Last night we were watching the end of Empire Strikes Back on TV when the kids & I got home from a trip to Target. Molly was full of questions, including but not limited to;
☆ What happens if he gets hit by those pewers?
☆ Why does he have a pewer?
What are those pewer things called?
☆ Why are they blasters?
☆ I called them pewers because I didn’t know what they were called. They sound like “pew pew.”
☆ Why is C-3PO in a net?
☆ Why does he have a lightsaber too?
☆ Why is it blue?
☆ Does Darth Vader have a pewer?
☆ Why is a lightsaber more civilized?
☆ Why did they freeze him?
☆ Where are they taking him?
☆ Why does he owe Jabba the Hutt Money?
☆ Boba Fett is a good guy. Is Boba Fett a good guy?
☆ How does he fight without his hand?
☆ Why is Darth Vader a bad guy?
☆ Why is Chewbacca choking that guy?
☆ Why is R2-D2 smoking?
☆ Why is C-3PO holding his leg?
☆ Where is Chewbacca going?
☆ Why are there animals and people and robots all together?
☆ What is that place?
☆ But what part of Cloud City are they in?
☆ Why is there a big hole to fall down?
☆ Where does it go?
☆ Why is there a slide there?
☆ It’s a good thing that bridge is there. Why is that bridge there?
Ian calls Darth Vader “Tai Tai” or “Kai Kai” and we have no idea why. He was also excited to see “Bobo Baba” (Boba Fett) and “Doot Doot” (R2-D2).
He weaseled his way back downstairs later to manage to catch some Ewok (“Weeewok”) action in Return of the Jedi. Ha ha.
Damn you, George Lucas. I’m pretty sure you could sell the proverbial air conditioner to the Eskimo (is Inuit the correct term now?) without a problem, but I bet you can also amazingly re-sell him the air conditioner that he already has just by cleaning it, maybe adding a new filter, and putting a shiny sticker on it… and repeating that process every few years for the next 30 or 40. You are a genius.
Fanboy rant that you’ve already heard a million times over aside, George Lucas is a creative genius, and no matter how much we love to bicker about changes with new actors/voices, re-releases, re-edits, mis-colored & re-colored lightsabers, flying CGI droids, who shot first, and dancing Yoda… it all comes down to the fact that we love the Star Wars films and feel some kind of connection to them. If we didn’t feel so strongly about them, we (hopefully) wouldn’t waste our time bickering. (Sorry, can’t let it go: I still want “Yub Nub” back, I hatehatehate the new Ewok song in Jedi.)
Of course I’m going to get the Blu-ray version. To have them all in one package? Awesome. Seems like forever-ago that I was pontificating on what I’d like to see on a Blu-ray release. Now that it’s almost here & available for pre-order, I’m getting jittery… like I’ve had too many cups of coffee. Maybe I did that, too.
Bill Hunt is a lucky bastard that got a preview of the discs, and he shares the goods with us. Basically there are a lot of error fixes, clean ups, and a bunch of sound remastering and rebuilding. Some cool bits…
One thing I should confirm for you at this point: The original theatrical versions of the Original Trilogy are not included on these discs. Personally, I never expected them to be. I know a lot of fans want them, but it’s clear that Lucas has no intention of making them available at least for the foreseeable future.
Figured as much.
In addition to these sorts of fixes, significant additional dirt removal has been done, more garbage matte lines have been cleaned up and other little “fixes” have been applied as well. Here’s an example of one such fix done to Episode V. For years, fans have complained that in this shot of the Wampa attacking Luke’s Tauntaun, you could see part of the puppeteer’s arm because the costume didn’t extend quite far enough… Now, that’s been fixed.
For Episode IV, however, “getting it exactly right” required a rather extensive forensic effort, as this material just wasn’t cataloged with future surround remixes in mind. In many cases, Matt and his team went back to original analog tape recordings made in 1976 to get the best quality of all the required elements. As a result, it’s fair to say that the surround mix for Episode IV was almost completely rebuilt from scratch, with Matt comparing his work to the original print master to ensure its creative accuracy. And at every step of the way, director George Lucas and original sound supervisor Ben Burtt were consulted to ensure that the mix reproduced as closely as possible their original intent for the film’s sonic experience. In fact, Matt says he played the film’s reels many times for George, in 15-20 second chucks, to get his feedback.
