I'm sure everyone else has seen this video millions of times, but until today, I hadn't seen this Revenge Of the Jedi trailer since I caught the first re-release of The Empire Strikes Back in the theater. I remember being really, really excited for the third film...
Now, I just get a kick out of the "Wilhelm scream" sound effect used when the guy falls into the sarlacc (sarlaac?) pit.
I remember reading years ago, because they were originally going to call it, Revenge of the Jedi, the folks over at Paramount changed their film from The Vengeance of Khan, to The Wrath of Khan.
ReplyDeleteThat's the generally-accepted story. I have no idea if it's actually true.
DeleteI heard it was always supposed to be Return of the Jedi but it was being called Revenge of the Jedi to thwart pirated products like t-shirts and toys. It was changed shortly before the movie came out. Hard to know the real reason as I'm sure there were several explanations given. I just remember thinking Yoda wouldn't approve of revenge so I was happy with the title change.
DeleteHoly moley. How have I never seen that?! My 1980s self is ashamed of myself.
ReplyDeleteInteresting how Luke's lightsaber is blue in that clip.
Check out the unused sandstorm footage at the 1:12 mark. It was in the novel, but I'd never actually seen it before.
ReplyDeleteAHHHH. When trailers didn't give away the whole plot.
ReplyDeleteThis is a teaser.
DeleteI recall reading that Luke's saber was going to be blue (hence why it is in this early trailer) but it was changed to green because the blue blade didn't show up well against the sky. I don't know if that is the real reason though. I suppose they also made it green so it would be obviously a new saber - since the scenes of Luke building it had been cut and thus the audience wouldn't see it until he ignited it on the skiff.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that this trailer is so early, some of the shots don't look properly final - ie they don't have the same polished filmic look they do in the actual release.
And one more thing - in the shot of Leia firing her blaster on Endor you can see the prop gun eject the spent cartridge - something you can see elsewhere in Eps 4-6, but not often.
So it's a very interesting trailer - I guess they made it using what footage they had available. I think I remember seeing it first when the DVDs were released for the first time.
Interesting. I think you're right about the footage they used. There's a conspicuous lack of special effects in that trailer.
DeleteNicholas Meyer wrote in his memoir, "The View from the Bridge: Memories of Star Trek and a Life in Hollywood" that he originally titled Star Trek II, "The Undiscovered Country," a name he would revisit later, when a Paramount executive re-titled the film "The Vengeance of Khan." It was Meyer himself, in an attempt to get the name changed back, who pointed out that the third Star Wars movie was going to be called "Revenge of the Jedi" and suggested that "Vengeance of Khan" would be seen as copying the other film. The executive stayed firm until Lucas himself lodged an objection causing the executive to change the name to "The Wrath of Khan." So, the story about the name is indeed true.
ReplyDeleteLucas just loves lodging objections, doesn't he? 'Revenge of the Jedi' and 'Vengeance of Khan' are both better titles, although the Star Trek one is, of course, the much better film.
ReplyDeleteGood trailer though. A proper teaser for the film, which is as it should be
Okay, Mr. Mills, as a bonafied, Collect All 21 Star Wars Geek of the highest order, I must point out that Empire's very first theatrical re-release was on July 31, 1981, which was BEFORE Jedi had even begun filming, so you could not have seen the "Revenge" trailer during Empire's first reissue. The trailer actually premiered when Star Wars was re-released a year later, on August 13, 1982 (the poster even featured a small blurb promoting it). Empire, however, was re-released again on November 19, 1982, so that's most likely when you saw the trailer. It's even possible you saw the second "Revenge" trailer (which featured more fx footage) before it was replaced by a similar one with the title changed to "Return." ;)
ReplyDeleteIncredible special VFX! An all-star cast! Now that Disney has inherited Lucasfilm, I have posted this rare movie-theater trailer for Star Wars: Return of the Jedi - it was a global big-screen treasure for SF fans!
DeleteI remember in my early days of con-going in the SF Bay Area ('82/'83), that "Revenge of the Jedi" red Vader head poster was EVERYWHERE, and was going for about $20 or so IIRC, which was slightly pricey for me at the time, so I passed. Then word got out that for whatever reason (many versions circulated at the time), it was now being called "RETURN of the Jedi", the old posters (and shirts, I think?) were being pulled from sale circulation, and anything anyone bought that said "Revenge" was suddenly worth a crap-ton of money, like $200, and that's 1983 dollars, kids. I felt like a boob for not getting one when I had the chance.
ReplyDeleteAlso, as your friendly neighbourhood Celebrity Death Hag, I felt I should mention that we lost master creature creator Stuart Freeborn on Feb. 5th. He designed and created Chewbacca, Yoda, and Jabba, as well as many other SW creature costumes and make-up, as well as designing/creating the humans/apes for the "Dawn of Man" sequence of "2001". He was 98 years old, and as a sci-fi costumer myself, he was one of my great heroes. May he rest well with his wife and three sons, who all proceeded to the other side before him.
Your Pal,
Storm the Klingon Broad
I remeamber watching Lucas comment on a British tv show when empire wad being released that the next film was going to be revenge of the Jedi, followed by 3films following young obI wan Kenobi. Still trawling you tube for that interview. Think it was with Derek Hobson or Michael aspel.
ReplyDeleteThank you for two things:
ReplyDeleteA) a great site (I only discovered Space1970 today, courtesy of Battlegrip.com)
and
B) making me remember how I actually used to *LOVE* Star Wars. Seriously, watching that made me forget all the horrors of the prequels and instead feel like I was a kid again getting all pumped-up about the new installment in my favourite movie series.