From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga - Part 7 of 7

[winstondepp1]

wil you come home again?

[totterdell]

"NO!! I AM YOUR FATHER!!!" that line gets me every time

[MrHEC381991]

"THAT'S the original story, THAT's the way it should be.." oh, George

[lavirto]

huh...maybe the star wars world COULD*repeat* COULD have more than just that. i mean...what if the sith's body survived or was cloned and the war continued?

well in my way of seeing it, the war still rages on today and many importaint things happen in that war. thats my way of seeing it.

[flexan4o]

From 4:30 to 5:40 - is that how the original scene was really made? Because the music fits perfectly. I mean was it originally made without the line ''So be it, Jedi!' ?

[ConstanzeWeber]

I had this documentary on video tape way back when it was originally shown and watched it over and over again, so thank you so much for posting, it brought back just how much I love not only this but also "making of" programmes!!

[Bernler75]

I like the fact that it's the same person that plays the emperor in this movie and chansellor Palpetine in the 3 "new" ones :)

[MadMike52O]

Anakin was more of a crybaby than Luke

[villeppi]

3:56-4:04

That tracking shot alone is better than all the prequels combined.

[loosekarrott]

03:42 Oh Luke, you so epic

[antjagger95]

@loosekarrott Never can get enough of that sence!

[omenroc1]

@Prequels Box Office Retards-Type in: [Star Wars Prequel] into  Google and see what auto-type suggests. What is the most widely extant consensus opinion?

[omenroc1]

How much money a film makes, isn't the final word on if it's good or not, especially if it's directly linked to an old, established and beloved trilogy like the original Star Wars trilogy. Episode 1 made the most money of all the Star Wars movies. So hypothetically, if we had to wipe out the existence of all but 1 of the 6 movies and keep only 1, we keep episode 1, because that was the best one, correct? NO!!!!!

[revengefrommars]

Wait, how come I didn't see Hayden Christiansen at the end of this? Just kidding.

[omenroc1]

This is cute: Type in star wars prequels and see what auto type suggests and instant results come up.. take a guess: A) star wars prequels [good] B) star wars prequels [terrible] Can you support your arguments? In any way? Nope.

[omenroc1]

Well a Google search of the phrase: Led Zeppelin is highly regarded produces 90 thousand and 800 results in .17 seconds. And as far as profanity. I agree, it's childish, but you started it by being smug.

[Litshttam]

@omenroc1 I like your (futile) attempt to get the last word by not responding directly to my post. Good. Good.

[Litshttam]

@omenroc1 *Falls off seat laughing* You didn't mark your own comment as spam, did you?!

[omenroc1]

@Litshttam - I typed something, but then didn't fill out the CAPTCHA word after. I was just thinking of ending the back and forth. I thought I'd take my leave on a lighter note. It seems like you enjoyed the new trilogy. That's a good thing. I liked the original trilogy a lot. Maybe a younger audience would like the new trilogy better than I did?

[Litshttam]

@omenroc1 I did indeed enjoy it - as must MANY others for it to have taken the money it did. I have no problem with people disliking the prequels - we're all individuals - it's when they're branded s***, rubbish, appalling etc that I'm bemused. They... you know the rest.

[omenroc1]

@Litshttam - I just want to clarify one thing (in all sincerity): Are you George Lucas?

[Litshttam]

@omenroc1 LOL I wish! I'd be a multi-billionaire!

[omenroc1]

No. Because no one would see 5 films and not see the conclusion, even if their hopes were suppressed by then.

[TheProgNerd]

I will never understand why people gripe, bitch and moan so much about the Prequels. I was born in 1980...I grew up with the Classic Trilogy. I love miniatures, models and old FX.

I also love CG, computers and new effects. Were the Prequels perfect? No. But they were still a thrill-ride for me.

The Classic Trilogy is never going away. The Prequels are here to stay. Why can't people enjoy them on their own merits, rather than compare them?

