How to Watch Star Wars, Part Two: The Special Editions Are the Movies, Get Over It

[@Red-pv3tw]

"I almost got hornswaggled into that documentary. They weren't calling it 'The People vs George Lucas' at the time, but I could tell from the questions they were asking it was an open invitation to trash George!" -Mark Hamill

[@oolooo]

If that douche Hamill is calling you out , you are in trouble

[@SoUncivilized414]

Excellent work dude. Always appreciate how well you apply film and art history to these things. Glad this is a for-real series now.

[@honor2323]

No way I watch your vids too!

[@fast.jortimer]

when he started showing clips of those dipshits talking about the Mona Lisa I was rubbing my hands together with glee lmao and boy did he sink that shot like a proton torpedo down an exposed exhaust port

[@isaacmuthu4377]

I found this channel thanks to your post

[@jacktrap8751]

You should also check out a great video about phantom menace on the channel style is substance.

[@isaacmuthu4377]

@@jacktrap8751 thanks

[@ChaChaFunk]

It's rare a video on KZbin genuinely changes my mind about something, but this was a really informative and well studied piece of analysis. I was a big fan of the "release the original cuts" argument (Although I wasn't a dick about it), but realising that such a thing does not exist, and that so many different versions of Star Wars DO is really eye opening So yeah, great documentary! If you were trying to sway opinions on this whole argument then I'd say you absolutely succeeded

[@Butt-Head9]

look up "Harmy's Star Wars de-specialized edition" its a fan made film preservation of the original theatrical releases. (happy May the 4th) kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3jViYJoh6mtgsksi=7CBxzeAGwKXpJ7xV

[@neanderthalknight9417]

It does exist, he's just being obtuse

[@SteveCrafts2k]

4k77 wants a word.

[@samsamsammmsam]

Decided to rewatch part one today on a whim and here we are... my approval is immeasurable and my day is made, thanks.

[@rickworley9081]

Thanks!

[@gdroid2838]

You’ve changed how I approach Star Wars and George Lucas. I’m glad I came across your videos.

[@Wackaz]

Same as me my friend; although I always loved Lucas, Rick made me appreciate his art in a newfound and outright fulfilling way.

[@Ruylopez778]

I also highly recommend the Paul Duncan interview on Star Wars Theory's channel, if you want more Paul Duncan content. The SWT Roger Christian interview is pretty good, too.

[@LiveHedgehog]

How "How Star Wars was saved in the edit" was Saved in the Edit is worth a watch too. It shows how much people like to misunderstand and twist the truth just to make their point.

[@filiperoque1801]

That channel blessed us with three amazing Star Wars videos and then dropped from the face of the Earth. But we still got some solid content from him nonetheless.

[@TheBaselessMountain]

True

[@username45739]

@pyropulse Huh? They lie about things that have meaning to them personally.

[@username45739]

@@filiperoque1801 There's a part in his 2nd "Apocrypha" video, i.e. the ST critique, where Nerdonymous heavily misrepresents at least two bits from TLJ: Says Luke "runs away from his apprentice" after seeing how powerful she was - in truth he was afraid that she'd go dark after not resisting that cave influence, but continued with his lessons afterward. And then he says Rey leaves him because of how bitter and useless he is, when in fact the main (if not only?) reason she left was because of the conversations with Ren and her belief he could be turned. Hilariously enough, that 2nd misrepresentation is identical to one made by Plinkett, who also has a bias against TLJ - but blamed in on his son Rian Johnson, and not "Lucas' original outline" which he thought had been COMPLETELY thrown out; contrary to Nerdonymous' implication lol. So yeah he's not perfect either, as it turns out - however for all I know, the percentage of this kinda stuff in his 3 videos is extremely low.

[@OswinPond]

@@filiperoque1801 what channel?

[@MetalJesus157]

This is probably the only Star Wars analysis video I've seen on KZbin that actually changed my mind about the series. I went in as a "release the theatrical cuts" guy and came out completely different. Keep up the great work!

[@spencerconway5468]

The theatrical cuts were released in 2006 as a bonus disc alongside the 2004 cut. The only problem is that they look small on widescreen TVs and are better to be played on old 4:3 TVs (for those that still have one).

[@Truthseeker4815]

I'm right there with you man.

[@alessiospurio]

Sorry for the long comment, but I want to make clear my point as much as possible. I still think the theatrical cuts matters and they should release them in an official dvd/blu-ray. 2006 dvds are hard to get nowadays, and many vhs copies just won't work in a few years. This question is not about nostalgia, is about preserving the movies how they were originally, how people saw them at the cinemas. It's good there are unofficial remastered versions of the theatricals, but whatever the good they are, they're still unofficials, illegals. Can you imagine if it would be illegal to access at the original version of a well known painting, or it would be illegal to access at the original version of a book wich has been modified trough the time? The fact that getting the original version of a movie is illegal, is as bad as would be bad that. I really don't want the movies become lost media with time, and I say that as 2000's kid who grow up with the remastered versions

[@GhostRider-on6bz]

Just out of interest, does that mean there is nothing now that you don't like about the revisions? For me, the sound and visual enhancements were amazing, but the big obvious CGI additions (mostly creatures) are the only thing I really object to. They've aged worse than any of the practical stuff and in far less time. I think it's fair to say that it was an almost perfect attempt at upscaling the original releases, but George went too far in just a few places. Of course mine is a centrist, balanced opinion that is uninteresting on internet forums.

[@GhostRider-on6bz]

@@alessiospurio They do, I agree. It was those that lit the fire and won the awards. The original Star Wars doesn't look bad, it just looks like an effects film that came out in 1977, go figure. Have the special editions by all means, but allow the originals their place too. Never hurt Blade Runner.

[@nostromo1131]

I started writing a science fiction novel during the pandemic, and I’m currently on draft five. Throughout the process, I’ve made significant changes to the work. I used to not like the special editions of Star Wars. Now, having engaged in creativity, I see where George is coming from, and my perspective has changed. Thanks for the video.

[@grathem9789]

i just think this video i biased

[@zoetropeguardian]

It takes being creative to understand a creative. I am glad to see you've come around. 🙂

[@grathem9789]

@@zoetropeguardian ...

[@grathem9789]

​@@zoetropeguardian 👌 you do you

[@anomalyinc3239]

@@grathem9789 he wasnt talking to you

[@CTFC-GERMANY]

this is undoubtly one of the best YT content i ever saw. Thank you very much for this eye-opening experience! It completly changed my mind about the whole SE-Stuff. You are a really AWESOME GUY!!!!!!

[@SunsetBlvd515]

Yes!! I just recently showed a friend your Part 1, So Uncivilized & Style is Substance videos and he loved them. We’re watching them them in a theater we have access to, it’s a blast to watch quality video essays like these on a big screen. Wish more people could watch them in that manner. Thanks for your work & contribution to the discourse. Look forward to diving in.

[@rickworley9081]

Thanks!

[@JamesSmith-bg6dk]

I'd also highly recommend the videos of Nerdonymous.

[@Wackaz]

@@JamesSmith-bg6dk Nerdonymous is also awesome. I wonder where he is nowadays, though.

[@LinkinMark1994]

@@Wackaz his videos *are* awesome, though *that* video is a little harder to recommend due to the large amount of defecation and diarrhea jokes (especially if you’ve never seen Ace Ventura, like me)

[@onemoreminute0543]

@@LinkinMark1994 "The truth is, Lucas didn't know what the hell he was doing when filming Star Wars, and so wasted the entire budget filming lots of animals pooping. Luckily, he had an ingenious editing team. Now, if an editor is particularly skilled, they can make any image how they want it. They simply turned animals pooping into the iconic film we have today"

[@probablysean]

I still can't get over how great this video is. This and part 1 are seriously the greatest film analysis I've ever seen. The level of detail and sense of history here, mixed with the effort of actually editing this altogether, is unmatched.

[@DarkInception]

I’ve been binging your video essays for the past few days. I feel like this is one of those rare KZbin moments where you discover an absolute gem of channel. Your videos are so incredibly well thought out and researched. I’m blown away by each one of them. But I find this 2 part series to have been my favorite so far. Just hours of analysis and commentary. This is what I live for.

[@robbieward765]

Oh man… good timing. I’m watching all 6 in a row this week- for the first time in years! Attack of the Clones is tonight. I prepped by rewatching your previous video, and it really allowed me to reclaim the love I had for these movies. Thanks for all the hard work

[@LiveHedgehog]

You're watching in episode order, right?

[@robbieward765]

@@LiveHedgehog yep! 1-6. My wife and I are watching one a night. It’s seriously about time for people to take a fresh, unfettered look at what George wanted to accomplish with these films… without all of the snarky baggage

[@LiveHedgehog]

@@robbieward765 Yeah, I completely agree. Plus he titled them 1-6 for a reason!

[@fast.jortimer]

Attack of the Clones is one of the most underrated movies of all time the last 45 minutes is pure Star Wars and it *just. keeps. escalating.* what a fucking movie

[@robbieward765]

@@fast.jortimer I couldn’t help but compare what the AOTC was offering up in comparison to anything to be found in the sequels (i.e. more storm troopers, more x-wings, more tie fighters) and was just gobsmacked. It may be the clunkiest of the 6 films in my opinion, but for god’s sake: A neon-soaked car chase, obi-wan on a noir-ish detective adventure, an old fashioned, sweeping, melodramatic courtship, a “The Searchers” style vengeance quest, political intrigue, a Ray Harryhausen execution arena, Yoda fighting CHRISTOPHER LEE. And more…. George Lucas has more creativity in his toenail clippings than J.J. could ever dream of.

[@averagejoe225]

29:54 Great video and I'm very excited for the third installment, but I wanted to point out something; James Earl Jones specifically asked for his name to be left out of the film because he considered himself to be "special effects" and not legitimately tied to the performance of the character. In an interview he references how Mercedes McCambridge was typecast after her voice work in The Exorcist, and he didn't want that to happen to him as an up-&-coming actor. However, by Return of the Jedi he decided he had become associated with the role enough and the cultural impact was so significant that he was alright with being credited.

