Star Wars

James Emory · September 11th, 2004, 06:26 PM

A&E will have a show featuring behind the scenes of Star Wars on 9.12.04 at 8 p.m. e.s.t.

A&E
http://www.aetv.com/global/listings/...3&NetwCode=AEN

Star Wars
http://www.waidev1.com/www.aetn.com/...live/index.php

It is the most popular space adventure of all time and one of the most groundbreaking sagas in Hollywood history. This two-hour A&E SPECIAL PRESENTATION: STAR WARS: EMPIRE OF DREAMS details how the phenomenon captured imaginations with an irresistible Force and catapulted three young performers to stardom – Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher. But the STAR WARS trilogy didn't just change the way we look at movies. It changed the way movies are made. What began as a galactic fairy tale became a success story beyond one man's wildest dreams. While George Lucas has remained true to his own vision, it's audiences everywhere who have reaped the rewards ever since May 1977 when moviegoers first caught sight of that galaxy far, far away. For Lucas, what began as a quest for creative freedom became a philosophy, a cultural phenomenon and his own empire of dreams.

The A&E SPECIAL PRESENTATION: STAR WARS: EMPIRE OF DREAMS features riveting movie clips and fascinating screen tests plus interviews with George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and other cast members.

James Emory · September 12th, 2004, 11:12 AM

Is it just me or is the Star Wars link not working correctly period. Nothing loads in the grey area and the links at the bottom don't work.

http://www.waidev1.com/www.aetn.com/...live/index.php

If you click on the title in the top left of the page, the text under did you know will change each time you click on it

James Emory · September 12th, 2004, 09:17 PM

Well, it's a wonder that some of our most favorite movies ever got made according to what I saw in this program. George was up against some unbelievable pressure and deadlines. Fox came within a week or so of pulling the plug on production because it was over budget and behind schedule. Can you imagine no Star Wars?

Brack Craver · September 12th, 2004, 10:42 PM

I think a longer version of this documentary is on the new DVD box set.

Dylan Couper · September 12th, 2004, 11:52 PM

I'm not watching it. It's one movie I'd rather not spoil by knowing all the in's and out's.

John Hudson · September 13th, 2004, 12:59 AM

I watched this tonight and what a treat it was. Id thought Id 'seen it all' on the Making of the Original (The ones that matter) Trilogy. It was very enjoyable and brought back some nice memories of being a wee-child and also kind of reminded me of why I want to make films.

Brack Craver · September 13th, 2004, 06:52 AM

There came a time when George Lucas lost his way. I think it happened with the introduction of the Ewoks. Others may say it was Phantom Menace. Still others might say it occurred when he decided to screw around with the original trilogy in spite of protests from the fans. I'm not sure Lucas any longer has a clue as to what makes a great movie. Those last two really stunk up the joint! I really wish he would stop going back and redoing the first two and leave them as they were. The stop motion in Empire was awesome. But Lucas is nothing if not a slave to technology. I don't know, the guy just really rubs me the wrong way. You get the feeling the only reason he's making movie nows is to cash in. His last two films struck me as being little more than two really expensive commercials- and lame ones at that.

Boyd Ostroff · September 13th, 2004, 07:07 AM

I hate to say it, but I pretty much agree with all your points Brack. The first Star Wars was an absolute work of genius. The next two were pretty much what one might expect from Hollywood sequels. The recent ones were tough to even sit through.

Going back and changing the original movie with digital effects was obscene, and it really makes me sick to hear his justification for it. Thank god Orson Welles didn't see fit to "fix" Citizen Kane.

I enjoyed much of that TV special also, but basically it was just a long commercial for the release of the new box set...

Robert Knecht Schmidt · September 13th, 2004, 07:15 AM

"There came a time when George Lucas lost his way. I think it happened with the introduction of the Ewoks. Others may say it was Phantom Menace."

