Star Wars DVD chages **Spoilers**

[Spriggan]

Here are a list of changes to expect in the new DVD's

A New Hope:
- 24'51" : twin sun effect has been renewed.
- 48'50" : Han Solo avoids Greedo's shot before shooting at him.

- 50'30" : Jabba effect renewed completely, in accordance with Episode 1.

- 71'30" and after : Death Star jail corridor is much deeper.

- 77' : the garbage monster has been improved.

- 82'10" : "Power" and "Tractor Beam" stencils have been replaced with Star Wars "foreign" signs.

Empire Strikes Back:
- 50'56" to 52'05" : Emperor's hologram has been reshot with Ian Mc Dairmid. A new dialog has been recorded and Palpatine informs Vader about Luke's real identity!

- 63'42", 87'18" & 98'39" : Boba Fett's dialog has been re-recorded by Temuera Morrison.

- 92'05" & 92"15 : Han Solo's black jacket has been erased, due to cut mistakes in the original movie.

- 101'40" : Luke's scream, which was added in the '97 Special Edition, has been removed again.

Return Of The Jedi:
- 24'44" and after : Edge transparency defects around the Rancor have been removed.

- 115'41" : Old Anakin's eyebrows have been erased and eyes are now blue, to fit with Hayden Christensen.

- 120'44" : Naboo has been added to Tatooine, Bespin, Coruscant and Endor victory celebration scenes.

- 120'58" & 121'03" : Senate & Jedi temple are now included in Coruscant panoramic view.

- 122'30" : As everyone knows already, Hayden appears as a ghost beside Yoda and old Obi-Wan at the end of the movie.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

so when Han Solo "avoids Greedo's shot" he dodges? Because that Greedo shoots first thing is the only change that bothered me in any way shape or form before. it would be helped if Han dodges, but best if removed completely.

Also, the celebrations were kind of misplaced, I think, for various reasons, but I can get around them.

[Fellfrosch]

Someday when I meet George Lucas I'm going to give him a big hug for making the coolest movies in the world. And then I'm going to punch him for changing them.

[Spriggan]

I read an interview with Lucas about how people are reacting to all the changes and what is said is "I'm sorry for relaseing unfinished movies that you fell in love with."  And how the originals were never what he wanted

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

Entertainment weekly says that instead of the actor who played Anakin in the end of Jedi (standing next to Yoda) they have replaced him with a scruffy looking Hayden Christinson how crappy to be erased from a movie like that.

and they have a Gungan scene added to the end of Jedi as well.... thats the Naboo thing...

Urge to kill rising!!!

So in the interview Lucas states that Han shoots second "Because he isnt a murderer, he wouldn't shoot someone in cold blood"

Well I disagree that he was shooting Greedo in cold blood. Greedo was going to kill him, He wasnt just going to wing Han and take him to Jabba, he was going to lay him out on a slab. So Han shooting first just seemed wild west to me. But now with him shooting second, well it just makes him seem less credible as a hero gone wrong. He's a lily livered pansy picker.

Really I think that Lucas has just lost touch with the movies he made 30 years ago, and is more obsessed with commercialism and special effects than he is telling a good story.

[Spriggan]

yep, both of those are in the list I posted.  The Hayden Chistensen thing is old new though, about 6+ months that was confirmed.  That dosen't bother me too much actualy, neither do the Naboo celebrations since the others are allready there why not add this one.  Actualy most of the changes don't bother me at all, I do like the originals (and I've got them in Japanese on VHS, fun fun) but I've come to terms with what Lucas has done.  It is his film, and for the most part the changes are better (all the background stuff and cleaning up of FX).

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

actually, if you wan tto take it like the old west, then you should look at it as a scene from the old west. Where the good guy never, NEVER shoots first. There's a lot of precedent for the idea. It just didn't seem like it was Hans' characater.

[Fellfrosch]

I'm sorry that Lucas doesn't think he finished the movies, but he needs to learn a lesson from Ray Bradbury: the first rule of writing is to write, because you have to stop thinking and just do it or it will never get done; the second rule of writing is to stop writing, because you have to stop revising and let your work stand for itself. Think how many new movies we'd have if Lucas would just let go of his old ones?

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

The changes simply cannot be what he envisioned originally... which is something he's said a lot lately. After the trilogy there was a massive amount of stuff in print about the movies and the making of the movies. No mention was made of many of the places (even in some sort of bizarre look alike way) that he decided to visit for the Prequels. He's not that tight lipped about Star Wars so at some point during the making he decided to add a lot of content.
That point was the Special Editions. I can understand an unfinished work perspective from him, but I think a lot of what happened with the special edition movies was mainly pride related. Kind of a "look at me I can change a 25 year old movie wheee!!!" attitude.

Keep in mind that Lucas didnt even direct Empire or Jedi and you see how insidious and awful what he did in the special editions was. Essentially he destroyed the vision of two other filmmakers.  Even if he was just the writer, if he wanted directorial control over the movies he should have just done them himself. Doing it 25 years later and refusing to release their versions as well is just low and it destroys the amount of work they did on the films.

[GorgonlaVacaTremendo]

Yeah, I definately think, personally, they should bring back the dude that DID direct Empire and Jedi, because Lucas didn't hold up with I, although it is still a very good movie, it just doesn't hold up to the others.  And I can't even watch II seriously.

And I am glad that they are fixing the rancor, that always bugged me a little.  Otherwise, no, no. NO!  Stop changing the movies!  I'm the consumer, give me what I want!

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

it was two different dudes...

and they were better.

