Changes to Star Wars trilogy on DVD?

[pixie_twinkle 48]

Someone just posted this "review" on Amazon. It looks like speculation, but I wonder if any of it is true. Also what is his source???

I have heard there are changes that have been made to make these movies match with the prequels visually and story wise. Let's hope so!  

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope:  

1.The Imperial March has been added to Darth Vader's first  

appearance on Princess Leia's ship. 2.The lightsaber effects have been redone and the frame jumps of lightsabers being turned on has been removed. 3. There's a new scene which has been shot during the filming of Episode III in which the Emperor dissolves the Senate. 4. The bleeding arm on the floor in the Cantina has been replaced with a non-bleeding arm because it's now canon that lightsabers cauterize wounds. 5. The original shooting scene between Han and Greedo has been restored. 6. When the Death Star destroys Alderaan there's a new scene of Yoda's reaction to the disturbence in the Force that is created by all those deaths and then it cuts to Obi-Wan reacting to it as  

well. 7. Temuera Morrison's voice is being recorded for  

use with all the stormtroopers and Boba Fett in all the movies. 8. The Obi-Wan/Vader duel has been remade. A modified version of Duel of the Fates is being considered for the scene. 9.The Death Star battle is more epic 10. There's a new scene with Vader goes to Coruscant in the same building at the end of Attack of the Clones and inform the Emperor of a new potential who is strong in the Force. 11. Chewbacca now gets a medal.  

Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back  

1.The battle of Hoth is enhanced with a ground battle between the Rebel soldiers and stormtroopers 2. Ian McDiarmid has refilmed scenes as the Emperor. The conversations between Vader and Palpatine is now longer and features a few connections to the prequels. 3. Yoda's face is now animated in CG allowing more expression of emotions.  

Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

1.Jabba the Hutt is now a combination of the puppet and  

CGI. 2. The Rancor is CGI 3. Yoda is CGI. Yoda disappears leaving his clothes behind like Obi-Wan now. 4. The love theme Across the Stars is inserted when Luke is talking with Leia about their mother. 5. In the battle of Endor there are thousands of Ewoks and they are more vicious 6. Lightsaber effects shadows on the floor are gone. 7. During Anakin's death scene it starts with a sad rendition of the Imperial March and slowly evolves into Anakin's Theme. 8. Sebastian Shaw who played Anakin when he was unmasked has been replaced with Hayden  

Christensen. 9.Anakin's spirit is now played by Hayden Christensen.  

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

[pixie_twinkle 48]

I thought so!

[Hitch 57]

So that's where I left my Kinder Surprise.

Hitch, who hopes they put the Herrmann cue from Psycho into the Millenium Falcon scene where the heroes come out of hiding.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

Gewoon een drukfout, dus.

- Marc

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Waarom krijgen wij drukkers altijd weer de schuld?

[John Crichton 4]

I think that this is the same list that appeared on the oh-so-reliable Ain't it Cool months ago. All this specualtion is getting old. We'll find out when the movies come out.

[Kendal_Ozzel 36]

A little of that may be true, but most of it is certainly crap (as seen in the lovely photograph above).

[Guest]

(Assuming that is true...)

Wow...sounds like you shouldn't get rid of your SE tapes yet, either.

But really...how many of us really won't buy it? I mean these are big changes and it's not like they're so bad nobody's going to be curious enough to walk out and see what the changes are like. Some of it sounds good, some sounds bad.

(Bear with me this could get long...)

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope:  

1.The Imperial March has been added to Darth Vader's first  

appearance on Princess Leia's ship.

Depends on if it sounds like a cut job or if it actually blends with the rest of the music. If GL had complete control over what happened, it's gonna likely be crap. If JW was the master, then it'll be good and it'll flow.

2.The lightsaber effects have been redone and the frame jumps of lightsabers being turned on has been removed.

Good call. This is actually pretty practical.

