Gary Kurtz on the Star Wars Special Edition

[@moodydude6790]

"It's ok if your films don't have everything you wanted in them." I will not forget your words dude. RIP

[@streglof]

Lots of directors make special "director's cuts" of their movies. That's not the problem, because they also still keep the theatrical releases of their movies available. The problem is not that George Lucas made a special edition of the Star Wars movies, the problem is that he prevents the theatrical releases of those movies from being released.

[@TheNerdDojo]

streglof and the thing being that Lucas didn’t even direct empire or Jedi

[@nicholasdickens2801]

streglof Sadly George likes to airbrush things out in reality and by getting rid of the original cuts and sound mixes of the films so you only get to buy now the ‘version’ he wants. I prefer the original cut of the films. They work better. Star Wars was a really good film and didn’t need this sort of thing.

[@EddieMachetti]

I’m glad I own the originals.

[@billnumber3324]

Bingo. You can update as much as you want, but the number one mistake is trying to replace the original version.

[@yoboyyoyoboy]

true

[@funnypicturescomics]

That's why he was an excellent producer...he'll straight-up tell you "Uh..no..that scene is pointless." Every filmmaker needs a producer like that.

[@purefoldnz3070]

after he left Lucas surrounded himself by yes men and sycophants'

[@arandompasserby7940]

It's kind of sad. In spite of all the memes and such, I do respect Lucas as someone who's creative and wants to tell fun stories that people will enjoy. Unfortunately, his problem is that he really needs someone next to him to pick out the good ideas from the bad ones. (i.e. Marcia Lucas for the original Star Wars or Steven Spielberg for Indiana Jones). Unfortunately, around the time of the prequels, like Purefoldnz said above, he just surrounded himself with yes men and sycophants, ultimately leading to the infamous early screening of Phantom Menace: "I think I went too far in a couple of places."

[@tonyfendex2558]

@@purefoldnz3070 What do you think that Lucas had a no-man when making A New Hope? He was the boos, the CREATOR and the director( I suggest you see the documentary "Empire of Dreams". It's amazing) Just saying. BTW: I prefer the Special Edition over the 1977 release, (IMPROVED EFFECTS And SOUND!!) Well, the Han Solo/Greedo scene should've been untouched.

[@purefoldnz3070]

@@tonyfendex2558 I'm talking about the prequels.

[@MatsThyWit]

Gary Kurtz is the true unsung hero of the original trilogy.

[@fightingirish5755]

Well no sadly for you the guy is not unsung. People are well aware of what he brought to the saga. The problem comes when you overestimate how integral he was to its success at the complete expense of Lucas.

[@kitgusto2390]

For sure. Lucas takes way too much credit for "his movies".

[@RetrocadePodcast]

I think the true unsung hero of Star Wars is Marcia Lucas. People know what Kurtz did for the franchise at this point, and that became even more evident in the prequels with that fool yes man Rick McCallum.

[@feraflauna3238]

+Wyatt S-He always was. He was far from the only one but Kurtz was the one that truly brought a lot of the warmth, humanity, and nuance to the series. He truly cared and loved what he did, the man always had a clear passion for movies, and he always strove to do better, to keep pushing himself, to challenge himself. You don't see that very much in filmmaking anymore. . .For George at first, he was a close friend, a mentor. Someone who always had Lucas' back but was more than able and willing to tell George NO and steer George away from his worse tendencies. Guide him to make the best story they could. We definitely need far more Gary Kurtzes in movies today. And it is devastating that he passed away just last year. . .But he be missed. And hopefully, someday by even more people, he will never be forgotten. . .

[@drifter402]

He's one of many unsung heroes.

[@luchohuaquique6137]

R.I.P. An absolute gentleman. Thanks for the magic.

[@marknonnenmacher1918]

Amen Gary Kurtz! You hit the nail on the head. RIP.

[@indianajones4321]

Rest In Peace Gary Kurtz, amazing film producer and Marine combat cameraman in Vietnam

[@lucasoheyze4597]

A rare case of a producer having more artistic integrity than the director 😊

[@fridaynightnicktoons6885]

Lucas O'heyze bullshit

[@demonicaxeman7264]

Horseshit

[@feraflauna3238]

@Umar HasanIndeed he was. Kurtz was clearly a producer who cared about movies deeply and also cared about the integrity of the movie and the director. He was a friend, a mentor, a person to lean on whenever the director needed it, but someone who had enough integrity and spine to call the director out on their worse tendencies. He was able to gently guide their hand and steer them to make the story the absolute best it could be. And it's clear that just from these interviews, a lot of the warmth and humanity in Star Wars, came from this man and several other unsung heroes like him who were involved in Star Wars. And Star Wars would never have been the same, and arguably as great, without any of them.