[Spriggan]

Let me ask you this Fell, what if you wrote and finished a book then weren't able to publish the full book, instead haveing to take things out to get the book down into the size allowed by the publisher.  And now, years later, you have to option to rerelease the book how you had originaly wrote it, would you?  That's what Lucas is doing.

And Jeffe how do you know that's not what he invisoned originaly?  You don't know, and it's arrogent to say you do.  Just becasue you'd act in a way a 12 year old would dosen't mean that's Lucas's reason.  And even if there were other directors they had to do what he said since he was on the set most the time and would have them change anything he didn't like.  And as was probaly part of their contracts, they have no ownership or claims to the movies, that's how Lucas is.

As for the consomer, Lucas has said he made the films for himself and not you.  These aren't your movies, they're his.  If you don't like it don't buy/watch the movies, he dosen't care.  Sheesh you people are a bunch of whiney babys, you're going to sit and complain about how horrid the changes are but yet go out and buy them.  If the changes were as bad as many of you want to suggest then no one would by the special editions,

As I've said many times, I don't like all the changes being made, but I know I don't have a say in any of this.  Lucas isn't going to change a single thing based off our complaints, live with it and get on with your lives.  I have.

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

Its not arrogent, Lucas has detailed how he made up the film in plenty of records including original scripts and his own biography entitled George Lucas, his interview with Bill Moyers and the Biography Skywalking (the life and films of George Lucas) in which he is extensively interviewed not to mention the original story Splinter of the minds eye. Its easy to infer from those sources that very little of the prequals had been fleshed out. There is also a difference between adding effects that you cant do because theres no way to do them and changing the film completely. After all he did have a chance to edit it, several times.  I think its rude of you to say im acting in an immature way, im entitled to an opinion and it obviously doesnt have to be yours. I have just as much right to disagree with the stuff Lucas has been spouting for the last couple of years as you do to defend it, and I should be able to do it without being put down by you. Especially when I think I brought up a pretty good point about the Directors of Empire and Jedi not getting the credit that they are due. After all they made phenominal movies and got better performances out of the actors than Lucas managed to, however much creative control he exercised as a producer As for Lucas its pretty clear from the written work he's left, including sketch books and material authorized by him that he had little concept of what the first movies were going to be about besides the whole Anakin- Obiwan rivalry. He did what almost every author did, made it up as he had to. I doubt that Lucas imagined his original Luke Starkiller wading through yet another imperial guard being related to Darth Vader until much later. The fact that Lucas is still changing things from his definative "Special Editions" proves that he is pretty much talking out of his rear end. Heres a man who has tons of time to rework his own masterpiece who claimed that it was perfect when he released it a few years back after having an unlimited budget and unlimited editing time and yet he says that that effort wasnt complete. After all if it was why would he have to change it for the DVDs  6 or so odd years later.


You also say that we're going to go out and buy the DVD's well guess what I know a lot of people who aren't including myself. I have a nice collection of the original VHS tapes and never bought the special editions when they came on VHS.
But you know what, Im getting on with my life too and Im happier watching the real movies as they were originally released. I think its ironic that a man who testified before congress to keep Ted Turner from colorizing classic films would alter his own films as much as he has and then claim that the audience that like those films isnt worth the chewed up gum on his boot.
The fact of the matter is without those people who liked his movies he would been a huge failure.

[Fellfrosch]

Yes, what Jeffe said. I think that some of Lucas's Special Edition changes are justified under the "it was my original plan" excuse, such as the New Hope scene with Jabba, but it seems obvious to me that a lot of it is just a case of a man who can't let go. Jeffe brings up an excellent point with the fact that this is now the second "definitive" edition--if he really is following some kind of original plan, why does it keep changing?

As for your other point, that we can't change it so we should just shut up about it, I disagree rather heartily. One thing about Lucas is very clear--he will sell whatever people are willing to buy. It might take several years, but if he realizes how big the market is for people who want the original films (I have not bought, and do not intend to buy, any of the special editions), he will inevitably sell them again. Yes, I know he's said that he wouldn't, but he also said that the last Special Edition was the "real" one, and we all know what happened to that.

[Spriggan]

well I applaude both of you for not buying them if you don't like the changes, but I still cannot see why the changes are so offencive.  It's just a movie.  I don't think it's immature of me to tell you to drop it, in the scheme of life does Lucas changeing the movies realy matter?  No, then why are so many people so obsessed about this, getting all worked up and freaking out.  It's realy petty to attack Lucas becaues if this.

Ya you have the right to complain, but I'm sick of hearing the same things over and over, I don't know why you're still surprized he would change it more. Also I don't remember him ever saying the special edition was "perfect", just more what he originaly envisioned.  He's saying the same thing now, they're not perfect but more what I want.  Yes some things, like adding Hayden into Jedi, is something that is an after effect of doing the prequals and is a continuety thing and can be argued more it's pointless to change, but it still dosen't change the feel of the movie in any way.  Also he did have all 3 movies more or less written (it was all one script that he broke into 3) as well as general ideas of the prequals when he started filming the first one.  And while I haven't read those orignials (not sure if they're even anywhere) I wouldn't be surpirsed if Lucas had originaly planned for Vader to be Lukes father.

I don't know the man, I don't like all the changes, but if I'm going to have to choose between what he's saying about why he's makeing the changes and all the fans reasons I'm going to take his.  I'm not so jaded or cynical that I cannot take what people say at face value and have to spend all my time looking for those "alterier motives" that probaly don't exisist.  And I'm not defending him becasue I think he should be changeing them, but becasue I don't care that he does.  And that there needs to be a little bit of a devils advicate in a thread that's all to one side.

oh, and Fell you never answered my question to you.  I think that you cannot compair books to movies have strickter budget and time contrictions, but since you were doing it I think my example/question was fair.