Negative, your comments only succeed in confusing me as to WHY someone who has such disdain and uncoordinated loathing for Empire Strikes Back would have even bothered to pay God knows how much money for a 35mm print of this film. To hear you tell it, Empire is the pariah of the saga and yet you have embarked on this unprecedented investment in this print project to save it.
Do the Empire fans a favor and donate the print to Adywan or ADigitalMan or DarthEditous or someone who actually seems to care about this movie. After reading your comments and then knowing you have that print is akin to finding out that Al Gore burns redwood trees in his backyard on piles of styrofoam. I'm reminded of that certain director who insisted that Greedo fired first, and then stuck it to everyone when he wore a "Han Shoots First" shirt on the set of Indy IV.
To even begin to say that Empire was averagely directed speaks to your complete disconnection with the story behind the production. I, and many others here, have researched this film's production story (which is not easy, and there is a reason) and learned that director Irvin Kershner and producer Gary Kurtz were forced to take on George Lucas head-on to ensure the movie turned out as well as it did. I won't bore you with the details, but the behind-the-scenes saga is incredibly fascinating and really sheds a lot of light on WHY the subsequent films fell downhill so rapidly. Kershner and Kurtz were DEVOTED to the development of this story - so much so that they worked ceaselessly with the actors both on and off camera to improve the script, lighting and atmosphere. And it shows. In fact, the only reason I have the SE DVD is for Irvin Kershner's commentary, which is an education unto itself. Unlike Lucas who waxes on and on about technical effects, Kershner talks about story development and how narratives take shape and how he worked with the actors to make it all come alive.
http://www.geocities.com/mfbespinluke/production.html
In any case, you're entitled to your opinion - but it still boggles me that you have such a biting stance towards the film, and yet, you own a 35mm print of it...By chance do you also own prints of Sheena or Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold? Just curious if you are a collector of films that disappointed you...