I may buy the remastered 4. It is good enough to stand alone.
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The original version of IV is still available if you're a purist. Personally, I thought the originals were superior in every sense. Every time I see Han Solo step on that awful, puny CGI Jabba in the new version of Episode IV, i want to :VOMIT:
He may have quoted that now. But that's not what he was quoting back in the 70s and early 80s.
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I remember quite a bit of speculation about the possibility of Episodes VII-IX after "Jedi" came out. I don't specifically know if it was Hollywood "spin" or from Lucas directly - I didn't follow many trade publications when I was 14. Therefore, unable to comment.
1 was decent but not great. 2 was an incredibly bad movie. They got pretty boys to play the main characters rather than actors I'm afraid.
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Hiring unknown actors is a Lucas specialty, Pontius. He's said in various interviews that he believes "fresh" talent is better for leading roles, with established actors only in supporting ones (Alec Guinness, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee). Liam Neeson is the exception here, not the rule.
Did anybody ever hear of Richard Dreyfuss or Harrison Ford before "American Graffiti?" Doubt it. Ford was doing carpentry when Lucas called him back to do "Star Wars." Likewise, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher were virtual unknowns.
(For that matter, Mark Hamill is still pretty much unknown.)
Just my 2 BCs worth. Like the enjoyment we get from playing this game and participating here in the forums, the enjoyment one gets from a motion picture is subjective.