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Trooperman

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Join date
15-Feb-2005
Last activity
15-Jun-2015
Posts
1,406

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Post
#95255
Topic
Empire Of Dreams 2
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/95255/action/topic#95255
Time
Yeah, you know, Han Solo hanging from a noose might be too disturbing an image for kids. My reasoning was that although Jabba usually feeds his victims to the Rancor, he wanted to do something special with Solo. This would put additional meaning into Boba Fett's words, "He's no good to me dead." He was no good dead because Jabba wanted to kill Solo himself. It just didn't make sense to me that Jabba would want to keep Solo alive for all that time. I pictured the reveal of this when Jabba says something like, "I like Solo where he is." But then, instead of cutting to Solo in carbonite, you would cut to the dead, hanging Solo. Then Jabba would laugh. It just felt more chilling to me (and better). It's absolutely true that his death would make you afraid for everyone else. I think that's a good thing because it introduces tension, a very good element in a film. It also helps if you really hate the bad guys.

And the original question was not, "How would ROTJ have been if we had written it (for kids, of course)?" That's just how it would've been if I had written it. And I also remember clearly when I was a kid. I would've been scared, but I would've gotten over it pretty quickly. Anyway, Lucas shouldn't be worried due to the similar direction he's going in in ROTS

Comments?
Post
#95167
Topic
Empire Of Dreams 2
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/95167/action/topic#95167
Time
I would've killed off Han Solo (as Harrison Ford suggested) for dramatic impact by Jabba the Hutt. I could just picture Han Solo hanging from a noose, dead, and then it would cut to a shot of Jabba laughing. I think that would've been a great way to raise the impact of the whole movie, and you would really build up hate for Jabba. Lando would get killed in the final battle (saving someone's life), the Ewoks would be gone, and there would be no Death Star II; that's too redundant. I'm not sure what I'd do to replace it, but it should be a lot more surprising and unpredictable. The confrontation between Vader and Luke should have been much more violent and fierce; Luke should have deeply wounded Vader and agreed to sit at the Emperor's side as his apprentice. Then, as if in a trance, he should have gone up to some kind of control panel and destroyed a huge ship in the Rebel fleet, laughing evilly. Then, eventually he should shake off the trance (kind of like in The Temple of Doom), turn back to the good side, get nearly fried by the Emperor, and be saved by Vader, his father (as it was in the movie). Leia should not have been Luke's sister; it would make it much more frightening knowing that Luke was the last hope and that he had turned to the dark side.

Just my ideas!
Post
#94701
Topic
Info Wanted: Screenshots from the original mono VHS
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/94701/action/topic#94701
Time
I agree; I think this DVD will be a valuable resource. Finally, all the rumours floating around about minor changes to the movies over the years (Pre-Se) can be verified.

What would be great as well would be a screenshot of the explosion of the main reactor (3rd effect shot from the beginning) for comparison with the THX version and the S.E. There's a good discussion in the S.E. forum pertaining to which version of the explosion was original; the bright orange one, or the one with only white smoke. A screenshot of this clip from the original VHS would be extremely handy in solving this.
Post
#94702
Topic
The 2 Ewok Films - '<strong>Caravan Of Courage</strong>' (aka 'The Ewok Adventure'), &amp; '<strong>Battle For Endor</strong>'
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/94702/action/topic#94702
Time
I don't know if they're part of the EU, but George Lucas liked them and actually released them on home video more than once before the DVD (unlike the Holiday Special). The only difference between the LD and the DVD (in Caravan of Courage) is the opening credits. The LD says "The Ewok Adventure", while the DVD says "Caravan of Courage." What struck me as interesting is that "Caravan of Courage" was released theatrically in Europe. What I'm wondering is- does a widescreen version exist?
Post
#94659
Topic
The 2 Ewok Films - '<strong>Caravan Of Courage</strong>' (aka 'The Ewok Adventure'), &amp; '<strong>Battle For Endor</strong>'
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/94659/action/topic#94659
Time

I had always heard that the two made-for-TV Ewok movies (1984’s ‘Caravan of Courage’ and 1985’s ‘Battle for Endor’) were just mediocre and that they were only for children or fans who had to have everything. Despite all this, I got the Ewok movies on DVD a couple of months ago. Caravan of Courage was a little dull, but oddly enough, it reminded me of The Hobbit for some reason. Anyway, it wasn’t a masterpiece.

I was pleasantly surprised by ‘Battle for Endor’, however. I actually thought that that was a really good movie, certainly not up to the caliber of the OT, but very entertaining nonetheless. The effects were certainly better than the original Ewok movie, and the acting wasn’t bad either. The Mauraders looked like they belonged in the Lord of the Rings movies as opposed to Star Wars, and the old man’s pet was strange. I just got a big kick out of the movie, though.

