Star Wars 1997 Special Edition Retrospective

In 1997 in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Star Wars: A New Hope George Lucas made the bold decision to "finish" his original trilogy by adding a number of changes and rereleasing the movies to theatres. Acting as a primer for The Phantom Menace that would come two years later it remains one of the most controversial moves in Lucasfilm history with scenes added, recut and digitally altered to move things more in line with Lucas' original vision. But it wasn't all bad. In this retrospective we take a look back at the decision made behind every single change including big ones like Greedo shooting first as opposed to Han right down to minor tweaks you might not even have noticed. Thanks for watching!
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#StarWars

[@mrsundaymovies]

HEY READ THIS NERDS. I didn’t mention the 2006 DVD release that included the unaltered trilogy because it was essentially an update of the 90s laser disk version and the quality is terrible. And the 4K77 trilogy version as of recording isn’t complete as Empire is still in the works

[@danielwarner3675]

hmm, i see

[@GrangerPerry]

The 4k77 trilogy is amazing and needs more attention! All three movies are complete but it will always be a work in progress as it’s just fans piecing together better and better original source material. Excellent video btw love it!

[@JeffreyJFerguson]

I still have those DVDs. I should pop 'em in and see how bad the quality is. I mean I'm not expecting Blu Ray quality so I'm sure it's... fine.

[@MomFearsMyMusic]

They were awful

[@Red_Oliver]

JAMES!!! PLANETBROADCASTING WEBSITE IS DOWN WITH A CRITICAL ERROR!!!

[@terryhurley4351]

I used to work for British Airways, many many years ago. One time, I checked in Rick McCallum. I get the feeling that he wasn't used to being recognised, because when I did recognise him, he seemed chuffed. Anyway, when I checked him in, it was a couple of weeks before the release of Star Wars the special edition on dvd. The first time any star wars appeared on the format. So, when checking in McCallum , I jokingly said "and if you have any copies of Star Wars on dvd with you, I'm afraid I'm going to have to confiscate them. Not my decision. Those are the rules." He laughed, and asked for my name and address. A couple of weeks later, I received a copy of the trilogy on dvd, and a" Lucasfilm " headed letter, from Rick McCallum, thanking me for making him smile. He may be a yes man, but he certainly was a nice man

[@mrsundaymovies]

That's an awesome story! Nice to hear he's a kind person on top of being a great producer

[@Rushfelt33]

Thanks for sharing. He's gone up a couple of notches in my book 👍

[@terryhurley4351]

@@mrsundaymovies he did also kill a puppy in front of me, and drink its blood. So, you know, he wasn't perfect

[@slyaspie4934]

Wow that's such a cool story, sometimes meeting your heroes isn't bad, Disney could learn a lot about how to treat fans from this story

[@MrDarthT]

The first DVD release of the Original Trilogy was in 2004. They were also released on Video CD and Laser Disc prior to that. The first Star Wars movie to be released on DVD was "The Phantom Menace". If you have the '97 edits of The Original Trilogy on DVD, that's completely unique.

[@OfficialAndies]

It's quite strange knowing that the Special Editions have been around longer than the original theatrical cuts

[@TheIslandDivision]

Chronology speaking, is that even a possiblity?

[@mirkecWii]

I think he means that the special editions exist longer that the originals have existed BEFORE the special editions

[@bottombarrelbudgetfilms1854]

@@TheIslandDivision he's referring to how the theatrical cuts are no longer available and were available less than 20 years- whereas the special editions have now been around for 25 years.

[@matthewgaudet4064]

Its an abomination, it is suppression. Those were the versions selected as historically important and won Academy awards.

[@SoundlabStudios63]

@@matthewgaudet4064 at least we know George eventually gave in and gave the Library of Congress a copy of the original version of the first Star Wars to be preserved for all time.

[@splat668]

I myself would actually like to see a prequel special edition, I’d love to see modern cg touch up some of the shots, strictly visual, no added characters just better scenery

[@igotin9264]

Or just remake them entirely!

[@OCD-GUY]

You are both right!

[@shenanigans8353]

Frankly surprised it still hasn't happened yet since I can easily imagine George being eager to tweak them after so long

[@spongemaster]

I think a lot of the CGI environments have aged quite well but some of the characters and creatures are looking a bit dated now. I definitely wouldn't mind them updating the models provided they don't change the overall look of them too much.

[@splat668]

@@spongemaster I agree with that the creatures look rough

[@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep]

It's incredible how, in the absence of Maso or Claire, James goes back to teacher mode.

[@offtankgaming1310]

Classic Goatman

[@ericstaples7220]

That explains why it seems like he's talking to a child.

[@larzkruber822]

I need a dude who says: "Go on..." No upvote from me!!!!👎

[@behindyoujamie]

I still think the Empire remaster is actually really cool. It's what the other remasters should've been, little changes (like windows in Cloud City) to make the world feel more immersive.

[@mr.moviemafia]

True! I feel like that’s the ONLY original trilogy film that isn’t harmed by the changes, and in-fact, it might actually be better with them

[@mrcritical6751]

Along with adding Ian as Palpatine

[@HOTD108_]

Oh yeah I hate art preservation too! I'm so happy that the original versions of these historically and culturally significant films have been thrown in the bin.

[@mattd4636]

Eh, I think the prequel Palpatine look is really bad especially in the world of Empire but to each thier own.

[@mattd4636]

Which it should be. The whole reason Luke wants out in Ep 4 is all his friends are gone and Tatooine is boring as sin.

[@gregorypendell9260]

He’s been working on this video for weeks and he uploaded it with the wrong title?! XD “Stat Wars,” I love it.

[@TheMijman]

He's on 40%! What do you want from him??

[@ianbarlow4894]

I peed myself

[@SicketMog]

@@ianbarlow4894 Dude nobody cares about your sex life.

[@battleupsaber462]

George changing the name of the franchise from "Star Wars" to "Stat Wars" has to go down as one of the most controversial decisions in the 1997 Special Edition. Up there with adding that one dinosaur that walks past and blocks the camera.

