Star Wars: The Complete Saga (1977-2005)

[Jac70]

I have been following this debate over the last couple of days. I was a massive Star Wars fan as a kid and count ANH as one of my all time faves.

I welcome changes in the quality of the movies. I thought the revised effects in the special editions worked well. I would have liked to have seen more refinements for these bluray releases. What I don't welcome are the half-assed story revisions. Greedo shooting first was a pointless attempt to make Han Solo all sweet and nice and heroic - completely unnecessary. These new additions of Vadar screamin 'Noooooo' are again pointless. R2 behind rocks, why bother?

Now the worst thing is the shoddy implication of these additions. The Han/Greedo thing just looks laughable. The overdubs on Vadar don't fit. Yet they haven't managed to fix basic shit like Luke's Sabre on the falcon, various shoddy jump cuts, sound mistakes, mattes etc.

Adywan managed to make a much more impressive attempt at putting ANH right - for me that's still the definitive version of the movie. One guy can address these issues with a home PC yet Lucasfilm take years to put out these movies on BD and still can't get things right. How can they attempt to fix the Wampa mistake and yet leave a black triangle at the bottom of the screen!

It would be nice if these leaks turned out to be some elaborate hoax and the actual releases are deserving of their pedigree. I never intended on buying/keeping the set - I'll buy from eBay and then sell on when I have viewed. I don't hold these movies as sacred like some seem to, but they still have nostalgic value for me.

p.s. The PT demonstrate that Star Wars was a bit of a fluke. Terrible movies (although the Phantom Edit made TPM surprisingly watchable).

"George Lucas couldn't direct traffic" - Mark Kermode.

[SolidChamp]

Originally Posted by MacEachaidh

In that instance, it's not the fact that he says it, it's how it's said and portrayed - so lame and unconvincing. When I first saw RotS at the flicks, at that moment the entire audience in a packed cinema burst out laughing. There were cat-calls of "Oh, come on!!" and "Give us a break!!" all over the room. The portrayal by Lucas/Christensen/Jones falls far short of the moment.

Yes, thank you. I was coming here to post this.

Anyone with eyes and a brain can see that it's not WHAT'S being said, but HOW he says it. It's so...goofy. I had the same experience in my theater, either people were laughing or shifting in their seats awkwardly when that came out.

Remember the way Vader kind of growled in agony on the sky bridge when Luke nicked him on the shoulder with his lightsaber? How badass was that? It was menacing, right? Now imagine Vader screaming "NO!" in a manner that is somewhat akin to that. THAT'S how I'd imagine Vader screaming something...rage, agony, pain, with a low growl or hiss...that's not what I hear in that "NOOOO!" at the end of Sith, and it's not what I'm hearing in this new addition to Jedi either.

You've basically just taken that eerie, awesome first breath that Vader draws and thrown it in the trash can because he sounds like his balls just finished dropping.

[LADodgers]

Originally Posted by mredman

i don't get why Lucas even needs to fiddle with these movies every single time. He truly has OCD or something. because something must definitely be serious wrong with him.

I am glad that Steven Spielberg is the director of Indiana Jones. He does not change his movies. I fact i know no one that does. What an idiot.

What also baffles me is why can't he just release the "Original" unedited trilogy as well as seamless branching or something like that on the set.

I am still gonna buy it though. But this is really pissing me off

That would be one hell of a branch. Because he has cut into too many things. The UOT would need to be on sepearte discs. What I can see him doing is in the next set the 3D set he takes the "extra" discs from 06 and puts them in the next BD release and says here ya go, again! Here is your UOT I told you I was not going to spend a dime on these things! Anyone want to bet?

[keithabbott]

Originally Posted by SolidChamp

Yes, thank you. I was coming here to post this.

Anyone with eyes and a brain can see that it's not WHAT'S being said, but HOW he says it. It's so...goofy. I had the same experience in my theater, either people were laughing or shifting in their seats awkwardly when that came out.

Remember the way Vader kind of growled in agony on the sky bridge when Luke nicked him on the shoulder with his lightsaber? How badass was that? It was menacing, right? Now imagine Vader screaming "NO!" in a manner that is somewhat akin to that. THAT'S how I'd imagine Vader screaming something...rage, agony, pain, with a low growl or hiss...that's not what I hear in that "NOOOO!" at the end of Sith, and it's not what I'm hearing in this new addition to Jedi either.

