This past weekend marked the 35th anniversary of the original release of Star Wars. I wasn't really thinking about it, until I saw Wired's many related articles and finally clued in. A few other things have come to light lately, so this post will be a bit like what I used to call grab bag posts on the old Delusions of Grandeur blog. Speaking of, if you're finally making the switch to reading this site, instead of over at starwars.com, welcome. Seeing as I was unable to post over there since last year, there are a lot of posts to catch up on.
To celebrate the 35th anniversary, I decided to finally break out the DVD with the original 1977 theatrical release. I've only owned it since it was released in...2006. Wow. So, that's been awhile. To be fair, I've seen the original theatrical release far more than any other, even after all of this time. It had a huge head start, after all. Anyway, I very much enjoyed it. I have mixed feelings about the later editions, like most fans. Some aspects I quite like, others not so much. For me, the audio changes are often more distracting than the video changes. Watching the original release confirmed that even lines added prior to the special edition (or maybe it was just one line, C-3P0's explanation of the tractor beam cutoff locations) still stand out to me as a change today. On the video side, I still think some of the model shots look better than some CG shots, but I hold that opinion in general about CG vs. some traditional FX and movie sets.
I guess I should own up to the fact that I don't yet own the blu-ray version, because our household hasn't made the jump to HD yet. I know, shocking.
So, speaking of changes, here is a list of 35 changes to Star Wars since the original release. Not all of the changes, just 35 of them. Spoilers for the blu-ray release, and I guess others if you haven't seen them.
Wired.com has a great analysis of blaster fire. A must read for RPG players and GMs.
A new Star Wars game is to be unveiled at E3 and previewed on Spike TV next week. It was odd for me that the first article link I saw for this was on the online version of Metro, which is the free newspaper given out on the London tube (Underground). I used read most every working day while I lived there.
Looking to read an interview with your favorite Star Wars author, actor, artist or other contributor? Roqoo Depot has a great list.