[@anubusx]

Merchandise Wars.

[@lukeleary1333]

Tat Wars

[@cooltube2000]

It is a period of statistical significance. Rebel spaceships striking from a hidden variable have won their first victory against the evil stochastic empire.

[@deatheven13]

@@cooltube2000 underrated

[@Saucy__Jack]

cool pfp man i need to get on jakq

[@_its_lunar_]

James is absolutely fantastic at making these longer form deep dive videos, they captivate me from start to finish and I hope he makes more of these going forward!

[@YouSuperJ]

You should watch his Shadows of the Empire video if you haven't yet!

[@_its_lunar_]

@@YouSuperJ I’ve watched it twice! Once when it came out and once a month or so ago!

[@ArchieMcGeoch]

I hope he makes enough money for it.

[@ode4real]

Been trying to say this for awhile

[@robbiefl2001]

I'd genuinely love to see more content like this. I love seeing behind-the-scenes stuff for some of my favourite films, and reading people's experiences in the comments just adds to these types of videos even more

[@AndorRobotnik]

I remember being very confused on how they managed to cast a guy identical to Hayden Christensen back in the day fpr Return of the Jedi not realizing it was a late adition. Not a smart kid I was.

[@elijahfordsidioticvarietys8770]

When I was a kid, I always knew they replaced it later, because I saw the original guy in a book. It always pissed me off.

[@dannypoo3281]

The current editions still show Anakin like 15 minutes prior, in the same movie, with his helmet off- and it's not Hayden. I would imagine that this would be very confusing to anyone who isn't familiar with Star Wars.

[@FabulousKilljoy917]

I love when James does these extremely niche nerdy deep dives, I know they take a lot of work and I just really appreciate it. I’m someone who only knows the rerelease versions and it’s always fascinating to see the madness behind the methods.

[@gcap7711]

Wow what a perfect re-release, I’m sure they’ll be no more future alterations to this classic!!

[@ThisIsCreation-FollowOnTwitter]

MacClunkey!

[@tuschman168]

I dunno. I think they should change Obi-Wan's Krayt dragon scream to chase away the Tuskens again. We've only had, what, three versions so far?

[@motherplayer]

No......NO! See, I needed to scream that because the stupid audience members that I trusted years ago wouldn't get it now.

[@MattMcIrvin]

2049: Star Wars turned into a sitcom about three wacky private investigators rooming with a chimp so gradually we never noticed.

[@escargoat8552]

They should change it again and remove some of the more distracting goofs that were added.

[@TheVCRTimeMachine]

The dialogue in the Han/Greedo scene always made it clear that Greedo was going to kill Han right then and there (“Over my dead body/That’s the idea! I have been looking forward to this for a long time!”) Adding in Greedo firing his gun wasn’t necessary for anyone to understand that it was self defense.

[@guanoguy4800]

Or that Han lived a rough life, amongst criminals and he knew to shoot first and not wait to see what’s gonna happen. His character was rough. Changing the scene, took something away.

[@terryprentice9657]

@@guanoguy4800 Maclunkey!

[@Anynom]

I was working at a movie theater showing these and the audiences were mind-blowing, bigger than we expected and just excited there for them. Big thing was so many kids brought to see it on the big screen and a huge deal to remind people how loved the movies were.

[@The_RedVIII]

What I hate most about the special editions is how the CGI is standing out so much. It just doesn't belong in a movie from the 70s and definitely not low textured early 90s CGI. It looks terrible. There are some good chances in the special editions, but mostly it just looks bad, and I wish they would just release the despecialized versions.

[@MattMcIrvin]

The textural mismatch is mostly what bothered me about the 1997 CGI. These days they could probably get it all to match and look like it was shot with practical effects in 1977, if they wanted to.

[@rmn070]

I know. If the folks at Lucasfilm could go back to the prints and redo them, they should make the CGI creatures like the dewbacks and dinosaur creatures puppets instead. That would look more realistic.

[@CptMunta]

I love how the editors are either mentioned or thanked for their efforts in these videos.

[@DannyMB24]

Honestly I actually love this, because instead of just compiling the changes like other videos, this video tells us the *history* behind these changes.

[@mcrazza]

Of the OT films I think ESB has the least changes (which shows how much they got right originally) but those changes were small and smart. For example, the bland and claustrophobic corridors of Cloud City are now opened and lit up, and the additions to the Wampa scene are small but substantive and seamless. That's how George Lucas should have treated the OT films in 1997 and later.

[@jasethomas5198]

I agree! It's kinda the only special edition I like

[@szeltovivarsydroxan9944]

But I'd say it has the worst sound changes. Vader's line "Bring my shuttle!" is so much more powerful and menacing than the new wordy one, where he sounds like he's falling asleep. And Boba Fett's voice by Jason Wingreen was absolutely perfect. Temuera Morrison literally phoned his lines for the SE in, and it sounds like it.

[@ThreadBomb]

The problem with adding windows to Cloud City is it looks awkward. If they had intended to have windows originally, I think the design of the interiors would have been very different.

[@waltascher]

@@ThreadBomb But they always were windows, you just couldn’t see anything through them. That’s why the lighting changes between orange and blue in different scenes. It’s supposed to reflect a daytime sky versus a sunset.

[@riazuddin4920]

Yes but Lucas always had the least to do with Empire (directed by Kirshner, written by Brackett and Kasadan etc) while the original and the 3rd part had more hands on approach by Lucas, in particular with the script (Lucas' dialogue and scene composition is usually pretty laughable), so Empire was always the best of the bunch, while the original is the worst i nthe sense that it looked dated even by 1980, let alone 1997. So so much of that movie had to be touched up that some wholesale changes were needed.

[@wwCs49]

I remember getting the DVD version while in Costco with my dad, not long after the 2004 release. I viewed Star Wars completely ass backwards: ep 2 on dvd, then ep 3 in theaters, then ep 1 on dvd. When I got this OT dvd watched the whole thing that weekend and was hooked, for better or worse!