[@drigondii]

I laughed when they said Luke was the ultimate rebel and then talked about George not understanding what was going on. One of the major points of Empire was that Luke was a cocky young man, like his father, who overestimated himself. Like Beru said in the previous movie, there's too much of his father in him, and like Owen said, that's the worry.

[@sexobscura]

Yes. A flippant line said by Beru that was a rote thing to say (along with the reply) has taken on a deeper meaning since Lucas evolved the story. Despite ESB + ROTJ, I believe Star Wars was a stand alone film. The fans (which I am one) will probably vilify me for the truth, but Lucas even said it once (before the sequels began - and I AM NOT going to find it).

[@drigondii]

@sexobscura well of course it was. And then it wasn't. That's the nature of a retcon. Adding context to something that previously didn't have any adds meaning that previously wasn't there. But if it's done well, it can be like poetry, and it can all sort of rhyme and go together.

[@sexobscura]

@@drigondii and you're correct. If only Lucas showed some humility in the playing out of his story, instead of claiming to be the All Conquering puppeteer

[@drigondii]

@@sexobscura that's artsy Hollywood directors for you. They all think they're God's gift to Earth.

[@publichearing8536]

​@@sexobscurawhat exactly is that supposed to mean?

[@VinVonVoom]

I'm only half-way through this video and its already the most detailed and comprehensive summary of the Special Editions, subsequent changes made to these movies and artistic revisionism out there.

[@VinVonVoom]

"revisionism" is often a negative buzzword when Star Wars is involved but I assure you I don't mean it that way.

[@username45739]

Well ot com as well

[@orlandofurioso7329]

@@VinVonVoom Revisionism is bad when applied to dead authors or history though, i think it must be contextualized on a case to case basis.

[@histguy101]

​@@orlandofurioso7329Revisionism is the study of history in an attempt to revise the historical record of something that has been presented falsely

[@Jpaulished]

Thank you man! George is one of my hero's and it's amazing to learn so much more about his thought process

[@mrspookie5377]

Rick. Im not sure if you’ll get to read this message, but I have to say this is an absolutely epic breakdown of an iconic movie. You have my utter respect for your work here. This documentation will go down in or as part of Star Wars history. Good work here. Respect is due and noted.

[@ReaperStarcraft]

I can see why this took 3 years! This is a really impressive compilation of version histories in addition to the intellectual arguments. At some points in the video I was reminded of how the invention of high fidelity recording materials started to "reify" certain performance arts. For instance, there's now a definitive studio recording of many pieces of music that seem like "the real thing," and all the other performances are derivatives of it somehow when just 300 years ago literally all music was only ever a live performance and no two were the same. Your list of examples of media that - in spite of being recorded in their own form of high fidelity - resisted reification was extremely interesting. I didn't often think about the kinds of changes between editions of a book in that way, or in different drafts of paintings, before I watched this video. In terms of music something I'd read before went along the lines of "there is such a thing as Mozart's G minor quintet; it's not the sheet music, nor any one live performance; there's room for interpretation, but it can't be just anything you want or it stops being Mozart's G minor quintet." Between ideas like that and this video I'm thinking about Star Wars more like a performance again and less like a particular artifact. There's many versions of it, and it's not any one particular version. Do I like some of the older versions of Star Wars? Yeah! But my opinion will change over time the same way anything changes over time, including the movies themselves. There are versions of Star Wars that I particularly like, but the fact is my ideal version - like so many other people's - would probably at this point be a grotesque mashup of aspects from many different versions that actually existed while being identical to none of them. I'm super impressed by Mike Verta's "Project 4K77" version of original Star Wars prints and I'd love to see it some day out of curiosity. But it's not "the true version of Star Wars" because there is no such thing. Aristotle supposed a perfect painting would be one to which nothing could any longer be added or taken away without making it worse, but no such painting really exists. It's an aspirational standard only. So it's like the man said: art is never finished, only abandoned.

[@Corn_Pone_Flicks]

Well, I'm glad you did this, because now I don't have to. I rarely watch videos this long (this is probably the longest one I've ever sat through,) but it was so comprehensive it was worth it. I was literally about to type a comment about Manhunter when the poster for it appeared on the screen, so when it occurred to me to mention The Hobbit, I decided to wait and see if you went there first. The only thing I thought to mention you didn't cover was the change between the mono and stereo mixes where Luke says "Blast it Wedge, where are you?" instead of the more familiar "Biggs." I'll admit that not every change made to the films over the years is to my preference (the constant revising of something so simple as Greedo getting shot almost makes it feel like he's messing with his critics at this point,) but most of them are to the betterment of the films, and ultimately, they're his films and his decisions to make. I love Star Wars, but it's not mine because of that...I don't much care for fans of things I like...they usually make me feel embarrassed about liking those things. Lucas inspired me to become a director, and I've frequently gone back and redone or touched up my own projects over the years, and my own much smaller audience has similarly complained that I should change them back. It's not happening. Lucas will always have my respect.

[@NeedlessNick]

Damn, you genuinely unhooked every one of the ideas I thought I KNEW for myself that made the special editions really egregious to me. Honestly still watching, about 3/4 of the way, but had to give praise for the sheer amount of effort and attention to detail this video has

[@Wade_Tyler]

Rick! You are so underrated! You put so much effort into making these videos and you deserve more subs and likes than Chris Stuckmann, Cosmonaut and Red Letter Media.

[@slr4456]

Sadly KZbin doesn't reward quality :/ But we can all hope one day it'll do and channels like this one will start getting the attention they deserve.

[@greedyclown851]

And I'm gonna give you up

[@redshift912]

Red letters rereview series is pretty great . They had to do somethng positive at some point , they wouldn’t have lasted hating on every single thing

[@TokyoXtreme]

Red Letter Media does a ton of great work, and have become an influential force in Hollywood. Rich Evans is absolutely more relevant than Ellen Degeneres, and perhaps now even Julia Roberts.

[@lynninpain]

What is it with Ricks?

[@ericheckenkamp6091]

There was a scene in TPM, on Tattooine, where Padme (in disguise) says "I'm trained in defensive combat." I saw it in the theater a few times. Then before it left the theater there was a new version of the film where she didn't say it. I argued with my friends until I wanted to explode. I doubted my own sanity. Then I bought the D20 RPG and the quote was in there, next to her picture!! I never felt so vindicated.

[@TrueLunacy]

Really?

[@Rezzanine]

@@ericheckenkamp6091 I'm pretty sure it was in the novelisation. I've never heard of it being included in the film itself. Interesting.

[@darinstaley1993]

She said something similar in the video game of The Phantom Menace

[@samlerf]

@@Rezzanine It was in the novelization by Terry Brooks and even the Junior novelization by Patricia C. Wrede.

[@idiot_city5444]

That was never in the movie dude, lol

[@solchevalsky7216]

As the famous adage goes, "Art is never completed, only abandoned. Except Star Wars. Star Wars was complete when I saw it as a child in the 80s." Jesting aside, this was another fantastic documentary. I learn more and more with each new entry. And not just about Star Wars, but all of film history. The part about preserving art and seeing all that has already been irrevocably lost actually weighed on me a bit. I would never have thought that I'd actually be saddened when watching a video largely about discussing film editing. Thank you, again, for all of the work you do! I look forward to whatever you make next!

[@username45739]

Love thy neighbour as thyself, unless he's Turkish.

[@onemoreminute0543]

@@username45739 Uhhhhhh.... what?

[@markpostgate2551]

@@username45739 Plato?

[@username45739]

@@markpostgate2551 Voltaire

[@markpostgate2551]

@aidelton5876 Oh come on, Voltaire's French. If it was Voltaire he would have said "Italian"!

[@luisbarajas5202]

I don't know if leaving this many comments makes me weird but I just wanted to say thank you because your star wars videos really revitalized my love for George Lucas and the prequels. I went from loving them to being convinced that they were bad and so I only liked them ironically, and back to loving and appreciating them again.

[@BlackScreenProductions125]

Only as weird as any other individual. And, hey, your weirdness is boosting this video in the algorithm, so there's something to think about.

[@rickworley9081]

Not weird. Thanks for the comments.

[@firestriker3580]

@@BlackScreenProductions125 no

[@BlackScreenProductions125]

@@firestriker3580 fym?

[@myujokt733]

You shouldn't have tried to fit in with others because most people are shit, and only think what they say and believe are the only truth.

[@JXZX1]

What a wonderful surprise! Remarkably good timing too: I’ve been rewatching your stuff and remembering why I love Star Wars and Lucas’s art to begin with.

[@Wackaz]

This is EXACTLY me! I'm so glad I discovered Rick when returning to the Saga and its creator that I know and love :)

[@corbinmarkey466]

I'm sure I've said it elsewhere, but your SW videos have been the most interesting, eye opening ones on the topic that I've seen in years. Just when I thought I was done being interested in Star Wars, I got tractor beamed right back in. Amazing work, Rick. Looking forward to more.

[@lancebaylis3169]

This is the most extensive exploration of all the changes over the years (and why those changes were necessary) that I have ever seen. Thank you for making this!

[@Optimegatrongodzilla]

@lancebaylis3169 Making it so that both Greedo and Han shoot at each other in 'Star Wars - Episode 4: A New Hope', adding Jabba to 'Star Wars - Episode 4: A New Hope', and switching out the band scene in 'Star Wars - Episode 6: Return of The Jedi' with an alternate, inferior version weren't necessary. But, yes, a lot of what was done was good.

[@onemoreminute0543]

George Lucas: "I'm putting my preferred, revised, authorial versions of the film upfront as that's the version I want displayed. However, you can still get the originals on dvd, laserdisc, and VHS. It's not like I'm systematically destroying them". Stanley Kubrick: "Haha original version go whoosh in flames"

[@tomnorton4277]

Kubrick was an awesome arsehole.

