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Master Sifo-Dyas

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Join date
17-Mar-2003
Last activity
6-Nov-2018
Posts
564

Post History

Post
#35573
Topic
Why doesn't Lucus just release both versions?
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/35573/action/topic#35573
Time
I agree with sweyland. Small changes can have a large impact. Especially when it comes to changes that actually degrade instead of improve and are meant to have a major impact on how certain characters are portrayed (Greedo shooting first being the most prominent example, heck even jimbo doesn't like that one). Censoring the Death Star gunfights certainly is yet another thing even jimbo wouldn't call an improvement, I suppose.

However I also agree with jimbo, that there are a lot of things that just intensify the mood (the capture of R2 in the SE is a good example, imho) of the setting. I liked moving that scene further into dusk, it kinda gave it an eerie feel to the first jawa encounter.

Finally, I have to say that I share rebel scumb's list of changes that had to be removed to make me embrace the SE a bit more. Lots of things are actually cool changes.

As soon as that OT+SE DVD set will come out, I'll make my custom version of the trilogy with perfect sound and picture. Coming to think of it, that may be what Lucas is afraid of. Just another one of those guesses... I guess.
Post
#35440
Topic
Isn't it true that www.star wars.com is getting worse all the time
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/35440/action/topic#35440
Time
I haven't noticed any significant changes to the regular stuff offered. The webdocumentaries are offered in a smaller format and a bunch of weeks later than the paying customers get to see them. I'm as happy with it as it is - as long as it stays free.

I'm not into ultra-spoilage anyways so sublight-speed is "petty okieday" for me.
Post
#35435
Topic
Why doesn't Lucus just release both versions?
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/35435/action/topic#35435
Time
Jimbo, you've got me wrong there. I'm not argueing along the lines of "good/bad". I'm more into "was possible/was not possible back in '77-'84". Making Luke scream while taking the escape plunge from Vader surely was possible back then, that's the point I meant to make. It's just another example of Lucas changing his mind, yet claiming it couldn't be done back then due to technical limitations of the time.

The list I posted above, contains all the FX that truly weren't possible at the time the films were originally made, imho. All the changes not in that list were possible back when the films were shot and thus prove that the SE were mostly about giving Lucas a chance to go back and have his way with his changed mind about a great many things - not about improving SFX.
Post
#35430
Topic
Why doesn't Lucus just release both versions?
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/35430/action/topic#35430
Time
Yah, I agree with you on the Wampa scene, it feels like it always belonged there (in fact my post above didn't state anything else). I actually like the added footage a lot.

Ehm... are you trying to tell me they weren't able to get Mark Hamill to record a scream for ESB back when it was made?! Or that Greedo shooting first was impossible to make back when they did ANH? If you are, I'm not agreeing on that one for sure.

Imho, that was Lucas changing his mind and trying to cram those changes in there by all means necessary, regardless of how fake it would seem. That gives me the impression that he just wanted to get back at the people who forced any sort of compromise upon him back then.
Post
#35424
Topic
Read these two articles please...
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/35424/action/topic#35424
Time
Err... Jimbo, cgi fx from 1997 don't look better than puppets (I'm sure you don't mean to make us believe the cgi Jabba from ANH looks better than the puppet in RotJ). Sure, cgi allowed a much larger variety of movements for the Dewbacks. But imho, they overdid it with the Dewbacks movementwise, they just didn't seem like tamed beasts of burden anymore (It's also pretty scary to see that Jurassic Park's 1993 cgi dinos look a lot better and act/move far more believable than those Dewbacks 4 years later).

And don't get me started about 'correct movements'. Take a close look at the cgi stromtroopers in ANH, they are poorly animated and do not withstand any comparison with a real actor clad in real stormtrooper armor.

Just face it, Lucas should have left the originals alone until after the prequels. 1997s experimental cgi FX just weren't good enough. The cgi looks fake on many occasions especially the 'stormtroopers finding the escape pod' scene from ANH shows the discrepancy of real footage and cgi footage of 97 and how bad they mix up together.

I think anaphalaxis hit the nail on the head with his statements of the SE being nothing more than a poorly executed cgi fx experiment with the audience as guinea pigs. I mean, take a look at those fx, they really aren't up to par of what ILM was capable to do with Jurassic Park.
Post
#35420
Topic
Why doesn't Lucus just release both versions?
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/35420/action/topic#35420
Time
Jimbo, the problem is that Lucas didn't simply go in and add footage that couldn't be shot at that time. Most of the scenes that were modified/added result from him changing his mind about them 20 years later.

The only things I think that weren't possible due to technical limitations back then were:

*Luke's Landspeeder without the 'forcefield' and blurry vehicle shadow.

*The Jabba the Hutt scene in ANH (although I think even that was only left out because they hadn't decided what Jabba should look like, fact is that the technological hurdle arose when they decided to make Jabba a huge slug-like creature in RotJ). The scene in ANH was left out on purpose back then, not because of technical hurdles, imho.

*More agile Dewbacks.

*The Jawa riding on the huge beast of burden.

