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Everybody knows that the original trilogy is coming to DVD for the first time ever this September. It’s being marketed as “The Special Edition”. What people don’t know is that this is really a revision on the last special edition (year: 1997). Hear me out.
Star Wars dorks like me were really dissapointed with the last Special Edition trilogy in 1997. The CGI sucked and it was kind hokey. Well, now the prequels are out and Lucasfilm have updated the old movies once again. Thank god though, it’s for the better this time.
I got a glimpse at the DVDs and have to tell you that it’s a lot better. They not only add new stuff but fix the crap they messed up last time (i.e. greedo shooting first and that weird-ass CGI Jabba scene). The CGI is redone so it’s less rough and the film is really cleaned up nicely (quality-wise). Also, some of the new scenes are actually decent.
Remember in The Empire Strikes Back (the original version) the Emperor wasn’t good old Ian McDiarmad (famous from Return of the Jedi and the prequels — as well as Sleepy Hollow) but some strange old lady with a guy’s voice. That was something that’s always bothered me in terms of continuity. Emperor Palpatine became such a big part of the prequels (wait until you see him in Episode III) and was so memorable in Return of the Jedi that the “other” emperor in The Empire Strikes Back sticks out like a soar thumb. Thank god, they re-shot that scene with new dialogue from James Earl Jones and an extended performance by Ian McDiarmad for these DVDs. You can listen to a sample of the new scene here (http://s90708385.onlinehome.us/millenniumfalcon_esbdvd_emperorvader.mp3).
There are other changes too. A big one warrants this post in general. John Williams has rescored some parts of A New Hope to include The Imperial March and (as I’ve heard reported in the past on JWfan.net) It’s pretty much one big revision. George Lucas supposedly wanted the films to proceed from one to another flawlessly and JW was happy to comply.
Other stuff includes the guy who played Jango Fett in Attack of the Clones redubbing Boba Fett’s lines in the original movies (go here: http://s90708385.onlinehome.us/millenniumfalcon_esbdvd_fettvoice.mp3) and an altered ending to return of the Jedi (improved from the last Special Edition). I have video of that but I’m iffy on giving a link.
That’s not all of the new stuff that’s great about these DVDs but that’s all I can muster from the top of my head. You can buy it September.
OTHER COOL STUFF YOU WILL SEE COMING SOON from MY NERDY FANTASY WORLD THAT TURNS WOMEN OFF AND ALIENATES ME FROM THE REST OF THE WORLD…The Following Episode III stuff was released at ComicCon by Lucas’s agents for the fans. It’s the ad campaign that’s to come later this year.
Posters At Comic Con…
http://img5.exs.cx/img5/8884/mf_episode3_comiccon_promo2.jpg
http://img8.exs.cx/img8/9648/mf_episode3_comiccon_promo3.jpgPurchased Versions that were scanned…
http://img47.exs.cx/img47/8760/Ep3promo3b.jpg
http://img47.exs.cx/img47/1703/Ep3promo2b.jpgOh man. I’m excited for these DVDs. Yes, I’m a Star Wars nerd. (strictly Episodes 4-6, though)
Holy Crap, this is awesome! I can’t wait!
Hey, Dawg, you didn’t flag up the spoiler about Palpatine!! Now you’ve totally ruined it for me. :o( …. ;o)
Blunt
Well, it sounds like Lucas is fixing some of his mistakes… and making all new ones. I’m in favor of inserting Ian McDiarmid into EMPIRE as the Emperor, but I don’t like that they’ve changed his dialogue!!
Also, I don’t think it was necessary to redub Boba Fett with Temeura Morrison. The original actor’s voice was cool enough, and since Boba grew up visiting different planets et al than his “father” did, it makes since that his voice isn’t exactly the same.
Also, I hope it’s not true that the score for the first movie has been rejiggered to include the Imperial March. The original motive, while not as memorable, obviously, is an important part of that movie. It’s important that it’s the length that it is and that it’s as “old school” sounding.
All the other stuff… fixing the Greedo and Jabba scenes, making the new ending of JEDI magically “less s#*%%y,” I’m totally in favor of.
I think the dialogue was changed to make more sense with the prequel trilogy. I never really counted any of this as “spoiler material” guys. The story is basically unchanged. IT’s just nice.
Yeah, but I hate the idea of there being multiple versions of the same film knocking around out there, even if the differences are only minor. I think there must be a point where someone says, “okay, this is locked… I’m not going to monkey with it anymore.” Do you know that there are FOUR different versions of ATTACK OF THE CLONES already? FOUR! And the movie is only 2 years old.
I think there must be a point where someone says, “okay, this is locked… I’m not going to monkey with it anymore.”
Tell that to Bruckner.
Nat
I have a neighbor who owns the original version Star Wars trilogy on tape, the THX remastered versions on tape, the Special Editions on tape, and I guess now he’ll own the the Special Special Edition (don’t know what they’ll call this altered one).
So 4 different versions of the trilogy.
There will probably be another one in five years or so. Oh well. At least there’s variety. I for one am still glad they’re fixing the continuity in Empire with a new performance by Ian McDiarmad.
There are four different versions of Attack of the Clones? Where. I count the theatrical version, the DVD version, and the IMAX version (which is really just a different medium edited for time). That’s two versions with a tenuous third.
Did I miss something?
Yeah, you got three of the four. The IMAX version is way different from all the rest as many of the scenes were cut up and moved around, and the whole thing is, like, 15 minutes shorter as IMAX platters could (can?) only be so long.
The DVD version contains a bunch of extra shots and lines that weren’t in the movie. Many of the changes are minor, but there are a few line additions (like in the scene where Anakin confesses to Padme that he killed all the Sandpeople) that really change the flow and meaning of parts of the movie.
Then, there are TWO theatrical versions: one that was shown on film, and then another which was shown on DLP (digital projection). There aren’t many major differences between these two, but still… why do it?
Hey Nat, are you a Bruckner fan? I guess at least with Lucas films we don’t have to worry that our version preference might be interpreted in terms of friendly meddling, editing by others, editorial antisemitism or editorial antiantisemitism. :o) If you followed that, you must be a Bruckner fan….
Blunt
Blunt, I fell in love with his Symphony No. 4 (‘Romantic’ witch I think has about 6 versions) when I heard it when I was in High School and was intrigued with the composer because of his advanced age when he decided to start composing. I have to admit that I’m more of a Mahler and (especially) Shostakovich fan, but Bruckner still has a charm all his own.
It was the final version (the Loewe prompted one) that I fell in love with, but since then I’ve heard some of the other versions and I have to say I like even the movements that were replaced.
Nat
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