STAR WARS First Trilogy original cut potential release 1 1

[Bosco685]

 

[Bosco685]

The Library of Congress has the original The New Hope Cut because it wouldn't accept an edited version????!!!!

So the old Lucas story of the original negatives being destroyed is garbage.

[catman76]

There's no way this will happen officially. I am sure part of Lucas' deal when he sold it all to Disney was that the original versions are never released. To him they don't exist. I may not like it, but it's an artists right to do whatever they want with their art and there's nothing I can do about it, nor do I want to. Besides, there are original prints out there that people have and they are restoring them to 4K. So the original versions will always be around to see.

[Bosco685]

Holy!

The search for the 'Star Wars' George Lucas doesn't want you to see

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Lucas has either seized and destroyed or hidden away all copies of the original films in order to roll out modified versions that are ostensibly better than the originals. Owing to its age, the first film, which was released in 1977, has probably undergone more updates and spit polish than the rest.

 

There is, however, one place beyond the reach of Lucas's twitchy, compulsively dissatisfied grasp: the Library of Congress. As I read last year in the epic How Star Wars Conquered the Universe, by Mashable's own Chris Taylor, the Library doesn't just have a preserved 1977 negative of the film. That negative has been transformed into a glorious 4K file that anyone can view by appointment.

 

"What we have are 35mm prints that were submitted for copyright when the films were released," explained Mike Mashon, the Library of Congress's Head of the Moving Image Section in an email to me. But those prints were beyond the reach of mere mortals, and perhaps even those possessing The Force. They had been "elevated to preservation, non-access status," to keep them from harm, Mashon said. Star Wars, obviously, is no longer just any film.

 

Thankfully, Mashon also told me that the Library was "planning" to scan the negatives so people could come in and view the films in digital form. After multiple emails and phone calls, I found out that the Library had produced a 2K scan, rather than the HD 4K version I'd read about — and that I could call to make an appointment to view it. When I called though, another Library of Congress employee informed me that the digital transfer had occurred only days before, and that it still "has to be ingested into the system."

 

A day or so later, I got confirmation that the files were now ready. So I booked my flight.

 

Unless you have a list of every change Lucas has made to the film since 1981 — which I know some do — many, but certainly not all, of the moments he altered might be hard to spot. There are exceptions: As the film starts, I'm startled to see an ugly green “LucasFilm Limited” text flash on the screen in place of the now highly-polished LucasFilm logo we know and love.

 

 

The music hits that thunderous and — in 1977 — unexpected crescendo as the Star Wars logo appears, then flies out into the distance. There is no "Episode IV" or "A New Hope." Instead, the familiar crawl begins. I read it as if for the first time.

 

Aside from the fact that I'm watching the movie on a 17-inch screen under bright fluorescent lights, I'm a little shocked to find that the beats that got me in 1977 are sucking me back in again. The Imperial Star Destroyer chasing after Princess Leia's tiny ship seems as endless and imposing as ever. The effects, at least in this shot, look as fresh as anything filmed today.

 

But the early part of the scan does reveal signs of age. Tiny white scratches flash across the screen. That's because the six files I'm watching actually represent the six reels of the original film. Stuff on the outside of each reel is a bit banged up; film that was on the inside is in far better shape.

 

All I can say about the "Han shot first controversy" is that in the untouched original, Greedo never even fires a shot. I watch the comical rewrite alongside the original and am stunned with just how much of the scene has changed. Put gently, it’s an abomination.

 

 

The unretouched scan leads to other, less painful, fascinating discoveries. The end credits, for instance, only list David Prowse as playing Darth Vader. James Earl Jones, the voice and soul of the character, goes uncredited. And I’d forgotten the credits' phonetic spellings for R2-D2 (Artoo-Detoo) and C3PO (See Threepio).

 

 

The special edition not only addresses some of these shortcomings, but also adds Lucas as executive producer. The crawl gets a makeover, too, with “Episode IV: A New Hope” tacked on at the beginning, a new font and a faster pace (are we better readers in the 21st Century?). All of these changes seem like unnecessary embellishments.

 

As the move ends, I have to restrain myself from standing up and applauding. (I'm in a library, after all).

 

When I go back and replay certain scenes alongside the rejuvenated special edition, it’s clear that a good portion of the original print is badly faded. In scene after scene, the Special Edition restores the vibrancy of the original — at least, what I think it looked like in 1977.

