MovieChat Forums > From 'Star Wars' to 'Jedi': The Making of a Saga (1983) Discussion > Lucas Doesn't Want This One Released.

Lucas Doesn't Want This One Released.

posted 13 years ago by breather73
4 replies | jump to latest

It's funny. Longtime fans know that there were four original "making-of" documentaries on the Original Trilogy. They were:

-The Making of Star Wars
-SPFX: Empire Strikes Back
-Classic Creatures: Return of the Jedi
-From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga

These four never made it further than Laserdisc. They were ignored for the OT DVD release in 2004 and have never had a separate release on DVD like they could have.

The new Blu-ray set has been announced for September. Miraculously, the first three are included! Suspiciously, "From Star Wars to Jedi" is not. It's obvious why. In the interviews, Lucas admits that he didn't settle on Vader as Anakin until after Star Wars(ANH) was released! He had to decide between Vader as Anakin or Vader as Anakin's killer and admits he didn't do that until just before ESB began filming. Yet today, we're told that the "saga" was the "Tragedy of Darth Vader" all along. Right. Maybe the new fans buy that but the older fans know better. He also admits that Yoda wasn't created until scriptwriting for ESB. He mentions the fact that ROTJ was originally going to involve a planet of Wookiees, not the Ewoks. A much better idea. He explains why he changed it to the Ewoks. He even says that too often, special effects are on-screen for too long and cannot substitute for a good story.

All of these admissions would be nothing for most filmmakers. But for Lucas, this would debunk the falsehood he puts out to the kids today of the whole thing being a six-film pre-planned "saga" all along. He probably doesn't like the word "saga" in the title of this documentary for the OT either. Not to mention the use of the old Sebastian Shaw force ghost footage from ROTJ.

He doesn't want this one ever released again. How else can you explain the absence of this one, yet including the other three, while giving us nearly four hours of fans in stormtrooper costumes, spoofs, and the lame "Star Wars Tech". Where's "Empire of Dreams" too? What a shame.

[–] stepstonefilms 13 years ago

I too was disapointed this wasn't listed as a Blu-ray extra. I'm glad I held onto my Vhs.

I remember him in this doc, commenting on sci-fi films that concentrate too much on special effects or the sets created, instead of spending that time on story. He's certainly contradicted himself through the years. Whether that's the reason it's not included in the extras though I don't know. It definitely would have been really nice to have seen it included, as it's my favourite out of the four making of's.

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"I've never seen a sight, that didn't look better lookin' back".

[–] Cube_Brick1138 12 years ago

It's my favourite too. I remember watching it as a kid and almost dying from excitement. Having watched it again recently I did notice he contradicted himself a few times in regards to prequels and over all mythology.

"I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness"

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] BrianRaess_Is_FinallyGone 12 years ago

Suspiciously, "From Star Wars to Jedi" is not. It's obvious why. In the interviews, Lucas admits that he didn't settle on Vader as Anakin until after Star Wars(ANH) was released! He had to decide between Vader as Anakin or Vader as Anakin's killer and admits he didn't do that until just before ESB began filming.

I don't buy that. If true, then why wasn't The Making of Star Wars also excluded? In that particular show, Lucas and company discuss the possibility of a love triangle between Luke, Leia and Solo, as well as indicates that Leia would be better off with Luke. Clearly, this interview was before Lucas had finalized the idea that Leia was Luke's twin sister. It would be more evidence that Lucas didn't have the entire saga thought out from the beginning.

Speaking of that though, people keep accusing Lucas of having said that recently. But until someone can provide a source with a quote as evidence, I call *beep*