3. There's a new scene which has been shot during the filming of Episode III in which the Emperor dissolves the Senate.

One rule: has to not look like a cut-job. I will admit that if you're just coming into the SW thing, it doesn't really add a lot to the story to talk about the Old Republic on the Death Star without seeing anything happen on Coruscant.

4. The bleeding arm on the floor in the Cantina has been replaced with a non-bleeding arm because it's now canon that lightsabers cauterize wounds.

This=E.T.'s "walkie talkies". Sure, we still get severed limbs, but the bloody arm was so much better and morbid. It made the cantina an even creepier place. Oh well...not that big, I don't guess. Didn't need to be done, though. It could've been explained away as the species not having cauterizable limbs.

5. The original shooting scene between Han and Greedo has been restored.

:roll: This sounds like a "Woohoo!", but I won't believe it's the "original" until I see it.

6. When the Death Star destroys Alderaan there's a new scene of Yoda's reaction to the disturbence in the Force that is created by all those deaths and then it cuts to Obi-Wan reacting to it as  

well.

:roll: Sounds like a cut-job. Maybe not.

7. Temuera Morrison's voice is being recorded for use with all the stormtroopers and Boba Fett in all the movies.

Makes sense, but I'll miss "Open the blast doors! Open the blast doors!"

8. The Obi-Wan/Vader duel has been remade. A modified version of Duel of the Fates is being considered for the scene.

Remade? CGI Obi-Wan and Vader? Oh crap.

9.The Death Star battle is more epic

:roll: Uhh...how?

10. There's a new scene with Vader goes to Coruscant in the same building at the end of Attack of the Clones and inform the Emperor of a new potential who is strong in the Force.

Doesn't that defeat the point of the message from the Emperor in TESB? But I guess it's why that was reshot. This new thing could be interesting if it's long enough and not just randomly thrown in.

11. Chewbacca now gets a medal.

Can't keep the Wookiee down, can we?

Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back  

1.The battle of Hoth is enhanced with a ground battle between the Rebel soldiers and stormtroopers

No comment.

2. Ian McDiarmid has refilmed scenes as the Emperor. The conversations between Vader and Palpatine is now longer and features a few connections to the prequels.

NC.

3. Yoda's face is now animated in CG allowing more expression of emotions.

Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi  

1.Jabba the Hutt is now a combination of the puppet and CGI.

Why the CGI? Everything was fine with the puppet.

2. The Rancor is CGI

:roll: Why?

3. Yoda is CGI. Yoda disappears leaving his clothes behind like Obi-Wan now.

:roll: Whoopee.

4. The love theme Across the Stars is inserted when Luke is talking with Leia about their mother.

You no cut-job!

5. In the battle of Endor there are thousands of Ewoks and they are more vicious

They've got fangs and claws, right? Right...?

6. Lightsaber effects shadows on the floor are gone.

Practical, yet efficient.

7. During Anakin's death scene it starts with a sad rendition of the Imperial March and slowly evolves into Anakin's Theme.

:roll: Crap. It was fine without Anakin's theme.

8. Sebastian Shaw who played Anakin when he was unmasked has been replaced with Hayden  

Christensen.

:roll: And it'll look like he was there the whole time!

9.Anakin's spirit is now played by Hayden Christensen.

:roll: Wow...I didn't know spirts could smoke.

[King Mark 3,631]

All this sounds about right,weve aready seen pics of this.And Ian Mcdiarmid appearing in ANH and ESB has been mentionned for a long time even if official Lucasfilm magazines.

Sounds better than the 1997 SE's IMO,now we only need thge real originals liek the E.T. release.

K.M.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Sounds better than the 1997 SE's IMO,now we only need thge real originals liek the E.T. release.

K.M.

HAHAHA.

[A24 4,347]

3. Yoda's face is now animated in CG allowing more expression of emotions.

That would be a monstrous thing to do. That's like committing plastic surgery to the faces of your own children, simply because, after birth, they turned out differently than you pictured them during pregnancy.

----------------

Alex Cremers

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

It's the future.