 

However, for every sharply rendered face and crisp Death Star shot, there are scenes that were clearly reshot with CGI or enabled with new, artificial effects. I hate each and every one of those changes.

 

There is no time machine. I can't go back to 1977, walk into a theater and experience Star Wars as it was for the first time. Like the transfer I saw today, my memory has suffered the ravages of time. Neither one can be its 1977 self again.

 

And Lucas doesn't want anyone to see that original Star Wars print again, in any form. He wants you to see Star Wars as he originally envisioned it — even if that isn't what made it to the screen 38 years ago.

 

[Rip]

Sadly a lot of misinformation on this subject. This article makes some errors and they often confuse original 35mm prints with negatives.

The Library of congress owns prints just as they stated, not the negatives. They own the 6 reels.

Tiny white scratches flash across the screen. That's because the six files I'm watching actually represent the six reels of the original film. Stuff on the outside of each reel is a bit banged up; film that was on the inside is in far better shape.

"What we have are 35mm prints that were submitted for copyright when the films were released," explained Mike Mashon

The original negatives were in bad shaped and scanned in 1995. Even then they were falling apart. 

The scans are from 35mm prints. They often show them as well.

35mm prints were acquired as copyright deposits in March 1978, October 1980, and June 1983 respectively.

https://savestarwars.com/lucas-nfr.html 

https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-18-113/star-wars-under-the-stars-at-the-library-of-congress/2018-09-06/

 

Edited January 27, 2020 by Rip

[Bosco685]

10 minutes ago, Rip said:

Sadly a lot of misinformation on this subject. This article makes some errors and they often confuse original 35mm prints with negatives.

The Library of congress owns prints just as they stated, not the negatives. They own the 6 reels.

Tiny white scratches flash across the screen. That's because the six files I'm watching actually represent the six reels of the original film. Stuff on the outside of each reel is a bit banged up; film that was on the inside is in far better shape.

"What we have are 35mm prints that were submitted for copyright when the films were released," explained Mike Mashon

The original negatives were in bad shaped and scanned in 1995. Even then they were falling apart. 

The scans are from 35mm prints. They often show them as well.

35mm prints were acquired as copyright deposits in March 1978, October 1980, and June 1983 respectively.

https://savestarwars.com/lucas-nfr.html 

https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-18-113/star-wars-under-the-stars-at-the-library-of-congress/2018-09-06/

 

With that first link it appears they stopped posting updated as of September 29th, 2011. Check the Site News section, and you will see it for yourself.

The article I posted is from December 17, 2015. Could things have changed with what is on film in those 4 years?

[Rip]

The author simply debunks own article with his own information. He confirms he's watching a 35mm print when he talks about 6 reals and stuff on the outside of each real. Also the librarians are all in agreement in both articles.

A movie goes through various steps. You have a Negative, Sep. Master, IP etc. A 35mm print isn't a negative. A negative will get you around 6K of resolution give or take. A 35mm print from Star Wars will get you around 2K which is what the LOC scanned the print at.

https://www.savestarwars.com/filmpreservation.html

 

Edited January 27, 2020 by Rip

[Bosco685]

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In 1989, the 1977 theatrical version of Star Wars was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry of the United States Library of Congress.[144] 35mm reels of the 1997 Special Edition were initially presented for preservation because of the difficulty of transferring from the original prints,[145] but it was later revealed that the Library possessed a copyright deposit print of the original theatrical release. By 2015, this copy had been transferred to a 2K scan, now available to be viewed by appointment.[146]

A “New” New Hope: Film Preservation and the Problem with ‘Star Wars’

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The argument that the updated version of Star Wars constitutes Lucas’ original “artistic vision” is not entirely cohesive. Such an admission implies that, had computer generated graphics existed in the 1970s as they do today, Lucas’ original version of Star Wars would have more closely resembled the Special Edition. However, this argument is historically and technologically deterministic—that Lucas was somehow destined to make the Special Edition at any point in history. Films as artifacts are a product of their cultural, historical, and aesthetic limitations, and as such, the original Star Wars theatrical prints should be preserved as a representation of science fiction filmmaking in the late-70s and early-80s.

