[Commander Phil]

This personally is my favorite of them all. Many say it's the darkest but I find it the most interesting. It introduces Yoda, has more Han Solo in it and a great cliff hanger. Speaking of Cliff's, Cliff from Cheers is in it. Overall a great movie, because alot of people are saying that ROTS is supposed to be dark I'm kinda hopeful it will be good. It's just more interesting if there's conflict and you get the sense that the characters lives are in jepordy and its not all disney like, sort of like Phantom Menace.

[Cougar]

ROTS= Darkest SW movie
I liked ESB but I could never understand why a lot of people consider it their favourite.

[Commander Phil]

to me as a kid i loved ROTJ b/c it was sort of the happiest with the hutt fight ans everthing ended in order and stuff (like ent should have) but theres more drama in ESB it has more han, boboa and just good from top to bottom. i am excited for ROTS though- seeing it at midnight.

[Sir William]

Empire is probably my favorite as well (so far, anyway .

When I was younger I liked ROTJ more, but ESB exemplifies what was best about the original trilogy. It had great pacing, interesting separate storylines, and terrific locations. I mean, it had Hoth, the asteroid field, Dagobah, and Cloud City. Those are some of the best locales in Star Wars history, and they all fit together beautifully.

And unlike the new movies, you really got a chance to absorb the atmosphere of each new planet, just like Tatooine in ANH. In Phantom Menace it was "Oh look, a swamp", "Oh look, an underwater city," "Oh look, Venice," "Oh look, a desert planet," "Oh look, a planet-covering city."

I think the best testament to ESB's quality is that even George Lucas didn't want to mess with it much for his "special edition."

[dnlang]

Cougar, on May 15 2005, 04:47 PM, said:

ROTS= Darkest SW movie
I liked ESB but I could never understand why a lot of people consider it their favourite.

Cougar I think I can tell you why. Luke I am your father was literally a shocking event when it was first seen in theatres. My guess is by the time the two of us first saw it we have already been innundated with cultural references to the Star wars trilogies.

[Darth Paris]

Leia: "I love you"

Han: "I know"

Gotta love it.

[Anakin Skywalker]

Cougar, on May 15 2005, 06:47 PM, said:

ROTS= Darkest SW movie
I liked ESB but I could never understand why a lot of people consider it their favourite.

ESB is clearly the best and my favourite because of its wider scope and the famous plot twist. if you compare it to A New Hope, it is alot wider, it is from this film that you learn most about Star Wars. For example, Yoda was a great help in understanding more about the Jedi when i first saw it. It also gives you a chance to see the reality that the Empire was pushing the rebels back to the point of extermination, the battle of Hoth is far more realistic than that of the Death Star attack (although that is an amazing scene). As Darth Vader is my favourite character, i have to love this film. This is where the character develops and you learn more of his history and that here is still some good in him. The prequels are good, but nearly all Star Wars fans prefere the originals, and this is the best one.

[Darth Paris]

I agree with all the points you just maind. ESB was on a much wider scope then ANH.

[Legolas]

Seeing all but the last films of the entire batch i liked ESB too but ROTJ was really breathing down it's neck as that was very close second.

The part i actually hated was Luke's hand being cut off.

[Warpfactor7]

“The Empire Strikes Back� is arguably the one that I enjoyed, which is noticeably for its Academy Award winning soundtrack, and visual effects, sure “Star Wars Episode IV, A New Hope� paved the way, but no would have expected Empire to secede over the first one.

The battle on the snow planet Hoth, was spectacle to look at and to listen too as well, there was so much happen technically as well as complexly with the Dolby Stereo A type soundtrack.

Today we can marvel over this on DVD, with robust image that leaps over the THX Laserdisc version, but don’t get me wrong I still like to run the ole Laserdisc once in a while, and if I’m in the right mood, Empire might be on the platter.

Luke
"Well they die?"

Yoda
"Difficult to see, always in motion is the force."

[trek_dude]

Empire Strikes Back is excellent , Return Of The Jedi is my favorite


scenes in Empire Strikes Back that are favorite is the fight with vader on the Station and when Vadar says

"Luke, i am your father"

[Warpfactor7]

trek_dude, on Apr 25 2006, 02:08 AM, said:

Empire Strikes Back is excellent , Return Of The Jedi is my favorite
scenes in Empire Strikes Back that are favorite is the fight with vader on the Station and when Vadar says

"Luke, i am your father"

Very much, very much so, that was like a huge kick in the teeth for the audience back then.



Luke
NO, NO, that’s not true, that’s imposable!

[trek_dude]

Ashley Carpenter, on Apr 25 2006, 02:23 AM, said:

Very much, very much so, that was like a huge kick in the teeth for the audience back then.

i whih i was alive then to experiance the original trilogy in the cinema , didn't get to see the film until The Special editions were released in 1997

[SirPhilip86]

i remember when i saw ROTJ: Special Edition back in 1997, it was awesome.