[HPFAN_2 0]

Come on get with the program Alexcremers

[Lurker 5]

But really...how many of us really won't buy it?

Neil

[Guest]

I'll see it when I believe it, Neil. Or is it the other way around?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I'm pretty sure Neil would rather ask Morn to send him a Divx of it then actually pay for a legit copy.

[Lurker 5]

I'll see it when I believe it, Neil.  Or is it the other way around?

You doubt me, huh? I'm not buying this set. I don't want it for my birthday. I don't want it for Hanukah. Hell, I don't even want it for Christmas. I make this promise to you. If someone I know spends money on this set and gives it to me as a gift, I'm not opening it. I'm going back to the store to return it. It's going to be a complete waste of a set, with Lucas and his revised films and his revised history on how they were made. Thank you, but I'll pass.

I've said this a billion times: all I want on DVD is Star Wars and not "the final three episodes" (as they are called on the new trailer).

Neil

[diskobolus 3]

(Assuming that is true...)

Wow...sounds like you shouldn't get rid of your SE tapes yet, either.

But really...how many of us really won't buy it?  

I definitely will not be, for all the reasons enumerated above.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

There's no way I'll buy this. I don't know, I may rent it at the time for some of the special features, but it's not high on my list of priorities.

Ray Barnsbury

[QMM 4]

You are all weirdos

[Lurker 5]

His name is Sam the Eagle.

Neil

[QMM 4]

His name escaped me when I wrote it

Max-Studying for finals

[diskobolus 3]

Max-Studying for finals

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[ST-321 4]

I have heard there are changes that have been made to make these movies match with the prequels visually and story wise. Let's hope so!  

What this so-called review "heard" is idle speculation. Pay it no mind.

[diskobolus 3]

I have heard there are changes that have been made to make these movies match with the prequels visually and story wise. Let's hope so!  

What this so-called review "heard" is idle speculation. Pay it no mind.

Mindless philospher!

[pixie_twinkle 48]

I must confess the Rancor definitely needs to be fixed IMO. I remember thinking it looked pretty dodgy back in 1983! I wouldn't mind a CGI Rancor. As long as they don't have it doing a song and dance or give it a giant beak.

James (who liked Sy Snootles better before the CGI job)

[tpigeon 3]

Enhancing the effects and little techincal things (not sure about the music), I don't really care about. Though it is the details which I love most about these films, technical enhancments I could care less about, provided that they don't blatently call attention to themselves saying, "Hey, look at me, I wasn't in the original film." So if those kind of changes are subtle, I have no problem with them. The things I do have a problem with are a few of those added scenes and the shift to CGI for Yoda, Jabba, and the Rancor. That's just WRONG.

Yoda had the best performance in The Empire Strikes Back. Yes, I know he's a puppet, but there is subtle beauty to his facial expressions that no amount of computer effects can ever capture. Also, keep Yoda and the Emperor OUT of Star Wars. They do not belong in that film, and their presence would in a way destroy the mythical nature to the saga. Is it really all that bad if a few characters aren't in a particular episode? There is no reason for those little added scenes besides squeezing these characters into every episode for "continuity."

A true shame. Part of the brilliance of Star Wars is its sense of the past, the scenes of exposition and backstory. It's great to hear about the Emperor and the Senate and various other things and not see them at all in the film. Both The Emperor and Yoda have their time in the later episodes, and inserting them into this particular episode would be taking away the beauty of it all.

Some of the changes do kind of sound interesting, I'll admit, but quite a few of them I find insulting. Like I said a long time ago, Lucas can make all the changes he wants, so long that he provides the original cuts of all three films. If that were so, I couldn't care less about all the changes. Like someone mentioned earlier, Spielberg got it right with the E.T. dvd and it's a damn shame Lucas didn't follow in his steps. And seeing all these possible changes, knowing that we are not getting the originals, really really frustrates me.

A few of the small things don't bother me, since I'm not the kind of guy that notices the littlest of technical changes, but if that review is correct, then I think Lucas is obliged to provide the original versions of all three films - restored in image and sound, and UNALTERED, so that film lovers can watch - in the best available viewing format - the films they fell in love with twenty five years ago.

