Enjoy Stuff: The Special Edition Special…Edition

Star Wars! If you've only seen it this way, then you haven't seen it at all. Luckily, in 1997 the Star Wars Trilogy - Special Edition returned to theaters and returned to our hearts. But this was much more than just a re-release! Jay and Shua look back at the anniversary of the biggest resurgence of a franchise in history!   Where were you in 1997? If you were like most of the world, you were standing in line to watch a 20 year old movie. The Star Wars - Special Edition not only gave us the beloved story back on the big screen, it also gave us a cleaned up look, experimental digital effects, and ‘a few new surprises’. This is the Star Wars Trilogy - Special Editon.  News -These two new Kit Kat flavors may be just what you’ve been looking for!  -We are excited to share that a Quantum Leap reboot may actually happen!  -Daniel Radcliffe is going to be playing Weird Al in a new movie (we’re not even kidding!)  -Shane the Roving Spoonster found Jay’s long lost Beatles parodies -Please consider helping some of our neighbors who lost their homes in the Marshall and Middle Fork fires in Colorado on December 30, 2021 [link]   What we’re Enjoying Shua started the year by revisiting some favorite books. He’s been ‘lazy reading’ Ready Player One and Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline, which has prompted him to revisit all kinds of awesome things that were referenced in the story. Jay has been watching the mind-numbing, adult oriented action of John Cena’s Peacemaker on HBO Max.  Enjoy Movies! Star Wars celebrates the anniversary of yet another milestone; the release of the Star Wars Trilogy - Special Edition in 1997. But is a re-release of a movie really that big of a deal? You bet your sweet womp rat!   After the success of the re-releases, Lucas was able to do a ton of development which was focused on, but certainly not limited to, the prequel trilogy.    What was different about the Special Edition (SE)? To begin with, they were able to clean it up significantly. 20 years of degradation of the film meant that we could lose the brilliant piece of art forever. Plus, the company developed new restoration techniques which paved the way for film companies to restore other films.    Also, George used this as a chance to improve some things that he was never satisfied with because of budget or technology constraints. Some of these changes were exciting to fans, but some made them madder than a Wookiee losing a chess match. What did you think?   The boys share some stories of their experience with the SE back in ‘97. It made some memorable times in their lives, inspired them to get involved in fandom, and eventually led them to each other.   Was your Star Wars fandom sparked by the Special Editions? Did you join the throngs of people lining up to revisit an old movie? Let us know. Come talk to us in the Discord channel or send us an email to [email protected]