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How the Special Edition Should Have Been

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I say rather than adding new crappy CGI sequences they could have just remastered the picture of all three films and you know what some of the color corrections arent so bad if you think about it. Anyways for Star Wars AKA A New Hope it was nice to see they added Biggs and Luke in the X-Wing hanger into the Special Edition but why did they decide to leave out the other Luke and Biggs scenes their friendship would have been more understandable rather than just a mention in Luke's garage while cleaning R2 and 3P0 my reaction was who the f*** is Biggs? And that was what I was wondering till the hanger scene on the SE although it would have been even better to see those Biggs scenes earlier in the movie as well than I would not be asking myself that question the whole hour and a half or whatever. Well I cant think of much for Empire and Jedi but anyways lets just not see Han Solo talk to Jabba I kinda Liked it better when you could only hear about him in the first movie but you could not see him till the third it was so climactic and the SE ruined it completely and I don't care if Goarge wanted to see it in the movie it was cut for a reason. Than what the f*** is Boba Fett doing in the scene he was never originally filmed in this at all in fact he did not appear until the cartoon segment in The Star Wars Holiday Special so really if Boba is one of the most awesome characters in the Star Wars timeline why add so much more of him when we already see enough of him in the EU? 

What’s worse George Lucas changing the OT or selling the rights to Disney

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It makes me sad when I see them cleaning the dirt and spots from the film in that documenry to make the films look new again then ruining that work by adding cg animals and stuff like that. They shouldnt have done it. Some things are good like obi kenobis hut but most of it is not needed I think.

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Just remake them with CGI hand puppets, I say.

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I think about this subject quite a bit when it comes to what I expect from a special edition.

Most special editions restore original intent that was left on the cutting room floor

deleted scenes / sub-plots that were cut due to keeping the theatrical cut down

Basically either an alternative or an extended cut.

Although the special editions of the Star Wars Original Trilogy does this in some respects they often seem to change the original intent and continually keep changing and retro fitting things that do nothing to restore some of the much more important deleted or alternative scenes that could of been added.

Or shots for whatever reason that could not be finished before release are totally dis-regarded in favour of a new vision or a new scene that was never intended originally rather than what was the goal at the time when they were making the film. I don't mind new ideas far from it but I think that not enough care and attention was taken to restore rather than make new.

Not fixing problems that already existed and creating new ones.

Sometimes I can't help but wonder why it is the way it is the special editions.

Something I have been concentrating on recently is if you hire a composer like john williams and the whole London Sympjony Orchestra to make music for the film but then you wait until after they did the music and start chopping the film about, so the music can no longer be used. Cutting bit's of music in the middle because you don't have special effects shots finished or simply hard cutting the soundtrack out or using music from a totally different part of the film. A proper special edition would have sorted this out I think but it actually makes it worse.

It even goes as far to add special effects shots to the movie without sound but yet include the intended sound effects in the DVD menu.

I like some of it but the quality was really overall sub-par. Not enough thought went into It was more a platform for showing off better visual effects which although nice in some respects does nothing to really improve plot or timing or more story. There is plenty of footage that we have not seen that could have been restored or re-worked. And some is still be kept secret because it was not the film Lucus wanted to make which is fine but he did not direct Empire or Jedi so more focus on their original intent should have been made.

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How would I have done the special editions?

Better lightsabers, no ronto, none of the universally hated changes, keep original colors.

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I say for Special Editions of movies they should not make anything look brand new like they did in the OT like "Oh this movie was released just yesterday." but still make the movie look very fresh and obviously we all hated the crap they added into the movies like CGI and Hayden Christiansen although there is the small acception of the Biggs scene in the hangar bay although they should have added in those deleted scenes as well with Biggs and Luke at Anchorhead. I say the special edition of The Wizard Of Oz was very great like did you see how they refreshed all the scenes but how they didn't look like so new they had came out yesterday. Now I hear Wizard Of Oz is supposed to get a 3D re-release. Now I'll definitely pay to go see that ;) 

What’s worse George Lucas changing the OT or selling the rights to Disney

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I hate the special editions but i now count Adywans Star Wars the best version of the A New Hope re downloading the Definitive Collection set now can't wait to see how the theatrical version look. 

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The Special Editions always make me sad.

The first intent was to go back and fix problems, correct colors, remove garbage mattes, clean up general mistakes and things that are artifacts of the time.  This is GOOD!

Next, they added in some things like CGI X-Wings and cleaned things up that were limited technologically.  These are OKAY.  Not necessary and mess with the integrity of the historical product, but they are okay additions, though they have not aged so well.

Then, they added in junk that RUINED the film and really made things look bad.  Extended scenes, cut scenes that were cut for a reason, elements to make things look grander.  These in most cases have become eye-sores.  Jabba added to ANH.  Unnecessary, ruins the mystery, AND was terribly executed!

The perfect Special Edition would be first, a restoration and cleanup of technical issues and problems of the original movies, fix colors, sound, etc.  This would then be the ORIGINAL version.  Then for a Special Edition, some deleted scenes could be included (if up to the same level as the rest of the movie), some CGI tweaks and added elements if done VERY well.