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

It certainly looks that way.

[@alcarbo8613]

You mean the Director, Creator, writer, and Executive Producer

[@SickBikeDude]

Love to ya GARY! Ya beautiful person you! The reason we love the OT is because of what it originally was!

[@mr.robokat7993]

Such wisdom. As an artist-I totally get what he is saying. A lot of times you want to keep working at it, but man you got to learn to just let it go-let the work speak for itself.

[@gknipe]

As Dr. Ian Malcolm said in Jurassic Park: "your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should."

[@AndrewChapman]

May the Force be with you, Mr. Kurtz.

[@kd9262]

I also detest the Jabba scene, it works much better when we are left to our imagination as to who Jabba is, and is much more effective when we finally see him in Jedi. The added scene also makes him seem so much less menacing

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

He seemed like a very straight talking and honest man. It’s a big shame that he and Lucas split. Apparently, they were going to make a black comedy film after Star Wars - I wonder what that would have been like? I have to say, that I think his influence on Lucas was probably a good one(much like Marcia Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan was) and probably helped tell when George had a bad idea. If they had stayed together as a directing and producing team, who knows how many good films we could have had from them? I think they did excellent work on American Graffiti(I think that is Lucas’ best film) and of course Star Wars, and Empire Strikes Back(allowing for George being only producer on that one).

[@mem1701movies]

I agree with you on everything except Lawrence Kasdan after THE FORCE AWAKENS trash.

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

@@mem1701movies Apparently, Lawrence Kasdan wanted Han to die in "Return of the Jedi", like Gary Kurtz did, and that was in the original script, until Lucas wanted it changed and much of the story. I wouldn't say that "The Force Awakens" was trash - but it certainly was quite lazily written, what with it being just a rehash - so that's surprising the Kasdan did that. Kasdan has some good work in the past(his script for "Raiders" and my personal favourite - "Body Heat"). It's strange, as he was critical of the prequels, so it's a little weird that "The Force Awakens" turned out the way it did.

[@hunterolaughlin]

As well as Raiders of the Lost Ark. Yes, I know it was directed by Steven Spielberg, but George Lucas is the man who created Indiana Jones and came up with the idea for the character back in the early 70s. He even worked with Philip Kaufman on the film during early development and it was Phil that’s responsible for the plot being about Jones trying to stop the Nazis from taking the Ark of the Covenant. Lucas even worked with Lawrence Kasdan on the developing the screenplay along with Spielberg. It was also collaborative work with those 3 each contributing their own ideas for the film. So Raiders is also Lucas’ film as much as Spielberg’s and it really disappoints me that people don’t give enough credit for the success of Raiders to George Lucas just like how the late David Prowse didn’t get enough credit for bringing Darth Vader into iconic cinematic villain status while James Earl Jones, the voice, is getting more recognition.

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

@@hunterolaughlin Lucas doesn't actually get the credit he deserves for the Indiana Jones series. He did come up with the story concepts for all of the films so far. People always seem to think they're a Spielberg solo effort for some reason.

[@Bobby_Hall]

Dude knows what he’s taking about and presents his views in a completely rational, diplomatic way. If arguments like these didn’t work on Lucas, nothing could.

[@captlazer5509]

Without Gary Kurtz there is no American Graffiti and hence no Star Wars. A hands on producer for both. He had excellent instincts and knew what worked and what didn't he said so.

[@sam9671]

he was a creative producer vs an executive producer if that helps explain things.

[@ciadella1971]

Totally agree. The new effects stick out and don't belong.

[@Replica_Films2000]

their fine.

[@karimlabbee1014]

I really starting to believe that monsieur Kurtz is right about the original trilogy.

[@somebuddyX]

The one that made me annoyed was right in the middle of the escape from Cloud City they cut to Vader getting off his shuttle and then back to the scene. The music in that scene was so good and the tension is high and it just really deflates everything and it's only there to shoehorn in a scene that is superfluous.

[@prodf]

Gary Kurtz really was the brains behind Star Wars...

