Oh man, I’d definitely be down for a movie, or even series of them, about a rebel pilot squadron! In fact, the space battle in Rogue One really resonated with me because it felt SO MUCH like some of the classic '90’s EU such as the X-Wing, TIE Fighter, and Rebel Assault (1&2) video games as well as the Rogue squadron novels!
Huh, I hadn’t heard about Kathy stopping Abrams from doing whatever he wanted, but I guess I don’t really follow Hollywood news much.
But between that, and this, it also makes me wonder what the real story is with Edwards and Rogue One was. It makes me wonder if the official version of the story about “oh, the original cut wasn’t that different, just the archive and transmission tower were two different buildings” is really all there was to it. It makes me wonder how much of the movie is really Gareth’s, how much is the reshoot director’s, and how much is Lucasfilm committee…
But this news certainly makes it clear these films (much like marvel) are directed by committee and the actual director is only there to get the film management wants and NOT to put their own creative ideas onscreen.
I mean, I can’t complain too much because I thoroughly enjoyed both TFA and R1 but it must kinda suck as an artist to be a director for any of these films. But then, I guess it would also kinda suck to be a writer and watch a director who doesn’t get your ideas and doesnt interpret your words to film the way you intended.
Edit: Rodney makes a good point (that he posted while I was writing this). Kennedy has a pretty impressive resume as a producer. She probably knows what she’s doing…
At this point I don’t even care what happens officially anymore. Would I love for there to be an official, properly done restoration and release? Absolutely. But so long as Disney/Lucasfilm continue to ignore this little corner of the internet and let us do our thing, I’m good with that.
Bottom line is, I don’t care who saves these films so long as SOMEONE does it. And thank God we’ve got people with the knowhow, contacts, and resources to actually get it done! I wish I could contribute more than I have (and if I’m able, will hopefully do more in the future), but I’m so grateful for everyone who’s helped and especially people like poita and harmy who’ve spearheaded projects and done so much!
@possessed
I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree. Like I said, I’m a big fan of 50’s b movies and I’ve watched a ton of them. And I stand by my statement about the prequels being just as bad.
Now, to swing this back around on topic, that appreciation for old b movies helps me understand why some people actually like the prequels. While I personally find them pretty much insufferable, a driving force for that is how they failed to mesh well (visually, continuity-wise, etc.) with the films that came decades before that I had grown up with. But for someone who didn’t have that history - especially a young kid - I can see why they might not feel the way I do.
I can also totally empathize with someone who really loves a film or series that the world at large deems crappy. I can also empathize with people who like the prequels based almost entirely on childhood nostalgia. As I mentioned, I love me some Godzilla. And there are a couple of pretty awful Godzilla movies that I still thoroughly enjoy based almost entirely on the nostalgia from watching them as a kid.
So, while I personally don’t like them, and don’t agree with those who sing their praises for whatever reason, I CAN understand why there seems to be a growing number of prequel fans, or people who don’t completely dismiss them the way many of us here do.
I don’t think that they are even very bad. They just aren’t… Good. Sure some of the dialogue is awful, but there’s worse. It’s bad enough to keep them from being good, but not so bad that it makes them terrible. They are terrible if compared to esb, but that’s not saying much not many movies can survive that comparison.
I’ll bite…
I’d argue there are MANY films as good or better than ESB. And I say that as someone who for a very long time held ESB as far and away my favorite film ever (some other films have caught up with it in my favoritism but it’s still easily in my top 5 or better). But there’s a reason it’s rarely included on lists like the AFI’s top 100.
Second, the prequels are BAD movies. On so many levels that I can’t begin to understand people who try to argue they’re not. It doesn’t mean you’re a terrible person or stupid or any awful thing like that for liking them. I love lots of bad movies. I have a real soft spot for 50’s B movies and I unabashedly love Godzilla and other giant monster movies. But I can acknoweledge that many, even most, of those movies are bad movies by any reasonable criteria. I can understand why people criticize them or don’t find them enjoyable. Doesn’t stop me from loving them inspite (or often because) or their badness. But I’d never try to argue Plan 9 From Outer Space is some brilliant piece of high art with numerous layers or depth and meaning. THAT would be preposterously silly. Just like that ring theory nonsense…
If you think the prequels are anywhere near as bad as those then I don’t know what to tell you. I even said I don’t think they’re good, but equating them with plan 9 from outer space or a 50s b movie is crazy.