[Litshttam]

@TheProgNerd Hear! hear!

[agreatflood2121]

I remember the Prequel Trilogy of Star Wars, I loved them, I can't understand why so many people didn't enjoy them.

[mattdawg83686]

@agreatflood2121 The main problem I had with the prequels is that they're way too big in scope compared to the OT. Plus the visual effects went overboard; every shot was a special effect. Ep I was better than II or III because for me it still had a handmade feel to it. By the time you get to Ep III they didn't even go on location. They were just too slick in appearance for me.

[agreatflood2121]

@mattdawg83686

I respect your opinion but...

in my opinion your partly missing the point of what Star Wars is about,

sure its about some Spiritual and Philosophical Ideas and Struggles, characters, Great Settings, and all that.

Star Wars was also (from the start) about realizing a vast universe. Technology is just a tool for telling a story. Lucas always talks about how limited Technology was then, and how he is finally able to realize his vision.

Animotronics, CGI, Minitures, i like it

[mattdawg83686]

@agreatflood2121 No worries; I understand where you are coming from. I guess what I meant was I wish GL had figured out a way to use all 3 hand in hand instead of mostly CG; i.e. sets, locations, etc. I'm an old school fx fanso I'm a real stickler for these kinds of things. I appreciate your honesty.

[agreatflood2121]

@mattdawg83686 yeah I like the old techniques as well. thats part of what makes them timeless. Many of them are still used today too.

[Litshttam]

@mattdawg83686 Realize that the original movies weren't locked-off when originally released. They were written around the technology available. Lucas' vision for Star Wars was far grander from day one, hence the much larger scope of the prequels.

[ExtravaganzaBullshit]

How beautiful is it when Lucas says the environment/story he created is his 'home' where his 'friends' are? I watch the original 3 films every year or so to 'revisit' my 'friends' too. Truly beautiful and powerful, these films.

[superstarwarsrocks]

From the 70's to the 80's, Lucas drew his power from the Light side of the force.

From the 90's till now, Lucas turned to the Dark Side.

[robertmaniac]

Return of the Jedi, is my favorite star wars film, thats the reason i hate that George Lucas keep raping that poor film, i hate that he add hayden christensen on recent releases, not that i have a problem with him, i like him as Anakin, but cmon, he doesnt belong on return of the Jedi, if they are going to add young anakin, add young obi-wan as well.

[painsey]

i have always said instead of vader throwing the emperor down the shaft they should have had a duel instead

[mawriz]

@painsey

Yeah that was one of my frets too the first time I saw the film. Or maybe Luke and the emperor could have had a duel first, but Luke was losing because the emperor was too powerful, then Vader threw him in the shaft to save his son.

[Litshttam]

@painsey I believe that the emperor as written for Return of the Jedi was so powerful that he didn't need a lightsaber - "...a Jedi's weapon", so a duel with Vader was out of the question.

That facet of the character was obviously altered for Revenge of the Sith many years later to accomodate the fans who wanted to see him fight his light side-equivalent Yoda.

[linkfan160]

Return of the Jedi is my favorite of the 6. Too bad I have to wait to see it in 3D all the way until 2017!!!!!!! RRGGGGGG!! I can't F*cking wait that long!!!

[shadowofbat]

Sebastian shaw IS anakin skywalker

[psyjax]

I love Jedi, such an excellent conclusion to the series. And I have no problem with Ewoks, I'd take them over Jar Jar any day.... Oh ya, the prequels suck.

[Litshttam]

@psyjax The point of Jar Jar - beyond representing the mythic fool-archetype - is manipulation. Sidious needed a clueless pawn in the Senate (the hapless Gungan was awarded a representative role by his people for helping to forge good relations with the Naboo in Episode I) to suggest granting his alter-ego Palpatine emergency powers. Binks inadvertantly started the Clone Wars. There's more vitality to the character than is realized.