[@RetrocadePodcast]

And Marcia Lucas was the heart.

[@fridaynightnicktoons6885]

Paulinho troll harder kid

[@bordertown]

Paulinho - Agreed. Not only that but Kurtz was also the voice of reason and logic behind the scenes. He is why the first two films are the best in the series. If George Lucas totally had his way then those films would've ended up as bland and nonsensical as the prequel trilogy.

[@rastarapha]

bordertown nah You say some bullshit

[@Replica_Films2000]

yes which is why he dident write the characters and create the world which is what the brains always do

[@RetrocadePodcast]

If Kurtz were producer of the prequels those movies would've turned out so much different; likely for the better. Kurtz was a voice of reason that challenged Lucas; while Rick McCallum was a yes man.

[@KSRugby]

absolutely, thats why lucas got rid of him after Empire, Kurtz had a very different vision for return of the jedi than the one that came out. It was clear after Empire went overtime and overbudget that Lucas wanted more control over the franchise and his prioritize for making a compelling story took second place over his priority to make money.

[@KSRugby]

look at the facts, instead of insulting me

[@RetrocadePodcast]

Lucas and Kurtz weren't seeing eye to eye anymore, and Lucas was far more budget conscious because he was investing his own money into the movie. Kurtz was making sure Kirshner was getting the movie they way he wanted it to, and that's why it came out to be a great movie (TESB).

[@KSRugby]

CS 22 and yet The original star wars and Empire Strikes back were much better films than any rick mccallum produced. If you were striving for quality movie, or getting things done on schedule i'd take the first one every time.

[@cinewillp6391]

Exactly.

[@mikedonovan8811]

Noticing the changes brings one out of the film, including the windows in Cloud City. The dewbacks looked real in the original film version of Star Wars, not in the Special Edition. The tension of the "You don't need to see his identification" scene is broken by having a monster cross the street in the Special Edition. Jabba looks smaller and more mobile than in Return of the Jedi. Seeing him in the original takes away the impact of meeting him in Jedi. And the biggest change to the story its the new dialogue for the Emperor in The Empire Strikes Back. Watching the original scene after having seen Jedi makes it clear that both he and Vader have known of Luke's existence for quite some time, instead of him just springing the news on Vader unexpectedly.

[@nickthepick8043]

And don't forget Vader's famous "Bring my shuttle" line from Empire Strikes Back. George then changed it to "Alert my Star Destroyer to prepare for my arrival." The first one had more raw emotion in it, where Vader was clearly furious in that moment after Luke abandoned him. The secondary version just sounds formal, and just makes Vader sound less human. The cruel Irony is that while Vader is more Machine, he had bits of humanity left in him.

[@kenkerrison8962]

I agree with you %100, but I also think you should change your first name to Walter. I hope you get the reference.

[@mikedonovan8811]

@@kenkerrison8962 General Veers?

[@alcarbo8613]

Yes the dewbacks that never moved looked so “real” stop deluding yourself an obviously fake effect was replaced with a more dynamic one, and the cloud city window are awesome ads so much, mystique and makes the hallways look more real and less claustrophobic, get over your hatred of CGI it was implied perfectly in the Special Editions

[@mikedonovan8811]

@@alcarbo8613 Nope, it was the other way around.

[@zecraw]

Hated the Jabba the Hutt scene in A New Hope. Not only was it unnecessary and looked awful, it also ruins the big reveal of Jabba in Return of the Jedi. For two movies we've been hearing about what a vile guy Jabba the Hutt is without an inkling of what he looks like. Then we get to the third movie and feast our eyes upon this massive slug monster in a giant fortress full of slaves and lackeys. The buildup and payoff is a better intro to Jabba then that needless cameo in the first movie.

[@AndrewChapman]

Yes and not only that, but the Jabba the Hutt scene in A New Hope also ruins the unveiling of the Millennium Falcon just moments after the scene.

[@EddieMachetti]

Its so awful and obviously a deleted scene for a reason. Why they felt they had to add that is beyond me. I don’t care if the rerelease had to be noticeably different, it was still a bad move and indeed ruins the suspense leading up to ROTJ. And it’s stupid CGI which I can’t stand.

