CT 1997 Special Edition nostalgia

• Original Theatrical Release
• Original 1997 Special Edition Release
• 2004 DVD Special Edition II Release
• 2011 Blu-Ray Special Edition III Release

All the changes in the trilogy can be found here:

Episode IV: http://www.dvdactive.com/editorial/articles/star-wars-the-changes-part-one.html
Episode V: http://www.dvdactive.com/editorial/articles/star-wars-the-changes-part-two.html
Episode VI: http://www.dvdactive.com/editorial/articles/star-wars-the-changes-part-three.html

For a look at changes regarding the PT theatrical release, the PT DVD release, and the PT Blu-Ray release, see here: http://www.dvdactive.com/editorial/articles/star-wars-the-changes-part-four.html

Pretty cool stuff.

 

I actually saw it in the theater. I can't remember if I knew about the SE coming out. I think I did though since I was getting the Insider magazine back then.

Anyways, totally unexpected for the trailer at least. I was at a theater with my sister and grandpa to see jingle all the way (which is extra weird since jake Lloyd is in it). I remember hearing the force theme and freaking out. And after seeing the trailer I was stoked to see star wars on the big screen for the first time (the SE's came out when I was 13).

 

Love that 97 preview narrator,

"And a few surprises"

Ha. They weren't kidding.

Still reckon that opening title ovation when I saw this SW SE on the big screen was a highlight of my movie going life!

Some of what followed..not so much.

 

Thank you very much.

 

I had no idea the SE was coming out in '97 and when I saw that x-wing fly out of the tv set I nearly fell out of my seat in the cinema!

 

I'm 36 and back then when the special edition VHS tapes were in stores I cherished them alot especially for Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back.


Plus I still have all three movies of their Special edition VHS tapes and still watch them even though I have the 2003-2004 DVD set

 

Correction: All the major changes.

 

It's still pretty complete, tho.

 

Only if you don't know what's missing. But all the major changes are there, so it's useful to get an overall idea.

 

Can you recommend a link that has every change?

 

A New Hope

The Empire Strikes Back

Return of the Jedi

Once the gallery is opened, click on the ( i ) icon at the top for the descriptions.

 

The Special Editions have such negative connotations in the media that it's hard to openly talk about them in a positive light without being shot down, so it's nice to see a thread like this.

Having been born in 1984, Star Wars didn't exist theatrically to me as a kid. They were just those three CBS FOX VHS tapes that I'd watch alongside Disney movies, Back to the Future and Indiana Jones. The 1997 Special Edition release was what really elevated the movies for me by placing them back in theaters AND the added effects fascinated me. At the time, I had always thought movies released and that was that. No more changes, no additions, no new scenes. So to see these movies I had seen dozens of times on VHS in their widescreen format and with new surprises (as the marketing campaign teased) was really exciting. I was especially interested in the behind the scenes, how they took old footage and made additions. I probably watched the behind the scenes docs on the original SE VHS tapes more than the movies themselves, and I'd often fast forward to the more effects heavy scenes to see what was added. I was a big fan of the cantina as a kid, and to finally see a much expanded Mos Eisley was really cool.

Now that I'm 32, you'd think I'd backtrack on my Special Edition appreciation and revert to the OOT, but I actually still prefer the latest versions (the blu-rays). I especially like the merchandise from 1997 featuring Special Edition centric characters and events, like the Star Wars Action Fleet vehicle they made for the Imperial transport added in A New Hope or the Ronto creature figure.

Also, the best tagline ever, re-release or otherwise, is "three reasons why they build movie theaters". I also still love the original trailer which had the ships flying out of the tiny TV (that spot spoke right to me) and the big 3D logos they had flying about in space. So glad that was included in the bonus features on the 2004 DVD release.

 

^ Even the Y-wings got some love.

(Hey mods, we need a Gold Leader smiley.)

 

I remember seeing the trailer for the SE versions in an actual theater. They ran it before "Independence Day", and it was much better than the main feature.

Well, today marks 20 years since the SE of the original movie premiered. When I saw it (in Edison, NJ), I thought the highly-hyped new scene with Jabba was OK, but the restoration of the scene in the Rebel hangar with Biggs was the real main attraction for me. Anyone else feel that way?

 

I wish it was the 90's.
Come to think about it we were pretty lucking growing up in the 90's getting to see all the films in theaters. I don't know if that will ever happen again with a new movie every year.

 

Kenneth Morgan. I was pleasantly surprised to see that scene. Love it. I looked forward to just the cgi/special effects and having a Jabba scene the most.

 

I saw ANH and ROTJ in the theater. Loved them. I felt the changes to TESB and ROTJ in 1997 and 2004 were mostly necessary. The obvious CG is a little distracting in ANH, but I don't care. I have mixed feelings about the Jabba the Hutt sequence. Jabba is a criminal genius in the EU. He would never let Han step on his tail like that. The conversation is interesting, but it would have been better if Jabba appeared via holographic transmission to Han. Like, the bounty hunters could have shown Han the hologram, and then Han could talk his way out of the situation or whatever. However, Jabba was being too nice to Han by letting him go. Han had just fried Greedo, after all.

This reminds me. I don't like the "Greedo shot first" thing, of course. But let's examine that scene. Greedo is an idiot. He doesn't remove Han's gun from his belt. He doesn't check him for weapons. He just sits him down and doesn't even check his surroundings. So stupid.

Anyhow, I do love that Jabba was strangled to death by Leia. She taught him a lesson...with that chain and the Force, as implied by the radio version. As for that whole Sarlacc pit sequence, I do think adding the beak and tentacles was necessary. It made the battle better. Luke was the best badass there, and Boba should have watched his surroundings....even though he did escape later!

 

ANH special edition was released 20 years ago today.

 

Sarge wrote

Even the Y-wings got some love.

...but still no R2 copilots even in the Special Edition...

 

Happy 20th Anniversary Special Editions!!

 

Maybe the rebels were short (ha!) on astromech droids and the Y-wings had to go without. OTOH, if that's so, why did the tech ask Luke if he wanted a new R2 unit? I'm sure I can retcon this, still workin' the details...

Ooh! It just came to me; Y's and X's don't use exactly the same droids! One plugs in with a 12 pin connector and the other uses a 16 pin connector, or the software is incompatible or somesuch, so they had enough for all the X's but not enough that were compatible with all the Y's. Yeah, I'll go with that.

 

Well, all the Y-Wings on the ground featured R2 dome mockups and just before Luke meets Leia you can even shortly see Red Leader's R2 buckethead unit sitting in a Y-Wing socket.

I guess all the R2 copilots were tossed overboard when the Y-Wings realized they were too heavy...

 

20 years today! Wow!

What an awesome time it was to be a Star Wars fan in the late 90s. The SE received a wide theatrical release and brought Star Wars back into the spotlight. The brand was revived, and a slew of video games, books, comics, and toys flooded the market. And of course, the news that new Star Wars films were soon on the horizon.

I'm sure like many of you, the VHS tapes at our household were pretty worn out. That, in conjunction with pan & scan and the general low quality of the format, was certainly not the way the films were intended to be seen, so it was great to see the films back on the big screen and share SW mania with the everyone.

The SE is 20 years old...which means ANH turns 40 in a mere couple of months! Crazy.

 

I think the Special Editions were mostly necessary. Some of the changes were not (mostly those in ANH and the song in ROTJ), but almost all the others were good, IMO.