Ted

[Dr. Jones 0]

http://cgi.theforce.net/theforce/tfn.cgi?storyID=24089

Dave Prowse was on US radio today and talked briefly about the Star Wars Trilogy on DVD. jedimaster_eric tells us:  

David Prowse was on Indy radio this morning 99.5 WZPL, and a caller asked if the new added tweaks were a rumor or true. David said the new tweaks are a done deal

????!!!!???!??!?

Does that mean what I think it means?

[Rogue_Leader 2]

SOMEONE PLEASE MAKE LUCAS STOP!!!!!

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD MAKE LUCAS STOP!!!!!!!!

[J.R.Wood 0]

I agree that some of these things mentioned may not be true, but even though I have grown up with Star Wars, I see it like this:

SOOOO many films are now being released as "Director's Editions" with extra scenes, stuff being changed or cleaned up. The only reason folk get so heated about it is because the films have a massive fan base. You can't please 100% of the people 100% of the time!

If Lucas didn't change the films, you may get the new generation of fans wondering why he wouldn't with all the new technology at his finger tips.

That said, if any changes are to be made, they'd better be well executed. None of this AWFUL music splicing and tracking we've witnessed recently!

I don't see why puppet Yoda needs changing (except for in Episode I.... what was that jaw-line about?!?). The Rancor, perhaps; Jabba the Hutt, nah!

As long as any changes to the music are well done, I really don't mind that much. For me it was the music in towards the end of EpisodeII (when I statred hearing stuff from EpisodeI in a different context) which ruined th film for me.

I'm willing to give Lucas a chance.... only if it's poorly done will I then pass judgment!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I'm willing to give Lucas a chance....

I already gave him several.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

I agree that some of these things mentioned may not be true, but even though I have grown up with Star Wars, I see it like this:

SOOOO many films are now being released as "Director's Editions" with extra scenes, stuff being changed or cleaned up. The only reason folk get so heated about it is because the films have a massive fan base. You can't please 100% of the people 100% of the time!

Yes, but at least with those other films, the original theatrical releases are still available, or made available on DVD (the LotR trilogy, E.T., etc.)

If Lucas didn't change the films, you may get the new generation of fans wondering why he wouldn't with all the new technology at his finger tips.

Then those new fans are absolute morons.

That said, if any changes are to be made, they'd better be well executed. None of this AWFUL music splicing and tracking we've witnessed recently!

Very true.

I don't see why puppet Yoda needs changing (except for in Episode I.... what was that jaw-line about?!?). The Rancor, perhaps; Jabba the Hutt, nah!

Changing the puppets to CG creatures is very, very expensive. I've heard a lot of rumors about this. Although 'rumors' is perhaps the wrong word. More like speculation from total arseheads. I don't see them doing this, especially now that Ep. III is in full-swing post-productoin. It's expensive and time-consuming.

As long as any changes to the music are well done, I really don't mind that much. For me it was the music in towards the end of EpisodeII (when I statred hearing stuff from EpisodeI in a different context) which ruined th film for me.

There should be no changes at all to the music. It's fine the way it is. I'll even argue against restoring music left out of the film (like a lot of the Hoth music in ESB), just because it would once again mean tampering with the films.

I'm willing to give Lucas a chance.... only if it's poorly done will I then pass judgment!

Lucas's track record hasn't exactly been clean lately.

I'll see what's released, how bad the changes (if any) are, but I think in the end I'll probably buy it anyway. I very much enjoy my boots of the original versions of the OT, which are the versions I prefer (although I'd like to see SW without the ANH subtitle added once), but the video seriously needs a pass through Lowry Digital, and if the image restoration is as good as the Indy trilogy, just the mere pristine picture quality will be worth paying for it.

- Marc

[A24 4,347]

The only reason folk get so heated about it is because the films have a massive fan base.

