CT Special edition - worst and best changes

They weren't added later. Those lines were part of the one of the original releases of the film, back in 1977. Remember that there were two sound mixes created for the two different prints of the movie (70mm and 35mm). All the differences in dialogue, alternate lines, voices etc... are because of that.

 

Eh well, still better than nothing, right? If it really costs them nothing to do it, then why not?

 

According to this list of home video releases on Wookiepedia, A New Hope was first released on VHS in 1982, a year after the opening crawl was altered for a re-release in theaters, so I’m assuming that this first VHS release included the altered opening crawl.
https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars_home_video_releases

 

Before the first VHS release, Ken Films also released super 8mm film reels of Star Wars in the late 1970s. They just included select scenes (totaling around 30 minutes) so it wasn't the entire movie. Some were silent and black&white, but others had full color and sound.

Though I don't think the crawl was on any of them. Instead, the Star Wars logo scrolls up, followed by narration:

Spoiler

 

The different mixes were Dolby Stereo, Dolby Six-Track, and Mono. Six Track was used in 70mm theaters while Dolby Stereo and Mono were used in 35mm theaters. Only the Dolby Stereo and Dolby Six-Track/70mm versions were released on May 25, 1977, with Mono theaters not showing Star Wars until June. This gave Lucas and Burtt more time to work on the Mono mix, so they, among other things, recorded Anthony Daniels saying the tractor beam line and included it in the Mono mix. From 1982 to 1984, VHS and Laserdisc releases used the Dolby Stereo mix, so the tractor beam line was nowhere to be heard. In 1985, a new mix was created for VHS and Laserdisc that included the tractor beam line, but in 1993, yet another mix was created for Laserdisc in which the tractor beam line was once again gone, and this mix came to VHS in 1995 with the Darth Vader’s face release.

 

Thank you darklordoftech! I didn't know that backstory.

I must have obtained a VHS edition with the stereo mix.

The viewing occurred sometime during the summer of 1992. I can only guess how old the rental shop's copy may have been.

 

You’re welcome. What did the cover of the VHS look like?

The 2006 DVD is the widescreen Darth Vader’s face version but with the “Episode IV: A New Hope” crawl replaced with the original crawl.

 

It makes even more sense it was the copy from a rental store. This is so interesting.

 

As I understand it, the 2006 DVD was the only version ever released on home video that did not contain "Episode IV" in the opening crawl, as it was the only home video release of a pre-1980 version.

 

The first VHS/Betamax/Laserdisc release was in 1982, so you are correct.

 

In point of fact, it's a Frankenversion, as the rest of the film is the 90s laserdisc transfer.

 

I'm wondering if there was a video transfer made of Star Wars before the 1980 version. It could have been for hotels, airplanes, or just in house use at Lucasfilm and Fox.

 

One per film:

Star Wars

BEST: Han Solo running into a full hangar of Stormtroopers rather than just a dead end in the hallway
WORST: Han stepping on Jabba the Hutt’s tail as he’s trying to sweet talk him into not putting a price on his head

The Empire Strikes Back

BEST: Opening up Cloud City
WORST: Getting rid of Darth Vader’s emotionally charged “Bring my shuttle!”, and interrupting the flow of the climax so that we can see him boarding the shuttle, the shuttle flying through space, and the shuttle landing, because apparently, George Lucas thinks the audience is too stupid to realize that when a character says, “Hail me a taxi” and he appears in a different location the next time we see him, he didn’t just magically teleport there!

Return of the Jedi

BEST: Getting rib of that stupid Yub Nub song and showing the other planets celebrating the demise of the Empire
WORST: Taking the Lovecraftian horror of the Sarlacc and turning it into the goddamn plant from Little Shop of Horrors!

 

I agree about the ESB shuttle scene. Minor perhaps but stops the movie dead in its tracks at the climax.

 

^ Can't argue with that. The original Sarlacc was so much better.

 

Watching a marathon of the films with Rogue One preceding ANH immediately, I am wondering why they never considered adding in a scene of Jimmy Smits as Bail looking at the Death Star in the sky in ANH to make it clear that he dies for people watching the series in chronological order.

 

Perhaps because that might be a thing people would reasonably expect a Special Edition to do.

 

It certainly makes more sense than Greedo saying "maclunky" (saw it on Disney Plus and was sort of shock that it was as odd watching and hearing it as reading about it online).

 

And its an alternative shot from the Jedi Death Star opening complete with Jerjerod in there as well. A character not even in Empire. I can't stand this addition to the film.

 

The change from "Bring my shuttle" was criminal, because Vader sounded really menacing with that dialogue.

 

What's up with R2 sitting around waiting to fix the hyperdrive, talking about it? If he knows the hyperdrive was deactivated, why wouldn't he just go fix it asap?! Was something changed here? I never noticed stuff like this before

You're kind of making it sound like this sequence was all shown at once in order, interrupting something else, or slowing down the pace, but it's actually 3 separate shots intercut with Luke going through his own departure.

It happens in the following order:
-Luke, hanging on the thing, calls for Leia. Leia hears him and goes back to get him
-Vader exits the building walking towards his ship

-The Falcon approaches Luke
-Vader's shuttle is seen(for split second in space) approaching his own ship

-Luke is rescued and safely boards the Falcon
-Vader lands and boards his ship

The purpose isn't to attempt informing the audience better that Vader is flying back to his ship, it's to show some symmetry and contrast between father and son as they both leave the confrontation. Lucas is really preoccupied with the visual language of film. I would argue the scene itself is fine, maybe even an improvement. the downgrade is the stupid dialogue. They could have left it as is, or he should have said "Alert the Executor(or whatever it's called in this movie) to prepare for my arrival"

"Alert my Star Destroyer" is maclunky. He would say the name, like "Alert the Enterprise that I'm on my way." Plus it's "old James Earl Jones" voice which they just can't seem to make sound right. It's even worse in Rogue One, but I can hear it here, too. They have audio wizards at their disposal. it shouldnt be that difficult to adjust his voice.

 

This. The purpose of the change is to focus more on Vader as a character ("wow, Anakin finally revealed the truth to Luke... what is he thinking now? what is he going to do?), instead of just on Luke. It's one of those changes that are meant for a chronological viewing of the Saga.

I don't think the new line is such a big issue (people tend to get really fond of certain lines that are... just... lines). The interruption of the fantastic music is what bothers me, though.

 

Worst Changes
Greedo shooting first
Replacing “Yub Nub” with a new “Ewok Celebration Song”
Replacing Sebastian Shaw with Hayden Christensen

Favorite Changes
Battle of Yavin
Cloud City
Replacing “Lapti Nek” with “Jedi Rocks”

 

I also liked the "Bring my shuttle" line. Vader sounds angry, impatient, off his game. And it does not effect the flow of the film at a crucial time. The change just seems unnecessary and is irrritating, esp, when you have come to know a film so well for many years. Of course, ESB is still a masterpiece.