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Episode IV: What Has Changed?

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 (Edited)

A good place for comparing…IMO it was SO MUCH BETTER left untouched, and this showed me just how crazy Lucas is…some of the things he took the time to fix were completely pointless:

http://www.starwars.com/episode-iv/release/video/f20060825/index.html

 

 

Mod Edit: Unfortunately the website linked to above is no longer around. However…

StarWars•com Official 2004 Changes Preservation : SW : ESB : ROTJ - re-uploaded & compiled by doubleofive
 

The Internet Archive’s WayBack Machine has working functioning links for the site re the 1997 SE changes, here:-

http://web.archive.org/web/20110623222820/starwars.com/episode-iv/bts/article/f19970115/index.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20100328044359/http://www.starwars.com/episode-v/bts/article/f19970115/index.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20100329231926/http://www.starwars.com/episode-vi/bts/article/f19970115/index.html

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I saw that link as well. Some changes were fine and I understood why he did it, but with many of the changes I just have to ask "why?"
Graduate student in Vocal Performance. Movie and hometheater PEZ collecting geek.
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thanks for linking to that, it was really interesting and useful.
Some were not blessed with brains.
<blockquote>Originally posted by: BadAssKeith

You are passing up on a great opportunity to makes lots of money,
make Lucas lose a lot of his money
and make him look bad to the entire world
and you could be well known and liked

None of us here like Lucas or Lucasfilm.
I have death wishes on Lucas and Macullum.
we could all probably get 10s of thousands of dollars!
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I, for one, am wondering why they bothered showcasing about 20 different pictures of the damn corridor perspective "fix," which really wasn't all that bad to begin with, I never thought. I guess I sort of assumed it ramped up at some point rather than being straight. But I digress. Why they needed to show it 20 times is beyond me.

And I notice even their spin-doctors couldn't say anything positive about the censoring of laser shots to Imperial officers.

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

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I almost got the feeling the person who wrote it wasn't an SE gusher and may have actually been glad to see the originals. Really well done. Does that fact Luke's green saber wasn't covered confirm it was a glitch?

Take back the trilogy. Execute Order '77

http://www.youtube.com/user/Knightmessenger

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Originally posted by: Knightmessenger
I almost got the feeling the person who wrote it wasn't an SE gusher and may have actually been glad to see the originals. Really well done. Does that fact Luke's green saber wasn't covered confirm it was a glitch?


They will never admit they ever made a mistake. Its a "deliberate creative decision". But I'd be suprised if you see a green saber in the next remastering.
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i originally posted this in the "good comparison website" thread. It addresses that slideshow on the official site:

"That official site slideshow is really funny as it makes the incorrect color-correction on the 2004 dvds painfully obvious. There are numerous shots that are clearly too blue, but i think number 113 is a wonderful example. notice that, in the 1977 shot, the schematic is white. In the 2004 version, it's blue as can be! I just can't understand the droves of people out there who either fail to see this problem or just don't care (i won't even speak of those who might *gasp* prefer it...!! ugh!) "

Honestly, i'm really surprised they got away with posting side by side comparisons. They also conveniently left out the screw ups (such as the green saber, music in the final battle, etc.) Speaking of lightsaber screw ups, i bet you'll never see side by side comparisons of the duels from ESB & ROTJ.... at least, not on the official site.
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I was about to ask if they were ever going to do comparisons of the other two movies. Does anybody know?

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

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Can you help me out please:-

One of the things which really annoyed me about the remastered versions of the original 1977 Star Wars film was that the Intercomm dialog on the Death Star was partially daubed over with an idiotic child like voice. Do you know where it is possible to obtain a Video/DVD version of the Star Wars film which has the original sound track. Will the soon to be released Theatrical version have the original sound track?
John Taylor
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Originally posted by: taylorjohn21Will the soon to be released Theatrical version have the original sound track?

Yes, the new DVDs will have the original soundtrack (or, at least the soundtrack that was done for the 1993 laserdisc set) but the 1997 Special Edition soundtrack changes will be gone.

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How orginal is the original soundtrack for the 1993 laserdisc set? Another big (annoying) difference I noticed was that the atmospheric music played during the encounter between Darth and Obe-Wan in the original film was edited out in subsequent versions.
John Taylor
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Sounds like the "original" soundtrack you're remembering is the mono version, which did have a different voice for the PA announcer.
But the 35mm stereo and 70mm surround mixes are no less "original." All three were heard in 1977, albeit in different theaters.
Of the three, the mono mix was completed last. So chances are the music you remember during the duel wasn't "edited out" but edited in after the 35mm & 70mm mixes were already finished.
Check out this page to hear clips from the mono mix, and see if that's the announcer's voice you remember.

No official home video release has included the mono mix, although bootleg versions do circulate. One forum member has a VHS tape from a television broadcast with the mono mix, which is being restored by an audio specialist (another forum member.)

General consensus is that the '93 laserdisc soundtrack most closely resembles the 70mm surround mix, with a few changes.
If you're hoping to hear the mono mix on the forthcoming DVD, don't hold your breath.

