A very important, hypothetical question.

If you knew someone who had never seen Star Wars before, and they asked you to show them all the movies, would you start with Episode 1 and work through all 6? Or start with the original Star Wars and show them in the order they were released?

I've wondered this for a long time now.

Interesting question... I don't have an answer for you tho, because I haven't seen episodes 1-3 yet. :)

I would go in order of release date. I like the new ones just as I do the old ones, but they still don't really flow even when you go in order of 1-6. I would be afraid that they would see the bright shiny effects in 1-3 and then be put off by the others because the effects are different.

My two cents,
Z

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Originally Posted by walterick

I've wondered this for a long time now...

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Wonder, no more. The only logical way to see the films for the first time is in the order in which they were made and released in the theaters.

Just because events and characters in this series fall into a certain time line, that doesn't mean the story is best told (viewed) in "linear" chronological order. Far from it...

Say what you want about the lack of or over-abundance of CGI in the various episodes, if there is one thing George Lucas knows how to do, it's tell a story, and here he does it in a very precise fashion...

The second "trilogy" of SW films (Episodes 1-3) were presented as a prequel to the original three. That means they were meant to be viewed in the context of already having seen the others.

The introduction of certain early characters and the filling in of the SW "backstory" in the second three films was done the way it was to appeal to an audience that was already familiar with the SW world.

And the only way to get to know that world properly is to see the first three films first... :cornut:

i'd let them watch the original 3 movies and then after 20-30 yeas let them watch the new 3 :-) that way they get teh same viewing experience we got :-) except they know there already is a 1 2 and 3 not just a 4 5 and 6.

But imagine you guys, being able to see the whole story unfold, in order! The drama! Imagine being able to give someone that gift, that we could never have! The evolution of Darth Vader! How could you possibly deny that to someone?!

Are we biased because *we* had to see them in this order?


btw, Michael, you're not missing much :D #3 is pretty okay, #2 stunk, and #1 is only tolerable, imo.

order of release, no question. If they see 1-3 first, they might give up.

I don't think the new ones can stand on their own without having seen the originals.

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Originally Posted by walterick

If you knew someone who had never seen Star Wars before, and they asked you to show them all the movies, would you start with Episode 1 and work through all 6? Or start with the original Star Wars and show them in the order they were released?

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I'd show them Training Day, Apocalypse Now, or American Me, instead :D

Or maybe Strange Brew, Slapshot, and Office Space.

I'm not really sure which group or which order. Tough one. Thanks for asking :wink:

Ew, not a big fan of Training Day or Office Space (am I the only one?) Haven't seen any of the others. But really, can they be half as important as the Star Wars trilogy?! :D

I think everyone is being bias to the original three just because the were better. I think the only reason to watch 4 to 6 first is to validate the twist revealed in Empire. Otherwise, the six films can be watched from 1 to 6.

When my son is old enough to understand, I'll show him 1-6 in order and tell you what he thinks :D

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Originally Posted by Photo-John

Or maybe Strange Brew, Slapshot, and Office Space...

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NOW we're talking TRILOGY!... :thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by walterick

Are we biased because *we* had to see them in this order?...

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Bias has nothing to do with it. The films simply do not work in "straight" chronological order. There are too many flaws; events, story arcs, and little details in the most recent three that are acceptable viewing them as prequels but would become much more obvious if you saw the original three already having seen the newer ones.

And if this story is indeed so epic and wonderful, why wouldn't you want to present it (experience it) in the best way possible?

As I said before, presenting a story using prequels and flashbacks is intentional, and vastly different then telling it straight forward. It establishes an entirely different viewing atmosphere.

If memory serves...

When George Lucas wrote Star Wars he intended it to be one movie. When it came time to turn the script into film, he quickly realized the whole script wasn't going to fit. So he broke it into sections and choose one that he thought would make a good movie. A New Hope, Episode IV is the section he chose, and if I recall, had no intention at the time he was shooting it to make V and VI. Nothing quite like that had been done before, and no one knew if it was going to tank. When IV became mega-popular, it became clear he had to finish the trilogy.

