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Anchorhead

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12-Jun-2005
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7-Apr-2024
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3,679

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Post
#235779
Topic
Your Greatest Star Wars Day.
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/235779/action/topic#235779
Time
There isn't a particular day for me like that. It's just an overall feeling or state of mind about how that summer felt. I went to see it every week, sometimes more, so it's all blended together. Man, I remember that theater vividly - the screen, the seats, concession stand, everything. There was a weird area just in front of the screen that went back about twenty feet. The screen was set back into the wall. I can remember that as though it were yesterday. The screen wasn't just hanging on the wall like it is in the multi-screen megaplexes of today. Also, the screen was insanely huge. The theatre only had two screens. It was a free-standing building, just off of the freeway. Many, many years later, it was bought by one of those cinema conglomerates and remolded into an eight-screen theatre. No more bigger-than-life screens and giant seating areas with huge seats. About ten years after that and after having sat unused for quite a while, it was finally torn down and a strip center is now in it's place. The parking lot, the landscaping, even the street in front of it - all of it - completely gone. It's as though it were never there.

When I listen to the soundtrack or watch the film these days, I'm right back in that state of mind. It's comforting, familiar, every bit as magical and distant as it was in 1977, and it's just as special as it was then. That's why I don't just throw the movie in and watch it randomly. It's a somewhat planned event. I set aside the time, ignore the phone and doorbell, and go on the adventure again. When I see the 20th Century Fox logo, I'm right back in that theatre, looking at that huge deep-set screen, in that cavernous room, waiting for the crawl. Once it starts, I'm a long way from home.

That's something the teenage fans of the new stuff can't understand. They've not felt the march of time, or seen the world change, or suffered loss. They only think they have. They're favorite movies haven't been altered or become unavailable. They're still in their movie moment. No matter how much they think they can imagine, or think they know how they would feel - they can't. You can't just imagine the passage of time like that, no matter how hard you try, you have to experience it. And everyone has to experience it on their own. The character of Ben Kenobi makes a whole lot more sense these days - his calmness, his intelligence, his experience, his mental and physical fatigue. The lifetime of thoughts that you can see on his face.

Thirty years from now, all these conversations will make much more sense to the teens on this board. If they even remember them.
Post
#235130
Topic
Audience reaction to the reveal?
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/235130/action/topic#235130
Time
Originally posted by: CO
Just a warning for you guys, do not post at TFn, those people will come at you with pitchforks for only liking the Original SW.

Those people are of no concern to me. They don't get to decide for me how I'll refer to Star Wars, which version of the story I must accept, or how many of the films I have to see.

I alone control what Star Wars is to me. Not Lucas, not 20th Century Fox, not McCallum, and most certainly - not a bunch of strangers on the internet.

This is the only non-motorcycle-related board I ever really post on. I post here because it's made up of relatively like-minded individuals. People that are intelligent, witty, and informed. People that can think for themselves. Besides, I don't even know what TFn is.

My Star Wars questions and interests are answered on this board.

Post
#235061
Topic
Audience reaction to the reveal?
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/235061/action/topic#235061
Time
Originally posted by: vtpeters
I feltit sounded to much like something out of a soap opera...These kind of reveals or cliffhangers are common in soap opera's and Star Wars was starting to look like one.

Very good point. It's because there wasn't enough story to carry another film and Lucas was starting his process of making up stuff on the fly so that he had some reason to continue.

Weak.

Post
#234993
Topic
Audience reaction to the reveal?
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/234993/action/topic#234993
Time
There was certainly an element of surprise and shock. However, like a few other people have mentioned - most of us, myself included, just thought Vader was lying to Luke. It didn't seem right, so we figured it must have been a lie. That's the one thing I remember people debating afterwards.

Also worth mentioning - and someone brought this up just a few days ago - it was just about the worst kept secret in the world. I saw Empire about 2 or 3 days after it was released and me and my buddy had already heard about the big surprise. Seemed like everyone had. I remember waiting in this crazy-ass long line to see it. It was showing at a theatre that was in the corner of a large shopping center and our spot in the line was so far back that we were in the alley behind the center. Theatres were much larger back then and we still ended up waiting through a showing and having to wait for the next one. There were that many people out there. Everyone in line already knew, seemed like.

