Star Wars Rewatch?

August 28, 2015 5:43 AM

I'm assuming it exists already somewhere and I just can't find it, but a Star Wars movies rewatch before the new movie comes out?

I haven't seen the movies in a long time and am interested in catching up before the new movie comes out on December 18. I can't be alone...

posted by PigheadedGnu (28 comments total)

I've started a club.

First up: what to include? I think (at a minimum) the six feature movies should be included.
posted by PigheadedGnu at 7:29 AM on August 28, 2015

This is my flame, surely, if I'm a moth. Nonetheless, I think it makes great sense to have a rewatch leading up to The Force Awakens. Content really depends on how hardcore you want to go with this. Chronology in release versus chronology in-universe? It would make sense to have Jedi be the last thing watched, as the next movie leaps thirty years from the end of that movie. (Which gives over to watching them chronologically by in-universe time).

You also have the other media. The slightly harder to find to watch Christmas Special, the variety of 1980s cartoons (Droids/Ewoks), and then the animation created during the release of the Prequel Trilogies, such as the Genndy Tartakovsky Clone Wars and then the much longer running Clone Wars (probably not enough time to truly watch the second one between now and then outside of an aggressive view schedule). And I'm not going to even mention the Ewok movies. There's also the outstanding Rebels show, which takes place only a few years before Star Wars and as part of the new expanded universe, may well eventually inform events in the future films.

But yah, at it's basic, the six (reluctantly admitting the Prequels) movies should be the core of it.
posted by Atreides at 8:04 AM on August 28, 2015 [1 favorite]

This just posted, and might be useful here: Every Single Part of the New Star Wars Canon, in Chronological Order
posted by hobgadling at 8:55 AM on August 28, 2015

For the movies, are we going to do release order (original trilogy, prequel trilogy), episode order (I-VI), machete order (IV, V, I, II, III, VI)?
posted by nubs at 4:58 PM on August 28, 2015

I'm going to try to fill in (learn) the larger universe as I go along. For that purpose, I think that episode order would be the most straightforward. Perhaps we could tackle the 6 movies before The Force Awakens and then tackle Clone Wars and Rebels leading up to Rogue One in Dec 2016? (Those are also chronological)

For reference, a two week viewing schedule for the six movies leading up to December 18th starts on September 25th.

@Atreides Thanks for that link. I've never followed very closely and it's helpful (for me and my ignorance) that Disney trimmed down the continuity for me!
posted by PigheadedGnu at 4:38 AM on August 29, 2015

You have my lightsaber.
posted by drezdn at 1:51 PM on August 30, 2015

Do we have any guidelines in mind for which of the various and sundry versions of Eps IV-VI we'll be watching?

Officially, there's the original releases, the 1997 Special Editions, and then a laundry list of various DVD/Blu-Ray/Digital releases that add to or otherwise modify the Special Editions. Pretty much anything pre-1997 can be considered the "original" movies that all but the youngest MeFites grew up with, and all of the changes made from 2004 onwards are to bring them into closer sync with the Prequel Trilogy.

There's also the highly unofficial "Despecialized Edition", an amazing fan-made HD restoration which strips out all of the Special Edition bits, but is only available through illicit file-sharing channels.

I'm for watching whatever version is closest/cheapest at hand, since most of the SE additions are basically just chrome, and I fully understand anybody who might have the desire to watch whatever they consider to be the "definitive" versions.
posted by Strange Interlude at 3:48 PM on August 30, 2015

I think people watching whatever version they have/can get their hands on is the way to go. If someone wants to, they could point out the differences between versions in the thread.
posted by drezdn at 4:17 AM on August 31, 2015

I think the biggest changes through the Special Editions and the Blu-Ray involve Han shooting first and the notorious addition of "NOOOOOooooooooOOOOooo!" to Vader in Jedi. Otherwise, it's just some minor additional scenes and otherwise nips, tucks, and nose jobs. Those big changes can definitely be points of discussion. The actual variations in releases can be somewhat confusing, so I agree with Strange Interlude and drezdn, it's probably just safer to tell people to watch whatever version they have accessible.

There's definitely not enough time to touch upon Clone Wars before December with any hope of not being a breakneck speed watch/rewatch. I think it makes sense to simply set them aside until after FA and enjoy them, particularly Rebels leading up to Rogue One. (FYI, we're now closer to Rogue One than we were to FA after it was pushed back...I think. Gads, a Star Wars movie every year!)

Of slightly lesser fun, there's also the just started Droid Tales which just began. It's another Star Wars and Lego collaboration and is not, in any way or manner, canon with regard to the overall universe. I would not recommend needing to include it in any rewatch, but for the avid fan, it's a fun diversion with the occasional surprisingly sharp rebuke of flaws in the films.
posted by Atreides at 7:20 AM on August 31, 2015

I've added events for the six movies in episode order (which I'm happy to change if there is a consensus otherwise) at two week intervals leading up to December 18th (which I'm also happy to change if there is a consensus otherwise) .

I agree with a 'watch what you got' viewing. I don't have any of the films and I'm probably going to go buy the bluray set (unless someone can point me in a better direction).

I would also like to propose that we follow a 'Rewatch' discussion with the added disclaimer that spoilers and rumours from Episode VII be forbidden.
posted by PigheadedGnu at 9:26 AM on August 31, 2015 [2 favorites]

I just did the math for watching Clone Wars in the year between TFA and Rogue One, and it's still a fairly ambitious schedule.