Does anyone else like these?
 

 
Arnie.d’s Star Wars Ewok Adventures - double feature DVD (2004) thread has info on the ‘Star Wars Ewok Adventures’ release.

Adamwankenobi’s Ewok Feature Films (‘Caravan Of Courage’ & ‘Battle For Endor’) - 1999 soundtrack CD thread
 

An Ewok Adventure (aka ‘Caravan Of Courage’) info - IMDB : Wikipedia : Wookieepedia : Lucasfilm Wiki : StarWars.com

Battle For Endor info - IMDB : Wikipedia : Wookieepedia : Lucasfilm Wiki : StarWars.com

Post
#94536
Topic
Info Wanted: Screenshots from the original mono VHS
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/94536/action/topic#94536
Time

Does anyone know where to find screenshots of the Han/Greedo scene from the original '77 cropped mono VHS bootleg? This would supply the definitive answer for the formatting of the subtitles and the location on them on the frame, as well as the approximate font used-in the original release.
They have been formatted in so many different ways in the various video releases (in mine, they’re in the lower black bar), and I know that the original footage exists to set the record straight. It would help me (as well as many others, I think) in my DVD project.

Thanks!

Trooperman

Post
#94534
Topic
The One Good Thing about the S.E.'s
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/94534/action/topic#94534
Time
And I agree with you completely, Darth Simon. I just thought it was interesting how the Special Edition revealed enhancements in the THX edition through a handful of less effective special effect shots (from the original print). So in some ways, the "Faces" edition is the real "Special Edition."

I'm not sure how many people are understanding my line of thought.!
Post
#94452
Topic
Why Hayden's acting in ROTJ was bad...
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/94452/action/topic#94452
Time
You know, I would feel pretty bad if I were Sebastian Shaw, and in my two scenes in the famous Return of the Jedi, I never appear in my true form. My performance limited to one of the two scenes (and even then, without my eyebrows), I would feel some serious animosity toward George for doing this on a whim. Replacing me with a teenage kid 21 years after the fact. Same thing with the man that did Boba Fett's voice in Empire. Lucas has changed in many ways since he made the original films, and one of them is his disrespect for some of the actors that helped his films become great. If I were him, I would have asked Irvin Kershner for permission to change the movie. He was the one who directed Empire, after all.
Post
#94408
Topic
The One Good Thing about the S.E.'s
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/94408/action/topic#94408
Time
My point, though, is that it seems odd that certain effects shots which were much more colorful and dynamic in the older "faces" versions were degraded in the S.E.'s. These transfers were only 2 years apart, and I believe that the changes are unintentional; they are just inherent in the 70mm print that they used. The only reason I brought the older VHS into it is that, oddly enough, it matches the S.E. perfectly. I used it as reference to the original theatrical print.

Couldn't you then take these effects shots out of the 1997 S.E. and insert them into the "Faces" edition in place of the enhanced shots, to help create the true theatrical versions?

Trooperman
Post
#94224
Topic
The One Good Thing about the S.E.'s
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/94224/action/topic#94224
Time
I believe that although the Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition was a serious mistake, and although I'll watch the Original Trilogy any day, there are some aspects of the 1997 Special Editions that make them good for something other than fire kindling. These all have to do with restoration.

Watching the unchanged Special Edition effects shots (particularly in Star Wars), I began to see that some effects are different and less polished than in the Definitive Edition/Faces trilogy (1993-1996). Compare the shots of the Star Destroyer shooting the main reactor in the beginning of SW (the shot just before the interior shot of the droids). The "faces" version was much more colorful, whereas the S.E. explosion just consisted of smoke. Intrigued, I put in an old pan-scan (non-THX) VHS and watched the scene. It matches the Special Edition version exactly.

The point is that in restoring the true original version of Star Wars, the 1997 S.E. can be utilized for clean, high-quality original effects shots that were enhanced for the THX version of the original movie. As far as TESB and ROTJ go, the S.E.'s are indispensable tools for recreating the original 70mm mixes of the movies. Some of John William's musical cues (which were chopped up in the 35mm mix) are intact in the S.E. and different or additional lines of dialogue are heard. These original tracks can be recreated by mixing the THX mix and the S.E. mix together, which I'm doing currently. Heck, with enough information, someone could even attempt the 70mm mix of the original movie (although this would be far more difficult, considering that all 3 mixes were blended together for the S.E.).

This is why I'm grateful for the 1997 versions of the S.E.'s. All of the work was done off 70mm prints, which were unavailable previously. Has anyone else noticed these things or any others (like effects shots that were changed for the THX version but not for the S.E.)? I would like your comments on this.