I don't know that Star Wars was supposed to be a set of films with prequels. My guess is if that Lucas had his druthers, he would have started with Episode I. I got the sense that it was just how the cookie crumbled... and the rest is history.

<img src="http://forums.photographyreview.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=29483&stc=1&d=11526752 87">

Don't you wish you could go back and watch them for the first time again...

And then erase your memory of them and watch them in the opposite order and see which way you liked best :D

You've got me thinking now Rick. I have seen the original 3, but it's been many many years and I don't remember much about them. A few scenes stick out in my mind, but I couldn't even tell you which movie they were from. Now I'm wondering if I should go rent them all and spend a weekend in front of the tube. If I do, how will I watch them....

Lucas in a past interview said that there should be NINE episodes. Since the completion of episodes 1-3, he now considers it complete and capped at episode 6.

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Originally Posted by mjs1973

Now I'm wondering if I should go rent them all and spend a weekend in front of the tube. If I do, how will I watch them....

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OOH! OOH! Tell us how you decide to go! A real live human experiment!

Yes! :)

Wow, I didn't know that Eric. Was he going stretch the script out to 9 episodes or is there more story that was cut out... hmm.

I really feel like these last 3 movies did not do the series any justice. Out with a whimper, imo. I'm waiting for a "surprise" Episode VII in which he brings back the stars of the original 3 (Ford, Hammil, Fisher) and bring the original muppets back and end it all right.

Alas, only in my dreams...

Original ones first! Come on, I think anyone who has to see Episode I first would shoot themselves after 5 minutes of Jar-Jar!~

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Originally Posted by deckcadet

Original ones first! Come on, I think anyone who has to see Episode I first would shoot themselves after 5 minutes of Jar-Jar!~

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Mee-sa thinks - how WUUUUUUUUDE!... :shocked:

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Originally Posted by walterick

If memory serves...When George Lucas wrote Star Wars he intended it to be one movie.

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The story I always heard was that he planned three groups of three movies each. At the time (mid 1970's), he and Spielberg were collaberating on two huge creative projects: SW (Lucas' baby, but he wanted Spielberg to direct - who couldn't because he was making Jaws) and the Indiana Jones franchise (Spielberg's baby production-wise, but Lucas shared writing and story credits).

Yes, both started out as ambitious yet singular projects, but the unless they had tanked at the box office, a number of sequels was always in the plan.

I find it impossible to believe that Lucas did not start the SW storytelling process exactly where he wanted to with these films. After the huge (and exhausting) success of the first three, I think he got burned out on the whole thing and put the franchise on hold (even without new chapters, he was still consumed with home video marketing of the trilogy).

It was another 15 years until the release of Episode I. I think even then most insiders knew he was going to stop at six films. But who knows? My guess is the SW franchise isn't finished. Much like Star Trek, I predict he (or his heirs) will sell the rights to the story, and a new generation of film makers will continue the saga...

Hey, happy 2000 Steve!

btw, forgot to mention I love your new avatar!

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Originally Posted by Asylum Steve

NOW we're talking TRILOGY!... :thumbsup:

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I watched Strange Brew in Spanish a little while ago. Didn't work so well. I'm still waiting for the second movie :sad:

Hey - who horked my clothes??!!

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Originally Posted by walterick

Hey, happy 2000 Steve!

btw, forgot to mention I love your new avatar!

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Thanks, Rick. I hadn't even noticed the odometer turning over... :cool:

As for the avitar, sometimes I think I'd be happy if I could spend the rest of my life just photographing Asian women... :ihih:

Start with 4, 5, and 6 deffinantly.

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Originally Posted by Asylum Steve

Much like Star Trek, I predict he (or his heirs) will sell the rights to the story, and a new generation of film makers will continue the saga...

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... hopefully before Harrison Ford, Mark Hammil and Carrie Fisher die so they can make Episode VII :D

Speaking of Indiana Jones, did you know that they had originally cast Tom Selleck as Indiana? He had to turn down the part due to his busy schedule shooting a popular PI show for television :wink:

Steve, you're right about Lucas being busy marketing Star Wars boxed sets during those 15 years. Rememeber the first Star Wars Trilogy boxed set? Came out in '98 or so. At the beginning of those movies there are a series of interviews between Leonard Maltin and George Lucas. Somewhere in that set, Lucas describes how he wrote the script, broke it into pieces, and decided on making Episode IV first. I may be remembering wrong, it's been a few years since I've watched those interviews. But if you have that boxed set (seems most folks do) that's where I was pulling my information from. Could be wrong though.

