The Probe Scanner Revised (as uncut as I could make it)
I have revised the version I had put up previously as It just did not make sense… Although I have deviated from the script slightly. This new version uses common sense.
I am now settled on this as being a far more accurate representation of what an uncut version of the probe droid sequence with station three - eight would be like.
This eliminates problems of the previous version and uses a simple scene re-arrangement to Improve the sequence much more. I don’t think this sequence could get much better now than this new version aside from clean up of the deleted scenes adding the actual missing transmission from station three eight and the missing shot of the snowspeeders.
It took quite a bit more thought on this to finally settle on this new version as more accurate and more sensible.
One more submission for the censorship theory to do with Lobot played by John Hollis from t-bones Star Wars.
But Hollis said dialogue wasn’t the only thing Lobot had cut from Empire, according to the Insider:
“A lot of death scenes were filmed,” he remembered. “There was a scene of me being carted off by men in white masks. But they would say, ‘Oh, we might need you again.’ There were a lot of people getting arrested, but they were very wary about showing people die.”
And I think that ties in nicely to why station three eight’s destruction got cut and also why perhaps we don’t see as many deaths as there were filmed especially in the final 3rd with the battle with the storm troopers. I know of at least one that is shown not to die but the scenes are re-arranged in such a way that the first time we see the storm trooper he is actually dead then a few shots later he is shown to be alive resurrected if you like. If Lobot were to be executed then it would have been a laser bolt sound without showing his actual death probably but we all know they would have blown his computer brains out.
Commander Rieekans Death was also another potential number to add to the death toll. Wether or not this was filmed I would have to say it probably was but he was meant to be crushed by machinary in the command center falling on him so it might have just been his arm sticking out and already dead but to be sure it’s yet another one to consider in the censorship of Empire Strikes Back
One more censorship related cut Chewie hits the storm trooper in full view in the film it is an alternate angle found in the 1982 re-release trailer for Empire Strikes Back. It might be an extra storm trooper that takes a serious beating rather than a push off the edge but either way it’s a violence cut. And it also probably relates to C3-PO’s full line “I’m not ready to die on the back of a demented wookie” heard in the story of LP
A copy of the Mcquarrie concept art… Just thought I would share it for fun! What a great shot It would have been…
Until more information surfaces the book shuts again 😃