hairy_hen

User Group: Members
Join date: 27-Mar-2006
Last activity: 11-May-2023
Posts: 1,609

Post History

Post: #221377
Topic: How Star Wars Should had ended
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/221377/action/topic#221377
Time: 23-Jun-2006 11:21 PM

lol. That's pretty funny. All they'd have to do would be to destroy Yavin, then the moon would have nothing to orbit around and would go off on some bizarre trajectory through space . . .

Post: #220708
Topic: Info: DC & Faces - Original audio sources (lots of information)
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/220708/action/topic#220708
Time: 21-Jun-2006 11:30 PM

Having heard the posted recording of the 70mm mix, I arrived at a similar conclusion to that posted by Belbecus--that the '93 mix is, in fact, primarily based on what was used for the 70mm, but with additional sound effects added in. The similarities are too great for it to be anything else. What tipped it off for me was the sound of the wall exploding as the stormtroopers blast their way into the Tantive IV--on the '93, compared to the '85, there is much more bass in the explosion, but it sounds less 'powerful' somehow because of the way the the higher end frequencies are mixed in. The '93 and 70mm are identical in this sound effect, as I had suspected.

Great find, Belbecus!

Post: #220454
Topic: Sets
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/220454/action/topic#220454
Time: 21-Jun-2006 12:56 AM

Originally posted by: JediFlyer06

Thank merciful god that Lucas didn't have the technology available back in the 70s to do what he did with the PT. If he had, Star Wars would suck. The more time goes on, the more apparent it becomes that Star Wars succeeded in spite of George Lucas, not because of him.

You know, I think you just might be right . . .

I've had the same thought recently, and it disturbs me, though I do think he wasn't nearly as off his rocker as he has been lately. He's been haunted by the technology of special effects not being good enough to live up to his "vision" but I believe some of the limitations ended up making the original SW as good as it is. Take the Jabba scene for example, most of the dislike of it these days comes from the bad cgi job, but actually I think that scene was always a mistake to begin with. It didn't belong there, the film didn't need it, and ended up much better for not having it in, made possible precisely *because* the effects just weren't working out. But the way Lucas sees SW is quite different than how it actually ended up, and what fans love about it tends to be the stuff that didn't originate with him . . .

On the subject of sets, I would go with real sets whenever possible, of course. Miniatures and other physical tools to be used where possible--think the scene in ESB where Luke loses his hand, behind the actors there was an actual forced-perspective painting on set for the background, it wasn't even bluescreened, I believe. Then go to cgi for things that aren't feasible by any physical means, and to augment and clean up the physical effects if necessary.

Post: #220447
Topic: Should there be an ULTIMATE EDITION!
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/220447/action/topic#220447
Time: 21-Jun-2006 12:33 AM

I agree with most of Master Skywalker's list, with the exception of using Temuera Morrison's voice for the stormtroopers. *shudder* And I would add, give Boba Fett his REAL voice back for ESB, as well.

For ultimate prequel editions both Jango Fett and all the clones should be revoiced to not be Morrison . . .

Post: #220436
Topic: What are you going to do with your SE discs?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/220436/action/topic#220436
Time: 21-Jun-2006 12:20 AM

I like the idea of sending the discs back, though I'm also thinking of selling my 2004 discs on Ebay since I foolishly paid $50 for them last year, and I don't have unlimited funds to keep buying dvd's all the time. I can't quite make up my mind what to do about it all.

But I'm pretty sure I will be buying the release in September, since (presumably, hopefully) it will be double layer and I don't have a double layer burner to use on any fan-created versions. I'll likely get them from fye.com since they have the $7 rebate on each one.

Post: #219029
Topic: Does George even read his own stuff?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/219029/action/topic#219029
Time: 16-Jun-2006 1:35 AM

I see no contradiction in Vader preventing Luke from destroying the Emperor. Maybe because I read the novel first, which provides an excellent explanation: for Luke to kill the Emperor at that moment would NOT secure his fealty to the dark side at that point in time. He wasn't yet ready for it, and there would be a significant chance he could return to his friends and remain loyal to the Rebellion. He would need further training from both Vader and the Emperor before his skills and loyalty to the dark side were enough that killing the Emperor would be entirely the result of his own ambition (and hopefully, loyalty to Vader) and not a simple righteous rage. This is entirely accordance with the way Vader acts towards Luke in ESB, as well.