[@MattMcIrvin]

Seeing the whole original trilogy again, back to back, in the theater was a lot of fun. I thought most of the changes were bad in Star Wars and Return of the Jedi... but mostly for the better in The Empire Strikes Back! Seeing them together with only short gaps between the releases also made me realize that Return of the Jedi wasn't as good as I'd thought in the first place. But even so, it was well worth seeing.

[@ErikN1982]

Return of the Jedi set the tone for what would happen in the prequel movies and beyond. Making drastic changes to the story for no reason but to sell more toys and merchandise, and through corporate decisions rather than artistic ones, as well as some peppered in lazy story writing when compared to the first 2 movies. Hurting the final product. The original script set the empire attacking the homeworld of the Wookies, but "Ewoks" were introduced to sell more toys. Among other things.

[@lex_rodriguez]

@@ErikN1982 Actually, due to disputes with the union, Lucas couldn't get the budget to use Wookies and he also wouldn't be able to hire Spielberg - it wasn't just because they were greedy. Let's not spread half truths and lies.

[@jubjub7101]

I was in my early teens when the theatrical rerelease happened and I had a blast going to see them in a proper theatre, after watching Star Wars on VHS or tv my entire childhood.

[@tastycookiechip]

@@ErikN1982 Set the tone fit prequel movie's? So basically return of the jedi set the tone for Star Wars too reach its absolute peak? I love return of the jedi even more now

[@deatheven13]

Pretty much the same. I didn't appreciate Empire till I was much older.. I wanna say I was 16 or so when the trilogy came out again. A New Hope was amazing. A child fell asleep on me during Empire and that second act of Jedi will always be dreadful. Still an amazing experience to see them in the theater with a big cheering crowd and I wish they'd do it again in the future.

[@Bishlawy]

Ahh, yes. My favorite movie series, “Stat Wars”. Edit: they changed it. Sad.

[@DJHD85]

Little known fact, the first time I ever saw the original Star Wars trilogy in full was when I went to the cinema to see the special editions in 1997. I loved the movies and I have ever since. Thanks for this wonderful nostalgia filled deep dive into the special editions James. You’re alright really

[@MattMcIrvin]

19:04 There are, I think, other reasons people have different memories. A college roommate insisted he'd seen a cut in 1977 that had the Jabba scene in it, with the stand-in actor on screen. As far as I can tell, no such (official) version of Episode IV ever existed. It took me a long time to figure out that what he was probably remembering was the TV special "The Making of Star Wars", where that whole scene appeared as shot.

[@Knightmessenger]

I think it was "star wars to jedi."

[@the7percentsolution]

I'll always have fond memories of when the Special Editions came out. I feel like that's when I REALLY got into Star Wars. Like I saw them before the re-release but the hype and eventual experience of seeing the movies on the big screen really won me over.

[@chafrey8532]

Replacing yub nub is still such a betrayal for me. I knew every single word of that song. And the ending fit so well into the beginning of the credits and the theme song.

[@Wol1427]

Yub nub is terrible, I'm sorry but.... Just...... No, No.

[@2x4noah]

@@Wol1427 long live Yub Nub

[@islandplace7235]

I think simply having both play in the scene fading between the two is a good compromise

[@richardgillette5759]

yub nub is pretty bad but it is still soooooo much better than it's replacement which has a melody i've thankfully forgotten

[@collecticus]

Nah, Victory Celebration is better.

[@dcb_75]

Oh man I feel old - I was only in my early 20s when these came out and 20 years seemed like a huge deal but here we are almost 45 years since the original was released! The one big thing to remember too about the box office for the Special Editions is that Star Wars was already out on vhs and other formats by that time, they had just released the original unaltered version on video "one last time" not long before that. So even with the curiosity factor about what changes were made, that is still an amazing amount of money to make considering you could still watch the movie at home anytime you wanted. The Jabba scene, as well as a few others, shows the interesting issue with movies in that once it has been seen, people know what is going on so you can make changes and it won't ruin the surprise anymore. Any fan watching the special edition knew who Jabba and Boba Fett were, no big deal seeing them here. But for anyone new, this is now the big reveal of those characters, not the later ones so they get a different experience than people who saw the original versions. Is it better or worse this way? Who knows.

[@chandlernunnally1733]

This is a really nice video, love the long form stuff from this channel. Been a fan for so long. So happy to see you succeed over the years, mate.

[@mrsundaymovies]

Thanks Chandler really kind of you to say!

[@thebourg]

Hard to believe it has been 25 years. My biggest memory of these is that this was the first time I was able to see all 3 on the big screen, and it was like I waited my whole life to do it. I was born a couple months after ANH was released in 77, so never got to experience it until these came out

[@myrb2622]

These types of videos are probably my favorite types you do. The simplistic delivery of the insights, and lighthearted editing make it very engaging. It's just nice to hear someone talk about something they clearly find very interesting. I also love the rest of your content, especially funny over the top unhinged rants, but I would love to see more videos like this. Keep up the great work!

[@ThanksForTheCandy]

The re-release of New Hope came out on my 8th birthday, I remember coming home from school and my Dad surprised me with tickets for us and my best friend. I didn't care about any of the edits, I had watched the tapes on repeat for a while at that point and the fact that there was extra stuff blew my mind. Then I became a lifetime cynic when Phantom Menace came out so, swings and roundabouts I guess.

[@jaybain4337]

I moved to SF in October ‘95. I was on email list and got myself and several coworkers and friends a 3-4 day gig working as extras at ILM for new ROTJ end scene shots where we wore leftover costumes from the OG series, jumping up and down yelling “we won!” for IIRC $45 a day. I had to go back to work after day 3 but my homie got to stay an extra day and wear a rebel pilot costume for new shots for the Ewok party for ROTJ. Good times and great memories!

[@rohanmarkjay]

I thought the additions were unnecessary. It would have been better if George Lucas instead of redoing scenes that made no sense. Went to the original deleted scenes from original shoot cleaned them up and added them for the 1997 release. That would have been better.

[@HOTD108_]

It's not about which version is better, it's about how much of a cultural crime it is that the original versions of these historically and culturally films are so difficult to get a hold of these days.

