As a follower of the always entertaining SWHS, I couldn't help but notice these lobby cards from the Holiday Special on Ebay. Seems like something that should be snatched up. It belongs in a museum!
Cheers!
FAntastic work Harmy! This brought me right back to the Lincoln Theater in 1997. Was it worth standing in line all day and night just to get primo seats to watch? Hell yeah it was! Is there any chance someone would host this on Usenet for a while. Can't seem to get the "other" site to work for me. Anywho it would be much obliged. Th force is strong with this one.
Thank you so much for the detailed response. It has always bothered me wondering which one was correct. While I prefer to watch Harmy' s version for its clarity and overall correctness, it's still a blast to watch the originals I grew up with. My next question would be then if this means the original theatrical release featured the same color errors.
First of all, thank you so much for your hard work on V2.5. It is possibly the most detailed preservation we have. I have a question though, it concerns the canyon scene with the jawas. In the original pan & scan version, that would be the Video Rental Library cassette. It is clearly daytime or late afternoon as R2 heads down the canyon. Going through my library, it has occurred to me that this scene has not been restored in the Despecialized Edition. Any thoughts on this minor omission? Not being critical in any way so please no back biting. I understand using HD sources for this preservation, just curious if this was noticed.
When watching the original pan and scan version of Star Wars, I noticed a sound effect missing from the cantina scene. If you look at the beginning from where the first alien pops his head up, the next scene pans to a group of aliens sitting at a table. I overhear what sounds like "you're different." It is most audible in Puggo' s 8mm preservation. In the subsequent pan and scan preservations, such as Dark Jedi's full screen, it sounds more alien. I don't recall hearing this line in any other release. Can anyone confirm what I think I heard?
Thank you for pointing me in the right direction. These were in fact the droids I was looking for. Many thanks!
Ok, so I've been busily searching Usenet and the Spleen for copies or preservations of the original full screen pan and scan of the trilogy. I have already added Starkiller's 1982 Video Rental to my collection. What I am wondering is if there are similar transfers of Empire and ROTJ available. I guess what I am after is something akin to what I experienced growing up watching them for the first time. Anyone care to point me in the right direction for Empire and ROTJ? Many thanks!
Ok Star Wars fans. This was on Usenet and the Spleen a long time ago but has since disappeared. Anyone willing to do an upload of this. This is great work and should be shared for all to enjoy! I appreciate everyone who takes time out to help a fan complete his collection.
Thank you so much for the seed on usenet. I really Appreciate that. Was also wondering if one could seed the Story Of Empire by MoveAlong as well. I can't seem to find that one either.many thanks in advance if anyone would be willing to share with a fan.
So where is the usual place that this is posted? I know I should probably just be patient and wait for it to come on the Spleen or UseNet but I've been waiting for this for a long time and I'm just so excited for it!
Wow, no one is able to help a fellow fan out? Must be really busy! I'm not complaining though. Just would love to have this. If someone could seed it for even a day and let me know, I would be very grateful. Seems MoveAlong has moved on from here.
I've been looking for this as well as The Empire Strikes Back for about 5 months. There are no seeders over at MySpleen. How on earth can I get a copy of this? This is just too wonderful not to have in my collection. I own pristine copies of the vinyl and just know this would complete my DVD collection. BTW there is nothing posted on a.b.starwars either. Anyone have a copy floating around?
Zeno,
Thank you So much for posting to the forum. I thought it was dead. I have a great transfer of the album you seek in WAV format. I Just moved into my new flat here So my audio and computer gear is not set up quite yet. I Will be more than happy to PM you just as soon as I get unpacked and settled. I can convert to any format you like. Let me know.
Cheers,
Adam
7FN,
Thanks so much for your hard work and dedicaion to preserving these Story Of albums. They hold a special place in my heart from chilhood. I have recently picked up mint copies of each on LP for my peesonal collection. Do i need to send you a pic of me with the albums? I have kids of my own now and would love to share your work with them. I have copies of the first batch you did and I can't imagine you topping them. But I'm sure you have. Hope to get a PM from you soon.
Cheers,
Adam
I think this is a good idea. Although I like the first version, the changes you are implementing sound like they will bring this closer to the workprint version I envision in my mind. Let me know if you need someone to preview your progress.
darth_ender said:
Alright, I am going to ask for help. My time is terribly limited, but I would like to get this done eventually. I need help organizing the various photos, and it is surprisingly time consuming. I am already a good chunk of the way through ANH, but if I could get two separate people who might be willing to organize ESB and ROTJ chronologically somewhat, I'd be very, very grateful. This project continues to plod along. Post or PM me, and I can give you a link and instructions. Thanks :)
Ok, seems noone else is frothing at the bit to jump on this so I'm game for helping you out. I have a rather busy work schedule but I'd be happy to fill in where I can. Just PM me with instructions and I'll see what I can do for you.