 

A particularly strange wrinkle in this debate was put forth by George Lucas himself on March 3rd, 1988. In Washington D.C., Lucas was one amongst a group of filmmakers and Hollywood personalities (including Steven Spielberg, James Stewart, Woody Allen, John Huston, et cetera) who spoke before Congress, protesting the colorization of classic black-and-white films. The arguments Lucas puts forth are eerily close to those who speak in favour of preserving the original Star Wars. Lucas (circa 1988) believed that “American works of art belong to the American public; they are part of our cultural history.” Lucas makes an impassioned plea for the protection of cultural artifacts, a position that directly contradicts his future actions: “People who alter or destroy works of art and our cultural heritage for profit or as an exercise of power are barbarians, and if the laws of the United States continue to condone this behavior, history will surely classify us as a barbaric society.” Lucas implored for the preservation of original prints of films. “In the future,” he presciently cautions, “it will become even easier for old negatives to become lost and be ‘replaced’ by new altered negatives. This would be a great loss to our society. Our cultural history must not be allowed to be rewritten.”

 

The central point remains: the serious implications of Lucas’ handling of the theatrical cuts of the Star Wars original trilogy are exactly what he warned about in 1988—the rewriting of cultural history. Government-mandated agencies such as the National Film Registry are unable to preserve (or even possess) working copies of the films on their list without the consent of the author and/or copyright holder. George Lucas’ actions have set a dangerous precedent for film preservation—potentially, authors are able to manipulate their work, and present the altered copy as the “new” original—an effacement of history that Lucas once called the actions of a “barbaric society.”

Funny that George Lucas argued about not altering original films when performing preservation. But then he attempted to offer up the Special Editions and proclaimed they best represent what he envisioned.

So that more recent article reflects that the Library of Congress performed a 2K scan.

[Bosco685]

1 minute ago, Rip said:

The author simply debunks own article with his own information. He confirms he's watching a 35mm print when he talks about 6 reals and stuff on the outside of each real. Also the librarians are all in agreement in both articles. A movie goes through various steps. You have a Negative, Sep. Master, IP etc. A 35mm print isn't a negative. A negative will get you around 6K give or take. A 35mm print from Star Wars will get you around 2K which is what the LOC scanned the print at.

https://www.savestarwars.com/filmpreservation.html

 

Again, if the articles they are posting stopped at 2011 yet the author of the article posted his in 2015, which is more up-to-date?

And I did read some of what they posted. Including the note about not making mistakes - with a mistake.

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This is a delicate proceedure, and mistakes cannot be made.

Not mocking their great work. That was just a funny error in reference to the statement made.

[Rip]

You don't need to even read the 2010 article because again everything in the 2015 article refutes the idea for a negative in his own article. That's why in the 2015 article the librarian says he has 35mm prints which is the same as the 2010 article. The author just didn't understand. He watched 6 reels at 2K. Thats a 35mm print.

[Bosco685]

By the way, the Library of Congress when advertising showings of the Star Wars first two films, they use the term 'copyright deposit copies' frequently.

2018: May the Fourth Be With You!

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And the Motion Picture, Broadcasting, & Recorded Sound Division holds the original copyright deposit copies of the films which you can view by appointment! These are just some of the fantastic items available in the Library of Congress’ collections – ask us more through our Ask-a-Librarian Service! Bonus trivia – do you know what year Star Wars (1977) was added to the National Film Registry, which identifies films of cultural and historical significance for preservation by the Library of Congress?

I never heard this term before.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS: Copyright Notice

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If you register a claim in a motion picture first published before 1978 using Form RE and Form RE/Addendum, deposit one copy of the work as first published, that is, one of the first prints or tapes made from the master and distributed. If that is not available, deposit one complete copy of the original footage as first published that is reproduced in an acceptable format showing the copyright notice.

So their point is the Library owns an original copy of both The New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. I guess to reinforce the message these are not the Special Edition cuts.

[Bosco685]

1 minute ago, Rip said:

You don't need to even read the 2010 article because again everything in the 2015 article refutes the idea for a negative in his own article. That's why in the 2015 article the librarian says he has 35mm prints which is the same as the 2010 article. The author just didn't understand. He watched 6 reels at 2K. Thats a 35mm print.

But even more importantly, The Library of Congress has the original prints of at least The New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, with no Special Edition edits. That's the important point.

