JJ Abrams to direct Star Wars Episode VII

I still have the JVC T-120 VHS tape of Star Wars, recorded from the broadcast on CBS network TV on February 26th, 1984.

I wonder if it's the totally untouched Theatrical version.



I don't think it's a good idea to bring them back even for a cameo.

38 years is a long time (assuming Star Wars was filmed in 1976 and Episode 7 will be released in 2015 but filmed sometime in 2014):

j7wild wrote:

I am watching the Blu-Ray which I presume is the Special Edition since the original theatrical version was never released on DVD.]

The originals were released on DVD, though in bad quality.

Watching The Empire Strikes Back.

Lucas is a damn Liar and Con-Artist.

When Obi Wan told Yoda "That Boy Is Our Last Hope"

Yoda replied "No, There is Another!" referring to Leia

Total BS!

Obi Wan knew about Leia and Luke from Episode 3 even if the movie hasn't been made;

BUT according to Lucas he wrote enough material already for 9 movies by the time Star Wars (A New Hope) was made and released!

Which means Lucas had already knew Leia was Luke's sister when he made The Empire Strikes Back and yet he still filmed that incestuous kissing scene between them.

What a big insult to the Star Wars fans!

Remember that quote from The Usual Suspects?

"The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist. "

Lucas is the :twisted: !!

The prequels don't exist for me, so I never bother to connect the two trilogies.

I just finished The Empire Strikes Back.

To me now, this is the BEST of all the Star Wars films including the Prequel Trilogy.

Star Wars is a great film by its own right and it also works as a stand alone film but The Empire Strikes Back tops it.

I still remember leaving the movie theater mad and disappointed at the same time after watching Empire because we felt the movie ended too soon.

At the time we didn't know there was a sequel to it in the works.

Then we heard a sequel was being made and it will be titled "Revenge Of The Jedi" but it will be at least 3 years before we will see it.

So back then we pretty much all hated The Empire Strikes Back and when Return Of The Jedi came out, I thought Jedi was the best Star Wars film.

But now after 30 years and several viewing of the original Trilogy and with my comprehension of the Star Wars universe clearer, The Empire Strikes Back is the Best of the both the Original Star Wars Trilogy and the entire Star Wars film franchise.

I doubt Disney can ever top The Empire Strikes Back and the original Trilogy with whatever plans they have for Episodes 7-9.

For my money, the original is the best. The massive draw of Cushing on one side, Guinness on the other, the gang of Ford, Hamill, Fisher etc all together, the brilliant use of Tunisia as Tatooine (still more convincing as an "alien planet" than any other effects-assisted planet used since), the never bettered "used future" look of the film, the awesome classic swashbuckle and romantic mystery of the score, the Death Star as a fantastic location/design/extra character, the force only being touched upon instead of being used at every convenience, the rousing trench finale and ceremony and the film being a perfect beginning middle and end. The sense of achievement given the struggles going on behind the scenes also makes me appreciate it a million times more than anything that followed. It feels like a genuine labour-of-love, hard-fought product of new generation 70s filmmaking, regardless of how much money it made.

So at the end of Episode 3, Vader and The Emperor were standing on the bridge of the Super Star Destroyer, looking out at the Death Star being constructed in space a short distance away.

Star Wars happened about 19 years after Episode 3.

It took them 19 years to build the Death Star?

If that's the case, only about 1 year passed between Empire and Jedi.

How was the Empire able to build the second Death Star so quickly?

j7wild wrote:

So at the end of Episode 3, Vader and The Emperor were standing on the bridge of the Super Star Destroyer, looking out at the Death Star being constructed in space a short distance away.

Star Wars happened about 19 years after Episode 3.

It took them 19 years to build the Death Star?

If that's the case, only about 1 year passed between Empire and Jedi.

How was the Empire able to build the second Death Star so quickly?

Maybe it was like in the movie CONTACT, when Haddon built a second teleporter at the same time, but it was kept ultra-secret.

I have much bigger issues with the prequels than that. They appear to have been written and directed by someone who never saw the original trilogy. Anakin goes from being a 19 year old petulant t*** in ROTS to a 78 year old dying Darth Vader in ROTJ just 6 years later. I know Sebastian Shaw isn't necessarily playing a character that is the same age as he is, but for the love of God, could Lucas have not at least gotten the age ranges closer together?

Time is wasted on a bratty, teenage Anakin, and a cute and precocious 9 year old tyke. Never, ever do you get any sense that these two versions of Anakin would grow up to be the biggest villain in the universe. What Lucas did to the series was a disgrace. I believe he literally hates the series and would have filmed himself taking a huge crap all over the original trilogy except for the fact that by virtue of having made the prequels he essentially did just that.

