunted these forums for awhile now recommending that viewers skip the first Vader scene. It's COMPLETELY unnecessary and TOTALLY skippable. The moment you see the volcanic planet appear... CHAPTER SKIP and voila: you're back at the Rebel Base on Yavin. For me, not only are Vader's dialogue and voice awkward, but it's one too many planetary stops for ol' Krennic. I hope he's filed in the Imperial Frequent Flyer program. And without this castle scene, it's extra-fantastico-amazing to see Vader appear at the end.

[spanky87]

Lucas’ primary concern after the original Star Wars film was to expand Lucasfilm and build Skywalker Ranch, something he couldn’t do without the financial success of future Star Wars projects.

The ideas he had to shelve from before ‘76 weren’t really based on the mythos and overarching story that he conceived of later, it had more to do with planets and set-pieces. Like the city on Alderaan that eventually turned into Cloud City, and a battle on Wookiee planet that turned into Ewoks and Endor.

[Gold Ranger]

Didn't one of the VHS releases have an interview with lucas and he said he originally intended the saga to be 12 novels and 9 movies?

[hanshotfirst1138]

Originally Posted by Gold Ranger

Didn't one of the VHS releases have an interview with lucas and he said he originally intended the saga to be 12 novels and 9 movies?

He’s made a lot of contradictory claims like that over the years, from what I’ve heard.

[bobbyh64]

Is the stereo track that comes with 4K77 the original stereo track? It says 2018 so I wasn’t sure if it was the original stereo or a fan-made one.

Also, when Star Wars was first released, did some theaters show it in stereo, some in mono, and some in surround?

[crissrudd4554]

Originally Posted by bobbyh64

Also, when Star Wars was first released, did some theaters show it in stereo, some in mono, and some in surround?

Yes.

[Neon Rabbit]

Originally Posted by bobbyh64

Also, when Star Wars was first released, did some theaters show it in stereo, some in mono, and some in surround?

The reason so many different mixes exist was so that any given theater could project the film with a sound mix that was optimized for whatever equipment that theater had to output sound from. This was a common practice during this era and was not exclusive to this film.

There are many films that have more than one "original mix", but many of them I'm sure have been lost to time or faded into obscurity in favor of another or a modern remix has replaced the theatrical mix(es) all together.

[Gold Ranger]

Originally Posted by hanshotfirst1138

He’s made a lot of contradictory claims like that over the years, fro what I’ve heard.

I've heard him saw them all over the years. I just forget which times he said what. Lol
It changes all the time, just like the Original Trilogy :'(

[BladeRunner2007]

Rogue One is a real grower and the best SW movie after the OT. It also looks and feels very similar to the OT.