Possessed Return of the Jedi-* Resurrected!!* — Page 4

I put them in the same folder and used my usual unzip application on the first file.

It opened pretty simply.

What do you usually unzip zipped files with Erik?

I recommend 7zip.  It's free and opens many different archives easily.

+1

Glad to hear you finally got it to work.

It's getting really close now.  I've almost re-edited Jabba's palace.  List of changes in new edit from original as follows:
*3PO's line about lando and chewie never returning from the palace is removed.  
*Removed the bit where the talking chain bot startles R2 and he backs up.

*Removed 3PO's line "Just deliver Master Luke's message and get us out of here".  In my edit, any reference to 3PO not knowing the plan are removed.

*Salacious Crumb is completely removed.

*Trims to the Luke hologram.  (Ever thought it was strange that Luke inserted pauses in his speech for jabba's palace to give their reaction to everything he says?)

*No thermal detonator.  Jabba (well threepio) offers bush (however you spell it) 25 thousand for chewie and he accepts.  Since when was the purpose of the adventure to make extra cash?  I mean, if there was some reference in the film about 50 thousand being the agreed upon price that'd be one thing.

*Removed Lando revealing himself to the audience. (I'd like this entire scene to be removed but it hurts the pacing too much)

*Jabba no longer calls han bantha poodoo.  

*Several various trims

*The rancor fight cuts from the fight to the audience cheering and laughing far less often now.  Maybe 2 or 3 times.  Also removed Luke hitting the nonmoving rubber claw.

*Removed the people crying over the rancor.

*Removed everything between jabba ordering them to be executed and them being executed.  I found it to be completely filler.

*Small trims to barge fight.  I've also edited it so that it appears that Han hits bobba with the bar on purpose.  He no longer asks where he is, he just says "Bobba fett?..." then turns and swings.  Removed his "what the!?" so he doesn't appear suprised by it.

Possessed said:

*Removed Lando revealing himself to the audience. (I'd like this entire scene to be removed but it hurts the pacing too much)

After typing this I had an idea.  What if after the first shot of chewie being dragged away I cut away to the scene with Vader and the Emperor on the DSII? This would help the pacing out..  This would enable me to remove the dance music party scene without it feeling like an "an edit of ROTJ highlights" as Bingowings put it.  (and don't get me wrong, I have nothing but gratitude for him saying that.  Really gave me the inspiration to put more effort into making the opening good without being choppy).

Only problem with this is: What am I going to put between Luke leaving for Degobah and him arriving there?  Does anybody have any suggestions of a scene that could be moved here without the removal of it from where it originally was hurting pacing and such? 

I wouldn't personally move the arrival of the Emperor. Quite honestly I think it would be bad storytelling. Let the audience focus on Jabba's palace, and then shift their attention to the larger plot points once that (in my opinion, filler) stuff is dealt with.

I think you're right, oh well, back to the original way I had it.

Also I'm going to re-edit some of the very first scenes we see ewoks in too.  But other than that this edit's getting close.

Also I'm thinking of restoring the thermal detonator sequence but of course without salacious crumb.  I mean, I wanted to cut Max Rebo and co. completely from the film but since they are shown for a few seconds when the party starts anyway I guess restoring another 2 second shot of him to help the pacing wouldn't be so bad.  Opinions?  

I haven't really been following this, but have you given any thought to cutting Fett from the film completely?

It's always bugged me that he does nothing in ROTJ.  On top of that, he's a bounty hunter - what's he doing chilling at Jabba's palace when he should be out hunting bounties?

It never bothered me.  Whose to say he isn't resting after delivering a fresh bounty? I always got the impression that jabba's palace was somewhat of a (harsh) haven for bounty hunters hiding out.

Also the shots of him in the palace are important for the pacing of my edit now that I've cut some things.

Palpatine's line about Luke's lightsaber makes perfect sense (if you ignore the PT nonsense of Palpatine using one as well).

Vader was a Jedi and now he is the Emperor's slave, this is the point of the whole confrontation, Vader has rejected his Jedi identity but still uses the weapon, Luke throws away the weapon and gains his Jedi identity which leads to Vader regaining his.

Sometimes a cigar is just a penis.

Bingowings said:

Sometimes a cigar is just a penis.

Steve McCroskey said:

Looks like I picked the wrong week to give up smoking.

Erikstormtrooper said:

Possessed,

I checked out your edit. Having just watched Daneditor's cut, it's good to see both of you ended up cutting a lot of the things I have issues with.

Overal this was pretty good, but there were still a few things I'm hoping you might tweak:

• It may be a codec issue, but there were audio sync issues for me. The audio was ahead of the video.  It's the avi.
• The line "bring solo and and the wookiee" has "and" in there twice. Fixed.
• There's a music cut of some kind when leia puts the chain around jabba's neck. Jabba's palace is re-edited completely.
• Any chance you'd use Han's line "trust me"? Perhaps.
• It may have always been this way, but the bad guys suddenly disappear before Luke fires the cannon at the deck. I don't remember.  I did cut something there, but in my re-edit I think I left that spot alone so if it still happens now it isn't my fault.
• Luke just shows up on the shuttle, without any acknowledgment that he's come back.  I added back in, with some changes, Han and Lando's dialogue at the beginning of the scene.  I then add Luke coming in.  (He just doesn't shout anything anymore, he just walks in, late, coming from Degobah. 
• 3po's story to the ewoks is cut. Did you have an issue with that? I didn't have a problem with 3P0 per say in this sequence, I just saw it as unnecessary ewok screen time.  I'll consider partially restoring it.
• After Luke leaves Leia to turn himself in to Vader, the omission of Han works surprisingly well. I like it! Thanks, I was pleased with it too.
• Why has Vader igniting luke's saber been removed? There's alot of changes in this scene and with the dialogue I changed there's no place for it anymore.  Watch the original and compare it to mine.  You'll see what I mean.
• After Han says "You stay here. We'll take care of this," there's a strange sound in the right channel while the Death Star is shown. Fixed.
• Not seeing Han & co actually get into the bunker is a little weird, but I guess it works. I know the tap on the shoulder is a bit lame. But something feels missing here. You're right.  I still prefer it this way, but I'll try to find something to put there.
• suggestion: is it possible to remove Palpatine's line about Luke's lightsaber being much like his father's? It makes no sense.  Never thought of that.  Absolutely. 
• The part with Piett saying the Emperor has something special planned is cut. What didn't you like about that scene? I just thought it worked better as a suprise. 
• Looks like you tweaked the sabers - especially the saber clash in front of the Emperor. Bravo! Thanks.
• Here's a thought: at the bunker, Leia says "the code's changed". Did they get the scout trooper to give them the code the first time? Maybe you can remove that line? Good idea.
• Any plans to remove the Chewie tarzan yell?  I tried, but you could still hear it in the background.  I'll try completely replacing the audio but it's never bothered me too much.  I mean, yeah it sounds like tarzan, but when I swing vines I yell too...
• Han not closing the second bunker door works kind of well, but then he never finished trying that later, does he? Well, in the original, it doesn't show him figuring it out either, so I didn't see the point of showing him fail.
• I like your removal of Han's line "When he gets back, I won't get in the way." And wicket doesn't interrupt!
• Any plans to remove "weesa free"? Maybe.
• With the beat of the music, it seems like maybe you can cut Tatooine, Bespin, and Naboo entirely. As I've said in Daneditor's thread, do we need to see these places anyway? Well, yes it could be done, but I'm not an OT elitist, I have no problem seeing places I remember from the PT after the empire falls.
• There's a musical cut of some kind when we return to the celebration on Endor. Celebration has been reverted to the unaltered SE ending.
• Any plans to remove Hayden? Actually I think I was the only person on the planet that didn't have a problem with this.  Yeah, it's Hayden.  But tbh, Sebastian Shaw as Anakin never did anything but die.  Unfortunately, Hayden is who I have memories of Anakin from.  
• EDIT: I like your idea of having the Falcon fly off at the end, but re-using the footage doesn't really work for me. Now if you could get footage of the Falcon leaving Endor and coming straight at the camera, that would be great! That would give it a nice "the adventure continues" feeling. Actually I was just going to put it back to the way it was.

 

Possessed, I found time to give this a watch.  Here is some quick feedback.  I hope you find it useful.

Could the shot of Oola at about 08.20 be longer?  It seems too quick.

When Luke delivers the line ending "... a gift, these two droids", the shot of Threepio and Artoo looks out of place, as Threepio seems surprised.  Could you remove this?

Jedi lacks a capital in the subtitle, "There will be no bargain, young Jedi." and later at 17:40.  You probably know this, but it is better be sure.  Wookie should have a capital in the subtitle at about 09.30.

I found the cut at 09:04 too abrupt. 

I have never liked the shots of Boba Fett and girls at 09:45 and 10:20.  Could these be removed?

I do not feel the cuts to the beginning of the thermal detonator sequence quite come off, although the one at the end is good.

You need a comma before Solo at 10:14.

I hate the SE Sarlac beast. :-(  Most of the trims to the fight sequence work, but I do not like the one that comes just before 26:00.  It is the audio: music can be a pain.

I like the trimming of the shuttle sequence, but the cut at 42:42 is too abrupt - visually.  The audio seems to go out of sync about three-quarters of an hour in.

Could you cut, "Then my father is truly dead..."?  It would enhance yout attempt to change the feel of this sequence slightly, and I think it would work.  If so, you could cut the close up of Vader at 59:50, so we only see him looking pensive - if that is possible! - at the end of the scene.

I like how you cut the Threepio as deity and the whole flying chair episode, but the cut after Artoo is released to Leia and Han embracing is too abrupt. 

Are you cutting the 2004 SE celebrations throughout the Empire and removing Hayden as the ghost of Anakin?  I hate both of those SE changes.

For future reference, the AVI should be 23.976fps not 29.97.  I know it this only a quick preview, but even for 600MB it looks pretty bad.

Overall, there is some impressive work and fine ideas here.  I shall really look forward to the DVD.

Palpatine was trying to be poetic when he mentioned Luke's lightsaber was just like his father's.  He was setting up a like father like son scenario implying Luke would also turn to the dark side.

I took Palpatine's line as meaning no more than Luke was following in his father's footsteps, and have never had a problem with it.  Like Yoda, in the OT Palpatine never uses a lightsaber, so it does not sound strange that he would make a general reference to one with a tone that implies a lack of personal familiarity with one.  I was almost as disappointed that Palpatine used a lightsaber in the prequels as I was that Yoda did.

Finally figured out a way to keep the cheesy looking muppets out without removing the sequence after chewbacca is taken away.  (It needs to stay for pacing).  I'll just take some shots from the, although a terrible sequence, jedi rocks sequence that has more realistic looking creatures to replace some shots.  And perhaps any other shots that need filling due to continuity problems as a result from editing or whatever.

Interesting!  Yeah some of those puppets were pretty cheezy.

Sluggo said:

Interesting!  Yeah some of those puppets were pretty cheezy.

 

 I like your reason for editing that hah.

I'm just letting you all know I am still working on this.  But school has started now so I'm really busy, and I'm having some personal problems I'm dealing with, that seems like there's no way out.  Sometimes.  Blah...

Best of luck with them personal problems. KBO like Lando.