[@MrShakespearefan]

The DVDs he released weren’t good quality from what I’ve heard. He’s not systematically destroying them but he’s made it difficult to see them in the best quality.

[@onemoreminute0543]

@@MrShakespearefan Because old versions are eventually outgrown by new versions. The same will happen to the 97, 2004, 2011, and maybe even the 2019 versions at some point in the future. The original copy of the Hobbit (to my knowledge) has not made it to the 21st century. The same will happen with 'dated' versions of Star Wars

[@skywalkerorder2170]

@@MrShakespearefan If fans cared about seeing the Orignal Trilogy in its more or less original form, then they shouldn't care that the quality isn't as good as the Special Editions, because it wouldn't be the original versions anymore if they updated the quality of everything in the film, but just took out the CGI and other additions.

[@Justusson]

@@skywalkerorder2170 Yes,.. let’s all watch the original movies on our VHS-players and CRT screens 👏 👏 👏 People don’t even have these mediums anymore. And not wanting to see it on its best quality? - I guess that is why classics like the Goonies, E.T., Labyrinth, Westerns, Lord of the Rings and what not all are being restored for UHD today - along with every single movie already been updated from VHS, to DVD, to blu-ray so far,.. So why are you opposing an update for those of us who want to see our favourite movie on a good medium too? You’re not that narcissistic that you think all is fine just because your needs have been met, are you,..?

[@alfredvickers4054]

"Does he have the mind of a child?" Says the same Mike from Red Letter Media who doesn't understand Star Wars on even a basic level. I heard part of a movie commentary RLM did of RotJ where he said the only reason Vader didn't kill Luke in Empire was because he jumped, as if Vader wasn't toying with him and trying to turn him to the Dark Side instead of outright killing him. Not to mention, the very next movie has Luke acknowledge to Vader's face that he couldn't bring himself to kill Luke, bolstering Luke's conviction that Vader can be redeemed. And in the old Prequel reviews, I think Mike complained about prequel Jedi wearing robes like Obi-Wan wore in the desert, ignoring the reality of monk robes and that Yoda wore similar clothing in a swamp, and that redeemed Anakin's ghost had such a robe too. And I definitely remember he complained about Yoda having a lightsaber despite the OT establishing the lightsaber as the weapon of a Jedi Knight and that making one meant a Jedi's skills were complete. So the OT already implied that such robes were normal Jedi garb and that Yoda once had his own lightsaber, but HOW DARE THE PREQUELS DEPICT THIS!!!11!!1 Apparently he thinks his head-canon based on vague memories of the films counts more than what was always actually on screen in every version of them! Even a child has a better grasp of what's going on in the movies than Mike. Maybe he should stop drinking so much. If RLM never expressed their nonsense opinions about Star Wars again, I would be happy. To think they have been considered the gold standard in online Star Wars criticism...

[@Foobie07]

Wow. RLM really tried to make the prequels look as bad as possible. Like seriously who cares about robes? I wouldn't have been surprised if they tried to make an argument that John Williams score in the prequels was somehow bad.

[@onemoreminute0543]

@@Foobie07 "Battle of the Heroes was too fast" 😂

[@Foobie07]

@@AardvarkDK How do you know he always wore that outfit while on Tatooine?

[@alfredvickers4054]

@@AardvarkDK He didn't change because the symbolic robes now had a practical use, and he didn't need to change, because on Tatooine everyone is dressed like that (like desert dwellers in real life), so he wouldn't automatically stand out as a Jedi as long as he didn't wave his lightsaber around in public. Not really a problem.

[@Foobie07]

@@alfredvickers4054 Great point.

[@rhettgedies7467]

Even as an ex-Star Wars fan, this almost 4-hour deep dive and breakdown of the edits, restorations, and touch-ups of the Star Wars Saga as a whole was totally worth the watch for anyone who simply loves the art & construction of cinema!

[@publichearing8536]

die you at least get partial custody of the bonus features?

[@onemoreminute0543]

Something very telling about the control Lucas had over these movies is a quote from the director of Jedi, Richard Marquand. He stated that trying to direct Jedi was like 'trying to direct King Lear with Shakespeare in the next room'

[@Tareltonlives]

Which really undermines the anti Lucas argument that the original films were "Saved" from him

[@greenstuff3706]

I can’t tell if that analogy is a statement of fear or respect, or both.

[@onemoreminute0543]

@@greenstuff3706 I'd say it was an admission of authority

[@greenstuff3706]

@@onemoreminute0543 That’s accurate too. I said “fear or respect” since one would obviously respect a great artist if they you were helping to helm one of their greatest projects, but at the same time, you’d likely be nervous about not living up to their standards.

[@onemoreminute0543]

@@greenstuff3706 I suppose in that case it may have both been fear and respect

[@namleki]

This is one of the greatest commentaries on the changes made to the movies that I've seen. I remember being so excited about the special editions back in 97 because a lot of the things that bothered me apparently bothered Lucas as well and i was happy to see him fix that stuff. I was confused when the backlash started, because i thought most of the changes were great. Then the backlash intensified when the prequels came out and turned into Lucas-bashing. Lucas didn't deserve the way he was treated, all because his intentions were misunderstood. And then the misunderstandings were amplified by "critics" that just echoed each other. Thank you for making this.

[@cowboys8897]

I agree. A lot of George Lucas's intentions in his movies are highly misunderstood and wrongly criticized. I mean, they act like it's such a big deal to go back and make changes to his work. It's nothing new, things like this are done all the time to movies🤷.

[@HabitualJoker]

Lucas DID and still does deserve the backlash because he is 100% responsible for the Special Editions and the Prequels. People are allowed to speak up if they don’t like something.

[@CT-316]

​@@HabitualJokerno one said you're not allowed to speak up if you dislike something. But WE are also allowed to call out said people for having stupid opinions. Fair game.

[@Commander_Solo]

I've been a Star Wars fan since 1977 (my dad took me to the premier in 77 when I was 9) - I was hooked, I have been a prolific fan of Star Wars my entire life, to the point it inspired me as a kid and into my career. I worked in Digital Imaging from the mid 80's (early stuff obviously) and moved into computer science for the next 30 years - all inspired by the amazing stuff I saw in Star Wars (and as a kid the making of Star Wars). I'm also a Star Wars collector since the start. So yeah I am a big fan - and this video is absolutely spot on, brilliant work. Fans like me absolutely love seeing the evolution and changes - they have NEVER bothered me in the slightest - like I say, I am a HUGE SW fan, and the changes are excellent - Lucas has done a perfect job, no complaints here. And again, great video...

[@cheerleadersonsafari]

Beyond the strawman, it's funny how Mike tries to shit on Lucas for talking about Star Wars in a simplistic way, because that's one of the things I like about Lucas. He's direct and transparent, and so were all the BTS docs of his era. But I guess RLM would rather listen to one of the Disney heads talk in corporate speak

[@onemoreminute0543]

They describe him as having the 'mind of a child', which I find fitting as he made films for children. Fans: "Ok George. It's called a LIGHTSABER. Say lightsaber". Lucas: "Ligh-ligh..." Fans:"Yes..." Lucas: "L-l-... LASER SWORD!" Fans: *demonic screeching*

[@tomnorton4277]

Retards overcomplicate things that are incredibly simple to try and trick people into thinking they're not retards. George Lucas is a genius - I wouldn't be surprised if he's the most intelligent person in the entire film industry, aside from maybe James Woods - and he gets straight to the point because he knows what he's talking about.

[@fast.jortimer]

Mike Stoklasa is a failed filmmaker and nothing more

[@Youarefatiamhandsome]

@@fast.jortimer filtered

[@Tareltonlives]

RLM is stupid, dishonest, or both

[@ordinator2008]

This is awesome! I really want to send a few counterpoints, and argue it out, but I just continue to be impressed with your craftsmanship and your work! Now is not time for argument, just praise! Very well done!

[@luisbarajas5202]

A defense of: -The changes made in the special edition. -The artistic integrity of not just George Lucas but every other artist that tinkers with their art. -The right of every artist to make changes to their work as they please. Along with a very fascinating and informative dive into the history of artists making changes to their art. Thank you Rick Worley for another amazing video. Can't believe I caught this one as it came out.

[@Onezy05]

Based and artistic integrity pilled

[@Wackaz]

Wow you've already finished it? Legend.

[@BoleDaPole]

Oh so if da Vinci woke up and decided to smear pink paint on the Mona Lisa you'd be OK with that simply because he was the one that made it? Yea didn't think so. I swear its like you people never think of these things.

[@barkley8285]

Artists dint have a right at that point

[@rabbitrun777]

the middle is disingenuous. he compares lucas to other directors who made various subsequent versions and cuts of their own films when this is beside the point. people aren’t mad at george for making new versions of star wars, they’re mad because he goes out of his way to make the non special editions inaccessible and has said he wants them to fade out of history. none of those other directors ever made their original cuts impossible to access officially and said they wanted the new cuts to be the only versions available. that’s why people are mad at george

[@JamesSmith-bg6dk]

I can wholeheartedly say that this was completely worth the wait.

[@rickworley9081]

Thank you!

[@ANT96-x8d]

@@rickworley9081 “George Lucas may be the brainchild behind Star Wars; he may have come up with the story and a lot of the characters, but everyone who participated in making those films had some type of creative input. I mean they won an Oscar for best special effects. Some of those effects are stripped out and replaced with CGI enhancements, if you wanna call them that. I think that that's really disrespectful to the people who worked on those models and did those shots.”-Jay Sylvester, The People VS George Lucas

[@occam7382]

@@ANT96-x8d, nice job using a dumbass quote that Rick literally addresses in the very video you're commenting on. Which says one of two things: One, you didn't watch the video in full (in which case, you're just being lazy), or two, you did watch it in full, and watched Rick address it, and you're just throwing it in his face because... reasons (in which case, you're acting like a total dumbass).