Crazy. I think I’m going to have to break down & buy a surround-sound system just for this Blu-ray release. Maybe a better Blu-ray player too. Any ideas on how to convince my wife why this is necessary?
Now, you’ll recall that a little bit ago, I said these should probably be best considered new 2011 versions of these films, and not the 2004 DVD versions. All the fixes and corrections alone justify this in my opinion, but there’s another reason too… and you can probably guess what it is: Once again, George has apparently added a few new “surprises” into these films. I don’t know what they are and didn’t get to see any of them on Friday, but I was assured that there will be “new things to notice” when we watch the films. I think we can safely assume that one of them will be the new all-digital Yoda in Episode I…
More tweaks? Hopefully more archive/deleted footage put into the films in lieu of additional background lizards, droids, clones, or new musical numbers. (Although, if more aliens popped up in the background… like the ones from Close Encounters, Alien, Predator, Cowboys & Aliens, or even a Klingon, that would be kind of geeky fun.) I’d like to see the Revenge of the Sith ending that Simon Pegg wrote about in his book.
What the other changes to these films may be, I have no idea, but I suspect there will be no lack of blog posts on this very subject within hours of the first discs becoming available to fans.
Now then, let’s move on to the extras. Is it really worth getting the Complete Saga set just to get the three extras discs? For me at least, the answer here is clear: Absolutely. Yes… I’ve now seen many of the Original Trilogy deleted scenes. No… I can’t tell you much about them (believe me, that drives me as crazy as it does you). But I was pretty surprised by them and in a good way. What I can tell you is that they are substantial – at least for the Original Trilogy. This isn’t just dribs and drabs stuff – it includes long sequences. And they’re extremely cool. Frankly, for me this is the real draw of the entire BD release. As you’ve seen in some of the teaser clips Lucasfilm has released, they’re not pristine, but most of them are in HD – at least the Original Trilogy clips. And trust me, they’re well worth seeing. It’s stuff some of you have wanted to see in good quality since 1977, along with a few things fans may not have known even existed.
What’s more, each film has two audio commentary tracks – the ones that were on the previous DVD release as well as an all-new commentary compiled from tons of vintage and archived interviews with the cast and crew. Finally, I’m assured that there are indeed a handful of “very fun” Easter eggs scattered throughout the set.
OOOH. How will I find these? Ha ha. I’m going to have to set up a Google News alert or something. I’m never good at just finding them on my own.
Go read the main article, it’s worth it if you’re a geek… and there are some killer photos!
In with that, they point to yet another article, that says exciting things like…
On the special features, we spent 3 years sifting and digging through 30 years of material that is in the vaults at the Ranch, it’s been quite an undertaking. We uncovered boxes that hadn’t been opened in over 20 years, it was a very dirty experience! We looked through work prints, we found dailies, we went through behind-the scenes videos, we really uncovered a slew of new gems that we’re really excited to share with the fans.
Oh what I wouldn’t give to dig through those archives.
Q: Is the holiday special on there?
A: You’ll have to wait and see! The holiday special is a challenge, but look for some Easter Eggs – what’s a Star Wars release without a couple of Easter Eggs?! J
I’m guessing not the whole Holiday special, but maybe a clip… especially the Boba Fett cartoon. A clean version of that would be excellent! (If it exists, watch it have overdubs fromTemuera Morrison
If the whole special shows up, that would be killer. No one ever asks about the Ewok movies. What about those? When are we going to get more forest creatures, lost footage, and an all-new CGI Gorax? How about Cindel & Mace running around in Jedi somewhere?
Oh yeah, maybe Troops will pop up as an easter egg!
Thanks to HarrisPoll Surveys, PNC/Visa Points, and a jar o’ change, I was able to pre-order from Amazon for only $2.49 out of pocket.
This is just a re-post/update of the STAR WARS movie nights we’ve been having at our place. If anyone’s interested and they haven’t been to one, let me know! We’ll be moving out of the movies proper into the crazy stuff soon. We do snacks, food, pop, beer, and just chill while watching the movies and cracking the occasional joke or spitting the occasional trivia.