[orangberdosa]

it doesn't matter how they do the movies, as long the story were good, it seems they pushed the star wars story.

[LelouchCommandsYou]

the darkside of the force doesnt make you bad.

it just makes you mad.

so mad you strike so hard and fast you opponent cant stand.

[GoPatriots100]

You guys, WHAT DO YOU HAVE AGAINST LUCAS USING DIGITAL IN THE NEW ONES? EVERY OTHER FILM NOWADAYS USES DIGITAL! I doubt you'd like puppets better in the new ones. You guys just like remembering the old days when ROTJ was cutting edge.

[lookbacktime]

@GoPatriots100 -- The stories, characters, and creative processes were much better back then.

[GoPatriots100]

@lookbacktime How? In what way were they "better"? sure, they're more "novel" and nostalgic, but were they really, Better? I mean, what's REALLY better? looking at a puppet, or CGI? They're both fake, just in different ways!

[lookbacktime]

@GoPatriots100 -- Nothing to do with nostalgia. The VFX were more inventive, more creative, served the story better, less overwhelming, less look-at-me; Yoda was performed better and looked more believable in the originals; the scripts were better, the acting was better, the directing was much better. Fresh minds, ideas. Can you describe the characters in the PT in any detail? A good example.

[Litshttam]

@lookbacktime Someone's been watching RedLetterMedia's prequel reviews...

[kbqiscool]

The original trilogy were definitely better than the prequels, but i don't think people should write off the new ones entirely. The prequels are still enjoyable movies (despite Jar Jar) even though they can never really live up to the originals.

[Litshttam]

@kbqiscool A balanced point of view. Most resort to branding them s*** (despite their taking a couple of billion at the box office).

[omenroc1]

George Lucas should have made 3 more movies of excellent, dramatic quality, if he was to call them Star Wars at all, he didn't quite capture the magic at all, with either 3 new films. It is sad. It's hard to catch lightning in a bottle...He seemed to not even try though with the new films. He didn't even come close. Sad.

[Litshttam]

@omenroc1 The prequels collectively-grossed nearly $2.5bn. Someone liked them...

[omenroc1]

@Litshttam - Well they built off of the success of the original trilogy. They exploited the success of the original trilogy. We all wanted them to be like the original trilogy. I went to the theater twice for each prequel episode 1,2 & 3. Yet, I am able to be critical of them. We wanted them to be like the original trilogy so badly. Just because we wanted them to be like the original trilogy so badly and went to see them, does not make them good.

[Litshttam]

@omenroc1 There is undeniably some quantum of quality to a trilogy that took that much money at the box office. End of.

[omenroc1]

@Litshttam - Justin Beiber sells millions of records. Will he be regarded along side Led Zeppelin someday?

[Litshttam]

@omenroc1 The implication being Bieber's rubbish and Zeppelin's great (I care for neither, personally)? Three words for you: point of view.

I'm sure you'd agree, for example, that Jaws' enormous haul at the box office was down to quality. So why not the prequels? Financial success sure-as-hell isn't an indicator of ineptitude!

[omenroc1]

@Litshttam I see what you are saying. Makes sense, but the prequels can't be separated from the original trilogy, so it's hard to say they earned anything on their own merit.

[Litshttam]

@omenroc1 Well, Revenge of the Sith followed-up TWO so-called poor prequels, and yet grossed over $800m. By then, would not the prequels be doomed in terms of box-office if they truly sucked?

Hey, I'm all for opinion - to each their own - but to me, truly awful films are incapable of such financial success. It doesn't make sense.

[toonuraccoon]

@Litshttam people will go and watch Star Wars films, because it says Star Wars. I don't think the question is, are the prequels good Star Wars movies? the question is why are they not as good as the original 3?

[Litshttam]

@toonuraccoon Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a Star Wars flick - and that bombed. And it's nothing to do with it being animated (so is Toy Story 3, and that's taken over $1bn at the box office!).

