not exactly, he's playin a kenobi that passed thorught a lot of thrauma and war and got over it BASICALLY A VETERAN, prequels is a way more relaxed, funny and sarcastic that was more loyal and obedient soldier
@@brandonleon4068AG did not know as GL had not done any of the background of OWK when they filmed ANH in fact it wasn't even titled, it was just SW. AG got some info from GL but nothing like was eventually done after SW became what we know now.
Nope, thats no CGI, thats a minature with incredible green/blue screen tech and fireworks. You have taken your first steps into a world of visual effects.
Exactly what I was going to say. I see a few reactions with this same idea of computers being massively powerful since the end of flower power, or old cars being electronic rather than mechanical 🤷🏻♂️ To see the most advanced cgi in movies of that era you'd probably need to see Tron I saw the new version of Ep 4 when it came out, and wasn't impressed with most of it, partly because it looks too contrasty and rushed. They should have spent the time on the death star attack at the end: improved its surface and the explosions of the fighters
@@richardfrancis701 The problem is that this film has been altered twice since it's 1977 release, and added CGI in a few scenes not to mention. The Dewbacks that the stormtroopers are riding when they find the empty escape pod on tatooine were added as was the scene where the creature rears as they enter Mos Eisley. I would love to be able to see the film as it was originally released in 1977 and compare the other 2 modifications. As for the 1977 release, it was all model work and Lucasfilm had to come up with new techniques to make the action more dynamic.
@@MsOpportunity68 I like the addition of the dewbacks, the Mos Eisley stuff not so much, and definitely not the landspeeder ride into Mos Eisley which looks almost 2D. My parents have the original trilogy on VHS and will also have recorded them from the TV before that (a couple of shots of the Wampa in ESB must have been censored - eating, and clutching its dismembered shoulder) which I'd have watched dozens of times, but haven't seen them since the early 90s.
@@richardfrancis701Tron ? TRON ??? THE LAST STARFIGHTER ! The Very First Film to feature CGI, from an IBM 3 WITHOUT A Single Computer Graphics program existing in the world yet ! So, Every Single Effect had to be Programmed IN RAW CODE. “You’re saying it’s us, one starfighter, against an entire fleet ?!? IT’LL BE A MASSACRE !” “THAT’S THE SPIRIT !!!”
@@snarflcat6187 you're right, totally forgot about that, and have been wanting to get it on Blu-ray too. I forgot it was from the first half of the 80s; I didn't see it until, maybe, 87
You just can't imagine what it was like, sat in a darkened cinema, surrounded by other people who were so amped with anticipation, but also with no idea what we were going to see! There was no internet back then, so you couldn't go and watch previews or read reviews - the only things we had to go on were a few grainy black-and-white stills of C-3PO and R2D2 standing in a desert, A menacing guy in a black helmet, some things blowing up and a rough description of the story.... but we all knew we had to see it. That opening orchestral stab, the crawl text, and then the little ship going overhead, followed by that monstrous ship that kept going and going, unbelievably huge... every single person there, stunned, with their mouths open.... and that was it - from then, we were along for the ride! The world changed, and your life was now split in two - before and after Star Wars. And we went again and again and again, as there was just so much detail to take in. There's been nothing like it since. And yes, they actually built all the sets, the ships, the buildings - CGI wasn't up to the job back then. There's an interesting story of how they made that initial opening scene - they didn't get it right till the very last minute! Welcome to Star Wars!
I can remember a news story (I think it was done by our local station but maybe not) of interviewing people at the theater after it had been out for awhile, asking how many times they had come to the theater to see the movie. Kids and adults were saying 5, 9, 14 times. Of course I don't think management always kicked you out between showings if it wasn't sold out, so you could watch it two or three times in one day on one ticket purchase. Seems I remember staying to watch not the whole movie featured, but the cartoon before hand that played, again. I think the movie was "What's up Doc", but we stayed to rewatch the Winnie the Pooh cartoon that played too. Then left after it finished.
I saw it for my 9th birthday in 1977. It was life changing. I count myself very lucky to have been born when I was. No SW film since has come close, especially not the prequels. I really liked TLJ, by the way.
In 1977 I was 22 and tending bar, so I usually rolled out of bed around noon. One Wednesday towards the end of May I was off and checked the paper to see what movies were showing. Yes, back then you looked at the theater ads in the paper for movie times. I saw that some movie called Star Wars was opening that day. Hadn't heard anything about it, but it sounded like science fiction, which I liked. So I decided to check it out. When you bought your ticket they were giving everyone a blue button that said "May the Force be with you". Maybe 20 or so people at the matinee. I was mesmerized from the beginning. When the Millennium Falcon made its first jump to light speed, everyone in the theater said "Whoa!" together. On the way home I was thinking that a new bar had been set for all movies to come. A week later there were lines around the block. I still have that blue button.
@@edwardjacklewis I heard it was good, so I got my dad to take me to see it. 10 years old. Yeah, I watched it a few more times in the cinema. 20 or so. sit through 3 showings. Mom didn't mind. Cheaper than babysitting & I could walk home. Never repeated the feat. Maybe 4x for Raiders.
There was no "Computer Generated Imagery" in the mid 70's. All of the spaceships, battles, blasters, holograms, and light sabers were created with practical effects and film tricks. The goofy CGI creatures were added decades after the fact for this 90's re-release version. When the scene with Han and Jabba was filmed, Jabba was human, and Han just walked across behind him. But the scene was cut, so we never saw Jabba in the movie. He appeared in a later movie as the giant slug. And when the original movie was adulterated with terrible CGI, they re-added the scene, replacing the original actor with the slug creature, and used that jankey displacement to have Han walk over his tail. EDIT: In the 70s, computers were _capable_ of generating wire-frame graphics, given enough time and money. But as far as I know, the Rebel briefing room displays, the various ships' targeting systems, the photon torpedoes, etc., were all hand drawn animations overlaid onto practical sets, props, and miniatures (just like live action and stop motion footage were overlaid for Leia's message to Kenobi and the chess pieces). As for the creatures added decades later, I'm not so much interested in how they compared to contemporary CGI, as I am in whether they help or hurt their scene. Watch a handful of reaction videos. Viewers will often comment that one of these creatures doesn’t look so bad for 70's CGI. In other words, it jumps out at them as CGI (in contrast to most creatures in the movie), and specifically *_bad_* CGI (they just don't realize it's not from the 70's).
Well, this IS back in 1997, so I don't know about TERRIBLE. Probably could have been better even by those standards, but, BY those standards, I wouldn't say TERRIBLE.
39:15 In 1977 this was just Star Wars, with no subtitle or episode number. At this time, Vader was not Anakin, Luke and Leia were not siblings, and the Emperor had no name or backstory. All of that would be added into the saga later. When Obi-Wan says "Vader betrayed and murdered your father," it was meant to be literally true. Certainly none of the prequel story had been conceived yet.
To add to this, Lucas had a whole story that he chopped up to make the first Star Wars movie. Any scenes left out due to budget were added into subsequent movies, but at this point he didn't even conceive of Vader being Luke's father. He decided the concept of Anakin's story would be fun to get to, so he changed Star Wars into Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. So yes, Lucas did have a whole story planned out, but we never got to see it because Lucas kept changing it as new ideas came to mind.
I have a book that was published in 1979 called The Fantasy Almanac and the entry for Darth Vader specifically names him as Anakin Skywalker, and talks about the volcanic pit he fought Kenobi in, _and posits that Darth is Luke's father._ This was a year before Empire came out. Still have the book. But that means the basics of the story were already leaked (I remember hearing bits and pieces as a young boy, even the rumor that it was going to be nine films was already a thing) even though they hadn't been fleshed out in the movies yet. Btw, I checked the copyright page of my book, it's a second printing, so most likely printed before Empire (1980).
Again one who is misinformed. I KNOW it was called Starwars Episode IV A New hope in 1977. On realise. Because that's when I saw it it he first time. On release. In 1977. With with a poster that said: Starwsrs.Episode IV. A new hope. What you and other say is simply not true.
The version she's watching is the revised version, not the original, and she's right about how bad the Jabba scene was, which wasn't in the original, and didn't really need to be added. The stepping on Jabba's tail is so ridiculous.
What is really ridiculous about the tail walking thing is that it was done for gimmickry's sake and not for any practical reason. Because, in reality if somebody like Han was worried about Jabba having a bounty on his head and he was trying to get in his good graces, he wouldn't be pissing him off by walking on him.
@@loganmaximus2160Actually, it was done because they couldn’t figure out any other way to get Han to walk behind a CGI Jabba. The scene was filmed with a human stand-in, but Lucas didn’t have the money to insert a stop-motion Jabba in place of the actor. Once CGI was available, George decided to add the scene back in. The trouble- they didn’t know what Jabba would look like when they filmed this and got stuck with a big slug with a tail. They shrunk him a little so Han could look him in the eye, but the tail walk was just about their only way to complete the scene.
One of the sad thing about the trilogy DVD set from the early 2000s is that in the commentaries, George keeps bemoaning about how much better this or that effect would've been "if done digitally." Yet all of the digital tinkering he did with the trilogy with the intention of "modernizing" it now stands out like a sore thumb, especially the hideously awful musical number in Jabba's palace, while the great practical effects only look better and better. (The bloated Jabba himself should never be seen walking around -- like Paulie in "Goodfellas", he doesn't have to move for anybody.) And the fact that Lucas slathered so much silly digital nonsense into the scene with Luke and Obi-Wan arriving in Mos Eisley seriously undercuts the joyously jump-cut into the alien-filled cantina sequence.
I'm 71 years old now. When I saw this movie for the first time in 1977 I was blown away. As a kid I was a fan of old sci fi books and this movie was those books made real for me. Another amazing thing was that at each of the 4 times I saw it at the end the crowd gave it a standing ovation and cheered.
What makes Sir Alec Guinness' portrayal of Obi-Wan so good is watching the scene in his hut you get that sense of the history of the prequels and everything that's transpired. Keep in mind, none of that was written yet. This is all in Alec's performance.
I don't know all of the details, but to answer your question of why everyone keeps pronouncing Leia's name weirdly: Basically, George Lucas let all the actors say the names however they felt was natural, in order to make the world seem more full, having different accents and ways of speaking to imply that all the characters come from their own backstory in different places in the galaxy. At least, that's what I've heard.
It also has a lot to do with the mix of English and American actors. Carrie Fisher had lived and studied in England at the time and was said to have been intimidated playing opposite veteran actor like Peter Cushing and seems to affect a British accent in episode IV as well. The pronunciation of Han and Alderaan also varies.
the older I get (51) the more i appreciate the different pronunciations. I've travelled to 4 of the 5 continents and they pronounce MY name differently in Japan, Uganda, Trinidad, or Venezuela. Different regions ("it's regional," is George Lucas's response to different pronunciations) enunciate different syllables in different orders. For instance, in Uganda, the speak the last half of a word slower and the first half quicker, so "William" sounds like Wil-LEEEEYAAAM," but in Japan the whole word is shorter and brusque, like "Wyim." When you hear words pronounced SLIGHTLY differently, you get a real sense of being SOMEWHERE ELSE than home. It's a nice touch, in addition to the wear and tear he puts on all the set pieces.
3PO saying "prin-CESS" instead of the American way to pronounce princess got child me to start saying it the British way decades ago, and I've never stopped.
@@BecauseBecaBeBeca Harrison Ford was in one of George Lucas' first films called 'American Graffiti' (1973), which is a big reason why he was chosen for this role.
@@libertyresearch-iu4fy George had auditioned many others and in fact HF was used in those auditions as a reader as HF was there initially working on lightning and sets. Finally GL decided to offer the role to HF. HF after ANH didn't want to commit to both sequels as MH and CF did. That is why Han's fate was open in the end of ESB and Lando was part in the end was teaming with Chewie... Obviously HF decided to do ROTJ. 😊
@@raybernal6829 As one of the two most recognizable characters Harrison Ford ever played for whatever reason he didn't like playing Han and wanted him dead in ESB. Apparently he only agreed to do The Force Awakens if they killed Han.
The genius of Alec Guinness is to portray the history of Annakin's back story before that history existed. Watching it now, it totally fits. You can almost imagine Ob-Wan trying to explain it without giving anything away.
@@bigstevie1690 He had a long story called The Star Wars planned but what we got here is very different. He didn't have anything major planned about Luke's father. Certainly not that he was Darth Vader.
@@bigstevie1690 No. Lucas had a 12 part story outline, that became his 6 movies. Some material was completely cut, but extensive background was created for I-II-III before 1977. And VII-VIII-IX was supposed to be Luke searching for his sister, training her, and only in the 9th movie Palpatine is defeated by her. Not Luke. Still, Lucas did not tell anything to Alec Guiness about the Obi-wan / Anakin back story, as that was not developed yet. Sir Alec Guinness did this on his own. Pure genious.
@@fixipszikon6670that’s not correct. He had nothing beyond this first movie planned out before this movie. That’s why it was not called episode 4 until years later when it was a success and then Lucas began to outline 1,2, and 3.
In case no one else mentioned it in the original release in the cantina scene with Greedo, Han shot first...they didn't shoot simultaneously. That was altered much later, about the time as I recall, that it was released on DVD. That was also when the scene with Jabba the Hutt was added. Jabba was only mentioned and not seen in the original release. Another scene that was added was when the Stormtroopers first landed on Tatooine and you can see the troopers riding on the kind of lizard creatures in the background. That was also not in the original 1970s theatrical release.
When the original Star Wars was made in 1977, George Lucas hadn't decided the Anakin Skywalker was Darth Vader and hadn't decided that Luke and Leia were siblings. That was decided in Empire and Jedi respectively.
@@acecombatter6620 Yes, it is. In the first draft of the script there was a character named Darth Vader that had nothing to do with the protagonist and wasn't even a Force user. Lucas later gave that name to the main villain in the third draft, so he just liked the name.
Lucas wrote the whole trilogy as one story with one death star being destroyed at the end. When they got serious about making it, he saw it was too long so he cut it down and destroyed the death star much earlier.
Yup. The PT are basically interpretive dance choreography. The OT, especially "Star Wars" was done in the style of Kurosawa and Samurai style of fighting. All of the Lightsaber duels in the OT had deeper emotional meaning as well.
@@sandman_says_runrunner4701 Bob Anderson used a rather outdated view on bastard-sword techniques for Empire and Return, which isn't a surprise given his fencing and stage-fighting background and the lack of research back then (which really began to take off in the early 90's) although he did well with the better known rennaissance styles in other films. The Samurai stuff came from George's vision in terms of intensity between combatants and making conflict about the characters, not the winners.
And remembeer these are light sabres, which are probably way lighter than swords with metal blades and so bounce off each other more forcefully, thus one false move and it will easily travel through your own body.
if sabers were used IRL, everyone would fence. All you have to to is get them with the tip, and fencing is how you do so most efficiently. ALL the fights in the films, ALL the fights in ALL the shows are stupid. But cool.
The weird edit you noticed when Han walked behind Jabba and he moved up and down was intentional. It's supposed to look like he stepped on and over Jabba's tail, so that's why he moves up and down like that. That whole scene was actually cut from the original movie. They originally used a live human actor to play Jabba and George didn't like it. When George later went through his re-edting and redoing scenes phase, he added that one back in with a CGI Jabba superimposed over the human actor, and that's when he decided to do the weird edit/tail thing.
If you want to see some acting range from Alec Guinness in a comedy movie, please watch Kind Hearts and Coronets. He is wonderful in lots of movies, and as an older actor in the TV series "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" and "Smiley's People".
George Lucas re-released the movies in 1997, 2004 and 2011 with additional CGI. The only CGI in 1977 were the death star plans in the mission briefing before the attack. So that was the level of CGI which was possible back then. Everything else was made practical in the 1977 release. There are comparission videos between the different versions of the movie on youtube. In Episode VI (released 1983) there is a hologram in another mission briefing. So when you watch that movie, you will see what huge steps CGI made during the only 6 years between 1977 and 1983.
Well stated - when I first heard her say they definitely had CGI in the 70s, I realized how difficult it'd be to say, "Yes, but not like you're imagining," in a way that was comprehensive. Also worth noting that there wasn't a ton of money spent on the production of this film. The budget was 11 million dollars, which is roughly equivalent to $55 million today.
when they're shooting at the tie fighters from the Millennium Falcon, the tactical display on the guns are CGI, and so are the tactical displays (wireframe graphics) on the targeting computers when they're flying into the death star. 🙂
The lightsaber fights are different in this movie because they are modeled after the slower, more deliberate Samurai sword fights. Lucas took a lot of inspiration from the classic films by Akira Kurosawa. I'd highly recommend the documentary on the making of this trilogy called Empire of Dreams (it's on Disney+).
They also had a lot of issues to work around. They also couldn’t send the actors on a 6 month training camp like for the prequels. David Prowse had never held a sword, and while Alec Guiness had, he was used to rapiers, and was old. The sabers themselves also broke really, really easily, so they couldn’t really whack them together.
This was FASCINATING to watch... especially for an Oldy McOldface like me who vividly remembers seeing this in 1977! On one hand, she's very observant of little details in the performances / acting, editing & pacing, and special effects. She's spot on with many of her comments with what looked good/bad, cast chemistry, etc. On the other hand, she's (understandably) oblivious to just how NEW and ORIGINAL and GROUNDBREAKING and just plain DIFFERENT and UNIQUE this movie was in the context of movies in the mid 1970s. When this first Star Wars film was released, popular culture at that time had nothing to compare it to. There was no Star Wars "universe" or "franchise" to place it in... nobody was thinking of it as the first chapter in a series- the "Episode IV: A New Hope" title card was not in the original release... it was added for the 1981 re-release. The actors in this movie didn't know their characters' full backstories- because they hadn't been written yet! Not only was there no existing Star Wars franchise to give this movie context in 1977... the whole concept of a movie "franchise" with multiple sequels and recurring characters wasn't even really a thing yet, except for James Bond and Godzilla. And even those two were mostly just a series of standalone stories. Star Wars created the whole genre of blockbuster movie franchises. My favorite part(s) of this video are... 1. When she compliments Hamill on his acting skill. He was initially criticized for having the weakest acting chops in the core cast, but I think his enthusiasm served the character well. 2. When she caught herself hating on the Lightsaber duel, then slowly realized that she was comparing it to a ton of other Lightsaber scenes that were created long after this first one. For the first 4 years of the Star Wars "universe" this was the ONLY Lightsaber fight we had to obsess over! So for us oldies, it is iconic. Each Lightsaber duel that came after it had to "out-do" the ones before it, so at this point they are almost comically "epic" in comparison to this first one. 3. How she repeatedly compliments how good the "CGI" is in this movie... not realizing none of those scenes had actual CGI. But the one special effects scene she calls out for looking bad happens to be the one CGI scene in the movie that was added 20 years later (Jabba). This feels like confirmation for those of us who prefer the original 1977 version over this "Special Edition" and its distracting additions. Based on what she liked about this- her appreciation of deliberate pacing, editing and acting... I think she's gonna love ESB. Can't wait to watch her react to that classic! And after she finishes the original trilogy, I'd recommend watching the documentaries Empire of Dreams and Light & Magic... they are fascinating.