I have the movies in bold, need to get my hands on the rest…
Luke Skywalker has returned to his home planet of Tatooine in an attempt to rescue his friend Han Solo from then clutches of the vile gangster Jabba the Hutt.
Little does Luke know that the GALACTIC EMPIRE has secretly begun construction on a new armored space station even more powerful than the first dreaded Death Star.
When completed, this ultimate weapon will spell certain doom for the small band of rebels struggling to restore freedom to the galaxy…
“Well, I know that George Lucas doesn’t like it at all—when I was working on The Illustrated Star Wars Universe, he told me that he would be happy if every copy could be tracked down and burned…” ―Kevin J. Anderson
(New Year’s Eve… we can turn this into a drinking game. Couch/floor space for the night is first come first serve!)
“Fanboys is the love letter to the greatest movie franchise of all time. … I wanted the film to be my gift back to Star Wars and to the fan community.” ―Kyle Newman
“It’s A Trap!” was originally known by two different titles: “Episode VI — The Great Muppet Caper” and “We Have a Bad Feeling About This.” The first was revealed online in 2009, the other was a reference to a recurring catchphrase used in all the Star Wars films.
I know, It’s a Trap isn’t out yet… but it will be by then.
Confused with all this Clone Wars crap? Well… we have 3 sort-of distinct entities…
Star Wars: Clone Wars – the animated (like old-school cartoons) microseries split into 2 volumes, taking place after Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and before…
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – The animated (CGI) TV series where apparently coming up with a new name was too difficult. These events take place after the Clone Wars CGI movie and before Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Currently there’s 2 seasons.
I’m not sure if I have the time-line right there. Wookiepedia is misleading.
OK fellow geeks & guests… I’m just using this as a place to put the Star Wars nights that we’ve been having at our place on a tentative schedule & brainstorm about other possible movies. We’re 3 movies in so far, drop me a line if you’re interested in joining us!
For the rest of the 3 of you reading; This is not the page you’re looking for.
I have the movies in bold, need to get my hands on the rest…
It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire.During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire’s ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR, an armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet. Pursued by the Empire’s sinister agents, Princess Leia races home aboard her starship, custodian of the stolen plans that can save her people and restore freedom to the galaxy….
“Well, I know that George Lucas doesn’t like it at all—when I was working on The Illustrated Star Wars Universe, he told me that he would be happy if every copy could be tracked down and burned…” ―Kevin J. Anderson
(New Year’s Eve… we can turn this into a drinking game. Couch/floor space for the night is first come first serve!)
“Fanboys is the love letter to the greatest movie franchise of all time. … I wanted the film to be my gift back to Star Wars and to the fan community.” ―Kyle Newman
“It’s A Trap!” was originally known by two different titles: “Episode VI — The Great Muppet Caper” and “We Have a Bad Feeling About This.” The first was revealed online in 2009, the other was a reference to a recurring catchphrase used in all the Star Wars films.
I know, It’s a Trap isn’t out yet… but it will be by then.
Confused with all this Clone Wars crap? Well… we have 3 sort-of distinct entities…
Star Wars: Clone Wars – the animated (like old-school cartoons) microseries split into 2 volumes, taking place after Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and before…
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – The animated (CGI) TV series where apparently coming up with a new name was too difficult. These events take place after the Clone Wars CGI movie and before Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Currently there’s 2 seasons.
I’m not sure if I have the time-line right there. Wookiepedia is misleading.
I felt like listing some of my favorite movies from when I was a kid. They’re in no particular order, just how they came to mind. Some are 80’s movies, some are earlier, with a few early 90’s ones thrown in. They were all new to me with the advent of home video rental stores. We used to go to this place called Network Video, & eventually the general store by my house started renting videos too.
I keep adding to the list as some of these movies remind me of others, I may have to do a part 2 or something someday…
Star Wars – This one’s obvious. I’m talking the whole original trilogy here. I really don’t feel the need to elaborate.
