Hey I am still downloading them!
Well, as I said several times, its your choice. I was more concerned with fending off the people who were leaping to dismiss it without having seen it first. If you have already watched MoveAlong's version and think it doesn't fit in your project, fine. All I asked is that you check it out. Since you're already tampering with the movies I figured it wasn't something that was out of the question. But, not my call to make, since it's not my project, obviously!
You did say earlier that it wasn't so much that the scenes didn't work, it was that you didn't like the quality that was available and didn't want to spend time restoring them yourself.
Anyway, for those curious, here is where the scenes would be located in the script (based on the revised fourth draft screenplay as published in "The Art of Star Wars," 1979 and matches up with the Mar 15, 1976 screenplay posted on the Jedi Bendu Script Archive site). Parts that survive as deleted scenes are in bold. Other scenes are listed for context. Now the lines and so forth are not always EXACTLY as depicted here, but you get the idea and you can of course compare with the scenes.
INT. IMPERIAL STAR DESTROYER
On the main viewscreen, the lifepod carrying the two terrified robots speeds away from the stricken Rebel spacecraft.
CHIEF PILOT
There goes another one.
CAPTAIN
Hold your fire. There are no
life forms. It must have been
short-circuited.
INT. LIFEPOD
Artoo and Threepio look out at the receding Imperial starship. Stars circle as the pod rotates through the galaxy.
THREEPIO
That's funny, the damage doesn't
look as bad from out here.
Artoo beeps an assuring response.
THREEPIO
Are you sure this things safe?
EXT. TATOOINE - ANCHORHEAD SETTLEMENT - POWER STATION - DAY
Heat waves radiate from the dozen or so bleached white
buildings. Luke pilots his Landspeeder through the dusty empty street of the tiny settlement. An old woman runs to get out of the way of the speeding vehicle, shaking her fist at Luke as he flies past.
WOMAN
I've told you kids to slow down!
Luke pulls up behind a low concrete service station that is all but covered by the shifting desert sands.
INT. POWER STATION - DAY
Luke bursts into the power station, waking The Fixer, a rugged mechanic and Camie, a sexy, disheveled girl who has been asleep in his lap. They grumbled as he races through the office, yelling wildly.
FIXER
Did I hear a young noise blast
through here?
CAMIE
It was just Wormie on another
rampage.
Luke bounces into a small room behind the office where Deak and Windy, two tough boys about the same age as Luke, are playing a computer pool-like game with Biggs, a burly, handsome boy a few years older than the rest. His flashy city attire is a sharp contrast to the loose-fitting tunics of the farm boys. A robot repairs some equipment in the background.
LUKE
Shape it up you guys!... Biggs?
Luke's surprise at the appearance of Biggs gives way to
great joy and emotion. They give each other a great bear hug.
LUKE
I didn't know you were back!
When did you get in?
BIGGS
Just now. I wanted to surprise
you, hot shot. I thought you'd be
here... certainly didn't expect
you to be out working.
(laughs)
LUKE
The Academy didn't change you
much... but you're back so soon?
Hey, what happened, didn't you get
your commission?
Biggs has an air of cool that seems slightly phony.
BIGGS
Of course I got it. Signed
aboard The Rand Ecliptic last week.
First mate Biggs Darklighter at
your service...
(he salutes)
... I just came back to say goodbye
to all you unfortunate landlocked
simpletons.
Everyone laughs. The dazzling spectacle of his dashing friend is almost too much for Luke, but suddenly he snaps out of it.
LUKE
I almost forgot. There's a battle
going on! Right here in our system.
Come and look!
DEAK
Not again! Forget it.
EXT. TATOOINE - ANCHORHEAD - SETTLEMENT - POWER STATION - DAY
The group stumbles out into the stifling desert sun. Camie and The Fixer complain and are forced to shade their eyes. Luke has his binoculars out scanning the heavens.
LUKE
There they are!
Biggs takes the electrobinoculars from Luke as the others strain to see something with the naked eye. Through the electrobinoculars Biggs sees two small silver specks.
BIGGS
That's no battle, hot shot... they're
just sitting there! Probably a
freighter-tanker refueling.
LUKE
But there was a lot of firing
earlier...
Camie grabs the electrobinoculars away banging them against the building in the process. Luke grabs them.
LUKE
Hey, easy with those...
CAMIE
Don't worry about it, Wormie.
The Fixer gives Luke a hard look and the young farm boy
shrugs his shoulders in resignation.
FIXER
I keep telling you, the Rebellion
is a long way from here. I doubt
if the Empire would even fight to
keep this system. Believe me Luke,
this planet is a big hunk of nothing...
Luke agrees, although it's obvious he isn't sure why. The
group stumbles back into the power station, grumbling about
Luke's ineptitude.
INT. REBEL BLOCKADE RUNNER - HALLWAY
Princess Leia is led down a low-ceilinged hallway by a squad of armored stormtroopers. Her hands are bound and she is brutally shoved when she is unable to keep up with the briskly marching troops. They stop in a smoky hallway as Darth Vader emerges from the shadows. The sinister Dark Lord stares hard at the frail young senator, but she doesn't move.
LEIA
And later...
EXT. TATOOINE - DUNE SEA
Threepio, hot and tired, struggles up over the ridge of a dune: only to find more dunes, which seem to go on for endless miles. He looks back in the direction of the now distant rock mesas.
THREEPIO
That malfunctioning little twerp.
This is all his fault! He tricked
me into going this way, but he'll
do no better.
In a huff of anger and frustration, Threepio knocks the sand from his joints. His plight seems hopeless, when a glint of reflected light in the distance reveals an object moving towards him.
THREEPIO
Wait, what's that? A transport!