Post: #217560
Topic: Episode II: Shroud of the Dark Side (the TM edit) (Released)
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/217560/action/topic#217560
Time: 9-Jun-2006 8:33 PM

The asteroid scene in AotC sucked lots of ass through a straw. It is extremely cartoonish and fake-looking, and I didn't enjoy it at all. I'd cut the whole scene, personally, but if it is to be left in, then trimmed of excess like bombs and dodgy missile shots. And eliminating entirely Boba's "Get him dad! Fire!" rubbish. God, that kid made me want to puke. lol

It would probably do well to have music, because it's just empty-sounding without it. I often hate it when they leave scenes silent that had music composed for them--was this one of those?

If those bombs are supposed to be sound waves, then that doesn't make any sense. No air in space to carry the sound waves . . . Sure the movies have sound, but that's just for the viewers pleasure; you can safely assume the characters aren't actually experiencing any sounds generated from outside their ships.

Post: #216655
Topic: Luke's rope-throwing talents in EP4
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/216655/action/topic#216655
Time: 6-Jun-2006 4:15 PM

Several fighters do crash into the Death Star shield in the RotJ novelisation. I actually read that before I saw the movie, and remember wondering why nobody crashed when I saw it.

As for Coruscant, it is first mentioned in the book Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn. At the time I always thought he'd invented it and not Lucas (his description of it is somewhat different than it appears in the prequels, also, as is Kashyyyk). That is from 1991, so of course many people already knew about it when the SE came around. Gah, I love the Thrawn trilogy--it's more 'canon' to me than the prequels ever have been.

Post: #215018
Topic: Fixing Things Ourselves
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/215018/action/topic#215018
Time: 31-May-2006 1:08 AM

Sweet! Obviously we're in a dubious position with distributing alterations to something officially available, as opposed to preservation of an out-of-print edition. (Particularly when so many people have said they're not buying it, distribution would surely fall under the heading of piracy.) I'm a complete novice at dvd authoring, I'd have to obtain a bunch of programs first to be able to do any of it, but if the various audio tracks were made available and we could all learn how to create our own ideal versions, that would be really great.

Of course, I'd still love a version that combined '04 and '06 dvd footage classic edition style, except better. That's one project I'd just as soon not tackle myself. lol

Post: #215016
Topic: Mono mix for Moth3r's ANH DVD
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/215016/action/topic#215016
Time: 31-May-2006 12:59 AM

I downloaded the mono track. Thanks for putting it up, Moth3r!

Holy crap was it scratchy though . . . if that can be restored to a good sound I'll be very impressed, and eager to hear it.

It was very interesting, all the stuff that was different. Some parts of it sounded like the special edition mix, actually, which is interesting as I've heard the SE mix put some mono stuff back in that hadn't been there in stereo before. I noticed right away the volume of the music in the opening Star Destroyer shot was louder than the stereo mix, like the SE. I like it that way. I almost felt like I was hearing something from another time, knowing it was authentic '77 and the way almost everyone heard it in theatres back then. It was cool.

Post: #214750
Topic: ***The "Darth Editous" Episode V DVD Info and Feedback Thread*** - a work in progress
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/214750/action/topic#214750
Time: 29-May-2006 9:02 PM

That's great to hear about the audio--it will finally sound completely correct. I wish I had surround system (just stereo for me) so I could hear 5.1 properly. Ah well.

OCP did a pretty good job with the lightsabres in the carbonite chamber, making Vader's red again instead of pink. He didn't touch the cave scene, though, which is in part why I was wondering if you were doing it.

Post: #214340
Topic: ***The "Darth Editous" Episode V DVD Info and Feedback Thread*** - a work in progress
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/214340/action/topic#214340
Time: 28-May-2006 2:09 AM

Hi D.E.,

Is there any chance you could brighten the lightsabers in the Dagobah cave scene?

They are dull and the colours are extremely muted. In previous versions of the film they are very brightly coloured. A simple comparison between dvd and laserdisc reveals this, as it is quite drastic. It looks like the glow around the edge of the sabers was desaturated to such an extent that it's hardly visible, making them look narrower than they should. I'd love to see that fixed!