Ghostbusters – I remember laughing hysterically at “We came, we saw, we kicked some ass!” This was the perfect mix of creepy and funny for a kid like me. I used to rent this one all the time. I even loved the Saturday morning cartoon.
The Goonies – I have probably watched this more than any other movie on the list, except maybe Star Wars. I can still watch this over & over again. As a kid, it was really easy to be immersed in this movie. I have felt a little bit like Mikey, Data, Mouth, & Chunk many times. I just saw something about the original cast reuniting for a 25th anniversary celebration.
Gremlins – Who didn’t want a Mogwai after seeing this movie? Regardless of the danger, Gizmo would be the best pet ever. I actually remember the gremlins being kind of scary too. (Hey, I was 7 when this came out.)
The Monster Squad – This was like “Goonies vs. the Universal Monsters” to me… so, of course, I loved it. Mr. Alucard called for you. How scary is that? This made me want to start a monster club myself. I may just have to get this on Blu-ray… even thought I already have the VHS & DVD…
The Last Starfighter– The movie for anyone who’s ever imagined that they’re actually in a video game. Great plot-line for a kid who likes video games, or sci-fi. From what I understand, it was one of the first movies to have major use of computer generated graphics.
Batman (1989) – I remember thinking (even at a young age) “Michael Keaton? The guy from Mr. Mom, Gung Ho, & Beetlejuice?” I was as surprised as the rest of the world when it turned out to be the scariest and most awesome Batman movie to date. The comic book nerd in me was overly pleased with Nicholson’s Joker too. Even though he had always been portrayed in the comics as a lanky degenerate loon… Nicholson seemed to capture the spirit of insanity perfectly in that cool demeanor that only he could deliver.
Batman (1966) – I loved the TV show in reruns as a kid, it was like a 60’s comic come to life in all its campy glory. Plus, the Joker, Riddler, The Penguin, and Catwoman all in one movie? Wow! Ha ha ha. This one still has the coolest Batmobile.
Explorers – Space travel… with a home computer, a Tilt-A-Whirl car, and a junkyard. What’s not to love about this one? Again, to a kid, this all seemed quite plausible. This could have been “Goonies in Space”. Ha ha ha.
Leonard Part 6 – Part 6 of a nonexistent line of films… Bill Cosby fends off mutant vegetarians with magic meat. It burns them like holy water on vampires. That alone will make you want to watch this even though Cosby hated it and spoke out against seeing it while he was supposed to be promoting the film.
The Experts – Does anyone else remember this movie at all? There doesn’t seem to be much about it on the web. It’s classic 80’s comic Commie cheese. Two guys, one John Travolta and one other dude are somehow transplanted to a 1950’s style town in Russia set up as an experiment… where the people think they’re in 1950’s USA. It’s like Pleasantville, only not.
Cloak & Dagger – This was another one where you could really imagine being the kid in the film. This YouTube clip sums up the mood quite well. It’s a great kid-centered spy movie with a good deal of action, if I remember right.
Funny Farm – This has got to be one of the most absolutely hilarious movies ever. Andy Farmer is driven to the brink of insanity by an incredibly odd small town and a series of classic (& at the time still funny) Chevy Chase pratfalls. The telephone operator, Yellow Dog, mutton balls… all favorite movie moments.
WarGames – Yeah, I just wrote about this one. Every kid with a computer envisioned hacking into a government computer… or at least hacking into something… and this was all before the internet.
Flight of the Navigator – This movie is excellent. I know I wore out the VHS, and watched it every time I happened to catch it on TV. Alien abduction, a morphing spacecraft, time anomalies, government conspiracies. Intense!
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial – I loved this move and still crave Reese’s Pieces every time I think about it. I wanted to build a communication device with my record player too. This movie probably started my distrust of the government.
Weird Science – Geek movie extreme, with that 80’s “my life will end if I don’t get laid” vibe. Less believable than WarGames, more believable than Explorers… Sort of. I never watched the TV show that this spawned, but the movie was a favorite. Oh yeah, the theme song was cool too!
Willow – Best fantasy movie ever? Maybe. It had a 2-headed dragon, sorcerers, a hero, an unwilling little-person hero, tiny funny guys, a villain that looked like Skeletor, and endless amounts of awesome.