You've basically just taken that eerie, awesome first breath that Vader draws and thrown it in the trash can because he sounds like his balls just finished dropping.



I couldn't get through more than a handful of tweets. It's absolutely disgusting. It's one big ass-licking festival on her twitter page. EVERYONE is kissing her butt, and she's sitting there all high and mighty, feeling 100% vindicated with absolutely no regard whatsoever for the thoughts and opinions that oppose her "Daddy's Will".

It's a clusterf***, very difficult to read.

Why should Katie give any thought to what other people say about her own father? It's HER FATHER. Most people would defend their father if attacked regardless of the reasoning. I don't blame her one bit.

[LADodgers]

Originally Posted by keithabbott

Why should Katie give any thought to what other people say about her own father? It's HER FATHER. Most people would defend their father if attacked regardless of the reasoning. I don't blame her one bit.

If she were mature she would just ignore the rants all together, its like fighting with people on a messageboard over the versions of Star Wars and....umm..no....hmmm.

[SolidChamp]

Originally Posted by tigertron

For example, I'm just going to mute out the "noooo" bit to retain the scene's impact.

Oh-ho, haha, brilliant! Jolly good show! Just remove the "NO!"

Yes, that won't affect anything else, like the very crucial moment in the score, or the crackling of force lightning, or Luke's screams, or anything like that.

Yes, here here! Just mute the "NO!"

Jolly good show, I say!

[IndyMLVC]

Originally Posted by Coov

OK... I am going to type this really, really slow so that you can understand this...
If you really love something you would not want it changed.

Amen.

[KS76]

Originally Posted by MacEachaidh

In that instance, it's not the fact that he says it, it's how it's said and portrayed - so lame and unconvincing. When I first saw RotS at the flicks, at that moment the entire audience in a packed cinema burst out laughing. There were cat-calls of "Oh, come on!!" and "Give us a break!!" all over the room. The portrayal by Lucas/Christensen/Jones falls far short of the moment.



Yes, but unbelievably dumbed down. Everybody already gets what's happening, what's going through Vader's mind and spirit, without a sound from Vader himself, and the scene is more powerful for it. Adding these two "No!"s in is like Lucas saying out loud from off-camera, "Do you see? Do you understand how he's upset?" It's intrusive on the scene and patronising to the audience's intelligence. It's more of what Lucas began with "Yippeee!!" and Jar-Jar Binks: rejigging what was once mythic science fiction and turning it into lolly for not-very-bright seven year olds.

It was delivered as a man in agony, crying out if not outright crying with tears behind thay mask. No, it was not supposed to be Vader sounding like a badass, its supposed to sound like he was now at rock bottom, with his last drop of humanity now driven out of him. I felt the scene worked, I got it. I saw it about 10 times at the theater, and not once did any of those audiences react the way your particular audience did during your screening.
Anyway, I dont think the changes are enough to warrant not getting the movies.

[SolidChamp]

Originally Posted by keithabbott

Why should Katie give any thought to what other people say about her own father? It's HER FATHER. Most people would defend their father if attacked regardless of the reasoning. I don't blame her one bit.

It's not the fact that she's defending her father, it's the "high and mighty" manner in which she's conducting herself.

It's also pretty shameless that she's surrounded by a bunch of "YES men" who are literally licking her brown hole because she's Lucas' daughter. Seriously, read the comments, she's basking in this glory of people who are lavishing her with attention for no other reason than that.

It's a massive bandwagon, and it's just pathetic. It's like someone on here said, she shouldn't be responding at all. She's acting like a pathetic, spoiled brat with an entourage.

[SolidChamp]

Originally Posted by KS76

It was delivered as a man in agony, crying out if not outright crying with tears behind thay mask. No, it was not supposed to be Vader sounding like a badass, its supposed to sound like he was now at rock bottom, with his last drop of humanity now driven out of him. I felt the scene worked, I got it. I saw it about 10 times at the theater, and not once did any of those audiences react the way your particular audience did during your screening.
Anyway, I dont think the changes are enough to warrant not getting the movies.

Dude, it sounded corny.

[LADodgers]

"I can sort of see the future, and I want to protect films as they are and as they should be. I don’t want to see them colorized, I don’t want to see their formats changed, I don’t want to see them reedited, and I don’t want to see what I’m able to do now, which is add more characters and do all kinds of things that nobody even contemplated before." -George Lucas, 1996

[Breather]

Originally Posted by SolidChamp

Dude, it sounded corny.