Ryan,
It was good to hear that you didn' take my critique to harshly. I think you did a fantastic job. I can't wait to view the second half of it, so if you need a second pair of eyes, count me in. I would ask where you are getting your soundtrack for the film from? In other words, are you using an isolated score track or the CD's? There are several great isoscores available from various members here so I just thought I'd ask.
Anywho, carry on, carry forward, Cary Grant!
Cheers,
Adam
TMTYC,
Greetings, I just wanted to say first of all that your rough cut or "work print" of Star Wars is fantastic. it really captures the feeling of what that initial viewing must have been like in the Spring of '77 months before it was released in its final form. In critiquing your film I have the following notes. I want to put it out up front that this is in no way a bash or in other words a negative review, because the film really is fantastic. Rather this review is meant to serve as a way to make your edit really shine, and provide even more enjoyment as well as improve continuity. So here we go;
While I like the whole old film look with the flicker, I would suggest tempering it just a bit, especially in the darker scenes in and especially in scenes that take place in space. This has a rather distracting quality to it that almost takes you out of the movie to focus on that instead. On the very same subject, The blue milk scene with Aunt Beru, while i do love this scene, it seems that you forgot to run the very same effect on it, so it is looks a bit out of place.
Jump cuts or wipes as you may call them, either keep them all in the film or take them out. For instance when R2-D2 leaves C-3P0 to head into the canyon, there is the familiar wipe going up. However one example where you cut it out was the transition from Ben and Luke lifting a broken C-3P0 up that cuts to the exterior of Ben's hut or house. Again this is a continuity issue. Whichever you choose, just make it uniform across the picture.
Have you thought about using any alternate music cues in any of the scenes, or perhaps music that had originally been placed in the temp track? We are all familiar with the classic soundtrack, it might be refreshing to hear music we haven't heard yet, in a workprint I wouldn't be too concerned with keeping it all original. On that same topic, have you thought of using any alternate audio and/or video? In the Star Wars Begins documentary by Jamie Benning, there are some wonderful alternate takes that one could splice in, even the actual actor's voices before dubbing. Again this lends a lot to the rough cut and make us feel like we are seeing the unfinished product. One example comes to mind, When Darth Vader is on the Star Destroyer, there are quite a few lines that are spoken by David Prowse as Darth Vader, that would be great for that scene. Many of C-3P0's lines could be done that way as well. You already used Anthony Daniel's real voice for the Landspeeder scene so why not use it elsewhere?
On the subject of alternate footage, I must congratulate you in your stunning use of alternate footage. Some of it I am familiar with, but there were several surprises I had never seen before. You intergated the Blu Ray deleted scenes nicely. There is more footage and alternate takes/angles to be gleaned that would give your cut a great feel of something new to offer.
Is there any sharper video for the scenes with the WWII battleship/Star Destroyer? I know it's stock footage, but it doesn't quite measure up or fit with the rest of the footage. Speaking of better quality footage, I know the Jabba scene is edited heavily from bits and pieces of footage, but is there any chance of finding the complete scene in a consistent quality? All the jumps in quality almost take you out of the movie with distraction.
The cantina scene, while nicely done, could use some work my friend. The biggest annoyance was the level of the music in these scenes. It is loud enough as to almost drown out the dialogue. I know the effect you were going for, but the music is easily identifiable as CD quality, not live. I think the whole scene would fare better if you cut the music out all together. This was done to much success in the Star Wars Begins doc. Also if you keep the sound the way it is, you need to make sure that the soundtrack syncs up to the action on the screen. You have sound effects playing when that action or character aren't even represented in that scene. one particular example is when Luke grabs the bartender's arm to ask for a beverage, you don't hear him say anything at that point, but several moments later when a different alien is on the screen, mysteriously Luke is asking for a beverage. Just make sure if you have audio playing that it correlates to what action is going on screen. I vote for no music so you can hear Greedo's reading of his lines in that dry English monotone which was almost drowned out with the Cantina Band.
I liked the added scene with Darth Vader and Bast's speech. I thought this little scene added a lot to the overall flow. However strong the editing of the audio is, at the end when Vader says "I shall not fail..." that line needs to be clearer and a bit louder so we can understand what is being said. On the similar subject, as Alderaan get's blown to smithereens, there is a bit of footage of Princess Leia standing there after the destruction of her planet where she says "And you call yourselves humans!" The footage in and of itself adds very little to anything, but it does tie up the scene nicely. It is available on the Star Wars Begins Documentary and you should be able to edit it in nicely.
