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Names matter

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I’m curious what everyone thinks on this. I have found that most people hate the changes to the movies and want them in their original form, yet they refer to the first movie as “A New Hope” instead of “Star Wars”.

Since the original didn’t reference this title in any way, I see it as just another change, just like the SE changes (even though it came earlier). In fact I think using this name adds credibility to the argument that George Lucas can change the movies after release.

What do all of you think? Is it more acceptable because the change was made closer to the release? Or did you never see the original release first?

Personally, I think its hard to make a strong argument against the special editions while using a name that George Lucas came up with years after the movie came out. I’d love to know if I’m alone in this thought.

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 (Edited)

There’s a similar discussion in this thread.

Personally, it doesn’t bother me, since Star Wars is the name of the franchise now and saying “the original Star Wars film” every time is just clunky. But I did grow up with there being six Star Wars movies already… The name ANH predates the Special Editions considerably so I don’t see a reason to associate it specifically with the SE.

I also call the 60s series “Star Trek” “Star Trek: The Original Series” for similar reasons.

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I see your point, I just call the movie “Star Wars” and I guess it does sometimes cause confusion. I definitely agree with you that that would be clunky.

I guess I’m more accepting of referring to it as Episode 4 (even though it never actually called itself that) because the original version of Empire did refer to itself as episode 5.

I never cared for the subtitle A New Hope, that might be why it bothers me.

Star Trek makes a ton of sense to me, because there are so many movies and series, and even a movie that is simply called “Star Trek”, so you really do need to further specify. With Star Wars there are only 3 movies… no matter what George Lucas wants you to believe.

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I call it ‘Star Wars’ too, partly because that was the original name and partly because I think the film is the essence of Star Wars; it encapsulates the feeling of the Star Wars universe to an extent, and at the end of the day, everything else is derivative. But as mentioned above, if you say your favourite movie is Star Wars, people are going to ask which one.

Calling the film ‘Star Wars’ is relegated pretty much to OT purists like us lot on originaltrilogy.com. Let’s treat the official name as Star Wars, but in conversation, refer to it as ANH for handiness.

“Remember, the Force will be with you. Always.”

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I usually just call it ANH/Episode 4. I think given the context of the greater saga it makes more sense.

Use the Force, Joh Yowza.

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Hoop28 said:

I usually just call it ANH/Episode 4. I think given the context of the greater saga it makes more sense.

Ahhh, but only if you acknowledge the existence of movies made after 1983…

I’m not as opposed to calling it episode 4, I just hate the made-up-after-the-fact fake title.

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zxs_2020 said:

Hoop28 said:

I usually just call it ANH/Episode 4. I think given the context of the greater saga it makes more sense.

Ahhh, but only if you acknowledge the existence of movies made after 1983…

Which most people here do. Not everyone here is a hardcore purist who hates everything that isn’t the OT.

My preferred Skywalker Saga experience:
I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX

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The film was first retitled A New Hope in the Art of Star Wars first edition. Edited by Carol Titelman.

That was in 1979 i think.

So 1981 was when they actually bothered to do it, to physically alter the opening roll up and starfield and add a new second title to the film. They even spliced the new opening into existing prints.

I’m sure ILM has talked about redoing the opening somewhere.

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I really don’t like the A New Hope title, but I kinda bring myself to calling it that because calling it “Star Wars” can be confusing.

Reading R + L ≠ J theories

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zxs_2020 said:

I’m curious what everyone thinks on this. I have found that most people hate the changes to the movies and want them in their original form, yet they refer to the first movie as “A New Hope” instead of “Star Wars”.

Since the original didn’t reference this title in any way, I see it as just another change, just like the SE changes (even though it came earlier). In fact I think using this name adds credibility to the argument that George Lucas can change the movies after release.

What do all of you think? Is it more acceptable because the change was made closer to the release? Or did you never see the original release first?

Personally, I think its hard to make a strong argument against the special editions while using a name that George Lucas came up with years after the movie came out. I’d love to know if I’m alone in this thought.