Very.

[keithabbott]

Originally Posted by LADodgers

If she were mature she would just ignore the rants all together, its like fighting with people on a messageboard over the versions of Star Wars and....umm..no....hmmm.

I'll grant you that. LOL. But still, you have to admit it's hard to sit by watching people attack your family.

[Coov]

Originally Posted by Breather

Very.

Very, very!

[Coov]

Originally Posted by keithabbott

I'll grant you that. LOL. But still, you have to admit it's hard to sit by watching people attack your family.

Saying something sucks does not mean someone is attacking your family! It is a part of fame. It is also funny. LOL!

[SolidChamp]

Originally Posted by NYorker

The man doesn't even have the decency to release a version without these new "changes." Heck, you know what? even do it on a "on-demand" basis. But don't force-feed us a butchered version exclusively.

To further support this point, someone mentioned Ridley Scott's Blade Runner earlier.

Now, let's all think back on how much the man detested the studio approved, theatrical cut of his film. With that very lousy ending and all. Honestly, who would want to accept the film with that ending?

Still, does Ridley insist on wiping it from popular culture, refusing to allow anyone to see it, absorb it as it was, or decide for themselves if his alterations were for the best? No. The man introduces us to his definitive vision of the film, sets it down alongside the 4 other cuts of the film, and lets us partake in any version we choose.

He gave us the power of CHOICE. He appreciates that audiences might want to examine the film as it was. He leads us on a journey to explain why we should take the Final Cut as the definitive version of the film, but then he steps back and allows us to decide for ourselves.

Does he continue to tinker? No. Will he update/add/subtract/alter with every subsequent release? No. He's done.

Not only is Lucas refusing to allow us to view the original unaltered editions (which were successful right out the gate, Ridley didn't have that luxury with Blade Runner), he is CONSTANTLY tinkering, and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. There's also no explanation...he's just doing for the sake of doing, and he seems to be doing it for himself without allowing the audience to understand his decisions. Ridley goes through a process of meticulously explaining his reasons behind each and every change. Lucas says "No, screw you, its my movies. Nope, I don't have to tell you why. Nope, you can't look at the old ones. Nope!"

He's an impetuous child, insecure and obsessive. He needs to find a means to an end, here. The more he does these things, the more it feels like he's doing them out of spite.

Remember that "Greedo Shoots First" T-shirt I told you he wears...

[keithabbott]

Originally Posted by SolidChamp

It's not the fact that she's defending her father, it's the "high and mighty" manner in which she's conducting herself.

It's also pretty shameless that she's surrounded by a bunch of "YES men" who are literally licking her brown hole because she's Lucas' daughter. Seriously, read the comments, she's basking in this glory of people who are lavishing her with attention for no other reason than that.

It's a massive bandwagon, and it's just pathetic. It's like someone on here said, she shouldn't be responding at all. She's acting like a pathetic, spoiled brat with an entourage.

Personally, I don't follow Katie Lucas at all. So I'm not all that interested. People are who they are, and for what they are. To get bent out of shape about someone you don't even know and don't have a stake in...well...doesn't that seem a bit pointless?

Anyhow, enjoy your day everyone. Remember, it's just a movie. Go do something fun and stop worrying about something so trivial in scope of life. There are a lot more things one can be concerned about. LOL.

[keithabbott]

Originally Posted by Coov

Saying something sucks does not mean someone is attacking your family! It is a part of fame. It is also funny. LOL!

Just to respond to this one particular comment before I mosy..I'm sure some comments are attacks. I've seen at least one death threat on Facebook directed at George. Not funny.

[SolidChamp]

Originally Posted by keithabbott

Personally, I don't follow Katie Lucas at all. So I'm not all that interested. People are who they are, and for what they. To get bent out of shape about someone you don't even know and don't have a stake in...well...doesn't that seem a bit pointless?

I don't follow her either. Someone mentioned her twitter feed, I took one 30 second look, skimmed it a bit, was disgusted, and then posted my thoughts.

End of story.

[LADodgers]

I don't blame Lucas anymore I blame myself for falling too hard for a set of films so so so long ago. But hopefully one day these UOT haters will at least understand what these films meant to an entire generation of kids.No that will never happen! Ok well Im off to see my shrink as we have a whole new set of issues to work through now.