Obi-Wan

Thanks ABC for showing me the path to your magnificent work! (pm didn't work unfortunately)

I haven't been active lately and I will have to take a day off to carefully listen to it to really have this 'out of world'-experience.

From what I recall from the Optimum Edition there have been instruments I had never noticed before on those official mixes that had received the so-called "final touch" by "professionals". While the purpose of that "final touch" remains unclear we now have a clear impression what "final" can sound like!

Kind regards

Another explanation: The Imperials are assuming the Falcon is unable to make it to Hyperspace. Therefore they find it unnecessary to deploy more than 4 TIEs and the command-ship. More vessels would make it "all too easy".

However a command ship like the SSD Executor usually is guided by other ships that are to be commanded for tactical operations.

The Executor is a beautiful ship when it fills the frame but as a lone dart in the distance it doesn't look very imposing flanked by a few more ships it might look a little less feeble in that particular sequence.

This could be it!!

The Executor generally serves as a command vessel to overlook operations (strategic objectives) while the Imperial-class star destroyers engage in pursuits (tactical objectives) as shown in the movie before. The Executor isn't as maneuverable as an Imperical-class SD. It is misplaced in that situation to stop the agile Falcon.

What's wrong in the original scene is: In space there are three dimensions to escape the path of a vessel. I would try to escape the Executor by passing its stern. Instead, with all possible directions to escape the Executor's path, they are directly flying towards it and then crossing its bow where the Executor should have its most firepower and tractor beams. That's wrong tactically and I never understood why our experienced heroes were doing that. Maybe for allowing Luke better mind communication with his father? Odd!

A more logical solution would be: Leia spots at least three star destroyers and because they are encircled(!) they choose to escape by closing in on the least maneuverable SD (the Executor) to flee from the more maneuverable Imperial-class SD-ships. The Executor's mass is blocking the pursuit of the other star destroyers. That tactical situation would explain why the Falcon passes the bow of the Executor when it could have passed it's less defended stern (because it is covered by another Imperial-class SD).

http://www.northamericanknives.com/files/1788248/uploaded/MC-RB1S.jpg

If all those lovely little Ewoks can be edited to carry a knife between their teeth they would look more menacing (like originally intended by using Wookies) and would make less noises. A little bit more blood would be cool, too. Not to mention the time spared by doing so.

Ambitious Jedis could become a great asset in a third unit for the work on Ewok-scenes for ROTJ:R ...

The artwork you've created looks marvellous!!

"The Empire strikes back" is a story about the power of the Empire, represented by star destroyers and AT-ATs. As it is brutal and simple (like the cue "battle in the snow") too many elements on a poster distract from that power. However the score has a variety of themes: Theme's for Darth Vader, the Force, Yoda, Han Solo and the Princess.

Variety or simplicity? I would choose the latter, less is more.

the Falcon's superior maneuverability

Han: "I made a lot of special modifications myself."

The Imperials might be unaware that they are trying to catch a modified Corellian Freighter that lacks maneuverability in its standard configuration.

Also: Thanks to all of you for the examination of the approach on Hoth!

Having a second look at the star destroyers closing in on Hoth:

It would be more impressive if the star destroyer on the portside of the Executor would be much closer to the camera, because:

1. it would look more menacing,

2. it would avoid the size comparison to the Executor
(which never made an impression to me as the ISD appears to be small),

3. it would allow an undisturbed impression of the wedged shape of the Executor by showing the full portside pointing towards Hoth.

Nice one!

I've been thinking two-dimensional overlooking the Z-axis. But so did three ISD-captains pursuing the Falcon in its escape from Hoth. What were our Imperial space strategists thinking in that situation?

That might be the problem: Examing the shots too much.

Regarding the release date of ESB:Revisited: December will still meet the 30th anniversary as the movie has been released in Dec. 1980 in some countries, e. g. Germany. So anything will be "just in time".