I agree, especially regarding her watching ESB, Darth Vader at his most ruthless. Empire Strikes Back is the very best Star Wars movie of them all (in my personal opinion), but still needed the ground breaking Star Wars (77) to set it up. The 77 theatrical release brought swashbuckling romance, adventure, and fun to science-fiction/fantasy that wasn't present in sci-fi movies prior to it (except perhaps a couple of scenes in "Forbidden Planet"). I couldn't believe how quickly that movie went; it seems funny to think she feels this movie's pace is slow, maybe it is, in comparison to current film offerings, but back then it was all over all too soon. Another point she made, that I find interesting, is that they built up the characters so that we'd feel for them (have an affinity with who they were), even after all this time has passed I clearly recall the characters' names, I can't say the same for many/any of the characters names from many recent movies. We don't have any feeling/empathy for them. Name one character from "Avatar" for instance (without "Googling" it!), yet even "minor" part players in "Star Wars" even the likes of Uncle Owen, and Aunt Beru are easily recalled decades later (by the way, I only saw the theatrical releases once each, until the release of the special edition VHS tapes, and even then I only saw each film maybe twice more). No such caring, empathy, affinity is felt for characters in current/recent blockbusters.
Well no. Serialized movies had been a thing right from the silent era onward. Complete with cliffhangers tied to the rail tracks with a steam train barreling down. Then in the next episode there is the continuity breaking of suddenly free from the ropes and escaped after all!
Of course, to those of us who saw the original trilogy when it came out and understood that the lightsaber duel choreography was based on the idea of "How would samurai katana fights have evolved if the blades were vorpal?", it looks far more realistic than the nonsense that came later in the prequel movies where nobody in their right mind, no matter how skilled, would fight that way with weapons as dangerous (especially to themselves) as lightsabers.
@@roguehart Sure, but there's a difference between how much foresight you have and how well you're able to react to it changing on you on a split seconds notice. That's what makes a pirouette in combat so intimidating - you're basically showing off. Or maybe it's just because they thought it would look cooler on film. 🤷♂🤷♂
The reason why the CGI in The Phantom Menace looks bad by today's standards is that it was one of the first movies to fully utilize CGI. Jar Jar was the first fully CGI character in a live action movie. George Lucas was pushing ILM on what was possible with the technology of the time. Now, as for A New Hope, originally, there was no CGI in the entire movie. The only thing that was created with a computer was the Death Star Plans. Everything, the dogfights, the Jawa sandcrawler, the trench run, was made with miniatures and robotic control. This was also pushing what was possible with the technology of the time. In every movie, George Lucas and ILM largely revolutionized special effects technology. In the 90s, George Lucas was testing the capabilities of CGI by reworking certain shots in the Original Trilogy for the DVD re-release. And that's why some scenes look like old CGI. For example, the Jabba scene was originally cut from the movie. Originally, the actor for Jabba was just a human. When he turned Jabba into a slug, he had to move Han Solo to step over his tail.
I think the CGI in Phantom Menace is fine. The pod race looks incredible and the likes of Jar Jar and Watto generally look good. Jar Jar is a distraction, not because he's CGI but because of the character. It's a testament to the cgi that the complaints about Jar Jar are directed towards the performance, not the technology.
Given that Phantom Menace was more or less contemporary to Lord of the Rings, and the LotR CGI was superb, I don't think that's much of an argument. Also, Phantom Menace was half a decade after Jurassic Park, which looked better with earlier tech.
One thing Star Wars got right was the *FEELING* of a heroes journey. Luke looking at the sunset, you really get a feeling that he just has a driving need to get off this rock and see the galaxy. It’s something modern Star Wars has severely lacked.
George Lucas utilized the works of Joseph Campbell, who did a lot of research into common themes in the stories of world cultures. One such theme is "the hero's journey." Look into that and you'll see how many elements GL used: the young innocent farm boy, the elderly experienced mentor, the princess in need of rescue, the rogue, venturing into the unknown and returning much wiser...
There was also the hard work Luke had to put in to go from sniveling teenager to Jedi. Of course, Rey didn't have to do anything. She just suddenly became a Jedi Master, all she needed was to pick up a lightsaber. Story telling!
even just 12 minutes into seeing you react for the first time, you're so genuine and i like that you're going more into production details which i also really enjoy thinking about...subbed ☺️🤗
There is a reason why the scene where Han walks behind Jabba and steps on his tail doesn’t look right. In the original shoot, Jabba was a human and played by a normal actor. That entire scene was cut from the film. Later in Return of the Jedi, Jabba is shown for the first time as a slug like alien. And about 14 years later this scene was added back in for the Special Edition, with Jabba edited to his familiar appearance.. But in the original shoot, Han walked behind the human actor. They had to do something about the fact that it was impossible for Han to walk there. So they kind of cut /paste Han’s movement upwards to indicate that he stepped up on Jabba’s tail. It doenst look quite right, but bear in mind that CGI was nothing like it is now, and Lucasfilm was inventing the techniques on the fly for these scenes. That is also why Han says “Jabba you are are wonderful human being.” It is an artifact from the original script. It was flattery back then and now perhaps mocking sarcasm.
It makes sense to me that being called a human would probably hit about the same for a hutt as it would for a human to be called a slug. Unflattering, to say the least, “wonderful” or not.
"Vader is so calm, when you need to calm down, you should just take a deep breath and exhale slowly like Vader does, very meditative" Vader: *Lungs burn to a crips, wears a life-support machine that has to breathe for him, in constant pain because of a suit and prosthetics designed to be uncomfortable on Palpatine's orders, has to meditate in a mechanical sphere not just to try and stay sane, but also because it's the only sealed environment he can survive without his mask on.* Yes, *VERY* calm and meditative. 😅
"These fight scenes just come off comical after watching the prequels." And now you know one of the reasons why people ask for reactors to watch in release order.
@@cyberingcatgirls7069 Well, it's a matter of taste and what you're accustomed to. To me, who has spent a lot of time in HEMA and such, the nonsense just ain't cool. However, of course, if you really wanna make bank, you make the masses happy.
@headhunter1945 That would be accurate to describe Empire Strikes Back where they were able to get someone who could duel in the Vader costume. In this, David Prowse was attempting to do his own fight scenes. Or, you could argue that their cyadica was acting up
Most of your comments illustrate why watching the series in the original order is so effective. You came into this with so many preconceived notions that it might not have been as exciting as being oblivious to the truth. Especially ep 5 and 6 won't have as much impact since you know the big mysteries already (vader-daddy, leia-sister).
To be honest, I saw the prequels when I was really young and barely understood them, but I always knew those spoilers growing up. I don’t think when I saw the movies as a kid that I understood really the luke/leia stuff. However, it was so talked about that it was almost impossible to avoid. People in school would quite “Luke, I am your father” or joke about luke and leia. So since I already knew these spoilers, I decided to watch it as an adult as 1-6 and I have to say i’m glad I did. For me, watching 1-6 made Vader’s story incredibly impactful and heartbreaking. (Stayed tunes fir the other commentaries) I would definitely say that if you have somehow avoided these major spoilers, you should watch them as they were released.
What many people miss about the "mysteries" is that they were never mysteries to be solved. We didn't wonder who Luke's father was, we already knew: it's Anakin. We didn't wonder who Luke's sister was, that was never even a question until it's revealed. They were unexpected twists. The mistake in the Sequels (7, 8, 9) is to set up mysteries to be solved (which lead to wild speculation and unsatisfying resolutions) instead of just revealing them.
Most people do know the main spoilers of the original trilogy, and chronological order just makes more sense for newcomers now, with all the content available. Even George Lucas himself said chronological order is the way to go. People stick with release order because they just want people to experience it the way they did. Vader being Luke's father is one of the most well known things in pop culture whether you've seen Star Wars or not.
I was 13 years old in 1977 when I saw Star Wars in the Movie theatre. The Special effects were ahead of its time. It was originally just called Star Wars because George Lucas did not know if he would be allowed to make more Star Wars Movies. It was renumbered Episode IV when Episode V The Empire Strikes Back was released in 1980. George Lucas started with the first movie of his middle trilogy.
And it's very much open to debate how much of that original trilogy he had mapped out. He sure as heck didn't plan to have Leia be Luke's sister from the beginning.
CHAPTER IV yes? I grew up on chapters. Episodes were a prequel thing. I hated the change. (Sadly too young to have seen the OT in theaters but grew up on the vhs)
fun fact: the only CG in the original release of Star Wars 77 release were the actual Death Star plans That were shown on their screen which we see at the end as they plan their attack. 38:05
When it comes to the saber fighting in this movie, what you've got is 62 year old Alec Guinness, who had a lot of experience with classical European fencing, facing off against David Prowse wearing a costume that severely limited his vision and movement. That meant it had to be restrained. George Lucas also wanted it not to look anything like traditional western sword fighting seen in other movies, so he based it on Japanese Kendo fighting which uses wooden swords and a combat style revolving around a quick attack and then withdraw technique. Why did they start with Episode 4? - They didn't. The Episode 4 heading was added on a rerelease after 20th Fox asked for a sequel. When this movie was first released it was simply titled Star Wars. George Lucas decided to go with Episode 4 because he wanted it to feel like the old cinema serials he used to watch as a kid where, if you hadn't seen the first couple of episodes at the cinema in previous weeks, you'd come in and have to try to piece together what you'd missed in the previous episodes. That actually makes a lot of sense since this movie sets up and alludes to a whole galactic history that people hadn't seen and weren't intended to see at this point. It was just supposed to be backstory to make the world feel more real and whole. Did Lucas have the whole series planned out when he made this? - No, Lucas did not come up with the idea that Luke and Leia were siblings until the third movie, so you should probably try to set aside your confusion and queasiness at them kissing. There's nothing to it in this movie, Leia only gives Luke a peck on the cheek for luck. The kiss in Empire is different because she does it specifically to make Han jealous.
Sir Alec Guinness, playing Obi-Wan hated the script, he called it "childish" and "space wizards" but he owed George a favour and said something like "I ll do it. I will have 2% of the worth of Star Wars. If it flops, you got me for free." One of the best deals in movie history. The Guinness family got paid as long as George owned it. When Alac Guinnes died, he had made around 100 million $.
@@miralande220 yes, i cant Post the link, but here on YT search Alec Guinness about Star Wars 1977 He Talks about, the stuff not beeing for him but still turning pages, the Bad dialouge and what he wanted George to change and the 2% of Star Wars he asked for
Umm, no - CGI was NOT around in the 70s. I mean, it was....but in very primitive forms and even the simplest wireframe graphics took ages to render. The tech wasn't sufficiently developed to be particularly useful in feature films. In fact, the ONLY CGI in Episode IV is the wireframe animation of the Deathstar plans. But Lucas constantly revisited, revised, and added to the films as new tech became available to him so there's been quite a bit of CGI added well after the fact. If you're interested in a REALLY in-depth look at how the original effects were done, I highly recommend finding a copy of Industrial Light & Magic: The Art of Special Effects. It's a very detailed and beautifully illustrated book that spends a lot of time on the Star Wars films...along with others, of course. I have a copy in hardcover - I've not seen it in a paperback version but that doesn't mean they don't exist. lol
Technically, CGI in films has been around since the 50's, the first use being "Vertigo" with its opening sequence spirals. The first combination of live action and CGI, or what we think of it as today, being "Tron" in 1982. You are spot on though with the only CGI in "Star Wars" being the wire frame Death Star and Trench Run. She should watch the Theatrical Releases to fully appreciate the original effects. The SE are sacrilege!
Image being 14 year old me in 1977, hearing the sound track album at a friend’s house and thinking, “Hm, I gotta see this.” Then getting my mind absolutely blown away as it’s never been since. Magic!
Keep on mind that this was a stand alone movie originally just called "Star Wars" when it was first released. No one expected that there would be a sequel until it became such a big hit.
Beca Original Obi wan Kenobi was played legendary British actor named Sir Alec Guinness. Guinness and Peter Cushing (Tarkin) had long legendary careers.
As far as I'm concerned, this is THE ONLY Star Wars movie. It is a complete story, with a beginning, middle, and end. It stands completely on its own. Prequels were unnecessary. Everything we needed to know was in the opening crawl. Retroactively deeming this "Episode 4" somewhat undermines its importance as the first movie from which all the rest of the franchise was spawned. While other movies have made more money, none of them have surpassed the impact of the original Star Wars movie. It was quite the cultural (global) phenomenon!
Your perspective is interesting because it is based in film studies. You had many questions, so after seeing V and VI, I recommend watching the various behind the scenes "making of" type documentaries on the films. Star Wars came only from Lucas. We in 1977 had no idea what Star Wars was before seeing the movie (a novel was produced based on the movie beforehand as promotion, but that was little read before the premiere). I can assure you that the lightsaber fight was extremely impressive back then. :) All of us post 1950s audiences are used to the modern method acting techniques that feel authentic to us. In the six Lucas episodes (I though VI), he was going for an older style since Lucas imagined Star Wars being a modern version of the old Flash Gordon serials he saw in theaters as a kid. Star Wars movies open with scrolling text because the Flash Gordon serials did.
There was NO CGI in 1977. It"s complicated by the fact that George Lucas insisted on adding CGI scenes for the Special Edition 20th Anniversary versions, and that is all that exists any more. The scenes flying through space were mostly done with miniatures.
I still have my original versions on VHS. Sadly, I have no machine to play them on. Given that they haven't been played in about 20 years, I don't wanna know what condition the ribbon is in
TBF, Ben Kenobi is old and Darth Vader is a quadriplegic on extreme life support. But it's also important to note that Obi-Wan was most likely stalling for time rather than going all out.
The 10 min battle in the end was the most incredible experience in movie theater in 1977 !!!! NOBODY ever saw a scene like that in the movie history !!! young generation are spoiled by today CGI. But OK Avatar movie was an incredible exprience too !
Remember, the video games going through the deathstar's trench? I played that so many times...wow the quarters we all dumped into the arcades of the '80's!
I saw this movie in the theater with my dad... I was 6 almost 7 years old. it is the first movie I can remember seeing in the theater. to this day, when the throne room scene starts at the end, and Willam's score kicks in... I get chills and a tear comes to my eye. Almost 50 years later... and every time that scene starts, the little boy watching the heroes getting their medals in the theater, a life now changed by the most incredible thing my little mind had ever tried to comprehend, comes back. it's viceral... ethereal. dom... da-da-dom... da-da-dom dom dom dom dom-dom-dom Dom da-da-dom... I seriously get choked up every time still to this day.
So much that you remember from the prequels just hadn't been thought of in 1977, but it's still interesting to watch people view "A New Hope" through that lens
CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) wasn't a thing (at least not for special FX) until the 1980s, which were very unrealistic (check out the movie The Last Starfighter to see what I mean). Before that (and in large part in the 1980s too) it was mostly limited to images seen on a computer screens. It wasn't until the 1990s that more realistic CGI came into being (Young Sherlock Holmes, Jurassic Park, etc). The CGI creatures in this version of Star Wars (including Jabba the Hutt) were not in the original 1977 release-they were added for the 1996 re-release. Before CGI in the 90s FX were all practical-makeup, puppets, models (using motion controlled cameras), claymation/stop motion, or matte painting.
Vader's breathing was added later. It was the sound designer Ben Burtt who put a small microphone in a scuba oxygen mask and he breathed through it. When it comes to Vader, two people played him: David Prowse as his body and James Earl Jones (who also voiced Mufasa in The Lion King) as his voice. George Lucas didn't intend on using Prowse voice as he had a Bristol accent (Carrie Fisher called him Darth Farmer) and Vader needed to sounding more intimidating. At first Orson Welles was going to voice him but he was too recognizeable so Jones was chosen.
Keep in mind these lightsabers were practical and to get the cool effect they had to you a very fragile material. Anytime the actors applied the least bit of force, they would snap in half.
I looked at the fight between Obi Wan and Vader as they were both older and weaker. Last time they fought each other they were much younger. It dose look silly today but episode 5 and 6 improved big time on the lightsaber fights.
I saw Star Wars in the theater when it first came out, when we were away on a family trip to visit family in northern California. Me and my cousins were taken to the theatre to see a movie, so adults could visit, having no idea what Star Wars was, and the impact it would have on all of our lives. Over the next many years, there wasn't a Star Wars release that I wasn't in some movie theater parking lot, lining up for the midnight opening showing.
11:55 Keep in mind, the entire "sister" revelation was a plot twist in Episode VI. Star Wars was thought of as a generic Hero's Quest movie. There's an evil empire, and there's a beautiful princess to rescue. Of course the hero has to have a romantic interest in her, otherwise the plot doesn't make sense. (This is why watching the prequels first is considered a bad idea; you don't get the "first time watcher" experience)
I was 17 when Star Wars was first released. I got to watch the first screening of it. In San Diego. David Prause and Kenny Baker were there. It was amazing. The theater was a single screen theater and had recently been renovated with surround sound. People stood and applauded. Most even stayed to watch the credits. As there are no opening credits.