In order to get through all 121 Clone Wars episodes (not including the Genndy Tartakovsky cel-animated shorts or the theatrically-released pilot film) and still have time to spare for Rebels before Rogue One, we'd have to watch about 3 eps per week. The folks over in the Avatar:TLA rewatches are doing 2 eps a week, which seems like just about the right frequency for an easygoing non-bingey rewatch. Thoughts?
posted by Strange Interlude at 1:37 PM on August 31, 2015

You're saying we'd have to do the Clone Wars run in 12 parsecs, then?
posted by nubs at 9:02 PM on August 31, 2015

That does seem unrealistic (for me anyway).
posted by PigheadedGnu at 3:02 AM on September 1, 2015

I hadn't thought about it, but Clone Wars is almost twice the length of Avatar, and while we have taken two thirty day breaks between seasons, we have been running that show since last January/February and we're only a fourth into the final season. (Two episodes a week has been working pretty good) Good point raised!

It seems that Clone Wars may just need to be considered as a running enjoyment without a goal to finish it before Rogue One is released.

Also of note: I expect (as I will probably be behind it), but once season two of Rebels formally starts airing this fall in October, it will return to Fanfare for discussion, too. So that will fill some of the two week void between the movies. (The dvd/blu-ray of Season One was released today, FYI).
posted by Atreides at 7:55 AM on September 1, 2015

Nice, I've been meaning to get into Rebels. Now that it's on DVD, I might just go ahead and take the plunge. With just 13 episodes in Season 1, that would slot in nicely with ~2 episodes between each of the live-action films.
posted by Strange Interlude at 8:13 AM on September 1, 2015

Yeah, I think we can attempt Clone Wars at any point, and not worry about it slotting in/finishing before any other product coming out; there look to be a lot of media tie-ins (books, series, comics, etc) coming at us, so we're just going to have to Use the Force and cope I think. I haven't seen any of Clone Wars nor Rebels and I have to admit to being intrigued by them.

Of slightly lesser fun, there's also the just started Droid Tales which just began

I found the first 3 eps on YouTube, and while that might not be canon, that is some fine, fine snark in there.

Han: "Wait - Darth Vader is Luke's father?"
C3P0: "We've all known about that for months."
Han: "I was frozen in carbonite!"
posted by nubs at 8:30 AM on September 1, 2015 [2 favorites]

Will we sneak the Lego Star Wars shows in somewhere? *fingers crossed*
posted by drezdn at 8:36 AM on September 1, 2015

I can attest to rebels being worth it. It's the most star warsy feeling thing outside the original trilogy (I think it's more star warsy than the prequels)

I would be interested in discussing The Phantom Edit, but I don't know how plausible that is.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 4:45 AM on September 3, 2015

It might be hard, unless it's easily streamable or able to be located by other means and then it falls into an individual's comfort zones on those other means. I'd assume, though, if enough people said, "Oh, I've seen it!" then conversation could potentially follow.
posted by Atreides at 8:03 AM on September 3, 2015

I just watched the Despecialized version of star wars... And yeah, that's a movie to watch. It's like a brand new movie (seriously).

Yes, watching the movie is an illicit experience, and you have to become a criminal to do so, but is a really worthwhile experience.
posted by el io at 12:29 AM on September 5, 2015 [1 favorite]

There's also the highly unofficial "Despecialized Edition", an amazing fan-made HD restoration which strips out all of the Special Edition bits, but is only available through illicit file-sharing channels.

I think technically if the file is an illegal bootleg (which the DE is) then it's not illegal to share, download, and stream.
posted by phunniemee at 10:08 AM on September 8, 2015

Posted the movie here: https://fanfare.metafilter.com/4528/Star-Wars-Episode-I-The-Phantom-Menace

12 Weeks to The Force Awakens!
posted by PigheadedGnu at 2:17 PM on September 25, 2015 [1 favorite]

One last thing that made me sad in retrospect about TPM: Dath Maul's double-lightsaber reveal in the Duel of the Fates should have been a pants-shitting moment for a generation. If, instead of having seen it in the trailers, the first time anyone ever saw a double-lightsaber was the moment Darth Maul opens it up, there would have been gasps in the theater, you would remember that moment still today.

So why the hell ruin the moment? They obviously shot the movie to make that reveal in the final scene, Darth Maul only uses a single blade in his first fight. Were they afraid that otherwise the trailer wouldn't attract enough attention? It's just bizarre.
posted by skewed at 6:34 PM on September 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

whoops, wrong thread, meant the above to go in the TPM discussion
posted by skewed at 6:56 PM on September 26, 2015

Update: Rebels returns on October 14th! I will, unless someone beats me to the punch, be posting those new episodes as they air. You have approximately two and a half weeks to catch up if you haven't watched Season 1 or the "Siege of Lothal" episodes yet!
posted by Atreides at 2:54 PM on September 28, 2015

When are we going to discuss RotS? I've got a lot of problems with that movie, and now you people are going to hear about 'em!
posted by entropicamericana at 9:14 AM on October 21, 2015

I believe tomorrow is RotS day. Looking forward to seeing if we have the same problems with that movie!
posted by nubs at 9:18 AM on October 21, 2015

Sorry, it's Friday I think for RotS.
posted by nubs at 11:36 AM on October 21, 2015