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More on STAR WARS SPECIAL-SPECIAL EDITION
Williams reveals it may be for eventual DVD release

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A little more is coming out about that STAR WARS SPECIAL-SPECIAL EDITION we touched on last week. It seems in the Dutch magazine Score, John Williams indicated he would be slipping the Imperial March into STAR WARS EPISOD IV: A NEW HOPE (which we’d already brought you) but the new-SPECIAL EDITION for the film would make its premiere on DVD, and not another theatrical release.

“I am thrilled to have the chance to go back to something I composed in 1977 and be able to make the entire saga continuous theme-wise," Williams said. "Notably absent in the first movie is the Imperial March. Being able to insert that theme in the first movie will create a much stronger emotional flow throughout the Saga… After the release of EPISODE III George will enhance the original trilogy with additional scenes and special effects, adding my adjustments to the score this will seamlessly branch the entire STAR WARS SAGA into one massive romantic space opera. I think something of this magnitude has never been done before."

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Comment on this?

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Originally posted by Jeron:
Isn't it being done with LOTR? Or have Lucas and Williams turned a blind eye to that most excellent saga?

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Well, LOTR is only comprised of three films, done over a six year period.

Williams said "magnitude", and for all intents and purposes, STAR WARS will be six films, done over a 27 year period.

Jackson is doing just as much work with LOTR (perhaps of equal or even higher quality), the first time around. I'll eat my words if he goes back to his films in 10 or 20 years.

Then again, I'm a little edgy right now, I'm not completely aware of the words coming out of my mouth, and I am in desparate need of a nap. Please ignore me.

Lord of the Rings contributes to Star Wars presence as a story--e.g., the epic story arc, mythologic structure, heroic/demonic archetypes. Lord of the Rings brought that into focus for the 20th century. Star Wars honed it to a fine point.

So, Star Wars gets made, is sucessful.

With that success, George Lucas encourages the development of technology that contributes to the illusion of film.

Star Wars: The Movies make Lord of the Rings: The Movies possible.

NO, I'm not saying that ILM did Fellowship--they didn't. But what they accomplished paved the road for what Jackson was (is) able to accomplish. Yes, perhaps the technology, innovativeness would have eventually come to light...but what George Lucas accomplished/continues to accomplish as a visionary moviemaker makes it possible for others to accomplish--making virtually untellable stories tellable, in a visual medium.

Also, the media-diversity of Star Wars also contributes. It is, granted, somewhat arguable that the advent of Star Wars virtually saved the film-score as it exists. It returned and renewed a grand "operatic" (is the correct term) awareness in the tradition that was becoming slowly "extinct" in the wake of the sucessful song-score as perfected by The Graduate.

So...what I'm essentially saying is "magnitude" is not an out-of-place term for Star Wars...

(This is not intended as contrary to anything that has been said so far...I just think it was worth observation.)

I believe Lancelot mentions this...but if Fellowship had been made in 1977 it would have been like most other fantasy films of the time...trash.

Jackson has made a magnificent epic...that in many ways exceeds Star Wars...but the Jackson does have the benefit of modern technology (ILM or not) right out of the gate.

I have tried in vain to argue that the gap here upon well-reasoned thought, but deeply rooted in the subconscious. Bare with me...this might be stretching it.

Where Star Wars was released many of us adolescents, children, many not even born yet--but regardless we watched the movie at a different stage in our life, with much different perceptions of the world. In addition, Star Wars was the first of its kind in a visual sense.

Flash forward over two decades...we have changed, but the deeply rooted passion that we had for Star Wars has been ingrained in our memory...we protect those memories even when the newly matured portions of our mind tell us that those movies weren't all that good (per the criteria that we judge films today). We still hold onto them with a youthful exuberance and in some form ignorance.

Along comes Phantom Menace...we're no longer young, view the world differently, and have become accustom to endless special effects. I would wager to say, that if you were nine years old and had never seen a movie like it before, The Phantom Menace would have been just as awe-inspiring as Star Wars was for us years ago.

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Originally posted by Jeron:
Jackson is doing just as much work with LOTR (perhaps of equal or even higher quality), the first time around.

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Point taken. Of course, there's that whole Joseph Campbell "Power of Myth" thingy as well, and it applies to just about all of this stuff... but I digress.

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I'll eat my words if he goes back to his films in 10 or 20 years.

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Yum yum! I'll hold you to that!

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Originally posted by Jeron:
Lucas' "saga" has the magnitude it does only because he's taken so long to finish it. And he's continually been going back and screwing around with his original work. I think the word "magnitude" is a bit of a cop out... and perhaps a little egotistical.

Jackson is doing just as much work with LOTR (perhaps of equal or even higher quality), the first time around. I'll eat my words if he goes back to his films in 10 or 20 years.

Then again, I'm a little edgy right now, I'm not completely aware of the words coming out of my mouth, and I am in desparate need of a nap. Please ignore me.

Jeron

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Jeron? Jeron who?

I thought I heard something but I must have been mistaken.

Anyway...I think if Lucas is indeed listening to his "fanboys" he should NOT screw with Star Wars anymore. That film has been messed with far too much as it is.

With all the hoopla over the "E.T." revisions you'd think Lucas would just leave well enough alone.

I personally don't need to see added footage and rescoring on that film.

If we are going to go back and rescore for continuity then by all means let me suggest we go back and rescore "Goldeneye" with a new score by David Arnold. Now there's a GOOD idea.

(I'd say get Barry to rescore the films...but he would NEVER agree to it)

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Originally posted by Bond1965:
go back and rescore "Goldeneye" with a new score by David Arnold

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Oooh.... now that is something I would be interested in!!

I honestly don't see these hitting DVD as we know it today. Lucas is under no preassure in meeting a release date to issue his definitive vision fo the 6 films together as one giant saga. He can spend as long as he wants perfecting everything to meet what he would deem his definitive cut and my guess is a likely HD DVD release in 2007 when Star Wars is 30years of age.

HD is what he's after. Rick McCallum always said it was Lucas' want for a high def format that always held back any star wars movie from getting a DVD release in the first place, but Lucas gave in on the prequels in realising how big the format has become.

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What happens if, after all six films are done, Lucas wakes up one morning with the realization that TPM really IS the weakest link in the series? Will we get an ultra-special edition of that? Maybe with less Jar-Jar and the "yippies" removed from the dialogue track?

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He's already admitted it was a dissapointment. Read the recent newsweek article? It'd be a rather delicious irony that last year some peeved fanboy would re-edit Phantom Menace for what would be seen to be the better only to have Lucas do the same deed officialy some years later.

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If we are going to go back and rescore for continuity then by all means let me suggest we go back and rescore "Goldeneye" with a new score by David Arnold. Now there's a GOOD idea.

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Poor argument against. Each new bond film has little in common with the last save for some of the actors. They're not meant to be seen and experienced together as one giant story chronologicaly tracking the life of a single being like the Star Wars movies are.

The Star Wars SEs stumbled due to being rushed and serving as little more than a public showground for developing special effects techniques for the prequels. Fox wanted a re-issue, Lucas wasnt so sure on the idea, but he agreed wanting to do some alterations.

With any future revision, as I say, there is no restriction on how long he choses to work on perfecting new sequences, music and visual effects. People should not be using the SEs as a blueprint for what may be with future revisions because right now we can only speculate, and obviously some cynics will think for the worst right off the bat.

His vision of the whole saga after the success of the first film was to see all six as one. He would not do the prequels until the technology had reached the point where he would be able to pull off what he wanted to pull off, and technology is only now hitting the point were it will fully allow him to update and remaster the classic trilogy to the extent he desires.

It's his right to put together his epic vision of all six movies, all most ask is that for the want of prosterity, the original theatrical releases be presented to us alongisde these definitive revised releases in however many years.

Spielberg tinkered with E.T yes, but locked away the original he thankfully has not as the DVD release will carry both 1982 cut and Anniversary re-issue. Again people may think the worst and assume Lucas will have no intention of doing the same with the Star Wars movies, but again we can do little but speculate. Only he has it all figured out.

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Originally posted by Dan Brecher:

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=1 face=arial>quote:</font><HR size=1>If we are going to go back and rescore for continuity then by all means let me suggest we go back and rescore "Goldeneye" with a new score by David Arnold. Now there's a GOOD idea.<HR size=1></BLOCKQUOTE>

Poor argument against. Each new bond film has little in common with the last save for some of the actors. They're not meant to be seen and experienced together as one giant story chronologicaly tracking the life of a single being like the Star Wars movies are.

The Star Wars SEs stumbled due to being rushed and serving as little more than a public showground for developing special effects techniques for the prequels. Fox wanted a re-issue, Lucas wasnt so sure on the idea, but he agreed wanting to do some alterations.

With any future revision, as I say, there is no restriction on how long he choses to work on perfecting new sequences, music and visual effects. People should not be using the SEs as a blueprint for what may be with future revisions because right now we can only speculate, and obviously some cynics will think for the worst right off the bat.

His vision of the whole saga after the success of the first film was to see all six as one. He would not do the prequels until the technology had reached the point where he would be able to pull off what he wanted to pull off, and technology is only now hitting the point were it will fully allow him to update and remaster the classic trilogy to the extent he desires.

It's his right to put together his epic vision of all six movies, all most ask is that for the want of prosterity, the original theatrical releases be presented to us alongisde these definitive revised releases in however many years.

Spielberg tinkered with E.T yes, but locked away the original he thankfully has not as the DVD release will carry both 1982 cut and Anniversary re-issue. Again people may think the worst and assume Lucas will have no intention of doing the same with the Star Wars movies, but again we can do little but speculate. Only he has it all figured out.

Dan

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Having Arnold rescore "Goldeneye" would make the Brosnan Bonds more uniform...so how's THAT arguement?

Jeeze...it was just an idea not a debate.

Sorry,

Dan

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Originally posted by Quill:
Along comes Phantom Menace...we're no longer young, view the world differently, and have become accustom to endless special effects. I would wager to say, that if you were nine years old and had never seen a movie like it before, The Phantom Menace would have been just as awe-inspiring as Star Wars was for us years ago.

I simply think that many of us don't want the new films to be anywhere near as good as the originals...and with the way the human mind works...they never will.

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"Obi-wan once thought as you do..."
I believed that my first impression of TPM was based on my close-to-lifelong love of the original trilogy and all the memories associated with it through my life. But now that I have seen TPM about 20 times over the past three years, I can say that my feelings about the film would not be different if it were the first movie made or if I were 9 years old. It's still a shallow movie, and I'm glad Lucas finally owed up to that.

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Originally posted by Richard Street:
But it's only a movie. It's not the Word of God.

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Exactly. So why get so worked up about revisions? Even the "Word of God," mind you, has had a number of revisions itself over the centuries.

Forgive me, Richard, as I do not mean to attack your words specifically, only use them as a means to express what I think. There's really not much more I can say that Dan didn't already cover, but I affirm Lucas's right to tamper with the original movies all he likes, as long as he realizes that there are some who prefer it as it once was. In other words, give me both and I'm happy.

And even if I didn't get both, I still might be okay with accepting just the revised version as long as it doesn't disrupt anything the original movie had to say. E.g., added CG animals are fine, Greedo shooting first is not.

I do like TPM a lot. Very few things threw me with the movie, those that did were the fart jokes and the pod racer commentators. Their banter was a little too over the top and close to home. Other than some editing issues (with both the film itself and the music), I do enjoy the movie a heck of a lot.

Dan