Keep in mind that, when this was made Anakin and Darth Vader WERE separate people. It wasn't until later that Lucas made them the same person, due to story/casting constraints. Also, the lightsabers were prohibitively expensive, so the choreography was restrained to make sure they weren't damaged.
Really appreciated the film and acting perspective. I enjoy watching people experience the originals for the first time, both your watching them in episode order and your extra perspective made it fun to watch. Looking forward to seeing more. I do wonder how the side stories might have landed for you, but you have time to go back to them later. Thanks!
The movie had a budget of 10 Million when it was made in 1977, which would be about 55 Million adjusted for inflation in today's money. That's an indie movie by today's standards.
Even in 1977, 10 million wasn't a lot for a film. Even with that small amount, something like 7-8 million of the budget went into trying to get the special effects right, as they were inventing a lot of techniques on the fly.
@@homiedclown It helps that massive name actors weren't massive named actors yet (except Alec Guinness & Peter Cushing, but they didn't have that much of screentime).
One thing you have to keep in mind here, Vader doesn't know about Anakin's children. He's under the belief he killed her on Mustafar. Leia was adopted by Senator Organa of Alderaan, and her adoptive mother was a Queen there, if I recall correctly, thus her being a Princess. But you are right that the Clones have been phased out by this point, replaced by Storm Troopers. Anakin was supposed to be the Chosen One. The Darth Plagueous book talks about Plagueous and Sidious performing a powerful Dark Side Ritual, and the Force struck back by creating a powerful Light Sided being. But the fight between Qui-Gon and Maul was appropriately titled "Duel of the Fates", with Anakin's fate being in question. If Qui-Gon had won, he would have raised Anakin as a Father figure, and his looser interpretation of the Jedi Code. Since Maul won, Anakin was raised by Obi-Wan, who raised him more as a brother, and his rigid interpretation of the Jedi Code.
There was a lot of attrition of clones, their growth had been accelerated and at this stage the youngest clones would have been physically 40 years old and Kaminoan society was destroyed by the Galactic Empire to stop rivals using the cloning technology.
22:01 Jabba was originally supposed to be a human who spoke English (with a heavy accent). Somewhere along the line, the giant slug we all know was added in afterwards, so when Han walked behind him, they had to get creative, knowing Jabba has a thick tail. It made the line "Jabba, you're a wonderful human being" funny retroactively, too.
@@BecauseBecaBeBeca That scene didn't even appear in the original theatrical release. It was shot with an actor playing Jabba as human but was cut and only re-added much, MUCH later, long after Jabba's final look had been established in Return of the Jedi. So, not only did they have to cover up the actor in the footage, but when Han walked around him, he now had to (disrespectfully, to be sure) step up on Jabba's tail....and THAT bit of digital manipulation looks particularly janky.
@@Pixelologist What's worse is that there's duplicate dialogue in the added scene; some of what Hans says to Jabba is the same as what he said to Greedo.
I think that either they shouldn't have included the Jabba scene or that they should have made him a hologram. I don't buy the whole "stepping on the tail" thing. Jabba would have had a very different reaction if someone did that to him.
"Where did Star Wars come from?" Flash Gordon was a big influence on Lucas in writing Star Wars. That and it's the classical hero's journey. Other than being in space, it's typical fantasy with a Princess in peril, Wizards and the farm boy who discovers his true destiny to be a hero. About starting with Episode 4, Lucas has said that he had overall story for prequel and sequel trilogies when he wrote Ep. 4, but when the film was made, it wasn't "Episode 4." It didn't say "A NEW HOPE" at the beginning of the text crawl. It was just STAR WARS. When they made the first sequel, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, they went back and added Episode IV: A New Hope to the first film for all future releases.
Also, theres a really cool reimagined fan-made cut of the Obi Wan vs Vader dueling scene that i have to admit is much better than the original. The dueling scenes are definitely something George improved on a lot in the prequels compared to the original trilogy.
I've always assumed he started at four because he was referencing the old movie serials from his childhood. You'd go to the theater, get not just a feature, but also a lot of short serial episodes and cartoons, and you wouldn't know which episode you got unless you went every week. You might get one Flash Gordon serial or another. So you were often thrown into the middle of the story.
Initially, the theatrical release didn't have any episode number, but after it was a smash success and they knew for a fact they were going to make a trilogy and they anticipated prequels, they re-released it with the inclusion of Episode IV in the opening crawl.
@@janetcarr1576 Yes, but it was clearly starting mid-story, as if there was story before that we missed. The scrolling text at the start functions as a recap before this episode. Adding "Episode IV" to it only accented the feel of coming into the middle of a sequence of serials.
That's exactly correct. Lucas himself stated as much in an interview, though I don't recall the source. He was a huge fan of the old serials and wanted to replicate the feeling of coming into the middle of an ongoing story. That's also the reason for the opening scroll, which orients the viewer in the same way the opening narration did in old WW2 newsreels. The technique is even used more directly in the Clone Wars series, with a literal narrator.
There is some serious revisionist history about Star Wars being a hexalogy, or even a trilogy. The "Episode IV subtitle in the opening crawls was not originally part of the movie, and it is unnecessary to get the in media res feel of old Flash Gordon serials. In reality, the basic story of Star Wars is Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress" with some pulp adventure added on. Moreover, we can tell that the Star Wars films and the prequels being some pre-planned "Saga of Darth Vader" is a complete lie. If we look at Vader's character in this movie alone, it is clear that he is *not* the big bad or the Emperor's right hand. In this movie, he is simply the muscle. Grand Moff Tarkin has no problem ordering him around, Princess Leia is clearly under the impression, as is everyone else, that, scary as Vader might be, he is not calling the shots - Tarkin is. The other military officers are in no way afraid to talk disrespectfully to Vader, and even though he does demonstrate his Force powers on one of them, there is no indication that he is at liberty to use them when and however he wants. SPOILERS BELOW Once we get to Empire, there is a remarkable switch in Vader's character. He *does* become the Emperor's right hand in that movie, apparently with the power to do what he wants with an entire fleet and accompanying ground forces. *This* is when the "Saga" that Lucvs has claimed the franchise to be started. However, even with this, we see that the character relationships had yet to be fleshed out - in particular Luke and Leia being siblings. The reason why Luke and Leia are siblings is because the filmmakers were able to get Harrison Ford back for the third movie. Alan Dean Foster's 1978 "Splinter in the Mind's Eye" was based upon an outline that Lucas had prepared for a budget Star Wars sequel in the event that the original film bombed. Of course it was a blockbuster, so he got to make Empire Strikes Back instead. However, in Foster's original novel (I understand that more recent printings have reconned the text), the Luke-Leia romance was furthered, thereby demonstrating that Lucas had not always planned to have them be siblings. Moreover, Empire also advances this potential romance because of Leia's affection towards Luke both on Hoth and at the end. Had she always been intended to be his sister, it would not have been portrayed as it was because the whole unintentional incest trope is for K-Dramas, not Western space opera. Knowing the behind-the-scenes story, it is clear that the development of the Han-Leia romance in Empire created a serious love triangle problem once Han Solo was to survive the carbonite freezing and then rescued. Lando was initially supposed to replace Han as the rouge-with-a-heart-of-gold archetype, and with Han out of the way, Luke and Leia could get together. However, with Han back, the filmmakers needed a way to resolve the love triangle such that nobody "loses" or has hard feelings. By making Leia to be Luke's sister, it conveniently gets him out of the love triangle while maintaining everybody's friendship with each other as it was before. There is also some lazy retconning from the prequels, but I am done writing for now.
While "Episode IV: A New Hope" wasn't in the original 1977 version, the second movie did start off with "Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back" and the next year, in a 1981 re-release, is when the number and subtitle were added to the opening scroll of the first movie. And yes, it was in order to create the feel of being parts in the middle of an ongoing serial. There were no plans at the time to go back and actually create episodes 1 through 3 or 7 and beyond.
Remember that this first Star Wars film had no world building yet. Obi-Wan's past was vague, as was Vader's, Luke and Leia weren't siblings, and even the Emperor wasn't fleshed out. By the time of the prequels there had been hundreds of comic books, novels, art guides, video games, and assorted merchandise that helped define the Star Wars galaxy more.
Sir Alec Guinness had no "history" of Obi-Wan to reference. He and Lucas CREATED all of it from scratch. Alec Guinness was one of the greatest actors ever. Also, EVERYTHING was practical in the late 1970s when they made this. Models, puppets, suits... Only in 1999 did Lucas add some CGI elements in certain scenes. Regarding the cost: they made Star Wars for 10 million, as opposed to the couple HUNDRED million that Disney poured into each sequel.
Dunno if anyone explained this earlier, but in regard to your asking about why Lucas started with Ep 4... He had wanted to recreate the old adventure reel style of movie storytelling he had grown up with (in fact, he'd wanted to do Flash Gordon but couldn't get the rights) and had a whole multipart general story outline for it. However, he didn't know how well the first installment would go over and didn't want to be stuck having made a movie with "Part One" in the title and never have a 'Part Two' etc. So, Lucas took the part that made the best standalone story, simply titled it "Star Wars" and that's how it started. It went over so well he was guaranteed a chance to continue the story, with the next one being "Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back" right from the start... the original was retroactively titled "Episode IV: A New Hope" for its rerelease before the debut of Empire.
He had a 12-part story in mind, inspired by the 12-part black-and-white cliffhanger serials from the 40s. He wanted to do twelve two-hour movies (grouped as four trilogies) of a larger story, rather than twelve 20-minute episodes, and wanted them to come out three years apart, 1977-2010. He started with the second trilogy, which (intentionally or not) mirrors the way Wagner wrote the Ring of the Nibelung cycle of operas in the 1800s, starting with #2 and then writing #1, 3, and 4. By the time GL had made three movies (now called episodes 4-6), he had a family and didn't want this project to consume his whole life, so he took a break. Unfortunately, he ended up selling Lucasfilm to Disney, and they took the story in weird directions. I don't fault him for selling, because he deserves to be rewarded for what he did; I'm just sad that his original vision got hijacked.
Actually "Star Wars" wasn't officially re-titled until a year AFTER "The Empire Strikes Back" had been theatrically released. There was a lot of confusion over "Empire" having "Episode V:" in front of it. "What is that title all about?" was the comment of the day. "Star Wars" had a theatrical re-release in 1981 and that's when it debuted the new "Episode IV: A New Hope" sub-title. Other than re-doing the opening crawl to account for the added sub-title (and the added time length affecting the music beats during the pan down revealing the 1, 2 and 3 planets in view so that the beats are now slightly off), nothing else was changed. Unless you want to discuss the slight sound mix differences between the mono, Dolby Stereo and 6-track 70mm mixes during the theatrical release. And which was used and what was re-mixed again for the various home video releases over the years up to the Special Editions and their various home video relesaes. That can be a whole other discussion. Since the first home video release ever of "Star Wars" wasn't until '82, the new sub-title was now permanently burned into everyone's minds from then on.
The crappy Jabba scene was added in 1997 using CGI, which they didn’t have in 1997. And Star Wars was mot much more than an indie movie put out by George Lucas. It was not a big studio thing with a huge budget. They found creative ways to make all of the models & sets look awesome. Many are just paintings!
When this first came out there was no plan for a second one. This was actually an independent film and went over budget. The studio was really pissed because they took a chance and almost closed it down. This all happened decades before the Internet, but the hype was so immense, there were lines wrapped around theaters for days before the movie came out. I actually saw this when it was first released
Thank you, so many people think GL had some grand plan, but the studio wasn’t expecting SW to make any real money (that’s why Lucas successfully retained the merchandising rights, or a good chunk of them, I forget) its surprising success then led to Empire and Jedi. Heck, Anakin and Vader were two different people until right before ESB, Leia wasn’t Luke’s sister..
@@tonyclements1147 What happened with the merchandising and sequel rights is that after American Graffiti became a huge hit, Fox wanted to ensure they held on to Lucas because he was the hot new director in town so they offered to renegotiate his contract and give him more money. Lucas declined but asked for the sequel and merchandising rights. Nobody expected the movie to get a sequel and merchandising wasn't really a thing so Fox agreed. Then of course Star Wars became a massive hit. Kenner Toys were overwhelmed and rushed to make Star Wars toys that didn't come out for a year so at Christmas, kids would get vouchers for Star Wars toys that didn't exist yet. Fox owned that movie and made a lot of money but had no power over the now inevitable sequels and so Lucas held them over a barrel and gave them distribution rights for the sequels on his terms (though Fox did get to improve the deal somewhat after they helped Lucas secure a loan to fund Empire).
@@jedsithor I was one of the “early bird” kids that got the voucher, I miss my collection..I had everything until the SW Droids cartoon merch came out. It’s insane how much the original trilogy figures, vehicles and playsets are going for nowadays.
George Lucas had written a much longer story and plot ideas but he knew it was too long and he had to shorten it to make this one a commercial success to get more funding. SO the first movie was like the first third of his story BUT much of the remaining story was dropped and much more stuff was added by the time Empire and Return were made. The story morphed.
There's a Akira Kurosawa movie called The Hidden Fortress. It was a big influence of George Lucas. The story is about a samurai who has to escort a princess across enemy lines the story is told through the eyes of a pair of lowly foot soldiers. The starwars story is told through the eyes of the two Droids. And jabs was a add-on scene after the film was updated and the name was changed to "A New Hope" the film was originally a single sand alone movie . The whole story was still to be developed. And the light saber fights are based on sword fights you never turn your back to your enemy, the modern fights are stupid and would get the person killed , this leads to why the later movies with ray in are not liked. The Jedi train for years to master combat techniques with a light saber there is no way that Ray should be able to beat kylo ren without many years of training.
The number and name "Episode IV: A New Hope" was added in a 1981 re-release to bring it in line with Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. So while it's not original to the 1977 version, it came well before the 20th anniversary release in 1997, which is when most of the other big changes (particularly CGI) came in.
You can find a remastered version w/o George Lucas's updated special effects called "Harmy's Star Wars: A New Hope (Despecialized Edition)". Fans scanned the original 1977 film into 2k format, cleaned it up (frame by frame) and fixed the color grading. It's for people who LEGALLY BOUGHT the original Star Wars (vhs/ laserdisc/ dvd) but want to show a 2k/4k version for their home theater. P.S. You can find on UA-cam, side-by-side comparisons between the Special Edition and Harmy's Despecialized scenes. These short videos are worth the watch for a film geek like yourself (w/o having to slowly download GBs of data & burn them onto multiple blu-ray compatible discs).
I 1000% recommend watching Harmy's recut. It's the best version you will see that's as close to what the original theatrical release looked like as possible. It takes OUT all the janky CGI that feels so out of place and restores it to how it was originally presented.
Why would fans bother "fixing" it, when the DVDs come with both remastered and original theatrical release versions? Just get a legit 20th anniversary DVD and watch the theatrical release version that's on disc 2. Those should still be available, aren't they?
@@Niwashi_ The problem with those releases is that they are old standard definition laser disc copies slapped onto a DVD. The quality is pretty shitty, and they're not even anamorphic widescreen, so you get massive black bars on every side of the image. The only way to get a worse version of those movies is to pop in an old VHS tape.
@@Niwashi_ They are fairly rare because people aren't giving them up. It's also lower quality because they didn't bother remastering them at all and they used a pretty average source for them. I still prefer it over the Special Edition, though. The added CGI is the most jarring in the OG Star Wars; especially in the Tatooine scenes. While you still notice the additions, it's not nearly as bad in Empire and Jedi. The frustration is there's no legitimate reason not to give the theatrical release versions a 4K treatment instead of altering the films. Especially with George Lucas himself espousing the dangers of digitally altering classic films before Congress back in 1988; yet goes and does exactly that himself. The hypocrisy is strong in this one. What projects like Harmy's version does is attempt to restore and preserve the original version; that's why it's valuable, since Lucas certainly shows no interest in doing so.
As stories and visual storytelling the prequels are very good. We also were introduced to worlds and characters that were intriguing and likeable. And some of the action was excellent. Rough dialogue and Jar Jar (and some lorebreaking) aside, they're very good movies.
tbf, people enter SW by many, many different methods now. I came in at 13 years old in 1999 with the prequels. Some grew up on the cartoons. Some are entering now through Disney Plus, and some became fans through video games. No crimes here. Fans come in many forms.
Not to mention, with all the content now, I really feel chronological order is best for newcomers that are wanting to embark on the whole SW journey. It makes more sense that way. There's no right or wrong way to get into, or enjoy SW (so long as we all keep in mind where it all started).
Lucas had an outline in his mind for 9 stories, 3 trilogies. He decided to start with episode IV since he thought that would be the easiest one to sell to the studios and the most likely to be a commercial success.
I call BS on that. Sounds like something Lucas came up with after the fact. Seems to me he had no idea what he was doing at the time, and by sheer luck created one of the most iconic franchise in human fiction.
@@jovetj He made comments like that in 1980 and 1981, so before Return of the Jedi was out. If it is true, I'd really like to see what he originally had in mind for the sequel trilogy. Supposedly, he did send something to Disney, but they canned it and wrote their own script for The Force Awakens. No idea if what he sent Disney in 2013 or so had anything to do with what he was thinking in 1980, or, if as you suggest, what he said in 1980 was just bluster.
The Stormtroopers are conscripted soldiers. The clones were phased out of the Empire's army within the first few years after the events of Episode III, because cloning was way too expensive for the Empire.
No CJI in the 70's. It's all Practical Effects. One reason we love the originals so much (before they started playing with them) is we really appreciate all the work that went into the effects, the models, puppetry, costuming, etc. This was a lot of hard work from extremely talented people.
Technically they were added just before the prequels. Before the first prequel released in 1999, a bunch of special effects were done for new scenes added for the 20th anniversary rerelease in theatres in 1997. It also served as a test run to see if ILM(Lucas’s special effects company) was ready to handle a new Star Wars movie that relied more on digital effects over the more difficult practical effects/model work used in the Original Trilogy. While there were some very minor tweaks made to some scenes after the prequels for things like the DVD release, boy-ray release and release on streaming, 95% of the added work was for the big ‘97 rerelease. For a lot of fans like myself who were just starting grade school the last time one of the Star Wars movie opened in theatres, the ‘97 rerelease was our first chance to see the Original films on the big screen(larger tv’s were a lot less common too. Our 27” cost more than a 55” today).