[@anomalyinc3239]

@@ANT96-x8d you better be mocking that quote lmao

[@ANT96-x8d]

@@anomalyinc3239 It’s what he said

[@jedibrent83]

Another great video Rick, well done! You addressed pretty much everything that has been said by critics OVER and OVER the last 25 years now. I was born in May 1983, so Star Wars was pretty much over during my childhood. I remember seeing bits and pieces of the movies on TV as a kid and I understood some pop culture references about it and my school library still had a "Yoda Reads" poster, but that was it until the 1997 Special Edition release. Seeing ANH theatrically is what made me a fan. I quickly bought the 1995 VHS box set and then later got the VHS set of the SE. I think the success of the SE aren't given enough credit for introducing a lot of people my age and younger to Star Wars and also getting them hyped for the prequels.

[@onemoreminute0543]

Thanks for sharing your first exposure! I wish that Disney had continued Lucas's plans to show off the original 6 films in 3d in the 2010's, as it would have introduced another generation to SW, this time with the complete saga. It's funny, I remember using the wayback machine to look over old forums from the late 90's and it was interesting to read about people who had been first introduced to Star Wars via the Special Editions or the prequels. I remember coming across one guy , in the leadup to ROTS, who had no idea that Anakin became Vader by the end of the prequels, and so thought Anakin would be the mentor figure for Luke in the originals. Oh, my sweet summer child..

[@onemoreminute0543]

@Darth Doofus I read somewhere that AOTC and ROTS were both planned for a 2013 release. So I'd presume that ANH would release in 2014, and Empire and Jedi would be released in 2015. The last two parts of the trilogy, being more connected, are released back to back. If you consider the fact that Clone Wars would have had 8 seasons in its total run, the show would end in 2015 too. Based on the fact that Lucas had begun work on the sequels in 2012 (it would take ten years until 2022 to complete the trilogy, like with the prequels from 1995 to 2005), you could presume the releases of the sequels to be: -Episode VII in 2016 -Episode VIII in 2019 -Episode IX in 2022 The 3d releases and the end of Clone Wars in 2015 would set up a new generation just in time for the sequels, like the SE's did for the prequels. Though, I wonder if Lucas still planned for Underworld to go ahead. And with all this talk of alterations and re-releases, I wonder if Lucas would have made further alterations to the original 6 films to allow for more consistency with the sequels?

[@jedibrent83]

@@onemoreminute0543 I wish they did too. I see a lot of younger fans on social media complaining about the OT, specifically ANH, being slow in parts. I don’t think they would feel that way if they saw them on the big screen. I already knew that Vader was Luke’s father. That was one of those pieces of pop culture knowledge that was hard to avoid, either in parody by something else or just referenced. It’s funny, my younger brother was 6 when we saw ANH SE and he had no idea it was a 20 year old movie at the time. He thought it was new because he had seen toy commercials for it on afternoon TV. So when we came out of ANH at the theater, he was already saying “i bet in the next one Darth Vader comes back since he flew away after the Death Star blew up” lol Like I said in my original post, soon after I bought the 1995 box set because I remember all the retail stores at the time had it on sale, trying to cash in on how popular the SE release was. I went to the library and tried to get into the EU but I never could get into the books, so I ended up being more interested in learning about Lucas and the behind the scenes process. I’m still that way 25 years later and consider that my “lore”

[@jedibrent83]

@@onemoreminute0543 I remember on those old forums that a lot of people thought that palpatine and Sidious were two separate people lol

[@redseagaming7832]

I didn't see the original star wars trilogy. Until I got the 2004 box set So I didn't notice the difference because I never saw the original trilogy, because I was watching george lucas's version of the movie

[@mathewbouse1105]

3 HOURS??? Going to be an absolute banger, and the special editions have always been a lot harder for me to defend than the prequels. Very excited to watch this.

[@memyselfishness]

Almost 4 lol

[@rickworley9081]

It was almost seven before I buckled down and started cutting back. Haha. There's a lot to talk about.

[@st_orlie]

@@rickworley9081 by not releasing the seven hour cut you are doing an injustice to art culture and preservation.

[@raaaaaaaaaam496]

@@rickworley9081 #ReleaseTheWorleyCut

[@BoleDaPole]

Will you release a condensed special edition directors cut? Preferably under 15 minutes.. I feel most won't have time or attention spans to properly watch from start to fin.

[@creategreatness8823]

This will be a day long remembered. It has seen the end of the under-appreciation of the Prequels, and will soon see the end of the dismissal of the Special Editions.

[@FriendlyDarkwraith]

Once more George Lucas will rule the franchise, and we shall have... peace.

[@josiahcmiller]

I like the 97 release. 2004 is good. After that, I’ll take Empire’s changes.

[@username45739]

Cool levelheads have always been aware of the good parts from the SEs, which weren't their totality.

[@leonrussell9607]

​@@username45739 but there are also some really bad changes The jabba scene, luke screaming while falling on bespin and the vader nooooooo

[@Remix36720]

Great video - especially the point about George Lucas having basically already won. As someone who is in their mid-20s I think I only ever saw the original versions of 4/5 on VHS once when I was like 5 and we rented them from Blockbuster. After that I’ve only ever seen the DVD (and later) versions of those movies and have never once seen the original version of VI to my knowledge. So the DVD versions really are my Star Wars. It would be interesting to see the original theatrical cuts released for a historical curiosity but after one or two watches I’d probably go right back to watching the ‘special edition’ versions lol.

[@Replica_Films2000]

yep us early 20s dudes have allready arrived and are walking proofs off his inevitable victory......and there will only be more! by the time were all old you will see everyone will love these movies!

[@fgdj2000]

I always watch the most recent version. I‘ve kept my previous copies as a collector‘s curiosity and I pop in the Despecialized Editions every once in a while as basically the „Urfaust“ (Early Faust, it’s actually and early unfinished version of Goethe‘s Faust that‘s published as a curiosity) of the Star Wars universe… analogous to J. W. Rinzler‘s graphic novel adaptation of the rough draft script „The Star Wars“.

[@GentleHeretic]

Had access to the CBS Video, 1997, and 2004 versions simultaneously as a kid. After trying really hard to be a hipster as a teen and insisting on just watching the CBS version for a while, I realized I ultimately wanted to watch Star Wars and did not give much of a damn about comparatively minute differences. Luke still blows up the Death Star, AT-ATs are still tripped up, and Ewoks still eat Stormtroopers. Maybe George got a different guitar, but the song remains the same.

[@orlandofurioso7329]

I dumped the OG versions of the OT from the 2006 laserdisc, love both versions, though adding Hayden to episode VI really makes me prefer the special edition.

[@seanshamblin1131]

I know this is an old comment, but I'm curious as to whether or not you always noticed the added CGI stuff in places like Mos Eisley and Jabba's palace?

[@monikitike34]

Always loved the prequels and have always defended them for similar reasons of the ones you state in your essays, so it was a nice surprise that recently a friend who never thought on the prequels as great films (he likes them tho) told me he found your videos and u gave him several stuff that made him appreciate them more. Keep on with the great work, u r really reaching lot of people and making them realize more about filmmaking

[@onemoreminute0543]

Your work is pretty good 👍

[@monikitike34]

@@onemoreminute0543 thanks!

[@redseagaming7832]

I defend the prequels like I defend the matrix trilogy at sequels, those sequels are great I just believe that matrix, reloaded, and matrix revolution are not given the proper praise they should receive. Fantastic conclusion to the story. Just don't watch the fourth one that one's trash

[@anomalyinc3239]

Yay he did it

[@JinxTheLooneyToon915]

I know, right?

[@informalgeek1196]

Anomaly comment in the wild after he freaked the fuck out on Twitter lmao

[@SDfan2002]

Ew… you.

[@saiyanc137]

@@informalgeek1196what happened?

[@MysticalBacon23]

@@saiyanc137 I’m wondering the same thing

[@PackanackLodge]

Epic in every way. This is the best Star Wars documentary/video essay that I have ever seen. Thank you for your immense effort.

[@SuperJumper40]

2:49:05 This Special Edition curiosity cleared up the other day. The Star Wars podcast "Blast Points" spoke with Matthew Wood, who was involved with the 2004 Special Editions. Here's what he says: "Ben Burtt put that in in 1997. George didn't remember agreeing with it when I put it in front of him in 2004, which was a much more thorough remastering than '97. So we took it out, thankfully."

[@rickworley9081]

Someone pointed this interview out to me before I finished the video, and I tend to believe it's true. But as it comes from Matt Wood and not directly from Lucas, and either way in the end the point is that Lucas decided to not have the scream in the movie, it doesn't really change what I had to say about it, and since the video was already so long, I decided against spending more time talking about this change.

[@fast.jortimer]

Matthew Wood! A bit shorter than I expected...

[@Playmation]

I’ve just recently watched this then went back to see part 1 and without rambling I’m very glad you made these and I’m even more glad I watched them

[@thefirmamentalist9922]

Special Edition generation here! I got to see A New Hope in theatres then have the VHS box set building up to the prequels. It was the best time to be a kid.

[@darkdstryr40k]

As with part 1 thank you, this has been an enlightening 3:41 hours, thank you for taking the time to show just what changed, why it was changed, and a broader narrative on how things always change.

[@alcarbo8613]

It's finally here! Thanks for an awesome 3 hours Rick, well worth the years of waiting

[@rickworley9081]

Thanks!

[@gameswithhistory]

Thank you so much for continuing this series, i'm sure it takes a huge amount of time and energy to produce. You are doing the world a service, your examination of Star Wars is a gateway to exploring art and culture, not just the rightful rehabilitation of George Lucas's work in the eyes of the wider public.

[@AceLM92]

I know it will take me hours to watch this whole thing, but just wanted to say I've been greatly anticipating this

[@rickworley9081]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@Yanolala]

@@rickworley9081 I've been getting into your videos. I think we have different tastes, but I really admire your thoughtfulness and intelligent arguments. Even when I disagree with you, I respect your position and am smarter for having listened to it. Thanks for the great videos!