[@feraflauna3238]

@@AndrewChapman All this, yes. Perfectly said. However, I was always far more incensed about the "Greedo shoots first" thing and Kurtz hit the nail on the head over why it utterly ruins things. In the original, clearly, Greedo has got Han pinned and is the one always in control of the situation. Han is afraid for his life, and he knows that if he can't take out Greedo, Greedo is going to kill him then and there. So Han does the only logical thing in the situation and takes out the man who's trying to kill him. It doesn't make Han a bad person, far from, but it still confirms that Han values his own hide above all else. So over the course of the movie, when he starts to genuinely care about others, it's far more satisfying. So the whole "Greedo shoots first thing" just utterly craps on all that, cheapens Han in a big way, and almost voids Han's story entirely. . .

[@williamshaw9047]

Plus Jabba comes across like a total wuss, not a gangster. He whines about Han dumping the spice and about "frying poor Greedo" and Han talks back to him like he's a nobody. Plus they had to include that dumb part where Han steps on Jabba's tail.

[@Halbi1987]

Well for me Jabba was equal to Vader and the Emperor as a Star Wars villain. I think not showing him created that mystery. When I watched Star Wars for the first time I cared more about Jabba than about Vader. Both characters had their faces hidden until the 3rd movie. But people who only know the special edition view Jabba as a secondary villain. Showing his face in the first movie ruined the mystery and made him smaller as a character.

[@dornravlin]

i really like his honesty

[@zigguratjones6458]

The true legend behind Star Wars. He knew what it stood for and its role in cinema.

[@Qwazin]

GARY KURTZ: "YOU WERE THE CHOSE ONE! YOU WERE SAID TO DESTROY THE CORPORATIONS, NOT JOIN THEM. BRING BALANCE TO THE CINEMA, NOT LEAVE IT IN DARKNESS! YOU WERE MY BROTHER, GEORGE. I LOVED YOU."

[@fridaynightnicktoons6885]

Andreas Nordvall but Kurtz is the villain,George donates billions to charity

[@Chemical_Argentum]

To me, THIS guy is the true grandfather of SW. He's the big key to why it became so successful.

[@Replica_Films2000]

yep which is why he dident create the world the characters and the story all True creatives are just directors who only directed one film.

[@stvalue3]

Totally Agree

[@jazzarmada2161]

There are countless people that contributed to it's magic and success. But there's no doubt that Kurtz, Martha Lucas and I'd say even Ralph Mcquarries concept art are standouts among them

[@sdjohnsononyoutube]

I WHOLE-HEARTEDLY AGREE CONCERNING THE JABBA SCENE, GARY. And may I add, that as a child, seeing the trilogy as a whole, my 8-year old brain appreciated that this talk of a ruthless gangster led up to a final appearance in ROTJ. It was a great payoff. They even mentioned the bounty on Solo's head in TESB. So like Gary, I did not like & see it as a major disappointment when Jabba was deposited into ANH. It took away the reward of seeing him in ROTJ. 😢

[@rickleemusic1]

plus the fact that Solo repeats lines he already said to Greedo - whom he shot dead before Greedo could even fire his blaster.

[@hunterolaughlin]

@@rickleemusic1That’s George’s fault right there. He’s not very good at writing dialogue, so I don’t blame Harrison Ford repeating lines he already said to Greedo since that’s how George wrote the scene and he didn’t realize how redundant that was.

[@richh6001]

I grew up with the Special Editions/updated versions of the Original Trilogy. I certainly enjoy many of the changes, things like Cloud City and the Wampa for example, but for Star Wars/Cinematic history the original versions of these films deserve to be made available. I agree with the idea of having a George Lucas "directors cut" alongside the original theatrical versions- that way George can have his story the way he wants it, and the original versions can still be preserved.

[@sanseverything900]

The Prequel and sequel trilogies would have benefited greatly with someone like Kurtz overseeing things.

[@jujufactory]

I fully agree.

[@twstf8905]

Omg lol I couldn't agree more! 👍 George did WAY too much, "touching up," the original trilogy. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?!

[@kensmith7048]

I completely agree! Based on being an artist myself and being the son of a very famous artist.

[@ULYSSES-31]

George Lucas lost a good baromoter when Gary Kurtz left.

[@ipo79]

A great, great movie producer. A lot of what he says here shows the true love he had for those films.

[@PhilMoskowitz]

Kurtz and Lucas made for a great team. Separate, not so great. But together they could have become among the greatest producer-director team in film history.

[@paladinheadquarters7776]

I agree with him.