C-3PO & R2 are actors in a costume and a prop, respectively. Darth Vader is the Emperor's enforcer. He has no clue who Luke & Leia are. Leia Organa, daughter of King Bail Organa, has no clue she has a brother. Luke Skywalker, nephew of Owen & Berl, has no clue he has a sister. Go back & rewatch Amadala's funeral: she's padded to look pregnant. Vader has no reason to believe his offspring are still alive. This film was created as a one-off. When it did phenomenally well, Lucas wrote Empire, still planning to introduce the as yet unintroduced sister in Episode 6; but by 6, Lucas realized introducing the sister so late was stupid, so decided Leia was the sister.
@@irrelevant_noob the Emperor didn't appear in episode 4, but he was very briefly mentioned. So Lucas had some ideas in mind for him, but probably hasn't fully fleshed him out in his mind yet.
@@homiedclown His initial idea for the Emperor was that he was a powerless figurehead, with the Imperial bureaucracy being the real power, a concept Lucas would revisit in the prequels. I don't think it was until _Empire_ included a scene where Vader bows to the Emperor and calls him "Master" that he started thinking, "what kind of person does Vader call 'Sir'?"
8:04 that shot was not in the original movie. This is the remastered version, with additional scenes and effects that weren't available at the time. BTW Han shot first.
Episode IV actually had a fairly modest budget. They spent $11 million on it. This was only Lucas' third movie, and the studio wasn't about to take a big risk for his grand project. After the runaway success, the studio opened their wallets for the next two movies, spending $30 and 42 million respectively. PS: The scene with Jabba was not in the original cut. It was added back when Lucas released the "Special Editions". Originally, there was zero CGI in the film.
The reason the fight between Vader and Kenobi was shot this way, is Lucas felt since it had been so long since they last met, Vader had fear from the last fight. Kenobi didn't know how powerful Vader had become and he was just a distraction so Luke and the rest could get away
"He considers Anakin to be dead" - at that point there was no Anakin. What Obi Wan told Luke was the original background story with Luke's father being a Jedi and getting murdered by Vader. The rest was made up later. Lucas always says he planned the whole trilogy of trilogies from the beginning - which isn't a "lie" exactly - but the "big story" initially only existed as some rather vague idea and nobody ever would have believed they get to do more than that one movie back then. This here is the story of a young farmer going out into the wide world, learning from a Wizard, getting a magic sword and saving the Princess. Quite "Brothers Grim". It's a classic faery tale in space. :)
About the fight scene, you need to react to "SC 38 reimagined" by fixitinpost. It's a fan made version of what could be this fight with current CGI, and it's incredible.
When Star Wars came out, the opening scrawl did NOT say Part 4. In later years, for re-releases, the film was altered- added the title of Part 4 and replaced a few spots that were originally practical fx with some CGI-Jabba the Hutt, the dinosaur-like creature at the beginning for instance, enhancing the beams from the light sabers. But almost everything is practical. Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan Kenobi) was one of Britain’s great actors, had been in many award winning films and was definitely the most well-respected and widely known actor when this first came out. The entire subplot about Darth and Annakin being the same, the sibling angle about Luke and Leia, might have been in Lucas’s subconscious but were not clearly part of the story until later. This is why some dialogue might seem incongruous- because the subplots were added on as more films came out. Obi-Wan did believe that Annakin was dead. It seems that Lucas may have had plans for this to be followed by Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi, but everything was based on whether or not Star Wars was successful which was not known as a certainty. The phenomenal success of the first 3 films led to the idea of “prequels” and “sequels.” Most critics believe that Empire Strikes Back is the best of the entire series. The actor playing Darth Vader was NOT the person who did the dialogue - David Prowse was the 6’6” actor but the dialogue was done by James Earl Jones. The intention of the original was not to focus on violent action sequences but to tell a story with different elements of myths, fables and fantasies. The laser fight scenes were not necessarily the most important aspect of the originals, so those scenes were not stressed or made to be particularly gruesome or elongated.
Wrong. The original version had "episode IV" on it but the studio had them take it off becuase they thought it would be confusing. When it was a hit they put it back in just a matter of weeks after the release.
@@alphanerd7221 I know when I saw it when it first came out, it was just “Star Wars.” I know that IMDb can be wrong, but this is from IMDb: “When first released in 1977, this movie was simply titled "Star Wars," as it was intended to be a stand-alone movie. The sequels were not considered until after it became wildly successful. The name of this movie was changed to "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope" in 1981 to fit in better with the names of the other movies. The later print was the first one to be released on mass market video (an earlier Betamax release did not have the subtitle), and all video, LaserDisc, DVD, and Blu-ray releases have featured the subtitles. The theatrical cut DVDs, released in September 2006, were the first time that the original opening crawl, without subtitle, had been released on home video. The reason George Lucas created the title card "Episode IV" in the first movie was as an homage to 1940's Saturday afternoon "cliffhanger" serials, like Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon. He also used the "text crawl" the same way each of those series opened up new chapters. He did not, at the time, have Episodes I, II, and III already planned. In fact, at one point, Twentieth Century Fox wanted the "Episode IV" title removed so as not to confuse moviegoers. There are some prints of the movie that do not have that title card.”
@@Dej24601 You are confused. Though the official tittle may have been changed later, the prints of the movie put out to keep up with the demand after it was doing great in the theaters all had the "Episode IV: A New Hope" in the crawl. Lucas was also always planning on doing a series if it made enough money. I have no idea what the studio's plan was.
@@alphanerd7221 then you should write to IMDb to tell them their entry is wrong (what is in the quotation marks in my comment above) and that your information is correct and they should replace what they have with your remarks. I was assuming IMDb had verified information from authentic sources. But I am not confused about what I saw in early 1977. And that when I saw the film when re-released in later years, the opening was different as well as the few CGI alterations/additions.
@@IvoB1987 also since this scene was not in the original takes, they must've pieced it together from some random walking he did somewhere else, which seems to have been on level ground. xD
@@irrelevant_noob They did film this scene for the original, but it was cut and never made it into the movie until they remastered it (with the CGI Jabba) for the 20th anniversary re-release.
Subscribed! Enjoyed your reaction and analysis. Found it to be educational as well. Keep up the good work. I look forward to watching your reactions to episodes V and VI. 🙂 Oh! That scene where you were a little critical of the "effects" of Han Solo walking behind Jaba.... He was actually walking up and over Jaba's long tail! That scene was added in the re releases with the CGI affects. Lucas couldn't figure out or afford to do it in the original productions. In the original release, Solo was speaking to a bounty hunter, named Boba Fett and he simply walked right around that bipedal character. 🙂 (Sorry about the silly smiley faces.... I speak to a lot of comical women online and we all get sort of funny with our emojis.)
Then, too, Vader's prosthetics were doubtless hastily prepared and would give him more or less constant discomfort, so that despite his relative youth, the two are equally matched. 🤓
Yeah so everything in the original version of this film was sound stange, models, and practical effects. Things like lightsaber colors, the lasers, etc were actually hand drawn frame by frame. The sounds were made and recorded practically. Lucas literally made Industrial Lights and Magic, THX, of course Lucas film Ltd and retained ALL merchandising rights as part of his studio contract and even used his own money to finish the film. EVERY Scifi film before this film was chessey as hell on the effects etc. Everything ever made post this film that had awesome sound and effects etc wouldn't be as awesome as they are if not for THIS film and Lucas's drive for how he imagined it. This version does have cgi that was added in the late 90's in order to add the things he wished he could back in the original making. The Lizards (Dewbacks), the giant dinosaur like creature, the Jaba scene was a cut re-ad replacing the human playing Jaba for the slug like version we all know from Return of the Jedi which is why the edit looks funky to account for the tail that wasn't present on the original human version. The duels do get better but yeah still nothing compared to how they were done decades later when making the prequels etc. This film was like nothing that predated it and revolutionized films for everything that followed it. So it's not just that it's the first introduction to this Universe and the characters it has within it, it quite literally changed cinema in a way we tend to take for granted. The cgi add ins were great particularly for increasing stormtroopers numbers and ships in battle etc. And all 3 have those add ins. All of that said, fantastic reaction and it was fun to view you watching and enjoying it. I'm new to you on here but I sub'd because I would like to see more!! Thanks!! 😁✌
Man, I wish people could _officially_ watch the originals. Having to watch ANH "Special Edition" as your first viewing of that movie is just criminal. All that awful CGI, that goofy Jabba that shouldn't be there, and all the other additions (the extra rocks covering R2)... It really sucks. Obi-Wan's re-done "howl" too (at around 15:15). Ugh. Those additions just don't fit, they look and sound too modern. EDIT: Knowing now that you have watched the whole original trilogy as per the comments here, let me say this: Whenever you feel like watching these movies again, try to grab the actual original movies. As you you may know by now, fans have picked sources from all over the place to recreate those movies as they should be (as far as I'm aware, the same as those in the "bonus" DVDs released back in 2006, now called GOUT for George's Original Unaltered Trilogy), but with 4K quality. There are 1080p versions as well. Try to watch those to see how we've always known them growing up in the 70s and 80s. Do a little research, ask around if needed, and I'm sure you'll be able to get those.
I remember seeing the "remastered" versions in the cinema in the 1990s (because I wanted the Star Wars big screen experience, the only original I had seen in the cinema as a kid was Return of the Jedi back in '83) and thinking the remastering just made the movies worse. The only things that were better were the explosions (Alderaan and the Death Star) and some of the rebels' "computer simulations". Every other addition just felt like cheese, especially the bounty hunter shooting (and missing) Han Solo first. My feeling was it did not bode well for the prequels which had been announced, turned out my feeling was right.
@@theMosen I didn't like any of that. Especially the explosions with the expanding halo. And everything had a pinkish tint to it. What I did like was the polish on the dogfighting over the Death Star. That was kind of nice. But also unnecessary. The rest of the effects, especially those in Mos Espa were (and are) just incredibly annoying.
Something interesting happened to me on the playground at school one day in 1978. A friend of mine at the time told me then and there that the entire "Star Wars" saga was a trilogy of trilogies... and this one - the only one we had at the time - was the first part of the middle trilogy. In hindsight, it amazes me that he was able to know that so early on. Later when we were seniors in high school - after "Empire" and "Jedi" had been released in 1980 and 1983, respectively... a mutual friend of ours asked him where he had first learned that information - but already he was no longer able to remember his source. So because of that, when the prequels began appearing in 1999... it was just more confirmation that what he'd told me back in 7th grade was indeed true. I still wonder to this day where he got that information because in all the years since... he was the *only* person I ever met who was able to tell me this was a 9-part series. It was clearly intended to be a trilogy of trilogies from the beginning... but how did my friend, Ricky Hernandez, learn that when we were only 12?
1. Sir. Alec Guinness/Obi-Wan didn't want the part. Being a Shakespearian actor, he thought the entire idea was silly and was beneath him, but his wife talked him into taking the part. 2. The shrug Chewy gives Luke after he scares the tiny black droid is 🤣 3. These movies were put out in a certain order because there was limited technology and Lucas used and pushed forward the images needed to make a quality product. The best way to watch the is in the order they came out. We had to wait years for the next one. There was no internet where we had access to them whenever we wanted. 4. No need to go into anything after VI. Disney took over and the quality dropped. I realize you have to. 5. The only CGI was put in for the 25th anniversary package in this film are the critters the stormtroopers were riding at the beginning of the search for the droids, a couple of the huge critters outside the pub, the scene with Jabba the Hutt and other minor changes. Those were put in later after CGI was available. They also increased the sound when the stormtrooper bangs his head.🤣 Otherwise, everything is what we had in 1977. 6. Obi-Wan sacrificed himself after he told Vader he would be stronger than ever. He went back into the force. He knows it's Luke's job to take over. 7. The awkwardness in the detention space is because Ford didn't know his lines. It was kept in the movie anyway because it worked.😏 8. IMVHO the next two are the best of the Lucas stories. Enjoy Special note: David Prowse😇played physical Darth Vader. James Earl Jones voiced him.
First of all Rogue One isn't that bad Krennic and The Death troopers were great as was the whole battle of Scarif for example also that droid Chewie scared off is called a Mouse Droid it made squeak noises like a mouse
“I love the way THIS ACTOR is playing Kenobi.”
That’s Alec Guinness, and remember he INVENTED Kenobi.
All the other actors are modeling HIM.
not exactly, he's playin a kenobi that passed thorught a lot of thrauma and war and got over it BASICALLY A VETERAN, prequels is a way more relaxed, funny and sarcastic that was more loyal and obedient soldier
@@williamshelton4318correct Ewan even said that he studied AG's portrayal of OWK to insure he followed it.
@@brandonleon4068AG did not know as GL had not done any of the background of OWK when they filmed ANH in fact it wasn't even titled, it was just SW. AG got some info from GL but nothing like was eventually done after SW became what we know now.
@@raybernal6829 I'm talking about coherency in the storytelling not the acting
@@brandonleon4068 yeah ok 🙄
Nope, thats no CGI, thats a minature with incredible green/blue screen tech and fireworks.
You have taken your first steps into a world of visual effects.
Exactly what I was going to say. I see a few reactions with this same idea of computers being massively powerful since the end of flower power, or old cars being electronic rather than mechanical 🤷🏻♂️
To see the most advanced cgi in movies of that era you'd probably need to see Tron
I saw the new version of Ep 4 when it came out, and wasn't impressed with most of it, partly because it looks too contrasty and rushed. They should have spent the time on the death star attack at the end: improved its surface and the explosions of the fighters
@@richardfrancis701 The problem is that this film has been altered twice since it's 1977 release, and added CGI in a few scenes not to mention. The Dewbacks that the stormtroopers are riding when they find the empty escape pod on tatooine were added as was the scene where the creature rears as they enter Mos Eisley.
I would love to be able to see the film as it was originally released in 1977 and compare the other 2 modifications.
As for the 1977 release, it was all model work and Lucasfilm had to come up with new techniques to make the action more dynamic.
@@MsOpportunity68 I like the addition of the dewbacks, the Mos Eisley stuff not so much, and definitely not the landspeeder ride into Mos Eisley which looks almost 2D.
My parents have the original trilogy on VHS and will also have recorded them from the TV before that (a couple of shots of the Wampa in ESB must have been censored - eating, and clutching its dismembered shoulder) which I'd have watched dozens of times, but haven't seen them since the early 90s.
@@richardfrancis701Tron ? TRON ???
THE LAST STARFIGHTER !
The Very First Film to feature CGI, from an IBM 3 WITHOUT A Single Computer Graphics program existing in the world yet !
So, Every Single Effect had to be Programmed IN RAW CODE.
“You’re saying it’s us, one starfighter, against an entire fleet ?!?
IT’LL BE A MASSACRE !”
“THAT’S THE SPIRIT !!!”
@@snarflcat6187 you're right, totally forgot about that, and have been wanting to get it on Blu-ray too. I forgot it was from the first half of the 80s; I didn't see it until, maybe, 87
You just can't imagine what it was like, sat in a darkened cinema, surrounded by other people who were so amped with anticipation, but also with no idea what we were going to see! There was no internet back then, so you couldn't go and watch previews or read reviews - the only things we had to go on were a few grainy black-and-white stills of C-3PO and R2D2 standing in a desert, A menacing guy in a black helmet, some things blowing up and a rough description of the story.... but we all knew we had to see it. That opening orchestral stab, the crawl text, and then the little ship going overhead, followed by that monstrous ship that kept going and going, unbelievably huge... every single person there, stunned, with their mouths open.... and that was it - from then, we were along for the ride! The world changed, and your life was now split in two - before and after Star Wars. And we went again and again and again, as there was just so much detail to take in.
There's been nothing like it since.
And yes, they actually built all the sets, the ships, the buildings - CGI wasn't up to the job back then. There's an interesting story of how they made that initial opening scene - they didn't get it right till the very last minute! Welcome to Star Wars!
I can remember a news story (I think it was done by our local station but maybe not) of interviewing people at the theater after it had been out for awhile, asking how many times they had come to the theater to see the movie. Kids and adults were saying 5, 9, 14 times. Of course I don't think management always kicked you out between showings if it wasn't sold out, so you could watch it two or three times in one day on one ticket purchase. Seems I remember staying to watch not the whole movie featured, but the cartoon before hand that played, again. I think the movie was "What's up Doc", but we stayed to rewatch the Winnie the Pooh cartoon that played too. Then left after it finished.
I saw it for my 9th birthday in 1977. It was life changing. I count myself very lucky to have been born when I was. No SW film since has come close, especially not the prequels. I really liked TLJ, by the way.
In 1977 I was 22 and tending bar, so I usually rolled out of bed around noon. One Wednesday towards the end of May I was off and checked the paper to see what movies were showing. Yes, back then you looked at the theater ads in the paper for movie times.
I saw that some movie called Star Wars was opening that day. Hadn't heard anything about it, but it sounded like science fiction, which I liked. So I decided to check it out.
When you bought your ticket they were giving everyone a blue button that said "May the Force be with you". Maybe 20 or so people at the matinee. I was mesmerized from the beginning. When the Millennium Falcon made its first jump to light speed, everyone in the theater said "Whoa!" together.
On the way home I was thinking that a new bar had been set for all movies to come.
A week later there were lines around the block.
I still have that blue button.
Might be worth a good bit, and I doubt you care.
My story is much like yours (see it among the comments). There are only a few who saw Star Wars without any hype or expectations.
@@edwardjacklewis I heard it was good, so I got my dad to take me to see it. 10 years old. Yeah, I watched it a few more times in the cinema. 20 or so. sit through 3 showings. Mom didn't mind. Cheaper than babysitting & I could walk home.
Never repeated the feat. Maybe 4x for Raiders.
Worth a fortune.
@@augustwest9727only worth it to me 😄.
There was no "Computer Generated Imagery" in the mid 70's. All of the spaceships, battles, blasters, holograms, and light sabers were created with practical effects and film tricks. The goofy CGI creatures were added decades after the fact for this 90's re-release version.