[@AceLM92]

@@rickworley9081 I just finished it and I did enjoy it. I agree with what you say about the fans that complain about the special edition just complain because it's not the version they grew up with. I myself had a similar experience when I first became a Star Wars fan. The first time I watched Return of the Jedi it was from the 1996 VHS tape that I borrowed from my friend. When I watched the other 2 of the trilogy it was either the special editions from Blockbuster or more loaners from him, so I saw both versions of those films simultaneously, but when I saw the Return of the Jedi special edition for the first time I was a little bit thrown off by the musical number in Jabba's Palace. As an adult I can look at it after I've had time to get used to it and say there was nothing wrong with George making the scene longer. The only thing I am curious of, not complaining about, is why was there a change in the music? Was it a suggestion from John Williams or George, I don't have the Making of Return of the Jedi Book to find out sadly, so feel free to fill me in. My only half baked theory is that the original sounds very much like a disco type song, so maybe it was changed so it wouldn't be as dated to any specific era, but obviously I have no actual evidence to support this. I live with the post-1997 version though. I admit that I have the despecialized edition, because of collecting reasons and I no longer have a working VHS player, but I can watch the older cuts to appreciate the newer cuts (as shallow as that might be). Example, seeing the old Death Star space battle made me see how much more energized the later cuts were. And also, the Rancor pit scene in Jedi makes me appreciate how George gave that scene more visual clarity because it was so dark before. Looking forward to part 3. Don't care if it takes 3 years again, it will be worth it. *edit recent re-watch of this gave me the answer for why the music was changed

[@servus_incognitus]

It's hilarious how Peter Jackson got so defensive and careful when talking about his special editions.

[@millabasset1710]

Most of it just seems like bad color correction, but I'm not gonna throw a fit over it like special edition haters.

[@Сайтамен]

Which one is the standart version of LOTR? Cause I don't remember blue font...

[@ChrisPeteG]

It really is. It feels like a word game that has to be played. If the SEs had been branded as the "Director's Cut" they may have a whole different psychology around them. Heck, it has become a fan meme to demand the "Lucas Cut" of the Disney Trilogy. Terminator 2 and Titanic both had "tweaks" when given 3D remasters. Mostly just to fix goofs and mistakes. As we have seen, between the color grading and minor vfx tweaks...the 4K LOTR are in many ways a whole new version of the films even if editorially they are the same. Worth mentioning that LOTR has basically always existed in 2 versions on film and most fans outright dismiss the theatrical cuts over the Extended Editions....even though the theatrical cuts are "what we saw in theaters" and "the versions that won Oscars" and every other superficial thing they used against the Special Editions.

[@onemoreminute0543]

@@ChrisPeteG Great point when comparing the extended editions of TLOTR to the Star Wars revisions! I still need to see the extended editions. I don't care if my bladder is going to burst even harder by the end of ROTK- I NEED DA TOLKIEN!

[@brucewayne1662]

@@Сайтамен I believe the blue tint first appeared with the blu ray release

[@cheerleadersonsafari]

I saw the latest version of ROTJ on the big screen the other day and noticed how the new scan really let all the effect work, practical and digital blend together. I didn't notice the inherent "fakeness" of Sy Snootles anymore than I noticed the obviously puppety movements of the Rancor. All comes down to if you're willing to suspend your disbelief

[@TheJiminatorHS]

Watching rotj in theatres last year made me not even notice half the changes.

[@drifter402]

Some people really hate CGI. Including myself honestly

[@Wackaz]

Oh my goodness, I can't believe this, FINALLY! Three years later and we're finally here! I'm so excited for this man, this has been my most anticipated KZbin video ever. 3 hours of absolute bliss, I couldn't be more excited. Thank you so much and bless you for taking your time and making what seems to be an excellent piece of work once again, Rick :) I always loved the special editions and could never fully grasp why people disliked them so much; Hayden's Anakin Skywalker, for example, just made total sense in every thematic element possible and truly felt like the Saga was brought full circle in an emotionally potent way. I'm glad this documentary is going to defend what I deem to be the brilliant and best versions of the Originals - the definitive ones - and alongside that, I just love your style, so I'm really looking forward to diving into this in the coming nights. It's been a long time coming and I just know how fulfilling it's gonna be. Thank you once again!

[@philipcoghill4648]

While I am a bit of a purist who would generally prefer to watch a movie in as close to the version (or versions in the case of A New Hope) that was originally released in cinemas as possible, I 100% agree that Star Wars are fundamentally still the same movies regardless of the edit. If watch A New Hope, I'll still enjoy it whether it has Greedo shooting or CGI Jabba in it or not.

[@firestriker3580]

Purists should be purged. And most prefer watching movies is that are improved and have new effects

[@fast.jortimer]

I find myself saying "Han, mi buki," *all* the time lmao it's a good scene haters get fucked lol

[@buek14]

Yeah. Watching his vid made me see why Lucas added a yelling Vader in RotJ. However that's still my least favourite change in the entire saga. I mean now I can understand Lucas but that scene in particular was so telling by Vader's gesticulations and the music themselves, it didn't *need* him screaming *no*. Of course one could still argue whether or not those other scenes needed it in the franchise but you get my point. Nonetheless, I can still approve and respect all the other changes. Maybe except for Greedo shooting first since it undermines Han being a smuggler who lives from one day to the next and is rather a grey character than a typical hero. Plus, it makes Greedo a shitty bounty hunter who can't even aim from the other side of the table.

[@seanshamblin1131]

How about Return of the Jedi with "Jedi Rocks"?

[@philipcoghill4648]

@@seanshamblin1131 Okay, maybe I enjoy that a little less

[@PrometheusOfVideos]

Thank you so much for this! I can tell a lot of time and research went into this. Wow, I never knew about all these different versions! A few years ago, I came across copies of the OT despecialized in 4K. On top of the CGI additions being removed, I noticed some audio and visual differences right away. Makes me wonder which audio mix I got after watching this video of yours. It did come with notes with what the editors did so I'll check it...

[@fundhund62]

Amidst all that Disney Star Wars nonsense, watching three hours of unabashed appreciation of George Lucas and his filmmaking is simply therapeutic.

[@servus_incognitus]

Cathartic even!

[@thomasmuandersontheneousul4184]

Yeah this was a great brainwashing session. I wondered how Mao did in China NOW I KNOW LMAO

[@Justusson]

Biased appreciation, I’d say. He’s as flawed as people are opposing these changes from a personal level on their other part,.. If you can’t be critical to things when there are situations that do arise, possibilities for it - then there’s no need to put anything forward out there. Then it’s just another opinion spread, that doesn’t ground itself in anything unbiased - but simply is to your personal taste. And, that’s fine. We all have one! But talking about it on a level that makes it all sound elevated and unbiased is completely ludicrous then. There’s nothing honest about it. Simply call it a love letter to sir Lucas. That’s it,..

[@servus_incognitus]

@@Justusson the argument is simple: an artist has the absolute right to do whatever he wants with his work and it had been this way since the dawn of time. For all your mighty talk you haven't made one proper argument against that and as such I conclude that you didn't even understand that that was the point being made in the first place.

[@Justusson]

@@servus_incognitus “Absolute right” and “Mighty talk”? You’re definitely American, no? Regardless, that’s clueless,.. The argument is simple and always has been: The moment you hand your work over to the public, it becomes “theirs”. One of the first things I learned in art school. It always has - throughout The Sistine Chapel, Mona Lisa and what not. It’s only until recently that media has become streamed and digital. All other directors and companies are rescanning their old movies in 4K without changes: the Goonies, labyrinth, ghostbusters, Lord of the ring. George Lucas is the only one who doesn’t. Peter Jackson even made a slight joke about it. Absolute right?,.. jeeez, grow up.

[@lukeskywunner8612]

All of this makes it so sad that George Lucas sold his baby to Disney. Incredible work on this video. Gives me even more respect for Lucas and his incredible vision.

[@leedwyer161]

Come on, he gave ESB to Kurtz becaue he was sure iit would be a flop. He got greedy and sold it off to the highest bidder

[@Curlyheart]

Out of context that sounds wrong.

[@arthurhall8238]

No...the prequels were sad!

[@fiddlesticks7245]

@@arthurhall8238 Grandpa if you keep running your mouth I'm turning off your oxygen machine

[@lukeskywunner8612]

​@Arthur Hall, they were sad. It's always tragic when the hero becomes the villain. Revenge of the Sith is definitely the saddest of them for that reason. Fortunately, the story doesn't end there, and ultimately, the saga has a happy ending for Anakin Skywalker in Return of the Jedi. 😊

[@photon_break]

Just watched this series through for the second time, I will wait however long it takes for part 3. These videos really helped me to gain a new appreciation for all six of Lucas' Star Wars films. They also helped me to understand that there is so much more that goes into making a movie, especially movies like these, than I ever could have imagined.

[@Foobie07]

I was lead to believe that the added dialogue in the mono versions of the OT were special edition changes. This is what I get for listening to people who don't do enough research.

[@Wackaz]

The time has come. This is all I could ever ask for and moreso for Part 2! I mean, 3 hours AND 40 minutes of Rick Worley?! *My life is actually complete.*

[@ECKohns]

Another example is the Disney Channel movie High School Musical 2. The TV airings cut a musical number called HUMUHUMUNUKUNUKUAPUA'A, but the sequence is included on every DVD copy of the film. Because it was a TV movie, the TV version is how people originally saw it, but you can’t watch the TV edit at home. It initially advertised the DVD including the cut sequence as the “Extended Edition.” But the reality is that the “Extended Edition” is really the only way to watch it at home.

[@grathem9789]

so?

[@lightningmonky7674]

It's so refreshing to hear someone who knows what he's talking about expound upon George Lucas and his vision, this is the content I've been looking for

[@neanderthalknight9417]

what are you talking about. This was 3 hours of what-about-isms

[@CT-316]

​@@neanderthalknight9417cry

[@Rezzanine]

​@@neanderthalknight9417 Putting things into a wider context and exposing double standards = whataboutism. Got it.

