Several years ago in a review on TheDigitalBits, Wallace Shawn was erroniously referred to as "the late Wallace Shawn."

People are still busting their balls over it, and it's sort of become a running gag whenever The 'Bits runs something questionable.

You've been around here entirely too long . . .

To be fair, the actor who played Jabba in ep. 4 was always considered a stand-in. It has been well-documented that it was always intended to replace him with a special effect. I can't remember if it was for reasons of time, or budget (or both) that the effect never got laid in, so with no "alien" Jabba, Lucas scrapped the scene.

I thankfully own the original versions on LD and I've already copied them all to DVD-R.

I will be interested to see his new, new versions of the original trilogy, but I doubt I'm going to pay money for this set. I'm been nothing but disapointed with the new trilogy so far and I don't know if I want the original trilogy changed to match it.

I still don't understand why Lucas doesn't cash in and release the Original non-SE trilogy as a barebones set and then release the SE trilogy as a loaded set after the release of Episode 3 (or a rerelease of the SE's in the theaters.

I think we wil see something to this effect. The demand for the original theatrical OT films is definitely there for Lucasfilm to cash in on. The SE's are unfairly bashed by whining fanboys IMHO. There are 2 or three changes that are bad but for the most part I like the SE's better.

I will be happy with the SE's, even happier with both SE's and Theatricals, and I would be excited to see an even newer cut with ne SFX.

Because Lucas doesn't like the Originals as much as he does the Special Editions.

It's really that simple. You all may think about it differently, but ultimately it's up to Lucas, since they are his movies.

If this does indeed happen, we're at the halfway point for me to give up my reluctance and buy this rumored "Superty-Duper Edition with New Improved Continuity." Tell me the original music number at Jabba's Palace is back in, and I'm sold.

What would lead you to expect that WETA would be out of business? Aside from the HUGE projects they will continue to have with Jackson (King Kong) they've branched out to doing other GOOD films (Master and Commander).

ILM seems to take any job it can get, and the quality have been lacking IMO on a lot of their latest: Hulk, Star Wars prequels.

Lapti Nek!

This was my least favorite change in the special editions as well. Lapti Nek had such a foreign/alien feel to it, but the new number just sounded like bad bar rock.

Luca$
i wul buy anything star wars george lucas can empt my bank account as long as i have star wars and star wars accesories i will be pleased even if i end up homeless i will have my star wars ot dvd.

Give me a break. How anyone can say that AOTC has bad SFX is an obvious Lucas basher. Go back to worshipping the Warchow- er- Jackson, your savior. Sheesh.

It depends upon your definition of what "good SFX" is. IMO, if you can tell that SFX are being used, then they aren't very good.

In ATOC, the SFX in many spots were too fluid, too fast to be believable. Most of the film looked more like a hi-tech Playstation 2 videogame than a live-action film. If it were all animated (including all of the characters) then it would've been an improvement since it would've all fit together seamlessly.

By the way, all of these so-called changes discussed in this thread have been completely debunked by both Moriarty and Lucas himself. Lucas is incredibly busy with Episode III, and they don't have any time whatsoever to make any of those changes. So calm down.

That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard in my life. Almost every movie made today, you can tell CGI is used because there is so much of it. I can tell with LOTR, Star Wars, Spider-Man, X-Men 2, and every other film made. I can watch LOTR and see it all throughout the movie. That doesn't make the FX bad. The FX work in the Star Wars prequels is absolutely incredible, and deservedly received Oscar nominations, as well as a ton of other awards and noms.

ILM is the best...period!

QuiGonJosh - you misspelled "to" in your signature.

The closer we get to a release of these films the less I seem to care.

I'm not a huge Star Wars fan but I certainly enjoyed the original films.

I wonder if anybody working for Lucas has ever spoken up and said he's gone too far? I'm sure they would of been fired but at what point does someone buckle and just stand up to a man that is ruining his film but constantly messing with them. To a point I understand it's vision and he has every right.....I felt that way before reading this thread. I'm not sure what to think now. I'll probably buy that but I will never enjoy them as much as my original VHS tapes. How sad is that? Geez!

You're Fired! Get out!

I think its the over use of SFX that is the ruin of the new trilogy. AOTC was more of a Pixar film than a motion picture.

Well actually Pixar would have had a better script so maybe thats not acurate.

I am not sure how well this is really documented, other than Lucas stating in a documentary that the actor was a “stand-in.”

Despite Lucas’ comment, I do not believe for a second that the scene, as it was originally filmed, was to have special effects work laid into it. Consider the following:

The actor playing Jabba was in costume. Additionally, it was difficult enough for CGI artists in the 90s to render Jabba in the scene; especially considering that Harrison Ford walks around Jabba. So I ask, just how were they planning to pull this off in the 1970s?