*edit* - I should point out that personally I hoped it was a lie until Return came out. It seemed wrong to me to make Vader something other than a really mean guy. It weakened the character to give him some tie to the good guys, some relation to them. It muddied the waters because you couldn't just outright cheer for the good guys, and want the bad guys to be defeated. You suddenly had to decide whether or not you wanted to have some concern for him. It was the first of many steps Lucas took in shrinking the Star Wars universe and weakening the story. I certainly liked the movie when it came out, but that twist dampened my enthusiasm considerably. Once it was official (In Return), there was only one movie I cared about.
Post
#234166
Topic
Expecting too much of George Lucas?
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/234166/action/topic#234166
Time
Originally posted by: CO I can always watch that movie in reference to how it was presented in 1977, and don't think about the stuff after it, and the stuff before it. I can say because I saw it in 1977, I am not tainted by the constant story changes by Lucas

I'm with you, man. Although, for me I’m not bothered by the stuff before it because there isn’t anything before it. Everything else came after - and feels it. Some of it much more so. I'm not tainted by the changes he made to it either because I've not seen any of them. I'd read ahead of time about the SE changes to the story and the characters, the added scenes, the CGI characters, etc and knew it wasn't for me. I didn't want to have to be bothered with trying to unsee that stuff.

In fact, that led to how I discovered you guys in the first place. Several years after the SEs came out, I decided it was time to secure a non-tape copy of Star Wars, something more durable than what I’d been watching. I posted in the off-topic areas of the other boards I'm on (all motorcycle related) and someone in the same state had the LDs from 1994. We decided on a price and a meeting place - I didn’t want anything to happen to them using UPS or FEDEX.

We met at the arranged place (a restaurant), we ate, drank and talked Star Wars and motorcycles for about an hour and then went our separate ways. After I got home, I started looking on the internet for someone that could transfer Star Wars from LD to DVD. After a few dead ends, I stumbled onto this site and was relieved to see I wasn’t the only person who still preferred the original version.

Anyway, it was the SEs, even though I’ve never seen them, that led me here. There’s some good people here – smart, articulate, quick witted, and some very interesting reading. Links to interviews, articles, etc. Good stuff.


Besides, I may be one of the few people old enough to get Gaffer Tape's screen name. (She was amazingly beautiful when she was young)
Post
#234087
Topic
Expecting too much of George Lucas?
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/234087/action/topic#234087
Time
Originally posted by: Obi Jeewhyen
as I now confess and then run for cover .... that I am the world's only megastarwars fan who … doesn't like The Empire Strikes Back.
Originally posted by: Gaffer Tape
No, Anchorhead feels the same way you do.


Gaffer speaks the truth.
I’m not a fan of Empire. Too contrived, too slick. Star Wars was a complete story. A reluctant bystander gets drawn into a battle against an evil lord and with the help of a mentor and an unwilling pair of shady characters, he rescues the princess and defeats the bad guys. It’s an outer space fairy tale, and it worked very well.

No more of the story needed to be told. Doing so started the process of shrinking the universe and weakening the story. The characters in Star Wars aren’t related to each other and it’s just by chance that their paths cross. The adventure they all go on because of the chain of events that brought them all together is what makes the movie so big and magical. Empire is none of those things.

In fact, I haven’t seen Empire in about 7 or 8 years and I can’t imagine I’ll bother with it again.

Star Wars is the movie that awed me as a boy. It’s the only one I’m interested in.


Post
#230899
Topic
I got a response from Leonard Maltin.....
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/230899/action/topic#230899
Time
Originally posted by: Gaffer Tape
If you keep releasing new versions that have some good things and some mistakes, then the next one having different good things and different mistakes, then the idiots will keep coming back. Ah. Don't you just love big business?

That's it exactly.
I know people that will literally buy every single iteration of something there is, whether it is movies, music, whatever. They want everything there is so they can say they have "the complete set" or "all there is" of something. Don't think for a second that Lucas isn't business savvy enough to tap into those people. He’s the master where marketing is concerned. People often mention (rightly so) that he altered the science fiction genre by showing people a "used universe" where things are old, dirty, occasionally troublesome, etc. Well, he also revolutionized the marketing of a film. Tie-ins with fast food restaurants, snack companies, soft drinks, special editions, special packaging of the same editions, and on and on.