I'm curious what you're going to do about the part beginning with Fett's line "put captain Solo in the cargo hold" and up to the cut back to the lightsabre duel. The SE's used the music as composed for the scene, so the very dodgy music edits present on earlier versions are corrected. But if you got Fett's lines from the laserdiscs, this dodgy music will be even worse (I have OCP's version and he got Fett's voice from the laserdisc, and there is a startling jump in the music right after Fett finishes his line). Perhaps taking Fett's line from the '97 SE would work here to make it flow correctly?

Sounds like you're doing a great job on this.

Post: #213149
Topic: Just Saw The Unaltered Trilogy For The First Time...
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/213149/action/topic#213149
Time: 24-May-2006 7:27 PM

I'm 21--not old enough to have seen them in the theatres, unfortunately, but I grew up with them on VHS. First saw them at about 7, I think, and rented them all the time, finally owning them at 10. There was a period there when I watched the whole trilogy every weekend, and I would record sections of the movies on audio tape to listen to in my room. lol

The special editions were cool to me at first, because I was only 12 when they came out and more prone to be wowed by effects and stuff I guess; plus, seeing them in the theatres for the first time was truly awesome, even if they were different then they had been. I was overall okay with the changes until I saw the '04 dvd's--the further alterations, like Fett's horrible voice, were annoying, and I found the audio mix on ANH to be such a botch job that I became truly enraged. Having those audio tapes, the sound was the part of the films I was most attached to, and on the ANH dvd the sound is truly unrecognisable in many places, for having such an overkill level of bass thrown in. Thus I came to detest the continued meddling of Lucas and experience great nostalgia for the originals.

Watching the old versions again is like coming home after a long and torturous journey, to discover that I had not in fact been hallucinating and complaining about nothing for no reason (none of my non-obsessed family like the special editions either, but they can't hear any of the audio stuff I've tried to point out, which is frustrating). I appreciate everything about them so much more now because I can see how the alterations don't mesh and don't belong.

'85 stereo mix all the way, baby.

Post: #212877
Topic: New DVDs NOT 16x9
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/212877/action/topic#212877
Time: 24-May-2006 1:46 AM

That's it. I used to think he was great, but now I think Lucass is the biggest effing dousche and I want to slug him in the face and rip him several new ones!

The sheer wretchedness of all this is astounding. Son of a buttsavage, I can't understand how he fails to understand how culturally significant these movies are. Especially when he's gone on record as saying he's against colourisation of black and white films and wants old movies preserved so his kids can see them. Hello? Does the word "hypocrisy" mean anything to him?

When's the last time Lucass watched a widescreen dvd with black bars on all four sides, and crummy resolution to boot? He wouldn't accept that if it was something he liked, but he's got his head so far up his intestines he doesn't understand how utterly he's ruined everything he used to be knows as great for.

Post: #212869
Topic: The Official Lucasfilm Response
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/212869/action/topic#212869
Time: 24-May-2006 1:01 AM

Yep. I got that same response to my e-mail today.

At least they noticed--I halfway expected they would never say anything more about it at all. They must have been inundated with messages protesting their shoddy treatment. It's something.

I was ready to just say forget it, but The Bizzle makes a very good point--they've paid us this level of attention so far, maybe we can keep pushing them and get more results. It'll be a long, slow, torturous process, but something could still come of all this. Who knows?

It's absurd, this rubbish about the laserdisc master being the best they've got around. Give me an effin' break, here. We're not even asking for a huge and painstaking restoration project (hell, a slightly dirty picture is how I grew up watching it on VHS to begin with, and the uber-cleaned '04 picture looks unnatural to me). We just want it to be from something of higher resolution and that won't have black bars ON ALL FOUR SIDES OF THE PICTURE. Cripes. Define stubborn?

What other director has ever treated his own works with such contempt, indeed. None I've ever heard of. If freaking King Kong can be put back together at over 40 years older than SW, then I just don't buy their pathetic excuses at all.

Post: #212434
Topic: Just Saw The Unaltered Trilogy For The First Time...
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/212434/action/topic#212434
Time: 22-May-2006 10:31 PM

That's awesome, dude!

I've always worried that people who had only seen the special editions would think the original films lame in comparison for their supposedly outdated effects and so forth (which is what George Lucas believes people think). For people with no attention span that may be true, but you've proved to me that anyone who actually pays attention to the films and what they're about can see the differences, and decide clearly in favour of the real thing. It's a relief to know that we're not just nitpicking for nostalgia's sake, here. lol

You're right about the Jabba scene--it's so superfluous one does not really notice its absence. I think it was a mistake to even have it in the script to begin with, really. Fortune shone on the film when they couldn't get it work back then. lol

Vader doesn't strike me as being a 'pink' kind of guy, either.

