Watching the OT

 The OT (original trilogy) is a yearly event for me. Sometimes I watch it when it's on TV, even though I have the DVD's and Blu Ray versions. I first saw Return of the Jedi in theaters at the age of (let's just say I'm old enough to remember it!) in 1983, at movie theater inside a local shopping mall. Needless to say I was hooked! Especially seeing Princess Leia in that bikini outfit...wow! I later saw Star Wars (aka A New Hope) on it's broadcast premiere on CBS, that even had a follow up show hosted by Mark Hamill. A family friend recorded it on a Betamax and I watched the tape so often I'm surprised it didn't wear out. Also, add finding a working Betamax to my list of needed items! A while later I saw Empire Strikes Back and well, I didn't like it much. But once I saw them in order, ESB became my favorite one. Definitely had the best music of the three. Best toys was obviously Jedi, but I'll get back on topic.

For the 10th anniversary (or close to it) all 3 films were released in a boxed set on tape, and that's how I would watch, either on rentals or when it would come on HBO, until we stopped paying extra for it. Then in my high school days, it would come on USA, for 3 straight nights, then on the weekend the OT would be on all day long! It was Heaven! Especially one week where I was very sick and had to stay home, it came on that week and made me forget about the combination of flu and bronchitis I had going on. Plus I was old enough to be left home alone (with enough soup, orange juice, crackers, Sprite and pizza to get over and through it).

In 1995, the original versions were released for the final time on VHS. It was kind of a big deal. Rumors were swirling that the OT would come back to theaters as George Lucas had announced a couple years earlier he was writing the Prequel Trilogy. Of course also that year, Kenner brought back Star Wars toys, as Star Wars saw a resurgence thanks to Timothy Zahn's novel Heir to the Empire. The Special Editions came out in 1997, and as we celebrate the 25th Anniversary of that moment it marked a change, some like it, some do not. Additional and deleted scenes were added to all 3 movies, along with corrections (mostly for ESB: in the original version the snowspeeders cockpit display was transparent, you could see the AT-AT Walker's legs and at the end when Vader asks Piett if the tractor beam is ready Piett has his insignia on the wrong side because that scene was shot using a mirror to make the bridge display appear larger). Years later in 2004, the OT finally made its way to DVD, although the films had been on laser disc, the laser discovered versions found their way onto DVD in 2007-2009 and this showed the films the way they had originally been seen. The 2004 DVD release added Temuera Morrison voicing Boba Fett, and Ian McDiarmid playing Palpatine for his conversation with Vader. This was filmed as Revenge of the Sith was being filmed.

But with updates added to A New Hope when it debuted on Disney Plus, many fans wanted to know how to see the original 1977, 1980 & 1983 versions. In the mid 2010's The Despecialized Version was made by a collective of fans who took the laser disc copies, uploaded them and cleaned up the effects. What you got was worthy to be put on Blu Ray disc's and sold at comic and sci-fi conventions world wide. Now there are fans putting together 4k versions of the theatrical releases. While this may not be important to some, for many this is how they remember first seeing Star Wars. Disney is unlikely to save these versions but the fans have, and will. And yes, I have the Despecialized Editions on Blu Ray (just the movies, not the making of stuff).

So, if someone (girlfriend, wife, husband, partner, kid, niece, nephew, father's cousin's sister's roommate) hasn't seen Star Wars how should you show them? Personally, I would start with the Despecialized or 4k versions. BUT that alternative isn't always available. Some go in time release order, 4, 5, 6 and then 1,2,3. Personally to get the whole story, go 4,5,1,2,3,6. Debate solved! Now that I got the distraction out the way, back to the topic.

I admit to having difficulty watching the OT, especially after seeing Episode 8. Seeing the end of ROTJ being a happy one, with the redemption of Anakin Skywalker and the Empire being defeated, only to find years later our heroes kept failing to forge a new Empire, a new Rebellion and still no Jedi. For a year, I just couldn't watch it. It hurt to watch it. But that's when I started to go back and read Legends material and it hit me. Most of the changes made to the OT happened in the Legends era (1997, 2004, 2011). It's easy to imagine Truce at Bakura taking place the next morning after seeing ROTJ. With that in mind, it was okay to watch them again. Then getting the Despecialized Blu Ray's made me fall back in love with the OT all over again. I know this is a rambling post, but no matter how you watch it (episodic order, my 1st time watching suggestion, adding all Disney movies, etc) the original Star Wars Trilogy can and still is exciting. Especially if whatever happens after it is left up to your imagination.