[@willssecuritytips8129]

The special edition Death Star attack in Episode IV was the least intrusive change and if you watch them back to back I'm sure you'll see noticeable changes to get shots that couldn't be had with the models for the 1977 version.

[@nicholasdickens2801]

Rest in Peace Gary Kurtz. The true heart of Star Wars.

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

Gary seemed a very humble, hard working guy. Seemed to have a lot integrity for the film making process. It’s just a shame that he Lucas split, as I think as a team they brought out the best in one another - without that, their work was weaker(Lucas : Howard the Duck, The prequels ; Kurtz : Slipstream).

[@michaelkarimian7538]

This interview was fun. Really love Gary's unique insight about film. The sighn of a good artist is knowing when your done. I could not agree with this quote more, at least when it comes to art. Painting over The Mona Lisa would just be a mistake nowadays if Da Vinchi painted over it after so many years. However while I have enormous respect for Kurtz and respect his opinion 100% I somewhat disagree with the statement that films should not be changed when on DVD. In terms of the Star Wars original trilogy I agree that the films should be restored to their originality or the changes should be at least optional. When it comes to things such as The Lord Of The Rings trilogy however those extra scenes added more depth to the film and expanded greatly on the film world of Tolkien. Thank you for this wonderful interview Kurtz. I really hope (I mean this in a very respectful way as Lucas is one of my all time heroes when it comes to fantasy) that when Lucas becomes one with the force that the original films can be restored to their original form and the prequal trilogy can hopefully be remade. :)

[@SensuixShinobu7]

non of that is true. if George was greedy and wanted to sell toys then why does all his actions go against such a thing? He only sold star wars for 4 billion (nothing next to what its worth) and then gave all that money AWAY to charity! BILIONS away! And that's ignoring the other times he donated MILLIONS on separate occasions.You've been brainwashed. Gary is the sell out. he's full of shit.

[@conradojavier]

will Lucas disowning Star Wars, what Disney SHOULD use are Rejected Gary Kurtz' Ideas.

[@conradojavier]

Bubo 25 & to be fare, this Nellith chick looks like an Awesome Female Lead than Leia.

[@Sketch_Sesh]

Yes the prequels and all other movies outside the originals need to be rewritten and remade....they’re so horrid and a great injustice

[@Jaysen8]

Gary Kurtz was so wise. His absence from ROTJ and prequels really should say something about how integral he was in the beginning.

[@Retsler54]

0:47 and 2:19, I agree on that. The enhancements were not good or necessary but yes, from a marketing perspective 20 years later they were understandable.

[@ronsarcade1448]

The man who made Star Wars great. Look what happened when he left... it got diluted. Sure ROTJ has some great scenes but it doesn't hold together like the first two did. Shame he wasn't asked back on board when Lucas sold Star Wars. Now Kurtz is dead I don't think we'll ever see a truly great Star Wars film again.

[@sandal_thong8631]

Lucas needed an equal to run ideas by and take their advice as he had in the first screening of Star Wars. He didn't have anyone for _The Phantom Menace_ except Ben Burtt who went from sound to editing. By the time he could influence the cut it was too late, even though he seemed to be the only guy who could say there was a problem. Sadly he didn't take out the line by Obi-Wan calling Jar Jar and Anakin "pathetic life forms." This told us not to like them, although the characters don't seem to like each other in the course of the film, Jar Jar giving Qui-Gon the raspberry, and no one seeming to care if the others are hurt or die, except Obi-Wan for Qui-Gon.

[@manudiferro5284]

Return of the Jedi is certainly the weakest point of the original trilogy, however it is still an excellent film and keeps up very well with Ep 4 and 5

[@TheGargantuanAppleHMPBTS]

The thing is, none of this would be a problem if we could have both versions side by side. Fans like the choice. You can get 5 cuts of Blade Runner on DVD and Blu-ray, 99% of extended cuts include the theatrical version in equal picture and sound quality. So why not for Star Wars? Denying the choice is trying to change history.

[@fridaynightnicktoons6885]

Lucas released it on DVD -___- feel stupid?

[@stargazerspark4499]

he means the unmolested original versions, which we didn't get -_- feel ignorant?

[@crissrudd4554]

@Friday Night Nicktoons yes and they were sourced from outdated non-anamorphic Laserdisc masters! Doesn’t really matter now since even those DVDs are out of print now!