That's interesting about the Emperor scene . . . when I first saw the '04 set in college one other guy remarked it was lame to have him say that Anakin was Luke's father right then, because it interfered with the way that plot went in the rest of the story. It didn't bug me so much at first, because I'd seen it with the original dialogue many times already, but when I realised this was supposed to be a complete replacement of how it had been, it became annoying. Lucas confuses himself with his changes, I think, because he's counting people seeing them and saying "oh that's so much better now that they changed it!" but doesn't take into account the way they come across when trying to mesh with the older elements. Over the time the alterations just don't hold up. It's lame, too, the way the name "Anakin Skywalker" is used in ESB, because that name is never heard at all until RJ otherwise. Using McDiarmid in the scene was in theory a good idea for continuity's sake, and it is nice to see him there, but it also spoils his introduction in RJ, again, because you don't see his face clearly until near the end when Luke meets him for the first time. (I think it even says in the script that Luke's viewing of the Emperor is to be the first time the audience gets a good look at his face.) If they'd just kept the original dialogue and shadowed his face, it might have been better . . .

Post: #212426
Topic: STAR WARS: The Torrents thread
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/212426/action/topic#212426
Time: 22-May-2006 9:58 PM

Seriously in need of seeders for the Editdroid ESB and RJ at myspleen . . .

I'm seeding the Mysterious Mysteries and Deleted Magic, but the above downloads haven't gone anywhere in several days.

Post: #211971
Topic: For all those confused...
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/211971/action/topic#211971
Time: 21-May-2006 4:16 AM

Huh. I didn't know anamorphic looked not quite as good as letterbox on a 4:3 set. By that logic I should actually get this new release, then, because I only have a 4:3 20-inch tv to begin with.

I'm as upset as anyone about the non-anamorphic business, because I most definitely plan on getting a ginormous widescreen display as soon as I live on my own and can afford it (I like thinking long-term on this stuff, lol). I s'pose this will be all right for me now, though I'm still not at all pleased.

Post: #211967
Topic: Make your voices heard! (again) - re the 2006 GOUT DVD being in letterbox format
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/211967/action/topic#211967
Time: 21-May-2006 3:47 AM

I'm sending this e-mail to the lucasfilm publicity address:

"To those whom it may concern at Lucasfilm,

Like innumerable Star Wars fans around the world, I was overjoyed to learn that the original versions of the Star Wars trilogy were to be released on dvd this fall. I applaud Mr. Lucas for his efforts to bring the movies to the visual and artistic standards he had always imagined. I have long felt, however, that the original versions of the films should not be suppressed in light of enhancements made numerous years after the fact. Both versions should be available for the viewing public to choose from (similar to Mr. Spielberg's release of E.T. a few years ago), and at first glance this news seemed to promise that.

The past few days, however, have brought more disturbing news to my ears, namely that these classic, groundbreaking films are not to be treated to a proper high-quality digital release, in 16:9 anamorphic widescreen as per the prevailing dvd industry standard, but instead in 4:3 letterbox, a transfer technique that has been obsolete for a number of years. I am deeply disturbed that Lucasfilm would see fit to release such a technically inferior product, from an outdated video source using outdated technology, to the public. Your company has long been at the forefront of technological innovation in film-making, and I am unable to understand why this historic release is being given such lacklustre treatment.

As you must be aware, the market for bootleg copies of the Star Wars films in their original forms is tremendous. More still are made and exchanged for no profit at all, simply for love of the material and a desire to preserve it. I feel I must warn the company that if the upcoming release is not given the treatment it deserves, in 16:9 anamorphic widescreen and using the best possible film elements available, then the loss in revenue, both from lack of sales and to the continued bootlegging, will be considerable. If the product we are given is no better than what we already own from previous releases, innumerable fans will see no point in purchasing it at all. Personally I dislike the practice of bootlegging and would be glad to see it made irrelevant through an official release of spectacular quality, and I urge the company to do these groundbreaking films justice and give them the treatment they deserve. We the fans will thank you with our hearts and our wallets if this is done.

