The Not-So-Special Editions Thread

Trying to get this thread locked, eh Durwood?

 

Yeah, I have to admit Boba Fett's "nudge nudge, wink wink" cameo in ANH:SE was more than a bit awkward.

 

I completely disagree with everything you said too Ree Yees. I love the SE!

 

George Lucas is a greedy bastard who not only wants to make as much money off of all Star Wars related stuff, but off of every generation from now until eternity.

Do not agree with this statment. Do not think he is greedy or just cares for money. He donates money to USC I think it was for opening a FIlm school. He has donated some of the BO to charities. You do not know what you are talking about.
Not liking th eSE is one thing, but calling someone something who you do not even know is another.

 

Did you ever notice that Luke suddenly yells when he voluntarily jumps down the shaft in "ESB"?

how did this change change the moive or the story. Same thing is happening. Luke is falling. none of the changes changes the story. It is the same movie with some enhancements. I guess you also did not like that an echo was added to Luke and Leia's voices beofer they swung acrss that opening. Geez. Picky picky!

 

how did this change change the moive or the story. Same thing is happening. Luke is falling.

Hell, GL might as well have had Luke say "Oh dear, I DO hate it when this happens!" as he plummets. That would have brought some much-needed humor to an otherwise dark moment. To preserve continuity, Darth Vader could look right at the camera and say "if you'll excuse me", just before he leaps over the handrail after his son.

By the way, the added Emperor scream (why the Emperor?) makes it appear that Luke slipped, instead of jumping willingly. At the very least, the scene becomes ambiguous and vague.

 

You can perfectly see that he did not slip. One little audio change and the whole movie stinks? Come one! Just being picky!! The story is the same.

 

TokyoXtreme, being picky? You must have him confused with someone else.

 

"I've come to the conclussion that some people who call themselves "Star Wars fans" really aren't Star Wars fans. Rather, they're The Empire Strikes Back fans. These are the same people who insinuate that Irvin Kershner and the perpetually whiney Gary Kurtz know Star Wars better than the man who created it. In fact, the general attitude of these "fans" is that they appreciate Lucas for getting the ball rolling but wish he'd just get out of the way and let others finish things for him."

Well, I love all the SW movies, and think GL is a genius who occasionally makes some odd decisions. That doesn't change the fact that a large percentage of the SE changes are stupid.

 

"I don't know what makes so much sense about a cartoon slug re-hashing the same information seen in the previous scene in then film, yet it's there."

He didn't look like a cartoon to me and for the record, that slug was demanding for his money and Han is stalling him to gain more time so he can recieve his payment from Obi-wan and Luke once they reached Alderaan.

I'll admit, Lucas could have clipped out the redundant dialogue and have Jabba say something different.

"It also didn't make sense for Han's finger to disappear into Jabba's polygons, yet it did."

It didn't look like Han's finger was anywhere near the polygons to me.

"Seeing what Jabba looks like isn't important, as his appearence had nothing to do with the story at hand. We don't know who Yoda is or what he looks like until he appears in ESB, when it is relevent."

But nobody talks about Yoda so much nor was his name even mentioned once in ANH like Jabba was. Jabba's appearence had everything to do with the story because every character mentions him in 2 films like he's such a big deal so it would be more appropriate to see him so we understand why he is so popular.

"Until 1997, Star Wars fans assumed that Vader flew back to the Star Destroyer in the same shuttle he demanded be brought back to him in his last scene on Cloud City--a trip that previously to 1997 was deemed too trivial and inherently uninteresting to show on-scren."

I disagree because it would only take 2-3 seconds for Lucas to show how long it took Vader to get to the Star Destroyer.

"Those shots break up the tension of the Cloud City escape, not to mention the integrity of the brilliant (original) music score."

Aside from re-hasing the same music from the "I am your father" scene in the "Alert my star destroyer" scene, I again disagree because the tension is still in one piece because Lucas extended the music so that the scene where Vader's shuttle heads toward the SD would mesh in with Luke's rescue and the chase scene itself wasn't that long so there was plenty of room for the other SE scene.

"People who willingly jump wouldn't scream, as in the case of skydivers(see above) or suicide jumpers (Luke)."

But skydivers would scream out of excitement for they enjoy the thrill of falling hundreads of feet in the air and for suicide jumpers, there could be a few exceptions.

"A witty, endearing line becomes flat and mediocre. A harbinger of things to come?"

Only in your mind, my very young apprentice! (I get a crack out of that line.)

 

The Weenie is slightly confused as to Jeff 42's position on this matter. However, he can hardly agree more with this statement:

"Well, I love all the SW movies, and think GL is a genius who occasionally makes some odd decisions. That doesn't change the fact that a large percentage of the SE changes are stupid."

Thats what this whole thread is about. Not bashing all of GL's "odd decisions." Dont let it become that. We are just appreciating how truly horrible the SE changes are. Thats all.