*Fancier blastoff of the Falcon from Mos Eisley

*Censoring the violent scenes aboard the Death Star shootouts

*Adding the "Close the blastdoors!" line to the stormtroopers (Hehe, in fact that seems to be a goofup from the sound-editors,
because that line is in the 1977 version of the german voiceover. So it was truly intended to be in there from the start.)

*Rebel ships starting from Yavin IV.

*More vivid space battle during the assault on the Death Star.

*Extended Whampa creature footage.

*Toned down opacity of snowspeeder cockpits.

*More flexible camera paths during the Falcons approach to Cloud City

*Mass scene of people listening to Lando's announcement.

*"Jedi Rock" Musical scene in Jabba's palace.

Everything else could have been done in the first place without much of a hassle, imho. Lucas is just not being honest about this and I really can't understand why. It almost feels like he knew he'd be sneaking in stuff that fans wouldn't like. Instead of being honest and saying "Well, I changed my mind about some of the decisions and compromises I made back then and they don't fit in my Star Wars agenda nowadays, so I went in and adjusted them.", he hides behind the 'technological limitations at that time' statement as some sort of universal excuse for every change he made.

Many of the cool things that got into the special editions (meeting Biggs Darklighter before the Death Star assault, extended Whampa scene, removing the 'forcefield' from Luke's landspeeder and toning down the opacity of the snowspeeder cockpits) is just the sugar added to the mix to distract from the scenes Lucas changed his mind about, imho.

Also, even if he would be worried about the OT outselling the SE, he could avoid that very easily by including the OT with the SE in a big double package. That way the OT sales could simply be added up to the SE sales.

Edit: Refrased post fundamentally.
Post
#34720
Topic
Buy or not to buy. That is the question.
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/34720/action/topic#34720
Time
Quote
Originally posted by Cyprus: *cough* IHOPEHEGETSCANCER *cough*
I think you should be more careful with your words, Cyprus. A very dear friend of mine died of that gruesome disease. She had to drown on her own blood and there was nothing that could be done about it. Don't you ever wish that to someone. No one deserves such a horrible death. No one!

I may not agree with George Lucas' outlook on the perogatives of an artist vs. the demands of his fans/customers, but I still respect him a lot and whenever I see him in interviews, I realize that he is not 'evil' or anything. I hope he will have a very long and happy life and that his children will honor what they will inherit some day.

Please step back from that statement, it does not do you credit. For I am sure you couldn't have meant that.
Post
#34420
Topic
George Lucas' explanation why the OT is obsolete to him
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/34420/action/topic#34420
Time
Errr... that's just that rumor list some fan posted on AICN. Imho, it is pretty obvious these are fakes, because there is a list of severe changes for EpI and II posted by the same guy that get pretty much out of hand. Although I will admit that some of the changes are very well imaginable for the archive editions, I still doubt this is the 'true changelog' for them. I'm curious about the archive editions myself. But I'd be more excited to hear some good news about the OT on DVD - if you catch my meaning, sir.
Post
#34353
Topic
George Lucas' explanation why the OT is obsolete to him
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/34353/action/topic#34353
Time
I have to say I do like some of the changes in the SE. And I'm absolutely not against the idea of an SE at all. All I can say is that when I watch the OT, I don't miss a single thing. Whereas the SE has a few disturbing things in them that kind of distract me from enjoying them as much as the OT versions, especially because there's no logical pattern to the kind of changes that were made. I'm constantly distracted by thoughts like "why oh why did he change that, but did not change that?!".

My gripes with some of the CGI stuff that was added in is, that they can be easily identified as such. They just don't blend in with the rest of the scenery in most cases. That's why I think 1997 was too early to make the SEs. Imho, they would have been much much better had they been made alongside the prequels.
Post
#34343
Topic
George Lucas' explanation why the OT is obsolete to him
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/34343/action/topic#34343
Time
Cleaning up any remnants of early unwanted side effects such as matte lines, white boxes around objects in space and opaque cockpits was never a thing critisized in the special editions. That's what SE fans always seem to put up as a major plus for the SEs. But, imho that's just the sugar that comes with Lucas' 'p.c. medicine' for the fans. It was never about 'giving fans something new and cool' it was about Lucas revoking compromises he had to make 20 years ago, getting back at the people who made him do those, and finally trying to 'convince' the audience by saying "if you want a cleaned up version without matte lines, white boxes and opaque cockpits, you'll have to stick with my new visions of the movies, period.". In my opinion, he should have put up a cleaned up (but otherwise untouched) version of the OT in theatres 1997 and wait with the changes until after the prequels. All we have now, is just another soon to be called 'early roughcut' version, that will become obsolete in 2007.

After all it seems that he isn't very confident in the changes himself, otherwise he wouldn't be so afraid to leave the choice up the customers.
All the negative experiences he seemed to have made during the creation process of the OT, have obviously turned him into a total control freak. It's a sad thing, imho.
Post
#34151
Topic
battle star Galatica
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/34151/action/topic#34151
Time
The only thing I really loved was how they reinterpreted the character of Balthasar. I also kinda fancied the story element of the preserved older technology being superior weapons against the cylons.
Other than that, I prefer the original 100%.