[@mattd4636]

The crime of these re-releases is less about what they changed (though adding Jabba in Ep. 4 is a TERRIBLE idea with a TERRIBLE looking Jabba) and more of these versions are now the ONLY versions readily available to buy.

[@Matt-xc6sp]

@@mattd4636 Ahoy there matey, there be a simple solution.

[@JBaughb]

@@Matt-xc6sp Do you really expect Richard Nixon and Shaquille Oneal to illegally pirate movies?

[@Matt-xc6sp]

@@JBaughb I almost forgot “you wouldn’t download a car” refers to presidents and nba players.

[@mattd4636]

Yes, but the issue is that shouldn't be the only way I can get them.

[@FillipJPhry]

1.whatever subs and STILL I cannot express how underrated this channel is. Well done. I feel, even having never met, we are besties forever!

[@mrsundaymovies]

WE ARE BEST FRIENDS AND WE’LL NEVER DIE

[@FillipJPhry]

@@mrsundaymovies maybe prove it by dropping a like. Comment edition. 😉

[@AbjectPermanence]

The old laserdisc version of the movies from before the "Special Editions" eventually appeared as a "bonus" on a later DVD release of the OT. If someone wants an official copy of the old version of the films, those DVDs are a lot more accessible than the laserdiscs.

[@pavma7]

Which dvd version is that tho?

[@AbjectPermanence]

​@@pavma7 They were 2-disc editions released in 2006. I think they were also available in a collected box. If you go to the Wookieepedia article titled "Original unaltered trilogy", they have more information, including pictures of what they look like.

[@brown22sugar25]

@@AbjectPermanence the GOUT version absolutely sucks though. Just download Harmy’s despecialized or 4k77 even though they aren’t official releases

[@AbjectPermanence]

​@@brown22sugar25 Yeah, it goes without saying that the HD versions are way better than the version that was on laserdisc. I was just talking about collecting official merchandise, not which versions people would want to watch.

[@brown22sugar25]

@@AbjectPermanence right

[@VideoClubRandom]

Love the video! You can tell it was a lot of work, although selfishly I would've liked it to be longer... 😅 I grew up with the Special Editions, and despite their obvious problems, I don't hate them like most. I always had the unpopular idea that will never happen, that I would love to see a Special Edition for the Prequels. Watching them today they look like actors floating on a cutscene from an old video game. Seeing what can be done with today's technology in movies like Jungle Book, Lion King, or the Star Wars series, imagine what those fake locations and clones could look like now. Surely all the raw footage from those movies are actors standing on blue screens, so it would be much easier to recreate the effects around them, than to paste digital effects on top of an old film like in the original trilogy...

[@scubasteve2189]

The despecialized editions are such a breath of fresh air. We have all been gaslighted into thinking these changes improved the films, and then you go back and watch the despecialized editions and realize just how badly they’ve been screwed up. It’s night and day. And actually, the worst change they made for the DVD editions was the color correction. Some idiot let George change the color tone so that everything has a really pink hue to it. Did you ever notice how Vader’s lightsaber was pink? Or how all of the explosions which should have been red and yellow actually looked pink for some reason? Yeah, that was George’s brilliant idea to color correct the ENTIRE trilogy to some crazy pink hue. 🤦🏻‍♂️ It becomes even more noticeable in the despecialized editions because the colors just look so natural and beautiful.

[@rohanmarkjay]

It would have been better George Lucas included a significant amount of original deleted footage for the 1997 edition to enhace the star wars backstory rather than redoing scenes which did not make sense. I thought the Add ons were unnecessary. I was hoping in 1997 that they would include a lot deleted scenes from the original shoot. That would have been much better and made better sense.

[@liekeze6318]

I know that it has its flaws, but these versions of the films were the first version of the Star Wars movies I ever saw (my dad had the gold cover VHS box set that still feels like the definitive packaging for Star Wars) and because of that alone, I will always have a soft spot in my heart for versions. I still kind of wish that there was an option on Disney+ to choose which version to watch so that I could get a 5-10 minute intro to each film with cast and crew talking about the changes that had been made to the film.

[@R3D_Lantern]

That would be great

[@ThreadBomb]

But that would involve being considerate of the audience and of film history.

[@TooCooFoYou]

Wouldn’t surprise me if Lucas made it to where Disney was barred from selling the theatrical release of the films.

[@Tr0nzoid]

We watched and were in awe of the movies all those years and didn't see anything wrong with them. The idea of touching up movies wasn't a reality, so no one expected that to happen. Now, people want it to happen all the time. I have almost never watched and certainly haven't just reluctantly tolerated the Special Editions and changes beyond, going from watching the videotapes to the 2006 "Bonus Disc," to the Despecialized Editions.

[@JeffreyJFerguson]

Unaltered versions of the Original Trilogy were released on DVD in 2006! They're basically the laserdisc versions. No Special Edition stuff, and the first movie doesn't even say "Episode IV: A New Hope" --- just says "Star Wars." A lot of people forget they exist.

[@aclockworkreview]

It also has jedi and empire unaltered

[@Wade_Tyler]

I recently watched the theatrical versions on the dvds for the first time. I felt like I was watching Star Wars for the first time again.

[@aclockworkreview]

@@Wade_Tyler i never seen the originals before and I had to get them checked by my dad who watched them when they came out and he told me that its the holy grail of star wars media and I'm glad that I have watched them

[@szeltovivarsydroxan9944]

But they're not anamorphic. They're literally 4:3, in which the letterboxes are baked in. You have to zoom into the picture to get rid of them (most DVD and Blu-ray players do this automatically), and you get way worse picture quality this way. These DVD's were a sorry excuse to "give" us the unaltered editions.

[@ThreadBomb]

This was literally mentioned in the video.

[@JettQuasar]

Most young people today have no idea what the world was like back in 1977 when Star Wars was made... No Internet, no smart phones, and computer tech that was in its infancy.

[@Rschr101]

Before the dark times...

