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Hypothetical: 30th anniversary theatrical release

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Unfortunately, right now, the official version of the Star Wars saga is something of a messy collage.

While watching the 1997 SE tonight for fun, I was thinking about how much better it might have been if George Lucas and Lucasfilm had made the Special Editions starting in 2007. Specifically, I thought about how incredible it would have been if EVERY special effect shot of the OT- every optical and blue screen shot- had been redone to the standards of the prequels. We would have probably seen a 2007 release of A New Hope followed by a 2008 release of Empire and so on. In this way, all six films would have been released in the "saga order" beginning in 1999. Granted, what was done in 1997 was successful and it generated a lot of interest for the prequels, but it's still fun to dream.

My main fantasy involves a complete redo of the effects in the original trilogy. In this way, all six episodes would maintain a very similar level of visual effects along with a consistent SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF. This concept is much more in line with what I think George Lucas wants for Star Wars as a whole, but right now we have a pretty shoddy cut and paste job with elements from three different generations. It makes for an uneven visual experience. Imagining the kind of audience satisfaction of seeing the original trilogy on the big screen AFTER the relative disappointment of the prequels.... In a completely redone and polished manner.... Is staggering. It would have probably evoked an even larger sense of wonder than we all experienced in 1997. There's almost no doubt in my mind that it would have been a monumental success for Lucasfilm and audiences alike, and we would be left with something pretty amazing to enjoy for years to come.
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The best thing I like about your post is that as suggested if the SE was done in '07 then we would have had the OOT released on dvd by now because it would of been the only product Lucasfilm would have available to put out on dvd. Actually we probably would have seen it released multiple times....... ah warm fuzzy feelings

What your suggesting is probably a good way for the OT to reach a new audience without the PT but there's a crap load of people who like the old effects and like them being 70's looking films, not all shiny and modern like the 2004 dvd's try to be.

I think you'll find that a lot of people here, myself inluded, don't even mind the SE or what your talking about in your post, just as long as it is an alternate version of the SW trilogy not the one and only version of the SW trilogy

Originally posted by: Realityghost

Specifically, I thought about how incredible it would have been if EVERY special effect shot of the OT- every optical and blue screen shot- had been redone to the standards of the prequels.


*resists making a joke about the standards of the PT*

"Well here's a big bag of rock salt" - Patton Oswalt

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I quite agree.As long as we are given the choice about what to watch I have no problem at all with George doing what he feels he needs to.It's paramount that we are not patronised and told these are the versions you have to watch.
And I like the prequels so...

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Original Star Wars Props and Production Material

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there is nothing wrong with the real original trilogy from 1977-1983. they reflect the times in which they were made which is not a bad thing, they are a part of movie history end of story.

it must kill george that the versions of star wars and empire that were selected for afi list were the original versions and not the extra shitty edition aka. 1997-2004.

he should have left star wars the hell alone, he parted ways after jedi and it should have stayed that way.

the only reason he returned to star wars lack of ideas and he had a cash cow to squeeze, insert any one trick poney joke you like star wars should have been left alone.

am i the only one that believes in the less is more philosophy?

and the 2006 release of the oot, the single biggest disgrace of a release i've ever seen on dvd from a film company which prides itself on being cutting edge, and a fortune 500 company to boot, what a joke.

releasing something in 2006 what was acceptable video qaulity in 1993, could there be any more of a f*** you!, bitch slap in the face to the original fans than this?

“Always loved Vader’s wordless self sacrifice. Another shitty, clueless, revision like Greedo and young Anakin’s ghost. What a fucking shame.” -Simon Pegg.

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I thought that there was an SE IMAX 3-D release this year or something planned?

“What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.”

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Like I've said before, LFL has made its choice in regards to the GOUT and can't take it back. All it can hope for is to salvage whatever shred of decency it's left itself by remastering the OOT from an IP and getting it over with. It'll be impossible to explain the 2006 release as anything more than an easy cash-in, but if they didn't feel like giving the bare minimum expected treatment then they could've simply not released it. Again, they've made their choice and can't take it back.
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Originally posted by: Mike O
I thought that there was an SE IMAX 3-D release this year or something planned?


That was addressed by Mccallum a little while back saying that the technology hasn't been perfected yet. Kinda odd considering ILM worked on the 3D process for Nightmare Before Christmas. Maybe, the process wasn't good enough for Star Wars.
There's good in the Original Trilogy, and it's worth fighting for.
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SkyJedi, no, you are certainly not the only one who appreciates the "less is more" philosophy. The OOT and the I-VI saga can certainly co-exist. There are times that I'd prefer to watch the movies exactly as I remember from my childhood, and there are also times that I'd like to see what 'ol George has put together recently and experience a more modern visual interpretation of the Star Wars universe. I don't think the true originals should be suppressed either, but I also think that the current state of the IV-VI portions as they fit into the I-VI saga are in a sorry state. We have some great opticals that still hold up superbly today: The opening flyover of the Tantive and the Star Destroyer from ANH, for example. We also have a plethora of gawdawful opticals still present. We also have some AWFUL CG effects from 1997, mainly the animal/alien life in Mos Eisley. And lastly, we have some STRONG CG effects from 1997 that still hold up well today, effects which mainly appear during the climactic Death Star battle.

Imagining what COULD be done with the IV-VI with present Lucasfilm technology to the entirety of the visual effects in the films- would be something to make the "circuit complete." It's just a concept that seems highly preferable to the uneven visual quality of the OT in its current, official incarnation. George would probably see things the same way if it were put to him, however, he has gone on record saying that he is "happy" with all the films as they are now and that they are "done." What? The visual quality is all over the place, George.

To be clear, I'm also happy to watch the OOT and see the original visual effects as they were done in '77, '80, and '83, because everything is consistent. These ARE the true masterpieces. You can lose yourself in the visual universe. Much in the same way you can lose yourself in the visual universe of the prequels, simply because they are visually consistent. But.... Giving the OT the full treatment would lend better to the modern legacy of Star Wars as its creator envisions. The 2004 restoration of the practically shot actors, locations, and sets combined with exclusively prequel quality visual effects would make for a phenomonal audience experience. It would just be worlds better than it is now, folks. But unfortunately, this is the stuff of dreams.
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Originally posted by: Realityghost
In this way, all six episodes would maintain a very similar level of visual effects along with a consistent SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF.


Oh, totally - the last time I was hanging out with Jabba, I was like, "Dude, you totally looked fake in 1997." I don't believe in him anymore...