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Originally Posted by walterick

Speaking of Indiana Jones, did you know that they had originally cast Tom Selleck as Indiana?

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Oh, yeah. Can't imagine anyone other than Ford (and River Pheonix, RIP) playing the part, but Selleck has many of the same rugged but nice guy qualities, so I can see why they originally wanted him...

BTW, a movie Selleck did make that came close to the Jones personna is High Road to China: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085678/

Any similarities to Raiders is purely coincidental. Right... :yesnod:

FWIW, I think my favorite Selleck movie (apart from the Three Men ones) is the wonderful Quigley Down Under: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102744/

Selleck plays an old west cowboy/sharpshooter hired by a decidedly wicked Australian land owner (great bad guy Alan Rickman), but when he arrives there he finds out the situation is not what he thought it would be, so of course he "settles the score". Throw in a long developing love story with a nutty Laura San Giacomo, and you get a great fish-out-of-water tale that has a little bit of everything.

I'm not a big Western fan by nature, but I love some of the odd variations on the theme that they've come up with over the years. This is one of the best...

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Originally Posted by walterick

I may be remembering wrong, it's been a few years since I've watched those interviews. But if you have that boxed set (seems most folks do) that's where I was pulling my information from. Could be wrong though.

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No, you're probably right. I am one of the few that doesn't have the box set. Heck, I probably saw the original SW at least 30 times in the theater, so by the time that box set finally came out, I think I was burnt out on the films... :crazy:

So, I've never seen those Lucas interviews. Most of what I remember was from reading articles and the buzz going around in the film department at the school I was at. So, I'm not saying it was gospel...

Not a big Selleck fan. Nor a big fan of westerns. I don't think Tom could have pulled off the Indiana Jones part. Harrison has that perfect "school teacher" look, combined with that gritty "adventures in archeology" ("and X never, ever marks that spot" lol) look that made him perfect for the role. Toss in a little arrogance and that classic Harrison Ford smile and I think he was perfect for the role. BTW, been hearing rumors of an Indiana 4 for about a decade now. Rumor has it Harrison wants to do it before he gets too old, and Sean Connery had also signed on. I wonder if they'll ever get to it...

pps. Had the chance to rub shoulders with Alan Rickman and Kira Sedgewick during the shooting of Something The Lord Made as a featured extra :wink:

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Originally Posted by walterick

BTW, been hearing rumors of an Indiana 4 for about a decade now. Rumor has it Harrison wants to do it before he gets too old, and Sean Connery had also signed on. I wonder if they'll ever get to it...

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Yeah, been following that story. And as much as I love those two actors and the franchise, at this point I don't really care if they make it or not.

IMO, it would be a roll of the dice whether they could recreate the chemistry of the other films, and Ford playing Indy at this point in his life might become a bit like Connery playing Bond in the embarrassing Never Say Never Again...

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Originally Posted by walterick

Had the chance to rub shoulders with Alan Rickman and Kira Sedgewick during the shooting of Something The Lord Made as a featured extra :wink:

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Cool. Was that the film you did the dirty, I er, mean swing dancing in??? :D

Yes, swing dancing. It was a PG-13 film after all :D

I just love the Indiana Jones series. Last Crusade was such a brilliant film in so many ways. I could watch that one over and over again for days. You're right about a fourth installment being a crapshoot however. With Spielberg making... well... those kinds of films nowadays, and both Ford and Connery approaching over the hill status, it might be destined for failure.

Still, to see him ride off into the sunset just one more time... :D

And while we're on the topic of important questions...

Rank your favorite Star Wars films!

Me:
6
5
4
3
1
2

There are no episodes 1-3.

The whole point of sitting through 12&3 is for watching Anikin, knowing the twist, and wondering when the change will happen.

I saw 4, then I saw 1, 2 & 3. I have never seen 5 or 6.