Looks like they're updating Indy, too. From the Internet Movie Database:
quote: Indy May Be Spiffed Up, Too -- Like E.T.
Following a screening of a restored and digitally "tweaked" 20th Anniversary Special Edition: E.T. -- The Extra-Terrestrial in Salt Lake City, Frank Marshall, who co-produced the film with his wife, Kathleen Kennedy Marshall, indicated that plans are afoot to similarly renew the Indiana Jones movies, which the Marshalls also co-produced, according to an article appearing on the DreamWorks' fan website (http://dreamworksfansite.com/editorials/E.T._20_Review.php). "We're thinking about doing this with Indy," Marshall was quoted as saying, "bringing it back and spiffing up the effects. Before seeing the new E.T., we would have had mixed feelings about seeing Raiders [of the Lost Ark] touched in any way. Now the prospect is mouth watering."
I don't like the idea. "Digitally tweaking" E.T. was riding on the line, but updating the Indy films? I don't know if I can accept that. They're already good like they are.
Posted by Da_bang80 (Member # 528) on :
Amen to that! Raiders of the Lost Ark. was one of the best movies of my youth. i wouln't like to see it altered in any way. When they re-did Star Wars i had mixed emotions, on one hand i really liked the updated special effects. specially in the space battles. but it didn't seem like the classic anymore. it seemed too polished over.
Posted by Balaam Xumucane (Member # 419) on :
"Don't fix it if if ain't broke?"
Posted by Veers (Member # 661) on :
Exactly. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. What could they add to Indy? I, too, liked the new digital effects of Star Wars, but now it doesn't seem like a classic. Any clips from it only show the Special Edition.
Posted by Balaam Xumucane (Member # 419) on :
It's a touch Orwellian, in a sense. Did you hear that in the ET: The Extra Terrestrial: Special Revisionist Edition they've replaced the guns in the hand of those malicious agents with walkie-talkies? Newspeak leads to goodthink.
Posted by Veers (Member # 661) on :
I say, keep the guns. I know it's a kid's movie, but...
Posted by Proteus (Member # 212) on :
Well, I think ET was a awful movie and over-rated x100000000.
Whats wrong with adding a few nice effects to indy as well as giving it a nice clean new transfer?
I recently saw the films, and they do look quite dated.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
I can understand some complaints of the SW special editions, but "it didn't seem like the classic anymore. it seemed too polished over"? I say, huh?
Especially since the tweaking to Empire and Jedi consisted of about 2 minutes worth of stuff, and the most important SFX parts in each (the Hoth Battle and the Battle of Endor) weren't touched at all.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
Greedo shot first.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
That's one of the complaints I can understand. Partly because of the "It makes Han less cool" thing, but mainly because it makes Greedo the absolute worst fucking shot in the world.
Oh, and Han treading on Jabba's tail. That looks rubbish.
The improved X-Wing battle makes up for it though.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
Does it, though?
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
Yes.
Well, mainly. I do think it really improves it. The space fights in SW suffer quite badly even in comparison to Empire and Jedi. They are very slow and ponderous. The new Death Star battle fixes this partially.
Also, a big problem with the new stuff was that it stuck out a mile. Jabba especially, but also a lot of the Mos Eisley outside. The nice thing about the space battle is that pretty much ALL of it was redone. There isn't a feeling of "this is new, this is old", because it's all new, and therefore consistent. And I do love that shot of the X-Wing fleet flying past the camera, with the shot focusing on that one X-wing.
The changes to Empire I could really care less about. They don't affect the film in any way. For Jedi, the song is pretty awful, but the ending is much improved by making the victory over the Empire felt all over the galaxy. Not overly keen on the new music though.
There is also the general sound, music and picture improvement. It really is a step up from my old tapes, although we've probably got to wait for the DVD Ultra-Super Special Edition for the best home version.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
I'm just a little disturbed, I guess, by all this "reimagining." I liked it at first. Fix up The Motion Picture! Fix up Star Wars!
But if film is an artform, isn't this trend serving to obliterate what makes an individual film a work of art?
Of course, this is far from adding brand new CGI battle scenes to Battleship Potemkin. At least for now.
Posted by Proteus (Member # 212) on :
The thing about film, though, is it can easily be duplicated. Art such as paintings and sculptures can never be duplicated like Films can. Out there there are many versions of the Star Wars and Star Trek films, but the original film is intact, somewhere. It may be hard to come by an original VHS or beta tape of Star Wars, but they are out there, as is the original reel.
I say.. let them re-edit and improve on movies as much as they want, and let the viewers pick which one they want to watch.
Posted by Vogon Poet (Member # 393) on :
I saw Last Crusade recently, and it struck me how different the style of the action was compared to today's action movies: no massive use of CGI, no impossible high-jumping martial arts action, no bulletcam. . . Yet it still rocks. As do the other two, or would if Temple of Doom wasn't such utter kiddie-oriented bullshit.
I'm not going to see the ET special edition. Spielberg's schmaltziness has increased exponentially over the past 20 years, and the movie was corny enough in the first place. A friend of mine, however - I've mentioned him elsewhere, he's the one who scores his yearly moviegoing by what a certain film magazine counts as their top 10 of the year - has been looking forward to the release for FIVE YEARS!