[omenroc1]

@Litshttam - Because people were already duped once into seeing the shitty prequels, right?

[Litshttam]

@omenroc1 *sighs* We've been over this already, but if you insist on reiteration... genuinely "...shitty" movies are incapable of taking (in this case the prequels) $2.5bn. Accept this truth and move on.

[omenroc1]

@Litshttam - You are such a fucking idiot. You have nothing to back up that assumption. I have proved to you that the prequels are shitty and suck and yet they took in a lot of money. Were millions upon millions of Star Wars fans [not] going to go see some new Star Wars movies? Of course they were! Yet they were disappointed. The prequels sucked, hard, like your mother sucks my dick hard. How were the prequels good? You have no answer except their gross $ take, so what else? Nada. I know.

[omenroc1]

@Litshttam - I ignored this before but I have to reply. Point of view? Ok, point of view: Everyone in the world hates you. You are the one who is hated. Your point of view: "Screw those guys, they are all idiots." Are you right? No, you are an asshole. Led Zeppelin is regarded by everyone else besides you as being a great, if not the greatest rock band. Are you right? Absolutely not. You are wrong. The prequels suck, they took $ based on 1977-1983 Star Wars' success, and the fans got fucked.

[omenroc1]

@Litshttam - "Financial success sure-as-hell isn't an indicator of ineptitude! " - No it isn't, but it's not the final word on what is good either. That's the point. I have proved you wrong. Millions of shitty suck products get produced and sold all over the world, have you ever been to the Dollar Store? The prequels took $ based on the O.T.'s success, and they were of inferior quality when compared to the original trilogy. You can have your opinions, but from Zeppelin to Star Wars you're wrong

[Litshttam]

@omenroc1 Resorting to profanities, now? All you've "...proved" is you're immature, not to mention predictable; "...like your mother sucks my hard dick" *rolls eyes*. Bravo, you've coined a phrase there, haven't you. I've never read that on here, before.

Speaking of backing things up, where's YOUR proof, hypocrite, that Zeppelin is highly-regarded "...by everyone else"? I didn't say, incidentally, that Zeppelin aren't great, merely I don't care for them personally.

[18thOfThe9th1983]

@omenroc1 Would you be as dismissive of the prequels' box office had you enjoyed them, I wonder...?

[omenroc1]

@18thOfThe9th1983 - How much money a film makes, isn't the final word on if it's good or not, especially if it's directly linked to an old, established and beloved trilogy like the original Star Wars trilogy. Episode 1 made the most money of all the Star Wars movies. So hypothetically, if we had to wipe out the existence of all but 1 of the 6 movies and keep only 1, we keep episode 1, because that was the best one, correct? NO!!!!!

[18thOfThe9th1983]

@omenroc1 You skirted my query there, because you know box office is irrelevant only when it doesn't reflect one's personal opinion of the film in question; one loved it but it bombed / one hated it but it cleaned up.

[omenroc1]

@18thOfThe9th1983 - Your ears and your brain are skirting what I'm saying. Take a piece of paper and copy down what I've said onto it and try eating it. Maybe you can absorb it with your digestive system?

[18thOfThe9th1983]

@omenroc1 Yes or no? Would you be as dismissive?

[omenroc1]

@18thOfThe9th1983 - Well that's a loaded question, that I assume you are trying to use to reduce my argument by it, like reducing a fraction by the lowest common denominator. You can't reduce everything to it's simplest form in that way. "Money = good film." I get it. I understand what you are saying. It is simply not true. Things aren't that simplistic. So yes, I would be as dismissive exactly as dismissive. I am not saying that a high gross makes a film bad or that it makes it good. Retard.

[18thOfThe9th1983]

@omenroc1 What I'm saying is - and it's very true - box office is dismissed only when it contradicts one's stance. If you enjoyed the prequels, you wouldn't dismiss their titanic box office, you'd embrace it. Good / bad (you broached the subject of quality, incidentally) are interpretations and not facts when all's said and done... only your interpretation is negated by a $2.5bn haul.

