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Rian Johnson developing a fourth Star Wars trilogy... Oh my..


crocodile

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Yeah, just shit the blurays onto shinier blurays, 90% of the fanbase would be dumb enough not to notice anything (or since the messed up DVD grade, technically practically everything) being different even if they saw the unaltered ones.

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23 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

With the unaltered pre-SE effects shot cut back in using a laserdisc source?

 

Isn't Kathleen Kennedy on record for never wanting to touch those?

 

I wouldn't be surprised if they were contractually obligated to stick to the Special Editions.

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18 minutes ago, Chen G. said:

 

Isn't Kathleen Kennedy on record for never wanting to touch those?

 

Laserdisc masters would be completely unusable for upgrading to a 4K release. And I have no idea why KK would ever mention them.

 

19 minutes ago, Chen G. said:

I wouldn't be surprised if they were contractually obligated to stick to the Special Editions.

 

That would not surprise me.

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Could they release the special editions on 4K, and the theatrical versions along with them as an "extra" in the same format? Like the GOUT back in 2008.

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5 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

Laserdisc masters would be completely unusable for upgrading to a 4K release.

 

What I mean is, she is on record - I believe - for never wanting to alter the Special Editions.

 

EDIT: Found it!

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again, it would not surprise me one bit if before selling Lucasfilm ect Lucas negotiated that Disney isnt allowed to alter any of the pre-existing films in any way. Nor restore the OT.

 

And Disney, far more interested in making billions from making new films had no issues with that.

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Yeah, it seems like a reasonable assumption to make, however unfortunate.

 

Its "his" films, and it makes sense that would take measures to prevent anyone else from tempering with them.

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3 minutes ago, Chen G. said:

measures to prevent anyone else from tempering with them

Well if that part is true, at least we're spared from them becoming even worse... is it even possible to make them worse?

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I seem to recall that changes were made throughout all of the different releases of all the different films. I read that George Lucas was already in the act of tweaking the original Star Wars in the interim between the limited release and the wide release!

 

So in theory, the original cut should be the one shown in the limited release. Good luck tracking that version down!

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The later mono sound mix of STAR WARS is definitely superior to the initial one, and Empire only got its longer ending and final dialogue in the later release prints.

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I don't care about better or worst: I just think any film should be made available in the very first form in which it was released to the public.

 

I'm not against tweaked or recut versions of films: but keep the original version of the film available.

 

Its bonkers that George Lucas basically assasinated the original version of his own films (and of those of Marquand and Kirshner, to boot).

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10 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

What if the first release was a limited one because they hadn't had the time to completely finalize it yet?

 

which may well be the actual case with the original Star Wars at the time. Still, you should release the earliest version made public, untouched, and a tweaked version. If you like the finalized, tweaked version better, than so be it.

 

But at least the original version is there for you to watch if you want to.

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13 minutes ago, Holko said:

We can live with having the later, better versions of those

 

Certainly we can. Heck, I can live with the Special Editions, for all I care.

 

But to my mind there's a principle involved in keeping the earliest version of your film (as released) handy to the public.

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That's the thing, though, that it isn't. Not really. What, after all, was the point of the tweaked versions? To tie them more closesly to each other and to the prequel trilogy, and in so doing make them part of Anakin's story.

 

Well, regardless of whether I like some individual changes (which I do), on the whole I have to mark those goals as unfulfilled by the Special Editions. I supposed they managed to the tie the various films closer together (the unified look of the emperor, the victory celebrations in locations from Episode I) but not nearly as close as I (or Lucas, I should think) would have liked.

 

But, more importantly, they certainly weren't extensive enough to make those films anything but what they always were, which is the adventures of Luke Skywalker. That's why I treat the "Episode IV - A New Hope" title change (which most people accept) with disdain and disapproval. Because, above everything, George Lucas didn't tweak the film nearly enough to earn that title and the context it brings with it.

 

It simply can never ever truly function as the forth film in a series, in which Anakin is Luke's father. Anyone with half a brain watching Star Wars, even after having watched Episodes I-III first, can tell that this notion simply did not exist throughout that film.