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

I have much bigger issues with the prequels than that. They appear to have been written and directed by someone who never saw the original trilogy. Anakin goes from being a 19 year old petulant t*** in ROTS to a 78 year old dying Darth Vader in ROTJ just 6 years later. I know Sebastian Shaw isn't necessarily playing a character that is the same age as he is, but for the love of God, could Lucas have not at least gotten the age ranges closer together?

That maybe why in the Special Edition of ROTJ I watched last night, Lucas CGI Hayden's head onto Shaw's body at the end.

Totally Stupid and Fucked Up on Lucas' part!

j7wild wrote:

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

I have much bigger issues with the prequels than that. They appear to have been written and directed by someone who never saw the original trilogy. Anakin goes from being a 19 year old petulant t*** in ROTS to a 78 year old dying Darth Vader in ROTJ just 6 years later. I know Sebastian Shaw isn't necessarily playing a character that is the same age as he is, but for the love of God, could Lucas have not at least gotten the age ranges closer together?

That maybe why in the Special Edition of ROTJ I watched last night, Lucas CGI Hayden's head onto Shaw's body at the end.

Totally Stupid and Fucked Up on Lucas' part!

Agreed. Absolutely unforgivable on Lucas' part. And he wonders why people hate him.

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

j7wild wrote:

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

I have much bigger issues with the prequels than that. They appear to have been written and directed by someone who never saw the original trilogy. Anakin goes from being a 19 year old petulant t*** in ROTS to a 78 year old dying Darth Vader in ROTJ just 6 years later. I know Sebastian Shaw isn't necessarily playing a character that is the same age as he is, but for the love of God, could Lucas have not at least gotten the age ranges closer together?

That maybe why in the Special Edition of ROTJ I watched last night, Lucas CGI Hayden's head onto Shaw's body at the end.

Totally Stupid and Fucked Up on Lucas' part!

Agreed. Absolutely unforgivable on Lucas' part. And he wonders why people hate him.

And the NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO from Vader!

OMG!!

Then there was another part in ROTJ, a new scene and the voice didn't sound right as if they couldn't get the correct actor to come back and dub it.

Can't remember which part it was.

Lucas also added a scene in Jabba's Lair in the Special Edition: Jedi Rocks.

What a waste.

I would have edited at least 15 min out of Jabba's Lair from the original ROTJ instead of adding to it.

I prefer the ending to HAPPY GILMORE, where Chubs, Abe Lincoln, and a crocodile wave to Adam Sandler from heaven.

Those films are just about on the same level.

Lazenby. wrote:

For my money, the original is the best. The massive draw of Cushing on one side, Guinness on the other, the gang of Ford, Hamill, Fisher etc all together, the brilliant use of Tunisia as Tatooine (still more convincing as an "alien planet" than any other effects-assisted planet used since), the never bettered "used future" look of the film, the awesome classic swashbuckle and romantic mystery of the score, the Death Star as a fantastic location/design/extra character, the force only being touched upon instead of being used at every convenience, the rousing trench finale and ceremony and the film being a perfect beginning middle and end. The sense of achievement given the struggles going on behind the scenes also makes me appreciate it a million times more than anything that followed. It feels like a genuine labour-of-love, hard-fought product of new generation 70s filmmaking, regardless of how much money it made.

Quite well said. I agree with much of it. I look at it as a piece of 70's cinema as well.

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

j7wild wrote:

So at the end of Episode 3, Vader and The Emperor were standing on the bridge of the Super Star Destroyer, looking out at the Death Star being constructed in space a short distance away.

Star Wars happened about 19 years after Episode 3.

It took them 19 years to build the Death Star?

If that's the case, only about 1 year passed between Empire and Jedi.

How was the Empire able to build the second Death Star so quickly?

Maybe it was like in the movie CONTACT, when Haddon built a second teleporter at the same time, but it was kept ultra-secret.

I have much bigger issues with the prequels than that. They appear to have been written and directed by someone who never saw the original trilogy. Anakin goes from being a 19 year old petulant t*** in ROTS to a 78 year old dying Darth Vader in ROTJ just 6 years later. I know Sebastian Shaw isn't necessarily playing a character that is the same age as he is, but for the love of God, could Lucas have not at least gotten the age ranges closer together?