When the scene with Han and Jabba was filmed, Jabba was human, and Han just walked across behind him. But the scene was cut, so we never saw Jabba in the movie. He appeared in a later movie as the giant slug. And when the original movie was adulterated with terrible CGI, they re-added the scene, replacing the original actor with the slug creature, and used that jankey displacement to have Han walk over his tail.
EDIT:
In the 70s, computers were _capable_ of generating wire-frame graphics, given enough time and money. But as far as I know, the Rebel briefing room displays, the various ships' targeting systems, the photon torpedoes, etc., were all hand drawn animations overlaid onto practical sets, props, and miniatures (just like live action and stop motion footage were overlaid for Leia's message to Kenobi and the chess pieces).
As for the creatures added decades later, I'm not so much interested in how they compared to contemporary CGI, as I am in whether they help or hurt their scene. Watch a handful of reaction videos. Viewers will often comment that one of these creatures doesn’t look so bad for 70's CGI. In other words, it jumps out at them as CGI (in contrast to most creatures in the movie), and specifically *_bad_* CGI (they just don't realize it's not from the 70's).
Technically there WAS CGI in 1977. It just looked like the targeting screens of the falcon's quad laser turrets, not what we think of as CGI today.
@@the_omg3242 and the X-Wing's targeting system. ;-)
also 7:52 / 21:59 do show this isn't the original version, since *_THOSE_* were cgi. ^^
It's still amusing sometimes, watching first timers thinking these CGI effects existed back in '77 😲.
Well, this IS back in 1997, so I don't know about TERRIBLE. Probably could have been better even by those standards, but, BY those standards, I wouldn't say TERRIBLE.
This movie had some of the first CGI
39:15 In 1977 this was just Star Wars, with no subtitle or episode number. At this time, Vader was not Anakin, Luke and Leia were not siblings, and the Emperor had no name or backstory. All of that would be added into the saga later. When Obi-Wan says "Vader betrayed and murdered your father," it was meant to be literally true. Certainly none of the prequel story had been conceived yet.
To add to this, Lucas had a whole story that he chopped up to make the first Star Wars movie. Any scenes left out due to budget were added into subsequent movies, but at this point he didn't even conceive of Vader being Luke's father. He decided the concept of Anakin's story would be fun to get to, so he changed Star Wars into Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
So yes, Lucas did have a whole story planned out, but we never got to see it because Lucas kept changing it as new ideas came to mind.
Review Conan the barbarian
I have a book that was published in 1979 called The Fantasy Almanac and the entry for Darth Vader specifically names him as Anakin Skywalker, and talks about the volcanic pit he fought Kenobi in, _and posits that Darth is Luke's father._
This was a year before Empire came out.
Still have the book.
But that means the basics of the story were already leaked (I remember hearing bits and pieces as a young boy, even the rumor that it was going to be nine films was already a thing) even though they hadn't been fleshed out in the movies yet.
Btw, I checked the copyright page of my book, it's a second printing, so most likely printed before Empire (1980).
Again one who is misinformed. I KNOW it was called Starwars Episode IV A New hope in 1977. On realise. Because that's when I saw it it he first time. On release. In 1977. With with a poster that said: Starwsrs.Episode IV. A new hope. What you and other say is simply not true.
@@SimonNesgaard Then it's your memory against official LucasFilm sources.
"Will a different actor play Kenobi?"
Well yes. Ewan McGregor was 6 years old when this movie came out, he wasn't really read for the role yet.
She said a lot of dumb things in this video. These UA-camrs are not the smartest.
@@dtz1000 Well that's rude. Intelligence isn't measured by how well you have memorized the dates when Star Wars movies were made.
lol! 🤣
I was thinking the same thing when she said it....
@@corystanish No it's not "rude," it's just being honest... 🤨
Furthermore, you should think before opening your mouth or not say anything at all... 😶
@@Tony-Plinkett Yeah that's something a rude person would say for sure, when sticking up for a fellow rude person
The version she's watching is the revised version, not the original, and she's right about how bad the Jabba scene was, which wasn't in the original, and didn't really need to be added. The stepping on Jabba's tail is so ridiculous.
As a14 year old who saw this in the theatre in 1977, that scene makes me cringe EVERY TIME!
i believe george had all the prints of the original version destroyed
which is sad
What is really ridiculous about the tail walking thing is that it was done for gimmickry's sake and not for any practical reason. Because, in reality if somebody like Han was worried about Jabba having a bounty on his head and he was trying to get in his good graces, he wouldn't be pissing him off by walking on him.
@@loganmaximus2160Actually, it was done because they couldn’t figure out any other way to get Han to walk behind a CGI Jabba.
The scene was filmed with a human stand-in, but Lucas didn’t have the money to insert a stop-motion Jabba in place of the actor. Once CGI was available, George decided to add the scene back in. The trouble- they didn’t know what Jabba would look like when they filmed this and got stuck with a big slug with a tail.
They shrunk him a little so Han could look him in the eye, but the tail walk was just about their only way to complete the scene.
One of the sad thing about the trilogy DVD set from the early 2000s is that in the commentaries, George keeps bemoaning about how much better this or that effect would've been "if done digitally." Yet all of the digital tinkering he did with the trilogy with the intention of "modernizing" it now stands out like a sore thumb, especially the hideously awful musical number in Jabba's palace, while the great practical effects only look better and better. (The bloated Jabba himself should never be seen walking around -- like Paulie in "Goodfellas", he doesn't have to move for anybody.) And the fact that Lucas slathered so much silly digital nonsense into the scene with Luke and Obi-Wan arriving in Mos Eisley seriously undercuts the joyously jump-cut into the alien-filled cantina sequence.
I'm 71 years old now. When I saw this movie for the first time in 1977 I was blown away. As a kid I was a fan of old sci fi books and this movie was those books made real for me. Another amazing thing was that at each of the 4 times I saw it at the end the crowd gave it a standing ovation and cheered.
You only saw it 4 times in the theater? Impressive. Very impressive.
Curious what sci fi books you liked as a kid. Foundation?
What makes Sir Alec Guinness' portrayal of Obi-Wan so good is watching the scene in his hut you get that sense of the history of the prequels and everything that's transpired. Keep in mind, none of that was written yet. This is all in Alec's performance.
When Luke asked what happened to his father, and that brief, uncomfortable pause was amazing. Like he took a few seconds to figure out what to say.
Why Alec Guinness got a percentage of the profits in his contract.
@@rayhill5767 Smart man.
I don't know all of the details, but to answer your question of why everyone keeps pronouncing Leia's name weirdly:
Basically, George Lucas let all the actors say the names however they felt was natural, in order to make the world seem more full, having different accents and ways of speaking to imply that all the characters come from their own backstory in different places in the galaxy. At least, that's what I've heard.
It also has a lot to do with the mix of English and American actors. Carrie Fisher had lived and studied in England at the time and was said to have been intimidated playing opposite veteran actor like Peter Cushing and seems to affect a British accent in episode IV as well. The pronunciation of Han and Alderaan also varies.
Same with how people pronounce Han. They even have an in-universe joke about it in the Solo movie
the older I get (51) the more i appreciate the different pronunciations. I've travelled to 4 of the 5 continents and they pronounce MY name differently in Japan, Uganda, Trinidad, or Venezuela. Different regions ("it's regional," is George Lucas's response to different pronunciations) enunciate different syllables in different orders. For instance, in Uganda, the speak the last half of a word slower and the first half quicker, so "William" sounds like Wil-LEEEEYAAAM," but in Japan the whole word is shorter and brusque, like "Wyim." When you hear words pronounced SLIGHTLY differently, you get a real sense of being SOMEWHERE ELSE than home. It's a nice touch, in addition to the wear and tear he puts on all the set pieces.
They are now instead doing that Queen's English is the language of the Empire.
3PO saying "prin-CESS" instead of the American way to pronounce princess got child me to start saying it the British way decades ago, and I've never stopped.
The two most accomplished actors in this movie are Sir Alec Guinness and Peter Cushing who plays Grand Moff Tarkin (Vader’s boss).
27:23 No. Harrison hadn't done Indiana Jones yet. This movie came out in 1977 and the first Indiana Jones came out in 1981.
So cool!
@@BecauseBecaBeBeca Harrison Ford was in one of George Lucas' first films called 'American Graffiti' (1973), which is a big reason why he was chosen for this role.
@@libertyresearch-iu4fy George had auditioned many others and in fact HF was used in those auditions as a reader as HF was there initially working on lightning and sets. Finally GL decided to offer the role to HF. HF after ANH didn't want to commit to both sequels as MH and CF did. That is why Han's fate was open in the end of ESB and Lando was part in the end was teaming with Chewie... Obviously HF decided to do ROTJ. 😊
@@raybernal6829 As one of the two most recognizable characters Harrison Ford ever played for whatever reason he didn't like playing Han and wanted him dead in ESB. Apparently he only agreed to do The Force Awakens if they killed Han.
@@ronweber1402 then he came back to do a scene in The Rise of Skywalker so nothing is permanent (certainly he did it as a tribute to Carrie).. 🥰
The genius of Alec Guinness is to portray the history of Annakin's back story before that history existed. Watching it now, it totally fits. You can almost imagine Ob-Wan trying to explain it without giving anything away.
Didn't george have a whole 9 part story to begin with but chose to start on part 4, i'm sure he gave AG some extra back story
@@bigstevie1690 He had a long story called The Star Wars planned but what we got here is very different. He didn't have anything major planned about Luke's father. Certainly not that he was Darth Vader.
Yoda is cool but knowing now that obi-wan was originally supposed to be in that role hurts my heart
@@bigstevie1690
No. Lucas had a 12 part story outline, that became his 6 movies. Some material was completely cut, but extensive background was created for I-II-III before 1977. And VII-VIII-IX was supposed to be Luke searching for his sister, training her, and only in the 9th movie Palpatine is defeated by her. Not Luke.
Still, Lucas did not tell anything to Alec Guiness about the Obi-wan / Anakin back story, as that was not developed yet. Sir Alec Guinness did this on his own. Pure genious.
@@fixipszikon6670that’s not correct. He had nothing beyond this first movie planned out before this movie. That’s why it was not called episode 4 until years later when it was a success and then Lucas began to outline 1,2, and 3.
In case no one else mentioned it in the original release in the cantina scene with Greedo, Han shot first...they didn't shoot simultaneously. That was altered much later, about the time as I recall, that it was released on DVD. That was also when the scene with Jabba the Hutt was added. Jabba was only mentioned and not seen in the original release. Another scene that was added was when the Stormtroopers first landed on Tatooine and you can see the troopers riding on the kind of lizard creatures in the background. That was also not in the original 1970s theatrical release.
You are right... in fact, in the original theatrical release, Han not only shot first but he was the only one to shoot.
When the original Star Wars was made in 1977, George Lucas hadn't decided the Anakin Skywalker was Darth Vader and hadn't decided that Luke and Leia were siblings. That was decided in Empire and Jedi respectively.
Plus when this movie was shot there was no plans for any others. It wasn't till they saw the success on this one that they decided for more.
@@davidkrutsinger5414 correct GL only had ideas but nothing tangible
So, its just a coincidence that "father" is "vater" in German? 🙄
@@acecombatter6620 Yes, it is. In the first draft of the script there was a character named Darth Vader that had nothing to do with the protagonist and wasn't even a Force user. Lucas later gave that name to the main villain in the third draft, so he just liked the name.
Lucas wrote the whole trilogy as one story with one death star being destroyed at the end. When they got serious about making it, he saw it was too long so he cut it down and destroyed the death star much earlier.
The fight between Kenobi and Vader is much more realistic, more like an actual sword fight... The prequels got REALLY silly!
Yup. The PT are basically interpretive dance choreography. The OT, especially "Star Wars" was done in the style of Kurosawa and Samurai style of fighting. All of the Lightsaber duels in the OT had deeper emotional meaning as well.
@@sandman_says_runrunner4701 Bob Anderson used a rather outdated view on bastard-sword techniques for Empire and Return, which isn't a surprise given his fencing and stage-fighting background and the lack of research back then (which really began to take off in the early 90's) although he did well with the better known rennaissance styles in other films. The Samurai stuff came from George's vision in terms of intensity between combatants and making conflict about the characters, not the winners.
And remembeer these are light sabres, which are probably way lighter than swords with metal blades and so bounce off each other more forcefully, thus one false move and it will easily travel through your own body.
Plus the way the lightsaber props were built, for this movie only, basically precluded anything really intense for the choreography, or they'd break.
if sabers were used IRL, everyone would fence. All you have to to is get them with the tip, and fencing is how you do so most efficiently. ALL the fights in the films, ALL the fights in ALL the shows are stupid. But cool.
The weird edit you noticed when Han walked behind Jabba and he moved up and down was intentional. It's supposed to look like he stepped on and over Jabba's tail, so that's why he moves up and down like that. That whole scene was actually cut from the original movie. They originally used a live human actor to play Jabba and George didn't like it. When George later went through his re-edting and redoing scenes phase, he added that one back in with a CGI Jabba superimposed over the human actor, and that's when he decided to do the weird edit/tail thing.
17:21: “‘This actor’ playing Obi-Wan…” describing one of the greatest and most revered actors ever. 🙄🎭
If you want to see some acting range from Alec Guinness in a comedy movie, please watch Kind Hearts and Coronets. He is wonderful in lots of movies, and as an older actor in the TV series "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" and "Smiley's People".
@@parissimons6385 And of course "Lawrence of Arabia."
That's Sir Alec Guinness. Sir, because he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
@@parissimons6385 Ladykillers
@@DavidGarcia-kw4sf Bridge on the River Kwai; Great Expectations - that's a David Lean triumvirate of titles with this fine stage and screen actor.
George Lucas re-released the movies in 1997, 2004 and 2011 with additional CGI. The only CGI in 1977 were the death star plans in the mission briefing before the attack. So that was the level of CGI which was possible back then.
Everything else was made practical in the 1977 release. There are comparission videos between the different versions of the movie on youtube.
In Episode VI (released 1983) there is a hologram in another mission briefing. So when you watch that movie, you will see what huge steps CGI made during the only 6 years between 1977 and 1983.
Well stated - when I first heard her say they definitely had CGI in the 70s, I realized how difficult it'd be to say, "Yes, but not like you're imagining," in a way that was comprehensive.
Also worth noting that there wasn't a ton of money spent on the production of this film. The budget was 11 million dollars, which is roughly equivalent to $55 million today.
when they're shooting at the tie fighters from the Millennium Falcon, the tactical display on the guns are CGI, and so are the tactical displays (wireframe graphics) on the targeting computers when they're flying into the death star. 🙂
@@DarkStone1979 It's amazing to think about the fact that this movie had the lowest budget by far of any Star Wars movie ever made.
It would be great if she got a hold of the un-retouched IV-V-VI and see how vastly updated they were!
The torpedo animation is cgi done by the same company that eventually did Tron
The lightsaber fights are different in this movie because they are modeled after the slower, more deliberate Samurai sword fights. Lucas took a lot of inspiration from the classic films by Akira Kurosawa. I'd highly recommend the documentary on the making of this trilogy called Empire of Dreams (it's on Disney+).
They also had a lot of issues to work around. They also couldn’t send the actors on a 6 month training camp like for the prequels. David Prowse had never held a sword, and while Alec Guiness had, he was used to rapiers, and was old. The sabers themselves also broke really, really easily, so they couldn’t really whack them together.
This was FASCINATING to watch... especially for an Oldy McOldface like me who vividly remembers seeing this in 1977!
On one hand, she's very observant of little details in the performances / acting, editing & pacing, and special effects. She's spot on with many of her comments with what looked good/bad, cast chemistry, etc.
On the other hand, she's (understandably) oblivious to just how NEW and ORIGINAL and GROUNDBREAKING and just plain DIFFERENT and UNIQUE this movie was in the context of movies in the mid 1970s. When this first Star Wars film was released, popular culture at that time had nothing to compare it to. There was no Star Wars "universe" or "franchise" to place it in... nobody was thinking of it as the first chapter in a series- the "Episode IV: A New Hope" title card was not in the original release... it was added for the 1981 re-release. The actors in this movie didn't know their characters' full backstories- because they hadn't been written yet!
Not only was there no existing Star Wars franchise to give this movie context in 1977... the whole concept of a movie "franchise" with multiple sequels and recurring characters wasn't even really a thing yet, except for James Bond and Godzilla. And even those two were mostly just a series of standalone stories. Star Wars created the whole genre of blockbuster movie franchises.
My favorite part(s) of this video are...
1. When she compliments Hamill on his acting skill. He was initially criticized for having the weakest acting chops in the core cast, but I think his enthusiasm served the character well.
2. When she caught herself hating on the Lightsaber duel, then slowly realized that she was comparing it to a ton of other Lightsaber scenes that were created long after this first one. For the first 4 years of the Star Wars "universe" this was the ONLY Lightsaber fight we had to obsess over! So for us oldies, it is iconic. Each Lightsaber duel that came after it had to "out-do" the ones before it, so at this point they are almost comically "epic" in comparison to this first one.
3. How she repeatedly compliments how good the "CGI" is in this movie... not realizing none of those scenes had actual CGI. But the one special effects scene she calls out for looking bad happens to be the one CGI scene in the movie that was added 20 years later (Jabba). This feels like confirmation for those of us who prefer the original 1977 version over this "Special Edition" and its distracting additions.
Based on what she liked about this- her appreciation of deliberate pacing, editing and acting... I think she's gonna love ESB. Can't wait to watch her react to that classic! And after she finishes the original trilogy, I'd recommend watching the documentaries Empire of Dreams and Light & Magic... they are fascinating.
I agree, especially regarding her watching ESB, Darth Vader at his most ruthless.
Empire Strikes Back is the very best Star Wars movie of them all (in my personal opinion), but still needed the ground breaking Star Wars (77) to set it up.
The 77 theatrical release brought swashbuckling romance, adventure, and fun to science-fiction/fantasy that wasn't present in sci-fi movies prior to it (except perhaps a couple of scenes in "Forbidden Planet"). I couldn't believe how quickly that movie went; it seems funny to think she feels this movie's pace is slow, maybe it is, in comparison to current film offerings, but back then it was all over all too soon.