That is an interesting take. I suppose from a certain point of view you are correct, but it is a “half change” to me, because the 1977 Star Wars film was still be branded and labelled on products as “Star Wars”, often without ‘A New Hope’, well in to the late 90’s?

Then again, the ‘Original Trilogy’ was still known as “The Star Wars Trilogy” even after the Prequel films were released.

I still refer to the film as “Star Wars”, or “Star Wars 1977” if I’m talking with younger people to try and avoid any confusion on their part.

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I remember when ‘Star Wars’ was used for the film, and also for the trilogy. People just understood what was meant by it.

I can’t remember an occasion when I have referred to Star Wars as ‘A New Hope’, but I probably have on rare occasions. It’ll always be ‘Star Wars’ for me.

The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear.

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Now I wasn’t alive at this time, but from talking to people who were, it’s my understanding that even though the “A New Hope” title was on the movie since 1981, no one actually called it that until the late 90s at THE VERY EARLIEST. Seems like it was more when maybe the 2000 VHS came out.

You’ll laugh! You’ll cry! You’ll kiss three bucks goodbye!

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The first time the New Title was in media was the Radio Drama but they bungled it and called it THE NEW HOPE. I think that was in 1981 and they then reverted it to just Star Wars.

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WookieeWarrior77 said:

Now I wasn’t alive at this time, but from talking to people who were, it’s my understanding that even though the “A New Hope” title was on the movie since 1981, no one actually called it that until the late 90s at THE VERY EARLIEST. Seems like it was more when maybe the 2000 VHS came out.

The sides of 1995 VHS packaging for the movie we now know as ANH has a logo that says “Star Wars” and says “A New Hope” in small letters while ESB and ROTJ say “Star Wars” in small letters and have logos that say “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi”. Otherwise, ANH was marketed as just “Star Wars” until the 2000 VHS release.

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darklordoftech said:

The sides of 1995 VHS packaging for the movie we now know as ANH has a logo that says “Star Wars” and says “A New Hope” in small letters while ESB and ROTJ say “Star Wars” in small letters and have logos that say “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi”. Otherwise, ANH was marketed as just “Star Wars” until the 2000 VHS release.

Yes, I know, I’ve got those tapes actually. What I meant about the 2000 tapes was it was the first release to present “A New Hope” as being just as much the title of that movie as “The Empire Strikes Back” or “Return of the Jedi” on the case.

Interestingly enough, even though the logos all look the same, even in the 2004 DVD commercial, the announcer names the movies as “Star Wars: A New Hope”, “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi”

You’ll laugh! You’ll cry! You’ll kiss three bucks goodbye!

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WookieeWarrior77 said:

darklordoftech said:

The sides of 1995 VHS packaging for the movie we now know as ANH has a logo that says “Star Wars” and says “A New Hope” in small letters while ESB and ROTJ say “Star Wars” in small letters and have logos that say “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi”. Otherwise, ANH was marketed as just “Star Wars” until the 2000 VHS release.

Yes, I know, I’ve got those tapes actually. What I meant about the 2000 tapes was it was the first release to present “A New Hope” as being just as much the title of that movie as “The Empire Strikes Back” or “Return of the Jedi” on the case.

Interestingly enough, even though the logos all look the same, even in the 2004 DVD commercial, the announcer names the movies as “Star Wars: A New Hope”, “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi”

Definitely agree it was the 2000 VHS that solidified “A New Hope” as its common name. Those tapes were all about rebranding the OT in the same style as The Phantom Menace’s VHS, so we saw three significant changes to the branding:

  1. “A New Hope” as you said became just as much the title of the movie as “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi”

  2. The episode titles were emphasized on the box for the first time

  3. Empire and Jedi ceased having their own unique logos (something even the Special Edition kept in 1997)

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That’s really interesting, as I remember the “A New Hope” name being a thing, but looking at the 1995 artwork for the Obi-wan/THX edition it’s only on the spine as a smaller subtitle. I guess it’s become habit, like how EPISODE ONE was everywhere instead of the movie name back in the day.

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A New Hope is more convenient for figuring out which movie you’re talking about, but I still say Star Wars or the original Star Wars out of principle