[@Digginjim]

Gary is spot on. I hate the changes.

[@Replica_Films2000]

Good for you

[@airtime23]

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

[@TheBrendon67]

Two thumbs enthusiastically up.

[@ashdoginc]

From the day of its release, Star Wars has had changes applied to it. Early on it was mainly minor audio adjustments. So I have no problem with the various releases of the 'Special Edition'. But it made no sense to not allow the proper preservation of the releases previous to that point. Especially that it is a film that is highly regarded by film-maker, fans and the National Film Registry.

[@gecko-nh6tx]

Gary Kurtz was and is Star Wars....

[@meganhoward604]

I wish all film producers were like Gary Kurtz.

[@gtproperformer]

As a 45 year old SWOT fan i couldn't agree more!

[@Replica_Films2000]

how cliche. thanks for killing star wars old man it was doing just fine before you opened your mouth

[@seanahmed9079]

I see his point, but.........Empire Strikes Back is a great exception!!! The new effects in sky city were on point!!

[@simonnaylor]

Legend!

[@blackjackthompson1017]

I grew up watching the Letterbox VHS tapes and when I got the 2004 dvds I couldn't believe how different the movies were especially ANH. So I bought the 2006 GOUT dvds for around $90 and the quality is a lot better than I expected. I upscaled the dvd and while it's not as good as Blu-Ray its just as good as DVD in my opinion.

[@kensmith7048]

I have to wonder what would happen if he were still involved in the production of the new Star Wars films.

[@abundy1104]

Pretty much what every Star Wars fan thought of the Special Editions. All good with additional shots with more X-Wings or fixing bits and pieces....

[@Pat9201]

some of the enhancements were ok (adding a few storm troopers or a few more ships) but as lucas always does when there is nobody there to say no he took it way to far.

[@ULYSSES-31]

Truth-teller

[@manlystranger4973]

I agree with nearly all of Kurtz's comments, but what he does not take into account is Star Wars, unlike nearly every other film, has been rewatched dozens if not hundreds of times by a very large number of intense fans. This creates the ability for the film, when issued in a new version, to create a new emotional journey for this group as watching a film once is a specific experience, but watching it hundreds of times, the most recent watching is a vastly different experience than the first viewing.

[@MediaBuster]

He was 100% correct.

[@ajsspacenerdschannel8321]

This man ist totally right.Disney - for respect - try to follow his line, but at the moment they stumbling arround. Disney should get him back for quality management

[@raystantz2471]

Allan Joel Stark *still Lucasfilm buddy

[@comicbookninja5268]

Gary Kurtz is absolutely right about that Jabba scene.

[@BackyardPix]

I even shudder when people put "A New Hope" at the end of Star Wars. The original film's called Star Wars, and that's fucking that.

[@alcarbo8613]

No it’s called Episode 4 A New Hope, and that’s fucking that

[@robertbeckman2054]

The last 43 years (since I saw Empire in the theaters), I had no idea that Lucas had basically a twin director in the OT, Kurtz.

[@QuickQuackReviews]

A producer worried about story at the expense of money? Unheard of in Hollywood, much like George Lucas as a writer/director was when Star Wars came out.

[@emanmark]

Couldn't agree with him more! The Jabba scene ruins the pacing, as they are in a rush to get out of Mos Eisley and the exposition slows that rising action down, and is a repeat of the earlier scene with Guido and completely unnecessary. It's dramatically in the right spot the first time around. I like the enhancements for the final battle scene, that looks good. I wonder what his thoughts are on Jar Jar Binks?!

[@nickrodriguez4294]

Well said.... well said!

[@IDF1987]

I have a feeling Gary Kurtz is a fan of Harmy's Depsecialized Editions

[@Replica_Films2000]

Harry's Broken edition

[@yospidey0078]

Harmy’s Frankenstein editions

[@KSRugby]

totally agree with this guy. Have always thought the much of the special edition changes were completely unnecessary, didn't really add anything to the story (Except perhaps the scene where Luke reunites with Biggs Darklighter), and were really tools for George Lucas to practice with for the hugely inferior prequels

[@timsmythfilmsandanimations]

I disagree, that scene, now adding characters we have never seen before, breaks up the flow of the original scene, where Luke leaves Han and Chewie, talks with Leia, then arrives at his X-Wing for the mission. I find the original just works better with him saying goodbye to his friends, and the characters that we know. (That is if you are talking about the scene where they are gearing up for the battle, I have only seen those scenes when the film came out in 1997.)