[@user-dq6se6er8j]

Before the Empire

[@ashdoginc]

It always struck me as strange that Jabba put a bounty on Han that Greedo tried to collect - then Jabba and Han meet and Jabba lets him off with a warning. So, what, Boba Fett wasted his time taking Han to Jabba? Did Jabba laugh and say to Boba "Oh, nah, I won't pay you that...I wiped that bounty clean ages ago. But I will give you time with these alien women and hang out here as long as you like for free so I can keep Han as a wall hanging."

[@efuntron]

I think this goes to show that limitations in movies can actually be a strength. Not seeing jabba in episode 4 for example or not seeing the Wampa in episode 5. We really didn’t need those extra scenes. Some ideas are just not worth expanding on.

[@rohanmarkjay]

Yeah what George Lucas should have done was included some of the extra deleted footage. That was edited out in originally due to time constraints, but can now include the extra deleted footage that would enhance the back story of Star Wars. Of course the deleted footage would have to be cleaned up and sharpened. But in 1997 they had the technology to smoothen out any rough edges from any deleted original footage which should have been included in the 1997 edition. That would be better than redo scenes which did not make sense.

[@Ovetupp]

Most changes feel good and well intentioned. It amazes me how many small bits were put in to flesh out an already good (but aged) trilogy. Then there are the moments of unhinged hubris that sticks out, like the music number and changing the name from stat wars to star wars.

[@CalebRuiz]

The cantina song scarred me as a child lol but the replaced Ewok song is quite an improvement iirc

[@onylra6265]

@@CalebRuiz Hey everyone, this guy just disrespected Yub Nub - GET HIM!

[@alonsoarana5307]

@@onylra6265 Yub Nub sounds like a children's song, come at me fanboys

[@ThreadBomb]

@@alonsoarana5307 It's a song of joy, not a pompous anthem.

[@patgriffith9176]

The re-releases were a BIG deal when they happened. I watched all them multiple times in theater and got all the extended soundtracks. The audience cheering at the end of Jedi is one of my favorite memories.

[@DokkaChapman]

I've never gotten over the replacement of Yub Nub. We didn't need to see celebrations across the galaxy, seeing the core cast in a more humble space was perfect!

[@choreomaniac]

Agree.

[@123redrules]

Yub nub is an awful song. Victory celebration is so much better

[@ryangabbert3646]

i don't think a lot of the younger generation of fans would be into star wars like they are now without the special edition releases on dvd. I am 20 now and i remember always watching the empire and return dvds with my dad as a young kid in the early and mid 2000s.

[@msthalamus2172]

"A hundred years from now, the only version of the movie that anyone will remember will be the DVD version of the Special Edition." A stronger argument to heavily distribute the Despecialized Edition has never been made.

[@dannyfriar5653]

I grew up with star wars and I was 11 when these editions came out and it was the first time I really got into star wars in a big way. I remember how exciting it was and how excited I was to see that deleted Jabba scene...and then I saw it. I wasn't impressed. But this edition will always have a special place in my heart because it was the beginning of my love for star wars.

[@CybershamanX]

(17:43) The original film did have surround/center channel information, but it was matrix encoded into the stereo channels using early Dolby technology. This allowed it to be played in theaters (and later, at home) that only had stereo speakers. But, yeah, later each channel (left/center/right/surround/LFE or Low Frequency Effects) was discretely encoded. If you want to read some interesting surround sound history, look up Jim Fosgate. Dolby actually purchased his matrix technology which he demonstrated to them with equipment that used freaking vacuum tubes. (He LOVES vacuum tubes.) He is still alive and tinkering today. Fascinating stuff.

[@tyjuarez]

in addition, 5.1 versions of the 77/80/83 versions are included with most fan restorations. Hairy_Hen's version, for example, uses a Shure HTS5300 decoder (better than dolby's own decoders) to retrieve the center and surround info from a '93 nearfield mix, then removes alterations to that mix using the original Dolby Stereo mix. For the LFE, a standalone subharmonic generator is used.

[@CybershamanX]

@@tyjuarez Hey! Sorry I missed your reply! But thank you SO MUCH for that bit of audio trivia! MUCH appreciated! 😎🤘☮️

[@CybershamanX]

@@tyjuarez I found a big post by Hairy Hen on the Original Trilogy forums. (Is that where you saw it?) He mentions using a subharmonic synthesizer to pull and enhance the audio from the Front L/R and send it to the LFE channel. For the longest time I used an AudioControl PCA (Phase Coupled Activator) Series 1, Series 3, or a dbx 120X-DS (depending on my mood; I'm a crazy tinkerer 🤪) in my home theater as a sort of "secret weapon" for movies. (NOT to overblow the bass! Just a wee daft touch is MORE than enough to get that "woah! what was that!" effect 😜) As time went on, though, it got too hard to implement and, sadly, I had to remove it from the system. Now I want to pull one of them out and play with it again. 😎

[@eazyecoheed16]

This and the Shadows of the Empire retrospective are so so very good! Please do more like this! Another great video

[@stewartfennell8926]

It was a dream come through for me to see the original trilogy on the big screen. People complain about the inserted scenes for the special editions but they were a big selling point back then.

[@jasperfox6821]

It's amazing seeing how George Lucus's improved upon these films that he originally saw as flawed, that's why I love owning these films on blu-ray.

[@EyedMite]

Love these forms of mr. Sunday movies!

[@gedwooly3549]

The release of the special edition of star wars, was where my love of star wars began. Having watched them on VHS dozens of times as a kid. I already enjoyed them. Something about seeing them on the big screen just hit different.

[@Bloodynine606]

I'll never forgive changing Boba Fett's voice or adding Hayden Christensen to Return of the Jedi.