Also, esb is on quite a few lists, including the one you mentioned.
ESB is not on either iteration of AFI’s top 100.
And yes, the prequels are every bit as bad as some 50’s B movies (not to mention some b movies are actually quite good). Perhaps Plan 9 is a stretch, but I was just using it as an example to illustrate my point. But while the prequels may have had higher budgets and better production values (to an extent), the writing, dialogue, wooden acting, bad direction, some AWFUL special effects shots, complete disregard for continuity within the series, etc are all every bit as bad as crappy B movie from the drive-in era.
I don’t think that they are even very bad. They just aren’t… Good. Sure some of the dialogue is awful, but there’s worse. It’s bad enough to keep them from being good, but not so bad that it makes them terrible. They are terrible if compared to esb, but that’s not saying much not many movies can survive that comparison.
I’ll bite…
I’d argue there are MANY films as good or better than ESB. And I say that as someone who for a very long time held ESB as far and away my favorite film ever (some other films have caught up with it in my favoritism but it’s still easily in my top 5 or better). But there’s a reason it’s rarely included on lists like the AFI’s top 100.
Second, the prequels are BAD movies. On so many levels that I can’t begin to understand people who try to argue they’re not. It doesn’t mean you’re a terrible person or stupid or any awful thing like that for liking them. I love lots of bad movies. I have a real soft spot for 50’s B movies and I unabashedly love Godzilla and other giant monster movies. But I can acknoweledge that many, even most, of those movies are bad movies by any reasonable criteria. I can understand why people criticize them or don’t find them enjoyable. Doesn’t stop me from loving them inspite (or often because) or their badness. But I’d never try to argue Plan 9 From Outer Space is some brilliant piece of high art with numerous layers or depth and meaning. THAT would be preposterously silly. Just like that ring theory nonsense…
By the way there is still something quite weird about the “take the high ground” joke and meme, because it means “to be better” (I saw it in French back in 2005, “j’ai le dessus Anakin”, which means exactly that) and seems to have been taken litterally as “I stand on a higher ground as you do so I win”. As if to mock the PT dialogues there was a need to even make fun of something that is not that ridiculous.
Not related to that but to the topic there is something very cool about the PT, and it’s called Clone Wars (and some parts of The Clone Wars as well).
I’m not entirely sure I understood your comment about the high ground, but I think you’re saying that the phrase “take the high ground” is a metaphor for being better or superior and that it’s laughable that in RoTS it seems to be used literally? But in truth, the metaphorical meaning of the phrase comes from the literal meaning of the words; specifically in reference to combat. In combat (ancient or modern, one-on-one or army vs army) being higher than your opponent has a great many advantages. It’s why castles are almost always built on hills or cliffs. Obi-wan absolutely meant it literally when he said it to Anakin.
Isn’t being a tad goulish right in Cushing’s wheelhouse…?
Dang, poita. That’s simultaneously both the most depressing and incredibly exciting post this site has seen in ages. Thank you for all the effort you’ve already made to preserving film that no one else seems either willing or able to, and thank you for this renewed effort. Godspeed in your endeavors and health!
This does also raise so many questions, but I’ll stick to a couple of the most significant.
Does this mean starting from scratch or will some of the previous scans and associated work be included in this new restoration?
Regarding copyright; does this potentially mean that in some parts of the world one could legally press and sell “official” copies of Star Wars (or the whole trilogy?) WITHOUT Lucasfilm’s/Disney’s involvement?
Thank you again Poita, this really is tremendous! Hopefully one day history will remember you as a key player in saving our artistic history when those who should’ve wouldn’t.
Can x-wings fire their cannons with the wings closed? I know most of the video games back in the day wouldn’t work that way…
Otherwise that’s a cool picture.
Eh, regarding the scene in R1, Vader clearly brings troops with him. Its evidenced by both his line about preparing a boarding party and the fact that Stormtroopers show up next to him as they watch the Tantive IV fly away. As to why he takes on the rebels single handedly? Perhaps he had his team split up to search the ship faster and he just happened to be the one who found them first. He didn’t really have time to wait for backup. It’s an entirely different scenario than the opening of Star Wars where he’s cornered and captured the ship and can take his time letting the troops storm it.
