Holy $#!+: they fixed the saber clash (ROTJ Blu-Ray)

[Aniron]

From the same article:

Once again, George has apparently added a few new "surprises" into these films. I don't know what they are and didn't get to see any of them on Friday, but I was assured that there will be "new things to notice" when we watch the films. I think we can safely assume that one of them will be the new all-digital Yoda in Episode I. Way back when Episode III was released on DVD, ILM digital effects supervisor Pablo Helman confirmed to me that the puppet Yoda in Episode I was replaced with a digital version to better match his appearance in Episodes II and III. In fact, the Episode III DVD extras includes a clip of the Episode I digital Yoda. However, this Blu-ray set is really the first opportunity we'll have to see it in full. What the other changes to these films may be, I have no idea, but I suspect there will be no lack of blog posts on this very subject within hours of the first discs becoming available to fans.

[Darth Tedious]

I think that answers the saber clash question pretty conclusively.

And they fixed the wampa's arm!

I wonder if this also means there'll be no more visible black gaffer tape on that Stormtrooper...

[Panzersharkcat]

Same about the duct tape on that... thingy Vader sliced away just before lopping off Luke's hand.

[Aniron]

I had to reupload the images.

[Havok]

Ha! Dumbfucks. They still didn't fix the most glarring fuckup in that shot.

[StarSword]

Ha! Dumbfucks. They still didn't fix the most glarring fuckup in that shot.

Harrison Ford said it better than I ever could:

Are you trying to develop a sense of humor or am I going deaf?"

Blind, actually. In any case, what are you talking about?

[Havok]

Look at it closely. Try to remember what is going on in that scene.

[Stark]

Whose blade is on top?

[StarSword]

*stares*

*facepalm*

Damn, you're right, at least about the original. I can't tell whose blade is on top in the fixed version.

[Darth Tedious]

Better watch the scene again, guys. You see him swing in the preceding shot. Luke is right handed, swinging from right to left, towards Vader. Had he swung at Palpatine, Vader would not have been in a postion to block him.

Unless you're contending that the whole choreography of the scene was incorrect, but that's another matter...

[Havok]

Uh... No. Luke is standing directly in front of Palpatine, Palpatine is goading him to strike at him. This is exactly what Luke does. Luke swings from right to left as you said, and if he connects, Palpatine is headless. The block is impossible, and the way they leave it lingering, Luke would simply have to flick his wrist towards Palpatine to end the movie.

It's a fuck up all around, choreography and effects wise, but they could have alleviated some of it by simply placing Vader's blade BETWEEN Luke's and Palpatine. Nope.

But he is NOT fucking swinging to attack Vader.

[Stofsk]

It's a nice image though, one of the finest in the OT.

[Darth Tedious]

Uh... No. Luke is standing directly in front of Palpatine, Palpatine is goading him to strike at him. This is exactly what Luke does. Luke swings from right to left as you said, and if he connects, Palpatine is headless. The block is impossible, and the way they leave it lingering, Luke would simply have to flick his wrist towards Palpatine to end the movie.

I agree, had Luke swung backhanded and Vader's saber been in between his and Palpy, the shot might have worked.

It's a fuck up all around, choreography and effects wise, but they could have alleviated some of it by simply placing Vader's blade BETWEEN Luke's and Palpatine. Nope.

And yeah, the fuckup is actually more in the choreography than in the effects (which essentially follow the choreography).

But he is NOT fucking swinging to attack Vader.

Luke should have been swinging at Palpy and not Vader, but it is the only way to reconcile what we see into any kind of sense.
And even then, for the shot to work, Palpy would have had to spin his chair about 45 degrees to his right as Luke swung at him.

It's a nice image though, one of the finest in the OT.

Indeed. Had they planned the rest of the scene around it a little better, we wouldn't be picking on it so much.

[Darth Tedious]

While it would have been more realistic, it certainly wouldn't have looked as cool if they'd done it like it this:

The Emperor smiled. 'Good. I can feel your anger. I am defenseless - take your weapon. Strike me down with all of your hatred, and your journey toward the dark side will be complete.' He laughed, and laughed.

Luke was able to resist no longer. The lightsaber rattled violently on the throne a moment, then flew into his hand, impelled by the Force. He ignited it a moment later and swung it with his full weight downward toward the Emperor's skull.

In that instant, Vader's blade flashed into view, parrying Luke's attack an inch above the Emperor's head. Sparks flew like forging steel, bathing Palpatine's grinning face in a hellish glare.

Luke jumped back, and turned, lightsaber upraised, to face his father. Vader extended his own blade, poised to do battle.

The Emperor sighed with pleasure and sat in his throne, facing the combatants - the sole audience to this dire, aggrieved contest.