Another point she made, that I find interesting, is that they built up the characters so that we'd feel for them (have an affinity with who they were), even after all this time has passed I clearly recall the characters' names, I can't say the same for many/any of the characters names from many recent movies. We don't have any feeling/empathy for them. Name one character from "Avatar" for instance (without "Googling" it!), yet even "minor" part players in "Star Wars" even the likes of Uncle Owen, and Aunt Beru are easily recalled decades later (by the way, I only saw the theatrical releases once each, until the release of the special edition VHS tapes, and even then I only saw each film maybe twice more). No such caring, empathy, affinity is felt for characters in current/recent blockbusters.
Well no. Serialized movies had been a thing right from the silent era onward. Complete with cliffhangers tied to the rail tracks with a steam train barreling down. Then in the next episode there is the continuity breaking of suddenly free from the ropes and escaped after all!
Of course, to those of us who saw the original trilogy when it came out and understood that the lightsaber duel choreography was based on the idea of "How would samurai katana fights have evolved if the blades were vorpal?", it looks far more realistic than the nonsense that came later in the prequel movies where nobody in their right mind, no matter how skilled, would fight that way with weapons as dangerous (especially to themselves) as lightsabers.
But if you can literally see the immediate future you can afford a couple of stylish pirouettes here and there to intimidate your opponent 😜
@@7Rendar Not if your opponent can do the exact same thing, that leaves you at square one
@@roguehart Knowing something will happen and being able to stop/counter it are two different things.
@@7Rendar yes but the advantage of foresight disappears when your opponent also have foresight.
@@roguehart Sure, but there's a difference between how much foresight you have and how well you're able to react to it changing on you on a split seconds notice. That's what makes a pirouette in combat so intimidating - you're basically showing off.
Or maybe it's just because they thought it would look cooler on film. 🤷♂🤷♂
R2D2 and C3PO bicker like that because they're based on the two main characters from the Akira Kurosawa film - The Hidden Fortress.
The reason why the CGI in The Phantom Menace looks bad by today's standards is that it was one of the first movies to fully utilize CGI. Jar Jar was the first fully CGI character in a live action movie. George Lucas was pushing ILM on what was possible with the technology of the time.
Now, as for A New Hope, originally, there was no CGI in the entire movie. The only thing that was created with a computer was the Death Star Plans. Everything, the dogfights, the Jawa sandcrawler, the trench run, was made with miniatures and robotic control. This was also pushing what was possible with the technology of the time. In every movie, George Lucas and ILM largely revolutionized special effects technology.
In the 90s, George Lucas was testing the capabilities of CGI by reworking certain shots in the Original Trilogy for the DVD re-release. And that's why some scenes look like old CGI. For example, the Jabba scene was originally cut from the movie. Originally, the actor for Jabba was just a human. When he turned Jabba into a slug, he had to move Han Solo to step over his tail.
Really interesting! Poor Jar Jar. Get's a lot hate yet was the first fully CGI action character!
I think the CGI in Phantom Menace is fine. The pod race looks incredible and the likes of Jar Jar and Watto generally look good. Jar Jar is a distraction, not because he's CGI but because of the character. It's a testament to the cgi that the complaints about Jar Jar are directed towards the performance, not the technology.
Given that Phantom Menace was more or less contemporary to Lord of the Rings, and the LotR CGI was superb, I don't think that's much of an argument. Also, Phantom Menace was half a decade after Jurassic Park, which looked better with earlier tech.
I really think TOM his up very well. Some of it is even better than the two next movies
@@BlunderMunchkinyeah. I always say that JURASSIC PARK came out long before and looked better.
One thing Star Wars got right was the *FEELING* of a heroes journey. Luke looking at the sunset, you really get a feeling that he just has a driving need to get off this rock and see the galaxy. It’s something modern Star Wars has severely lacked.
George Lucas utilized the works of Joseph Campbell, who did a lot of research into common themes in the stories of world cultures. One such theme is "the hero's journey." Look into that and you'll see how many elements GL used: the young innocent farm boy, the elderly experienced mentor, the princess in need of rescue, the rogue, venturing into the unknown and returning much wiser...
There was also the hard work Luke had to put in to go from sniveling teenager to Jedi.
Of course, Rey didn't have to do anything. She just suddenly became a Jedi Master, all she needed was to pick up a lightsaber. Story telling!
even just 12 minutes into seeing you react for the first time, you're so genuine and i like that you're going more into production details which i also really enjoy thinking about...subbed ☺️🤗
Thanks for being here!
There is a reason why the scene where Han walks behind Jabba and steps on his tail doesn’t look right. In the original shoot, Jabba was a human and played by a normal actor. That entire scene was cut from the film. Later in Return of the Jedi, Jabba is shown for the first time as a slug like alien. And about 14 years later this scene was added back in for the Special Edition, with Jabba edited to his familiar appearance.. But in the original shoot, Han walked behind the human actor. They had to do something about the fact that it was impossible for Han to walk there. So they kind of cut /paste Han’s movement upwards to indicate that he stepped up on Jabba’s tail. It doenst look quite right, but bear in mind that CGI was nothing like it is now, and Lucasfilm was inventing the techniques on the fly for these scenes. That is also why Han says “Jabba you are are wonderful human being.” It is an artifact from the original script. It was flattery back then and now perhaps mocking sarcasm.
It makes sense to me that being called a human would probably hit about the same for a hutt as it would for a human to be called a slug. Unflattering, to say the least, “wonderful” or not.
he stepped on Jabbas tail. thats why the the upstep
The shoot never made it to the screen. I saw this when it first came out and Jabba was a slug
"Vader is so calm, when you need to calm down, you should just take a deep breath and exhale slowly like Vader does, very meditative"
Vader: *Lungs burn to a crips, wears a life-support machine that has to breathe for him, in constant pain because of a suit and prosthetics designed to be uncomfortable on Palpatine's orders, has to meditate in a mechanical sphere not just to try and stay sane, but also because it's the only sealed environment he can survive without his mask on.*
Yes, *VERY* calm and meditative. 😅
"These fight scenes just come off comical after watching the prequels." And now you know one of the reasons why people ask for reactors to watch in release order.
Ironically, these fight scenes were inspired by historical fighting and samurai techniques. It's the modern nonsense that's comical.
@@headhunter1945 Nonsensical, yes, but there is the Rule of Cool.
@@cyberingcatgirls7069 Well, it's a matter of taste and what you're accustomed to. To me, who has spent a lot of time in HEMA and such, the nonsense just ain't cool. However, of course, if you really wanna make bank, you make the masses happy.
@@cyberingcatgirls7069💯
@headhunter1945 That would be accurate to describe Empire Strikes Back where they were able to get someone who could duel in the Vader costume. In this, David Prowse was attempting to do his own fight scenes.
Or, you could argue that their cyadica was acting up
Most of your comments illustrate why watching the series in the original order is so effective. You came into this with so many preconceived notions that it might not have been as exciting as being oblivious to the truth. Especially ep 5 and 6 won't have as much impact since you know the big mysteries already (vader-daddy, leia-sister).
To be honest, I saw the prequels when I was really young and barely understood them, but I always knew those spoilers growing up. I don’t think when I saw the movies as a kid that I understood really the luke/leia stuff. However, it was so talked about that it was almost impossible to avoid. People in school would quite “Luke, I am your father” or joke about luke and leia. So since I already knew these spoilers, I decided to watch it as an adult as 1-6 and I have to say i’m glad I did. For me, watching 1-6 made Vader’s story incredibly impactful and heartbreaking. (Stayed tunes fir the other commentaries) I would definitely say that if you have somehow avoided these major spoilers, you should watch them as they were released.
What many people miss about the "mysteries" is that they were never mysteries to be solved. We didn't wonder who Luke's father was, we already knew: it's Anakin. We didn't wonder who Luke's sister was, that was never even a question until it's revealed. They were unexpected twists. The mistake in the Sequels (7, 8, 9) is to set up mysteries to be solved (which lead to wild speculation and unsatisfying resolutions) instead of just revealing them.
I WANT to see more people watch 1-6. I think Anakin falling to the dark side is FAR more powerful and surprising than vader being lukes father.
@@theendistheend123 Ben Spiller is one of them, he's doing everything in chronological order.
Most people do know the main spoilers of the original trilogy, and chronological order just makes more sense for newcomers now, with all the content available. Even George Lucas himself said chronological order is the way to go. People stick with release order because they just want people to experience it the way they did. Vader being Luke's father is one of the most well known things in pop culture whether you've seen Star Wars or not.
I was 13 years old in 1977 when I saw Star Wars in the Movie theatre. The Special effects were ahead of its time. It was originally just called Star Wars because George Lucas did not know if he would be allowed to make more Star Wars Movies. It was renumbered Episode IV when Episode V The Empire Strikes Back was released in 1980. George Lucas started with the first movie of his middle trilogy.
And it's very much open to debate how much of that original trilogy he had mapped out. He sure as heck didn't plan to have Leia be Luke's sister from the beginning.
CHAPTER IV yes? I grew up on chapters. Episodes were a prequel thing. I hated the change.
(Sadly too young to have seen the OT in theaters but grew up on the vhs)
fun fact: the only CG in the original release of Star Wars 77 release were the actual Death Star plans That were shown on their screen which we see at the end as they plan their attack. 38:05
When it comes to the saber fighting in this movie, what you've got is 62 year old Alec Guinness, who had a lot of experience with classical European fencing, facing off against David Prowse wearing a costume that severely limited his vision and movement. That meant it had to be restrained. George Lucas also wanted it not to look anything like traditional western sword fighting seen in other movies, so he based it on Japanese Kendo fighting which uses wooden swords and a combat style revolving around a quick attack and then withdraw technique.
Why did they start with Episode 4? - They didn't. The Episode 4 heading was added on a rerelease after 20th Fox asked for a sequel. When this movie was first released it was simply titled Star Wars. George Lucas decided to go with Episode 4 because he wanted it to feel like the old cinema serials he used to watch as a kid where, if you hadn't seen the first couple of episodes at the cinema in previous weeks, you'd come in and have to try to piece together what you'd missed in the previous episodes. That actually makes a lot of sense since this movie sets up and alludes to a whole galactic history that people hadn't seen and weren't intended to see at this point. It was just supposed to be backstory to make the world feel more real and whole.
Did Lucas have the whole series planned out when he made this? - No, Lucas did not come up with the idea that Luke and Leia were siblings until the third movie, so you should probably try to set aside your confusion and queasiness at them kissing. There's nothing to it in this movie, Leia only gives Luke a peck on the cheek for luck. The kiss in Empire is different because she does it specifically to make Han jealous.
Someone remade the Vader/Obi fight... ua-cam.com/video/to2SMng4u1k/v-deo.html
It wasn't a peck on the cheek. That was edited in years later when full-on-the-lips movie kiss was spawning memes.
Sir Alec Guinness, playing Obi-Wan hated the script, he called it "childish" and "space wizards" but he owed George a favour and said something like
"I ll do it. I will have 2% of the worth of Star Wars. If it flops, you got me for free."
One of the best deals in movie history. The Guinness family got paid as long as George owned it. When Alac Guinnes died, he had made around 100 million $.
Guinness actually did grow to appreciate the mythology by the time of the second movie.
He owed Lucas nothing. He did it because Lucas was upcoming and script was a page turner despite the dialogue.
Can anyone here provide sources?
@@miralande220 yes, i cant Post the link, but here on YT search Alec Guinness about Star Wars 1977 He Talks about, the stuff not beeing for him but still turning pages, the Bad dialouge and what he wanted George to change and the 2% of Star Wars he asked for
@@miralande220 no they can’t. It’s all head cannon. 😂😂😂
There was no CGI back in 1977. This was all custom model work. George Lucas literally had to invent the special effects industry to make this film.
Umm, no - CGI was NOT around in the 70s. I mean, it was....but in very primitive forms and even the simplest wireframe graphics took ages to render. The tech wasn't sufficiently developed to be particularly useful in feature films. In fact, the ONLY CGI in Episode IV is the wireframe animation of the Deathstar plans. But Lucas constantly revisited, revised, and added to the films as new tech became available to him so there's been quite a bit of CGI added well after the fact.
If you're interested in a REALLY in-depth look at how the original effects were done, I highly recommend finding a copy of Industrial Light & Magic: The Art of Special Effects. It's a very detailed and beautifully illustrated book that spends a lot of time on the Star Wars films...along with others, of course. I have a copy in hardcover - I've not seen it in a paperback version but that doesn't mean they don't exist. lol
Technically, CGI in films has been around since the 50's, the first use being "Vertigo" with its opening sequence spirals. The first combination of live action and CGI, or what we think of it as today, being "Tron" in 1982.
You are spot on though with the only CGI in "Star Wars" being the wire frame Death Star and Trench Run.
She should watch the Theatrical Releases to fully appreciate the original effects. The SE are sacrilege!
Members of the main cast used to say to George Lucas "You can write this shit, but you can't say it."
And then he was nominated for Best Original Screenplay lol
Yes all three MH HF and CF have all said that on interviews 😂
but I thought crummy dialogue was only an issue with Disney SW... 😜😜
@@kaygee2121No, it’s quite obvious on the prequels
@@goldenageofdinosaurs7192 indeed!
Image being 14 year old me in 1977, hearing the sound track album at a friend’s house and thinking, “Hm, I gotta see this.” Then getting my mind absolutely blown away as it’s never been since. Magic!
Keep on mind that this was a stand alone movie originally just called "Star Wars" when it was first released. No one expected that there would be a sequel until it became such a big hit.
Beca
Original Obi wan Kenobi was played legendary British actor named Sir Alec Guinness. Guinness and Peter Cushing (Tarkin) had long legendary careers.
As far as I'm concerned, this is THE ONLY Star Wars movie.
It is a complete story, with a beginning, middle, and end.
It stands completely on its own.
Prequels were unnecessary. Everything we needed to know was in the opening crawl.
Retroactively deeming this "Episode 4" somewhat undermines its importance as the first movie from which all the rest of the franchise was spawned.
While other movies have made more money, none of them have surpassed the impact of the original Star Wars movie. It was quite the cultural (global) phenomenon!
Your perspective is interesting because it is based in film studies. You had many questions, so after seeing V and VI, I recommend watching the various behind the scenes "making of" type documentaries on the films.
Star Wars came only from Lucas. We in 1977 had no idea what Star Wars was before seeing the movie (a novel was produced based on the movie beforehand as promotion, but that was little read before the premiere). I can assure you that the lightsaber fight was extremely impressive back then. :)
All of us post 1950s audiences are used to the modern method acting techniques that feel authentic to us. In the six Lucas episodes (I though VI), he was going for an older style since Lucas imagined Star Wars being a modern version of the old Flash Gordon serials he saw in theaters as a kid. Star Wars movies open with scrolling text because the Flash Gordon serials did.
There was NO CGI in 1977. It"s complicated by the fact that George Lucas insisted on adding CGI scenes for the Special Edition 20th Anniversary versions, and that is all that exists any more.
The scenes flying through space were mostly done with miniatures.
I still have my original versions on VHS. Sadly, I have no machine to play them on. Given that they haven't been played in about 20 years, I don't wanna know what condition the ribbon is in
@@Hoeech I have the originals on LaserDisc! I also haven't played them in about 20 years.... I should try
Yes there was, in fact CGI in films has been around since the 50's. The wire frame Death Star and Trench Run were CGI.
TBF, Ben Kenobi is old and Darth Vader is a quadriplegic on extreme life support. But it's also important to note that Obi-Wan was most likely stalling for time rather than going all out.
42:14 “I’ll try spinning. That’s a good trick.”
Nine year old Anakin actually saved Vader’s life right there.
I know this is a joke but I think the spinning lart do this wasn't much of a choice.
*42:09
The 10 min battle in the end was the most incredible experience in movie theater in 1977 !!!! NOBODY ever saw a scene like that in the movie history !!! young generation are spoiled by today CGI. But OK Avatar movie was an incredible exprience too !
Remember, the video games going through the deathstar's trench? I played that so many times...wow the quarters we all dumped into the arcades of the '80's!
I saw this movie in the theater with my dad... I was 6 almost 7 years old. it is the first movie I can remember seeing in the theater. to this day, when the throne room scene starts at the end, and Willam's score kicks in... I get chills and a tear comes to my eye. Almost 50 years later... and every time that scene starts, the little boy watching the heroes getting their medals in the theater, a life now changed by the most incredible thing my little mind had ever tried to comprehend, comes back. it's viceral... ethereal. dom... da-da-dom... da-da-dom dom dom dom dom-dom-dom Dom da-da-dom... I seriously get choked up every time still to this day.
So much that you remember from the prequels just hadn't been thought of in 1977, but it's still interesting to watch people view "A New Hope" through that lens
CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) wasn't a thing (at least not for special FX) until the 1980s, which were very unrealistic (check out the movie The Last Starfighter to see what I mean). Before that (and in large part in the 1980s too) it was mostly limited to images seen on a computer screens. It wasn't until the 1990s that more realistic CGI came into being (Young Sherlock Holmes, Jurassic Park, etc). The CGI creatures in this version of Star Wars (including Jabba the Hutt) were not in the original 1977 release-they were added for the 1996 re-release. Before CGI in the 90s FX were all practical-makeup, puppets, models (using motion controlled cameras), claymation/stop motion, or matte painting.
Vader's breathing was added later. It was the sound designer Ben Burtt who put a small microphone in a scuba oxygen mask and he breathed through it.
When it comes to Vader, two people played him: David Prowse as his body and James Earl Jones (who also voiced Mufasa in The Lion King) as his voice. George Lucas didn't intend on using Prowse voice as he had a Bristol accent (Carrie Fisher called him Darth Farmer) and Vader needed to sounding more intimidating. At first Orson Welles was going to voice him but he was too recognizeable so Jones was chosen.
Keep in mind these lightsabers were practical and to get the cool effect they had to you a very fragile material. Anytime the actors applied the least bit of force, they would snap in half.
I looked at the fight between Obi Wan and Vader as they were both older and weaker. Last time they fought each other they were much younger. It dose look silly today but episode 5 and 6 improved big time on the lightsaber fights.