[@CRYSTAL_CUSTOMS]

I'm curious why you won't forgive them since their ones that make sense for the lore

[@Bloodynine606]

@@CRYSTAL_CUSTOMS because it’s dogshit prequel lore

[@choreomaniac]

Making Anakin young as a Force Ghost isn’t according to lore. Yoda, Obi Wan look like they do when they died, not like kids. Anakin returned to the Light side of the force before he died. If he had not, he couldn’t have become a force ghost as the lore says that that is impossible for Sith. So, he died as a Jedi in the force, redeemed by his sons love and his love for his son. Making his ghost 20 negates the redemption theme and ruins watching it in release order. There is no lore need to change it. Boba Fett is is an unaltered clone of Django. His voice doesn’t need to be exactly the same as a young Django. People voices change as they age, even accents change. Injuries, smoking, etc can change your voice. Again, there is no lore necessity to change that. He is also clearly speaking through some sort of electronic synthethizer that count change his voice.

[@markisverycool]

Imagine if James made videos and released them regularly - imagine how good they would be.

[@TheIslandDivision]

Mason kept completely quiet for this one...

[@zanfear]

I remember as a kid in 2004, I got the Special Edition Widescreen DVD trilogy for my birthday. I was over the moon! I didn't know anything about 'how it was supposed to look', but I remember watching Empire of Dreams or whatever it was that went through the changes and I didn't mind at all (I have 3 major issues in total up to the 2011 blu-rays though). As a kid I was just ecstatic to have my own access to Star Wars on DVD. It also had a demo for Star Wars Battlefront on Xbox (just the Endor map) and I kept playing that demo for a while!

[@FTNChicken]

I think it would be a real 40% energy flex if the title is never fixed

[@robertdial5205]

As someone born in 95 I remember the version I watched all the time being the last vhs release before the special edition and the "one last time" trailer and the Lucas interview at the start. To me those feel like a part of the movie. The original version did in fact, not disappear and I'm really glad that both versions exist.

[@ThreadBomb]

A lot of this stuff about how George Lucas considered the original incomplete was only decades-later hindsight. The SFX were groundbreaking for their time - and _still_ impressive in 1997. The cut scenes had been cut for good reason. As with all the cash-grab "director's cuts" that came out in the 90s and 2000s, the "authentic"/"improved" version was in fact inferior to the theatrical release, and of interest only for its novelty. And that stuff about the original Jabba scene being made with intention to replace the actor with stop motion is not true! Just look at the original Marvel comic book of the film, which was based on the script and stills from the movie. Jabba is just some guy.

[@ScooterinAB]

Exactly. Lucas is a huge revisionist and constantly went back and said and did things that were never true. This is what pisses people off about all the remakes and the lack of a quality theatrical version: they aren't the movies that Lucas actually made and intended to make. Some of the changes are good, like adding windows to Cloud City or improving that Storm Trooper Death Star scene. But they're changes nonetheless and not what Lucas originally planned and shot. He may have wanted to do a few of these things but couldn't, but the vast majority are just changes he wanted to make because he's a hack. The films were never incomplete or improperly filmed. That's just Lucas changing the narrative like he has been known to do so many other times before and since.

[@colonel1003]

@@ScooterinABnot all into Star Wars so all of this new to me, holy shit George sounds like a control freak man child

[@ScientificallyStupid]

I attended high school in the early 90's. My friends and I were all Star Wars nerds (which wasn't so easy to be at that point; all we had was the OT and the Timothy Zahn books, which everyone passed around until they were falling apart). I will never forget a newspaper clipping my bff had on her bedroom bulletin board, right next to a magazine photo of Jean-Luc Picard. It was an article about the 15th anniversary of the release of A New Hope, along with quotes from George Lucas about planned further trilogies continuing the story- which were "unlikely", given how much time had passed. That one article was a touchstone that gave us hope. We dreamed about more stories, but thought realistically that they'd never happen. My friend and I had a falling out, but whenever I think about how much Star Wars there is now and how much it seems to dominate pop culture, I also think of her and wonder how what we got measures up to her imagination.

[@TheDrDave89]

I remember my gold boxset of this being one of prize possessions as a child 🤣

[@TheDrDave89]

@@Mike-tv9rk hahaha neither can I 🤣 really interested in those fan edited cuts too if anyone accidentally tripped over and watched them?

[@TheDrDave89]

No way not to look like a narc is there 🤣

[@mikeymcdoable]

I was 4 when the special editions came out and until high school I always thought Star Wars came out in 1997. It just proves how timeless the OT is

[@joeblankenship377]

I don't feel bad downloading the Despecialized versions, seeing as how I've already bought all 3 movies multiple times.

[@jubjub7101]

I remember getting the VHS rerelease trilogy and also getting a 1990’s version of a Sony home surround sound system around the same time. My mind being blown away how the sound would zoom across the room when an X-wing crossed the screen.

[@alikus7]

George’s greatest strength has always been his gift of being a shrewd businessman. He released the THX version of the Trilogy in the early 90’s (on VHS! -might as well put a dress on a barnyard pig) That cash helped finance the special editions. The theatrical release of the special additions helped finance Episode 1! Talk about a pyramid scheme.

[@thechannelformerlyknownasp8111]

The special editions hold a special place in my heart, and I love them dearly. The only issue I have with them, and the modern versions, is that it’s all we have. I should be able to watch whatever version of Star Wars I please as long as I’m willing to pay for it. It’s just crazy that they don’t release the other versions, at least in special releases like collector’s editions.

[@samhall7227]

I have the unaltered originals on DVD. In the U.K. there was a box set released with the most recent updates on one disk and the originals on another!

[@LordHorussg1]

i've got the unaltered originals on laserdiscs each flim is on 3 discs.

[@scruffylooking23]

Omigod I have those. Not enough people talk about these, and I feel like a crazy person when I do. We got them here in The States as well. Glad to know I'm not crazy.

[@emmittmorgans8076]

@@scruffylooking23 No one really talks about them because they're widescreen encoded into a 4:3 picture so they look about as good as the laserdiscs that were sourced from the same early '90s masters.

[@mullaoslo]

My most precious vhs collection.... I was just to young to even consider asking for the original vhs's.. But the special editions is how I first saw the original trilogy in the cinema so I have a soft for them

[@hanng1242]

In 2006, there was a "Widescreen Limited Edition" set of DVD's released that included 2 discs for each film - one for the original and one for the tampered-with versions. I will never get rid of my copies.