[Bosco685]

I live two hours away. I wonder if I could setup an appoint one weekend to at least view The New Hope?

[@therealsilvermane]

Perhaps there could be a compromise.

In a New Hope, fix some of the dated Special Edition animation like the Dewbacks on Tattooine which look like cartoons, especially now. The awful Han and Jabba scene outside the Cantina must be deleted. It would be great if the Han-Greedo scene is one shot only again.

You can actually leave Empire Strikes Back alone. The added shots of the Wampa and updated effects actually make it a little better imo.

Returns of the Jedi, obviously put the original Sy Snootles scene back in. Get rid of the added "Noooo!" as Vader tosses the Emperor down the shaft. Replace Haydn Christianson's Force Ghost with the original of Sebastian Shaw. I'm mixed on the Ewoks original Nub Yub song celebration vs the new smooth Samba music of the Special Edition. I prefer the Nub Yub song but the new version does give it all a more galactic feel.

For me and maybe a lot of other fans, it's not necessarily making the movies EXACTLY like the original theatrical release, but more so that we don't cringe or have to fast forward through those parts every time we watch the OT.

Edited January 27, 2020 by @therealsilvermane

[Bosco685]

24 minutes ago, @therealsilvermane said:

Perhaps there could be a compromise.

 

 

 

For me and maybe a lot of other fans, it's not necessarily making the movies EXACTLY like the original theatrical release, but more so that we don't cringe or have to fast forward through those parts every time we watch the OT.

I have to agree that an exact copy release will miss some necessary changes. But who determines that middle ground is the challenge. As even with George Lucas he takes one stance (don't tamper with original material), and then does another (except for my Special Editions).

Now what is cringe or not cringe also could be a tiny challenge. But not by much. Bring the films back to a level of greatness without heavy-handed editing that after a while detracted from the story. Though which ones?

List of changes in Star Wars re-releases

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A New Hope

The earliest edits to the original film occurred between the initial release in May and the wider release later in 1977. The edits are minor, but noticeable. They consist of four changes. All of these changes were made before the foreign language prints were made later in 1977 and well before the last good interpositive was struck in 1985. These four shots run exactly the same length. All of them exist in the earliest bootleg video tapes and in the English 16 mm print. The original three effects shots exist in many home video English language versions released during the 80's. None of these shots are found in the Definitive Edition, Faces Edition, or 2006 bonus discs, nor are they in any of the known extant 35 mm prints, or Technicolor prints.

• When the Millennium Falcon is being chased after taking off from Mos Eisley, the effects shot where the Star Destroyer is shooting at the Falcon was changed. The early version has different explosions and different flashes and looks less finished.
• When the heroes arrive on Yavin 4, the outdoor composited shot with the matte painting of the temple is recomposited and is not synced the same. It also has an artifact in the image.
• When the fighters take off from Yavin 4, there is an extra cloud and the shot is not synced the same. It also has an artifact in the image.
• The scrolling end credits are completely redone with the spacing, both vertical and horizontal, altered, and a glitch in composition at the beginning has been removed.

The film was originally released with 35mm Dolby Stereo and 70mm 6-track audio. Since these were both mastered from the same mix stems, there is little to no difference between them in terms of content. Both feature 4 main audio channels with the 6-track having at least one LFE, channel. A mono mix was produced in June 1977 for exhibition in cinemas with no Dolby Stereo or Surround support, which did contain the following changes in content from the other versions. The majority of foreign language versions use a stereo mix with many, but not all of the mono effects alterations.