I'm saved!
The bronze android waves frantically and yells at the approaching transport.
THREEPIO
Over here! Help! Please, help!
EXT. TATOOINE - ANCHORHEAD SETTLEMENT - POWER STATION - DAY
Luke and Biggs are walking and drinking a malt brew. Fixer and the others can be heard working inside.
LUKE
(Very animated)
... so I cut off my power, shut down
the afterburners and came in low on
Deak's trail. I was so close I
thought I was going to fry my
instruments. As it was I busted up
the Skyhopper pretty bad. Uncle
Owen was pretty upset. He grounded
me for the rest of the season. You
should have been there... it was
fantastic.
BIGGS
You ought to take it a little easy
Luke. You may be the hottest
bushpilot this side of Mos Eisley,
but those little Skyhoppers are
dangerous. Keep it up, and one day,
whammo, you're going to be nothing
more than a dark spot on the down
side of a canyon wall.
LUKE
Look who's talking. Now that
you've been around those giant
starships you're beginning to sound
like my uncle. You've gotten soft
in the city...
BIGGS
I've missed you kid.
LUKE
Well, things haven't been the same
since you left, Biggs. It's been
so...quiet.
Biggs looks around then leans close to Luke.
BIGGS
Luke, I didn't come back just to
say goodbye... I shouldn't tell
you this, but you're the only one
I can trust... and if I don't come
back, I want somebody to know.
Luke's eyes are wide with Biggs' seriousness and loyalty.
LUKE
What are you talking about?
BIGGS
I made some friends at the Academy.
(he whispers)
... when our frigate goes to one
of the central systems, we're going
to jump ship and join the Alliance...
Luke, amazed and stunned, is almost speechless.
LUKE
Join the Rebellion?! Are you
kidding! How?
BIGGS
Quiet down will ya! You got a
mouth bigger than a meteor crater!
LUKE
I'm sorry. I'm quiet.
(he whispers)
Listen how quiet I am. You can
barely hear me...
Biggs shakes his head angrily and then continues.
BIGGS
My friend has a friend on Bestine
who might help us make contact.
LUKE
You're crazy! You could wander
around forever trying to find them.
BIGGS
I know it's a long shot, but if
I don't find them I'll do what I
can on my own... It's what we
always talked about. Luke, I'm
not going to wait for the Empire to
draft me into service. The Rebellion
is spreading and I want to be on the
right side - the side I believe in.
LUKE
And I'm stuck here...
BIGGS
I thought you were going to the
Academy next term. You'll get your
chance to get off this rock.
LUKE
Not likely! I had to cancel my
application. There has been a lot
of unrest among the Sand People since
you left... they've even raided
the outskirts of Anchorhead.
BIGGS
Your uncle could hold off a whole
colony of Sand People with one blaster.
LUKE
I know, but he's got enough vaporators
going to make the place pay off. He
needs me for just one more season.
I can't leave him now.
BIGGS
I feel for you, Luke, you're going
to have to learn what seems to be
important or what really is important.
What good is all your uncle's work if
it's taken over by the Empire?... You
know they're starting to nationalize
commerce in the central systems...
it won't be long before your uncle
is merely a tenant, slaving for the
greater glory of the Empire.
LUKE
It couldn't happen here. You said
it yourself. The Empire won't bother
with this rock.
BIGGS
Things always change.
LUKE
I wish I was going... Are you
going to be around long?
BIGGS
No, I'm leaving in the morning...
LUKE
Then I guess I won't see you.
BIGGS
Maybe someday... I'll keep a
lookout.
LUKE
Well, I'll be at the Academy next
season... after that who knows. I
won't be drafted into the Imperial
Starfleet that's for sure... Take
care of yourself, you'll always be
the best friend I've got.
BIGGS
So long, Luke.
Biggs turns away from his old friend and heads back towards the power station.
EXT. TATOOINE - ROCK CANYON - SUNSET
The gargantuan rock formations are shrouded in a strange
foreboding mist and the ominous sounds of unearthly creatures fill the air. Artoo moves cautiously through the creepy rock canyon, inadvertently making a loud clicking noise as he goes. He hears a distant, hard, metallic sound and stops for a moment. Convinced he is alone, he continues on his way.
In the distance, a pebble tumbles down the steep canyon wall and a small dark figure darts into the shadows. A little further up the canyon a slight flicker of light reveals a pair of eyes in the dark recesses only a few feet from the narrow path.
The unsuspecting robot waddles along the rugged trail until suddenly, out of nowhere, a powerful magnetic ray shoots out of the rocks and engulfs him in an eerie glow.
He manages one short electronic squeak before he topples over onto his back. His bright computer lights flicker off, then on, then off again. Out of the rocks scurry three Jawas, no taller than Artoo. They holster strange and complex weapons as they cautiously approach the robot. They wear grubby cloaks and their faces are shrouded so that only their glowing yellow eyes can be seen. They hiss and make odd guttural sounds as they heave the heavy robot onto their shoulders and carry him off down the trail.
The "dream" that some of us had that Lucas was going to release these and other scenes in better quality for the 30th anniversary obviously was just wishful thinking.
So why insert such scenes? It might seem blasphemous if we're used to the traditional way the movies are, but this is an edit, so it's not as if that line hasn't already been crossed. Anyhow, it introduces Luke earlier than before, and it gives us some more of Luke's backstory, talks more about the Empire's oppression and life on Tatooine. It gives us more development for Biggs and why he (and the other types of young men who join the Rebellion) does what he does. It lends more emotional weight then to his death at the end of the movie. Lucas already inserted one of his scenes, these other two give us a lot more.
I look forward to the day when some edit of the movies includes these scenes...