Now, as for my film idea, I do think the fear of Vader not being able to carry a film is a valid concern that must be dealt with. But I don’t think it’s an insurmountable problem. We already know all we need to about him; he needs no character development. However he can still be the protagonist in that he is the catalyst and the driving force that propels the film. But even so, the focus of the run time would actually be on his victims. Getting to know who they are, how their covers were blown and the Empire finds them, how they deal with the fear of knowing Vader is coming for them. Again, this is roughly similar to how things are done in The Sword of Doom.
Also, I had an idea for a scene (perhaps the opening of the movie?) where Vader commands the team that ransacks the Kyber temple with the monks who would later seek him out watching in horror/terror. Perhaps they vow to avenge the desecration and go hunting for Vader, tracking him each time he hunts down another Jedi until they are able to confront him. Maybe this would be the big finale. Vader against a team of force sensitive (but NOT Jedi!) Guardians of the Whills. Or maybe it’s just the opening scene and the monks attack on site and overwhelm the Stormtroopers until Vader steps in.
At any rate, while it would be a “Darth Vader movie”, I actually envision it having Vader onscreen for not much more than he’s featured in ESB. I think it could really work. Man, the more I think about this, the more I REALLY want to see it made! Anybody happen to have an in with John Knoll or Kathleen Kennedy…?
I know there will be plenty here who disagree, but I totally want to see a movie about Darth Vader hunting down the last few stray Jedi he can find. The more times I watch Rogue One, the more I love how they handled Darth. Despite the internet complaints I think the suit looks great more times than not (there’s maybe two shots where it looks a little off but that’s really it) and they NAILED his character. His snarky lines towards Krennic were totally the kind of thing he said to imperial officers in the OT.
I don’t know exactly what kind of genre you might try to mimic with a film like that, but maybe a vengeful Samurai drama? Something similar in tone to Harakiri, or better yet, Sword of Doom. Something where the protagonist (Vader) has already or is in the process of descending into madness as he seeks his revenge on those who “wronged” him. This would lead to a series of epic duels as the film goes on. The first two or three being one on one and the finale being a gripping battle where Vader is outnumbered maybe three or four to one and he only barely prevails.
It could be set a little before Rogue One and perhaps even reference Jedda and the empire ransacking the temple for Kyber crystals. Hey, maybe one of the duels could be Vader against two or three angry and vengeful Guardians of the Whills monks!
The duels would be very tense and dramatic. Nothing like what you saw in the PT, but great swordsmanship drawing inspiration from the very best cinematic fights but with very creative and thoughtful use of the Force.
Imagine something along the lines this scene (from Harakiri).
https://youtu.be/L6tp8r0E68w
I wanted post a subbed trailer for The Sword of Doom b/c I think that film is the best example of the overall tone and mood for the film I’m envisioning, but I wasn’t able to find one. But if you’re interested, google will turn up lots of info… if you catch my drift. Also Criterion has it available on BD and DVD.
He’s not in any of the pictures they posted.
He may not have worked on it, but Knoll was still at the party…
Yeah I don’t know if Knoll would be good or bad. I mean, the original film (and a chance encounter that led to him hanging out with the ILMers in '78 or '79 at their model shop as a wide-eyed teenager) is what led him down his career path to begin with.
And while his cgi hobby may have led to the SE’s, he’s also the guy who PAINSTAKINGLY recreated the original cg Death Star plans on his own time (which ended up in R1). And he also came up with the idea for Rogue One.
Yeah, I thought something very similar to screams in the void as well. But to add to that, I thought it would be the Jedi defending the galaxy against the mandalorians. But the mandalorians had broken intergalactic law and begun cloning themselves. The Jedi couldn’t stop the onslaught because they were so hopelessly outnumbered, and they actually began cloning themselves in order to win. There was also a rumor that “Obi-wan” was actually OB-1 (kinda like See-Threepio and Artoo-Detoo…) and that stood for “Old Ben 1”. Thus implying that the Obi-wan Kenobi we know is actually the first successful clone of the Jedi “Old Ben Kenobi”
Some of these ideas came from some random newspaper article I read and the the Heir to the Empire trilogy actually kinda helped solidify them with C’Boath and Luuke and all that cloning stuff.
Wow, those are some expensive socks. And, somehow, buying the big boxset is even MORE expensive than buying them individually? Dang…
Love the Death Star ice cube. My mother-in-law gave me two of those molds a couple years ago. I pretty much always have at least one in the freezer at the ready! She also gave me a Han in Carbonite ice cube tray. I’ve been very tempted to try using them to make chocolates (both han and the Death Star) but I haven’t attempted that yet.
