Hal 9000

Sending

Make it hundreds of troopers in varying levels of being in one piece.

When Owen and Beru are found burned to death in ANH, add a few dozen charred stormtrooper remains, so you know they had to have put up a real fight.

He calls it his ship also in ESB. “Take the princess and the Wookiee to my ship.”

I enjoyed this show overall, and I appreciated what it was going for. I chuckle a little now at my own concerns going in about continuity, about what an adventure with Ben and Leia would mean, Ben’s “long time” that never really amounts to much in a row, etc.

But it seems to have taken a penny on these and left a few pennies in return. In the OT, Ben seems viscerally aware of the sort of effects the Empire has on the galaxy at large, and with Vader as more machine than man. These give the impression of something other than watching the news. Originally this was because the Empire seemed to predate Luke himself, and Vader likely having a more involved history with Kenobi, before later continuity came about.

Now, Obi-Wan can speak to these things from his own personal experience. And it explains his apparent opportunistic, invitational approach to training Luke.

Vader was treated interestingly, and I look forward to the next occasion that I watch through the saga (not something I want to do any old time), as I imagine it’ll very much help bridge that character from prequels to originals.

I do wonder what a film version would have been like, and any fan edit would still end up feeling like something made for TV. Perhaps a two-part TV movie would be a good form-factor, at about 4 hours total.

Once something as grand and magical as a show about Ben Kenobi passes out of the realm of platonic ideas and potentiality and into concrete, specific shape, it’ll inevitably become lesser. That said, I enjoyed having this to watch and don’t feel like we’re any worse off for having had it. To me, from Rogue One onward, non-saga (“Episodes”) stuff has feel like extra credit.

It’d be sad to lose the Luke and Reva tension, as I’m usually up for a halfway decent redemption story. But it might be necessary in order to crunch this down to a sensible feature length.

Thank you!

I need translations of the following lines into German, Italian, Dutch, Portugeuse, French, and Spanish for the ‘Rey Nobody’ cut, if anyone can render these.

1. He saw what you would become.
2. You won’t just have power. You’ll have his power.
3. You will kill Palpatine…
4. And take the throne.
5. I feel the pull to the light…
6. And you, the darkness.
7. Together, nothing will stand in our way.

Was nice to stumble onto this today:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XAkN6Q6Z3Ng&list=FLGoAAiS8_gofE5D_6EEho6Q&index=2

There’s another video there about the sequel trilogy edits.

I appreciate the effort, and it’s probably the best that can be done, but I don’t feel like it works at all to hold on the shot of that statue for so long.

^ Maybe Vader will say that in the final episode of the Kenobi show.

Does any scholar out there remember which old school fan edit it was that had R2 leave the ship on Geonosis and save Padme without flying, and 3PO staying behind? I’d like to examine it but am mostly away-from-computer for a while.

Oh, well, it never struck me as a problem. But deepfaking and SW have a lot of potential together.

I rather like the alternative titles, and especially when I think back to 2006-ish when I was first doing this.

It seems a little bit silly to release variants that only have that change, but I could perhaps just include only the full opening shot of each film so it’d be a cinch for anyone to cobble together if they so choose even if they don’t have easy access to the source. (They still need to own the source, but I’m thinking the schorman13 HDTV rips.)

Would Dooku’s double be on your list too?

I’d certainly be interested in seeing the end results! Appreciate thinking of me, so I’d say let me know please.

^ It’d be a version to show that factors in having to sell itself to existing fans of the original prequels.

Yeah, we’re out on a limb with this idea. It’s probably better for me to leave things as they are! Or possibly redo just the alternate version of LOE.

I think I’m just forgetting the guideline that the only judgement to care about is that of a hypothetical audience who hasn’t seen the original.

For a super canon-friendly, maximalist edit of ROTS, here’s a new change list. Not a replacement for LOE, but a new edit. Here’s what do undo.

Use Sir Ridley’s crawl, but use original ROTS title.

Put back line “this is where the fun begins.”

Attempt removing “my powers have doubled since we last met” line.

Use the following order of scenes for the second act of the movie:

• Anakin and Padme reunite; pregnancy revealed
• Grievous arrives on Utapau
• Balcony scene (“love has blinded you”)
• Nightmare (ends as Anakin walks off, Padme remains asleep)
• “I sense a plot to destroy the Jedi” deleted scene
• Obi-Wan telling Anakin that Palpatine requests his presence
• Opera of Squid Lake
• Yoda’s counseling session
• Palpatine appoints Anakin to Council
• Council unhappy about this
• Bail’s apartment deleted scene
• Obi-Wan asking Anakin to spy on Palpatine
• Jedi traffic scene
• Padme and Anakin “you’re sounding like a Separatist”
• Kashyyyk battle
• 3PO serving drinks political deleted scene
• Anakin and Obi-Wan farewell, Obi-Wan heads to Utapau
• Second nightmare with Obi—Wan, “I feel lost” (cuts out before mention of Anakin’s nightmares)
• Petition of Two Thousand deleted scene
• Obi-Wan arrives on Utapau

During the opera scene, put back reference to midichlorians.

Put back “I’ve been trained… by Count Dooku.”

Put back Palpatine’s voiceover as Anakin waits in the Council room, talking about Padme.

Reinstate youngling slaughter… maaaybe blend the Sith and normal saber ignition sounds like TFA does (see when Finn lights up on Maz’s planet)

Put back Obi-Wan and Yoda fighting to reenter the Temple.

Put back Kenobi and Yoda planning to destroy the Sith.

Keep trims to Obi-Wan and Padme, but add back in “killing younglings.”

