*Side note: just before we started watching it on his new projector (100" baby!), his kids (6, 4, and 2) were in the next room watching the original ANH (Dr. M's edit) while going to bed. I sat with them for a bit and they were asking me a hundred questions, like why Luke was living with his aunt and uncle, what the Jawas were going to do with R2 and 3PO, what was going to happen to Princess Leia... it was quite cool seeing them so wrapped up in the story, and it reminded me of how awestruck and immersed I used to be when watching those films as a kid*
At any rate... my uncle and I watched the movie, and his overall impression was as follows:
First off, he was amazed that this was a fan edit. When I told him a single person (with a little outside help) did this by himself over the course of 18 months, he couldn't believe it. As for the movie as a whole, he thought it was the perfect version of the Special Edition. Although he still prefers the original '77 version over anything else, he said that this is what the SE's should have been originally, and thought the movie was a fantastic alternate version.
As for specific reactions to some of the things we've been talking about here:
- he loved the TIE figher shot, and thought it was very effective. He felt it made the Empire look very threatening, and that it gave the scene a real sense of urgency and impending doom.
- he found it a bit hard to discern what the severed arm was supposed to be. He had no idea that it was Walrusman's, let alone that he had a flipper. When I told him you were thinking of putting a human arm in there Ady, he thought that sounded like a good idea.
- other things he enjoyed were the intensified action scenes toward the end (Ben vs. Vader, the Falcon vs. the TIEs, the DS battle), and he thought it was cool that Chewie got a medal
So, all this to say once again that you've done an awesome job Ady. As someone mentioned earlier, you should try to take the nitpicking as sort of a backhanded compliment; people are critiquing this the same way they would a Hollywood-made film. You've done such a good job that it's easy to forget that this was done by a single person (well, WMX should get a nod here too for his incredible work). I also want to apologize for my part in prolonging the flipper debate; as you have proven all along, whatever you ultimately decide to go with will undoubtedly be an excellent decision.
Again, THANK YOU ADY! It's becoming cliched to say it, but you really have given us something far beyond what I think anyone could have expected. As I said before, as soon as the DVD versions are released, your edit will be inhabiting the current SE DVD case, and the official DVD will be quietly tucked away to collect dust.
So sit back and, for the moment, focus only on enjoying the fruits of your labours... I know I am
* * *
To Mojo_LA
Regarding the suggestion of adding a wobble to the TIE shot to simulate camera movement, I don't think it would work. I assume you're referring to that kind of jerky movement seen in Battlestar Galactica (or even AOTC). If so, while it definitely works in some cases (it's terrific in BSG which, if you're involved in that, kudos), I don't think it's the kind of thing that would fit in properly with ANH. It would be the only shot like it in the film, and personally I found the few shots like it in AOTC to be distracting. As for the blurring issue, I didn't notice anything one way or the other, so I can't comment on that.