[@benreilly9513]

The Star Wars Special Edition is literally the first thing I remember. When I was four, my parents took me to see Star Wars in theaters. To hear my folks tell it, the first one I saw was The Lion King, but I have zero memory whatsoever of that experience. But my first memory of being on Earth? Was seeing Star Wars, because I was four when the Special Editions hit theaters. So the first thing I remember about being alive, is seeing the Tantive IV soar past the screen, like it was soaring over my head, and then being followed by the Star Destroyer, and being so full of awe that somehow, being four years old and barely able to consider my life in a temporal context, knowing that my life would never be the same. Whoever four year old Ben would have become had he not seen Star Wars, that person was obliterated by that moment. So whatever anyone has to say about the Special Editions, I can't be anything but grateful to them, and to Lucasfilm and Lucas himself for bringing them into existence at just the right time that Star Wars would be the first thing I remember of being alive and conscious on Earth.

[@barkley8285]

Crazy my earliest memory is seeing the opening scene of episode 3 when i was close three.

[@robertwild9447]

Even though Return of the Jedi has by far the worst changes of the original trilogy special editions, I still prefer the Victory Celebration theme at the end over the Yub Nub theme, and I will gladly die on that hill.

[@alonsoarana5307]

I will too, Yub Nub sounds too childish

[@popculture70]

Harmy's Despecialized editions are the best way of watching Star Wars... original cast and voices, no cgi "enhancements", and it looks so incredibly beautiful.

[@Clay3613]

I need those extra battle scenes and fixed mattes though.

[@orlandofurioso7329]

@@Clay3613 yeah i honestly feel more let down by the x wing practical effects than from Jabba or the Dino

[@CybershamanX]

I really like Adywan's Star Wars Revisited editions. Well worth the watch to any Star Wars fan. His original Death Star attack is AMAZING. EDIT: Also look up how he painstakingly made them. It's FASCINATING.

[@havoc14]

Glad Adywan is getting a mention. His editions are legitimately incredible. Editing the X-Wings so their stripes match their call signs, giving Chewie a medal, new stop motion shots of AT-STs added to the Battle of Hoth, building a full size replica of Han in Carbonite just to fix the error that his shirt is different… not to mention color correction and re-synced sound effects. I cannot overstate how impressive the Revisited editions are. I felt like I was back to being a kid experiencing them for the first time and that’s not something that is easily achieved or easily dismissed.

[@Rschr101]

Lmfao. "His Death Star attack"...you make it sound like he was involved in the production of the film. Hilarious.

[@CybershamanX]

@@Rschr101 OK. I know this is going to be a mistake, but... Please explain? Are you implying I thought he was involved with the actual original film by Lucas? Or the production of his own version? Btw, I should clarify that by "original" I meant the first Death Star, _not_ the original George Lucas film.

[@TheMoonLayingLow]

Great work, mate. I've always wanted to know more about why George did this to his movies, and you've done it in a fun and entertaining way

[@alisterfolson]

Hats off to the space battles. They rocked in literally every SW movie.

[@bigkmoviesandgames]

Except episode 8

[@alonsoarana5307]

@@bigkmoviesandgames even in Episode 8 fanboy

[@bigkmoviesandgames]

@@alonsoarana5307 no they were pretty bad and nonsensical even for this franchise in part 8.

[@alonsoarana5307]

@@bigkmoviesandgames they were fine, nothing special but nothing particularly offensive. Yes, the Leia floating through space was a bit silly but it's whatever

[@bigkmoviesandgames]

@@alonsoarana5307 the problem I have with the Space Battles is that film is they make no sense. We know at any moment the Tie fighters can just fly out and blow up all three ships because they literally do with Leia ship but they just don't do it in the movie because reasons. Also the beginning when poe takes on the Dreadnought they barely even try to take him down he has no backup yet he takes down the whole damn thing like it aint shit and I guess their guns just can't shoot a small fighter and they can't send out a TIE fighter to take his ass down. You also have the really slow bombers at the beginning which are a completely impractical ship if I've ever seen one in Star Wars and they all get wiped out in like 10 seconds by like a couple Fighters. The only interesting thing space-battle wise in that movie was the holdo suicide maneuver.

[@personalizedapple3740]

I was sitting on the couch watching a new hope on Disney plus with my girlfriend who had never seen Star Wars and told her about all of the digital effects that were added in! It’s like I was being listened to cause then this video came out, WILD!

[@1.21gigawatts2]

I've seen the original Star Wars trilogy countless times, but I'm not sure I have ever ACTUALLY seen the original trilogy...

[@bigkmoviesandgames]

Yeah it's hard to see the theatrical versions these days

[@MattMcIrvin]

I definitely have! BECAUSE I'M OLD! Here, sonny, look where they put in my artificial knee! I'm more machine than man now, twisted and evil!

[@ryanpetersen3789]

I wasn’t alive in 1977, so it was exciting to be able to see Star Wars on the big screen as a 9 year old in ‘97. I enjoy the Special Editions and feel there are some great updates

[@bigkmoviesandgames]

I wish we could get the theatrical cuts released on Blu-ray and 4k one day.

[@GringoXalapeno]

Well I got the despecialized edition on blu ray through e crater

[@bigkmoviesandgames]

@@GringoXalapeno yeah the despecialized Edition is great but I hope one day we get an official release

[@DW3010]

There’s money to be made on those and Disney knows it. But like the video said, there’s probably a time frame on it, or we’re going to have to wait for King George’s death to see that

[@bigkmoviesandgames]

@@DW3010 yeah that's definitely a possibility. But hopefully one day we'll be able to see it happen.

[@GovernatorAO]

I remember waiting on line over night to get my tickets for the Special Editions. There was a group of about 30, it was a really fun time!

[@ghiggs8389]

I feel like I'm the only person who remembers Dr Evazan's original dialogue in the cantina right before Kenobi dispatches them. He originally says "He doesn't like your face. I don't like your face either" was changed to "He doesn't like you. I don't like either". You can read his lips to see the change. No clue why this simple line was changed as the irony of 2 hideous beings telling young 'pretty-boy' Luke they don't like his face was awesome. Even the Despecialized editions missed this change which I find very disappointing.

