logo Sign In

4K restoration on Star Wars — Page 309

Author
Time
 (Edited)

Yes some of the effects are dated. Doesn’t mean they look bad or that the ‘97 cartoon effects look better.

ROTJ space battle effects look very dated. They are still among the BEST special effects EVER.

And I think they look better even than the sequel trilogy effects. I prefer the look of real ships, even if the motion is a little wonky, to the slick but artificial look of the CGI effects in the later films.

TV’s Frink said:

I would put this in my sig if I weren’t so lazy.

Author
Time
 (Edited)

All movies get dated at some point but that’s the thing. You can’t just treat as you would something that came out last week. People saying how some of the SE changes are ‘improvements’ are missing the point. The originals showcase how far they could take the technology of the time and the current generations are left without a clue as to what they were able to achieve when the films were originally made. And another thing what some may call ‘dated’ in fact is part of a continuous evolution of movie effects. The effects of today wouldn’t exist without the effects of the past.

Author
Time

I am also part of the generation where the ‘97 SE was “my Star Wars”. People will argue forever and ever which is the “right” version and which is better and more enjoyable/immersive to watch. That’s really not the point though.

When I watch Blade Runner, 95% of the time I watch “the final cut” cuz I think it’s the best version. But if I didn’t have access to the original theatrical cut? You bet your ass I’d be pissed. I hardly ever watch it, but I’m glad to have the option to watch any version I so choose, because sometimes it’s interesting and fun to see it the way it was originally seen, even if you don’t necessarily PREFER it that way.

The issue has never been with George altering his movies. Directors do that all the time. The issue has always been about having the OPTION to watch the originals. Improve them all you want in any way you want, but don’t tell people the original version doesn’t exist anymore. Don’t take the movie they fell in love with away from them just because YOU aren’t wholly satisfied with it. It’s incredibly selfish.

Author
Time

Darth Lucas said:
Don’t take the movie they fell in love with away from them just because YOU aren’t wholly satisfied with it. It’s incredibly selfish.

Agreed. Lucas doesn’t seem to understand this - nor care if he does.

I say forget him and continue toiling away on the fan restorations. The fool will never listen.

Author
Time
 (Edited)

I prefer watching older films. I want them to feel dated. I like the way older films look and sound.

We now live in a world where films are pretty pristine to the point where it feels very machine made rather than hand crafted.

You can feel the humanity more in old tranfers of older films. And I kind of miss that sort of retro hand made feel.

It is important not to lose that but all these new releases something seems to get lost with all the technology most of the time.

Author
Time

Ronster said:

I prefer watching older films. I want them to feel dated. I like the way older films look and sound.

We now live in a world where films are pretty pristine to the point where it feels very machine made rather than hand crafted.

You can feel the humanity more in old tranfers of older films. And I kind of miss that sort of retro hand made feel.

It is important not to lose that but all these new releases something seems to get lost with all the technology most of the time.

Agree 100%

My favorite film is the Maltese Falcon for many of the reasons you cite.

Author
Time

Yeah no doubt, I ultimately prefer the OOT and intend to make my own custom box set whenever 4KXX is complete.
It’s just unfortunate as the years go by, there’s little audiences left to cater to that has interest in the OOT. You have more fans signing online petitions for Disney to make more movies set in the Old Republic timeline. Let that sink in. They’ve moved on. Disney will follow the money.
I’ll gladly rejoice with you all whenever the announcement and release of the OOT is official. Just seems to me that the window of time and opportunity to pressure the higher ups to listen to us was anytime before 2015.

The Rise of Failures

Author
Time

I’ll push back on the “old transfers” bit but otherwise agree. A modern but faithful transfer is the way to go.

TV’s Frink said:

I would put this in my sig if I weren’t so lazy.

Author
Time
 (Edited)

Slavicuss said:
ALIEN, is another I would be thrilled to see extended. It very nearly happened! An extended cut was prepared with EVERYTHING back in - including previously unseen material - this version, I believe, was put together by Charles de Lauzirika.
The film’s director, Ridley Scott, viewed it and thought it was too long. He then came up with a compromise - ALIEN: THE DIRECTOR’S CUT - which contained very little added material but many edits made to the film and augmented with CGI.
I hope the original edit by Charles de Lauzirika still exists and will be released as bonus material one day.

I would be happy if an alternate working cut of ALIEN would be released, or even screened. This cut, according to Mike Matessino who worked on the music-recording restoration for the 2CD album release, had an additional 11 minutes and it was this version that composer Jerry Goldsmith used to score the music. This cut would restore the music to the way that the composer intended.

