CT Any Former SE Haters Who Now Like the Special Edition?

What can you do? Lucas, scrambled his brains on the Jawa Juice and Death Sticks. Now we’re stuck (officially) with the grotesque SE Trilogy.

Next year will be 25 years (a quarter of a century) since the SE Trilogy madness began.

A pity there isn’t some kind of law against this sort of thing happening (trying to bury the original theatrical cuts).

 

A lot of people say that Lucas can do whatever he wants to his movies because they're HIS MOVIES.

Which is fine, but I don't have to bother to spend my money to go see them either.

 

I like the special editions but i hate that we are not allowed to see the original versions we should be allowed to compare all versions and all versions should be able to exist. If George wants the SE versions to be canon fine but at least make the original versions available to those who want to watch them i still have my 1995 VHS boxset for this reason. Also some of the SE changes are good like the emperor while others like Vader yelling NOoooooooooooooooooo in Return Of The Jedi are just bad the changes Lucas made are really hit or miss tbh.

 

I dont hate the SE and find some of the changes as improvements but I do wish the original versions are treated better than they are by LFL because they are iconic films and if they were released in good quality I would probably pre order on day 1 as I have a nostalgic affection for those versions but I suppose as George unfortunately doesent want them released offically I will have to put with is released offically.

 

Back in 1997 there were three changes I disliked: crappy CG Jabba, Luke’s scream, and “You’re lucky to get out of there.” The latter one i understand now (still a pity but no biggie), the other two were fixed with the 2004 DVD releases.

I don’t care much for “Jedi Rocks,” but then I don’t think the original was great either, so I’m altogether neutral about that change.

I like the other changes (the Wampa snow monster being my #1 improvement).

 

Agreed. I have the "semi-specialized" editions - which basically are the SEs without the bottom 3 things (and a few other minor things) set back to the original version.

They are great

 

I went through various phases with the SE, being quite excited at the prospect of a restored OT with updated effects, and a couple of new scenes. I was under the impression then, that these would remain just that, Special Editions, that coexisted with the original versions. I really enjoyed seeing them in the theatres in 1997, and subsequently on home media. Then with the DVD release more changes. I wasn't a fan of the idea of bringing the OT more in line with the prequels, but while I was happy with the quality increase that DVD offered at the time, over time I came to really dislike the new hypersaturated colors of the OT. Lucas' initial refusal to re-release the original versions, and the subsequent laserdisc bonus disc situation turned me into an OOT purist. More changes in 2011 didn't help, but by then film prints of the originals surfaced in the fan base, and so the OOT became available through unofficial channels. This also meant, that the frustration of not having the OOT in good quality subsided, and with the release of the 4K masters, which were generally a lot better than the 2011 bluray in both detail, and color, I was finally able to enjoy the SE again on its own terms. So, I enjoy them today, and have come to terms with the fact, that the OOT may never again be seen in an official capacity. Although you never know, what the future will bring...

 

I kind of like the 1997 Special Edition but that's it.

 

Yeah I was hoping the new color corrected 4k release would soften the blow. As a big fan of the prequels and SE I will say I do not like the prequel tying changes (except maybe Boba's voice. Ian in EMPIRE doesnt count since he was in ROTJ). I just dont think theyre needed because I think Lucas did a good enough job of tying the prequels to the originals. It just rubs me the wrong way that elements that didnt exist until the late 90s are being inserted into early 80s movies.

 

I wasn't old enough to see the OT in theaters, and I didn't watch them all that much until the SE's came out. So I've always been fine with the SE's, as I never really had anything earlier to compare to. I do admit certain things weren't that great, like Jabba in ANH CG wasn't very good, but IMO the additional changes in the 04 DVDs and blu ray versions fixed that-and now that I have the color-corrected 4K versions I'm perfectly happy with those SE versions as they are now.

 

I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, some of the changes improve the films. For instance, Bespin looks a lot better in the Special Editions. Victory Celebration is also a much better track to end the saga on than Yub Nub.

Other changes like Greedo shooting first or Hayden Christensen being digitally inserted into ROTJ seem inconsequential to me. But I hated some changes. Lapti Nek being replaced with Jedi Rocks in Jabba's palace comes to mind.

I think George Lucas should have put both the special editions and the theatrical cuts on the DVD releases for ghe films.

 

I always embraced the Special Editions and to this day consider puritanical devotion to the classic release prints to be pure pedantry.

 

I may be misunderstanding the intent of your post, Exor, but as someone who is an extreme pedant myself, I wouldn't necessarily call that pedantic

To declare other versions of the films invalid, or to attack others for differing preferences, there's a certain abhorrence in that, sure, but to simply have a preference for the theatrical cuts is no crime

Person A enjoys SW their way, person B enjoys it theirs, and I'll enjoy it mine

 

They did. But I think they should make it more readily available, with improved quality, rather than being on a relatively limited release thats probably only available through re-selling sites these days.

 

That is true. The original cut was how ANH existed for 20 years. Preferring the original is not some extreme position. I don't begrudge people liking the SE better, I just prefer the versions I grew up on and saw in theaters.

 

Not only that the original releases are the ones that cemented the films in cinema history, the ones that took the most money, the ones that drew the crowds in, the ones that laid the foundations for where Star Wars is now and the ones that fans who grew up on SW know and love. To hide these away isn’t right IMO.

 

I love the Prequels, so I am not some angry OT fan, but I still prefer the OOT. I don't begrudge the SE and don't mind that it exists. I have always said that Lucas should have released both versions in every release from the beginning (like Lord of the Rings) and this debate wouldn't exist. I actually think younger fans would have probably gravitated to the SE anyway because of the updated effects, but the OOT should have never been relegated to the red headed step child.

 

I love the special editions!

Only scene I'm on the fence about is the original emperor. He was so creepy but whatever

Anyway I want more special editions!

Dammit Disney hire Lucas to do another

 

I dont have a problem with the concept of the SE in fact I think some of the changes are improvements and love George Lucas as others have said a choice but it would be nice with the unaltered trilogy available in an industry standard format though there is no hate from me that it isnt unfornately

 

ANH was when Lucas wasn't in quite as stable a position as he was with the rest of the trilogy and as such I can see why he might've felt frustrated over it (and yeah quite visually it's not as honed or spectacular as TESB or ROTJ). So to a degree, I see where he comes from with that...but ultimately, I agree that there's also nothing wrong with making the originals accessible at least for curiosity's sake. There was a DVD release with them but somewhat limited, as I understand?

 

I can’t say I’ll ever like them, although I’m pretty much done being angry over them. Still, they play a large part in why I don’t rewatch Star Wars as often as I rewatch other blockbuster favorites such as Raiders of the Lost Ark, Back to the Future, Die Hard or The Lord of the Rings. (The refusal to release the unaltered trilogy probably also plays a part in why I’ve grown rather disillusioned with Star Wars and have stopped calling myself a fan.)

 

I don’t hate them anymore. I think as I got older I just don’t let the things I don’t like about Star Wars anger me so much.

I have the original versions on VHS but no longer have a VCR nor care to go through the trouble of acquiring one to watch three movies, when Disney+ is just way too convenient. So whether I prefer them or not, they’re the versions I’m going to watch going forward and I can live with them.


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I have the Despecialized Edition and the 2004 edition boxset which has the '97 edition with a few more changes.

I think you have to have both.

 

I went the other way around. For the longest time I wanted to see the special editions, and after seeing them, and then letting it stew in my head for a little while...I decided I didn't like them.

 

I don't hate them, as the SE VHS trilogy was my first experience with the films. But I appreciate the original intent and wish it was released in HD.