[@ChrisPeteG]

I love the Saga and fully support Lucas vision. I like thinking about the changes in the same context as I think about any scene. One that is a little debatable in hindsight is the Jabba scene in ANH. With Jabba being in TPM, you no longer need to "introduce" him in ANH. It also gives him a role in the first and last film of the Saga, creating symmetry. Also, Jabba's dialogue is almost an exact duplicate of all of Greedo's dialogue. So it is a little redundant. To include both scenes, either scene should have some altered dialogue or he re-edited in some capacity so you aren't getting the same kind of exchanges twice.

[@Tareltonlives]

I do agree with that. It's redundant scenes- I feel they were put in the SE because this was before DVDS allowed for the storage of alternate takes.

[@seanshamblin1131]

And it's too cartoonish with Jabba walking around and then getting his tail stepped on.

[@onemoreminute0543]

Yeah, that's the only change I somewhat take issue with, as it doesn't improve the story in any way or add extra substance

[@Tareltonlives]

@@onemoreminute0543 Agreed. It's an alternate scene that should have been kept to special features

[@Andiatus]

Dunno if anyone else pointed out, but for future videos the dings and alarm sound effects were way louder than everything else and that was pretty off putting... That being said, amazing video and very informative! I never really heard these arguments and all this information you presented before. It's crazy!

[@ChrisPeteG]

I can not wait for your revised, final editions of these mega-documentaries. Maybe as slightly more digestible episodes with some remastered audio. You have full control over these things! Never stop talking about Star Wars.

[@elijahd.techgnostic]

Getting closer to finishing this in depth exploration and I'm still floored at the phenomenal job you did. THE definitive look at the Star Wars Special Editions, a slam dunk against fanboy purists.

[@rickworley9081]

Thank you!

[@fast.jortimer]

"purists" isn't even the right word they're just babies and boy does Rick give them babies a good shaking in this video series lmfao

[@FMK03]

@Joshua Munn It’s as if they knew that the special editions were far more polished and complete compared to the original unaltered versions.

[@nearlydead7510]

@@FMK03 bad CGI and continuity errors =/= more polished.

[@JamesHeller-if5kg]

If yall think cgi jabba. Cgi tatooine look good then yall need yalls eyes checked. The special editions look absolutly awful.

[@NeidhardtDerBlitzschnelle]

This was very informative. Prior to this, I had no Idea of Episode IV's differences between sound mixes, and so, like many others, assumed the "Close the blast doors" line to be a Special Edition change.

[@onemoreminute0543]

Good point about how the fans claim that they wish to preserve the original films, but are happy to alter the prequels. Double standards galore...

[@berserkasaurusrex4233]

That’s not a double standard. It’s the same standard: People want to fix the films.

[@onemoreminute0543]

@@berserkasaurusrex4233 Fix the films according to THEIR standards.

[@berserkasaurusrex4233]

@@onemoreminute0543 It's still one standard though.

[@onemoreminute0543]

@@berserkasaurusrex4233 The one standard would be treating the PT the same as the OT - if the latter should be 'preserved' with no alterations, then so should the former.

[@berserkasaurusrex4233]

@@onemoreminute0543 The issue isn't preserving anything, it's fixing Lucas's poor decisions. In SE case, it's to remove the unnecessary additions Lucas added in, in the PT case it's to fix his horrible writing, dialogue, direction, etc. decisions. Same standard, just applied differently on a case by case basis.

[@BirdNoise77]

A really beautiful defense of artistic integrity. Thank you for your meticulous work Rick!

[@johns123]

Just finished the video. Your arguments are really strong and they change my views on the special editions. Now I'm gonna watch your prequels video. Thanks for all the research and in-depth analysis you did! It paid off

[@SuperGamer61499]

What a fantastic video. Really enjoyed my time watching you clear up so much. the 3 hours and 41 minutes was more than justified.

[@rickworley9081]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@anthonytitone]

I’m glad u mentioned Coppola because he’s really enhanced a lot of his films with new cuts. Personally I like the Apocalypse Now Final Cut, Outsiders complete novel, cotton club encore & Godfather Coda more than any other cuts of those movies. I haven’t seen Dementia 13 tho so I’ll have to check it out

[@Dark6997]

I love your videos you've given me a greater appreciation of films and also help me to articulate things that bugs me about a lot of fans especially a lot of StarWars fans

[@freebandz4332]

“I’ve been looking forward to this!”

[@fridaynightnicktoons6885]

His video essay skills have doubled since the last upload COUNT!

[@TSDT]

This was a hell of a video to start the morning to. Just finishing it in time for the end of my lunchbreak. I've got to admit I was one of those fanboys who was on the RLM hypetrain and thought Lucas lacked in my high school/university days. So, I gravitated towards the Despecialized versions in the few times I've watched Star Wars since childhood - even first held hands with my now-wife while watching the Harmy's cut of the OT. However, this nearly four-hour plunge into film history has changed my mind on how to approach the series, even if I found the Prequels to be still middling films on my re-watch. It's also reinvigorated a passion for the creative process I've needed, so thanks for that.

[@millabasset1710]

I'm guilty of being on the RLM hate train back in the day, but I've never viewed them as real film critics, I just thought their reviews were funny and nothing more. I do have hard copies of the despecialized editions, even was a total dork and made clip covers for the custom blu rays. I will never throw them away. bit given they're in 720i and it's an amateur cut, it's not the best viewing experience of the movie.

[@skeptical__x]

I come back to these videos every 6 months... works of art

[@LubbockBabesFan]

Same

[@virgilstormblade3339]

I think I can explain exactly why RLM, for all the praise they get for having a film maker's perspective on movies, don't seem to really care about Lucas going back to improve some effects (though they do say that yes, it does ruin some of the original aesthetic choices). They only make, to use their own words, schlock. B-movies or parodies of them. And they're upfront about it so they don't have a more perfectionist mind like Lucas'. So if they see a bad effect, they don't immediately think about wanting to fix it, just leave it as is. That could be fine on its own, and I do believe that there's legitimate criticisms that don't have to come from filmmakers or critics to be truly legitimate. But I do think it says a lot about their mentality something like making the Ewoks' eyes blink is just a pointless change instead of adding life to what are already very good masks. They could also be confused about the supposed tone issues because they're just so used to making their B-movie parodies it never hit them that the tone isn't really a problem with the movies.

[@Replica_Films2000]

Good Point....i look at my favorite games and think "this can be better" other dudes argue with me endlessly insisting that for some reason minor changes would just wreck everything....its silly.....

[@millabasset1710]

I haven't finished yet, but this was well worth the wait, thanks for releasing such an in depth piece of work. I've never understood this obsession with the "original versions". I was born in 1993, so I grew up with the 1997 SE, particularly the VHS tape versions with the featurettes. I was still captivated by the original trilogy despite not seeing the non-existent originals. My parents were never huge Star Wars fans, so they themselves most likely never even knew about the revisions made in 1981 to A New Hope, or the revisions made to Empire or Jedi before the prequels even came out. The featurettes on the special editions was something I never fast-forwarded on my VHS player, I was always interested in seeing the special effects breakdown even as a 5 year old; of course my memories of those viewing experiences are a bit faint, but I still cherish them. I never knew there was an IMAX version of Attack of the Clones, thank God I never saw that version on opening day, 30 minutes of cut content would have been terrible. I found part 2 of this video the best part, it's amazing how common it is for artists to revise their works, I've always known this in my life, but such an extensive presentation of the facts is the nail in the coffin for George Lucas haters. I'm not sure if you're going to continue Star Wars content in the future, but if this is your last Star Wars video, what a way to go out!

[@gustavramirez2891]

Great job, sir! I agree with almost everything you've said about Star Wars, and now begin to eagerly anticipate Part 3 :)

[@FriendlyDarkwraith]

Turns out "Maclunkey" wasn't something George arbitrarily added for the 2019 rerelease, but it actually appeared before in Star Wars. Specifically, in The Phantom Menace, Sebulba says it while threatening Jar-Jar after he spat that frog-thing into his green soup. Of course it's a little hard to hear, and the way he pronounces it sounds more like "maca-lun-key", but it's the same exact word. Bravo, George, bravo. Who would have thought the creator of Star Wars would know more about it than some sweaty, middle-aged nerds on the internet?

[@matthewgaudet4064]

@Joshua Munn , they can't Lucas legally owns final cut on his films. They aren't allowed to alter them. For the theatrical movies to be released he has to sign off on it. Other studios do catalog releases all the time, it would be super easy and wouldn't cost millions. Lucas just doesn't want them released. There are other high quality sources other than the special edition conformed negative to do it. Studios like Criterion use lesser than oneg sources all the time.

[@matthewgaudet4064]

That change was done in 2013 for the 3D release that never happened. The 2020 Blu-Ray 4K is not a new scan and Lucas hadn't changed anything in almost a decade. Even the Indiana Jones 4K scan for Raiders was done in 2012. Lucasfilm sits on these forever until they are released. By the way the 4K is Special Edition 4.0. There won't be a fifth version because George is done with Star Wars.

[@leonrussell9607]

Its just such a pointless change though

[@TrueLunacy]

Maclunkey!!! Haha hilarious

[@tyrannozilla]

I've always enjoyed various elements of the special editions, and regardless of how some people think of them, they're still better than any of the Disney films. At least George still had an imagination and knew more of what he was doing compared to people who think they know Star Wars better than him.

[@grathem9789]

It's not about that

[@tyrannozilla]

@@grathem9789 From what I've seen from some fans, it is. There are people who are still bitter about Lucas' special editions, that they think Disney has done it better than him.