It is my understanding that Mr. Robert Harris, who has done restoration work on Lawrence of Arabia and other films, has offered to assist Lucasfilm on restoring the original Star Wars films if necessary, for a low price and quickly enough to be released on dvd by Christmas. I appeal to Mr. Lucas and to Mr. Ward to contact him and enlist his services. These movies are beloved classics and deserve to be treated as such.

Thank you very much for your time."

Post: #211946
Topic: Who has now lost all respect.........
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/211946/action/topic#211946
Time: 21-May-2006 2:13 AM

I don't have any respect for George Lucas left in me either. Screw him, I say. If he's that determined to treat his groundbreaking films with such contempt, I don't have the slightest hesitation in telling to go jump off the Golden Gate Bridge and keep the shit-ass second-rate crap he's putting out. Star Wars should be taken out of his hands and put with those who actually care about the material. He doesn't understand what his own movies have become, I think.

It's funny, I was watching OCP's Deleted Magic recently, and it has all kinds of stuff that shows how much the original film might have sucked if not for the brilliant job done by the editors. Lucas never had nearly the talent anyone thought he did, seems like. Though he was much better back then than he is now.

Sigh. I wish I could just forget about Star Wars for a while! I'd be happier for not being so focused on being upset all the time. But I can't, it's too important to me . . .

X0 project, I await thee.

Post: #210787
Topic: Info: Think this will sell?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/210787/action/topic#210787
Time: 17-May-2006 11:28 PM

Huh. That is the exact box set I own of the '97 SE. The $65 price tag is a bit extreme, I think.

Actually I think the '97 version is overall preferable to the '04 set--it still has Boba's proper voice, the sound mix on ANH is excellent (unlike the pure shit that is the dvd version), Shaw is still there in RotJ . . . there is Luke's scream, though, which the dvd removed.

Damn it. Sometimes it's hard to pick what exact version of the movies is best in everything. If only George weren't so revisionist, we could actually enjoy these movies in peace without nitpicking the details.

Post: #208453
Topic: Info: The "OFFICIAL" audio mixes of the Original Trilogy - Help needed.
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/208453/action/topic#208453
Time: 11-May-2006 12:33 AM

That's the splitscreen set? Nah, I don't have it. It would definitely be interesting to see it that way, though. I'm limited in the stuff I have because I'm getting most of them from myspleen, which is usually pretty slow, plus I have to link to another computer to actually burn them, and it isn't always available. Right now I have the first TR47 (but with the Leia-welding gap fixed), OCP's classic editions, and Editdroid for the first film, but not the other two yet. I also have Deleted Magic.

Sometime I'd like to be able to just sit down and watch Star Wars as a movie and not think about any kind of changes, just enjoy it for what it is, you know? Analysing it to death sort of does make that difficult. I can only imagine how odd it must be to edit and put together these things frame by frame and not get sick of it! lol Still, I never really get tired of it for long. It's too cool and important to me for that.

Post: #208442
Topic: Original Trilogy DVD FAQ (Unofficial)
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/208442/action/topic#208442
Time: 11-May-2006 12:15 AM

It's great to see them mention this site in particular. So glad I signed the petition! Not that I actually thought it would accomplish much at the time, but here we are now, getting what we wanted (hopefully).

Post: #208418
Topic: How "original" do you think it is going to be...? (the 2006 GOUT DVD release)
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/208418/action/topic#208418
Time: 10-May-2006 11:56 PM

Hmm. I don't know if such a print exists either; that was what I gathered from things I'd read recently around here. I'm sure there was something saying that they had to recomposite all the effects because of the condition of the negative, so that made it sound like it was done before any CG alterations took place. But all I know is what I've heard. Who knows?

The rancor looked better on my old VHS than it does on the my TR47 set, perhaps in part because objectionable bits of the compositing were cut out of the frame by the pan and scan. I dunno. At least it looked better in my memory, anyway, I haven't checked the tape of that either.

Post: #208392
Topic: Info: The "OFFICIAL" audio mixes of the Original Trilogy - Help needed.
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/208392/action/topic#208392
Time: 10-May-2006 11:24 PM

Heh. I always long to talk about this stuff but no one I know in person is ever interested . . . even my girlfriend likes the OOT plenty but not nearly on that level of obsessiveness, so I have to hold back. lol

It's fascinating, isn't it? All the stuff that's been changed, subtly and otherwise, over the years. There's even a lot more variation than I was ever aware of until recently. I'm glad I found this site.