My favourite's Episode V, by the way, for it's unusually downbeat - and the lowest-grossing of the originals...

[omenroc1]

@18thOfThe9th1983 - I'm repeating myself. Just read my comments and replies to Litshttam. It's not all up to interpretation really. Everyone has opinion, sure, and they could be as unique as a snowflake. I'm going to stop replying on this thread, it's been months now. Box office isn't dismissed only when it contradicts your opinion if it's good or not. It just isn't even considered in whether it's good or not, get it? It's like: "Hmm, do I like this?, IDK, how much money did it make?" No.

[18thOfThe9th1983]

@omenroc1 Again, you broached the subject of box office equating quality, not me. If a film you enjoyed did well at the box office, you'd highlight that fact if it was attacked. Yes you would, oh yes.

[omenroc1]

@18thOfThe9th1983 - Are you completely retarded? Are you inbred?

[18thOfThe9th1983]

@omenroc1 Thought you were "...going to stop replying on this thread"? Argumentative, aren't you... I've been pondering your theory that the prequels did well financially purely because of their link to the originals. By that rationale, Episodes V & VI did big box office purely because of their link to A New Hope... Oh, wait, silly me, of course, it was down to quality in their case, wasn't it!

The relevance of box office is subjective; irrelevant ONLY when ones take differs from the figures.

[dan1986ist]

audio is out of synch with the video

[sumakaran]

"Luke, I'm your father!" Each time you shudder as for the first time.

[talktal]

luke turing towards the darkside was written far more believable than anakin. that just made no sense

[18thOfThe9th1983]

@talktal Anakin's turn stemmed from his years in slavery on Tatooine; the lust for the freedom to go and do as you will. The dark side afforded him that - in his mind.

His turning was perpetuated by the deaths of his mother and Padawan, which in turn made him fearful of losing his wife; something he wouldn't abide, so turned as he'd been led to believe by Palpatine that that would save her.

Even renouned prequel-hater RedLetterMedia thinks Anakin's turn is more convincing than Luke's...

[Skull10]

@18thOfThe9th1983 When did Luke turn to the dark side?

[18thOfThe9th1983]

@Skull10 My bad, I meant temptation.

[TheCreativeMatrix]

An interesting documentary

[Baldenlong77]

I was surprised that Lucas admitted he didn't know what would make Luke get angry to attack Vader in Return of the Jedi until the last minute!

[doro626]

was it necessary to also throw your lightsaber across the room?

[doro626]

Robot Chicken did an excellent spoof of this scene.

[pattomwau]

pause at 2:53, he's sending a hidden message to fans

[El135o]

"I am your father!"

"But I was going into Tosche Station to pick up some power convertors!"

[puppeteye]

GEORGE LUKAS turned a long time ago to the dark side!!!

making 180 millions a year, you are evil power indeed!!! the

new films are just CG crap they all look like a video game!!!

no texture not story zero profound ideas and philosophie!!!

in the end its all about the money!

[edisonmonstera]

Oh noes, Luca$ is pure evils.

[tinister]

These were cool to watch. It's funny to hear GL talk back then about the original trilogy. Almost everything he explains about his thought process behind the OT movies - seems like he completely forgot or scrapped when he later made the Prequel movies.

This documentary reminds me of why I love the original movies so much.

Thanks for posting!

[AdobeExcel]

yeah, and it also reminds me of how these film makers take forgranted good acting and plot when cgi comes into the picture. they must understand that it's not the cgi that makes a movie a good one; it's the plot and characterisation.

[ipbalkenende]

The originals are overrated. The reason you hate the prequels so much is because the storytelling didn't advance as much as the FX. It's pretty much the same quality. In the late 70s early 80s Star Wars FX made it so it was in a class of it's own, and a unique experience. But the prequels aren't unique in any way. No FX to distract you from a mediocre story.