[@grathem9789]

​@@tyrannozillaI know george, i know his creative stance on the special editions, and his "Preferred Version" but considering that other directors having releasing their preferred version later down the line but still have the Original Cuts of the movies, and the fact that Star Wars (1977) was so influential, revolutionizing the film industry changing the lives of MILLIONS of people including myself with its ground breaking special effects that lead to ILM working on pioneering the technology of CGI in films like Jurassic Park, Back to the Future, Blade Runner , inspiring future directors like Critically acclaimed directors like Christopher Nolan, John Lasseter ( Founding Pixar later on) inspiring me to research film and becoming an artist, Preserving the original cuts ensures that future generations can study and appreciate the film as it was initially conceived and presented to audiences.

[@tyrannozilla]

@@grathem9789 I understand your claims and I would like that as well. Though, I will say, the fan efforts have made up for it, imo. Still, I'd argue that even if George had allowed the original versions to be available along side the special editions, there would still be fans criticizing them and think George committed "infanticide" (Simon Pegg).

[@grathem9789]

@@tyrannozilla I mean no offense to the fan restorations of project 4K77 And the Despecialised Editions but they are all from 35mm film prints or VHS Upscales. The original source of the movie is the original camera negatives. These are the pieces of film that ran through the camera on the set and actually recorded the footage. They are the highest possible quality material for the movie, the source from which all other copies come from. What happens with these after they go through the camera? After being developed in the lab, and often duplicated for protection's sake, they are catalogued by film librarians and assistant editors, and "edge codes" are printed into the sides of the film, which gives unique codes for every frame (actually, they appear about every foot, but you can count backwards or forwards a few frames). A low-quality duplicate of all the footage is then made, duplicating the edge-codes as well, for the editor to work with. This is called the "workprint"; the editor cuts the pieces of film together the way he or she likes, and then the original camera negative is conformed to this order by matching the edgecodes, ensuring that the negative assembly matches the workprint assembly to the frame. This is a delicate proceedure, and mistakes cannot be made. The reason being, the negative cutter must scrape off half a frame on either side of the cut so he or she can cement the overlapping scraped pieces together for a clean, splice-free cut. If a mistake is made, such as cutting on the wrong frame, those frames on either side will be lost forever since this is the original material. So, now you have a movie. But this is far from where the process ends. For one, the original negative has no colour-correction done to it; remember, it's an assembled edit of the movie using the original film pieces, so it's just what the camera recorded (except visual effects, which are printed onto a dupe and spliced in here). To re-time the film the way the cinematographer and director wishes (and also to avoid having to handle the negative any further), it is run through an optical printer that has three coloured lights of red, green and blue. By varying the intensity of the lights as the film is printed, the film can be re-coloured on a shot by shot basis (or, a cheaper solution is a "one-light" printing in which only one setting is used for the whole picture, usually done to control contrast). The filmmakers can check the results of these timing settings with an answer print. Once the answer print is approved, the negative is printed using the approved timing. The result of this is a new print: the interpositive. This is now the final film, with correct colouring, brightness and contrast. However, you cannot make prints from this for theatrical projection. The reason being, an interpositive, as the name suggests, is a positive print and so if duplicated again you will get a negative. Thus, another intermediate is made: the internegative. Now that the film is back in a negative state, the internegative is what is used to mass-produce theatrical prints. At this point, an archival print master is often made, although they can also be made from the negative directly. As you can see, there is a lot of duplication there from the negative to the theatre. Each time you copy the film, you lose quality. First, the grain increases with each generation: the original negative has only the grain of the negative, while the interpositive has the grain from the negative plus the interpositive emulsion, while the internegative has both grains plus its own emulsion grain, and so on. The same applies to dirt and dust, and even hairs (sometimes they are not literally hair, but lint or whatever). Labs are as clean as possible and technicians use white gloves to handle the film, but you still tend to end up with debris of some kind, and this adds up with each generation. A negative might look clean, but by the time you get to a theatrical print, the layers of copied dirt have become noticeable. Dirt on the negative and internegative prints as white specs, while dirt on the interpositive and print itself shows as black specs. Each time you copy the film, you also lose resolution, much like in a photocopy; if, let's say, the interpositive was 90% as sharp as the original negative and each copy was of the same degradation rate, that means by the time you got to an actual print you've lost close to half of your picture information. As a result, although 35mm film is said to resolve about five thousand lines of resolution, an actual theatrical print does not have much more picture information than a high-def projection. Each copy also increases contrast, and also loses colour information. And if both versions of the movies existed, people would not have an issue at all.

[@PrinceKenway]

Man, your videos, are the best videos on Star Wars I've ever seen. You explore the history of filmaking, industry, marketing and home video through these videos, which is just amazing. These two videos you have made, deserves to be putted on DVD or Blu Ray, it's should have been illegal that you have putten so much effort into these and clearly you won't get any money. But you have a like, a subscriber now and my truly and most appreciation from the bottom of my heart. Thanks for the amazing work you did ❤

[@Hilter420]

As someone who likes to draw and write I can tell you that I change my work all the time. And the thought that some entitled losers would want me to never do that makes my blood boil

[@fast.jortimer]

I got so horny when he played the clips of those morons talking about the Mona Lisa LMAO "Get 'em, Rick! Get they ass!!" I literally said, out loud 🤣

[@ntfoperative9432]

Ah yes, I remember seeing you in the Vienna art school, how's life?

[@stalefurset9444]

If someone buys your art, do you break into their homes and do changes?

[@TurboTurds30]

​@@stalefurset9444 did Lucas break into your house and alter your VHS tapes and old DVDs?

[@stalefurset9444]

@@TurboTurds30 Yes.

[@SkullCubeOS]

Your Star Wars videos are, in my opinion, some of the best content on this entire website. It's like a cathartic therapy session after years of incessant and baseless prequel/special edition/George Lucas hate. Like seriously, the awful "The People vs. George Lucas" and circus that is RLM just makes me sick to even associate myself with those types of fans. I desperately want your analyses to spread like wildfire so we can enter a new era of loving Star Wars instead of being stuck in the echo chamber of manchildren like RLM complaining about things they don't really understand. It's beyond sad to see just how media illiterate and over entitled so many so called fans of Star Wars can be about the franchise they claim to love and adore more than the creator himself.

[@mistymarshall5438]

@@AardvarkDK Heck, even Bill Shatner can't stand them.

[@mistymarshall5438]

@@AardvarkDK Definitely not slobby manchildren.

[@corybevilacqua2056]

This is simultaneously a fascinating well-executed video and a frustratingly pedantic video. The minute-to-minute presentation is superb, and there's a near-constant stream of interesting tidbits that help illuminate the evolution of Star Wars and Lucas' frame of mind. But the overarching thesis that all of this is in support of is maddening. Yes, there are more than just two versions of the original trilogy, and the different iterations are super interesting to learn about! Yes, there's a severely toxic side of the fanbase, and many fans' expectations are completely detached from reality! Yes, there have been numerous other contentious revisions of popular films or works of art in other mediums! But those topics, interesting and valid on their own, don't somehow combine to back up the thesis of "the special editions are the movies." It's not unreasonable to want a better preservation of the pre-1997 version(s) of the films. There being multiple pre-1997 versions doesn't eliminate the clear delineation between the pre-1997 and post-1997 versions of the film. The vast majority of people would be happy with two cuts - one with the combined fixes from before 1997, and one with the combined fixes after 1997 (i.e., the current 4K version). There are so many wonderful home video releases these days with multiple cuts of films, and people are understanding that the underlying elements are not always the same for each cut, so an "original trilogy" sourced from a reasonable-quality surviving print would be perfectly acceptable. I would honestly prefer that over something closer to the current 4K version, as that looks nothing like film stock of the era anymore. Some stuff in the video is really absurd, like the comparison to Woody Allen scrapping whole versions of his films before release. No one is saying that every single pre-release iteration has to be preserved and presented to audiences. That is wildly different from a version that was not only released but in fact was the version audiences watched for 20 years.

[@grathem9789]

the special editions of star wars are not true restorations as they are completly different from the Theatrical cuts, they only used one single internegative, ONE SINGLE INTERNEGATIVE which is 2 generations away from the OCN, resulting in more loss of picture quality and texture, and that ONE SINGLE Internegative was not even in pristine condition and cause it had to be washed which gave it a blue tint it overrode the natural film grain and gets rid of even more detail and the CGI elements also overrode the original elements, giving the film a fake digial look in its color grading

[@zoetropeguardian]

​@@grathem9789 How are they not "true" when they were supervised by the creator of Star Wars? Haha

[@grathem9789]

@@zoetropeguardian they are revisions not restoring to what they originally looked like. Haha and the picture quality is poor..

[@ariwk7941]

Mr. Worley, this is an excellent video. I really enjoyed watching it, it cleared up so many things I'd always vaguely wondered about but never cared enough to look into. Thanks for sticking it to that small segment of older fans that really didn't want to let me enjoy the Star Wars that came out when I was a kid in the 2000s. My reaction to all the added special effects as a kid, especially in ANH and ROTJ, was of wondrous amazement and once I was an adult it turned into simple admiration for the great work that had been created. If there is a way to support you and your analytical work, please let me know.

[@rickworley9081]

Thanks! I hate self-promotion, but there's a link to my Patreon in the description if you want to support. It really does help, because any money I make from the videos allows me to spend more time making videos.

[@enlightenmentdoesntcomeeas5337]

There are two changes I like personally one is in ESB when Vader was speaking with the emperor in that hologram. And young Anakin joining Obi Wan and Yoda's force ghost at the end of ROTJ.

[@thewrathofrevan5999]

I could honestly go either way with Anakin's ghost. Thematically it makes sense that he's once again the Jedi he was before he was "killed by Vader", but I also like seeing what an older Anakin looks like, without the scars. He looked like such a proud father, and I think that really adds to his redemption and Luke's trust in him.

[@Troopertroll]

It's crazy to imagine people having a bigger problem with special editions than Disney's handling of the franchise.

