Just noticed something… Jabba turns down a chance to do the right thing but Vader ends up being redeemed.
The germ of all the flaws of all the Star Wars films that would follow can be observed in ROTJ. It’s also my favorite of them all.
That’d be ideal. If we’re lucky there’ll be enough released material to contrive a partial reversion to an earlier form of the movie, sort of like my edit of ROTS.
Jeez, I wasn’t paying close attention. Is that a sequel to Clerks, or in continuity?
I’m not sure shoehorning in offscreen Carrie dialogue would be helpful, but might be worth taking a look at. I’ve never seen Clerks but wasn’t it made 1991ish?
And thanks for saying that about the synthesized or curated nature of the prequel edits in particular. I guess it’s like a communal soup that many have nevertheless drawn from and further modified in our own bowls. I feel similarly with some of the ROTS edits that have been produced since mine.
As I was reading the Jedi beacon activating and spreading to other planes, I heard the score from Return of the King as the beacons of Gondor are lit.
“That’s how we’re gonna win…” smiles
poppy music kicks in while fading to black
God-awful Deepfake sequence
Nah, I wouldn’t remove it, I don’t think. Rose saw Finn transform into the hero she mistook him for at the start, get her medallion back, and demonstrate a willingness to give his all for the cause as her sister did.
I wouldn’t remove TROS’s kiss, neither. It’s like the only sexually charged anything the whole movie!
Did Vader ‘deserve’ to be redeemed? Does anyone?
It was interesting and enjoyable to step into a virtual theater and let it play out in my mind’s eye. It’s not amazing, but it’s much more coherent and sensible than what we got in TROS.
It’s easy to see what they borrowed from this script. Thing is… all those borrowed items make sense here, but don’t there.
As a Luke fan, his role (and direction!) in TROS feels even more disappointing when compared to this.
So, in this script, the First Order seems to be able to destroy a planet using a star destroyer (albeit maybe a special one?). So that’s pretty weird.
Hux childishly trying to use the Force to move things while Kylo walks in would have been very Spaceballs.
Luke’s comments about the dark side leaving Kylo hollow is 1000% the right message to carry forward from TLJ, and the literal empty well at the climax is a lovely picture.
Finn feels like a valid character by the end. Weird.
This script obviously needed Carrie Fischer, and so comparing it to TROS directly isn’t fair when it comes to Leia. This script has much more of an apparent time jump from TLJ, and I bet TROS has a much shorter one due to shackling themselves to footage for Leia from TFA.
It’s too bad we won’t ever get to know how Trevorrow would have directed this. Disney should have pushed this movie back a year. They could have cited Carrie’s passing, and we all would have understood. Don’t cite business reasons why they didn’t want to; their reward for that is on a spreadsheet somewhere, whereas the artpiece in question must bear the scars. I’m not an investor, so I’ll obstinately insist on artistic integrity for all the good that will do.
Jeez, I’m rambling.
I’ll have to read it and see if anything could be nodded to in a fan edit.
I’m with you for the most part.
I can’t recall the music that starts off the chase, so if that promotional clip’s audio can be used to replace repeated music, sure. I’d also like to briefly quote Duel of the Fates during the Death Star duel, as in one of the TV spots, and Across the Stars (as subtle as possible, subliminal even) during the kiss.
Leia certainly is awkward in this movie, but I’m not sure cutting that attempt at a gag would help. Hard to say right now for me.
Some have suggested moving the Han scene up to between Ben and Rey sending Leia, but I’m not sure Kylo’s performance afterward would match where his character would then be.
I would really love to get the full original Luke scene(s).
Yes, by all means let’s keep discussing and tossing things around. I’ll always be able to do that with my phone, even if butt-in-front-of-computer time is extremely scarce.
We’ll have to see. Given the way I think, best thing for me right now is accept the possibility that it won’t ever be.
I’d be happy to put individual ideas together and upload for anyone to use, and to find an edit emerge I’ll like.
Thanks for the kind words. I’m not leaving or anything. Just don’t need the open loop of TROS:A for the foreseeable future.