Redo Anakin’s and Padme’s conversation on Mustafar based on what makes sense now.

Reinstate Yoda duel, minding saber ignition sounds for consistency, and referring to L8wrtr’s version.

Put back dialogue about the ‘high ground’ at the end of the duel. (Put back some of this, possibly removing just that line.)

Film ends similarly to the theatrical, of course. Vader can still have his Russian yell, but Padme dies and we see her funeral, etc.

Try to keep the new shots that remove the droids from the twins’ birth. Oh well if it’s not possible. Can’t remember what all shots there are.

Add Jar Jar accompanying Kenobi to deliver Luke to the Lars homestead, and have him get farted on by the eopie while Kenobi turns back to leave.

For a super canon-friendly, maximalist edit of AOTC, here’s a new change list. Not a replacement for TAS, but a new edit. Here’s what do undo.

Use Sir Ridley’s new title crawl, but with the original AOTC title.

Go ahead and let the camera pan up after the crawl.

Put back Anakin losing his saber and being (more gently?) reprimanded for it. And conversation entering the bar.

Put back in more of Anakin griping, hopefully it works to imply he walked back across the room. We’ll see, err on side of leaving it removed. Keep Anakin talking about Obi-Wan not letting him move on, but not “it’s worse” and after.

Anakin can mention attachment being forbidden.

Yoda and younglings instead of Mace on platform deleted scene.

Put back little description of Boba Fett.

Put back Obi-Wan and Jango’s dialogue, including name drop of Darth Tyranus.

When Obi-Wan reports to Yoda and Windu, put back Mace asking about the assassination of Amidala.

Maybe work harder to have only R2 leave the ship on Geonosis and save the day, as at least one other edit has done. Ideally not flying, though, as it’d be the only time in the films.

Put back the crowdpleasing saber duel with Yoda.

Sidious can address Dooku as ‘Tyrannus.’

For a super canon-friendly, maximalist edit of TPM, here’s a new change list. Not a replacement for COD, but a new edit. Here’s what do undo.

Use Sir Ridley’s crawl but stick with original TPM title.

Put back the battle droid dialogue to one other, starting when they talk before going into where the Jedi are. (Can still remove “destroy what’s left of them”, but keep “roger roger”)

Put back viceroy line about needing approval from the Senate, but leave out Amidala mentioning a trade boycott

Have them go underwater to Otah Gunga, but trim it up however you can. Only use the first part of the submarine trip.

Put back the scene descending the steps inside the palace discussing political exposition.

Put back jar jar in the droid bay, but ideally remove “how wude.” (If you can remove all three of its instances, great, otherwise leave 2.)

Make sure to include “sitting ducks.” But can still trim up Ric being so delighted by that little droid.

Put back line, “No more commands from her highness today.”

Could put back some of Jar Jar’s handful of, “Muy muy” lines.

Put back the midichlorian intro scene at nighttime as his blood is analyzed, but trim to remove a number and mention of Yoda. See Phantom Edit.

Put back Jar Jar’s grin after Qui-Gon tosses the chance cube.

Recreate the theatrical version of the engine startup sequence for the most part, but still remove “me no watchin’”

Put back Anakin’s “yes!” after Qui-Gon says “these are yours”

Put back “you mean I get to come with you in your starship?”

If any cuts remain to the farewell to Schmi, undo them.

Put back Anakin’s line, “Qui-Gon, sir, wait, I’m tired!”

Put back Qui-Gon’s line, “Tell them to take off!”

Put back scene on Naboo where the Viceroy sits on his walking throne, originally removed because it references the underwater trip to Otah Gungah.

Put back dialogue about Anakin being too old to be trained. (Obi-Wan and Mace each say this.)

Add back in conversation about midichlorians.

Put back scene where Obi-Wan apologizes to Qui-Gon and Jar Jar emerges from the swamp. Be sure to remove added line over shot of company approaching gungans.

Put back whole scene between the Naboo and Boss Nass, including Jar Jar’s hesitancy and cowering.

Revise Jar Jar’s antics throughout the battle. (Keep it as is, but put back “steady, steady” line, “ouch time.” Also, when retreating, imply he’s riding away on the animal and is shot off and lands onto the tank, using a boomer.)

Make it so Anakin still promises Qui-Gon he’ll hide in the cockpit. Make sure to include line referencing this. He can still look like there’s no autopilot.

Put back full death of Qui-Gon scene and follow up conversation with Yoda.

In the next three posts, I will outline ideas about what could be changed or reinstated compared to COD, TAS, and LOE for a set of complimentary/alternative presentations of the films that seek to play as nicely as possibly with other media and maybe even to a mixed crowd laced with people who already love the original films. I’m not committing to doing this, but I might want to while I still have access to FCP7!

Sending!

The human-like species most of the main characters are ages more quickly than we do.

Well, I do make ProRes output available, so it ought to be simple enough to splice in the original opening shots of each one if one is so inclined.

Y’know, the re-titling is something I probably wouldn’t do if I were approaching these edits for the firs time right here and now. They started out firmly rooted in the mid-2000s “fan edit the prequels” tradition sparked by The Phantom Edit. And I’ve softened them quite a bit compared to V1 in 2014.

I could make a more deliberately conservative cut that sort of straddles the difference, not to replace but to be there as an alternative. They could use the criteria of, “Your mom who has seen these movies a bunch of times may not even realize anything is different.”

The Phantom Menace - Symbiant
Attack of the Clones - Forbidden
Revenge of the Sith - Betrayed

Eh, probably not. Other such edits are already out there.

Hit me up, sounds interesting!