 

Hey Weenie. Nice icon. I agree with most of this. I just can't get how Lucas could watch Han shooting first and Greedo shooting first and not realize how crap it looks, quite apart from diminishhing the coolness of Mr. Solo. Originally it was a classic moment. Now, it has to be one of the lamest in film. I do agree though that if GL is going to do this it's his choice. I just wish he would be a little bit more understanding of the fans who have poured money into his accounts. He could even do it with a cynical greed making ploy. Release the special editions on DVD AND release the original editions with all the remastering done. If he could remove the matte lines etc as well that would be awesome. Hell, he could even include them in the same box set. Whatever he does he will make more money because there are nuts out there who will collect whatever they can. I know I would buy two box sets and for those that just wanted one you could choose. We need to get a petition going for this otherwise it's gonna be special edition only on DVD and let's face it it could get worse if he decides to add more.

 

The point is, you guys aren't fans of George Lucas' Star Wars, you're fans of some perfect fantasy version of Star Wars that exists only in your heads.

No, the perfect version is the one that Lucas released the first time. Unfortunately, he's trying to prevent people from seeing it in the future.

 

That doesn't change the fact that a large percentage of the SE changes are stupid.

Oh, that's a "fact" is it? [rolls_eyes]

 

Well, to me it's so blatantly obvious that Greedo shooting first is pointless and looks terrible, the Jabba scene is redundant and looks terrible, Vader arriving on his SSD is a horrible intrusion on the pacing and music of the escape sequence, and "Jedi Rocks" just plain sucks (just to give a few of the major examples), that I wonder if people who don't see this don't really appreciate the original versions of these great movies.

 

Many of us are fans of the OT trilogy as they were back in the 1970s/1980s.

The SE's, and the PT, represent a much different Lucas working in a different era. (more family-oriented, richer, more content, in love with Jar Jar).

It's possible to hate the PT films and SE changes and STILL be a Star Wars fan you know, because there is still another trilogy out there. (and a better one - yeah that's a fact) Just because we don't like the latest GL additions don't mean anything. The man's style is different, and I personally don't like it. I'm not going to lie on the floor and let any mediocre/awful thing trample over me and simply accept it.

The PT sort of reminds me of a newly-established government replacing a much more peaceful, prosperous era. Now the new goverment sucks, and the people are, rightfully, throwing up fists in the air because they are losing what they loved and what was once great and beautiful now really, really stinks. (not to mention that the creator of these changes is unsympathetic to the masses)

 

This isn't a PT bashing thread. And it seems like AotC, at least, is pretty popular among SW fans.

 

I've never said that Lucas should get out of the way, or that Irvin Kirshner knows Star Wars better. In fact, I would be among the first to argue against people who hold that view.

That said, I do believe Kirshner is largely responsible for ESB being as good as it was, as certain improvisational elements would have otherwise been absent, and to me they make it a richer film.

However, I think the Lucas whose mind was behind the original versions is a genius. It's that he decided he had to change everything 20 years later that gives me cause to complain.

 

But nobody talks about Yoda so much nor was his name even mentioned once in ANH like Jabba was. Jabba's appearence had everything to do with the story because every character mentions him in 2 films like he's such a big deal so it would be more appropriate to see him so we understand why he is so popular.

Jabba's name is mentioned in both ANH and ESB, but is not shown until ROTJ when his appearance becomes relevant to the story. Originally, Jabba's appearance was a cool thing to speculate about, because nobody knew what he looked like, but that he was the only thing that they knew about his was that he could inspire fear in Han Solo. Thus, Jabba's appearance in ROTJ was the "payoff" for that subplot, as is Yoda's "surprise appearance" in ESB. Perhaps for the ULTIMATE EDITION, Luca$ will incorporate a flashback of Jabba into ESB, so that we can keep this Jabba character straight, and kids won't be so confused. Perhaps if you use my name aloud in conversation, I will coincidentally show up in your driveway and hassle you for the money you owe me.

BTW Durwood, what's up with all the flaming? It's getting so hot in here you'd think we were dueling inside a volcano or something. Better pull out the rose-colored glasses and the inner child!

 

Why get upset over something you cant control. Its all fair, I love the New stuff. Dont hate the Old stuff. I never seen the Old stuff but ROTJ.

 

You kind of have a point with being ESB fans, Durwood. But not entirely;

I *used* to be a huge Star Wars fan, but with the SEs and especially the PTs, I'm indeed considering calling myself a SW and ESB fan.

 

Hey Ree-Yees, maybe we can call ourselves "original trilogysts"? I've written up a few street raps just in case. Ladies and gentlemen, won't you all GIVE IT UP for da ORIGYNYL TRYLOGYSTS! DYAAAMN!

 

O.D.T lol lol

 

to the Fans that dislike the new stuff, will you by the Dvd for video and sound or because it looks old & pornoflickish.