I get the sense that things were cut originally because of tech limitations, story, etc., but when Lucas added them back in, he forgot why they were cut in the first place.  The Jabba scene always comes up.  It isn't needed and it was done very well.  The same level of scrutiny was not applied to the original cuts and special edition cuts.  No way that Jabba craps gets through on a legitimate Star Wars production schedule.

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Well I prefer things left unchanged but I do have certain exceptions. Cleaning out dirt and color correcting the image so it looks as good if not better than it was in first run? Fine. The actual film itself was not changed. Remastering the original sound elements so the music, dialogue, and sound effects sound as good if not better in first run? Fine. The sound itself was not changed. Digitally removing or enhancing a scene with CGI elements to ‘improve’ the scene? No. Rerecording or replacing portions of the audio with either rerecorded or unused pieces to ‘enhance’ the sound? No. So in regards to the Special Editions, I am not a huge fan of them. However, I respect Lucas’ choice in doing them. Its his methods of rewriting history by saying ‘the original doesn’t exist anymore’, he wants the originals destroyed, and the Special Edition is ‘the’ version that will only exist that I am unhappy with. If he would package the two together so everyone if not most people would be happy there would be no need to fuss. Yes he says he feels its the ‘director’s prerogative’ to enhance their films but he must understand that once upon a time a version of Star Wars was completed with the technology given at the time and released to worldwide acclaim. He also must remember there’s a big fanbase that prefers these versions. Now me, I say Lucas can do what he wants to his films but his not making the originals unavailable anymore is just wrong. This is strictly opinion of course.

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I'd just remove some little things, and "improve some improvements" on the 2011 bd versions. Then they'd be perfect.

1) 2011 definitive edition

2) theatrical

3) 2004

4) Special edition

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The special edition of Star Wars should be similar to the last release of Blade Runner. No PT parasites, just visual improvements. And like with Blade Runner, they should release a theatrical version along with it. I prefer the last release of Blade Runner by far due the amazing visual improvements. However it is essential to have theatrical version with it, when you want to watch it.

真実

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I agree, every version of the movies should be available.

Perfect release?

A 6 disc box set:

- 3 discs with the definitive 2011 editions

- 3 discs with the Theatrical and Special editions in seamless branching

Actually better not consider the 2004 dvd, they're just a prototype of the 2011...

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slask said:

I agree, every version of the movies should be available.

Perfect release?

A 6 disc box set:

- 3 discs with the definitive 2011 editions

- 3 discs with the Theatrical and Special editions in seamless branching

Actually better not consider the 2004 dvd, they're just a prototype of the 2011...

 Heck, the only two I consider historically important are the originals and the '97 SEs (or in Star Wars' case, the '77, '81, and '97 cuts). The '04 and '11 cuts are virtually identical, only seen in a home video release, and does anyone even want those?

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Handman said: Heck, the only two I consider historically important are the originals and the '97 SEs (or in Star Wars' case, the '77, '81, and '97 cuts). The '04 and '11 cuts are virtually identical, only seen in a home video release, and does anyone even want those?

 I agree. The original and '97 versions are historically significant for different reasons. The original was a complete game changer. No films prior had any visual effects or story telling of that level and thats why I feel it is disgraceful that Lucas wants to destroy these versions regardless of how out of date the effects are or how it doesn't represent his 'vision'. The '97 versions were huge because of nostalgia. There was nothing really groundbreaking about it. It was more a case of history repeating itself. People got to see the films again on the big screen. As far as the effects nothing was really groundbreaking because the CGI used in them had already existed for a few years. The public was familiar with it. Not to mention unlike those who saw the originals where the effects completely blew everyone away, you now had a legion of fans who scoffed at these newer effects plaguing the movies they had come to love. Now the Special Editions have there followers and thats fine. Some are in agreeance that enhancing something from the past with something from today improves the movie. Me personally I only somewhat agree with that. I'm fine if its just an alternative to the original. When its designed to replace the original I cant agree with that. I just cant. So as you said I'd be thrilled to have a set with two or more versions of the movie just like Ridley Scott did with Blade Runner.

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Handman said:Heck, the only two I consider historically important are the originals and the '97 SEs (or in Star Wars' case, the '77, '81, and '97 cuts). The '04 and '11 cuts are virtually identical, only seen in a home video release, and does anyone even want those?

1997 are historycally important, but many of the first changes are awful (see the cgi jabba). 2011 are the best among the edited editions, they completed tecnhical adjustments and improved rough '97 cgi.

And I want them for sure.

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I'm someone who grew up on the 1997 cuts, so while I prefer the OOT on the whole, there are a handful of things from the SE that I'd include if I were making a master cut for myself.