Author
Time
 (Edited)

Sounds good on the surface but the edit of the alien in the corridor doung that squat move is part of the Ripley trying to blow the alien out the airlock the first time and was an unfinished sequence…

Basically this was a bodge up and it’s how she got her nosebleed before going into Mother… I am sure it would be good to see that cut but it probably is still censored and that part can’t be untangled probably.

Anyway the point is that there are good reasons for many alternate cuts most of the time they just don’t get done totally right though and the appetite from many a director simply is not there although Bladerunner Final cut is probably one of the best examples of where the appetite was there for it.

It is much better if the alternate cut is prepared and planned at the time… It can be difficult to go back to a film after a long period of time has transpired simply because the original creators and people who originally worked on it are not involved at a much later date of a decade or so.

Author
Time

This set will 100% depend on bonus features. I don’t care about the movies because I’ll be able to watch whatever 4K restorations come out.

I can buy Rise separately (which I loved btw). My biggest worry would be TFA. The prequels I don’t care about.

So it all hinges on the bonus features.

Author
Time

No OUT, no sale so basically I’m just confirming I have no intention of buying this set.

Author
Time

Ronster said:

Sounds good on the surface but the edit of the alien in the corridor doung that squat move is part of the Ripley trying to blow the alien out the airlock the first time and was an unfinished sequence…

The footage of the Alien squatting in the corridor (Box Alien?) is an outtake from this (later) sequence: Ripley heads towards the shuttle (after setting the self-destruct), bumping into the creature, she drops the container carrying Jones and rushes back to engineering, to stop the 10 mins countdown.

It’s not from the earlier deleted scene where Parker, Ripley & Lambert almost succeed in trapping the Alien in the air lock - which ends with Ripley’s nosebleed.

Author
Time
 (Edited)

Slavicuss said:

Ronster said:

Sounds good on the surface but the edit of the alien in the corridor doung that squat move is part of the Ripley trying to blow the alien out the airlock the first time and was an unfinished sequence…

The footage of the Alien squatting in the corridor (Box Alien?) is an outtake from this (later) sequence: Ripley heads towards the shuttle (after setting the self-destruct), bumping into the creature, she drops the container carrying Jones and rushes back to engineering, to stop the 10 mins countdown.

It’s not from the earlier deleted scene where Parker, Ripley & Lambert almost succeed in trapping the Alien in the air lock - which ends with Ripley’s nosebleed.

Nah it is but it intercuts with Lambert listening on the Intercom and Parker in the Corridor.

There is one shot in the trailer that proves that a part was filmed which has Ripley running through the smoke.

The Box Alien as you call it is just moved to the ending sequence instead of the failed attempt. You can see the airlock behind the box Alien.

This happens quite a lot of old films from the 70’s including Star Wars, moving shots about into other locations like R2-D2 on the death Star shots spliced ib when he is flying through Space on the millennium falcon.

It is easy enough to sort the chess game out then Later C3P0 tangled in the wires aboard the tantive cuts to R2D2 on the death star again laughing… If ypu were going to do a special edition that is a worthy cause for changing something or making it work.

Just thought a bit about the chess game on the DVD i think it is Empire of dreams the cut stop motion figures I wonder if they time exactly with the shots of R2-D2 on the death star? That would be a cool restoration… Although R2-D2 laughing would need an Adywan type fix…

Author
Time

Ronster said:
Nah it is but it intercuts with Lambert listening on the Intercom and Parker in the Corridor.

There is one shot in the trailer that proves that a part was filmed which has Ripley running through the smoke.

The Box Alien as you call it is just moved to the ending sequence instead of the failed attempt. You can see the airlock behind the box Alien.

This happens quite a lot of old films from the 70’s including Star Wars, moving shots about into other locations like R2-D2 on the death Star shots spliced ib when he is flying through Space on the millennium falcon.

It is easy enough to sort the chess game out then Later C3P0 tangled in the wires aboard the tantive cuts to R2D2 on the death star again laughing… If ypu were going to do a special edition that is a worthy cause for changing something or making it work.

The Alien corridor outtake footage is not from the deleted Parker, Ripley & Lambert air lock scene repurposed.

A B/W workprint exists that composer, Jerry Goldsmith used to score the film. Originally, Ripley got a good look at the creature when she turned the corner, seeing it squatting, she ducks back behind the wall and has a SECOND PEEK. The Alien has already risen to its feet, sensing Ripley, it turns in her direction as she ducks back and edges away from the corridor, dropping Jones.

