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The lost frame of ESB — Page 2

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Ugh, PAL speedup is infuriating. Anyway, nice catch msycamore!

Forum Moderator
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SpilkaBilka said:

zombie, msycamore, thanks so much for the info re: the shot of the fleet.  Anyone know a reason why this was done, and when the FX shot was created?  Was it a shot they simply forgot to put in, or one they felt they needed for some reason after the movie was released?

The way I understand it, the reason for the re-editing being that apparently there was some confusion where exactly Luke and company were located and where the Falcon (Lando) were in relation to them. Besides the two shots added before we first see Lando in the cockpit, they added the exterior shot of the ships with the extra dialogue, "When we find Jabba the Hutt and that bounty hunter, we'll contact you."

SpilkaBilka said:

I seem to remember reading/hearing in some Lucas or Kershner interview, about a shot at the end of ESB that apparently came out crappy, I believe of the fleet, and I think Kersh said, "one bad shot can ruin the whole movie" or something like that, so they decided to redo it. I wonder if this is related to the missing/added FX shot?

Yes, I think the quote you remember is from IGN's interview with Gary Kurtz: http://www.ign.com/articles/2002/11/11/an-interview-with-gary-kurtz?page=4

Kurtz: At the very end of Empire ... we decided at the very last minute – we pretty much locked the picture in the mix and just getting ready to make 70mm prints – and we decided that there had to be an extra shot at the very end, to identify this rebel fleet.

If you remember how the end works, it's before you go into the medical department, who are working on Mark's hand. It's the establishing shot of the fleet, and we had a shot already of going into the window and showing Mark inside, and we just decided that it was confusing. We didn't know exactly how that was sorted out, so we wanted a long shot at the beginning, and then one at the end that shows the whole fleet when the Falcon flies off. They weren't very difficult to do, and all the ships were there ... just pile up the composites, and they were rushed through, just to get it done. Very last minute. One of them wasn't particularly good, and George said, "Oh well, maybe we should just let it go."

I said, "It's worth at least one more go through. One bad shot can ruin the whole movie, basically." Which I really believe is true, and it just wasn't very good. It was just a compositing problem, had nothing to do with the individual shot elements – I can't even remember what shot it was, now. I think making a movie wears everybody down. You have to be really careful of the decisions you make at the very end, because you can kind of throw a monkey wrench in, very easily.

Tobar said:

Anyway, nice catch msycamore!

Or not... ;) Hard to unsee, I thought more people had noticed it. And the reason behind it has been bugging me for years.

We want you to be aware that we have no plans—now or in the future—to restore the earlier versions. 

Sincerely, Lynne Hale publicity@lucasfilm.com

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More about the late addition to ESB can be found in tMoESB Rinzler book, pg. 333-334. 

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none said:

More about the late addition to ESB can be found in tMoESB Rinzler book, pg. 333-334. 

Yeah, there's some nice storyboards and info about the additions in there. Ken Ralston also mention this late addition briefly in the old Definitive Collection LD commentary track.

We want you to be aware that we have no plans—now or in the future—to restore the earlier versions. 

Sincerely, Lynne Hale publicity@lucasfilm.com

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Tobar said:


Ugh, PAL speedup is infuriating. Anyway, nice catch msycamore!

I'll say I probably prefer it to hard telecine. At least PAL speedup is easily reversible.

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I'm just amazed that zombie didn't know there were three Prune Faces in ROTJ. I spotted that ages ago and I don't even have a book out :)

That's some bad hat, Harry
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Every day I add another marble stone to my Easterhay idol.  Am I even worthy enough to post in the same thread? ;)

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Easterhay said:

I'm just amazed that zombie didn't know there were three Prune Faces in ROTJ. I spotted that ages ago and I don't even have a book out :)

Who knew that Prunefaces qualify as Double-Secret History!

ROTJ Storyboard Reconstruction Project

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darth_ender said:

Every day I add another marble stone to my Easterhay idol.  Am I even worthy enough to post in the same thread? ;)

POTWA*

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Merry Christmas, msycamore and everyone else with bionic eyes and a love for Star Wars minutia (myself included).