[trek_dude]

saw the changes in the 2004 DVD release and decided not to get it, wish they had just released the 1997 special editions on DVD

[Warpfactor7]

trek_dude, on Apr 25 2006, 03:50 AM, said:

saw the changes in the 2004 DVD release and decided not to get it, wish they had just released the 1997 special editions on DVD

Well now that’s an interesting point you have bought up, the original 1977 version was available in three formats, there was a 35mm optical monaural mix, with A type NR, which also had certain sound enchantments and some sounds inserted into it.

Then there was the 35mm optical twin-track Dolby Stereo A type version which had a matrix surround mix encoded onto the optical print, this made it more viable for commercial cinemas to install the sound systems. The Dolby CP-50’s where among the first optical Dolby Stereo decoders.

The Dolby CP-100,was used for Dolby Stereo optical and for wide format 70mm prints, Star Wars was the first film that had two “Baby Boom� tacks, this added huge kick and thundering deep low end on the star destroyer at the beginning of the film.

The surrounds for 70mm version where monaural, split-surrounds weren’t available till 1978, with Warner Bros “Superman the Movie.�

As the years went by, so did the re-recording or re-mixes, with the 1993 realise of the Star Wars definitive collection and the beginning of the THX laserdisc program, THX was established back in 1983, for the May realise of, “Return of the Jedi� which at the time only heard in just two THX sound system theatres in the USA, now there’s thousands worldwide.



The new THX Laserdisc edition of Star Wars had a few changes to the Dolby Stereo mix, there where some sounds greatly enhanced, and a few new ones, “this Laserdisc edition represents yet a fourth version of the film� which was mastered by Ben Burtt and Gary Summers.



The 1997, Special Edition realises, again marked a fifth version of “Star Wars episode IV A New Hope� a second version for, “The Empire Strikes Back� and “Return of the Jedi.�

Now with the DVD versions, there is nothing to stop Lucas from have changes made to the visual style or to the highly complex six-track Dolby Stereo digital mixes, so six versions, that’s right six version of the film.


I have around four version of the 1977 version of, a very early PAL Laserdisc pressing 1982, P/S Dolby Stereo surround. The definitive collection, Dolby Stereo surround, and the 1997, Special Edition Laserdisc box set, and lastly the DVD versions which we all have, so there it is, are lots of differences with these versions, which one of them you prefer is up to you, I’m one with the 1977 original which picked up Oscars for best sound and sound effects editing.

If ain’t broken why fix it?

Found this on the web some very rare 70mm frames form, “The Empire Strikes Back�, yeah I’d say that’s rare alright, the could is all faded note, on the sides of film and in-between the sprockets is the magnetic tracks.

The frame pictured hear is just about life size 3" by 1"



http://www.gabrielso.../ebay/star2.jpg

http://www.gabrielso.../ebay/star3.jpg

http://www.gabrielso.../ebay/star4.jpg

http://www.gabrielso.../ebay/star6.jpg

http://www.gabrielso.../ebay/star7.jpg

http://www.gabrielso.../ebay/star9.jpg

[trek_dude]

wow, you sure did some reseach on this , im impressed

[benbert]

I've been trying to get the complete original laserdiscs for a while I have Empire but I just can't afford the others every time I see them they go for loads. I have 3 different versions of the films on VHS, but you can't sit and watch those can you.

[Warpfactor7]

benbert

I know what your saying, thou they maybe continuous uninterrupted playing, the look and the sound on them is just awful, they have a less than sharpness look to the image, which over a so many playbacks, looses quality, there very prone to getting damaged, which leads to Hi-Fi stereo tracking errors.

The Audio on the Hi-Fi VHS tape is compressed heavily at certain points, and thou we don’t have D-VHS, D-Theatre in this county like they do in the United States, which offers, high definition image, and Dolby 5.1 sound, and with a price tag close to what Laserdisc was, they are still prone to ware and a tare.

If you have the means there are lots of Laserdisc players being sold on the Ebay, not to mention the Laserdiscs, and the prices are so low, it’s very tempting.

With original Dolby Stereo mix of, “Return of the Jedi� there was a on screen dialogue pan, where the princess sits on tree log in the forest, the sound is positioned to the left and partly to the centre, the line spoken is “ well looks like I’m stuck hear, trouble is, I don’t know where hear is.�


cat# no:1478-85

Now this sound would be positioned to screen left on the earlier Laserdisc editions, cat# no:1478-85, year of release 1990, now if you can track this one down it’s not bad going as this represents the original version of the 35mm Dolby Stereo soundtrack, as heard back in 1983.

The definitive collection, as the dialogue fixed to the centre, which as nothing to with the fact, that nearly all dialogue is spoken from this position in the cinema.

Dialogue panning goes way back to the early 1960’s and the wide 70mm Todd-AO format, with five matching loudspeakers behind the screen, so with the performances being played out on the screen, not only do you see where they are, but can hear the position of there voices, as they move across this wide canvas.

Today dialogue panning is not as wildly used, as it was back then, and only a few films handful films around today use this technique, to create a believability or realism.

[benbert]

Wowzer you really do know an immense amount about this. I do watch discs on ebay quite a lot and am very tempted to get them but with being at uni I don't really have the money to spend at the moment and I'm really trying to save up for a new TV. However the next couple of weeks I should be working a ton of over time so hopefully I'll be able to get the Star Wars discs then, I'd love to have them.