 

Also, for what's meant to be one overarching narrative, its kind of haphazard, structurally. I actually charted it out (to scale) here:

 

Multi-entry narrative structure -- Star Wars.png

 

You can see that the main conflict starts way too late, and is much too close to the midpoint twist. I could have marked the lowest point almost immediately afterwards, as well, with the formation of the Empire; but I chose to give it a bit of slack and put it at the end of Empire Strikes Back, instead. Still doesn't work, especially not with the sequel trilogy (which is just tacked on, structurally).

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Like we discussed, there were changes between the limited and wide release, between the different sound mixes, between the original theatrical run and the re-release (hence the "A New Hope" inclusion), all of which are present in VHS copies. They're hardly an unaltered version of the films.

 

And its not necessarily a case of "least altered = least awful" either. For instance, the inserted Jabba scene in Star Wars is much worst in its earlier, DVD version, than it is in the Bluray. Jabba looked unfathomably horrible in that one; and of course, the idea that Greedo shot first was actually toned-down in later versions.

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10 minutes ago, Chen G. said:

Well, regardless of whether I like some individual changes (which I do)

Some of them are...okay. The original emperor hologram in ESB was really odd. And the poor fellow who originally did Boba Fett's voice!

10 minutes ago, Chen G. said:

(the unified look of the emperor, the victory celebrations in locations from Episode I)

The former, yes, is probably one of the most relatable. The latter I can see as being a tie-in much too forced. It features two-three planets not even covered in the original trilogy just as a point to remind us that we're still following the same storyline. There are probably better ways to do that, and the contrasting quality and complexion of the images is distracting. We go from the redwood forest of Endor shot in the 80s to a computer generated Coruscant. Anyways...

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In terms of changes I like, one has to also mention the view through the windows in Cloud City. I believe Irvin Kirshner gave his blessing to that particular change, and very rightly so.

 

I understand the original shot of the Jawa vehicle in Star Wars was much less impressive than the revised shot, as well.

 

I do like that we see celebrations across the Galaxy in Return of the Jedi. Not necessarily as we see them in the Bluray ("weesa free!" - Ugh) but I like the concept in principle enough that I accept it.

 

I'm sure I could think of others if I watch the film with a list of the changes in mind. But, on a whole the changes fail at their core goal to make a genuinely unified, six-part saga. The only way to do so would be to preserve the original six films, and than offer a radically re-edited cut of all six, for those who want to experience them as a continous tale (sorta like the linear trilogy cut of the Godfather series), and let each have his own.

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The concept is a great idea, no question. It's just hard to get it to work with not too many Imperially oppressed or occupied planets, let alone systems with bearable conditions to even support life (I.e. Hoth) covered in the original trilogy to provide a decent representation of the repercussions of the Empire's defeat across the galaxy. But to introduce any other planet from other trilogies from different time periods themselves is distracting and kind of choppy.

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To be able to pull back and see these grand visions of balconies and the city beyond was something you just couldn't do. It just was not possible up until a few years ago.

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  • 8 months later...

Still in talks? I thought it was already “done deal” that he was supposed to do a new trilogy, unrelated to the Skywalker saga. 

 

Right now I don’t believe it will ever get made and that we will get a “going our separate way” press release sometime after TROS is done with its theatrical run.

 

Then it will be announced Kevin Feige’s film will move into that slot.

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On 11/3/2019 at 4:21 PM, Mr. Manfrenjensenden said:

Still in talks? I thought it was already “done deal” that he was supposed to do a new trilogy, unrelated to the Skywalker saga. 

 

Right now I don’t believe it will ever get made and that we will get a “going our separate way” press release sometime after TROS is done with its theatrical run.

 

Then it will be announced Kevin Feige’s film will move into that slot.

I could imagine with all these shifting schedules, cancelled films and so on, nothing is locked in until they're casting and scripts finalised etc. 

To be honest, the idea of a Rian Johnson trilogy, or whatever number they choose sounds more appealing to me than D&D's Star Wars films ever did - and I would love to the see the Old Republic material. 

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Now imagine the possibilities: Feige's Spandex Star Wars starts with a proper reboot of 'Guardians of the Galaxy' where Groot meets Chewbacca. Ah, the beauty of modern franchises.

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