• As Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan, and the droids approach the Cantina in the mono sound version, a Cantina musical cue can be heard.
• C-3PO's line "Use the comlink? Oh my! I forgot, I turned it off." is from an alternate take.
• As the stormtroopers chase Han and Chewbacca, one now says "Close the blast doors!" before the Rebels narrowly run through.
• When R2-D2 shows the schematics of the Death Star's tractor beam, C-3PO now speaks over the scene, the line being "The tractor beam is coupled to the main reactor in seven locations. A power loss at one of the terminals will allow the ship to leave.". The sound effects for the schematics being displayed have also been changed.
• The line "Blast it, Biggs, where are you?" from the original stereo sound version was changed to "Blast it, Wedge, where are you?" to fix continuity.
• Aunt Beru's lines are alternate takes (possibly even a different actress).
• When Luke and Obi-Wan discover the wrecked sandcrawler, R2-D2 beeps.
• The stormtrooper who interrogates Luke and the others as they enter Mos Eisley's lines are timed earlier.
• During the search of Mos Eisley for the droids, the stormtrooper's lines have been changed from "Alright, check this side of the street. The door's locked. Move on to the next one." to "Alright, check that side of the street. It's secure. Move on to the next one."
• More growls are added to Chewbacca that were not present in the stereo and surround mixes.
• A different explosion sound is heard when the Tantive IV's reactor is destroyed.
• A different alarm sound is used as the rebel soldiers aboard the Tantive IV prepare for battle.
• Computer sounds are heard when Luke fires up the Millennium Falcon's targeting system.
• A short beep can be heard when the Death Star's superlaser system is booted up to fire at Alderaan.
• A different, lower frequency sound effect is used for Alderaan's explosion.
• The speech over the X-Wing's radios have less garble and static, and some lines are from alternate takes.
• Different, louder sound effects are used for the opening of the X-Wing's s-foils.
• The line, "We have an emergency alert in Detention Block AA-23" was changed to "Governer Tarkin, we have an emergency alert in Detention Block AA-23", possibly read by a different voice actor.
• Luke groans when he gets dragged by the Dianoga into the trash compactor's murky waters for a second time.
• When R2-D2 falls over after being shot by the Jawas, the thud when he hits the ground is different.
• The pipe creaks when it is being bent by the trash compactor walls.
• The line "What good will it do us if he gets himself killed?" spoken by Luke is from an alternate take.
• The heavy echo from Luke and Leia's speech at the chasm is absent.
• The blaster sound is different when Leia fires it at the stormtroopers.
• Luke's line, "So, you got your reward and you're just leaving, then?" is a different take.
• Porkins' scream when he is hit is cut out.
• When Tiree's Y-Wing explodes, there is an additional explosion sound. This also appears in the 6-track mix.
• Sound effects for Red Leader's damaged X-Wing engine were added before his crash.
• The voices announcing the progress of the Death Star's journey to Yavin 4 is different.
• For the 1981 re-release, the line "Episode IV: A NEW HOPE" was added to the opening crawl. While this is the most noticeable alteration, the entire opening crawl was redone. A new starfield was used, one that was made and used in The Empire Strikes Back, the "Star Wars" title is also from The Empire Strikes Back, but it fades out before the crawl starts. The crawl was reformatted for the music to stay in synchronization and the word "rebel" in "rebel spies" is capitalized, which was not capitalized in the original 1977 crawl. The Tantive IV and Star Destroyer were recomposited with finer border, removing some prominent black lines. More subtly, the lasers and engine glows were adjusted to fit and the moons are in different positions relative to the planet[1].

 

Edited January 27, 2020 by Bosco685

[Bosco685]

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The Empire Strikes Back

The 70mm version of the film was slightly different from the 35mm version that was more widely seen. It is understood that when the movie was considered "finished," the elements were turned over to the lab and sound facilities so the desired 70mm print order could be prepared. The filmmakers, however, decided to make a few, albeit subtle, changes that, considering the expense and time involved in re-striking and and/or re-sounding 70mm prints, were reflected only in the film's 35mm prints. A couple of these differences can be found on the Ken Films Super 8 version of the film. An in theater recording of the audio exists (made by the same person who made a recording of the 70 mm showing of Star Wars) while only the first 4 minutes of video exist thanks to a CBS outlet. Some of the audio differences are likely because the in theater records captured the discreet left and right channels where the 35 mm release and subsequent home video used the matrixed Dolby Stereo track.

70 mm Visual Differences

• Shots of Leia, Han, etc., observing Luke in the Bacta Chamber are not present.
• The Emperor's hologram does not fade in at the start of his conversation with Vader.*
• Millennium Falcon sensor dish is not visible with Luke on weather vane. The position of the vane is also different on the background.*
• The frigate footage at the end consists of less shots than the 35mm version. *
• The exterior shot over which Lando says "When we find Jabba the Hutt and that bounty hunter, we'll contact you." is not in the 70mm version, instead when Luke says (voice over), "Good luck, Lando" the scene cuts directly to inside the rebel cruiser where Luke says, "I'll meet you at the rendezvous point on Tatooine."