To read Gary Jenkins's Empire Building, you'd think it was actually earlier still, just after the initial success of the first STAR WARS movie--or, he never had it at all, and all the great ideas came from his talented collaborators: writers Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, and producer Gary Kurtz, whom Lucas fired after The Empire Strikes Back. According to Jenkins, during the making of that film, Lucas was distressed with director Irvin Kershner's ponderous handling of the material, believing that the movie was too slow (his motto on the set of the first movie had been "faster, more intense"), at one point even taking the editing into his own hands, producing a manic-paced director's cut that Kurtz deemed unwatchable.

The book is riddled with errors of fact and has accreditation issues, lending it a rumor-tabloid feel. But its central thesis seems only to be reinforced with each new movie Lucas writes and directs. What's most disappointing about the prequels--and now the changes to the original films for the DVD release this month--is that the profound talent for mythical symbolization demonstrated in the first films seems to have evaporated from the new Lucas.

Who's looking forward to Indiana Jones 4?

James Emory · September 13th, 2004, 09:42 AM

I agree that George really screwed up by adding all that digital effects crap to the originals along with all that followed and so did Spielberg doing the same with the re-release of ET. Those real ships and creatures, even though models, were shot so convincingly that I believed it then and still do now. CG just cannot give the realistic texture, shadows and presence that a real, physical model or puppet can. Who cares if it's a puppet. If it is performed well, it works! To this day, I have not seen any episode beyond Return of the Jedi and don't plan too. The only pleasing thing to look at in the latest films would be Natalie Portman.

I think A&E re-aired this thing back to back all night and into the early morning! Everytime I passed the channel since 8 p.m. it was there well until 2 a.m. every hour.

Has anyone else had problems with the Star Wars site not loading completely?

John Hudson · September 13th, 2004, 10:35 AM

I consider the orignal STAR WARS one of the best films ever made. I was 7 when it came and it spoke to me in a powerful way. EMPIRE I thought was just as good and I enjoyed the Dark spin and low-point ending (Han being frozen ruined my 10 year old arse!).

Perhaps I was older when JEDI was released? I was 13. Those EWOKS were some of the most annoying creatures ever put on screen. IT was all just too damn cute for me. By 13 I was relishing in The Thing and The Road Warrior type films.

I too think George is a slave to technology and the cash. The CGI work done for the SPECIAL EDITION is horrible. STAR WARS was a serious film and not too cute if you know what I mean, but in the Special Edition you have HAN stepping on a ridiculous looking JABBAS tail, Luke and OBI WAN approaching MOS EISLEY and there are all of these lame things going on in the Town Square (Jawas falling off of dinosaur horses and crap).

The new STAR WARS films suck. Period. Too glossy, too cheesy, too much CGI and not enough cool. George hasnt really done ANYTHING cool since the original STAR WARS films and gets way too much credit for RAIDERS (The only real cool INDY film).

I wonder how he can from the coolness of THX, American Grafitti and STAR WARS to Howard the Duck and the lameness that is the current STAR WARS?

I am looking forward to INDY 4 but predict it will be bad. LAST CRUSADE was horrible (Did you know the original RAIDERS was nominated for BEST PICTURE?) and TEMPLE OF DOOM was average at best.

Oh well. Thank god for TARANTINO and INGLORIOUS BASTARDS!

Robert Knecht Schmidt · September 13th, 2004, 10:49 AM

"Luke and OBI WAN approaching MOS EISLEY and there are all of these lame things going on in the Town Square (Jawas falling off of dinosaur horses and crap)."

The introduction of the ronto creature into A New Hope was evidently a fix for a several irreparably damaged or missing frames of the original negative. When Luke's landspeeder pulls into town, while Obi-wan is being questioned by the local patrol, a ronto steps in front and covers the entire frame for a second or two. This is a "cover wipe," an old trick to marry two pieces of just slightly disjointed footage. (Cf. when Lea Thompson's character walks in front of the camera while Michael J. Fox hands an infant to himself in Back to the Future Part III.)