The improvement on the shots of the Imperial Fleet approaching Hoth is astonishing and gorgeous! It makes the 2004 DVD look like good old VHS. Actually the quality of the 2004 DVD makes me believe Lucasfilm were trying to hide some weaknesses. However 1979 and 2010 cannot be compared in technical terms. Now that we have solved the technical weaknesses let's get down to some weaknesses of the shot in general. :-)

The Imperial fleet is approaching an unfriendly planet and everyone should have received the command: "battlestations". (except people commanded by Ozzel)
If that command had been given the star destroyers would not be that close to each other. Actually the shot looks like the Executor is doing a RAS (Replenishment at sea) with two star destoyers which endangers half of the fleet. When doing a RAS ships are most vulnerable as fire could hit and destroy all of them (http://www.marine.de/fileserving/PortalFiles/02DB070000000001/W26MUAG9296INFODE/EGV+BERLIN+beim+RAS_05_640.jpg ). Any RAS has the potential of a disaster, it's never a routine. The Executor has actually no reason to approach an unfriendly planet that close to friendly ships as it decreases the maneuverability of the flagship Executor!

If the Imperial fleet is on an attack mission they wouldn't be close together but instead far apart from each other! In the shot Lucasfilm established they are too close together. One, two, three shots of an ion cannon could do maximum damage as the ion cannon could fire at almost the same coordinates without major adjustment!

Ask yourself the question: If you were an Admiral where would you place your ships - Executor and 6 ISDs - if you know where the Rebel base is located?
I would position all those ISDs apart from each other leaving a corridor of destruction for all Rebel ships that will try to escape from Hoth.

That would render Episode 6 unnecessary, I guess. ;-)

Luckily we saw this one die on Alderaan (Revisited), otherwise: http://www.starwars.com/games/playnow/soundboards/#/?theme=28

What did Lucas smoke creating such dialogue?!

There seem to be parallels with Revisited and the original movie:

While filming in Norway, they encountered the worst winter storm in fifty years. Temperatures dropped to −20 °F (−28.9 °C), and 18 feet (5.5 m) of snow fell.^{[9] ...} The production then moved to Elstree Studios in London on March 13,^{[12] ...} A fire in January on Stage 3 (during filming of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining) caused the budget to spiral from $18.5 million to $22 million, and by July the budget spiraled $3 million more. Filming finished by mid-September.^[12]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Episode_V:_The_Empire_Strikes_Back

Thanks for your explanations regarding the cloud-car-escort-scene! There are so many aspects to it. I can agree that the cloud-cars' job in this specific mission is actually pulling the Falcon closer to Cloud City into the clutches of the Empire.

when you have a police escort(none criminal)  the car is always in front not surrounding the vehicle

hm, I might test that procedure with the local authorities. ;-)

Or to be more precise:

The purpose of the cloud-cars (or twin-pod-cars ... don't know?) is to protect Cloud City isn't it? If they turn their back on an approaching, unknown vessel they are not serving their purpose, mission or "job" as they could be blown out of the sky and Cloud City could be attacked.

Their mission: Protect Cloud City, identify unknown vessels, guard the approach of unknown vessels, escort unknown vessels to their landing platforms. They have no reason to trust unknown vessels. So they should fly at each side of the Falcon or behind the Falcon if there are only two of them. If there are three of them one can fly in front of the Falcon while the other two are flying beside or behind the Falcon.

The scene can be "repaired" if a third cloud car is added guarding the Falcon from behind. As I recall there will be no continuity error if there are three of them. It would also add to Leia's sceptical expression when they arrive at the platform.

Approch to Cloud City: The shot really looks beautiful and almost perfect.

1. A little shadowing could cover a "too white"-"it's CG!"-effect.

2. The reason for my post however is not effect but content.

What looks "wrong" IMO is the fact that the two cloud-cars actually have orders to guard the Falcon. If you guard a suspect you don't want to have him in your back and walk in front or beside him. If you guard a suspect you walk behind the guarded suspect in its blind spot. As I recall the cloud-cars already have fired a warning shot so they are guarding an unfriendly vessel.