That Guardians of the Whills book sounds really intriguing. I’m going to have to get it soon! Baze and Chirrut have quickly risen to be some of my favorite new Star Wars characters. I love the whole “guardians of the whills” and Kyber temple ideas and I’d love to dive deeper into that thread.
Anchorhead, I feel you. As time passes, Rogue One continues to rise in my opinion of it. I can’t say it’s my favorite (SW and ESB are tied for that spot and probably always will be) but I think it may be inching its way past TFA into third place… Tough to say for certain because I really love the characters in TFA and where the story is headed so far…
I can’t (and probably wouldn’t) commit to watching R1 THAT often, but I do find myself repeatedly putting it on and watching 10 or 15 mins of my favorite parts at least a couple times a week… which inevitably leads to me doing the same with ANH and ESB as time permits… I already did one full R1-SW-ESB-ROTJ-TFA marathon spaced out with about one film per week. I was really trying to hold off and do it once more in november before TLJ arrives, but I’m not sure I’m gonna make it. The feeling to cave in is strong!
I haven’t been this enthusiastic about Star Wars in so long, but between the amazing fan restorations that let me watch the OT in all its original glory and two new movies that are actually GOOD I feel much like I did back in the early 90’s “SW renaissance” when I first discovered Star Wars, just as all the new stuff was coming out. It’s really exciting and feels great to be in that place again. Something I never really expected to happen, but I certainly welcome with open arms!
To me, they both look obviously fake when talking. The movement of the lips and mouth just weren’t intricate enough or something. But I also thought both looked incredibly convincing when they were gazing into the distance just barely moving. They’re not totally lifelike in those shots, but darn close.
Rey understanding chewie is just another piece of the puzzle I was talking about. My guess is she learned it before she was left on Jakku (just like I’m betting she learned a LOT of what makes her “Mary sue-ish” before being abandoned on Jakku)
I think all you “Rey is a Mary Sue” or “has many Mary Sue-like traits” are totally misunderstanding the writers’ intent with the character.
Yes, she does a LOT of amazing, seemingly impossible or unbelievable things. So much so that even she herself is astonished at what she accomplishes. All of this points to the idea that she is apparently MUCH more than she initially appears to be. There is a huge mystery to her background and all of these amazing feats and traits are clues to what that background might be.
There are other clues, like when Kylo Ren force-pulls the officer halfway across the room to ask, “what GIRL?!” (Which implies he might have some knowledge of who she is). Or the almost ashamed look on Han’s face when she comments about all the green (this may not be a clue, but for now I believe it IS a clue that Han knows more about her than he lets on)
Ultimately it will be up to the next two installments to make the mystery pay off, so time will tell if the writers did a good job. But as far as TFA is concerned, she’s NOT a Mary Sue. She’s a mystery and her amazing powers are clues to the answer.
Luke only fully understands what R2 says when in the x-wing cockpit where a little screen shows text of what R2 is saying. Outside of that, neverar is right in that he only understands the general tone, but not the words.
As for Rey, it seems Poe also fully understands BB-8. I just chock it up to a new model that’s been made with a more easily learned droid language. I mean,the first iPhones didn’t have voice recognition or Siri. Now everyone’s phones can listen and talk back…
Hey, I’ve been there…
Checking out some original 1980 ESB reels on the light table
Original 1977 Star Wars print on the telecine…
Thanks guys, for anyone interested in scoping out Death Valley shooting locales, this page was indispensable. For me, traveling with toddlers, just seeing the general areas/canyons was neat enough (plus we were there for family vacation and Star Wars sites were just an added bonus). But if you’ve got more time and energy, you can hunt down the exact pieces of scenery in various scenes.
The one exception for me was the view of mos eisley. That I wanted to see the exactly. Fortunately, it’s by far the easiest to do because it happens to be THE main view from Dante’s View. If you drive up there, you can’t possibly miss it.
While Lucasfilm was once again letting us down at celebration, we were on family vacation hitting up a couple national parks. One of our stops was Death Valley. While it wasn’t the thrust of our trip there, I did take advantage of the chance to see a few of the locations used as parts of Tatooine. Kinda cool that it coincided with the 40th anniversary.
I tried to make it look like we were sand people, rather than just doing black blobs over our faces. But I’m working with the iPad photo markup tool… so…
Below is Golden Canyon, one of the locations used to film the Jawas capturing R2.