How about the fact that he changing them without giving us the opportunity to see the originals, the way as we always remembered them.

If Lucas didn't change the films, you may get the new generation of fans wondering why he wouldn't with all the new technology at his finger tips.

Why shouldn't new fans also love the movies for what they are? Do you really think every movie older than 5 or ten years should be digitally altered just because someone has the technology? Is this something the new audiences are demanding? I happen to like the craftmanship that was used before the years of CGI. I like the hand-build models, the Yoda puppet, the rifles instead of the walkie talkies.

A director's cut is not the same as digitally altering old movies. Compare it to colorization, adding color to old B&W films. A trend luckily far behind us now.

This reminds me of a similar discussion I had a few weeks ago over at spielbergfilms. Here's my personal point of view on the matter:

"Thanks to Lucas and his digital scenery enhancements, the DVD of 'THX 1138' (or star Wars) will not be the movie how the fans remember it. But what's worse is that this film has been made into a "freak". A hybrid freak. The new technology is so different that it simply doesn't blend in well. Why? Because it does not belong there. I think you can agree that gradually, over time, these movies have become dated (since they obviously don't look like today's movies). By adding new elements from another time (CGI) the whole atmoshere, style and look of the original movie gets distorted. In the Seventies, the style, the look and the technology were different. To watch them now is like watching an old photograph from your childhood, it transports you back in time. It's a beautiful thing that in a photograph time has no grip on life. Everything stands still. It is captured and sealed. It helps us to remember who we were, and how we, and the world around us, used to look like. So why change the expression we had on our face? Why change the scenery in the background? Why erase our memory?

Movies also capture time. They register our creative thoughts, our ideas, our looks, and the technology that was used to make them, usually involving the work of hundreds of talented people. They are the representatives of where we stand on the ever-evolving ladder of progress in filmmaking."

"Modern audiences are used to a lot of close-up shots these days. It's something the film medium inherited from our TV culture. Should Lucas digitally zoom in on the shots as well, so that the modern public can appreciate older movies more? A classic that isn't able to do its magic anymore doesn't deserve to be called a classic. I'm sure new audiences can cope with the fact that these are not new movies. Enhancing them with more monsters, or altering some crucial made actions by the characters, is not going to change their opinion. I don't need 'Citizen Kane' to be colorized, in order to appreciate it. In fact, I'm impressed by its B&W cinematography. And I'm impressed by the original sets. I'm also impressed with all the achievements 'Star Wars' stands for. And I like those achievements to be preserved for eternity. I don't need any improvements or alterations that don't originate from the time the movie is made in. In my book this only leads to diminishing the quality of the initial efforts, and it results in a product that I can no longer enjoy."

----------------

Alex Cremers

[Chris ChrusherComix 46]

1. Some of these proposed changes sound acceptable. SOme sound uneeded, and some are just plain evil.

2. If we are talking about a super-mega collector's dircetor's cut edition, then by all means let's see them. HOWEVER... DON'T DENY US THE ORIGINAL THEATRICAL RELEASES ASWELL. I have NO PROBLEM with E.T.'s release. You got the new version and the original in one neat, easy DVD set. Thank you, that's all I ever wanted! Perfection! Class! But Lucass... he's just so... stubbornly spiteful to his very own once-loyal-now-hateful fan-base! It's classless.

[Henry B 50]

The official word on changes to the films is that they are indeed being made (according to Dave Prowse, also Steve Sansweet hinted that there would be changes, there may be more confirmations), HOWEVER no specific changes have been confirmed yet.

Let's hold back on the criticism until we know exactly what Lucas is doing (unless you're one of the people that believe ANY change to the Trilogy is bad, even, say, removing the black lines around the AT-ATs in the Battle of Hoth).

[Rogue_Leader 2]

Is there ANY chance Lucas is going to change back the "Greedo shooting first" BS to the original scene? I heard he might be considering that.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

There's also a rumor that the shots been modified even more (with Greedo shooting first), so that Han actually does a little jump in his seat.

So who knows really.