[@Replica_Films2000]

*Superior Prequels

[@KSRugby]

@@Replica_Films2000 nope. Not saying you can't like them but as technical and objective pieces of filmmaking they were poorly written, poorly acted, and poorly made.

[@Replica_Films2000]

@@KSRugby except their not and no one has ever proven it they just say it. what you mean to say is awkward at times and akward can be very very Intentional.

[@KSRugby]

@@Replica_Films2000 no it's been proven many times over the years. But kid yourself that they're good films and don't listen to constructive criticism. Whatever floats your boat, pal. Newsflash: George Lucas is not god. He made mistakes. The criticisms of the films (not any personal criticisms, anyone who took their criticisms to personal levels can get fucked) were deserved and mostly correct.

[@sallybrown4947]

American Graffiti, Star Wars, and Empire Strikes back. You know he knew what he was doing!

[@KevyNova]

George needed a producer like Kurtz who would straight up tell him which of his ideas were good or bad. The fact that he went with a total “Yes” man, Rick McCollum, for the prequels is why they weren’t quite as good.

[@rgerber]

He really has to get back his epic beard!

[@MeanMrMustard1]

Garden Gnome Gary.

[@earthzero2375]

@@MeanMrMustard1 INDEED HIS BEARD WAS EPIC

[@rhymeandreasoning]

Why has THE ORIGINAL 'STAR WARS' not ever been released on dvd / blu ray ?

[@gordongecko1975]

The whole case is rather complex but basically George Lucas considers the Theatrical Cuts as unfinished and inferior versions of the three OT movies. The versions he wants the people to watch are the Special Editions. The last official release of the Theatrical Cuts were the 2-Disc DVD Limited Editions from 2006. The Theatrical Cuts came combined with the 2004 Special Edition (on Disc 1) on a seperate 'Bonus Disc' (on Disc 2). Shockingly these 'Bonus Discs' of the Theatrical Cuts were sourced from a (at that time) 13 year old outdated non-anamorphic Laser Disc Master from 1993. As if Lucas wanted say (Attention: sarcasm incoming): "You want the Theatrical versions you grew up with? Here they are. Look how crude and old they look. You better watch my Special Editions... ". Lucas deliberately wanted the original versions to be presented in an inferior format so that they would not have to compete with the Special Editions. For more info on that whole situation, i recommend to read this article: savestarwars.com/gout.html

[@rhymeandreasoning]

@@gordongecko1975 Are the early original vhs' of 1977 STAR WARS, the actual original movie that was in the theater, or was the vhs edition tweaked also?

[@gordongecko1975]

@@rhymeandreasoning I think the only major addition was that 'Episode IV: A New Hope' title was added to the opening crawl along with minor audio mix and contrast adjustments for television screening reasons. But all in all, it was still the original version.

[@rhymeandreasoning]

@@gordongecko1975 Whatabout the original vhs rental...BEFORE it was sold in the stores..I seen an actual rental copy for sale from when it was first put in the video stores to rent.

[@gordongecko1975]

@@rhymeandreasoning This video should answer your question: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6nSoXRrnrOcfNk

[@gokhanersan8561]

“Constraints made that movie.” Involuntary restraint produced art. Kurtz knew when more became less. When to stop adding.

[@simonfarrell6585]

"annoying gimmicks!" couldn't have said it better myself! I only watch the original versions of the trilogy on dvd

[@Replica_Films2000]

yep annoying gimmicks you never notice if you watch it for the first time.

[@brettdavidson3866]

I Love Gary Kurtz I Think Hes Awsome and deserves credit for star wars that other guy that directed and did The prequels that make no sense and don't have a clear protagist or good proformances I don't think he is human anymore and no one likes the prequels if we all who love movies are honest George became misguided and the special edition changes show this

[@roach9397]

Have you ever heard of punctuation?

[@justayoutuber1906]

I agree 100%.

[@davebooshty299]

22 secs in , He was right.

[@observerdude9809]

To be fair, they could've improved the jabba scene by removing the inserted dialogue in the greedo scene, so that the information isn't repeated

[@joelorozco]

spot on. You listening George?...You F'd up.

