The Star Wars Underground
A long time ago, in a
cinema not so far away, the original 1977 Star Wars arrived and was like
nothing that had ever been seen before.
In recent years, however, a new
dark side for the oldest fans has taken over in the form of digital visual
effects, digital High Definition shooting over 35mm Panavision filming and a
time before there were more interchanging parts of what became six features
than you could get from Darth Tater or a limited edition set of Legos. Now, by popular demand and as a way for
people to understand the underlying changes going on all the time that are
driving fans crazy, we take a look at the changes of the trilogy, the new
underground of vintage fans, what the original trilogy was really all about and
why the purists are up in arms.
The first thing that
can never be recaptured is the original mania over the first film, which has
never been recreated in cinema again.
All new blockbuster commercial hits in the Science Fiction, Adventure
and especially Fantasy genre owe something to the first film, which did
not even have a “Chapter Four” marking at one point. That gives you an idea of how exciting the film was on its own
self-contained. The book Splinter In
The Mind’s Eye offered the mature direction the franchise could have gone
in, though The Empire Strikes Back (1980) still had promise before Return
Of The Jedi was just too silly and temporarily put the franchise on ice.
But back to
1977. The first film so sideswiped
everyone in the film industry and fans, but what is forgotten is that Science
Fiction and Adventure in the genre was far from dead. Besides the big Star Trek boom on syndicated TV, a big
boom of more serious Sci-Fi features had arrived and a few comic book heroes
(Doc Savage, Wonder Woman, Hulk, Batman and eventually Superman and Flash
Gordon) had found commercial success. Logan’s
Run was a hit the year before and the idea at the time with Star Wars
following was the naïve optimism if the movies could big magic and technology
to life, then that was a sign of real-life progress in which real science and
new ideas would make people richer, smarter, happier, healthier, more secure
and build a better future. This was
before the 1980s betrayed all that good will, but it came back to revive the
franchise permanently.
To go back to that
vital moment, you would have to see the original film, especially with its
original model work in the best way possible.
That would require you to have a 70mm blow-up print with the original
4.1 Dolby magnetic stereo mix. It was
the big screen on the big screen like nothing anyone had ever seen. The film moved and had better editing in the
attack on the Millennium Falcon. The
innovative models with detail like nothing except Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A
Space Odyssey (1968) or Douglas Trumbull’s Silent Running (1972) is still
unmatched by its 35mm-only digital equivalent. Unlike its predecessors, the ships were more kinetic thanks to
the license the fantasy elements allow.
Especially with the
best sound at the time and on a giant screen, the world George Lucas built so
intricately could be best enjoyed. Of
course, the prints of the 35mm version is fine and was fine in all the money it
made and people it wowed. However, to
really enjoy the models being shot in giant VistaVision framing, 70mm was the
only way to go. Only now in the IMAX
production Special Effects can you see how great those models were. Now, DTS would be a worthy successor to the
magnetic Dolby, but Lucas has even minutely altered those and only offers them
at home in Dolby at best. Seeing any of
the digital revisions in DTS will give you an idea of how the blow-up sound is.
The more immediate
way to recapture the original release is through memorabilia. Give or take specific favorites from the
original wave of fans, the value of those items is going through the roof,
especially the 3 3/4th-inch Kenner action figures. So what if post action figure series have
more detail, look like everyone hit the gym or bulked up otherwise. The idea of the original characters and
figures were you could just show up as yourself and that was good enough. The 12” figures are also nice and not as
expensive (relatively speaking) some of which were also reissued recently and
again with more detail.
A highlight of the 3
3/4th-inch Kenner action figures are the ones that were eventually
forbidden by the U.S. Government’s Consumer Product Safety Commission. They were unhappy with the
missiles/projectiles some of the ships shot out early on. Those were quickly changed, namely on the
Millennium Falcon. Now, those are the
most valuable and popular vehicles ever produced, as flashing LEDs and sound
effects just don’t cut it any more than sound chips. There is that one exclusive action figure that was mail-only, the
3 3/4th-inch first version of Boba Fett, which began the massive
legend of the bounty hunter immediately.
Two versions (one with an L-shaped launcher, another with a “safer”
J-shaped launcher that was still rejected) were recalled. Only a few hundred at best exist. Complete versions of either in mint working
condition with the missile are heading for $20,000 (yes, four zeroes)
each. Fett remains one of the most
popular villains in cinema and franchise history, kept that way by never
hitting his stride!