What I like from the SEs:

-The inclusion of the 1981 "A New Hope" crawl

-Fixing Vader's lightsaber after the duel with Obi-Wan

-Replaced shots of the Sandcrawler and Ben's hut

-Cleaned-up landspeeder effects

-Biggs before the Battle of Yavin

-Victory Celebration at the end of Jedi (I know I'm being a bad purist, but I've always hated Yub Nub. And I mean the 1997 version, without Naboo or Hayden)

Things I'm not crazy about but that don't ruin it for me:

-CGI in the Battle of Yavin

-the extended Wampa sequence

-Extended Cloud City approach

-Oolah in the Rancor pit

-Sarlacc beak

Things that aren't the absolute worst, but that I'd leave out without thinking twice if I were making the decisions:

-CGI dewbacks

-Mos Eisley approach

-Windows on Cloud City

-"Alert my Star Destroyer to prepare for my arrival"/other useless dialogue changes

-Anakin's eyebrows

Things that 200% need to go:

-Greedo shooting

-Jabba in ANH

-Ian McDiarmid in ESB

-Temeura Morrison's voice

-Jabba's ridiculous big door

-The dug in Jabba's palace

-"Jedi Rocks"

-Vader's big "NOOO" in ROTJ

-Gungans in the ROTJ celebration

-Ghost Hayden

As far as fixing compositing problems and bad mattes and the like, I actually prefer the cleaner "fixed" presentation. If the impossible dream of the OOT/SE branched version ever comes to fruition, I'd keep the stuff in my first section and then go OOT otherwise.

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^I'm pretty much on board with your ranking in terms of least terrible to most terrible.

As for the first category, the lightsaber and landspeeder alone would have been reasonable repairs for re-releasing a film on its 20th anniversary. I probably didn't learn that the '81 crawl wasn't the original until 1995 when someone explained it to me, so the change has never really made my skin crawl. The sandcrawler is one of those changes that I'm still against in principal, but man, the new shot looks good. 

The new song might be better than yub nub, but it's too weird to change the music in the very last scene of the trilogy. And the visuals, with all the extras standing around awkwardly in front of green screens with wonky cgi backdrops pushes the scene into the "No" category for me.

The only ranking here that I 100% disagree with is the Sarlacc. Really awful CGI. As a kid, I liked the mystery and absurdity of some powerful and ancient, shapeless beast that exists somewhere in between the definition of monster and scenery. Now it's a weird smooth and shiny bird thing in the ground.

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I think my feelings about the Sarlacc and especially the victory celebration can be chalked up to the fact that I'd never seen ROTJ before going to the theater in 97, and my parents weren't big enough Star Wars fans to own it on video before I got the SE VHS box set that year for my birthday. That was the version I wore out in my childhood, so Victory Celebration IS the proper music with all the trappings of nostalgia for me. As for the Sarlacc, it looks pretty bad, but the fact that it's just been stuck in to existing shots without adding any running time and messing with the pacing make it less of an issue for me than, say, the rontos in Mos Eisley.

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In regards to the sarlaac, I don't mind the CGI tentacles so much but the CGI beak has got to go. Sorry it looks ridiculous. Also I personally prefer Yub Nub compared to the new song but I do agree that the new song fits the scene better.

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crissrudd4554 said:

Also I personally prefer Yub Nub compared to the new song but I do agree that the new song fits the scene better.

I don't see how that's possible when the instrumentation of "Victory Celebration" doesn't even line up with the Ewoks' motions.

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We assume it's because they're doing an interpretive dance.

Team Olie.

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DuracellEnergizer said:

crissrudd4554 said:

Also I personally prefer Yub Nub compared to the new song but I do agree that the new song fits the scene better.

I don't see how that's possible when the instrumentation of "Victory Celebration" doesn't even line up with the Ewoks' motions.

Well I was referring more to the mood of the scene. Although to be fair Yub Nub is really more of a song you'd expect to hear at a celebration held in an ewok village anyways so what do I know?

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Yub Nub is anticlimactic. If Jedi weren't a definite end point I don't think it would be a problem, but to have the whole thing go out on that goofy note doesn't sit well with me. Granted, I don't love Victory Celebration either (that electric bass is a bummer), but it's a step up. I honestly think this one more than the others boils down to which version you saw as a kid, though. I almost always go for the unaltered cut anyway because I'd rather tolerate Yub Nub and avoid Jedi Rocks rather than the other way around, but I really wish Lucas/Marquand/Williams had come up with something better the first time around.

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I agree. I was exposed to the originals first so I prefer those.

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I first saw the pan and scan VHS tapes of the 97 versions of the original trilogy first and honestly I liked them until I got older and realized what they really where “money grabbers”. I didn’t get my first chance to see the unaltered versions of the original trilogy until the 06 GOUT DVD’s came out and I really saw the movies in a new light. I realized soon after that they where just non anamorphic widescreen Laserdisc transfers from 93 and at the time I didn’t know what a Laserdisc was and had to Google it. Now I only give my fan support to the original unaltered versions of the OT and not the made just for money SE’s. I own the DVD’s and BD’s but I barely ever watch them most of the time it’s the 95 letterboxed VHS tapes.

By the way Han shot first.