If you are looking for continuity and are interested in how George Lucas envisioned the original movie, you might do yourself a favor and read the fantastic Making Of Star Wars book by J.W. Rinzler. It includes all the different versions of his script and might help you understand his original intentions with each scene. That information can be used to help you capture that flowing rhythm, especially with any alternate footage/stock footage. If nothing else it is a great read that will teach you more about Star Wars the movie than you ever wanted to know.
Now to end with a silly question, the end your current cut fades out right before they enter the asteroid field/remains of Alderaan system. I noticed there was nothing representing the asteroids, rather just a fade to black. My question is, this was intentional right? This will obviously start part two then?
To finish up, you did a bang up job and should be very proud of what you have accomplished. It is my humble opinion that if you think about incorporating some or all of my suggestions, then you will see that it flows much better and gives the viewers a chance to experience the Star Wars they only read about.
Cheers!
Adam
Quick question for all the sharp eyes out there. When watching the trash compactor scene, is it just me or are there some color timing issues? The beginning of the scene plays out just fine but if you look at their faces, is it just me or is there a weird shift in color going on. I may just be imagining things. Just wanted to see if anyone else noticed this or if I am truly crazy. Not picking things over or anything, just curious if my tired eyes are playing tricks on me.
Another thing I think I noticed, in the scene where C-3PO and R2-D2 are in the death star hanger, across from the ship, I swear the image stretches up and widens ever so slightly. Check it out at 1:27:08 through 1:27:10. Again just something I hadn't caught before.
Thank you Catbus for your reply. I realized that it was a common trait among the different mixes to be louder or have more dynamic range between them as technology progressed. I enjoy the mixes just the way they are, I have no problem turning my TV up to hear the original stereo mixes, plus the fact that those tracks are quieter is an added bonus for me as I can put on the CC while my partner is sleeping and geek out in bliss.
Cheers,
Adam
Technical question regarding the sound mix for all three movies. The original 1977, 1980, and 1983 sound mixes are all at significantly lower levels than the Hairy Hen 5.1 Purist mix on my copies of the DE ED editions. Is this how it is suppose to be or did I screw something up in the burning of the DVDs? I have to crank the volume up significantly in order to listen to these mixes. Keep in mind I don't have a surround sound system set up, I'm listening to these through my TV speakers only at this point.
Cheers,
Adam
Catbus, I just wanted to take a moment and say thank you for this fantastic project. You did on hell od a job and your read me was written so well that, though I was nervous I might actually screw something up, I was able to mux in subs like a pro. I can't tell you how happy my deaf friend was when I presented him with these discs and told him that they had subtitles. He sent me a text saying that these were the nicest, easy to read subs he's seen on a dvd EVER. Plus, now I can enjoy Star Wars while my partner is asleep without having to turn up the volume too loud. So there you go, two lives touched by your dedication.
One thing I do feel the need to point out, and this is not a poke at you or a complaint, merely made me chuckle a bit. When you watch Star Wars with the subs but the mono track enabled, when the Stormtroopers are checking the doors of Mos Eisley and they say "The door's secure, move on etc.." the subs still read "the door is locked." I know you can't have a mono sub and a stereo sub, just thought it was worth mentioning.
Ok, i'm done geeking out for now, but thank you from the bottom of two geeky hearts.
Cheers,
Adam
Thank you Catbus for taking a moment to help me out, I will do just that
Thank you for the links MKVCorp. I really appreciate this. I admit I haven't read all the way through this forum and perhaps I missed it if it was posted but I'll ask anyway.
I have just downloaded Harmy's DEED Empire and ROTJ and I would like to drop some subtitles into each movie. The folder that I downloaded has so many options with names I am not familiar with like hard-sub and such. I wiould like to know the following information;
A: which English sub to use for each movie, I'm wondering what the differences for each one are if anyone can tell me. I liked the style of the subs for Harmy's DEED v 2.1 if that helps narrow it down.
B: What do I need to do to burn these subs into the DVD along with the AVCHD files. I have no clue which folder to put them in, I think Catbus mentioned that earlier in the thread but I couldn't find it.
C: Am I required to mux or demux anything to get the subs to work? I have no clue on how this is done if it requires it.
Any direction or advice is always appreciated.
Cheers,
Adam
awesome project, I probably am just not looking in the right place but are there subs for the Despecialized versions of Empire and ROTJ? All I really care for is the English subs since I'm English and all. Please point me the right way kind sir. And thank you too!