Watch the THE BEAST WITHIN: THE MAKING OF ALIEN documentary and you will find an outtake of the adult Alien hunkered in profile as the camera (Ripley’s POV) rounds the corner and sees it.

You can see the air lock behind the Alien in the corridor as it swings around in the final film. You are meant to see the air lock - just beyond it is the shuttle.

A strong clue, being the emergency lighting and smoke used in the shots of the Alien in the corridor - naturally, as these deleted shots occur during the 10 mins countdown.

Author
Time

WellI don’t have any strong feelings about it but that airlock is the one that leads to outside…

The narcissus is in another part of the nostromo…

My opinion on this is and I think it’s a reason why it should be left alone is that it would change traversing to the narcissus too much… You already don’t like what I told you and there is no other scenes with the Alien by an airlock. It falls into a deliberation about restoring this sequence could hurt the film. I understand that why it was never touched.

If you take the spliced in shots of R2-D2 on death star whilst playing chess on the millennium falcon. If I was right that those stop motion chess pieces time exactly with the spliced in shots of R2-D2 then we can confirm Special effects not completed and R2-D2 was spliced in to cover the unfinished sequence although it was shot just not finished. If you were going to do a Special Edition why on earth would you not restore those special effects shots restoring how the film was planned and “meant to be”

George can’t proclaim that the film he wanted to make contained random splices to R2-D2 on the death star whilst he is playing chesd on the millennium falcon.

Evety part of George Lucus argument and his changes fall flat on there face.

I can Understand why they left this part alone in Alien.

Author
Time

I will give you one more demonstration of how to stage this Argument or rather question for the OUT or atleast this would be my strategy of how to stage a question of why and why not.

Ben’s Hut.

The original has the boosters or engines missing Black holes are there where the art is missing. The very same composite is shown with R2-D2 and 3P0 with Luke and Ben by the sandcrawler with the engines or boosters present correctly.

Lucus at some point decided to use the side view alternate take which required no Compositing of engines.

When the Special edition appeared the new matte shot was based off the alternate side view but pulled way out to accomodate the new wide view of Ben’s Hut on the cliff.

Whilst I do not mind this change all that much should Lucus have just restored the engines of the Landspeeder completing the Special effects of the original shot?

This is how I would approach breaking down Lucus decisions on his Special edition and on this one we can see clear resons behind the change but is it the right choice?

that is the question that must be presented rather than an argument.

Author
Time

Ronster said:
If you take the spliced in shots of R2-D2 on death star whilst playing chess on the millennium falcon. If I was right that those stop motion chess pieces time exactly with the spliced in shots of R2-D2 then we can confirm Special effects not completed and R2-D2 was spliced in to cover the unfinished sequence although it was shot just not finished. If you were going to do a Special Edition why on earth would you not restore those special effects shots restoring how the film was planned and “meant to be”

These aren’t unfinished effects. They probably just forgot to do closeups of R2 in the falcon. Whoever thought of using the Death Star footage for that scene was a genius, you’d never know if someone hadnt pointed it out to you.

Author
Time
 (Edited)

Well explain the deleted chess pieces stop motion then…If they fit exactly like I suggested trying out we can conclude they are meant to go where the shot’s of R2-D2 are present.

I can’t think of any other way to pose the question of why is the Special edition the way it is and does it have anything to do with actually restoring any original intentions of the people who made the film originally.

If you are willing to write that off sorry but you are your own worst enemy of not only how or why to prent this question.

You need to refute the Special edition in a questionable manner without coming over as confrontational about it because it is not all bad but it is indeed questionable the why and how it has not much to do with the film made in 1977. It has very little to do with restoring anything.

Author
Time

Chewielewis said:

Ronster said:
If you take the spliced in shots of R2-D2 on death star whilst playing chess on the millennium falcon. If I was right that those stop motion chess pieces time exactly with the spliced in shots of R2-D2 then we can confirm Special effects not completed and R2-D2 was spliced in to cover the unfinished sequence although it was shot just not finished. If you were going to do a Special Edition why on earth would you not restore those special effects shots restoring how the film was planned and “meant to be”

These aren’t unfinished effects. They probably just forgot to do closeups of R2 in the falcon. Whoever thought of using the Death Star footage for that scene was a genius, you’d never know if someone hadnt pointed it out to you.

The editors were legit geniuses.

Author
Time

Well can’t say I did not try for you… Good Luck with trying to get the Originals released I agree with your cause.

But… Nothing changed neither your attitude or George’s opinion and it won’t ever change at this rate.