If they had really filmed that scene with the intent to insert a creature effect, then it would have made a hell of a lot more sense to have Ford play to no one, given special effects technology of the 70s. Plus, I would think that Ford would/should have been instructed not to walk around the character (even if no one was there to play Jabba).

I do not mean to necessarily accuse Lucas of lying, and perhaps he simply misspoke. He may have decided that since he wanted Jabba to be a creature, he would not include the original scene. But you cannot convince me that the scene as originally filmed was to be used in the 70s for a special effects shot.

What!?!?!

Lucas very clearly explained (i.e., did not just "state" . . . did not "misspeak" . . .) that the actor was a stand in, but the scene did not get developed because of time, money, and lack of an ability to effectively add in a different Jabba technically (note: at that time, the planned Jabba was not going to look like the eventual one . . . he was going to be more humanoid). Even if he had misspoken, they would have caught that before releasing the interview on the SE. More than anything, I'm wondering what you think Lucas could possibly gain from making this up, anyway???

It's only my opinion, which obviously is very important to you since it seems to have offended you so much. The FX in AOTC looked horribly fake. And no, don't give me that "well yeah, how do you make lasers and robots look real?" excuse. Matrix Revolutions had way more believeable effects on similarly implausible subjects, even though it was a horrible movie.

Don't attack me because you're a sheep to anything Lucas Qui Gon Jim

Re: An earlier discussion on this thread, about how the redone OT would force us to watch it in Episode Order (I-VI), instead of Theatrical Release Order (IV-VI--I-III).

Regardless of any changes, my plan was always as follows, and I think you may be tempted to give it a try when all 6 movies are officially available on DVD:

IV: Naturally. In Media Res is a great way to begin an epic story, just read Homer or Vergil some time.

V: Leia makes out with Luke. At this point, if you've never seen Jedi, it's not gross. Yoda says "there is another." And the ending: Major twist. The bad guy is the hero's father? How is this possible?!

I: Here's how. You see, Anakin Skywalker was once a little kid with a mom, and a homemade droid, and the life of a slave. Then one day, a Jedi came and took him away from it all, changing his life forever. That Jedi would die later that week, leaving the care of the kid to a younger, less-experienced Jedi, whom we've met in Episode IV, so we know he survives the prequels, at least. And we see Yoda before he went a little batty from his self-imposed exile. And a senator from Naboo (where?) becomes Supreme Chancellor of the Galaxy. But the chapter ends with Anakin and Padme smiling at each other, a budding romance...

II: That doesn't resolve itself until ten years later? Okay, whatever. Anakin shows his dark side here, no question. The Chancellor sends troops and Jedi alike into battle with separatists, causing what one could call a Galactic Civil War. Anakin begins his descent into cyborgdom, and gets married, which would naturally lead to...

III: Padme's pregnancy, Anakin's ulimate turn into Vader, and the Chancellor's rise to Emperor. At some point, Padme gives birth... to TWINS?

You see, this way there's an added twist ending we've all ignored.

VI: The twins learn the truth about their family, Anakin Skywalker redeems himself by taking out the Emperor, and the Empire falls with him. Shiny Happy Jedi Ghosts (although fewer Jedi than we may have been expecting, but hey, they may change that) close our 6-part story.

Yes, I know the events above would not have been possible without the help of Han Solo, Chewbacca, R2-D2, C-3PO, Lando Calrissian, Jabba the Hutt, etc., but this is the story of Anakin Skywalker, first and foremost. It begins with him at his evil prime, and is shown in a sort of flashback to demonstrate how anyone can spiral into evil. After that, though, it is possible for anyone to be redeemed.

I like the message that sends.

Thoughts?

Do excuse my ramblings, I've not been well.

Back on my meds, which is true now,

CS

O.K. then… Can you explain to me what technique they were going to use in order to insert “furry” Jabba over the pre-existing actor? And, can you explain how they were to execute said technique given that Ford walks around Jabba?

If the original scene was filmed as a “setup” scene, and they planned to reshoot it with the Jabba actor absent, then I can buy that scenario. But it has yet to have been explained how Lucas could accomplish an effect shot in the 70s using the scene with the actor. I know of no technique that could have been used at the time to pull it off, given how the scene was filmed.

As previously stated, if that scene was truly to have had a creature effect inserted, then it should have been planned, laid out, and filmed differently than it was. Hence, I question Lucas’ claims regarding the scene.

Um, I think this is where the "lack of an ability to effectively add in a different Jabba technically" statement comes into play. Lucas filmed a scene that could not be used by the SPFX crew, so it was scrapped. He may have thought he could just superimpose or rotoscope something over the actor, but it just wouldn't work.

So, just to make everyone on this board delirously happy, Lucas screwed up big time in regards to this scene.