Who else seen Star Wars in theatre in 1977 ? --- and how many times did you see it ?

[huedell]

Alot of the SE material was tweaked in the DVD release from it's original 98 release (I have the SE on laserdisc and the dvd version) some big (ie Temoa Morrison replacing the voice of Jeremy Bulloch)

That's interesting info...yet not surprising..."Might as well" I guess Lucas was thinking. And I noticed the Morrison dub---but I thought it was there
the first time...just a brain messup on my part.

...to smaller like Jabba's improved rendering....

That was the only thing I noticed actually. (I'm a big Jabba fan)

I could forgive Jabba's size (maybe he just gets fatter over the next 6 years before ROTJ)

That's pretty much my stance...and thankfully I didn't even really note the
size difference in the first place (all that much).

I agree I Like a Han SOlo who is enough a rogue to never give Greedo a
chance

Right on!

[shyndman]

One thing I remember was that the critics didn't like the original Star Wars movie at all. Once it became a huge hit, all of a sudden the reviews got better. Is my memory going bad on me or does anyone else recall this?

[Gorn Captain]

It was "just" Star Wars. And it will always be Star Wars to me.
Never "A New Hope".
It says so on my bootleg DVD, that I bought years ago. And that I will never throw away, to make a point.
It's Star Wars. No CGI. No cartoon Jabba. Han shoots first.
Period.

PS: they didn't paint giant hooters on The Mona Lisa either. They could have, but they didn't, because it just wasn't right. I like my Mona Lisa the way she is. With perky little non-enhanced breasts.

Now where are my pills, 'cause I need to calm down....

[Mikey]

Is there a bootleg version in existence that is made straight from the '77 version (including the NO New Hope intro) and original sloppy garbage mattes not cleaned up ?

[Brue]

Is there a bootleg version in existence that is made straight from the '77 version (including the NO New Hope intro) and original sloppy garbage mattes not cleaned up ?

yes .

[Vortigern99]

T1K, there's no need to seek out a "bootleg" since LFL has released DVDs of all the theatrical editions of the original films. These are available as "bonus discs" in the 2-disc Original Trilogy re-releases from 2005. They're transferred from the 1993 laserdisc "prints", years before any digital tweaking was done for the 1997 and later 2004 Special Editions.

So, yes, you can get a DVD of the original Star Wars with no "Episode IV: A New Hope" title at the top of the scroll, no Jabba, two gloriously malevolent werewolves in the Cantina where they belong, and some occasionally dodgy special effects.

And BTW, the so-called "garbage mattes" are only visible as a result of videotape copying processes, and though in existence in the negatives, were not visible in the theaters upon initial release because all the blacks of space were rich and deep and unfaded.

Hope this helps.

[darklord1967]

Personally I loved the special editions---each and every addition--- EVERYTHING except the "Greedo shooting first" thing---that just totally changes the Han character introduction and I don't like it.

Agreed! By and large, I think the Special Edition changes only improved those three films.

But, uh, let me ask you Hud: Do you really mean you love "each and every" addition / change? Really?

I mean, for example, did you like the addition of Luke and Biggs' re-union at the Rebel Base fighter hangar?

Don't get me wrong. I thought it was a nice enough scene. But I just felt that WITHOUT of the context of the earlier meeting between the two characters at Toshi Station on Tatooine (which they did not include in the film), this later reunion scene just loses its meaning... and it's a bit confusing (to non hard-core STAR WARS fans who do not know who Biggs Darklighter is.

I actually remember some people in the theater back in '97 whispering "Who's that?" when Biggs came over and warmly greeted Luke before boarding his fighter.

And how about some of the AUDIO changes to the films? Did you love all of those?

During the lightsaber duel in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK after Vader cuts Luke's hand cut off and reveals himself as his father, the dark lord tells Luke that he should join him and that "...it is the ONLY way".

Well, I always thought it was cool how Luke gave Vader one final look of defiance, and then let himself fall into the bottomless air shaft toward (what he must have thought was) certain death.

Luke's original SILENT fall spoke volumes about his willingness to make a heroic sacrifice rather than join Vader and his vile Emperor. He actually preferred DEATH, and was willing to embrace it.

In the Special Edition version of Empire, a girly-man scream was actually added to Luke's fall... in my view completely destroying the meaning and impact of the scene.

To make matters worse, the scream they added for Luke was actually a re-hash of the Emperor's scream from Return of the Jedi (when he is hurled down the elevator shaft by Vader)! Not good.

NOTE: Evidently, the kind folks at Lucasfilm eventually came to their senses regarding this particular change. When the Original Trilogy films were finally released to DVD back in 2004, they got rid of Luke's girly-man scream, and restored his original silent fall.

A little later in the film, Vader's curt, and menacing "Bring my Shuttle!" is made so much less effective by James Earl Jones' re-dubbing of the replacement line, "Alert my star destroyer to prepare for my arrival".

And then, of course, they added a completely un-necessary shuttle docking scene which only served to interrupt the film's frantic pace and plotting (established with the Millennium Falcon's escape from Cloud City).

In RETURN OF THE JEDI The addition of the new Jabba's palace song ("Jedi Rocks") was a welcome one (as far as I was concerned). I loved the song.

