Idea: Extended Original Trilogy Wishlist

RedFive said:

Pacing, I guess...

Yeah, I think that's probably why. Even though Lucas's main reason was to not make Star Wars like American Graffiti in space, the scenes don't really work out when in the movie. Luke's character seems much less admirable and more irritating... Pacing is probably why the pre-Death Star battle meeting between Biggs and Luke was cut in the theatrical version. It somewhat ruins the grim atmosphere before the battle (i.e. Ben dead, Han leaving, Leia not that hopeful) by having a friendly meeting between two old friends.

THE MEMORY CHEATS

TV's Frink said:

THE MEMORY CHEATS

Sadly it does. Need I refer to the grappling hook?

However, strangely I seem to remember extra dialog for the pre-Death Star battle Biggs scene. The older pilot mentioned that Luke's father was a great pilot and if Luke was half as good as he was, Luke would be all right. It may not necessarily have been in any version of the movie. Was this ever in some documentary that I may have watched? I distinctly remember thinking "that guy knew Anakin?" Anyway, perhaps I just imagined it, as I imagined a radically different version of the movie Hellboy but I digress...

Yeah! That was the dialogue! However, I saw the clip on the link you provided. I remember something finished. It looked exactly like the scene in the 97 SE but didn't have the added guy walking through the frame to cut the line. I was sure that there was some sort of DVD or VHS where I watched it on. However, the memory does lie. That's a fact and something I've personally experienced.

It doesn't lie, it cheats. ;-)

So, I'm 100% sure I've seen a version of ROTJ where Luke forcejumps up to the hatch in the Rancordungeon, and a Gamorrean Guard steps on his fingers...

I'm hoping that some ROTJ footage of Leia, Han and the Rebels fighting their way through to the bunker control room exists (it would appear to have been filmed).

In fact the extra footage I would like to see more of it ROTJ because the final product is such a let down.

I would like to see Luke's saber practice on Dagobah but as that film is so good already extending it doesn't seem important.

I would only want to extend the range of ROTJ footage with an eye to cutting some of worse footage but coming out of the process with a movie of about the same length of the other Star Wars movies.

TK-949 said:

So, I'm 100% sure I've seen a version of ROTJ where Luke forcejumps up to the hatch in the Rancordungeon, and a Gamorrean Guard steps on his fingers...

I remember that too! there's got to be some sort of conspiracy going on here.

The image was featured in the ROTJ Storybook :

It came out just before the film so perhaps the memory of your first sneaky spoiler feed of the film is collapsing into your memory of your first viewing of the film.

In interviews with Lucas he talked about an early cut with the Biggs scenes and said that his reason for deleting them was that he preferred the presentation being:

The audience meets the robots & Leia.

Robots take you to Luke

The robots & Luke takes you to Ben

The robots, Luke & Ben take you to Han & Chewie

The robots, Luke, Ben, Han & Chewie take you back to Leia

He also felt (if I recall reading correctly) that having Luke in the beginning was adding too many characters to keep track of.

Personally, I would love to see them restore the scenes and re-integrate them.  I think it is Building Star Wars that restores them in sequence (or maybe Behind the Magic).  I don't think that the audience would have a hard time keeping track of who is who - Robert Altmann has made a career out of movies featuring ensemble casts (MASH, Nashville, Short Cuts, The Player, Gosford Park....heck, a bad Altmann movie is better than most of the dreck that comes out every week these days).  

One of the great things for me being a 12 year old watching the original movie was that the robots talked and they didn't subtitle it. Chewie talks and they didn't subtitle it.  The jawas talked and they didn't subtitle it.  But the audience understood what they were saying.  Treat the audience like they are smart and they will rise to the occasion. 

The main weakness of the prequel trilogy is that they are all foreground and no background.  I love the Adigitalman edits of 1, 2 & 3 that do nothing more than add the deleted scenes back in.  Anyone else notice that a lot of the deleted scenes are mostly exposition, backstory and character development?  I watched 4 & 5 as a kid and was riveted to every scene, whether there was a shoot out or Ben was telling Luke about his dad.  Then again, my pet theory about part of the appeal of the first movie at the time was that there was a generation of kids from the explosion in the divorce rate in the 70's and these kids didn't know their dads like other ones did and when Luke said, tell me about my father, these kids in the audience knew where he was coming from.  I don't think that part of the movie was intended, but it was certainly fortuitous timing.

I believe forum member SKot still has a $50 payout on the table for this very thing.

(SKot, sorry if I am mistaken.  The memory cheats).

I'm also hoping that the quad gunners where actually filmed for ROTJ and not just publicity shots.

Also the photos of General Madine in Ackbar's chair look interesting.

Madine had also a Death-Scene, if I remember correctly. Dermot Crowley mentioned something like that.