[@JoeJack418]

I didn’t even watch Rise of Skywalker after Last Jedi was so bad. I don’t plan to ever watch those films again. But I watch the OG Star Wars trilogy once a year so changes to those films are much more important to me.

[@Lone432345]

Why would people settle for a shitty edition of the Original Trilogy. When there something better. There isn't a better edition of the Last Jedi. If there was. I bet people would rather watch that.

[@ThumpingThromnambular]

Ruining something good is worse than making something bad.

[@Jiub_SN]

@@Lone432345 except it's no shittier? Like it's objectively a better looking film? The only thing g actively in the way of the special editions is the whole Han shit first thing, which in the grand scheme of the trilogy is pretty insignificant

[@Jiub_SN]

@@ThumpingThromnambular if you u actually believe that you need a reality check. Nostalgia isn't included when examining objective quality

[@Wackaz]

I'm most definitely going to be appreciating this slowly over the next few nights; this is already an absolutely excellent start. Thank you so much, Rick; this is going to be yet another brilliant study into the literacy, cinema and philosophy of Star Wars and more importantly, George Lucas.

[@Jackson-xl7sv]

3:19:53 absolutely doubled over laughing at that potbelly and shirt, followed by a dumb, surreal zoom out that shows it perplexingly belongs to Lucas, while some nerd rambles about nonsense in the background. A+ editing.

[@Some_Scott]

Can't say I agree with all your points or opinions, but dammit do I love that you put this perspective out there. Way too many Plinkett Parrots act as if their ignorant opinion is some kind of objective consensus. Nice to see some seriously sound counterpoints presented.

[@grathem9789]

yeah but still

[@SomeGuy_1138]

THAT EXPLAINS why I never heard the "Close the blast doors!" on our old tape from 30 years ago!!! Well hell, how about that.

[@jmartin1774]

So I've taken the points in this video for the most part but it still seems reasonable to release previous cuts of the films alongside the current versions for historical preservation and film-making analysis. As others have pointed out, a similar approach to the Blade Runner set seems logical; present all the possible versions of the Star Wars in HD and everyone is happy. To me it is akin to how the Beatles' Apple co. has released works in progress, alternate takes and demos of their well known songs to help fans gain appreciation for the evolution of the creative process and understanding of recording techniques. This concept seems to translate to film as well.

[@zoetropeguardian]

Blade Runner isn't owned by Ridley Scott. He has no say in how the film is presented to the public. The only version he approves is the 2007 Final Cut. It's also very costly to preserve films. Music is less so comparably speaking. The Beatles also own the rights to their own catalog. They choose to release different versions. That's their choice. Just like it's George's choice to have his version of his films be presented the way he wants them. It's at the end of the day about what the artist wants and not what the fans want.

[@jmartin1774]

@@zoetropeguardian Great points; that all rings true. I guess I'm still hung up on the idea of the cultural context of 1977; how impactful the film was at the time and preservation of what the public was actually seeing as so innovative and groundbreaking. And what happens when George is no longer around to have his say? (As half the Beatles aren't around to approve of different unfinished versions of their songs)

[@zoetropeguardian]

@@jmartin1774 Thank you. It's definitely tough but he also changed the Prequels. They were also very groundbreaking in pushing cinema to the digital realm. They impacted the younger generation the same way the Originals did for the older generation. I think George was always in a zone of thinking what was the best way to serve the story and what could improve his stories. He always mentions story first in any interview when given the chance. This never changed. It's an adjustment I am sure but watching them I-VI really makes all the difference as the story he wanted to tell becomes clearer. The changes always add when one watches in the correct order I find as you can see more clearly what x and y means for z. Compared to trying to work backwards and making bad guesses. He also did tell Ben Burtt back in 1977 they'd go back and fix it one day. So, he did see them as incomplete even back then. George no doubt put it in the Disney contract what they can and can't do with his films. So, they're pretty much locked in. The Beatles and their music will live on. I doubt Paul and Ringo have no plan in place for what becomes of their music when they're no longer with us. If anything they'll have given guidelines in what can and can't be done with their music like George Lucas. George Harrison's son works on his solo career re-releases. I imagine a similar situation is in place to continue going strong with The Beatles. We'll probably get nothing new. However, I have little doubt that we will get quality releases of what we do have.

[@Northstar-x]

I like the Special Editions more as they're higher resolution and create a visual/narrative cohesion with the prequels, however I agree there is something to be said in favour of allowing people some degree of access to the old versions. I'm also a fan of album re-issues that feature demo versions of finished songs. If you're an aspiring musician hearing demos of music by The Beatles, The Cure, The Smashing Pumpkins, etc is an extremely useful resource in terms of developing your own work and getting over that beginner's cringe where you think because your work isn't as polished, it can never be as good. Of course, if I'm in the car with the volume jacked up and want to hear "Pictures of You", the album version will be getting played, no doubt. The same could be said of Star Wars, seeing the roughness of the original and how it developed into the final version is quite inspiring but you can still do so using the 2006 DVDs or, ahem, "other means" if you don't want to spend hundreds on out-of-print Star Wars boxsets. I also have a soft spot for the puppet Yoda in the theatrical version of Phantom Menace because I grew up with the VHS version and not the DVD but I trust Lucas' artistic instincts so I'll just cling onto my copy of the 35mm film scan that I "stumbled" upon online. I also respect his commitment to creating a six-film cycle in reverse over 30 years and optimising it further and further but I've always thought he hasn't released these original versions in HD not because he hates the fans but because of his own humility and lack of belief in what he managed to achieve. I think he looks at them as being overly amateurish and incomplete, which is a shame because they are great achievements in any form.

[@jmartin1774]

@@Northstar-x Totally agree. When I want to hear a song in the car it's gonna be the final album version; the alternate take is for closer examination at home. Same with films, if I just want to put on a movie for enjoyment then it'll be the best resolution official version and any other version is just for comparison if the mood strikes me

[@alfredvickers4054]

RLM and others don't like how kid-friendly the prequels are, wishing that they were more serious. Many actually like Revenge of the Sith, or at least consider it the least bad prequel, and it is notably the darkest of the 6 films. The prequel haters and Special Edition haters think the Jabba's palace sequence has its supposedly dark and gritty tone ruined by the goofy musical number. They are upset that Han is clearly never a cold-blooded murderer. They think Boba Fett is a badass who was let down by a lame death and are upset that his voice now sounds a little less rough in the later versions. They think badass bad guy Darth Vader is ruined if he says "Nooooo!!!" or is shown to have once been an innocent and optimistic kid. I've heard of some people coming up with their own dark and gritty rewrites of the prequels, and others wanted basically 3 movies of unstoppable scary Vader ruthlessly hunting down Jedi. In the end, it becomes clear that they want something that Star Wars never was: a tonally and thematically dark series of films, probably with hard-core violence too. Which means they never liked Star Wars for what it is, but for what they imagined it to be, probably harkening back to the movies seeming a lot scarier and more hard-core when they were young children. But that was never Star Wars. They should look elsewhere for that kind of movie, and stop hating George Lucas for their own bizarre obsessions.

[@brucewayne1662]

Yep. I have said for a while that seeing these movies in the theater when they were 10 gave them an alternate reality that just does not exist in the real world.

[@Foobie07]

But then RLM complained that Revenge of the Sith was overly dark. Like make up your mind man do you want these films to be dark or not?

[@alfredvickers4054]

@@AardvarkDK That's not the same thing. Acknowledging the prequels as carefully crafted (if flawed) works of art is not the same thing as demanding a dark and gritty tone. Different senses of the word "serious."

[@Foobie07]

@@AardvarkDK Not you again.

[@Foobie07]

@@AardvarkDK You prequel haters are not the ones to talk when it comes to "echo chambers."

[@tylerbrown4190]

I still have a lot to watch, but I've been on a rollercoaster of opinions on the edits over the years. This is by far one of the best arguments in the least insulting way possible. Thank you

[@jmartin1774]

1:25:21 states perfectly why the fan projects are justified. As stated in the video it's interesting and exciting to see what was achieved with the budget and tech they had back then. This is reason enough the scans should be preserved as curiosities and film making analysis (but not as the official definitive artist's vision).

[@BlackScreenProductions125]

So, on the whole "people fight against a version of Lucas that only exists in their head" thing, I absolutely agree. Just yesterday, I was watching an old livestream, and I heard some dudes say that one of the reasons that the prequels were "so bad" was because of George Lucas' "massive ego", and I was sitting there thinking, do they know literally anything about George Lucas?

[@tomnorton4277]

George Lucas is one of the most humble people in Hollywood. He's not in it for the awards or acclaim, he's just there to make art. Heck, he resigned AKA was kicked out of the Directors Guild because he wouldn't play their game. Integrity has always been important to Lucas and that's so rare in Hollywood that it's practically a myth.

[@BlackScreenProductions125]

@@tomnorton4277 yup.

[@ANT96-x8d]

When Steven Spielberg remastered ET, he later realized how it was an act of ruining film history. So he eventually released a double version on Blu-ray, which includes both the remastered AND original version. Even the cult movie Brazil exists in three different versions. Terry Gilliam embraces those various versions, including the version he hated and had nothing to do with. So why wouldn’t Lucas do the same and release two versions of the classic trilogy on Blu-Ray?

[@zurich5607]

@@ANT96-x8d because Lucas’s changes arguably don’t ruin the SW movies, so there’s no need to release the originals

[@cesarvazquezgarcia4174]

​@@ANT96-x8dyou didn't saw the video? Terry didn't approve of the theatical release of Brazil at all and the only reson it is in the dvd was to show how shitty it was and how it ruins his art, and why corporations should never tamper with an artist vision he doesn't "embrace it" at all.

[@milleniumtardis]

Now I don’t have to feel embarrassed about liking the special editions anymore

[@reeseexplains8935]

Well they still suck.

[@zoetropeguardian]

Never feel embarrassed for being on the side of respect and compassion for artists and their rights.

[@cherlojomzyaduermanse]

@reeseexplains8935 Put that where everyone can read it