Back to the Future Trilogy – If there was an order to this list, this would be very near the top. These movies were fast paced, exciting, and visually stunning. This is what movies should be like. Plus, Christopher Lloyd is bat-shit-nuts and that’s always entertaining.
Project X – As a kid, I loved monkeys, chimps, gorillas, and pretty much any primate. Pop them into an action thriller, and of course I was hooked. This is probably another reason why I distrust government so much.
Big Trouble in Little China – This movie is just ridiculous. Martial arts, Uzis, lightning bolts, and Kurt Russell. What more do you need to throw in to have a winning movie? Oh yeah, creepy monsters and a Chinese sorcerer. That’s what.
Indiana Jones Trilogy – Yeah, just the first 3 here… they were, after all, the only ones out when I was a child. Indiana Jones is the movie hero. The hat, the whip, the attitude… it’s iconic. These would also be at the top of an ordered list. I think that goes without saying.
The Last Dragon – Martial arts plus Motown. We used to watch this during lock-ins where I took Taekwondo as a kid. Bruce Leroy vs. Sho’Nuff had a very Jedi-like vibe, and there was lightning. This is super cheesy, but it’s what makes it a great flick. Sho’Nuff!!!
Coming to America – Ah. Once upon a time Eddie Murphy was funny, & not afraid to say dirty words. Sadly… this movie probably sparked the fat-suit movies to follow with Eddie and Arsenio playing multiple roles. But there are so many things in this film to love… McDowell’s, Soul Glo, Sexual Chocolate. Priceless.
Enter the Dragon – Bruce Lee’s final film, and (I think) the first one that I saw. What kid doesn’t love martial arts movies? The crazy mirrored room scene is my favorite.
Star Trek series – Yeah, I like both Star Wars and Star Trek. Star Wars is more awesome, but don’t get me started. In school, a lot of us nerdy kids were into Star Trek… the show, the movies, the shows that came after… it was awesome. The play between Kirk, Spock, & Bones gets better & better with each film in the series!
The Karate Kid– As a kid in a Taekwondo class, I loved these movies. All three were good, but especially the first one. (We’ll forget about The Next Karate Kid, and the new Jackie Chan one.) I wanted to be the Karate Kid, only in a Cobra Kai uniform. “Sweep the leg!”
Labyrinth – This movie still creeps me out. David Bowie’s Goblin King is more than a little creepy. The Muppets here are the stuff of nightmares… almost as bad as the ones in The Dark Crystal. This is like a darker Wizard of Oz type film… it really put me in another world.
The Dark Crystal – We need more creepy Muppet movies. Forget this GCI and 3-D stuff, I want puppets and stop-motion! I honestly can’t even tell you the full plot, but I watched this several times and loved it.
Just One of the Guys – I think this became a favorite just because I’ve seen it so many times. I mean, it was always on. And, there was like 3 seconds of boobs.
Short Circuit– Johnny 5 is alive! No disassemble! Very funny childlike innocence in a robot come to life thanks to a lightning bolt. Wacky comedic adventure, loved this one.
The Toy – If you’ve never seen this, I recommend going to get it right away… or any Pryor movie exceptSuperman III. It’s just fun & goofy. The Wonder-wheel is my favorite part. And, there’s a lesson in there somewhere…
Revenge of the Nerds – This movie made me want to be a nerd, if I wasn’t one already. The 2nd one wasn’t all that bad, ether. I think this made me want to start a nerd band too.
Police Academy series – I generally like all of these movies… I think I wanted to be Larvell Jones, or at least Zed. Heh. The eyebrow gag is the best… I love movies that are just goofy to be goofy.
“Crocodile Dundee”– For a while in the 80’s, there seemed to be this odd obsession with all things Australian. I don’t know if this was a cause of that or just another part of the wave, but I remember thinking how cool Australia was for quite a long time. It was a like a fresh quirky cowboy movie. The Simpsons episode where Bart prank calls Australia also pokes fun at this fascination.
