Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Pre-release)

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

THXBOY said:
And I'll close with... Can't wait for episode vii. Lucas can't be vilified for bringing this whole universe to life and 35 years later we are still involved and passionate about it.
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He wouldn't be as vilified if he'd only do what the dreaded Hollywood system does.


  • Disc 1
  • Contains both the Original Theatrical Version and Special Edition
  • 16x9 Widescreen presention
  • 5.1 Surround

But instead we get this.

So what ends up being important in my mind is what the DVD version is going to look like, because that's what everybody is going to remember. The other versions will disappear. Even the 35 million tapes of Star Wars out there won't last more than 30 or 40 years. A hundred years from now, the only version of the movie that anyone will remember will be the DVD version [of the Special Edition], and you'll be able to project it on a 20' by 40' screen with perfect quality. I think it's the director's prerogative, not the studio's to go back and reinvent a movie."
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Director's prerogative. I wonder what director Richard Marquand thought of the Special Edition of "Return of the Jedi". Surely Lucas respects film directors to the point where he wouldn't let a studio take a movie and recut it to fit the studio's vision.
 
Re: Star Wars Episode VII

Disney is smart and they will bring forth an archival edition. It's just a matter of time. Anything they can re-hash and slap a price tag on to make money from they will be deeply interested in doing.

I remembered back when ET had their 20th anniversary release they made a deluxe DVD set where it included an equally high quality original theatrical cut with the regular 20th anniv. release cut. I know that's a Spielberg thing, though, but they could set it up that way at a more limited release with higher price point. Or do what I have always hoped... use the Blu-Ray seamless branching technology to create your own ideal edition. Keep the enhancements in certain scenes, lose additional add-in vocals in other scenes. Make your own edition, haha!

Still... No way does a high quality print of the theatrical cuts of the OT not exist in a digital archive. They are a few among the most significant movies of all time.
 
Re: Star Wars Episode VII

glunark said:
There was an old guy with a white beard, talking to other old guys with beards on the steps about the embargo and the trade ramifications, and whether or not the senate would do something about it, and I just felt completely bored, and I literally thought to myself, this is not star wars, this is accountancy.

Frankly at that moment even the comedy clumsy robots would have been welcome if at least they were firing their guns.

I came to see star wars, not star politics.
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I remember reading bits from Lucas for years prior to the release of the The Phantom Menace about him not knowing what kind of films the Prequels would be - political thriller was something that I recall being mentioned (of course this is all from memory - I remember other types were mentioned, too). The Prequel saga could've been an entirely different animal had he gone more pure political drama.

Politics has always played an important role in Star Wars - I mean, it is a group of rebels versus a galactic government. How they've gone about it is a different - but, the stories are different and prequels rely on politics a lot more to tell Anakin's story.

If you look back to the first movie you have a scene on the Death Star with Imperial Generals and the like seated around a table - talking "sorcerer's ways" and ancient religions (along with rebels). I remember not being particularly thrilled about this as a kid... (but, the big difference between this and the Prequels is that it had Darth Vader and the force choke).
 
Re: Star Wars Episode VII

Yeah, I thought about that scene even as I was writing about the other, but even then it was a real set, with Vader always in the background, and Peter Cushin, and it was a heated argument that ended with a choking, and it took place on the death star.

I saw that for the first time as a kid when I was 7, and even in that scene I don't remember being bored, maybe bad guys talking are always more interesting than good guys talking, especially if the conversation ends with "Vader release him!"
 
Re: Star Wars Episode VII

Wow, for once I really agree with Jeyl.

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Ha. I love the PT thing that just got brought up!

The last thing I want to watch in a SciFi movie is a 5 minute scene out of Space-CSPAN.
 
Re: Star Wars Episode VII

Metaluna mutant said:
"Lucas was seduced by the Dark Side of Hollywood. He ceased to be the visionary director of THX-1138 and became George Lucas, CEO of Lucasfilm Ltd. When that happened, the good man who created American Graffiti was destroyed. He's more machine now than man, twisted and evil."

But seriously, I think the major problem with the prequels is Anakin. Without a great, charismatic actor to play such a pivotal role, it just falls apart. Lucas should have stayed with his original plan (Anakin found at age 17, like Luke) and spent more time looking for a better, older actor. Casting Jake Lloyd was problem #1 (too young, and, honestly, terrible in TPM) and Hayden Christian was also pretty mediocre. Neither had a sense of charisma, nor a riveting on screen personality or an electric acting style.

