Lets talk all things Star Wars

[CT1138]

One of my favorite personal "rediscoveries" I've made was an early variant of the Random House RotJ storybook with Luke's blue lightsaber. As a child, my elementary school library had a copy, and I thought it was strange then that the lightsaber was blue when it was green in the movie. I never knew about the choice of color change until I was a teenager and came across the Revenge of the Jedi teaser on YouTube. I wasn't even entirely certain the memory of it was all together true until I came across it on eBay. Unfortunately, when I bought it, a non-vintage paperback version of the regular storybook came and not the one pictured. Left a very bad rating for that seller. These pics, however, were from that sale:

 

[sztriki]

One of my favorite personal "rediscoveries" I've made was an early variant of the Random House RotJ storybook with Luke's blue lightsaber. As a child, my elementary school library had a copy, and I thought it was strange then that the lightsaber was blue when it was green in the movie. I never knew about the choice of color change until I was a teenager and came across the Revenge of the Jedi teaser on YouTube. I wasn't even entirely certain the memory of it was all together true until I came across it on eBay. Unfortunately, when I bought it, a non-vintage paperback version of the regular storybook came and not the one pictured. Left a very bad rating for that seller. These pics, however, were from that sale:
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Wow, that's very interesting...to be honest it almost seems like the cover colours faded and it was photographed weirdly, all the colours look strange. Would be interesting to see the inside photos, AFAIR there were two photos of from the duel (with Vader's saber being weird pink). Thne again if there was actually a blue sabered early version then it must explain it.

 

[Laspector]

I've always wanted to see an interview with the guys who wrote The Holiday Special. Just to know what in the hell they were thinking.

 

[Joek3rr]

One of my favorite personal "rediscoveries" I've made was an early variant of the Random House RotJ storybook with Luke's blue lightsaber. As a child, my elementary school library had a copy, and I thought it was strange then that the lightsaber was blue when it was green in the movie. I never knew about the choice of color change until I was a teenager and came across the Revenge of the Jedi teaser on YouTube. I wasn't even entirely certain the memory of it was all together true until I came across it on eBay. Unfortunately, when I bought it, a non-vintage paperback version of the regular storybook came and not the one pictured. Left a very bad rating for that seller. These pics, however, were from that sale:
View attachment 985387
View attachment 985388

Most of the posters made for ROTJ have Luke holding a light blueish saber. And the Revenge of the Jedi poster Luke's saber is red while Vader's is blue.

This brings up an interesting question I wanted to ask everyone. Between the film, books, comics, cartoons, games, and various promotional stuffs. The way the lightsaber blade looks has changed quite a bit. What's everyone's favorite lightsaber blade?

Mine is Luke's bright green saber blade as it appears in ROTJ. But in a close second place are these stylized blades in this ESB publicity still.

 

[Halliwax]

My favorite blade

 

[Psab keel]

While the V2 is my favorite, I always loved that Luke's saber in ANH had a lighter sky blue shade. Obi-Wan's was a deeper blue and Luke's appeared to match this in color by the time of Empire. In my mind I had the idea it was because Luke had tuned up the saber so that it's crystal alignment was better and the color was richer as a result. In reality it was likely just different exposures of film and the rotoscoping but I always enjoyed that lighter color on his saber.

That bright green flash as Luke ignites his saber on the skiff in Jedi after he catches it is still one of my favorite moments in the series and still puts a smile on my face. That whole battle is one of the highlights of that movie for me.

 

[Inquisitor Peregrinus]

The very first time we see one, when Luke ignites his father's in Ben's hut, all flickery and pale silver-blue.

 

[sztriki]

I literally just wanted to ask the same thing. I saw a meme or whatnot something along the lines “how come Jedi with green sabers are coolest” or something, and there were photos of Luke from ROTJ, the rest all prequels.
It always bothered me how simple the blades look in the prequels. In the OT it does look like a beam of light, prequels, it’s like some colored fuzz with a solid white core. Probably because the originals were hand animated. The only time ot looks good in the prequels for me is the low angle shot of Sam L Jackson when he’s pointing at Palps.
Anyhoos, Luke’s ROTJ and ANH are my faves plus Vader’s in ESB.
I also think the TFA graflex is way too dark blue, I actually prefer the whitish TLJ one.

 

[Inquisitor Peregrinus]

But I agree. The ANH lightsabers were best, IMO, because of the nature of how they were accomplished. Three-sided spinning rods, with two sides coated with movie screen material for reflectivity and lights flanking the camera. That, combined with asynchronization between spin and the camera's shutter speed gave it the erratic flicker. The brightness came from light bouncing off the silvering. The color being rotoscoped in was basically just tinting around the edges to make distinguishing one from another easier.

Every technique since has, I feel, tried and failed to recapture the rawness of that original practical effect.

 

[Psab keel]

Yeah the flickering of the first film (and also to a lesser degree) in Empire in Jedi really made the blades look alive. You really got the sense that these things were dangerous and could do damage if they touched something. In the subsequent films the flickering is barely present the way it was in the first three. It's a minor detail but one I think really sells the idea of an energy blade.

 

[Joek3rr]

I always loved it in ANH when you can see some of the blade coating fly off in a cloud dust.

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

I still like Luke's ROTJ saber the best. I remember as a kid watching ROTJ and being blown away seeing the scene where he falls off the speederbike, deflects the other speederbike's lasers and slashes the front off. Before the Prequels, that was the first "That's how the Jedi must have been!" moment. Very cool.

 

[Inquisitor Peregrinus]

I still like Luke's ROTJ saber the best. I remember as a kid watching ROTJ and being blown away seeing the scene where he falls off the speederbike, deflects the other speederbike's lasers and slashes the front off. Before the Prequels, that was the first "That's how the Jedi must have been!" moment. Very cool.

Honestly, about my only gripe with the whole Luke-being-a-proper-Jedi thing in ROTJ is another of those almost-subliminal bits. His tunic thing was originally conceived of as a sleeveless kimono, but then revised to cut off at hip length to facilitate Mark's stunts. As someone who learned kendo in kimono and Western fencing in a trenchcoat, that rankles. If you can't fight in flowing robes, practice until you can, durn it! It looks awesome.

 

[Joek3rr]

Honestly, about my only gripe with the whole Luke-being-a-proper-Jedi thing in ROTJ is another of those almost-subliminal bits. His tunic thing was originally conceived of as a sleeveless kimono, but then revised to cut off at hip length to facilitate Mark's stunts. As someone who learned kendo in kimono and Western fencing in a trenchcoat, that rankles. If you can't fight in flowing robes, practice until you can, durn it! It looks awesome.

We all know it was so he could do this

 

[Captain Dunsel]

We all know it was so he could do this
View attachment 985930

That’s a “Force Kick”; which means he does not have to connect the boot to the face to create an impact.

Genius filmmaking!

 

[Psab keel]

It's as glaring as James Caan's "punch" from The Godfather:

The Godfather James Caan GIF - TheGodfather JamesCaan Punch - Discover & Share GIFs

 

[Joek3rr]

Or this scene

Obi-Wan didn't even need to duck............

 

[Psab keel]

"What's a duck?" -Luke Skywalker

 

[ghostryder]

Todd Vaziri on Twitter

 

[Potroclo]

Todd Vaziri on Twitter

So that's how they tracked the Falcon to Yavin IV: they had an imperial spy on board the whole time! And his name was Homing Beacon