I brought the sound more toward center until the shot where Han moves into position to shoot, and made the shot interrupt the yelling. It works well and is subtle enough to avoid problems. 😃
Here’s an attempt. Unless someone has a good source for FO trooper chatter that would fit.
https://vimeo.com/390069257
password: fanedit
It didn’t sound good in practice, and even a good delivery of the line would feel weird thrown into the scene as it is. So, I went with a weird compromise: I added it, but it’s at an extremely low volume that no one could possible hear.
Basically, I didn’t end up going with it.
Wouldn’t be a bad idea, and I might be able to play with it a little.
As far as 3PO’s line, it isn’t made clear that the good guys know the FO’s target, which is sort of a good thing for the edit.
V4 is coming together and will be out soonish. Here’s the final list of changes, with new changes with an asterisk*:
As Finn mans the TIE fighter with Poe, trimmed firing upon fellow stormtroopers so soon after planning to escape. Now, he causes peripheral damage to prevent them from firing at him and takes aim at the command center. (Slightly shifted the placement of the film’s trademark Wilhelm scream in order to retain it.)
Removed Kylo Ren identifying Finn’s stormtrooper ID from memory.
*Made it appear that Finn woke from the TIE crash shortly after daybreak, with the dark effect gradually declining as the scene progresses. (Idea from NeverArGreat)
Added the Falcon jumping to hyperspace after leaving Jakku, then being ripped from hyperspace soon after, along with removing a now-out-of-place line from Finn about “get[ting] out of this system.” (FX by NeverarGreat)
*Removed Han’s somewhat kindly, “Come on outta there” to Finn and Rey while leaving the directional nod (thanks to NeverArGreat).
Removed Rey saving Finn from the rathtars, cutting from Finn’s line, “They look like that,” to Han and Chewie arriving at the door to the Falcon.
Removed General Hux from the first scene with Snoke, where he suggests using the weapon to destroy the Republic. (FX by Jackpumpkinhead to remove Hux walking offscreen during first shot)
Removed Finn’s comedic line about almost being killed several times by Chewie while tending to him on the Falcon (Mimicked DigModiFicaTion’s approach).
*Removed Han describing the need for Maz to help them get a ‘clean ship.’ It doesn’t add anything, and their motives are already clear enough. (Idea from NeverArGreat)
*Subtle rendition of the first part of the Emperor’s Theme has been added to the Imperial March as we see Vader’s shattered helmet (thanks to Sir Ridley).
*Added two lines from the Emperor during Rey’s Force vision to very gently hint toward the revelations within Episode IX.
*Repurposed excised footage from the rathtar sequence to depict Rey separated from Finn in her Force vision. (Thanks to NeverArGreat)
After Rey flees Maz’s castle after her Force vision, replaced the Hosnian system being destroyed in the sky with a Star Destroyer. Finn and Han now gaze up to see that the First Order has caught up with them, as they feared. Finn’s line to Han about the First Order has been changed, including a brief visual modification to his mouth. (FX by Sir Ridley and NeverarGreat)
*Reinstated Han shooting a stormtrooper while facing the other way, which had been removed in V3, due to its reference in Episode IX.
Throughout the battle at Maz’s castle, applied a slight sunset color correction to harmonize the sunset lighting present before and afterward.
*Audio from the trailer was used to add a sound effect to a TIE being shot down (turned out to be barely noticeable, but I did it anyway).
New deleted scene included of Leia discussing the Republic. The scene was originally intended for earlier in the film, and Leia’s prominent braid has been removed to match her scenes immediately prior and after. Audio has been redesigned to accompany a finished film, and the sequence retimed to accommodate it. (FX by Sir Ridley and NeverarGreat)
When Finn is introduced to Leia, removed mention of the Hosnian system’s destruction, though retained mention that Finn had worked on the base (thanks to FX work by NeverarGreat).
R2 now has a blinking light to indicate that he has begun searching for the map. (FX by NeverarGreat)
After Rey resists Kylo Ren’s mind probe, added the portion of the Snoke scene from earlier where General Hux suggests using the weapon to destroy the Republic. Kylo Ren’s face has been overlaid where his mask was for one shot, and a few shots from behind have had the back of his head replace his hood. (FX by Jackpumpkinhead and krlozdac)
*Fixed two continuity errors introduced by the restructuring: Snoke is now seen rising from his seat in a new context rather than suddenly appearing upright, and his mouth no longer moves in a shot in which he is silent. (Thanks to NeverArGreat for the former.)
