...and then one day years later, it was announced that everyone would get the chance to see 'souped-up', effects-enhanced versions back on the big screen again! It turned out that you just couldn't get away from all the build-up surrounding their re-release, and so my anticipation was great indeed, once again...
STAR WARS TRILOGY 'SPECIAL EDITIONS' (released 1997)
'Special Edition' Trilogy Theatrical Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRgsMKu8oNA
...and it was indeed a blast to see and hear them on the big screen again! And to see them introduced properly to a whole new generation of movie-goers.
However...once the initial thrill had passed, there came the realisation that there were a few mis-steps amongst all the new box of tricks... The 'Greedo now shoots FIRST!' thing was a travesty, and all the original fans knew it. And did the guys who CGI'd the 'added' Jabba even bother to refer to how he looked in ROTJ, I wondered? There were a few other new problems of course, but still, it was great to see them back on the big screen again, at least.
Then finally, at last!...the long-overdue DVD versions (with further 'enhancements') became available for everyone to own, to replace the much-loved videotapes of old...
2004 'Special Edition' DVD Release Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnLHCVf3seU
2006 'GOUT' DVD Release Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlrKLkugNaw
...but after all the waiting and waiting, the 'Special Editions' turned out to be somewhat of a let-down in the end...
Sure, they'd improved the likes of the ridiculous first CGI'd Jabba attempt, but the 'Han/Greedo shootout' scene was still bad compared to how great it had originally been...and it was obvious that quite a few problems remained throughout each 'SPECIAL'-ised movie now. And the great look of the colours I'd been used to over the years were nowhere to be seen anymore on the 'Special Editions'...with many scenes being strangely-'tinted' and overly dark now.
Whatever they'd done, I knew that Luke's suddenly-'green' saber, and Vader's occasionally-'pink' one, were not what I'd hoped for either. And when I discovered that the sound mix was a mess in places too, then it suddenly hit me just how botched this whole 'Special Edition' release had been... And the GOUT versions had ended up a poorly-treated, secondary afterthought too, in these days of high-quality transfers... And to think that the people responsible used to be at the forefront of technical excellence... Damn!
...but then by chance, I came across a certain little 'work-in-progress' trailer one day...
STAR WARS: REVISITED (released 2008/fanedited by adywan)
Final Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlYpNo2vRmw
...and it led me to what turned out to be STAR WARS on steroids! REVISITED was everything that the 'Special Edition' was not, and it's quality and amazing ambition blew me away. And continues to do so! It was one of my coolest finds ever, and it's given me the kind of 'enhanced' STAR WARS that I'll be able to enjoy time and time again into the future, without feeling disappointed now. And Han gets to be the one to shoot FIRST, of course. I only wish every other fan of the movie could discover it too.
...and it doesn't stop there, as there's the next chapter to look forward to all over again as well, just as there was all those years ago...
EMPIRE: REVISITED (coming 2011/fanedited by adywan)
Final Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ie_3YIF9s2s
...with JEDI: REVISITED to look forward to eventually too, of course... In the meantime, here's a neat re-creation of the original STAR WARS teaser using adywan's enhancements, which I came across recently...
STAR WARS Original Teaser Re-creation - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZrSzHYOiVQ