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Star Wars Prequels Media Movies

Detailed Changes In Star Wars DVD Release w/Pics 449

Posted by timothy from the hit-the-basements dept.
JSDopefish writes "DVD news site dvdanswers.com has written a pretty cool article on the changes in Star Wars: Episode IV. A list of changes is nothing new, but this version has detailed screenshots and comparisons between the 1977 original, the 1997 reissue, and the 2004 DVD version. He plans one for Empire Strikes Back & Return of the Jedi, but they're not out yet."
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Detailed Changes In Star Wars DVD Release w/Pics More

Detailed Changes In Star Wars DVD Release w/Pics

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  • We understand (Score:5, Funny)

    by GreenCrackBaby ( 203293 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @03:15PM (#10527459) Homepage
    He plans one for Empire Strikes Back & Return of the Jedi, but they're not out yet.


    I bet his busy sex life is keeping him from having the other two finished for us.

    • He plans one for Empire Strikes Back & Return of the Jedi, but they're not out yet.

      I think he just misunderstood the confusing numbering system since they started with Episode IV.

    • Re:We understand (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      One trick pony. I'm so bored with Lucas. For one thing, I've never understood Star Wars. It's a fun movie. Once. But it's not any better than about 50% of the movies out there. It must be great to be a guy who only has one storyline in his pocket and you can just keep milking the idiots who will buy THE SAME FUCKING MOVIE every 36 months just because you added an animated monster or changed the lighting in one scene or another.

      Pathetic!

    • Re:We understand (Score:5, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 14, 2004 @03:42PM (#10527858)
      I bet his busy sex life is keeping him from having the other two finished for us.

      Yeah you try balancing two ewoks and a wookie!

  • Cost Benefit (Score:2, Interesting)

    by erick99 ( 743982 )
    These changes seem like they would be time consuming and quite expensive. Does the studio recover these costs in new sales of the updated DVD? Or, does Lucas do this partly for the art?

    • Re:Cost Benefit (Score:5, Informative)

      by anonymous cowherd (m ( 783253 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @03:18PM (#10527519) Homepage
      George Lucas talks about this on the extras DVD. He says it was primarily to make them the movies they were supposed to be. So, I suppose you could say, it's for the art.

      • Re:Cost Benefit (Score:5, Interesting)

        by nadamsieee ( 708934 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @03:32PM (#10527703)

        It's not for the art. George Lucas is all about the money and his ego. I submit two choice quotes from an AP/Yahoo! article [yahoo.com] mentioned previously on Slashdot:

        Money:

        AP: Why did you change your mind and decide to put the original three movies out on DVD now? Lucas: Just because the market has shifted so dramatically. A lot of people are getting very worried about piracy.
        That has really eaten dramatically into the sales. It really just came down to, there may not be a market when I wanted to bring it out, which was like, three years from now. So rather than just sit by and watch the whole thing fall apart, better to bring it out early and get it over with.

        Ego:

        AP: Do you pay much attention to fan reactions to your choices? Lucas: Not really. The movies are what the movies are. ... The thing about science-fiction fans and "Star Wars" fans is they're very independent-thinking people. They all think outside the box, but they all have very strong ideas about what should happen, and they think it should be their way.
        Which is fine, except I'm making the movies, so I should have it my way.

        Episodes IV through VI were great because either somebody else directed them or George wasn't fat headed enough at that time to always get his way. Watch the behind-the-scenes making of the special editions and you will see a whole lot George-ass-kissing-yes-men.

        • Re:Cost Benefit (Score:5, Insightful)

          by fireduck ( 197000 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @03:42PM (#10527854)
          I don't see that these quotes strongly support the idea that its about money and ego. While, yes the money quote does list piracy as a readson to release sooner; to combat that all Lucas would have to do is a quick transfer to DVD and put it out. Rather than do that, he went back and did a lot of work cleaning up the quality (color, scratches, noise, etc.) of the film as well as adding/adjusting various special effects. That wasn't free, and likely was done because he wanted to best quality movie available.

          As for ego, well, sure, it's his movie so he should have his way. If he couldn't so the effects he wanted in the 70s and 80s and can do them now and insert them, how is that just ego, and not an artist finally fulfilling his vision?

          Yes, he may be greedy and very ego driven, but the amount of work that he's put into these movies over the years (even if many fans don't agree with it) indicates his degree of passion.

        • Re:Cost Benefit (Score:3, Insightful)

          by SkyWalk423 ( 661752 )
          Do you disagree that these are Lucas' movies and that he has the right to present them however he wants? I'm not exactly defending him, but if he is as money-grubbing as you say he is, wouldn't it have made more economic sense to give the fans exactly what they wanted? And if he had done that, wouldn't you then have to call him a sellout?

          For the record, I would have loved for Lucas to release the original theatrical versions with a few visual cleanups (matte lines around the TIE fighters, for instance). J

        • Re:Cost Benefit (Score:5, Insightful)

          by tverbeek ( 457094 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @03:55PM (#10528053) Homepage
          "Which is fine, except I'm making the movies, so I should have it my way."

          So it is about the art.

          The whole point of being an artist/creator is to shape something the way you want it to be made. If that's "ego", it's simply the sort of ego that leads one to create stuff in the first place.

          Whether other people also like it, or whether it's commercially successful is entirely separate questions.

          • Re:Cost Benefit (Score:4, Informative)

            by ComputerSlicer23 ( 516509 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @04:37PM (#10528620)
            Yes and no. There are a number of changes which aren't neccessary and could have easily been shot in the original films they just weren't.

            The most egregious in my opinion is Greedo shooting first. That could have easily been done in 1977, however, that wasn't the story as presented then. If it really is about the rating of the movie, I wish he'd just say that from the horse's mouth. I'd at least accept that, and then be angry with silly movie ratings board (along with the fact that I know Lucas would know how to schmooze his way past that if he tried).

            The musical number and dance sequence in ROTJ could have easily been added then. No problem. It wasn't, probably for two reasons, one time was probably running out, and two nobody really likes it except for George.

            You have to remember several things. First off, Lucas is famous for changing his tune on Star Wars movies. He's changed how many movies their were supposed to be. I've seen interviews where he claims it's supposed to be 6, and I've seen interviews where it's supposed to be 9. Both of them with Lucas being the one describing the original history. I trust George about as far as I think George can throw himself.

            Second, this is the George Lucas who when DivX was still a viable option, said the original Star Wars trilogy would never ever be released to a standard DVD. It would only be released on the "pay per play" DivX system that was still around in 1995 and 1996 primarily supported by Circuit City. I decided on the day I found that out, I'd never ever pay for a Star Wars movie. I'd never pirate a copy. I'm still looking for a LaserDisc or VHS widescreen copy that I can use to create a new DVD from even if it's a home brew setup that uses a TV Tuner card. George Lucas uses Star Wars fans to make money, there's no other reason to decide to relase it on DivX and only on DivX. That ain't about art. It's my understanding that the movies we're pretty close to being released back then, but DivX collapsed as a collosal failure. Now he's bringing out the movies. The timing I'm not so sure why now. He's dumb as rocks if he things the DVD market is going to dry up.

            I'd really like a widescreen copy of the original movies, as shown in the theatres. It was one of the greatest movies every made, and now it'll be lost to the sands of times. The movies that are out, aren't the movies that made it famous. This is what people lament about copyright. Lucas will probably successfully destroy all the known copies of the original movie. That's like losing the original manuscripts to Shakespear. They are part of the culture of a generation of people. I'd like to see them released if only to preserve them. It's not like we destroyed the original "King Kong" movies just because they look horrible. They are what they are. They should be preserved if only for historical purposes.

            It's one thing to clean up the frames, and make the images look sharper. It's a whole different thing to add and remove scenes. To change scenes that defined charaters. I really don't care about the stuff that involves linking the original trilogy with the new episodes. I suppose if Lucas wants to act like they are all one big original coherent story that's his business. However, they weren't and aren't. For the most part, that stuff is in portions of the movie I really don't care about.

            Kirby

            • Re:Cost Benefit (Score:3, Interesting)

              by HTH NE1 ( 675604 )
              The most egregious [changes] in my opinion is Greedo shooting first.... If it really is about the rating of the movie, I wish he'd just say that from the horse's mouth.

              MPAA ratings may have also been a factor in the shooting of imperials and why some show the impact flash and others don't. The site claims there's inconsistency. I think there is consistency: the impacts are only removed for the characters who weren't wearing body armor.

              So it's as if they were told they can show armor evaporating in a f
    • I think Mr. Lucas does it mostly to piss us off.

  • This time... (Score:5, Funny)

    by grub ( 11606 ) <slashdot@grub.net> on Thursday October 14, 2004 @03:16PM (#10527469) Homepage Journal

    .. the Mos Eisley cantina bartender shoots first, killing Greedo instantly and rendering Solo a parapalegic. Watch for the CGI wheelchair!

  • Question... (Score:4, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 14, 2004 @03:16PM (#10527471)
    What is this "Star Wars" you speak of? This article is so 1st and 2nd world centric. What about us 3rd world countries with no TV and internet access? Before you ask, the answer is "carrier pidgeons."

    • Re:Question... (Score:5, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 14, 2004 @03:47PM (#10527944)
      Wow! How did you know that I was going to ask you about your sex life?
    • If Carrier Pidgeons is the answer for internet connectivity, what does the modem look like?
    • A couple of years ago I was in Morocco. Not quite Third World, yet i was with a large group of 17-22 year olds and none had heard of Star Wars.

      The looks we got whilst trying to demonstrate light sabres were priceless.
      • "The looks we got whilst trying to demonstrate light sabres were priceless."

        Ummm... I can think of maybe 3 ways this could have gone:
        1) You (and whoever else was with you to make it "we") always carry your lightsaber replicas around with you, in which case their "looks" are understandable.

        2) You have actually created and were using real lightsabers, in which case their "looks" are understandable.

        3) You were using breadsticks and kept saying, 'now imagine a glowing blade of light coming out of the end h

  • I guess... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 14, 2004 @03:16PM (#10527477)
    The Force wasn't with him, or his server.

  • Can't see the link... (Score:5, Informative)

    by jmcmunn ( 307798 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @03:17PM (#10527498)
    The link in the story seems to be dead for me already...but here is another one that I was reading a few weeks ago, similar content.

    http://www.thedigitalbits.com/reviews3/starwarscha nges.html [thedigitalbits.com]

  • w/Pics (Score:5, Funny)

    by Tobias Luetke ( 707936 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @03:18PM (#10527513)
    Slashdot posts with title containing "w/Pics" scare the bejesus out of me.

  • site not found (Score:5, Funny)

    by SQLz ( 564901 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @03:19PM (#10527543) Homepage Journal
    "You've never heard of the DVD news site dvdanswers.com, its the site that got Slashdotted in under 12 parsects."
    • Apologies first.

      Then, #1 its parsecs, no 't'.
      and #2 a parsec is 3.26 lightyears, and thus a measurement of distance. Unless that person's webserver is located in the Orion nebula, I think its a given that its closer than 12 parsecs.

      • Re:site not found (Score:5, Interesting)

        by flosofl ( 626809 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @04:57PM (#10528825) Homepage
        a parsec is 3.26 lightyears, and thus a measurement of distance...

        Over the years I have thought long and hard about the Kessel Run statement in the movie (it always bugged me). The only semi-satisfactory explanation I could come up with was this:

        Since the Millenium Falcon mostly travels in Hyperspace, the only real space it travels in would be too and from jump points and planets. I am making a HUGE assumption that in the SW universe you can't make arbitrary jumps from point A to Z. You could argue that he discovered a highly efficient jump pattern that required only 12 parsecs of travel in real space. Therefore, this is more a testament to his skill as a Navigator than how fast the ship is.

        It would make sense... but, if I remember correctly, the statement is made reagrding how fast the ship is. While the trip would obviously be faster (because its covering less real space), the comment is not about the efficient navigational plotting but the inherent speed of the Falcon.

        Damn! Now its back to bugging me again.

        • Re:site not found (Score:5, Insightful)

          by Laivincolmo ( 778355 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @05:04PM (#10528906)
          I was under the impression that perhaps it was a case of the shorter the route, the more difficult it was. Perhaps taking shortcuts through more dangerous areas would require more skill, but could be done faster and in a lesser distance. Therefore a larger distance traveled would imply a lack of skill for taking an easier route.
          • http://www.starwars.com/community/askjc/jocasta/as kjc20020221.html [starwars.com]

            While Captain Solo is known to make boastful claims that seem to defy the basic laws of space-time physics, in this particular case, an understanding of the mechanics of the Kessel Run illuminates this statistic.

            The Kessel Run is a contest of speed and endurance for smugglers. Those who undertake it must deliver specified cargos (usually illicit in nature) to a series of divergently moving transport vessels. The smuggler must deliver th

        • Re:site not found (Score:4, Informative)

          by Babbster ( 107076 ) <aaronbabb@NoSPaM.gmail.com> on Thursday October 14, 2004 @05:19PM (#10529056) Homepage
          Actually, one of the books (supposedly canon) explains that the Kessel Run is a smuggling route which skirts close to "The Maw," a cluster of black holes. The closer one navigates to the black holes the greater the distortion of normal space, and the shorter the route turns out to be. I'm not a astrophysicist, and thus can't judge the story's plausibility, but it sure seemed like an entertaining explanation for what was originally just a mistake. :)

  • Further changes. (Score:5, Funny)

    by Dirtside ( 91468 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @03:23PM (#10527591) Journal
    In the new version, Alderaan shoots first.

  • Top three changes (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anixamander ( 448308 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @03:23PM (#10527597) Journal
    1. Greedo now strangles a baby, sodomizes an Ewok, and then shoots at Han. First.

    2. Several black stormtroopers added for racial balance.

    3. Millineum Falcon is now totally riced

    I'm sure there are others...

  • I boycotted Star Wars DVD Release (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 14, 2004 @03:24PM (#10527610)
    Sorry for a long rant... It will probably be modded down in no time, just because it is not a trendy thing to say here, but what the hell: I boycotted Star Wars DVD Release -- for an entire week.

    Why? What's to boycott? Isn't "Star Wars" good old fashioned sci-fi? Harmless fun? Some people call it "eye candy" -- a chance to drop back into childhood and punt your adult cares away for two hours, dwelling in a lavish universe where good and evil are vividly drawn, without all the inconvenient counterpoint distinctions that clutter daily life.

    Got a problem? Cleave it with a light saber! Wouldn't you love -- just once in your life -- to dive a fast little ship into your worst enemy's stronghold and set off a chain reaction, blowing up the whole megillah from within its rotten core while you streak away to safety at the speed of light? (It's such a nifty notion that it happens in three out of four "Star Wars" flicks.)

    One of the problems with so-called light entertainment today is that somehow, amid all the gaudy special effects, people tend to lose track of simple things, like story and meaning. They stop noticing the moral lessons the director is trying to push. Yet these things matter.

    By now it's grown clear that George Lucas has an agenda, one that he takes very seriously. After four "Star Wars" films, alarm bells should have gone off, even among those who don't look for morals in movies. When the chief feature distinguishing "good" from "evil" is how pretty the characters are, it's a clue that maybe the whole saga deserves a second look.

    Just what bill of goods are we being sold, between the frames?

    - Elites have an inherent right to arbitrary rule; common citizens needn't be consulted. They may only choose which elite to follow.
    - "Good" elites should act on their subjective whims, without evidence, argument or accountability.
    - Any amount of sin can be forgiven if you are important enough.
    - True leaders are born. It's genetic. The right to rule is inherited.
    - Justified human emotions can turn a good person evil.

    That is just the beginning of a long list of "moral" lessons relentlessly pushed by "Star Wars." Lessons that starkly differentiate this saga from others that seem superficially similar, like "Star Trek." (We'll take a much closer look at some stark divergences between these two sci-fi universes below.)

    Above all, I never cared for the whole Nietzschian Übermensch thing: the notion -- pervading a great many myths and legends -- that a good yarn has to be about demigods who are bigger, badder and better than normal folk by several orders of magnitude. It's an ancient storytelling tradition based on abiding contempt for the masses -- one that I find odious in the works of A.E. Van Vogt, E.E. Smith, L. Ron Hubbard and wherever you witness slanlike super-beings deciding the fate of billions without ever pausing to consider their wishes.

    Wow, you say. If I feel that strongly about this, why just a week-long boycott? Why see the latest "Star Wars" film at all?

    Because I am forced to admit that demigod tales resonate deeply in the human heart.

    In "The Hero With a Thousand Faces," Joseph Campbell showed how a particular, rhythmic storytelling technique was used in almost every ancient and pre-modern culture, depicting protagonists and antagonists with certain consistent motives and character traits, a pattern that transcended boundaries of language and culture. In these classic tales, the hero begins reluctant, yet signs and portents foretell his pre-ordained greatness. He receives dire warnings and sage wisdom from a mentor, acquires quirky-but-faithful companions, faces a series of steepening crises, explores the pit of his own fears and emerges triumphant to bring some boon/talisman/victory home to his admiring tribe/people/nation.

    By offering valuable insights into this revered storytelling tradition, Joseph Campbell did indeed shed light on common spiritual traits that seem shared by all human bein
    • You know, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

    • Re:I boycotted Star Wars DVD Release (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Marxist Hacker 42 ( 638312 ) * <seebert42@gmail.com> on Thursday October 14, 2004 @04:16PM (#10528360) Homepage Journal
      I was with this up until this point:

      But then, in "Return of the Jedi," Lucas takes this basic wisdom and perverts it, saying -- "If you get angry -- even at injustice and murder -- it will automatically and immediately transform you into an unalloyedly evil person! All of your opinions and political beliefs will suddenly and magically reverse. Every loyalty will be forsaken and your friends won't be able to draw you back. You will instantly join your sworn enemy as his close pal or apprentice. All because you let yourself get angry at his crimes."

      Not WILL- MIGHT. Examples abound- The Bolshevik revolution is my favorite expample. Human rebels have a tendency to imitate the worst in what they are fighting against- WWII is another example. A primary feature of facism was the joining together of governmental and corporate power to oppress the citizenry- and here in the United States we created the Military-Industrial Complex to fight the Nazis, which eventually grew up to oppress the citizenry.

      In other words, getting angry at Adolf Hitler will cause you to rush right out and join the Nazi Party? Excuse me, George. Could you come up with a single example of that happening? Ever?

      Not quite right- more that getting angry at Adolf Hitler will cause you to rush out, create a military industrial complex, and then eventually create the House Unamerican Activities Comittee to silence the voices that are complaining by labeling them "communists". It happened. Right here in the United States. George W. Bush himself is the inheritor of Adolf Hitler's fascism- through a lot of twists and turns.

      I agree with everything else you had to say- but like your book The Postman you irk me with the stuff you did not know. (The Postman irked me because I was going to school in Klamath Falls at the time- and I knew you got the order of towns on Hwy 58 completely fouled up). Oakridge is EAST of Springfield, damnit).
      • Note to readers: MIGHT is important here. If we know the danger of the dark side- like David Brin pointed out- then our future isn't set in stone. We don't have to choose either branch of the flawed family- we can strike out on our own and build something new.

    • An apology to the readers (Score:5, Funny)

      by AvantLegion ( 595806 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @04:19PM (#10528394) Journal
      Look everyone, I'm sorry. I'm this man's psychiatrist. I told him he could go back on the Internet because I thought we were making real progress.

      Davey, repeat afer me, "Star Wars is not real. Darth Vader is not Hitler."

    • Re:I boycotted Star Wars DVD Release (Score:4, Insightful)

      by moorcito ( 529567 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @04:37PM (#10528617) Homepage
      But then, in "Return of the Jedi," Lucas takes this basic wisdom and perverts it, saying -- "If you get angry -- even at injustice and murder -- it will automatically and immediately transform you into an unalloyedly evil person! All of your opinions and political beliefs will suddenly and magically reverse. Every loyalty will be forsaken and your friends won't be able to draw you back. You will instantly join your sworn enemy as his close pal or apprentice. All because you let yourself get angry at his crimes."

      Sounds about right except for the fact that you used the word angry when you should have used hate. I belive it was hate that Yoda warned against, and Luke was trying to not let his hatred get the best of him. There is a big difference between anger and hate, for instance I may get angry at my children because of something they did wrong, but that doesn't mean that I hate them.
    • But then, in "Return of the Jedi," Lucas takes this basic wisdom and perverts it, saying -- "If you get angry -- even at injustice and murder -- it will automatically and immediately transform you into an unalloyedly evil person! All of your opinions and political beliefs will suddenly and magically reverse. Every loyalty will be forsaken and your friends won't be able to draw you back. You will instantly join your sworn enemy as his close pal or apprentice. All because you let yourself get angry at his cr

  • I don't know how... (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Zaranne ( 733967 ) <zaranne17@gmai l . c om> on Thursday October 14, 2004 @03:26PM (#10527617) Homepage Journal
    He managed to get screenshots of the 1977 release, since the one that ended up on video all those years ago wasn't the same as what I saw 50 times in the theatre. I know C3P0 had a tendency to babble, but he did have some great lines that got nixed. Unlike AOTC.

    Unless of course, this was something recorded on Beta off of OnTV...go figure...oh, or Laserdisc.

    • Re:I don't know how... (Score:3, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      That's like saying:

      I have no idea how the addition of two numbers could equal 5.

      Unless of course, they were 4 and 1.
      Or, if they were 3 and 2.
      Or 5 and 0.

      There are Beta copies floating around, and there are many LD copies floating around. LD would be pretty easy to get screen shots from.
    • [I don't know how] He managed to get screenshots of the 1977 release, since the one that ended up on video all those years ago wasn't the same as what I saw 50 times in the theatre. I know C3P0 had a tendency to babble, but he did have some great lines that got nixed.

      According to one of the DVD extra features, there were multiple remixes of the audio for the original feature. They tried to get theaters to upgrade to THX Audio, but weren't entirely successful - some theaters were in plain stereo, and many

      • Re:There was more than one audio mix sent to theat (Score:5, Informative)

        by oni ( 41625 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @05:01PM (#10528886) Homepage
        C3PO line you think was dropped?

        On the regular VHS version that I have, when R2 pulls up the directions that obiwan will take to the tractor beam thing and the camera zooms to the video screen, C3PO explains what obiwan has to do. "the beam is powered by these three things, and if you take out one the beam will be disabled." But in the widescreen VHS version, that line isn't present.

        Not a C3PO line, but in the scene where Adm Tark is told that there is a security alert in the detention area, Darth Vader is there and he says a couple of lines, but then stops talking and continues shaking his finger. It's clear there was more dialog there. This is easily explained though by the fact that all of vader's lines were dubbed.

  • Oops... (Score:4, Funny)

    by Last_Available_Usern ( 756093 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @03:27PM (#10527641)
    He found a few more things he missed...after he finishes updating the page, he's going to make another page detailing the differences between the first page he released and the second.
  • Honestly, I think that somewhere in George Lucas' fragmented mind, motivation is building to remake Episodes IV-VI. Notwithstanding that this is the worst thing that could happen to the series, I think we could expect some "great" innovations, like Jerry Springer making a cameo to help out with the Skywalker family issues.

  • Palpatine's Voice, Lines in 'Empire' (Score:3, Insightful)

    by goldspider ( 445116 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @03:29PM (#10527661) Homepage
    They changed the voice of the Emperor (when communicating with Vader) to be consistent with the actor who played him in ROTJ. They also changed the lines so that the less-observant could understand the story more easily. It was a bit disappointing.

    • Re:Palpatine's Voice, Lines in 'Empire' (Score:5, Funny)

      by Random BedHead Ed ( 602081 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @03:52PM (#10528015) Homepage Journal

      Transript. It is indeed revealing for people who might not have been paying attention:

      Vader: What is thy bidding, my master?

      Palpatine:There is a great disturbance in the Force. We have a new enemy: Luke Skywalker.

      V: Of course. As you know, he is my son, and I am now in disguise after that incident on the lava planet.

      P: Yes, of course. And as I'm sure you remember, my friend, I became Emperor after using a clone army to initiate a faux civil war built on beurocratic pretences, which allowed me to rise in power without the Jedi becoming aware. I'm sure you remember Darth Tyranus, whom you destroyed.

      V: I remember, my master. And while we're on this subject, it was that series of events that allowed me to also crush the Jedi, which I was bound to do after the death of my mother.

      P: Enough of the recap. Back to young Skywalker. If he could be turned, he could be a great asset ...

      And it goes on. Lucas's writing is definitely going downhill as he revises these films.

  • To be honest (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Timesprout ( 579035 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @03:30PM (#10527671)
    I thought I was a star wars fan till I found slashdot, now I realise I just thought they were entertaining movies. Its been so long since I have see the originals I doubt I would actually notice the changes or even be aware of them if I had not been forewarned.

    • Re:To be honest (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Morrigu ( 29432 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @04:56PM (#10528811) Homepage Journal
      I realized this myself 8 years ago.

      Second year at college, first day back, and I was setting up my room in the honors dorm. I got a tiny little single-bed room, but it was all mine. Threw up an Star Wars Episode IV and an Indiana Jones poster on the wall, sat down, hooked up my PC, and was happily downloading crap off the 'Net or wasting time on IRC or something.

      Two new freshmen guys come down the hall, chattering back and forth, all excited. They set up shop four doors down on the right, and then one of them sticks their head in my room: "Hey! You're a Star Wars fan too?!"

      I grunt or nod or something, a little taken aback by his excitement. At that point I had nearly forgotten the Star Wars poster hanging on my wall. His roomie comes by at that point and sticks his head in too, all smiling and happy.

      "Who's your favorite character from the movies?" the first one asks. I think for a second, not quite sure since it had been a little bit since I sat down and watched all of 'em on VHS (maybe the previous Christmas or something), and come up with "Han Solo, I think."

      The first one looks kind of disappointed - what a pedestrian choice! - but the other guy chimes in, "Oh, I like Greedo. And Muftak!" Greedo I recognized, but Muftak? Who the hell is Muftak? He kept grinning at me like some sort of deranged hyena, waiting for a response.

      Realizing that I was talking to people who had spent more time involved with the movies than I spent on, say, my senior-year Computer Science class in high school, I nodded, said something polite, and smiled. They moved on, and I knew deep down that I wouldn't be winning the award for Biggest Star Wars Fan in Thomas Hall that year, despite the cardboard stand-up Yoda I still hadn't unpacked.

  • It worked! (Score:5, Insightful)

    by orangeguru ( 411012 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @03:31PM (#10527685) Homepage
    The '77 Star Wars just did it for me. I can't stand artist who can't let go of their work ... imagine Picasso rushing into the museeum to add little bits here and there just because ...

    Make new a better movies Mr. Lucas! You have the money and technology now.
    • <sarcasm>
      Yeah, because money and technology are what it takes to make a great movie, right?

      That's why Episode I and II are *so* much better than the original trilogy
      </sarcasm>

      Lucas seems to believe this, which is why I shudder when I hear him speculate about the day when a CGI character can fill in for a completely non-existant actor.

      • Re:It worked! (Score:5, Insightful)

        by orangeguru ( 411012 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @03:59PM (#10528100) Homepage
        Well, Lucas main argument for all the changes was that he didn't have the money and technology to make 'proper' movies.

        He seems to suffer from the same strange syndrome like many movie makers: the more money they get, their flicks get worse. Look at John Carpenter, his first low budget movies were great - and like Lucas he got fame and money ... and he only produced bad stuff in his later years.

        Lucas is a great producer, ok director and a lousy scriptwriter (especially his dialogues suck). But he is also a control fetishist ... in some strange way all his new movies suffer from too much 'Lucas' ...
    • I'm trying to imagine Picasso doing that, but I'm having a hard time not imagining him having to pick up bits of himself here and there as he tries to find one of his paintings

  • One more added scene... (Score:4, Funny)

    by dew4au ( 804562 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @03:32PM (#10527696) Journal
    For the upcoming Blu-Ray release of the trilogy I hear Lucas is planning a shower scene with Obi-wan and a bantha. "Ol' Ben gets lonely, then desperate" Pre-order now!

  • Not just screenshots... (Score:5, Funny)

    by freeze128 ( 544774 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @03:32PM (#10527707)
    One of the funniest changes couldn't really be seen in a screenshot. At the end of Return of the Jedi, the second death star is destroyed, and all the worlds rejoice in their freedom from the evil empire. We see scenes from Corusant, Endor, and a new shot of Naboo. With subtitles turned on, all the people of Naboo are in the streets partying, and the subtitles say "Weesa free!"

    I laughed my assa offa!

  • The ability to destroy a planet... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Spencerian ( 465343 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @03:47PM (#10527939) Homepage Journal
    ...is insignificant next to the power of a Slashdotting.

  • Google to the Rescue (Score:3, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 14, 2004 @03:51PM (#10528005)
    Looks like google has cached [216.239.39.104] the page for us.

  • Auto-Coralize links!!! (Score:5, Informative)

    by hacker ( 14635 ) <hacker@gnu-designs.com> on Thursday October 14, 2004 @03:53PM (#10528027)

    I've been thinking.. and this is the 5th instance of this.. why can't Slashdot auto-Coralize the links that they use in the articles?

    If $ARTICLE_SUMMARY has a URL in it, split the domain off, append .nyud.net:8090 to it, and then post it publically. Thats exactly what the NYU Distribution Network [nyu.edu] was designed for.

    In this case, this would be:

    http://www.dvdanswers.com.nyud.net:8090/index.php? r=0&s=8&c=28 [nyud.net]

  • I am waiting for some movie software haxor to come up with a "personal" version of the DVD replacing Hayden with the Original Anakin Skywalker ©, Han shooting first, etc, using some home movie software to splice together the new DVD with laserdisc scenes.

    I do like *some* of the new stuff. The X-Wing scene in IV when they are on their way to attack the death star is nice. Many other shots in space have been cleaned up from the original so you don't see boxes around ships against the stars. But they co

  • In ANH, re-released versions, jabba has this pained expression on his face, makes him look like a whiny bitch. At least the new ones he looks like he's a mafia boss now. You can see the comparison at the previously linked site:

    http://www.thedigitalbits.com/reviews3/starwarscha nges.html

    about 2/3rds the way down the page.. Jabba actually looks like jabba now. =)

    • Re:Jabba the whiny bitch.. (Score:5, Insightful)

      by drinkypoo ( 153816 ) <drink@hyperlogos.org> on Thursday October 14, 2004 @05:17PM (#10529043) Homepage Journal
      What I want to know is why Jabba didn't turn Han into a grease spot when he stepped on him. Well, actually, I know the answer: Because Lucas is what, in my teenage years, I would have referred to as a "fucktard". If you stepped on scarface's shoes, you'd have an extra hole in your head in less time than it takes to say "Is that a gun?" Jabba has been known to laugh when his guards are eaten by the Rancor. You think you'd live long if you stepped on him?

  • google cache [mirrpr (Score:3, Informative)

    by gustgr ( 695173 ) <gustgrNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Thursday October 14, 2004 @04:03PM (#10528173)
    I believe most nerds have already googled for the cache but here [google.com.br] it is.

  • Missed Change in Episode V: ESB (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Jtheletter ( 686279 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @04:48PM (#10528740)
    I preordered the DVDs, and while I did go straight home and watch them all I haven't scrutinized them for every change. However I did notice that one of the big "errors" from the originals still remains in Empire Strike Back.

    In the fight scene between Vader and Luke in the Carbonite Chamber, after Luke turns of his saber and jumps off the platform to follow Vader he lands on a trampoline (since the set platform was ~10 ft high) and when he rebounds his head reappears in the shot. Surprisingly Lucas missed editing out Luke's head as he bounces back into frame.

    I find it hard to believe Lucas didn't have a check list of fixes for the re-remastering; both personal, and culled from the endless fan forums that at this point have probably documented every mistake there is.
    Oversight? Or perhaps a little piece of nostalgia left in there on purpose?

  • Screw 'em (Score:4, Insightful)

    by ucblockhead ( 63650 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @05:22PM (#10529087) Homepage Journal
    You know, normally I pay for my movies. I spent good money on the movies I like..."The Big Lebowski". The entire B5 series. "Bladerunner". A number of others. I've probablygt 40-50 DVDs all told. I also bought the original series on VHS way back when.

    I wanted "Star Wars" on DVD. But I don't want the "fixed" crap. I want the "Star Wars" I fell in love with. I'd pay good money for it even though I've already paid Lucas once for the original version on tape and once (to my regret) for the "Special Edition" on DVD.

    But Lucas won't sell it to him. So screw 'em. I pulled it off of bittorrent and made my own DVDs of the first three films. I'm not going to pay the bastard for further fucked up versions.

  • Such a detailed review (Score:4, Informative)

    by Trogre ( 513942 ) on Thursday October 14, 2004 @05:31PM (#10529195) Homepage
    And I can't believe he didn't mention the changes to the musical score.

    In some of the most dramatic moments (such as the Death Star run), the music is ramped down so it's barely audiable, in favour of the sound effects. This is due to the sound effect guy doing the final mix.

    Also, all the music in ANH has the rear channels swapped. It's fine in ESB and ROTJ, but it's definitely wrong in ANH. Not a problem unless you're listening to it on your 5/7.1 system with some sense of where the instruments are on the sound stage. Then it just gives you a headache. There's no point in just swapping your rear channels over, since then all your sound effects are the wrong way round.

    The worst thing is that although the channels are clearly wrong, Lucasfilm have stated this is a "deliberate creative decision".

  • Awful (Score:3, Insightful)

    by xYoni69x ( 652510 ) <yoni.vl@gmail.com> on Thursday October 14, 2004 @08:25PM (#10530684) Journal
    Screw the re-re-re-re-re-re-release. I want the original.
    Why did they touch it? Do they think we don't know the film was aired in 1977?
    I, personally, know. And I want to see that, nothing more.

    Watching A New Hope with 2004 fancy special effects would be like watching Clerks with color and good acting. I mean, seriously, some things shouldn't be changed.

    /Save Films From Their Own Directors Club, Spokesman

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