It's easy to imagine an editor, restorationist, or the like accidentally chopping some of these frames, and ILM coming to the rescue.

George Ellis · September 13th, 2004, 10:58 AM

<<<but in the Special Edition you have HAN stepping on a ridiculous looking JABBAS tail,>>>

They filmed Jabba in the orginal cut. But, Jabba was a fat human. IIRC, you saw him crying in Return as the keeper of the Rancor at Jabba's palace. Han walked behind Jabba in that scene at Mos Eisley. So, when they added the Hutt as the new alien, they had to clip Han from the scene and 'climb' him over the tail. The only logical thing would be that he stepped on it. Dumb, but to add Jabba back after he changed from human to alien...

John Hudson · September 13th, 2004, 11:05 AM

Should have just left that scene out. It didnt work as it was and almost ruins everything with it in.

Joshua Starnes · September 13th, 2004, 11:14 AM

I too think George is a slave to technology and the cash. The CGI work done for the SPECIAL EDITION is horrible. STAR WARS was a serious film and not too cute if you know what I mean

Well, that's open for debate.

However, if you go back and read anything Lucas has ever written about film, or hear him speak about film, or read about the making of his films would realize that he doesn't do anything for cash. If you think that he's made his changes to the original Star Wars out of greed, or he has made the new movies out of greed, you have seriously misjudged his character.

I don't where that rumor about Lucas taking editorial away from Kershner comes from. There never was a Kershner cut. Once principal photography was over, he really never had anything else to do with Empire - something he knew was going to happen going in. Lucas was in charge of editorial on Empire from the get go, just as he was for all of the Star Wars films. He has often said that he considers editorial the place where films are created and it is his favorite part of the filmmaking process.

September 11th, 2004, 06:26 PM	#1
James Emory Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 1,892	Star Wars - Behind the Scenes Special A&E will have a show featuring behind the scenes of Star Wars on 9.12.04 at 8 p.m. e.s.t. A&E http://www.aetv.com/global/listings/...3&NetwCode=AEN Star Wars http://www.waidev1.com/www.aetn.com/...live/index.php It is the most popular space adventure of all time and one of the most groundbreaking sagas in Hollywood history. This two-hour A&E SPECIAL PRESENTATION: STAR WARS: EMPIRE OF DREAMS details how the phenomenon captured imaginations with an irresistible Force and catapulted three young performers to stardom – Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher. But the STAR WARS trilogy didn't just change the way we look at movies. It changed the way movies are made. What began as a galactic fairy tale became a success story beyond one man's wildest dreams. While George Lucas has remained true to his own vision, it's audiences everywhere who have reaped the rewards ever since May 1977 when moviegoers first caught sight of that galaxy far, far away. For Lucas, what began as a quest for creative freedom became a philosophy, a cultural phenomenon and his own empire of dreams. The A&E SPECIAL PRESENTATION: STAR WARS: EMPIRE OF DREAMS features riveting movie clips and fascinating screen tests plus interviews with George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and other cast members.

September 12th, 2004, 11:52 PM	#5
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	I'm not watching it. It's one movie I'd rather not spoil by knowing all the in's and out's. __________________ Need to rent camera gear in Vancouver BC? Check me out at camerarentalsvancouver.com

September 13th, 2004, 07:15 AM	#9
Robert Knecht Schmidt Wrangler Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 1,933	"There came a time when George Lucas lost his way. I think it happened with the introduction of the Ewoks. Others may say it was Phantom Menace." To read Gary Jenkins's Empire Building, you'd think it was actually earlier still, just after the initial success of the first STAR WARS movie--or, he never had it at all, and all the great ideas came from his talented collaborators: writers Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, and producer Gary Kurtz, whom Lucas fired after The Empire Strikes Back. According to Jenkins, during the making of that film, Lucas was distressed with director Irvin Kershner's ponderous handling of the material, believing that the movie was too slow (his motto on the set of the first movie had been "faster, more intense"), at one point even taking the editing into his own hands, producing a manic-paced director's cut that Kurtz deemed unwatchable. The book is riddled with errors of fact and has accreditation issues, lending it a rumor-tabloid feel. But its central thesis seems only to be reinforced with each new movie Lucas writes and directs. What's most disappointing about the prequels--and now the changes to the original films for the DVD release this month--is that the profound talent for mythical symbolization demonstrated in the first films seems to have evaporated from the new Lucas. Who's looking forward to Indiana Jones 4? __________________ All the best, Robert K S Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| The best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