[@glynmatthews6697]

They should have included the full scene where in the docking bay where Han- Jaba - greedio- boba fett etc all start shooting at the stormtroopers that come wading in - that would be f**king ace to see !

[@Kamandi1971]

hes not wrong

[@mandalorian23]

There was no need to mess with perfection. If Disney was smart, they would release the theatrical cut of Star Wars on 5/25/27 nationwide. But I know that will not happen as George Lucas has said before "I'm sorry for those of you who fell in love with an incomplete film".

[@tasken_lander_redux4775]

Fuck, this guy knew what he was talking about lol.

[@loyalcompanion2104]

we feel you gary! Its a shame what lucas has become

[@Replica_Films2000]

Free? becouse thats what he became he became free off the fans bullshit.

[@michaelkrolewski7406]

"Even I get bordered sometimes. Do you think I had a choice?" Han says that line twice.

[@jeanmarc0]

The Jabba and Han Solo scene is factually the only dispensable addition to the special editions, because it's a repeat of the Greedo scene. The rest of the changes enhance the movies, such as the more exotic Mos Eisley expansion, the Battle of Yavin, Cloud City, new Millennium Falcon scenes, new creatures to bring the universe to life and the end of Return of the Jedi, with the planets liberated from the Empire and John Williams' epic new music.

[@SamanthaMunitz]

Agreed 100% of the Jabba the Hutt scene. TOTALLY UNNECESSARY.

[@TheNerdDojo]

I think it’s disrespectful to Richard Marquand ( ROTJ director) that George made possibly the worst changes to his film, and my fav of the franchise because Marquand died four years after ROTJ and 10 years before the special edition bs.

[@cmdugan]

Ah “the Gary Kurtz was the soul of Star Wars” myth rolls on. Maybe if you hadn’t let ESB go way over budget and behind schedule (the #1 thing a producer needs to accomplish) you wouldn’t have had yourself fired? I give credit to folks like Kurtz and Marcia Lucas for their contributions but if they were these incredible film geniuses everyone says they are wouldn’t they have gone on to, you know, do something?

[@gordongecko1975]

I would argue that the #1 thing a producer should do, is to support the director. And thats what Kurtz did: he supported Lucas' vision during Star Wars production and he supported Kershners vision during ESB. And it shows. Star Wars and ESB stand the test of time. These two movies are the linchpin of the whole franchise. As for Marcia Lucas, after she won the Oscar for Best Editing (Star Wars) and making a fortune with American Grafitti, Star Wars and in general her Lucasfilm shares, she wanted to have a normal family life. And this is why she was done with movie making.

[@bijibadness]

if _Star Wars_ were made with today's technology, it'd be a lifeless hunk of corny puss. the fact it was DIRTY and ROUGH made the whimsy far more palatable. the smoky, dingy world was incredibly believable. bluescreen CGI nonsense. the movie probably cost 1/20th of what _The Last Jedi_ did - including inflation - and is absolutely 20:1 the movie. the LIMITS OF THE TIME were probably what made it great.

[@leedobson]

Bang on Mr. Kurtz, you need friends like him to keep you straight

[@mws755]

Empire Strikes Back should not have been tampered with at all. Perfect exactly the way it was

[@orlandofurioso7329]

3:29 he was NOT gonna be a human, in the book making of Star Wars you can find concept art for a puppet creature that was going to substitute the stand-in actor.

[@acrovader]

Some of the cgi added wsn't that bad and actually helped a bit.

[@matthewgaudet4064]

Most of the new was recomposited film not cgi. I don't think the cgi has aged as well.

[@jameshamrick5579]

The by far majority of the changes are for the better. There is some horrible changes made to Mos Eisley and the musical number in RotJ is cringe, but 90% of the changes make the film look demonstrably and objectively better.

[@rgerber]

I wonder if they shot the actual Jabba scene as intended, if they had the courage of gaving Han Solo something to shoot at... well think of it. You actually see Greedo in the background during the Jabba scene (after he got shot). If Han Solo would take a good shot at him and continuing negotiation, as if nothing happened of course. And when the Special Edition came, it would've probably been altered to a whole shootout including lasers from every direction (completely digitally altered) and everybody missing. Whatever

[@ldsentertainment3130]

Huh?

[@LungsOutJem]

Well, "intrusive" is certainly a polite way of saying it.

[@RetrocadePodcast]

What year was this?

[@gordongecko1975]

Retrocade Podcast This interview is from 2010.