Happy Holidays to all!

A picture is worth a thousand words. Post 102 is worth more.

I’m late to the party, but I think this is the best song. Enjoy!

—Teams Jetrell Fo 1, Jetrell Fo 2, and Jetrell Fo 3

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AntcuFaalb said:

Merry Christmas, msycamore and everyone else with bionic eyes and a love for Star Wars minutia (myself included).

Happy Holidays to all!

We want you to be aware that we have no plans—now or in the future—to restore the earlier versions. 

Sincerely, Lynne Hale publicity@lucasfilm.com

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Will check this against our prints. Its probably missing also.

Team Negative1

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Good spot.

I think it was inherent in the editing techniques of the time....probably due to a torn frame in the OCN....if it was ripped or unusable...they spliced it out.

I noticed a similar jump cut in Raiders of the lost ark.

It occurs  when Indy is describing the ark to the 2 Army intelligence officials in the school hall.

Observe when Indy says:

"yeah the Ark of the covenant....the chest the Hebrews used to carry the 10 commandments in ".

Now I  only noticed it when I was projecting the blu ray onto  a screen of 77inches.

But then I thought I would double check my original 1983 V2000 Raiders video tape to see if it was always there...and sure enough it is!

I saw Star Wars in 1977. Many, many, many times. For 3 years it was just Star Wars...period. I saw it in good theaters, cheap theaters and drive-ins with those clunky metal speakers you hang on your window. The screen and sound quality never subtracted from the excitement. I can watch the original cut right now, over 30 years later, on some beat up VHS tape and enjoy it. It's the story that makes this movie. Nothing? else.

kurtb8474 1 week ago

http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=SkAZxd-5Hp8


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That school is only a 10 minute walk away from where I live :)

Did anyone also notice the sound for the troops running past the falcon is also not in the sound mix because there was no microphones placed down there...

mind I have never heard the 70mm audio mix

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Checked one of our prints from ESB. Didn't see a frame jump on the film. Will post a sample of it.

Team Negative1

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Whoah.  A good-quality still of the missing frame would be pretty cool too.

Project Threepio (Star Wars OOT subtitles)

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team_negative1 said:

Checked one of our prints from ESB. Didn't see a frame jump on the film. Will post a sample of it.

Team Negative1

 Who checked one of your prints?  Who didn't see a frame jump?  Who will post a sample?

Tune in next week for...

AS THE DEATH STAR TURNS

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May it's just, but like the new lack of personal pronouns.  It suits.

Project Threepio (Star Wars OOT subtitles)

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False alarm, after close inspection, the jump is still there. You can verify it in the Grindhouse version.

Team Negative1

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Who can verify it?  WHY WON'T YOU ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS?!?!?!?!  WHERE IS YOUR HUMANITY??????

Team Olie

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TV's Frink said:

WHERE IS YOUR HUMANITY??????

When a hive mind is formed, humanity is the first thing to go.

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team_negative1 said:


False alarm, after close inspection, the jump is still there. You can verify it in the Grindhouse version.

Team Negative1

If your Grindhouse had had that extra frame,
'we' would have known it since December
when Chewtobacca made his GOUT-sync script

However, in practice you must take into account the “fuckwit factor”. Just talk to Darth Mallwalker…
-Moth3r

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DuracellEnergizer said:

TV's Frink said:

WHERE IS YOUR HUMANITY??????

When a hive mind is formed, humanity is the first thing to go.

 But we asked where it went.

Team Olie

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Darth Mallwalker said:

team_negative1 said:


False alarm, after close inspection, the jump is still there. You can verify it in the Grindhouse version.

Team Negative1


If your Grindhouse had had that extra frame,
'we' would have known it since December
when Chewtobacca made his GOUT-sync script

 10-9-10: not a traditional Haiku, but still perfect in its way.

Project Threepio (Star Wars OOT subtitles)