September 13th, 2004, 10:49 AM	#12
Robert Knecht Schmidt Wrangler Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 1,933	"Luke and OBI WAN approaching MOS EISLEY and there are all of these lame things going on in the Town Square (Jawas falling off of dinosaur horses and crap)." The introduction of the ronto creature into A New Hope was evidently a fix for a several irreparably damaged or missing frames of the original negative. When Luke's landspeeder pulls into town, while Obi-wan is being questioned by the local patrol, a ronto steps in front and covers the entire frame for a second or two. This is a "cover wipe," an old trick to marry two pieces of just slightly disjointed footage. (Cf. when Lea Thompson's character walks in front of the camera while Michael J. Fox hands an infant to himself in Back to the Future Part III.) It's easy to imagine an editor, restorationist, or the like accidentally chopping some of these frames, and ILM coming to the rescue. __________________ All the best, Robert K S Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| The best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

September 12th, 2004, 11:12 AM	#2
James Emory Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 1,892	Is it just me or is the Star Wars link not working correctly period. Nothing loads in the grey area and the links at the bottom don't work. http://www.waidev1.com/www.aetn.com/...live/index.php If you click on the title in the top left of the page, the text under did you know will change each time you click on it

September 12th, 2004, 09:17 PM	#3
James Emory Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 1,892	Well, it's a wonder that some of our most favorite movies ever got made according to what I saw in this program. George was up against some unbelievable pressure and deadlines. Fox came within a week or so of pulling the plug on production because it was over budget and behind schedule. Can you imagine no Star Wars?

September 12th, 2004, 10:42 PM	#4
Brack Craver Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Blacksburg Virginia Posts: 50	I think a longer version of this documentary is on the new DVD box set.

September 13th, 2004, 12:59 AM	#6
John Hudson Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: 32° 44' N 117° 10' W Posts: 820	I watched this tonight and what a treat it was. Id thought Id 'seen it all' on the Making of the Original (The ones that matter) Trilogy. It was very enjoyable and brought back some nice memories of being a wee-child and also kind of reminded me of why I want to make films.

September 13th, 2004, 06:52 AM	#7
Brack Craver Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Blacksburg Virginia Posts: 50	There came a time when George Lucas lost his way. I think it happened with the introduction of the Ewoks. Others may say it was Phantom Menace. Still others might say it occurred when he decided to screw around with the original trilogy in spite of protests from the fans. I'm not sure Lucas any longer has a clue as to what makes a great movie. Those last two really stunk up the joint! I really wish he would stop going back and redoing the first two and leave them as they were. The stop motion in Empire was awesome. But Lucas is nothing if not a slave to technology. I don't know, the guy just really rubs me the wrong way. You get the feeling the only reason he's making movie nows is to cash in. His last two films struck me as being little more than two really expensive commercials- and lame ones at that.

September 13th, 2004, 07:07 AM	#8
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,800	I hate to say it, but I pretty much agree with all your points Brack. The first Star Wars was an absolute work of genius. The next two were pretty much what one might expect from Hollywood sequels. The recent ones were tough to even sit through. Going back and changing the original movie with digital effects was obscene, and it really makes me sick to hear his justification for it. Thank god Orson Welles didn't see fit to "fix" Citizen Kane. I enjoyed much of that TV special also, but basically it was just a long commercial for the release of the new box set...