The other part of
this non-film part of the legend and mania is the least seen, but if you can
find it, often the least expensive.
That is the amazing series of TV commercials never released on home
video. Some collections have all the
figures form the first three films and even errors. This includes when Return Of The Jedi was called Revenge
Of The Jedi, or when that Boba Fett was available. Taking their cue from the brilliant and
innovative ads from the Mego Toy Company that missed the Lucas contract, the
commercials has the children with the toys having fun playing with them under
normal circumstances. Fancy sets only
arrived with bad analog video effects towards the end; setting the standard for
the plastic-looking toy ads we are annoyed by today. The Star Wars Underground understands these are as vital to the
original experience and original films as original copies of the films. Before the changes, the best non-film copies
were on the old 12” Laserdisc format.
They will never legally be available on DVD, because Lucas prefers his
digital revisions, even if old loyal fans who made his empire possible do not.
The toy ads even
remind us of how the original films were.
Yes, in the ad for the cantina Han Solo shoots Greedo first. Why is that a sticking point for vintage
fans? Because it had the guts to show
Han was outer spacewise/streetwise and had guts. The first politically correct digital revision had Greedo shooting
first but missing, despite point black range.
It sure was not a mistake from anything he was drinking. Lucas tried to alter this again, but not
restore the integrity of the original.
This is to say, that in a word, the original film in visual effects,
themes or characters, was not afraid to get its hands dirty. The digital versions are too esoteric and
ethnically cleansed to be truly enjoyed unless you deny your mortality to a
psychotic extent if you are honest with yourself in a serious analysis of the
film.
That extends to Yoda,
who is better as an ultra-Muppet than any digital representation could hope to
accomplish. The digital version breaks
its connection to the legacy of the Muppets, and though Frank Oz’s voice is
still in tact, that is simply not sufficient enough. The Muppets have not gone digital and the original Muppet version
of Yoda still has an organic sense and physicality that makes his telekinetic
and fighting powers more realistic than any kind of animation (even the most
complex hand-drawn or good animation of the Clone Wars series) will ever
achieve. The child in all of us, the
ultimate audience of the real original films, will never find a more authentic
Yoda to connect to. Fans who were there
for the originals will testify to this and always will.
So is there a
movement where everyone who is a fan of the originals is in on being such
die-hard purists. Though there is not
an organized movement per se, the skyrocketing prices of the original materials
and compounding complains are more than enough that you do not have to have any
organization. After all, a movement is
a movement, which goes beyond anything that political anyhow. Sadly, the original films are lost forever,
especially the 1977 version, because Lucas made his changes as the badly fading
negative was restored. But somewhere,
someplace, in a pop culture galaxy not that far away, Han shoots first, Yoda is
more for real, toys that shoot missiles will not kill you, Boba Fett is even
cooler than current fans know, Obi Wan is only Sir Alec Guinness (though Ewan
McGregor is a good actor, we do not necessarily need to see a young Obi Wan),
Luke and Leia do not necessarily need to be related, 70mm film and detailed
model work are still the ultimate viewing experience, Children’s Palace is
still the coolest toy store in the world (followed by the old K-Mart, though
one is gone and the other has had too many changes), toy commercials can be
art, there can be a better tomorrow and all evil empires can be brought down.
Why, it’s the kind of
brewing subversion members of Fight Club could only dream about. The original Star Wars lives and will
never go away. As things get worse in
real life, those who could make things better after so much has gone wrong in
these last few years could actually do something about it. Only the original force will help them find
the way and if they find that Force, the Star Wars Underground will rise
up. This is a force of intelligence and
non-violence, one that does not forget.
Some will laugh and especially try to laugh off (for political reasons)
this idea, but they’ll have to first explain all the complains by fans which
really do matter no matter what anyone says and ever climbing high prices for
the vintage merchandise. Now, The Saga
seems really complete!
- The member
of the Star Wars Underground responsible for this essay has submitted this
document anonymously and that name will be kept confidential indefinitely, even
in defiance of the United States Patriot Act.
E-mail will be forwarded in special encrypted form to the individual for
those interested in responding to its content.