- Marc

[Rogue_Leader 2]

Oh brother! That is probably more realistic considering this is Lucas we are talking about!

[J.R.Wood 0]

What a can of worms this topic has opened!

Look, I am by no means against Lucas making the absolutely original trilogy available, but I disagree with the fact that people feel the new effects added even in the Special Editions look strange.

Ok so the new Jabba in ANH looked obscure, but I think the rest fo the added effects blended seamlessly, especially in the final battle of Yavin.

As I said before as long as the changes (if ANY) are well executed, that's fine.

I speculate that after all of the movies have been completed, THAT may be the time when Lucas may consider an ORIGINAL trilogy release. Something like a Classic trilogy boxed set, and may be an Ultimate Saga set, may be evn with changes to the prequels!!! May be they'll ressurect Sebastian Shaw somehow to play Anakin all the way through LOL

(If they make any changes they should definitely NOT composite in Hayden's face over Seb's. His crinkled old face makes Vader's unmasking even more poignant because you realise this supremely powerful force of evil is actually a powerless, withered man).

Welcome change.... as long as it's good!!!

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

I hope you didn't take my post personal.

[J.R.Wood 0]

Of course I dodn't! Don't be daft!

I just think we all need to remind ourselves that these films are as much George Lucas's as they are ours.

If he hadn't come up with the concept in the first place we wouldn't have anything to argue over. God forbid we may be arguing over, lets say, the extended, digitally altered, director's cut of Britney Spear's Crossroads! Or the Director's Cut of Star Trek: The Motion Picture..... wait they already changed that one...

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

Good.

[A24 4,347]

Welcome change.... as long as it's good!!!

So you disagree with everything I said?

I thought Star Wars was good. I don't think The Wizard of Oz needs to be changed either. Why do you want to see old movies with today's effects? Why not use new technology in new films? Are we going to see new effects in Star Wars with every decade that passes? Do you think the new effects look so realistic? Why are you applauding the fact that they are butchering old movies? Do you happen to wear a T-shirt that says, [whine]"It's his movie, he can do with it what he wants!"[/whine]. Because if you do, I know this discussion is leading nowhere.

Keep your hands off Yoda's face! Don't give me Jabba in a perfect film! Stop questioning who should shoot first, It's Han!

----------------

Alex Cremers

[Luke Skywalker 1,796]

That list was posted a year ago here, and as many you called it, it was a Fanboy's wetdream.

I think it was thwe wishlist from the Force.net, and someway the guys at amazon just found it and pasted it.

If what Neil posted about the new changes on Greedo scene was true, the the original scene has not been restored, as it is said in that list...

I hope i give hope to someone...

[J.R.Wood 0]

Gosh, calm down Alex Cremers!

I'm just trying to put this whole thing in to context.

It's not the end of the world if a film gets changed whether it's Star Wars or something no one really cares about.

I have been involved in the film making process myself and often when I've looked back at what's been produced I think "I wish I'd done this, that or the other..."

Now let's be reasonable and make up

[Ollie 1,059]

In another 15 years another updated version of the trilogy will appear with Ewan, Natalie and Christian digitally added into the film to replace Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Alec Guiness......

[Gizmo2k4 0]

WHAT?? THEY TAMPERED WITH THE MUSIC??? Okay, redoing the lightsaber effects is one thing (I hate the old saber effects, lol) but changing the music is too much for me.. XP Oh well, It's Star Wars so I'll buy it anyways, no matter how many changes they make.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

The SE for ESB also had a change in the music. Nothing too serious, though. They just put the end of Departure of Boba Fett back in, which had been left out of the original version.

- Marc

James Horner - The Battle of Stirling from Braveheart (OST)

[A24 4,347]

OK, I'm calmed down now, just don't bring up the subject "Lucas and change" again! Films we once knew are being taken away from us, and frankly, I can't stand it! I can't stand it you hear me! Oh my God! It's all coming back! What have you done?! I can no longer control the anger I'm feeling. Hide!