Very sad news about Ralph McQuarrie. I remember getting the Star Wars art books when I was a teenager and loving his drawings, it's probably the first spark that got me interested in concept art, which lead me to discover digital drawing.
I think he was literally the first person Lucas hired to work on Star Wars, and is pretty much responsible for the look of the Star Wars universe.
I've got the amazing Vader book from a couple of years back and Rizzler's The Making of the Empire Strikes Back, but that's about it (paid a tenner for them each!). Missed out on The Making of Star Wars, which I'm gutted about now as it's impossible to get hold of.
Seems unlikely that he ever would be seeing as Vader was linked to Luke etc.
The point is that Lucas didn't want to water down the power of OT Vader by having him outdone by a prequel villain. That's why the menace is a phantom one, with Palps pulling the strings as his rubbish apprentices keep getting killed by the Jedi who are blinded to the real threat.
As fine a thematic concept as that may be, the films suffer because of it, for without a proper bad guy to propel the narrative the prequels meander along until the last couple of reels of Clones.
Lucas' road to Star Wars hell is paved with such good intentions: we don't see the streaking starfield in the prequels because Lucas wanted to save it for the OT, but the two trilogies are so different in terms of visual effects that surely you would want to keep a common frame of [visual] reference?
I think the sound design of the films is the common frame of reference for me. The sound design on Phantom Menace is superb with lots of clunky organic sounding spacecraft. It's something that gives it a great stamp without being overtly obvious and ties all six films together nicely. Another thing is the complete lack of anything written anywhere in English.
R.i.p Ralph mcquarrie. .. Defo one of the first on board in 75.... His visuals sold STAR WARS to FOX...some of the paintings almost literally were transfered to screen... They were that good
Another thing is the complete lack of anything written anywhere in English.
I know it doesn't count anymore, but the Death Star reactor controls had English instructions right up until the 2004 DVDs.
I think one of the biggest visual gulfs for me between the two trilogies are the aliens. They're obviously all rubbery or furry in the first three films, then they're mostly fantastical and silky shiny in the prequels. The only new species seen in the prequels with a major role that wasn't CGI were the Neimodians.
The other is the complete lack of location filming (especially in RotS at least).
The other is the complete lack of location filming (especially in RotS at least).
That's never bothered me in the slightest. Empire has a minimal amount of location work, as once they leave Hoth (a lot of which was sets anyway) they were on-set 'til the end. Besides, there aren't that many city planets or lava planets that Lucas can film on, are there?
That's never bothered me in the slightest. Empire has a minimal amount of location work, as once they leave Hoth (a lot of which was sets anyway) they were on-set 'til the end. Besides, there aren't that many city planets or lava planets that Lucas can film on, are there?
I suppose that's true. OK, I guess it's just the over-use of greenscreen and lack of physical sets that give the films that detached feeling.
I've got the amazing Vader book from a couple of years back and Rizzler's The Making of the Empire Strikes Back, but that's about it (paid a tenner for them each!). Missed out on The Making of Star Wars, which I'm gutted about now as it's impossible to get hold of.
Just back from a local WHSmiths where I found a copy of the Making of Star Wars. Even though it must have been on the shelf for a while, the book is in mint condition and the dust jacket shows very little wear apart from a scratch on the back. Didn't have a price sticker so presumed it was £39.99 - scanned at £10! Bargain!
Finally got round to seeing the special edition version of the new hope. Turned it off. Not a massive star wars fan, but the changes made just put me right off. the scenes before luke and obi meet Solo in the bar was just terrible. Lucas adding massive CGI animals along with a "comedy" creature falling of his ride. just felt out of place.
That's a new one though, outrage from people who aren't really fans.
Doesn't that just highlight how much he screwed up.
I consider myself no more than a casual fan, and I hate the extra "stuff" he added. I have no problem with the improved explosion fx, etc, even the "Nooooo" bit in Empire doesn't bother me, and I probably wouldn't have noticed but for comments on here. But the extra creatures, Han Solo stepping over Jabba's tail, etc, are really distracting.
You've had 15 years to get used to the majority of those changes.
Did he screw up? No. With the exception of a couple of changes I generally prefer the SEs. The original version of ANH looks really unfinished by comparison to the SE.
Linear Mode