Time is wasted on a bratty, teenage Anakin, and a cute and precocious 9 year old tyke. Never, ever do you get any sense that these two versions of Anakin would grow up to be the biggest villain in the universe. What Lucas did to the series was a disgrace. I believe he literally hates the series and would have filmed himself taking a huge crap all over the original trilogy except for the fact that by virtue of having made the prequels he essentially did just that.

On the Jake Lloyd thing, I could buy him as a very young Anakin Skywalker. The idea is to present him as this pure hearted slave child who you would never suspect he'd become a gestapo agent in a couple of years. I think they succeed. Maybe not with Lloyd's acting, but I'm fine with the idea. It's the presentation of Hayden Christensen's Anakin I find totally obnoxious and baffling. He should have been at least likeable that had an edge but when he gets his first taste of the dark side of the force he slowly falls apart and shit goes bad.


Instead, we got a horribly written romance story like this:



Which is one of the primary reasons I consider Clones to be THE worst Star Wars film ever.

The original is more the arseend of 70s cinema. EMPIRE is the only decent STAR WARS film, thanks to some solid acting, Irvin Kirshner, Irvin Kirshner, Lawrence Kasdan, John Williams and Irvin Kirshner.

I like Jedi Rocks.

dr. strangelove wrote:

I like Jedi Rocks.

Alright, lets kill him!

Largo's Shark wrote:

dr. strangelove wrote:

I like Jedi Rocks.

Alright, lets kill him!

:shock:

That was an unnecessary abomination!!

I've seen amateur music videos on YouTube that sounds better than that POS!

What goes through Lucas' mind sometimes?

Does he think: "I am doing it and everyone is going to love it"

like Jar Jar Binks.

Was Lucas stoned when he came up with that?

Speaking of Jedi Rocks. One of the few things I like in the Special Edition of JEDI is that they show Oola in the Rancor Pit and establish that set before Luke falls into it, so we have an idea that something terrible is down there in a more clear way than in the original version.

The White Tuxedo wrote:

Speaking of Jedi Rocks. One of the few things I like in the Special Edition of JEDI is that they show Oola in the Rancor Pit and establish that set before Luke falls into it, so we have an idea that something terrible is down there in a more clear way than in the original version.

Agreed about that bit. It's rather awkward in the original version. I'd love to see more deleted footage, but that's all on a blu-ray bonus disc and Netflix doesn't do that. :x

My dream Star Wars Blu-ray release.

Disc 1 - STAR WARS (original 1977 version)
-Commentary by Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Anthony Daniels. (The ones whom I think would sign up.)
-Commentary by Gary Kurtz, John Dykstra, Ben Burtt, and Paul Hirsch.
-Commentary by a film historian or two.
-Option to view either the original or "A New Hope" title crawl.
-Various sound options, original stereo, and even the mono soundtrack from some theaters.

Disc 2 - THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (original 1980 version)
-Commentary by actors, and joined by Lawrence Kasdan.
-Commentary by Gary Kurtz, Ben Burtt, Paul Hirsch, and Norman Reynolds.
-Commentary by film historians.
-Various sound options, including original stereo.

Disc 3 - RETURN OF THE JEDI (original 1983 version)
-Commentary by actors and Lawrence Kasdan.
-Commentary by Howard Kazanjian, Ben Burtt, and Norman Reynolds.
-Commentary by film historians.

Disc 4 - STAR WARS
-The first cut that was a fucking disaster.
-The technicolor version.

Disc 5
-The Star Wars Holiday Special
-The Ewok made-for-TV films.

Disc 6
-All of the old docs from that time. FROM STAR WARS TO JEDI, etc.
-Deleted scenes.

That's what I got right now. It would be in that hard, cardboard packaging where the discs unfold inside. All very retro, with the original artwork.

I got an idea, it would have a sleeve that looks like an old VHS sleeve, and you pull the whole thing out of that.

Don't forget the Muppets Star Wars episode.

j7wild wrote:

Don't forget the Muppets Star Wars episode.

You mean RETURN OF THE JEDI?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk5Z4e5HIDw#t=16m4s

The White Tuxedo wrote:

j7wild wrote:

Don't forget the Muppets Star Wars episode.

You mean RETURN OF THE JEDI?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk5Z4e5HIDw#t=16m4s

This one.

I still have it on VHS from when I recorded it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibpwTUmnCOE

j7wild wrote:

Largo's Shark wrote:

dr. strangelove wrote:

I like Jedi Rocks.

Alright, lets kill him!

:shock:

That was an unnecessary abomination!!

Unnecessary? Absolutely. Watching that scene is like watching a horrible car crash.

But...I still think the actual song is pretty cool.