Posted on 06/16/2025 3:32:33 AM PDT by grundle
That, the version I saw at midnight opening night, is Star Wars.
Yes Han but also the 1977-era model handling, the difficulties with lightsabers at certain angles, other minutiae.
Tinkering and improving make special editions or directors’ cuts or whatever but it was a poor decision to try and bury the original. That choice led to all the BS of later screwy changes to the “lore.” I also think it encouraged others to similarly botch up their own series from Matrix to John Wick and more.
That said it’s just entertainment and besides I long ago bought a DVD set that has this cut. Not 35mm pretty but better than an ancient scratchy Betamax tape…
At this point it’s not really a George decision. Disney owns it. But I guess they’re following his wishes. It’s really interesting because there’s been way more changes to the movie than what gets talked about. The crawl was changed when a sequel got green lit. By the time the movie came out on VHS the siblings thing had happened, so some scenes got trimmed to remove now uncomfortable sexual tension between Luke and Leia. Then of course there’s all the changes for the 90s rerelease that are what people focus on. There is out on the internet in those corner you’re not supposed to hang around in a 4K restoration of the truly original, so it’s completely unavailable. But I do think Disney should put all the versions on +. It would be fun to have them all available, like the 5 Blade Runner version box set.
I thought George made some deal with Disney to not release the original versions. It would be nice to see the movies again without Han dodging Greedo
To appease the critics, Lucas did his best to make the issue disappear by removing the proof -- and thereby protected his immensely profitable Star Wars toy sales from boycotts by the gun control crowd and their allies in the news media.
Similarly, in later years, Spielberg expressed regret that in Raiders he had Indiana Jones pull out his gun and shoot a sword wielding adversary.
I am cynical enough to think that these adjustments and some cash to the gun control groups were negotiated behind the scenes.
Lucas said that he based the rebels in Star Wars on The Viet Cong.
I’m not sure. The distribution rights are hairy. Fox actually owned distribution in perpetuity, part of the initial funding deal to let George do whatever he wanted. Which is part of why Disney bought Fox (that and the Marvel pieces). So I’ve always been a little fuzzy why Fox even followed George’s wishes. Now Disney owns the whole bag. There might be a clause in that contract somewhere. I’m sure they could get out of it if they really wanted to though.
A few years ago I managed to download the 1977 version. It resides on a back up drive.
Han fires first, just as I remember from seeing in on opening night a long time ago in a city far, far away.
The original 1977 version was released on DVD. I have a copy that came in a set with the special edition.
I always heard that the gun thing was because Harrison Ford was ill and just wanted to end the scene. And that originally he was supposed to fight the sword guy with his whip
As the whip versus sword scene was being planned on set, it was becoming too complicated and time consuming for a famously time and budget conscious production. Harrison Ford then suggested using his gun. Problem solved, to the relief of Ford and many others on the set suffering from dysentery.
Even in the 1970s, the original cut looked like Home Movie amateur hour.
The re-cut and modified scene never really fit, either, but the visuals were clearly improved.
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