Even going as far as creating characters solely because of the marketing tie-in potential, Ewoks and Darth Maul for example. He’s created a situation where the film is just part of the marketing campaign, a two hour advertisement for the toys. It doesn’t have to be great, it only has to be good enough. In his world, it appears that merchandising is first and foremost in importance, the film technology is second, and the actual story seems to be a very distant third. Acting ability doesn't even show up on the radar - that can be altered accordingly, post-production.

My point with all of this is that maybe he really is testing the water like he says he is. Maybe he really is trying to see if there's money to be made with the original films. Better yet, he may have already decided there is and this is just the first of the official releases. The "Original unaltered film for a limited time only - better hurry and buy it". Soon to be followed by "The original unaltered film in all it's glory, getting the respect it deserves, restored and anamorphic, from a long lost copy of the original release". Finally, a few years from now - "The original unaltered film in all it's glory, getting the respect it deserves, restored and anamorphic, now with the original theatrical trailer and screen tests of the stars. Included in the special box set is an actual piece of the original crawl in a special presentation holder and with a certificate of authenticity"

Like I’ve said before, I already get to watch Star Wars the way I want to see it, so I’m not loosing sleep over any of his ridiculous comments or lies. However, if a better version were to be released, I’d get it.

But only once.


Post
#230590
Topic
OOT DVDs - interlaced or progressive?
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/230590/action/topic#230590
Time
Originally posted by: vbangle
I hope it is that bad....If the offical OUT is so bad that no one can defend it then it puts pressure on Lucas to do something....

If the OUT is a "exceptable but not great" kind of release then the debate rages on and nothing gets settled.

Several months ago, when the Enron trial was taking place that would decide the fate of Skilling and Lay, several of us were discussing it at work. Most of us wanted to see the two guys put away forever. After all, they had destroyed the livelihoods as well as the financial futures of thousands of people solely for their own personal gain, and seemed not the least bit remorseful about it.

Strangely though, there were two or three people that wanted to see them get away with it completely - to see the verdict read as not guilty and they become free men - to see the system and it's loopholes fail. Strange, that is, until they explained why they wanted a not guilty verdict.

Their reasoning was simple and it made a lot of sense. If these guys received a somewhat harsh sentence or some severe financial penalties, people would be content that they at least had to admit guilt and pay some of the money back. However, if they walked away as free men, people would be so outraged at how the judicial system had failed completely and allowed a couple of arrogant thieves to make millions at other people's expense - there would be a public outcry for the government to change the system. It would take millions of people - influential people - being outraged for the government to make a change. Just having a bunch of people mad or disappointed wasn't going to be enough to effect change.

What vbangle is hoping for is no different. If the release is really bad - picture, sound, type of DVD, etc - it just may make enough people, the right people, so outraged that they start to put pressure on Lucas to do it right. The response from Lucas would be public image and respect-driven as opposed to law change-driven, but the end result would be the same - public outrage at a level so high that something has to be done.

Post
#230393
Topic
Ok, straight up... is this the last time we will ever see the OOT?
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/230393/action/topic#230393
Time
Originally posted by: Mike O
..you must admit, that people who want proper versions of Empire and Jedi should be able to get them.
Absolutely. I'm against all the tampering he's done. Mostly because the tampering he's done is major - story-changing as well as character-changing. Put out 10 different versions, I don't give a shit. I'm not going to bother with them. At least make sure one of them is the same version that millions of people around the world turned you into a billionaire with. That doesn't seem like it's asking too much.


I too happen to think that the Ewoks are cute. So sue me.

http://blogs.ipswitch.com/archives/gavel.jpg

We the jury find the defendant, Mike O, guilty of thinking ewoks (small animals that, even though they're covered in fur, find it necessary to wear poorly made, ill-fitting clothing) are cute.
Post
#230216
Topic
Ok, straight up... is this the last time we will ever see the OOT?
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/230216/action/topic#230216
Time
Originally posted by: Mike O

I thought that you said that you thought that this was the last OOT release we would ever see.
When I said ever, I was referring to the foreseeable future - known releases, announced releases, anniversary box sets, etc - the distance into the future that I'm willing to concern myself with. None of knows what's going to happen decades from now. For the record, I was in the middle of typing out an explanation for you in another thread, the first time you asked me about it, and my internet connection took a shit on me. I just never got back to doing it.