That fragility resulted in a sword fight that looks more realistic than the cartoonish fighting in the prequels.
I saw Star Wars in the theater when it first came out, when we were away on a family trip to visit family in northern California. Me and my cousins were taken to the theatre to see a movie, so adults could visit, having no idea what Star Wars was, and the impact it would have on all of our lives. Over the next many years, there wasn't a Star Wars release that I wasn't in some movie theater parking lot, lining up for the midnight opening showing.
11:55 Keep in mind, the entire "sister" revelation was a plot twist in Episode VI. Star Wars was thought of as a generic Hero's Quest movie. There's an evil empire, and there's a beautiful princess to rescue. Of course the hero has to have a romantic interest in her, otherwise the plot doesn't make sense. (This is why watching the prequels first is considered a bad idea; you don't get the "first time watcher" experience)
I was 17 when Star Wars was first released. I got to watch the first screening of it. In San Diego. David Prause and Kenny Baker were there. It was amazing. The theater was a single screen theater and had recently been renovated with surround sound. People stood and applauded. Most even stayed to watch the credits. As there are no opening credits.
When it was just called Star Wars not A New Hope
Keep in mind that, when this was made Anakin and Darth Vader WERE separate people. It wasn't until later that Lucas made them the same person, due to story/casting constraints. Also, the lightsabers were prohibitively expensive, so the choreography was restrained to make sure they weren't damaged.
Everything in those sentences is wrong. And I am not the last Jedi.
It was not due to any "constraints."
And the lightsabers weren't expensive. They were sticks, with the glowing effect drawn onto the film later.
@@elbrucesthey were delicate rotating sticks with movie screen reflective tape on them
Really appreciated the film and acting perspective. I enjoy watching people experience the originals for the first time, both your watching them in episode order and your extra perspective made it fun to watch. Looking forward to seeing more. I do wonder how the side stories might have landed for you, but you have time to go back to them later. Thanks!
Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment! 💚
The movie had a budget of 10 Million when it was made in 1977, which would be about 55 Million adjusted for inflation in today's money. That's an indie movie by today's standards.
Even in 1977, 10 million wasn't a lot for a film. Even with that small amount, something like 7-8 million of the budget went into trying to get the special effects right, as they were inventing a lot of techniques on the fly.
@@homiedclown It helps that massive name actors weren't massive named actors yet (except Alec Guinness & Peter Cushing, but they didn't have that much of screentime).
If you like realistic warmovies, go rewatch Platoon (1986), now armed with the knowledge it was actually an indie movie too.
One thing you have to keep in mind here, Vader doesn't know about Anakin's children. He's under the belief he killed her on Mustafar. Leia was adopted by Senator Organa of Alderaan, and her adoptive mother was a Queen there, if I recall correctly, thus her being a Princess.
But you are right that the Clones have been phased out by this point, replaced by Storm Troopers.
Anakin was supposed to be the Chosen One. The Darth Plagueous book talks about Plagueous and Sidious performing a powerful Dark Side Ritual, and the Force struck back by creating a powerful Light Sided being. But the fight between Qui-Gon and Maul was appropriately titled "Duel of the Fates", with Anakin's fate being in question. If Qui-Gon had won, he would have raised Anakin as a Father figure, and his looser interpretation of the Jedi Code. Since Maul won, Anakin was raised by Obi-Wan, who raised him more as a brother, and his rigid interpretation of the Jedi Code.
Dang! That’s so cool.
He was in the end though
@@BecauseBecaBeBecaSome other media also confirms that Anakin is the Chosen One, but some characters in Star Wars think that Luke is.
@@BecauseBecaBeBecaI’d like to pinch your cheeks
There was a lot of attrition of clones, their growth had been accelerated and at this stage the youngest clones would have been physically 40 years old and Kaminoan society was destroyed by the Galactic Empire to stop rivals using the cloning technology.
I always like sharing this with people.
The Xwing pilot Wedge. Is actually Ewan McGregor's uncle in real life.
Crazy surreal huh?! 🤯😁
22:01 Jabba was originally supposed to be a human who spoke English (with a heavy accent). Somewhere along the line, the giant slug we all know was added in afterwards, so when Han walked behind him, they had to get creative, knowing Jabba has a thick tail. It made the line "Jabba, you're a wonderful human being" funny retroactively, too.
That makes sense! I didn't catch that line but that's hilarious!
@@BecauseBecaBeBeca That scene didn't even appear in the original theatrical release. It was shot with an actor playing Jabba as human but was cut and only re-added much, MUCH later, long after Jabba's final look had been established in Return of the Jedi. So, not only did they have to cover up the actor in the footage, but when Han walked around him, he now had to (disrespectfully, to be sure) step up on Jabba's tail....and THAT bit of digital manipulation looks particularly janky.
@@Pixelologist What's worse is that there's duplicate dialogue in the added scene; some of what Hans says to Jabba is the same as what he said to Greedo.
The original scene is on the disks of the films, as well as on UA-cam and similar sites.
I think that either they shouldn't have included the Jabba scene or that they should have made him a hologram. I don't buy the whole "stepping on the tail" thing. Jabba would have had a very different reaction if someone did that to him.
"Where did Star Wars come from?"
Flash Gordon was a big influence on Lucas in writing Star Wars. That and it's the classical hero's journey. Other than being in space, it's typical fantasy with a Princess in peril, Wizards and the farm boy who discovers his true destiny to be a hero.
About starting with Episode 4, Lucas has said that he had overall story for prequel and sequel trilogies when he wrote Ep. 4, but when the film was made, it wasn't "Episode 4." It didn't say "A NEW HOPE" at the beginning of the text crawl. It was just STAR WARS. When they made the first sequel, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, they went back and added Episode IV: A New Hope to the first film for all future releases.
Also, theres a really cool reimagined fan-made cut of the Obi Wan vs Vader dueling scene that i have to admit is much better than the original. The dueling scenes are definitely something George improved on a lot in the prequels compared to the original trilogy.
I've always assumed he started at four because he was referencing the old movie serials from his childhood. You'd go to the theater, get not just a feature, but also a lot of short serial episodes and cartoons, and you wouldn't know which episode you got unless you went every week. You might get one Flash Gordon serial or another. So you were often thrown into the middle of the story.
Initially, the theatrical release didn't have any episode number, but after it was a smash success and they knew for a fact they were going to make a trilogy and they anticipated prequels, they re-released it with the inclusion of Episode IV in the opening crawl.
@@janetcarr1576 Yes, but it was clearly starting mid-story, as if there was story before that we missed. The scrolling text at the start functions as a recap before this episode. Adding "Episode IV" to it only accented the feel of coming into the middle of a sequence of serials.
That's exactly correct. Lucas himself stated as much in an interview, though I don't recall the source. He was a huge fan of the old serials and wanted to replicate the feeling of coming into the middle of an ongoing story. That's also the reason for the opening scroll, which orients the viewer in the same way the opening narration did in old WW2 newsreels. The technique is even used more directly in the Clone Wars series, with a literal narrator.
There is some serious revisionist history about Star Wars being a hexalogy, or even a trilogy. The "Episode IV subtitle in the opening crawls was not originally part of the movie, and it is unnecessary to get the in media res feel of old Flash Gordon serials. In reality, the basic story of Star Wars is Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress" with some pulp adventure added on. Moreover, we can tell that the Star Wars films and the prequels being some pre-planned "Saga of Darth Vader" is a complete lie. If we look at Vader's character in this movie alone, it is clear that he is *not* the big bad or the Emperor's right hand. In this movie, he is simply the muscle. Grand Moff Tarkin has no problem ordering him around, Princess Leia is clearly under the impression, as is everyone else, that, scary as Vader might be, he is not calling the shots - Tarkin is. The other military officers are in no way afraid to talk disrespectfully to Vader, and even though he does demonstrate his Force powers on one of them, there is no indication that he is at liberty to use them when and however he wants.
SPOILERS BELOW
Once we get to Empire, there is a remarkable switch in Vader's character. He *does* become the Emperor's right hand in that movie, apparently with the power to do what he wants with an entire fleet and accompanying ground forces. *This* is when the "Saga" that Lucvs has claimed the franchise to be started. However, even with this, we see that the character relationships had yet to be fleshed out - in particular Luke and Leia being siblings. The reason why Luke and Leia are siblings is because the filmmakers were able to get Harrison Ford back for the third movie. Alan Dean Foster's 1978 "Splinter in the Mind's Eye" was based upon an outline that Lucas had prepared for a budget Star Wars sequel in the event that the original film bombed. Of course it was a blockbuster, so he got to make Empire Strikes Back instead. However, in Foster's original novel (I understand that more recent printings have reconned the text), the Luke-Leia romance was furthered, thereby demonstrating that Lucas had not always planned to have them be siblings. Moreover, Empire also advances this potential romance because of Leia's affection towards Luke both on Hoth and at the end. Had she always been intended to be his sister, it would not have been portrayed as it was because the whole unintentional incest trope is for K-Dramas, not Western space opera. Knowing the behind-the-scenes story, it is clear that the development of the Han-Leia romance in Empire created a serious love triangle problem once Han Solo was to survive the carbonite freezing and then rescued. Lando was initially supposed to replace Han as the rouge-with-a-heart-of-gold archetype, and with Han out of the way, Luke and Leia could get together. However, with Han back, the filmmakers needed a way to resolve the love triangle such that nobody "loses" or has hard feelings. By making Leia to be Luke's sister, it conveniently gets him out of the love triangle while maintaining everybody's friendship with each other as it was before.
There is also some lazy retconning from the prequels, but I am done writing for now.
While "Episode IV: A New Hope" wasn't in the original 1977 version, the second movie did start off with "Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back" and the next year, in a 1981 re-release, is when the number and subtitle were added to the opening scroll of the first movie.
And yes, it was in order to create the feel of being parts in the middle of an ongoing serial. There were no plans at the time to go back and actually create episodes 1 through 3 or 7 and beyond.
Remember that this first Star Wars film had no world building yet. Obi-Wan's past was vague, as was Vader's, Luke and Leia weren't siblings, and even the Emperor wasn't fleshed out. By the time of the prequels there had been hundreds of comic books, novels, art guides, video games, and assorted merchandise that helped define the Star Wars galaxy more.
In The Empire Strikes Back, they still didn't know what the emperor looked like.
The footage they used was of course later overwritten by Lucas.
Interestingly in the novelization there was a short prologue which made the Emperor out to be an idiot who was manipulated by the Senate.
Sir Alec Guinness had no "history" of Obi-Wan to reference. He and Lucas CREATED all of it from scratch. Alec Guinness was one of the greatest actors ever. Also, EVERYTHING was practical in the late 1970s when they made this. Models, puppets, suits... Only in 1999 did Lucas add some CGI elements in certain scenes. Regarding the cost: they made Star Wars for 10 million, as opposed to the couple HUNDRED million that Disney poured into each sequel.
Dunno if anyone explained this earlier, but in regard to your asking about why Lucas started with Ep 4... He had wanted to recreate the old adventure reel style of movie storytelling he had grown up with (in fact, he'd wanted to do Flash Gordon but couldn't get the rights) and had a whole multipart general story outline for it. However, he didn't know how well the first installment would go over and didn't want to be stuck having made a movie with "Part One" in the title and never have a 'Part Two' etc. So, Lucas took the part that made the best standalone story, simply titled it "Star Wars" and that's how it started. It went over so well he was guaranteed a chance to continue the story, with the next one being "Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back" right from the start... the original was retroactively titled "Episode IV: A New Hope" for its rerelease before the debut of Empire.
He had a 12-part story in mind, inspired by the 12-part black-and-white cliffhanger serials from the 40s. He wanted to do twelve two-hour movies (grouped as four trilogies) of a larger story, rather than twelve 20-minute episodes, and wanted them to come out three years apart, 1977-2010. He started with the second trilogy, which (intentionally or not) mirrors the way Wagner wrote the Ring of the Nibelung cycle of operas in the 1800s, starting with #2 and then writing #1, 3, and 4. By the time GL had made three movies (now called episodes 4-6), he had a family and didn't want this project to consume his whole life, so he took a break. Unfortunately, he ended up selling Lucasfilm to Disney, and they took the story in weird directions. I don't fault him for selling, because he deserves to be rewarded for what he did; I'm just sad that his original vision got hijacked.
Actually "Star Wars" wasn't officially re-titled until a year AFTER "The Empire Strikes Back" had been theatrically released. There was a lot of confusion over "Empire" having "Episode V:" in front of it. "What is that title all about?" was the comment of the day. "Star Wars" had a theatrical re-release in 1981 and that's when it debuted the new "Episode IV: A New Hope" sub-title.
Other than re-doing the opening crawl to account for the added sub-title (and the added time length affecting the music beats during the pan down revealing the 1, 2 and 3 planets in view so that the beats are now slightly off), nothing else was changed. Unless you want to discuss the slight sound mix differences between the mono, Dolby Stereo and 6-track 70mm mixes during the theatrical release. And which was used and what was re-mixed again for the various home video releases over the years up to the Special Editions and their various home video relesaes. That can be a whole other discussion.
Since the first home video release ever of "Star Wars" wasn't until '82, the new sub-title was now permanently burned into everyone's minds from then on.
FYI Vader never says “ Luke I Am Your Father”
Yup, Stockholm syndrome. I was shocked when I first hears about that.
@@perssontm1628I think you mean the Mandela Effect. Stockholm syndrome is where a kidnapped person starts to feel for their kidnapper.
@@Ravenpoe121 Oh dang you're right, i mixed them up.
close enough
one of the most misquoted lines in cinema history 😅
The crappy Jabba scene was added in 1997 using CGI, which they didn’t have in 1997. And Star Wars was mot much more than an indie movie put out by George Lucas. It was not a big studio thing with a huge budget. They found creative ways to make all of the models & sets look awesome. Many are just paintings!
When this first came out there was no plan for a second one. This was actually an independent film and went over budget. The studio was really pissed because they took a chance and almost closed it down. This all happened decades before the Internet, but the hype was so immense, there were lines wrapped around theaters for days before the movie came out. I actually saw this when it was first released
Thank you, so many people think GL had some grand plan, but the studio wasn’t expecting SW to make any real money (that’s why Lucas successfully retained the merchandising rights, or a good chunk of them, I forget) its surprising success then led to Empire and Jedi.
Heck, Anakin and Vader were two different people until right before ESB, Leia wasn’t Luke’s sister..
@@tonyclements1147 What happened with the merchandising and sequel rights is that after American Graffiti became a huge hit, Fox wanted to ensure they held on to Lucas because he was the hot new director in town so they offered to renegotiate his contract and give him more money. Lucas declined but asked for the sequel and merchandising rights. Nobody expected the movie to get a sequel and merchandising wasn't really a thing so Fox agreed.
Then of course Star Wars became a massive hit. Kenner Toys were overwhelmed and rushed to make Star Wars toys that didn't come out for a year so at Christmas, kids would get vouchers for Star Wars toys that didn't exist yet. Fox owned that movie and made a lot of money but had no power over the now inevitable sequels and so Lucas held them over a barrel and gave them distribution rights for the sequels on his terms (though Fox did get to improve the deal somewhat after they helped Lucas secure a loan to fund Empire).
@@jedsithor
I was one of the “early bird” kids that got the voucher, I miss my collection..I had everything until the SW Droids cartoon merch came out. It’s insane how much the original trilogy figures, vehicles and playsets are going for nowadays.
George Lucas had written a much longer story and plot ideas but he knew it was too long and he had to shorten it to make this one a commercial success to get more funding. SO the first movie was like the first third of his story BUT much of the remaining story was dropped and much more stuff was added by the time Empire and Return were made. The story morphed.
Like Avatar in 09’, its success was largely in its effects.
There's a Akira Kurosawa movie called The Hidden Fortress. It was a big influence of George Lucas. The story is about a samurai who has to escort a princess across enemy lines the story is told through the eyes of a pair of lowly foot soldiers. The starwars story is told through the eyes of the two Droids. And jabs was a add-on scene after the film was updated and the name was changed to "A New Hope" the film was originally a single sand alone movie . The whole story was still to be developed.
And the light saber fights are based on sword fights you never turn your back to your enemy, the modern fights are stupid and would get the person killed , this leads to why the later movies with ray in are not liked. The Jedi train for years to master combat techniques with a light saber there is no way that Ray should be able to beat kylo ren without many years of training.
Lucas would go back and basically use some of those elements of the Hidden Fortress in the Phantom Menace.
The number and name "Episode IV: A New Hope" was added in a 1981 re-release to bring it in line with Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. So while it's not original to the 1977 version, it came well before the 20th anniversary release in 1997, which is when most of the other big changes (particularly CGI) came in.
Those two clowns were soldiers? I thought they were just house servants.
The attack on the Death Star is very similar to Maverick's attack in Top Gun 2
You can find a remastered version w/o George Lucas's updated special effects called "Harmy's Star Wars: A New Hope (Despecialized Edition)". Fans scanned the original 1977 film into 2k format, cleaned it up (frame by frame) and fixed the color grading. It's for people who LEGALLY BOUGHT the original Star Wars (vhs/ laserdisc/ dvd) but want to show a 2k/4k version for their home theater.
P.S. You can find on UA-cam, side-by-side comparisons between the Special Edition and Harmy's Despecialized scenes. These short videos are worth the watch for a film geek like yourself (w/o having to slowly download GBs of data & burn them onto multiple blu-ray compatible discs).
I 1000% recommend watching Harmy's recut. It's the best version you will see that's as close to what the original theatrical release looked like as possible. It takes OUT all the janky CGI that feels so out of place and restores it to how it was originally presented.
4K77, 4K80, and 4K83 are also solid choices.
Why would fans bother "fixing" it, when the DVDs come with both remastered and original theatrical release versions? Just get a legit 20th anniversary DVD and watch the theatrical release version that's on disc 2. Those should still be available, aren't they?
@@Niwashi_ The problem with those releases is that they are old standard definition laser disc copies slapped onto a DVD. The quality is pretty shitty, and they're not even anamorphic widescreen, so you get massive black bars on every side of the image. The only way to get a worse version of those movies is to pop in an old VHS tape.