Moved General Hux’s impassioned speech to after Kylo Ren overreacts to Rey’s escape from her cell.
After the speech, the nearby Sun beings to be drained, as Hux and the troops gaze upon the stream being sucked into the planet. (Recolored to yellow-orange, and reversed so as to appear to be going down into the ground)
During the briefing scene at the Resistance base, removed Leia identifying their base as the Starkiller’s next target, Threepio lamenting the prior loss of the Republic fleet, and well as mention that the First Order is charging the weapon “again.”
Cleaned up the smoke and debris around the Starkiller weapon exhaust when the X-Wings approach. (FX by NeverarGreat)
During a brief cutaway to the Resistance base as Han and Chewie infiltrate the oscillator, removed Threepio’s line, “It would take a miracle to save us now.”
Removed Finn’s comedic moment of misunderstanding Han’s head nod while searching for Rey (Mimicked DigModiFicaTion’s approach).
Immediately after Kylo Ren kills Han, the Starkiller fires and destroys the Hosnian system, as Leia senses it through the Force. (Some FX by Sir Ridley and NeverarGreat)
As Finn and Rey start to head outside the oscillator, cut to Snoke and Hux planning to destroy the Resistance. (FX by Sir Ridley)
First Order technician redubbed to state the weapon will be fully “re”-charged in 30 seconds. (Voice from AbramPT)
Chewie has been cropped out of a shot of him walking past Leia. (Crop and image enhancement by Sir Ridley)
Extended the shot of R2 waking up, to allow him to finish searching his backup data. (FX by NeverarGreat)
Color corrected Ach-to to bring it a little closer to the corresponding scene’s lighting and weather conditions in The Last Jedi.
*Added a few subtle porg sounds to the background, replacing two native bird sounds.
The final shot of the film has been stabilized. (FX by NeverarGreat)
(Let’s be real, don’t all of us have a hodgepodge of edits from different editors as our own personal “definitive” sagas at this point, anyway?)
Not me. I can survive in space.
Err—, anyway, thank you all for your understanding. It’s not something I come to lightly. And joking aside, even I have TCH as an alternative to Solo.
Thank you for setting the tone for responses; don’t make it harder for me than it already will be.
My life is a nonstop, day-in and day-out stamina challenge and every day is full to the brim. I’ve got a lot on my plate and I’m exhausted across the board. And it’s not gonna change anytime soon.
I would find it personally liberating to sort of dis-commit to this project for now. I will get the disc ripped when it comes out and might be able to mess around here and there, but the project management and time involved in the whole thing would be overwhelming to me the way things are now. There would be weeks at times between opportunities to sit down and do any kind of meaningful editing work.
It would be much better for me to act more in a contributor role for this sort of thing, and I’d be happy especially to make particular changes and ensure the audio is done as well as I can get it. But it would be a big ask, I’m finding, to get me to see this through the way I have in the past.
I know morale is rightfully low about this movie, but unless anyone else wants to helm this I am going to do myself the favor of not promising anything in advance and seeing how it goes. I’m not already attached to a particular view for this movie or have any earworms for specific changes, so that’ll make this easier to set down or to accept a version from someone else.
I’ll finish up ROTJ since I’ve got it virtually complete beyond sprucing up the new video source with some help from Sir Ridley and/or DrDre and plugging it in. (And TFA:R v4 since it’s almost done, of course.)
I’m usually someone who gets possessed of an idea and follows through, but life’s circumstances are hell-bent against it, it seems like. It might actually be healthy for me in particular to support someone else’s project and set it down in my collection without having it be under my microscope. I can obviously still be counted on as a contributor, especially making a second attempt at editing audio together as an alternate ‘take’ to draw from.
Yeah, I’d settle for removing anything that would prevent headcanon from smoothing this out. One idea is to make sure the interior of those Final Order destroyers have personnel with First Order insignia.
I think the official story, from material outside the film itself, is that the Sith cultists smuggles in garbage and made the fleet that way.
Just, yeah.
It’d be ambitious, but I don’t know if someone here would be THAT good to just film and insert themselves at one of the boardroom chairs to deliver whatever exposition we dream up.