Adywan's scene actually looks like a parade formation, like they are protecting a Falcon they are trusting because one of the cloud-cars turns its back on the Falcon (perhaps leading it to Cloud City). It looks "wrong" to me because it seems like the Falcon is totally controlling the situation. I mean: One shot of the Falcon could blast the leading cloud-car out of the beautiful sky and one turn to the right would crash the second cloud-car to the ground.
In military terms - and perhaps in terms of directing - the Falcon is totally dominating the scene, the cloud-cars could be destroyed easily by the Falcon. It should be a 50:50-situation at least.

The calculation was about a movie I had two versions of with a difference in length of almost 4 minutes (total length more than 90 minutes).
15 Minutes = 900 sec. ... x 0,04 (4%) = 36 sec. differential in a quarter hour. This matches the difference between NTSC and PAL.

I discovered the pitch issue with another movie recently. One version played ~4 min. longer than the other one. First I thought of a missing scene but when I let them run together I noticed one version was gaining about half a minute in a quarter hour.

15 Minutes = 900 sec. ... x 0,04% = 36 sec.
so 4% makes the difference. Its actually the difference between NTSC (23,79 fps) and PAL (25 fps) if I am not mistaken.

The difference in speed is hardly noticable while watching the movie. In terms of soundtrack it must cause a real headache for poor ABC.

My deepest condolences Adywan, to you and your family.

Best wishes for regaining your spirit!

My aunt passed away 5 months ago and it was a relief for her and us that she walked the path in another dimension in a calm and peaceful way relatively quick without suffering at age 79. A stairway (to heaven) she would have chosen to walk that way.

* * *

It crossed my mind that in a way the Empire takes it tall as Leigh Brackett passed away when she had worked on the screenplay for the movie. Anyway, just a thought.

The german site Schnittberichte.com has published an article about TESB these days: http://www.schnittberichte.com/schnittbericht.php?ID=2005824

Would be nice to see this misterious 'Second Unit' to refilm some Ewok-shots for ROTJ:R.

The Falcon and the Frigate: I had problems spotting the differences in the models. Did you spot the differences in movie-realtime or in slow-mo?

Size of Falcon and Han: I agree this should be fixed as it is the one and only scene we see Han on top of the Falcon in comparison to the cockpit and the bulk of the ship. This is one scene and a subtile change the Revisited Editions can be so proud of in general!

* * *

One error I just spotted in (ANH and) ANH:R: When Tarkin forces Leia to "name the system" the pov changes to Leia's face and we see on the left of the shot Tarkin's chin moving as he is still pronouncin "system". So we see him saying "system" two times but can hear it once only.

Not everybody enjoys the snow

That's not Hoth in the background. Hoth has no cars, either has the Empire. It's a fake!

Luke's rescue clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwULLrS8ZXw

@ 6:46, downfall of the Tauntaun: Is it just me or does anyone else notice that the falling Tauntaun still has this effect of a stop-motion-creature (especially the leg)? It doesn't look natural, i. e. smooth.
As far as I recall Adywan did improve the movement of the tauntaun in the first scene we see one (Luke riding it), didn't he?

"This isn't the score you're looking for ... Move along!" :)

Activated torrent and JDownloader simultaneously. JD finished after 2d 6h while I had to nurse it sometimes. Torrent will need 3d I guess but delivers a more constant data rate while JD has a lot of peaks and waiting time.

What I noticed in torrent regarding the PAL-iso: I have two different torrents containing the iso-file: One did never finish (69%) and contains 3962 pieces while the newer and complete one contains 15849 pieces.

PAL-DVD-9-links from website works fine now. The torrent-links works fine as well but appeared at bay in December while I started the link I found on 4th of November. I must have gotten a dead end torrent with two peers only while the one from Dec. has more than 100. :)

I wonder about the fact that the iso-files of the two torrents were identical with the difference that the newer one also includes 3 pics. So the torrent-code must be a different one. I started a rat race between container and torrent. Let's see.