Found On:

* 8mm Ken Films Print

70 mm Audio Differences

• When Luke runs out of the wampa cave, there is a sound of his lightsaber deactivating even though it stays lit onscreen, this error later reappeared in the Special Edition.
• Different laserfire can be heard during the snow battle, the sound used for TIE fighters instead of X-wings.
• When R2 is being loaded into Luke's X-Wing, C-3PO says the word "and" before saying "do take good care of yourself." The 2004 DVD really cranks up the quiet “and”.
• Yoda says the word "Run!" before "Yes. A Jedi's strength flows from the force." The following lines "But beware the dark side. Anger, fear, aggression. The dark side of the force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight" are also much louder and clearer.
• The Imperial fleet establishing shot after the scene of Luke's failure at the cave has a different TIE fighter sound effect. (Can also be heard on the foreign GOUT-tracks, SE versions have the music as originally composed for the scene)
• While C-3PO is on Chewie's back when they enter the carbon freezing chamber, the line "Now remember, Chewbacca, you have a responsibility to me, so don't do anything foolish" is louder and heard more clearly.
• In Cloud City, after C-3PO says "That sounds like an R2 unit in there. I wonder if it..." he says "Hello?" only once instead of twice.
• Lando's line at the end, "Luke, we're ready for takeoff." is a different take. (The same take can be heard in the Special Edition).
• The line "When we find Jabba the Hutt and that bounty hunter, we'll contact you." is not present.
• Lando's line "Princess, we'll find Han. I promise." is a different take.
• In the final scene, there is no tracked music from "Yoda and the Force".

35 mm Mono Audio Differences

In addition to the differences between the 35 mm Dolby Stereo and 70 mm 6 track audio, there was also a separate mono mix that had a few changes. It was found on a 16 mm print but likely was also distributed on 35 mm prints.

• In the asteroid field, after C-3PO says "Oh, this is suicide", the line "There's no where to go" was added.
• In Cloud City, after C-3PO says "That sounds like an R2 unit in there. I wonder if it..." he says "Hello?" only once instead of twice.
• While C-3PO is on Chewie's back when they enter the carbon freezing chamber, the line "Oh dear, what now?" is added to the beginning of C-3PO's dialog.
• When Darth Vader falls off the carbon freeze platform he grunts instead of saying "Argh".

Alternate Audio sources

In addition to the differences in the 70 mm edit, There is an 8 mm shorter edit of the film and the audio from The Story of The Empire Strikes Back LP that contained the following differences.

• Luke: "Echo Three to Echo Seven. Han 'ole buddy, do you read me?" -Different take. *, **
• Luke - "I don't pick up any life readings" - Different take *, **
• Han - "I'm coming back" - Different take instead of the more widely heard “I'm going back” *, **
• Rogue 2: "Captain Solo, do you copy?" -Different take *
• Leia: "They're getting closer." -Different take *
• Han: "Oh, yeah? Watch this." -Different take *
• Obi-Wan's lines are not as 'echoed'.*
• The Cloud Car Pilots have alternate dialogue - "Any aggressive move will not be tolerated!" "Permission granted to land on platform 3-2-7. Any deviation from..." “Thank you!”-Han cuts off comlink.*
• After Lando tells Han, “Yeah, I'm responsible these days. It's the price of success.” The 8mm continues “And you know what, Han, you were right all along. It's over-rated.” as C-3PO talks with the other protocol droid.*
• More crowd noise as people flee Cloud City.*

Found On:

* 8mm Ken Films Print

** The Story of The Empire Strikes Back LP

 

[Bosco685]

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Return of the Jedi

Return of the Jedi was left unaltered. It did feature 70 mm 6 track, Dolby Stereo, and a mono mix, but there are no discernible differences. The Dolby Stereo mix was featured on all home video releases.