The NeverEnding Story – What kid didn’t love this film when it came out? It was visually amazing, sad, exciting, a little scary… it was an incredible adventure. I bet Gmork would still scare me if I watched it now…
Don’t Tell Mom, The Babysitter’s Dead – This movie has two things; the line “The dishes are done, man!” and Christina Applegate. All I needed in 1991 was Christina Applegate. I would of watched 3 hours of her doing anything. Ha ha ha.
Predator – This movie was scary and thrilling. It has one of the best movie lines ever… Jesse Ventura’s “I Ain’t got time to bleed.” …as well as many others. This kind of film is so easy to get drawn into. I was in this world when watching this film. Heat vision? Invisibility? I think I wanted to be the Predator… ha ha ha.
Yesterday via Twitter, I saw an article from TheForce.net about another article (or Editorial, I guess) at DVDACTIVE:THE TEN Things That The Forthcoming Star Wars Blu-ray Should Include. Of course, I felt the need to weigh in. I for one am salivating at the prospect of all of the movies being released in one package and the prospect of new (and newly unearthed) material. After all, Mr. Lucas has stated over the years that they’re all part of one large story. They ought to be presented that way, right?
Firstly, I agree with Marcus Doidge who wants all versions of the movies (especially IV, V, & VI). I’m going to guess that all of us do… or at least we want the option to watch the edit that we prefer. Some of us are quite partial to the Emperor being a lady in a mask with chimp eyes, Han shooting first, and not having either version of the Han/Jabba scene… I guess. Personally, the most annoying offense to me is the newly recorded Ewok celebration song and the wholly unnecessary new musical number in Jabba’s palace. “Yub Nub” for the win. I’d certainly like the option for those parts of the movie to play through seamlessly as I want to see them!
I don’t see this happening though, as George Lucas seems to consistently say or imply through many interviews that each new edit is getting closer to his original vision, and that all previous versions are rendered irrelevant by the new scenes and additions as they were meant to be. It’s almost like he’s angry or spiteful for people being so attached to their favorite versions.
Toward the end of his THE TEN list though, Doidge cites that he wants to see something new… as in a wholly new feature for Blu-ray in general. I also agree with this… why not a “Choose Your Own Adventure” type movie? Fan edits exist out there… why not have the option to do that in your Blu-ray player before the movie begins? Perhaps with an option to save your favorite personal versions? I envision a multiple choice check-box type of scene listing before the movie begins where you can pick if you want to see Han shoot first, a glowing translucent Sebastian Shaw or Hayden Christensen, and maybe finally a newly filmed scene where the Wookie gets a medal? I’d like to see it. It would be more fun that a straight-up “pick your release”, as it would be all yours. Making your own movie would be as easy as building your own sub at Quiznos.
Love the pop-up idea too. Geeks like factoids, right? This has to be a no-brainer. There is a wealth of information out there… there could even be multiple pop up factoid tracks. Info/trivia from within the Star Wars universe could be on one track, and film production or special effects notes, bloopers, release histories, etc. could go on another.
As far as extras… I would expect no less that all the deleted scenes that we’ve seen before plus more, a documentary or two — something cool like the History Channel’s Star Wars Tech or Legacy Revealed. A gag-reel type montage of Star Wars parody clips would be awesome too… like Bill Murray singing “Star Wars” on SNL — anything in that vein.
I’d really love to see Mr. Lucas finally buckle under pressure and release the atrociously awesome Holiday Special. Why not? It’s out there. Copies exist. Get a clean copy and put it out there, or digitally clean up one of the bootlegs! Why not make money off of the camp of the whole thing while you can? You can’t tell me this is the one morality/vision line that George Lucas can’t cross? If you’re that embarrassed, put it as an Easter egg somewhere on one of the Blu-rays and never acknowledge it again.
Also… why not include the made for TV Ewok movies, and the new animated Clone Wars movie? Then we could watch ALL of them in chronological order.
This is how it goes, isn’t it?
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars: Clone Wars (animated microseries)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (3D CGI movie)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (3D CGI series)
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars: Droids (animated series)
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (made for TV movie)
Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (made for TV movie)
Star Wars: Ewoks (animated series)
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Call me crazy, but barring any restrictions from my bank account… I’d buy ’em all in one package. Maybe it ought to come with a working Dejarik board?
World (and Lunar) Domination 