However, in practice you must take into account the “fuckwit factor”. Just talk to Darth Mallwalker…
-Moth3r

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Originally posted by: Darth Mallwalker
Sounds like the "original" soundtrack you're remembering is the mono version, which did have a different voice for the PA announcer.
But the 35mm stereo and 70mm surround mixes are no less "original." All three were heard in 1977, albeit in different theaters.
Of the three, the mono mix was completed last. So chances are the music you remember during the duel wasn't "edited out" but edited in after the 35mm & 70mm mixes were already finished.
Check out this page to hear clips from the mono mix, and see if that's the announcer's voice you remember.
That's funny... after listening to both these voices, and being used to hearing The Story Of Star Wars over and over again, neither voice sounds just like the voice on the record! I would say it's more like something inbetween the two... closer to the mono mix in the speed and pitch of the voice, but with a little more of the effects style of the stereo mix.

I'm now perplexed by this. We did determine that the Story Of Star Wars record was sourced from the mono mix, right?

--SKot

Projects:
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Preserving the…cringe…Star Wars Holiday Special [COMPLETED]
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Yes the intercomm voice on the Mono version which I played on the website definately sounded like the one in the original version of Star Wars (I have the original sound track on an old tape).
I am a bit puzzled by the newer 35mm stereo and 70mm surround mixes - could you explain the difference between these sound mixes and the Mono version? Are they similar to the Dolby Sound mix (also on the website) which I really don't like. Your last comment '...don't hold your breath' seems to imply that this so.

John
John Taylor
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Originally posted by: taylorjohn21
I have the original sound track on an old tape
Not "the original sound track" but instead one of three original sound tracks. All three are original; all three were heard in theaters in 1977.
Depending on which theater you attended, you might have heard any of the three.

The Dolby samples you heard on the other web page are from the original 35mm stereo mix.

In addition the the three original sound tracks (35mm mono, 35mm stereo, 70mm surround) there have been four remixes done for home video releases in 1985, 1993, 1997 and 2004.
Out of the 7 total mixes (3 original + 4 remixes,) 6 of them (except the original mono) have the voice you don't like.
Chances are good the voice you don't like is on the DVD to be released next Tuesday.


Belbucus (the fellow doing the mono mix restoration) might be very interested to hear a copy of your tape !

However, in practice you must take into account the “fuckwit factor”. Just talk to Darth Mallwalker…
-Moth3r

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Indeed!

taylorjohn21, any possibilty in hearing a sample file from your mono source?

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SKot, TSOSW was based on the mono mix but had additional stereo effects.
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Many of the changes, like beefing up the backgrounds, are nice and make the movie look good. Some are stupid. In fact, I'm ok with most of the changes, there are just some that really tick me off. Such as:

Greedo shoots first.
Extra bantas and stuff in background.
The scene where the rebels fly from thier base to the death star, a dramtic scene where we see the pilots and their fear, is replaced with a video-game looking CGI shot of the ships going by.
R2-D2 going from a dark blue, almost black to light blue. Or maybe its visa-versa. Either way, it was stupid.
The droids having no dirt on them when they are on Tatooine in the special editions. That made no freaking sense.

Other than that, I'm really fine with changes in the first one. There are some other unnecasary ones, but nothing huge.
Watch DarthEvil's Who Framed Darth Vader? video on YouTube!

You can also access the entire Horriffic Violence Theater Series from my Channel Page.
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The cassette I have is a narrated version of Star Wars but it includes many excerpts from the original sound track. Inspite of what you have said the cassette does have Dolby system printed on it so I am really not sure what to make of it. I would really appreciate anyone letting me/us know what the sound mix is like on the new Theatrical version of Star Wars when it comes out this week. In particular whether the voices on the Intercomm on the Death Star are the ones heard on the Mono Mix or the Dolby Stereo mix as per your website.
I am happy for you to listen to the sound track on my cassette, but any ideas onto how to put the recording on my cassette onto the Internet!

John
John Taylor
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Originally posted by: taylorjohn21
Inspite of what you have said the cassette does have Dolby system printed on it so I am really not sure what to make of it.


That would just be the Dolby Noise Reduction system used on tapes to reduce hiss.

Star Wars 1977-1983

Star Trek 1966-1991

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Originally posted by: taylorjohn21
The cassette I have is a narrated version of Star Wars but it includes many excerpts from the original sound track. Inspite of what you have said the cassette does have Dolby system printed on it so I am really not sure what to make of it. I would really appreciate anyone letting me/us know what the sound mix is like on the new Theatrical version of Star Wars when it comes out this week. In particular whether the voices on the Intercomm on the Death Star are the ones heard on the Mono Mix or the Dolby Stereo mix as per your website.
I am happy for you to listen to the sound track on my cassette, but any ideas onto how to put the recording on my cassette onto the Internet!

John
Is that "the story of Star Wars?" If so, I believe that it was the 35mm mono version of the soundtrack that was used.

The new DVD will use the 1993 sound mix, which is most similar to the 70mm mix.

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Yes that is absolutely correct - the cassette is "The Story of Star Wars?". What are the differences then between the 35mm mono and the 70mm mix.
Are they the same as between the the Mono sound mix and the Dolby stereo mix?
John Taylor
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If anyone on this forum has bought the latest DVD for Star Wars can they tell me which sound version is played - thanks John
John Taylor
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None of the theatrical mixes. Like the video, it was the same stereo audio mix that was used for the '93 laserdiscs.

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.