Come to think of it, I think Knight Rider's K.I.T.T. might also be something that got built out of stolen cylon technology from area 51. o_O
Post
#33951
Topic
Info: OT Bootleg DVDs
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/33951/action/topic#33951
Time
Jay, I absolutely share your feelings on all the issues you've adressed. Yet I do think we should exchange bootleg info solely through PMs, for the sake of the petition.

I would hate to see this site going down because of bootleg talk.
Other than that, my last public comment on this topic is: "Begun, the clone wars have."
Post
#33955
Topic
custom banner
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/33955/action/topic#33955
Time
Bossk, I'm sure Jay is aware of this thread. I assume he wanted the custom stuff to remain in the forums. otherwise he would have put up the "Bring my shuttle!" one by RRS-1980 ages ago. On the other hand, you're right that not many folks seem to end up in this section of the forum. I might drop him an e-mail when I'm done with all the banners.

About the yoda banner: I'm still breeding over this. Don't you think "My childhood merories these are!" would be more correct yoda-speak-wise? Because the original line is "My home this is!". With the current version we've not only modified it into plural, but also flipped two words. Hmm... I'd like to hear your thoughts on that.

The silence banner: Yah, I tried using a shot with Luke being zoomed on more. But I felt it didn't have much dignity showing him so close up. I also thought the picture to become more interesting if you have too look at the pic for a while to get it. But I'll put up the earlier version next to it, so you can judge for yourself.
Post
#33894
Topic
George Lucas halts Indy IV production due to disagreements with the script
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/33894/action/topic#33894
Time
Here's the details:
Quote
Originally posted by Quint on AICN: Ahoy, squirts! You folks might remember my report from the Santa Barbara Film Festival a week or so back (if not, read it here!!!) where I had some news from the Q&A Frank Darabont did for his early directorial work, BURIED ALIVE. He talked about THE MIST and the upcoming release of THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION in a Special Edition DVD.

Harry ran me through the ringer for not getting any INDY 4 news outta Darabont in the intro to the report, but little did he know that I did have my trusty tape recorder with me and a special little mini-cassette filled with Darabont's voice.

Now, I'm not the kind of asshole to try to grab a quote he tells a fan in confidence, so the below transcription comes from a discussion he had with a local reporter. I figure if he's telling a journalist, then this is cool for the public to know. Here's what he said:

"The short and simple version of the INDIANA JONES 4 situation is that after more than a year of working closely with Steven Spielberg developing the story, I had completed a screenplay that Steven loved and was hoping to shoot in July of this year. However, George Lucas had issues with the script and slammed on the brakes in order to rework the material himself. There is talk of enlisting another writer. Given that George is the producer, but even moreso because of their long and close friendship, Steven is deferring to George in this situation.

It is now up to them to try to find a common ground regarding the film. I wish them luck and hope their efforts result in something they're both excited about shooting. What, if anything, might remain of my work at the end of the process is anybody's guess, assuming the film even gets made at this point. As for me, I'm disappointed, but I'm putting the experience behind me and moving on with my life and my own projects."

If George Lucas wasn't already on the shit lists of geeks everywhere this news would have put him there. What kind of ego must it take to turn a go-picture with Steven Spielberg into a development deal? If it wasn't for my sources telling me that Darabont's script was exactly where the series needed to go, then I might give Lucas the benefit of the doubt...

This is a sad day. George "You killed all those innocent children... God, you're so hot!" Lucas deciding he wants to "rework" Frank Darabont's script... Something's wrong with this picture...

Well, I guess that just means Darabont can get crackin' on the two fantastic story adaptations he has: Ray Bradbury's FAHRENHEIT 451 and Stephen King's THE MIST. Both I'm excited to see... FAHRENHEIT for it's political timeliness and THE MIST for the badass tentacle monsters!
Post
#33626
Topic
General announcement re 2004 OT DVDs: please read
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/33626/action/topic#33626
Time
I'm pretty sure that if this year's release of the Special Edition won't include the OT, because of Lucas' veto, the chances that he'll let his beloved Archive Editions (what he himself imagines as his ultimate vision of the saga) be littered by the 'dreadful' OTs are below zero.

Don't forget that he stopped the release of the ultimate version of the Episode II Soundtrack for no apparent reason. And that was after Sony Music was already finished with producing it.

I don't want to tear down your heads up, Rebel Scumb. But I think we shouldn't underestimate the current situation. If George Lucas really doesn't care about this 2004 release, there would have been a much larger chance of the OT being included with the soon obsolete SEs than with his beloved Archive Edition.

I'm not saying I'm giving up. I'm just saying it's not september yet and I haven't given up on the dream of a 7DVD set (along the lines of the Alien Qaudrilogy) yet.

That's why I think we need to get more media attention. Not to convince people of our point of view. But to inform them of the current situation. Only then will the people have a choice. If CNN money can report about the Half-Life 2 Source code theft, there's no reason why they shouldn't report about Lucas already considering the OT as non-existent.

In my opinion, even if the petition breaches the 1 million mark, it won't do much good without any media attention.