I did notice in ROTS that many dramatic lines were voiced to Frank Oz, Ewan Mcgregor, Ian Mcdiarmad et al but few by Christiansen as, frankly, they were better actors than he. I also never felt Mcgregors OB1 and Hayden's Anakin meshed believably well in ROTS or AOTC as "like brothers". Also was a shame Christopher Lee had so little onscreen time, but frankly IMO he was too old to really physically play the part. I can't imagine how awesome Lee/Dooku would have been had it been played by Lee in his 1970s tall and imposing physical prime. He was also a very accomplish swordsman, and would have shone onscreen.

Good actors can overcome poor dialogue and direction -- look at ANH which had some very poor, awkward dialogue. But Hamill, Guiness et al made it believable. The chemistry of the actors definitely helped in the OT - Ford, Fisher and Hamill played well together and it showed onscreen. That made up for a lot of faults in ANH.

I'm hoping the chemistry of the actors cast for Ep 7 really gels well -- On screen chemistry and enthusiasm can overcome a lot of clunky dialogue.
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Personally, I think the issue wasn't the actors, but what they had to work with. I'll agree they should have started with Anakin older, but the problem in 2 and 3 wasn't the actor. We see Vader in the OT essentially as a big bad ass. Nowhere in the PT does he come off that way. No one feared him, no one seemed to really pay him any mind. He's just a whiner the whole time. The killer for me was without any build up he up and flips to keep palps from dying and then immediately has no problem wiping out the jedi temple along with what are implied to be numerous children. Just, sure, ok, i'll do it. I don't know that any actor period could have pulled off that role in eps 2 and 3 with what they had to work with. There needed to be seduction and there was none. I'll also agree there should have been some vader action. Something to validate the fear everyone felt/feels in the opening of ANH. It'd be nice to have had that fear justified.
 
Re: Star Wars Episode VII

joshvanrad said:
Wow, for once I really agree with Jeyl.

- - - Updated - - -

Ha. I love the PT thing that just got brought up!

The last thing I want to watch in a SciFi movie is a 5 minute scene out of Space-CSPAN.
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LOL *That* could make an excellent fan video video using a tedious CSPAN clip overdubbed with SW stuff. The REAL prequel to the prequels.

"Point of order Mr chairman, My distinguished colleague from Ryloth states the Naboo tax re-negotiation bill rider SN #445972-7765 should be amended as follows to read as per the Outer Rim territories Oversight committee meeting minutes, I quote "the parties of both parts shall, unless, otherwise required elsewhere..."
 
Re: Star Wars Episode VII

cboath said:
.... I'll also agree there should have been some vader action. Something to validate the fear everyone felt/feels in the opening of ANH. It'd be nice to have had that fear justified.
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this would have made a world of difference I think. what we saw in Revenge of the Sith should have been mostly told in Episode 2 and half way or so through Revenge of the Sith anakin loses his battle with Obi Wan, ends up in the Vader suit... then all hell breaks loose and he "hunts down and destroys the Jedi"
... perhaps Palpy makes it appear the Jedi had killed Padme or something.. .but Vader in Action was what I thought I was going to see in Sith and we got him standing on the bridge of a Destroyer admiring the Death Star... big deal. :( oh well... Epidode 7, 8 and 9 better have a real cool bad ass bad guy that makes us shiver when he appears on screen like Darth Vader did for the OT.
 
Re: Star Wars Episode VII

Jaitea said:
Ian McDiarmid has denied that he will be returning in Ep7 as Palpatine:

http://www.starwars7news.com/2014/07/will-ian-mcdiarmid-return-for-star-wars-episode-7.html

When asked would he be interested in returning to the role for involvement in a spin-off he said, "I don't want anyone else to play him, do I?"

J
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Hmmm, if the Jedi can do come back as force ghosts (or whatever it's called) why not the Sith? There's probably some EU rule against Sith force ghosts.

Anyway, anyone know if Frank Oz will do any voicing for Yoda in E7? I'd love to see Mcdiarmid and Oz back for tiny cameo/voice bits as force ghosts or just disembodied voices a la OB1 in ANH. Just a few disembodied voices from Yoda and Palpatine encouraging or goading or tempting the characters would be awesome.
 
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