• The dialogue spoken by Jabba the Hutt in the scene where he is discussing the price for Chewbacca that had the subtitles added in the 1997 Special Edition has the subtitles removed, making C-3PO's dialogue in the scene relevant again.
• The matte lines on the rancor have been completely erased and the blue screen glow on the figure of Luke has been removed, with the colors being retimed to match, making the two appear to be in the same scene together.
• The effects of the scene from the interior of the Imperial Shuttle have been again improved, as to further decrease the transparency, which caused the Forest Moon of Endor to be seen through the cockpit in earlier releases.
• Due to color timing errors, Leia's makeup in the shuttle on their way to the Endor mission and on the ground appears very caked on and pasty.
• During the Speeder Bike chase through the Forests of Endor, Luke's Speeder Bike has had its speed decreased when Luke slows down to attack the two Imperial scouts following Himself and Leia. This was made to add realism upon braking speed and to also match Commander Neyo's Speeder Bike attack upon Jedi Master Stass Allie on Saleucami in Revenge of the Sith.
• At the beginning of the duel between Luke and Vader, in the scene where their sabers clash in front of the Emperor's face, the scene has been noticeably darkened. The lowered brightness hides the "Emperor's slugs" gaffe (dark colored blobs on the actor's hood to cover gaps in the makeup). This darkening makes the lightsabers appear to intersect, and makes it appear that Vader's saber is in front of Luke's, suggesting that he was trying to kill his master rather than defend him (this is of course an unintended consequence of the gaffe).
• Vader's lightsaber appears pink or red-violet in several scenes, then changes back to the normal red (compare the shot where he is searching for Luke who is hiding, versus most of their fight prior).
• In Anakin Skywalker's final scene, when he is not wearing his helmet, the eyebrows of actor Sebastian Shaw have been digitally removed. This is meant to indicate what happens to Anakin's eyebrows when he gets burned alive on Mustafar after the duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi. His eyes have also been changed to blue, to better resemble the Anakin portrayed by Hayden Christensen in the prequel trilogy. His skin tone has also been altered so it appears gray and colorless, instead of fleshy and pale like it was previously (also compare to his exposed head in Empire Strikes Back).
• Another scene of celebration, this one on Naboo, is shown after the Empire is defeated, some Gungans partake in the celebration, and one is heard chanting "Wesa free!", Some Star Wars fans believe that this is Jar Jar Binks even though it is not Jar Jar's voice.
• On the Coruscant celebration scene, one can see the Galactic Senate building in the distance at the start of the shot, and the Jedi Temple at the end. These replaced generic buildings that appeared in the 1997 Special Edition. This is meant to indicate that the Jedi Temple was not destroyed during the Great Jedi Purge. We can also see a stormtrooper being "crowd-surfed" against his will and uttering the infamous Wilhelm scream.
• Hayden Christensen (left) as the spirit of Anakin Skywalker.
• In the final scene where the spirits of Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Yoda appear to Luke, the Sebastian Shaw (as Anakin) has been replaced by Hayden Christensen. Only the head was replaced, but the rest of Anakin's body has been digitally altered to look more like Hayden Christensen, however, the details that show through from the background are identical in every respect revealing that only Hayden's head was used while it is still Sebastian Shaw's body. Lucas has said that the reason he made this change was because after redemption, Anakin returned to his "inner persona," once one with the Force, and appeared the way he was before he turned to the dark side of the Force.
• Sebastian Shaw (left) as the spirit of Anakin Skywalker.
• Note that in all three films, the ending credits have remained unchanged from the Special Edition releases in 1997. Thus, they do not reflect such changes as Ian McDiarmid's Emperor in The Empire Strikes Back or Hayden Christensen's Anakin in Return of the Jedi. However, the font was changed in order to reflect the credits of the prequel trilogy. In the case of pan-and-scan versions of the re-releases, the 2004 DVD releases were pan-and-scanned differently from the 1997 theatrical releases.

 

Edited January 27, 2020 by Bosco685

[Bosco685]

Man, the more you read on with that overall change tracking list it is even more extensive than those lists above. Like every time they re-released the trilogy it was a new excuse to change things.

[@therealsilvermane]

3 minutes ago, Bosco685 said:

Man, the more you read on with that overall change tracking list it is even more extensive than those lists above. Like every time they re-released the trilogy it was a new excuse to change things.

Yeah, I think the last round of changes Lucas made were on the 6 disc blu-ray set a few years ago. If Disney were to "correct" some of those changes and put the "new" version OT on Disney+, subscriptions might double.

[Lethal_Collector]

I'm excited, but I'll believe it when I see it.  Maybe someone will make an 'ultimate' star wars edit between both FE and SE films.  One that removed the Jabba scene, Han shoots first.  But also has better sabre battles and the better death star explosion from SE.  That'd be the hotness.

 

Jerome