[turkaljd]

you're an idiot, the prequels are so bland and the stories are horrible. the stories in the originals were a lot better and the fx of that time revolutionized the film industry. Everything else SciFi looked like utter crap during that period. And if they weren't special and no one liked them, i don't think that they would have been re-released in theatres years later.

[eleven38]

@turkaljd your not a true starwars fan, u just like  nostalgia !!

[turkaljd]

yes, i like nostalgia very much. However, i truly believe the originals were the best (and it is not just my opinion that they were revolutionary for their time.) I could honestly watch them forever without getting bored of them, not implying that that is what i do every day, of course.

[turkaljd]

that was for @eleven38

[tinister]

For me - it is not just about the quality of the acting. There's just something really fake about the CG environments in the prequels. Your brain is never fully engaged in the suspension of disbelief that happens when you watch the OT.

The fact that the acting isn't good either just further widens that disconnect.

Almost every single character in the OT - no matter how brief they appeared on screen had a life. You saw them and could see a history they had in that world.

[18thOfThe9th1983]

@ipbalkenende Good point. The prequels' FX weren't novel - by Episode I we expected, not hoped for, great visuals (Terminator 2, Jurassic Park - which Lucas unofficially 2nd unit-directed - etc had already come-and-gone). The originals were harder to pull off. Probably why they're more highly thought of?

[omenroc1]

I heard him speak about how the story comes first and the time and money spent on the background and the cool stuff, should never just be shown off, just serve the story. He obviously threw all this "magic" out the window, or he burned his brain somehow, because he lost it big time.

[tinister]

Two things changed in between the production of the OT and the Prequels that I feel caused the two trilogies to be so vastly different:

1) GL realized that he could do anything he wanted, and

2) Gary Kurtz was no longer Executive Producer by the time the prequels were in production.

Kurtz was the equalizer on the set. If GL came up with some idea that just would not work (a Jar-Jar like idea for example) - Kurtz would tell GL he was nuts.

Without Kurtz - GL's ego ran amuck.

[Litshttam]

@tinister Kurtz didn't partake in the production of The Empire Strikes Back or Return Of The Jedi, and they turned out more than okay - and Lucas' dictation had INCREASED by then!

[tinister]

@Litshttam I beg to differ. Gary Kurtz was Producer on "Star Wars" and on "Empire Strikes Back". And he WAS involved with ROTJ - but by then to a much more diminished capacity because by then he and GL was started to drift apart. Which is exactly when Ewoks and flatulent creatures started popping up in the SW Universe.

[tinister]

@Litshttam McCallum is listed as Producer on all the movies in many sources now, but that's kind of misleading since he was only involved with the Special Edition versions. Do a search of "Gary Kurtz" on IMDB and you'll see his credits list him as Producer on SW and ESB.

[Litshttam]

@tinister Good. Good. You know your Star Wars. You've passed.

[lookbacktime]

@tinister -- Same. It was a different time and place... Sadly long gone.

[GUNTH6969]

That was pretty sweet. I still can't believe this is the first time I've seen this. Great post. Thank you, deepfriedmuppet!!

[kimelephant]

Thank you for posting this rare gem. It is a privilege to watch!

[jozdundar]

Not to mention the sound of the sped up voices throughout the entire clip. They all sound like they enhaled helium. Courtesy of UKs strange PAL 25 fps framerate. Sounds cool...

[j1p9v6t8]

Just watched all 7 of these clips.

Thank you for posting this!

[radiofriendly]

I can't believe more people haven't watched these....well, I thank you very much. Again, it is so sad that this magic isn't in the newer films. Powerful.

[blaydrunner]

You hit the nail on the head. I guess we're the lucky ones that get to watch.

Nothing beats the "original" trilogy. I'm 36 and I still love these movies! I grew up with them and I am glad they still stand the test of time.

[BADALASS]

@radiofriendly The is a VHS version available from Amazon i believe.