[Elfdart]

Funny, I always thought Luke was swinging down at the Emperor, and Vader blocked it.

[Darth Tedious]

Funny, I always thought Luke was swinging down at the Emperor, and Vader blocked it.

At least you were consistant with the novelisation! Between the rest of us and the original scene, fuck knows what what supposed to have happened.

[Aniron]

CGI Yoda in Phantom Menace:

[Jim Raynor]

That Yoda change is a good one. The puppet used in TPM sticks out like a sore thumb next to the Yoda portrayed in every other movie, original trilogy or prequel.

Today on YouTube, I saw someone saying himself that the original puppet Yoda used in TPM looked worse than the CGI Yoda in AOTC/ROTS, as well as this new Blu-Ray replacement. But in the next sentence, he went on to say that puppets were used in the majority of SW films before, so "fuck CGI" because "old school" production methods were the way to go. On another site, I saw people bitching about the Wampa edit in TESB, where Lucas finally covered up the puppeteer's pole. Because HOW DARE he go back and change things.

So many SW fans seem to treat the original movies like the Bible. It's the holy word of God to them, and it's heretical to even think of editing it (never mind the fact that the old SW movies have been edited before). I'm not a filmmaker but I have put a few videos on YouTube, and written some essays and fiction. I can't even look at some of the stuff that I've produced, even work that has gotten a lot of praise and which I'm genuinely proud of. Because all the typos, grammatical errors, and minor editing mistakes are so glaring to me now after repeat viewings. I go back, and edit my own stuff all the time. I like the fact that Lucas cares enough to go back and correct mistakes, even if some of his changes aren't always for the better.

[Aniron]

So many SW fans seem to treat the original movies like the Bible. It's the holy word of God to them, and it's heretical to even think of editing it (never mind the fact that the old SW movies have been edited before). I'm not a filmmaker but I have put a few videos on YouTube, and written some essays and fiction. I can't even look at some of the stuff that I've produced, even work that has gotten a lot of praise and which I'm genuinely proud of. Because all the typos, grammatical errors, and minor editing mistakes are so glaring to me now after repeat viewings. I go back, and edit my own stuff all the time. I like the fact that Lucas cares enough to go back and correct mistakes, even if some of his changes aren't always for the better.

I haven't even seen the original unaltered trilogy and I have no desire to. My first exposure to Star Wars was from the 2004 DVD release and it was a great one. I like the correction of mistakes too, and there are some hilarious ones.

[StarSword]

Quick question sparked by Aniron's post: how many mass-market OT releases are we up to now? Four that I know of: VHS (which was the original theatrical version, right?), Special Edition VHS, '04 DVDs, '11 Blu-ray. Did I miss any?

[Aniron]

I like the correction of mistakes too, and there are some hilarious ones.

Here is a funny one.

Before: http://www.starwars.com/news/saga_blura ... ore_bg.jpg

After: http://www.starwars.com/news/saga_blura ... ter_bg.jpg

Here is more info on the restoration, with before and after images, including Luke's lightsaber now being blue.

[Elfdart]

That Yoda change is a good one. The puppet used in TPM sticks out like a sore thumb next to the Yoda portrayed in every other movie, original trilogy or prequel.

Today on YouTube, I saw someone saying himself that the original puppet Yoda used in TPM looked worse than the CGI Yoda in AOTC/ROTS, as well as this new Blu-Ray replacement. But in the next sentence, he went on to say that puppets were used in the majority of SW films before, so "fuck CGI" because "old school" production methods were the way to go. On another site, I saw people bitching about the Wampa edit in TESB, where Lucas finally covered up the puppeteer's pole. Because HOW DARE he go back and change things.

That's nothing compared to the fucktards in the IMDB forums who think erasing matte lines somehow ruins the movies!

In one thread about Red Tails, even though someone explains patiently that there's no way to use real aircraft in the dogfights, there are still a bunch of fuckwits (if they were a little smarter and applied themselves they might qualify as trolls) whining that the film uses CGI.

[Vympel]

The Yoda puppet in TPM was just wrong. Whoever made it just didn't do a great job, which is why it looks nothing like the OT Yoda puppet.

Amusingly, they used this puppet as a placeholder for Yoda in AotC and RotS (for the actors to have something to look at) but apparently it was counterproductive, because the thing was improperly stored and decayed somewhat in storage, making it look absolutely hilarious. I can't remembe which actor it was, but they simply couldn't get through their lines without laughing their asses off.

[Aniron]

More things, if accurate, that have pissed off fanboys.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" Injected into RotJ:



Altered Obi-Wan scream in ANH:




To even trust a source that just put in "leaked" audio is a lapse in judgment.

[Vympel]

Yeah, I don't buy it.

(please, god, no)