September 13th, 2004, 09:42 AM	#10
James Emory Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 1,892	I agree that George really screwed up by adding all that digital effects crap to the originals along with all that followed and so did Spielberg doing the same with the re-release of ET. Those real ships and creatures, even though models, were shot so convincingly that I believed it then and still do now. CG just cannot give the realistic texture, shadows and presence that a real, physical model or puppet can. Who cares if it's a puppet. If it is performed well, it works! To this day, I have not seen any episode beyond Return of the Jedi and don't plan too. The only pleasing thing to look at in the latest films would be Natalie Portman. I think A&E re-aired this thing back to back all night and into the early morning! Everytime I passed the channel since 8 p.m. it was there well until 2 a.m. every hour. Has anyone else had problems with the Star Wars site not loading completely?

September 13th, 2004, 10:35 AM	#11
John Hudson Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: 32° 44' N 117° 10' W Posts: 820	I consider the orignal STAR WARS one of the best films ever made. I was 7 when it came and it spoke to me in a powerful way. EMPIRE I thought was just as good and I enjoyed the Dark spin and low-point ending (Han being frozen ruined my 10 year old arse!). Perhaps I was older when JEDI was released? I was 13. Those EWOKS were some of the most annoying creatures ever put on screen. IT was all just too damn cute for me. By 13 I was relishing in The Thing and The Road Warrior type films. I too think George is a slave to technology and the cash. The CGI work done for the SPECIAL EDITION is horrible. STAR WARS was a serious film and not too cute if you know what I mean, but in the Special Edition you have HAN stepping on a ridiculous looking JABBAS tail, Luke and OBI WAN approaching MOS EISLEY and there are all of these lame things going on in the Town Square (Jawas falling off of dinosaur horses and crap). The new STAR WARS films suck. Period. Too glossy, too cheesy, too much CGI and not enough cool. George hasnt really done ANYTHING cool since the original STAR WARS films and gets way too much credit for RAIDERS (The only real cool INDY film). I wonder how he can from the coolness of THX, American Grafitti and STAR WARS to Howard the Duck and the lameness that is the current STAR WARS? I am looking forward to INDY 4 but predict it will be bad. LAST CRUSADE was horrible (Did you know the original RAIDERS was nominated for BEST PICTURE?) and TEMPLE OF DOOM was average at best. Oh well. Thank god for TARANTINO and INGLORIOUS BASTARDS!

September 13th, 2004, 10:58 AM	#13
George Ellis Trustee Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Suwanee, GA Posts: 1,241	<<<but in the Special Edition you have HAN stepping on a ridiculous looking JABBAS tail,>>> They filmed Jabba in the orginal cut. But, Jabba was a fat human. IIRC, you saw him crying in Return as the keeper of the Rancor at Jabba's palace. Han walked behind Jabba in that scene at Mos Eisley. So, when they added the Hutt as the new alien, they had to clip Han from the scene and 'climb' him over the tail. The only logical thing would be that he stepped on it. Dumb, but to add Jabba back after he changed from human to alien...

September 13th, 2004, 11:05 AM	#14
John Hudson Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: 32° 44' N 117° 10' W Posts: 820	Should have just left that scene out. It didnt work as it was and almost ruins everything with it in.

September 13th, 2004, 11:14 AM	#15
Joshua Starnes Major Player Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 356	I too think George is a slave to technology and the cash. The CGI work done for the SPECIAL EDITION is horrible. STAR WARS was a serious film and not too cute if you know what I mean Well, that's open for debate. However, if you go back and read anything Lucas has ever written about film, or hear him speak about film, or read about the making of his films would realize that he doesn't do anything for cash. If you think that he's made his changes to the original Star Wars out of greed, or he has made the new movies out of greed, you have seriously misjudged his character. I don't where that rumor about Lucas taking editorial away from Kershner comes from. There never was a Kershner cut. Once principal photography was over, he really never had anything else to do with Empire - something he knew was going to happen going in. Lucas was in charge of editorial on Empire from the get go, just as he was for all of the Star Wars films. He has often said that he considers editorial the place where films are created and it is his favorite part of the filmmaking process.