You don't like Empire and Jedi, huh? Ah, well. To each his own.

I don't dislike Empire. I watch it every few years, but it's not something I'm going to worry about getting a proper version of.

Return is ridiculous. Lucas had already started to ruin Star Wars by then and I sure as hell don't need an anamorphic version of this trash....


http://www.starwars.com/databank/character/wicketwwarrick/img/movie_bg.jpg
Post
#229905
Topic
Ok, straight up... is this the last time we will ever see the OOT?
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/229905/action/topic#229905
Time
Originally posted by: zombie84
The OOT will be available in a proper form some day--this I have absolute and complete confidence in.

I agree fully. I just don't think it will happen any time soon - 10 or 15 years maybe. I also think it will be done after Lucas no longer has control of the franchise.

Remember one thing through all of this - Lucas does not like anyone else to have input into any decision he makes. He's been that way since he first made the film. The more people demand something - the more he stomps his feet and says no.

Also, just for the record Mike O - I'm only interested in one film - Star Wars. Not Empire, not Return, not the SEs (haven't seen them)and certainly not any of the prequel trash(only saw one). I have the movie I want, and it's watchable and enjoyable. If a much better transfer of it ever comes out, I'll watch that one and enjoy it.

Until then, a couple of times a year I put in my non-anamorphic copy with less-than-perfect sound and color, adjust the volume, open a Snapple, get comfortable, and visit a galaxy far far away - and I enjoy every damn minute of it.

Post
#229666
Topic
I got a response from Leonard Maltin.....
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/229666/action/topic#229666
Time
Originally posted by: Mike O
What makes you so pessimistic?

I'm not pessimistic at all, nor am I depressed - far from it. I'm apathetic. Honestly, I don't care what version Lucas releases, what his motives are, or what he's said about it before now.

Lucas doesn't control how I see Star Wars. When I want to see Star Wars, I put in a bootleg copy(or the XO version when it is available), I push play and I go on an adventure. I don't care about features, menu screens, commentary, documentaries, behind the scenes pieces, interviews, or anything else. I skip that stuff on nearly every DVD I own.

The story is the only thing I'm interested in. The bootlegs are very watchable and future versions will be as well. I can already watch Star Wars the way I want to - I don't care what Lucas does or says. When he gives interviews, or talks about how things were in the 70s and starts with his lying and revisionist history crap - he might as well be burping the alphabet. His words are that meaningless.



Post
#229619
Topic
I got a response from Leonard Maltin.....
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/229619/action/topic#229619
Time
Originally posted by: Mielr
His stubbornness has become the stuff of legend.

Yeah, that's just who we're stuck with - who we have to deal with to get an anamorphic unaltered version, it looks like.

Truthfully, I'm not terribly concerned with it anymore because I honestly don't think it will ever be released. I don't think Lucas is testing the waters, or will have a change of heart, or is waiting for the mega-box set, or will come to his senses, or any of the other theories floating around. This is the only original version he's going to release. Christ, he doesn't really want to release this sub-standard version. Something else is driving this. My guess is that it has something to do with leaning on bootleggers or something as simple as just having a different "released version" of the SE movies to sell.

Man, there's millions of fans, of all sorts of films, that collect every shred of something that's released - different boxes, cover styles, collector tins, extras on the accompanying discs, versions of THX, with commentary or without, etc. There's no conspiracy here, no grand plan, no surprise awaiting everyone next year. This is either a legal or business-driven decision.

Just because Lucas made a film we all really really like - that doesn't automatically make him a good guy or a caring guy. History is replete with artists, geniuses, and visionaries that all had a nut loose.

Even Mark Hamill mentioned it in the interview someone posted here. When anyone gives Lucas even the slightest bit of constructive criticism or advice - he sees it as some sort of threat or challenge that must be defeated and he digs his heels in and prepares for battle.

That's just who he is, man.

I'm holding out for the XO version myself.