@@Niwashi_ They are fairly rare because people aren't giving them up. It's also lower quality because they didn't bother remastering them at all and they used a pretty average source for them. I still prefer it over the Special Edition, though. The added CGI is the most jarring in the OG Star Wars; especially in the Tatooine scenes. While you still notice the additions, it's not nearly as bad in Empire and Jedi. The frustration is there's no legitimate reason not to give the theatrical release versions a 4K treatment instead of altering the films. Especially with George Lucas himself espousing the dangers of digitally altering classic films before Congress back in 1988; yet goes and does exactly that himself. The hypocrisy is strong in this one. What projects like Harmy's version does is attempt to restore and preserve the original version; that's why it's valuable, since Lucas certainly shows no interest in doing so.
How can you be a fan of the prequels without ever having seen the originals? I think something just burst in my head...
She, like many a fan saw the prequels in theater as kids and were never exposed to the originals via tv or dvd. It is very common.
@@kevinkenyon1254 Really, that's a crime against humanity
As stories and visual storytelling the prequels are very good. We also were introduced to worlds and characters that were intriguing and likeable. And some of the action was excellent. Rough dialogue and Jar Jar (and some lorebreaking) aside, they're very good movies.
tbf, people enter SW by many, many different methods now. I came in at 13 years old in 1999 with the prequels. Some grew up on the cartoons. Some are entering now through Disney Plus, and some became fans through video games. No crimes here. Fans come in many forms.
Not to mention, with all the content now, I really feel chronological order is best for newcomers that are wanting to embark on the whole SW journey. It makes more sense that way. There's no right or wrong way to get into, or enjoy SW (so long as we all keep in mind where it all started).
Lucas had an outline in his mind for 9 stories, 3 trilogies. He decided to start with episode IV since he thought that would be the easiest one to sell to the studios and the most likely to be a commercial success.
I call BS on that. Sounds like something Lucas came up with after the fact. Seems to me he had no idea what he was doing at the time, and by sheer luck created one of the most iconic franchise in human fiction.
@@jovetj He made comments like that in 1980 and 1981, so before Return of the Jedi was out. If it is true, I'd really like to see what he originally had in mind for the sequel trilogy. Supposedly, he did send something to Disney, but they canned it and wrote their own script for The Force Awakens. No idea if what he sent Disney in 2013 or so had anything to do with what he was thinking in 1980, or, if as you suggest, what he said in 1980 was just bluster.
“Thats the most unsure of himself I’ve seen him (Han Solo)”
That entire scene was IMPROV”
28:37
The Stormtroopers are conscripted soldiers. The clones were phased out of the Empire's army within the first few years after the events of Episode III, because cloning was way too expensive for the Empire.
No CJI in the 70's. It's all Practical Effects. One reason we love the originals so much (before they started playing with them) is we really appreciate all the work that went into the effects, the models, puppetry, costuming, etc. This was a lot of hard work from extremely talented people.
7:59 That shot was actually added in the rereleases that were made after the prequels. Along with a bunch of other changes. So, no.
Ah that makes sense, but still better! Haha
Technically they were added just before the prequels. Before the first prequel released in 1999, a bunch of special effects were done for new scenes added for the 20th anniversary rerelease in theatres in 1997. It also served as a test run to see if ILM(Lucas’s special effects company) was ready to handle a new Star Wars movie that relied more on digital effects over the more difficult practical effects/model work used in the Original Trilogy. While there were some very minor tweaks made to some scenes after the prequels for things like the DVD release, boy-ray release and release on streaming, 95% of the added work was for the big ‘97 rerelease.
For a lot of fans like myself who were just starting grade school the last time one of the Star Wars movie opened in theatres, the ‘97 rerelease was our first chance to see the Original films on the big screen(larger tv’s were a lot less common too. Our 27” cost more than a 55” today).
Some people say that George Lucas is a hack and a fraud
C-3PO & R2 are actors in a costume and a prop, respectively.
Darth Vader is the Emperor's enforcer. He has no clue who Luke & Leia are. Leia Organa, daughter of King Bail Organa, has no clue she has a brother. Luke Skywalker, nephew of Owen & Berl, has no clue he has a sister. Go back & rewatch Amadala's funeral: she's padded to look pregnant. Vader has no reason to believe his offspring are still alive.
This film was created as a one-off. When it did phenomenally well, Lucas wrote Empire, still planning to introduce the as yet unintroduced sister in Episode 6; but by 6, Lucas realized introducing the sister so late was stupid, so decided Leia was the sister.
"she's padded to look pregnant." Makes sense. After all, her name is Pad-me.
Not sure Lucas even _had_ the Emperor yet in Ep4's story, wasn't his first appearance in ESB?
@@irrelevant_noob the Emperor didn't appear in episode 4, but he was very briefly mentioned. So Lucas had some ideas in mind for him, but probably hasn't fully fleshed him out in his mind yet.
@@homiedclown His initial idea for the Emperor was that he was a powerless figurehead, with the Imperial bureaucracy being the real power, a concept Lucas would revisit in the prequels.
I don't think it was until _Empire_ included a scene where Vader bows to the Emperor and calls him "Master" that he started thinking, "what kind of person does Vader call 'Sir'?"
Ford was in the opening scenes of Apocalypse Now
In every Star Wars movie someone says “ I have a bad feeling about this.”
The Force speaks in mysterious ways.
That's what I said when I walked into the theater to see episode VII.
Do y'all know the game "describe your sex life with a Star Wars quote"? There's always a bunch of people answering with that quote.
The dumbest thing a person can do is to watch the PT and ST and not watch the OT.
Ok OT purist, don't need your toxicity.
@@robertparker6280 Then don’t come on UA-cam.
8:04 that shot was not in the original movie. This is the remastered version, with additional scenes and effects that weren't available at the time.
BTW Han shot first.
Episode IV actually had a fairly modest budget. They spent $11 million on it. This was only Lucas' third movie, and the studio wasn't about to take a big risk for his grand project. After the runaway success, the studio opened their wallets for the next two movies, spending $30 and 42 million respectively.
PS: The scene with Jabba was not in the original cut. It was added back when Lucas released the "Special Editions". Originally, there was zero CGI in the film.
Not entirely true. George bankrolled "Empire" and "RotJ" himself. Fox only stayed on as the distributor.
The reason the fight between Vader and Kenobi was shot this way, is Lucas felt since it had been so long since they last met, Vader had fear from the last fight. Kenobi didn't know how powerful Vader had become and he was just a distraction so Luke and the rest could get away
The reason the fight was shot this way is that Alec Guinness was an old man and not spry. There was no serious existing back-story.
"He considers Anakin to be dead" - at that point there was no Anakin. What Obi Wan told Luke was the original background story with Luke's father being a Jedi and getting murdered by Vader. The rest was made up later.
Lucas always says he planned the whole trilogy of trilogies from the beginning - which isn't a "lie" exactly - but the "big story" initially only existed as some rather vague idea and nobody ever would have believed they get to do more than that one movie back then.
This here is the story of a young farmer going out into the wide world, learning from a Wizard, getting a magic sword and saving the Princess. Quite "Brothers Grim". It's a classic faery tale in space. :)
100%! Lucas made up the "History" as time passed. Star Wars was a stand alone film.
About the fight scene, you need to react to "SC 38 reimagined" by fixitinpost. It's a fan made version of what could be this fight with current CGI, and it's incredible.
When Star Wars came out, the opening scrawl did NOT say Part 4. In later years, for re-releases, the film was altered- added the title of Part 4 and replaced a few spots that were originally practical fx with some CGI-Jabba the Hutt, the dinosaur-like creature at the beginning for instance, enhancing the beams from the light sabers. But almost everything is practical.
Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan Kenobi) was one of Britain’s great actors, had been in many award winning films and was definitely the most well-respected and widely known actor when this first came out.
The entire subplot about Darth and Annakin being the same, the sibling angle about Luke and Leia, might have been in Lucas’s subconscious but were not clearly part of the story until later. This is why some dialogue might seem incongruous- because the subplots were added on as more films came out. Obi-Wan did believe that Annakin was dead.
It seems that Lucas may have had plans for this to be followed by Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi, but everything was based on whether or not Star Wars was successful which was not known as a certainty. The phenomenal success of the first 3 films led to the idea of “prequels” and “sequels.”
Most critics believe that Empire Strikes Back is the best of the entire series.
The actor playing Darth Vader was NOT the person who did the dialogue - David Prowse was the 6’6” actor but the dialogue was done by James Earl Jones.
The intention of the original was not to focus on violent action sequences but to tell a story with different elements of myths, fables and fantasies. The laser fight scenes were not necessarily the most important aspect of the originals, so those scenes were not stressed or made to be particularly gruesome or elongated.
Wrong. The original version had "episode IV" on it but the studio had them take it off becuase they thought it would be confusing. When it was a hit they put it back in just a matter of weeks after the release.
@@alphanerd7221 I know when I saw it when it first came out, it was just “Star Wars.”
I know that IMDb can be wrong, but this is from IMDb:
“When first released in 1977, this movie was simply titled "Star Wars," as it was intended to be a stand-alone movie. The sequels were not considered until after it became wildly successful. The name of this movie was changed to "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope" in 1981 to fit in better with the names of the other movies.
The later print was the first one to be released on mass market video (an earlier Betamax release did not have the subtitle), and all video, LaserDisc, DVD, and Blu-ray releases have featured the subtitles. The theatrical cut DVDs, released in September 2006, were the first time that the original opening crawl, without subtitle, had been released on home video. The reason George Lucas created the title card "Episode IV" in the first movie was as an homage to 1940's Saturday afternoon "cliffhanger" serials, like Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon. He also used the "text crawl" the same way each of those series opened up new chapters. He did not, at the time, have Episodes I, II, and III already planned. In fact, at one point, Twentieth Century Fox wanted the "Episode IV" title removed so as not to confuse moviegoers. There are some prints of the movie that do not have that title card.”
@@Dej24601 You are confused. Though the official tittle may have been changed later, the prints of the movie put out to keep up with the demand after it was doing great in the theaters all had the "Episode IV: A New Hope" in the crawl.
Lucas was also always planning on doing a series if it made enough money. I have no idea what the studio's plan was.
@@alphanerd7221 then you should write to IMDb to tell them their entry is wrong (what is in the quotation marks in my comment above) and that your information is correct and they should replace what they have with your remarks. I was assuming IMDb had verified information from authentic sources.
But I am not confused about what I saw in early 1977. And that when I saw the film when re-released in later years, the opening was different as well as the few CGI alterations/additions.
@@Dej24601 Like I care that IMBD is wrong about one of a million things. Your ignorance is tedious and redundant.
Great to see a reactor who actually analyzes the movie, from all sorts of angles, including colour, music, audio, acting etc. etc. etc.
Obi-Wan/Vader fight in the New Hope is actually most realistic sword fight in the entire series of movies. It is good for that reason alone.
Han doesn't go up and down, he steps on Jabba's tail when he walks around him.
They did move him up and down in post-production because he just walked around at floor level while filming it
@@IvoB1987 also since this scene was not in the original takes, they must've pieced it together from some random walking he did somewhere else, which seems to have been on level ground. xD
@@irrelevant_noob
They did film this scene for the original, but it was cut and never made it into the movie until they remastered it (with the CGI Jabba) for the 20th anniversary re-release.
Subscribed! Enjoyed your reaction and analysis. Found it to be educational as well. Keep up the good work. I look forward to watching your reactions to episodes V and VI. 🙂 Oh! That scene where you were a little critical of the "effects" of Han Solo walking behind Jaba.... He was actually walking up and over Jaba's long tail! That scene was added in the re releases with the CGI affects. Lucas couldn't figure out or afford to do it in the original productions. In the original release, Solo was speaking to a bounty hunter, named Boba Fett and he simply walked right around that bipedal character. 🙂 (Sorry about the silly smiley faces.... I speak to a lot of comical women online and we all get sort of funny with our emojis.)
Obi wan and Vader are 20 years older than when they last fought. They are old men fighting.
Yea so it works they both may still have the force but there bodies are older can’t move as quickly with the force as they did when they were younger.
10 years. Episode 3 wasn't the last time they fought. That was in the Kenobi tv show which takes place 10 years after episode 3.
@@IvoB1987 When the movie was made that history wasn't there.
Then, too, Vader's prosthetics were doubtless hastily prepared and would give him more or less constant discomfort, so that despite his relative youth, the two are equally matched. 🤓
Yeah so everything in the original version of this film was sound stange, models, and practical effects. Things like lightsaber colors, the lasers, etc were actually hand drawn frame by frame. The sounds were made and recorded practically. Lucas literally made Industrial Lights and Magic, THX, of course Lucas film Ltd and retained ALL merchandising rights as part of his studio contract and even used his own money to finish the film.
EVERY Scifi film before this film was chessey as hell on the effects etc. Everything ever made post this film that had awesome sound and effects etc wouldn't be as awesome as they are if not for THIS film and Lucas's drive for how he imagined it. This version does have cgi that was added in the late 90's in order to add the things he wished he could back in the original making.
The Lizards (Dewbacks), the giant dinosaur like creature, the Jaba scene was a cut re-ad replacing the human playing Jaba for the slug like version we all know from Return of the Jedi which is why the edit looks funky to account for the tail that wasn't present on the original human version. The duels do get better but yeah still nothing compared to how they were done decades later when making the prequels etc.
This film was like nothing that predated it and revolutionized films for everything that followed it. So it's not just that it's the first introduction to this Universe and the characters it has within it, it quite literally changed cinema in a way we tend to take for granted. The cgi add ins were great particularly for increasing stormtroopers numbers and ships in battle etc. And all 3 have those add ins.
All of that said, fantastic reaction and it was fun to view you watching and enjoying it. I'm new to you on here but I sub'd because I would like to see more!! Thanks!! 😁✌
Watching this in theaters as a 7 year old was just awe-inspiring. No one had seen anything like this.
You should check out the documentary Empire of Dreams. It’s all about how the first movies were made. It answers a lot of your questions.
Man, I wish people could _officially_ watch the originals. Having to watch ANH "Special Edition" as your first viewing of that movie is just criminal. All that awful CGI, that goofy Jabba that shouldn't be there, and all the other additions (the extra rocks covering R2)... It really sucks.
Obi-Wan's re-done "howl" too (at around 15:15). Ugh. Those additions just don't fit, they look and sound too modern.
EDIT: Knowing now that you have watched the whole original trilogy as per the comments here, let me say this: Whenever you feel like watching these movies again, try to grab the actual original movies. As you you may know by now, fans have picked sources from all over the place to recreate those movies as they should be (as far as I'm aware, the same as those in the "bonus" DVDs released back in 2006, now called GOUT for George's Original Unaltered Trilogy), but with 4K quality. There are 1080p versions as well. Try to watch those to see how we've always known them growing up in the 70s and 80s. Do a little research, ask around if needed, and I'm sure you'll be able to get those.
I remember seeing the "remastered" versions in the cinema in the 1990s (because I wanted the Star Wars big screen experience, the only original I had seen in the cinema as a kid was Return of the Jedi back in '83) and thinking the remastering just made the movies worse. The only things that were better were the explosions (Alderaan and the Death Star) and some of the rebels' "computer simulations". Every other addition just felt like cheese, especially the bounty hunter shooting (and missing) Han Solo first. My feeling was it did not bode well for the prequels which had been announced, turned out my feeling was right.
@@theMosen I didn't like any of that. Especially the explosions with the expanding halo. And everything had a pinkish tint to it.
What I did like was the polish on the dogfighting over the Death Star. That was kind of nice. But also unnecessary.
The rest of the effects, especially those in Mos Espa were (and are) just incredibly annoying.
Something interesting happened to me on the playground at school one day in 1978. A friend of mine at the time told me then and there that the entire "Star Wars" saga was a trilogy of trilogies... and this one - the only one we had at the time - was the first part of the middle trilogy. In hindsight, it amazes me that he was able to know that so early on. Later when we were seniors in high school - after "Empire" and "Jedi" had been released in 1980 and 1983, respectively... a mutual friend of ours asked him where he had first learned that information - but already he was no longer able to remember his source. So because of that, when the prequels began appearing in 1999... it was just more confirmation that what he'd told me back in 7th grade was indeed true. I still wonder to this day where he got that information because in all the years since... he was the *only* person I ever met who was able to tell me this was a 9-part series. It was clearly intended to be a trilogy of trilogies from the beginning... but how did my friend, Ricky Hernandez, learn that when we were only 12?
1. Sir. Alec Guinness/Obi-Wan didn't want the part. Being a Shakespearian actor, he thought the entire idea was silly and was beneath him, but his wife talked him into taking the part.
2. The shrug Chewy gives Luke after he scares the tiny black droid is 🤣
3. These movies were put out in a certain order because there was limited technology and Lucas used and pushed forward the images needed to make a quality product. The best way to watch the is in the order they came out. We had to wait years for the next one. There was no internet where we had access to them whenever we wanted.
4. No need to go into anything after VI. Disney took over and the quality dropped. I realize you have to.
5. The only CGI was put in for the 25th anniversary package in this film are the critters the stormtroopers were riding at the beginning of the search for the droids, a couple of the huge critters outside the pub, the scene with Jabba the Hutt and other minor changes. Those were put in later after CGI was available. They also increased the sound when the stormtrooper bangs his head.🤣 Otherwise, everything is what we had in 1977.
6. Obi-Wan sacrificed himself after he told Vader he would be stronger than ever. He went back into the force. He knows it's Luke's job to take over.
7. The awkwardness in the detention space is because Ford didn't know his lines. It was kept in the movie anyway because it worked.😏
8. IMVHO the next two are the best of the Lucas stories. Enjoy
Special note: David Prowse😇played physical Darth Vader. James Earl Jones voiced him.
Wow, thanks for all the facts!
First of all Rogue One isn't that bad Krennic and The Death troopers were great as was the whole battle of Scarif for example also that droid Chewie scared off is called a Mouse Droid it made squeak noises like a mouse
Re: #5 IIRC, GL also added more fighters into the background when they were flying toward the Death Star from Yavin.
@@slimjimnyc270 and other minor changes
Didn't she talk about Luke teaching Rey something? I thought she watched prequels and sequels first lol