But I did NOT like the elimination of the original song (Lapti-Nek) which I always thought was brilliantly wild and alien-sounding.

I felt there was somehow room for BOTH songs (through judicious editing).

Just wondering what you thought of these changes.

[huedell]

darklord---gimme until tonight or tomorrow to answer all that---I really want
to---I'm just a bit woozy at the moment from lack of sleep and can only
make short posts---I need to CONCENTRATE for that stuff you posted!

Soon!

[darklord1967]

Or now when they call it "A New Hope". WRONG! It's STAR WARS!! I didn't wanna see the "special edition" when I saw that scene w/ Han Solo talking to Jabba (SPOILER). the CGI Jabba was the same height as Han. In ROTJ, Jabba was HUGE!! I knew then it wasn't going to be as good as the original.

Actually, the CGI Jabba in A NEW HOPE Special Edition was slithering on the same docking bay floor as what Han was walking on. They were on the same level.

In Return of the Jedi, Jabba sits slightly raised on a dais, so he appears taller than people who even stand right next to him (like when Bib Fortuna whispered in his ear). But Jabba's seated height (like when he slithers) is approx. 6 feet.

Having said that, I remember shaking my head in utter dismay in the theater back in 1997 while watching the Special Edition of STAR WARS and seeing the new CGI Jabba for the first time.

To me, he looked like an un-finished, not fully-rendered "Play-Do" version of himself. Just awful.

In the 2004 DVD boxed set release, CGI Jabba has been "fixed" somewhat. He has much greater skin texture detail, and he resembles the Return of The Jedi puppet a lot more... but in my view, he still ain't quite right.

In my opinion, the CGI Jabba from Episode I resembles the original Return of the Jedi puppet the closest. But even that ain't perfect.

[darklord1967]

darklord---gimme until tonight or tomorrow to answer all that---I really want
to---I'm just a bit woozy at the moment from lack of sleep and can only
make short posts---I need to CONCENTRATE for that stuff you posted!

Soon!

You got it buddy, I look forward to your post.

[Mikey]

I hated the change they made at the end of Jedi by replacing the Ewok victory dance song at the end.
I liked the original song a lot better.

The new crappy one doesn't even have a beat.

[darklord1967]

True (though I am not sure that the Episode IV was added in 78. not until it's pre empire release in 1980)

Actually, I stand corrected. You're right! "A NEW HOPE" became the official title for STAR WARS Episode IV during the film's 1981 re-release.

Prior to that (during the film's original 1977 release, 1978 re-release, and 1979 re-release) The film's opening crawl had NO "Episode IV: A NEW HOPE" moniker.

[Vortigern99]

As for me, I enjoy the re-done effects in the Death Star assault in the original film, the new and re-done shots of Cloud City in Empire, and the Galactic Celebrations at the end of Jedi. Apart from those (which are excellent) and a few other minor aesthetic tweaks here and there, I'm not happy with the Special Editions. I wish there were interim or "in-between" versions that did not have the additional goofy stuff.

The slapstick ASP droids at Mos Eisley, the slapstick dinosaur at Mos Eisley, the replacement of the coolest-looking werewolves who ever lived with a couple of unremarkable goombahs in Mos Eisley, and most especially the horrid and pointless Jabba the Hutt scene are all elements of the 'New Hope' SE I would like to see jettisoned.

Oddly enough, I don't mind the DVD version of the Greedo shoot-out, because they both fire at the same time and it just looks cool (MUCH better than the 1997 version, in which Greedo shot before Han, who was also badly animated).

The restored meeting with Biggs on Yavin IV works fine because, if we've been paying attention, we heard Luke mention Biggs by name to his uncle, and we understand he's an old friend of Luke's. Even if we missed the name, their relationship is obvious and it sets up the moment of Biggs' death as that much more impactful.

[darklord1967]

I hated the change they made at the end of Jedi by replacing the Ewok victory dance song at the end.
I liked the original song a lot better.

The new crappy one doesn't even have a beat.

Wow, buddy. I couldn't disagree more.

I could not STAND that goofy Ewok "yub-yub" song. I thought the new music was grander, more expansive, and suggested a larger, non species specific GALAXY-WIDE celebration over the fall of The Emperor and his vile, cruel Empire.

I'm not sure what you heard, but that song definitely has a beat... along with a gorgeous melody and chorus. I remember actually getting choked up in the theater when I first heard it. That music truly felt like the GRAND TRIUMPHANT CLOSING... not only of the original trilogy, but of the entire STAR WARS saga.

[darklord1967]

The restored meeting with Biggs on Yavin IV works fine because, if we've been paying attention, we heard Luke mention Biggs by name to his uncle, and we understand he's an old friend of Luke's. Even if we missed the name, their relationship is obvious and it sets up the moment of Biggs' death as that much more impactful.

I might be inclined to agree, Vort, if not for the fact that Luke's mention of Biggs to his uncle is literally a throw away moment easily missed as Luke rises angrily from the dinner table.

Also, the impact of Biggs' death in the Death Star trench has virtually no impact (despite being aware of their relationship) since Luke has no reaction immediately after his friend is vaporized.

Interestingly enough, Luke's reaction to Biggs' death is so much more poignant in the novelization.

The footage of Luke's "reaction" to Biggs' death appears to just be unremarkable footage of Luke looking about his cockpit.