[@Cuppy88]

If this were true, There would be multiple sources of evidence to support this. It's just another example of people misremembering. People swear on their lives that they saw Luke throw the grappling hook across the Death Star bridge and miss, The fact is, it didn't happen. It's pretty hard to reinsert something that has zero documentation because it literally doesn't exist. What source would Harmy have been able to use to put it back in?

[@ghiggs8389]

@@Cuppy88 anyone who can read lips even partially can verify it. Just watch the scene.

[@Cuppy88]

@@ghiggs8389 I'm not disputing what was or wasn't said ON SET during filming, I'm saying that it is an absolute verifiable fact that none of the many released and heavily documented sound mixes for this film have ever contained that line. What the characters lip movements are articulating on screen is completely inconsequential to what the ADR dialogue for that scene has always been since the film was released. It may very well have been said on set but not one single official release of the film has ever contained that line in it's audio mix. Also, I'm not sure by what means you watched Despecialized, but did you happen to notice that in the alternate audio options it contains EVERY english sound mix this film has ever had prior to 1997 in addition to several foreign dubs? That line does not and has not ever existed in any of them.

[@crimsondeath7468]

It was this 1997 version i grew up with and I still love this version. What i dont undestand is why not every version is avalable so people can choose. Blade runner has many more versions and they all are avalable

[@Optimus-Prime-Rib]

Awesome. Now we just need SE of the prequels to update some of the cartoony CG from 20 yrs ago to todays standard.

[@Clay3613]

Backstroke Of The West makes Episode III better.

[@4-kathryn]

The 2004 DVD boxset was the one my parents bought for our family when it released. Glad to know you think it has good quality, I love bonus content and I thought it delivered.

[@michaelmccarroll2698]

Would love it if you included comparisons to stuff like 4k77 and the de-specialised editions

[@ThreadBomb]

He might get demonetized for that.

[@smeagollumartin]

These retrospectives are actually lovely

[@HOTD108_]

I love Stat Wars! Much better than Star Wars.

[@jackhustwayte4567]

This sums up so much about fandom

[@Hamerparsa]

What are you even talking about ? I couldn’t disagree more. Star Wars is way better than Star Wars

[@HOTD108_]

@@Hamerparsa What? I'm talking about Stat Wars, not that stupid Star Wars crap!

[@Hamerparsa]

@@HOTD108_ oooooh . In that case couldn’t agree more . You’re on the money

[@LeDardeursPalace]

I remember liking Star Wars before the Special Edition but being born in 87, poor family and all. I barely had exposure to it, so when the ads dropped I was so hyped. They played the original movies many times on tv on the road to the release, what a time!

[@philcorrigan5641]

I think we can all agree now that the ‘special’ bits that were added to the supposedly incomplete original trilogy have dated terribly, far far worse than the original practical ILM effects, which still look fantastic to this day. And don’t get me started with what they did to poor Boba Fett in ESB…

[@bongokongo8463]

But George Lucas is God Disney put women, politics and made Mark Hamill mad by ignoring his ridiculous ideas for Luke! George would never rape star wars by doing such things! R/Prequelmemes told me so!!!!

[@alfa01spotivo]

idk the wampa was massively improved. I also much prefer Cloud City's new look

[@DoctorPayne]

Great video, well researched, funny script, great delivery, 10/10.

[@WeedleInTheBathroom]

All in all I’m a fan of the updated re-releases, however whenever I watch Return of the Jedi with my mum she always yells no about same time as Vader and complains it ruins the scene. Makes this huge moment such a nightmare to sit through now

[@SuperM789]

well maybe you should actually listen to your mom, because she's absolutely correct

[@WeedleInTheBathroom]

@@SuperM789 don’t worry I agree but it takes away from the scene itself now😂

[@jonathansodacan5769]

I love when James does these longer deep dives

[@spinadude]

Saw Jedi on opening night in '83. I have a vivid memory of seeing and hearing Luke roll his lightsaber out to Vader from under the stairs. Never saw hint of it again. I know this was in the novelization. Anyone else remember this, or is it all in my head?

[@offtankgaming1310]

That rings a bell. I also distinctly remember Vader in Empire saying, "Pray that I alter it no further," instead of "Pray I don't alter it any further." Just more formal/badass, and I have never found it since.

[@jefffan171]

Really cool video. You've made me want to watch the original '97 edition of ANH as I've not watched the SE Theatrical release in years on Laserdisc. Also... I think its worth noting that Ben Burt and Gary Rydstorm did the 5.1 remix at Skywalker Sound and THX is the production of film master and presentation of that work. Loved the facts and new ideas for other bits fantastic 👏

[@luke5kr]

We need these wars STAT!

[@ChedWick05]

I was still young when they re-released this and with the internet sucking, I thought my dad and I were going to see a new star wars. Leaving the theater I was very confused because I swore I saw the movie before. I didn't know the new ones were still years out. Prior to this my only really memorable exposure to the movies was a VHS recording of the return of the Jedi that was recorded from some tv broadcast. Half commercials and everything. The 80/90s were wild

[@georgeguilfoyle6847]

Here while the name is still stat wars

[@lancebaylis3169]

There's also the little factor of Boba Fett's voice: the original actor who voiced him in The Empire Strikes Back was retained for the theatrical special edition, but the DVD release (and all subsequent versions) redubbed him with Temura Morrison, who played Jango Fett in the prequels and returned for The Book of Boba Fett.

[@afriend9428]

*Jeremy Bulloch who died 3 years ago R.I.P. and was in Hell Raiser too* 💡

[@Paul07791]

@@afriend9428 Jason Wingreen did the original voice ...I had to google, being no expert. On a side note it bugs me that Temura Morrison is built like a brick shit house and Bulloch was fairly thin by comparison. That is apparently just fine and dandy, but that original voice? Gotta go!!