Displaying items by tag: Alec Guinness

“On my thirteenth viewing, which was the first time I saw it at a different theater than the one I’d gone to since opening day, I knew there were noticeable changes when the final scene began with different music.” — film music historian Mike Matessino

The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present a continuation of our 40th anniversary coverage of the release of The Empire Strikes Back, the middle act of George Lucas’s original Star Wars trilogy and one of the most celebrated and beloved sequels of all time. Part One of our Empire 40th coverage appeared back in May.

George Lucas’s penchant for making revisions to his work is about as legendary as his movies. The majority of Lucas’s alterations have occurred years after his films’ original releases. With The Empire Strikes Back, however, the first (of several rounds of) revisions were actually made while the movie was in first release, and it is this lesser-known aspect of the otherwise very-well-known production that is the subject of this column. [Read on here...]

“The Empire Strikes Back should be remembered as one of the greatest films of all time!” — Skywalking through Neverland co-host Richard Woloski

The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this retrospective commemorating the 40th anniversary of the release of The Empire Strikes Back, the middle act of George Lucas’s original Star Wars trilogy and one of the most celebrated and beloved sequels of all time.

The Empire Strikes Back (aka Star Wars: Episode V—The Empire Strikes Back) was directed by Irvin Kershner (The Flim-Flam Man, Eyes of Laura Mars) and starred Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, reprising their popular roles of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia, respectively.

As well, Empire featured returning cast members Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Kenny Baker (R2-D2), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), David Prowse (Darth Vader), and an uncredited James Earl Jones as the voice of Darth Vader. Newly introduced in Empire were Lando Calrissian (played by Billy Dee Williams) and Yoda (performed by Frank Oz and a team of muppeteers). [Read on here...]

We’ve got a bunch more new Blu-ray reviews for you to check out today, including Tim’s take on Ash vs Evil Dead: The Complete Collection from Starz and Lionsgate, Single White Female from Scream Factory, and the Zombie: Limited Edition from Blue Underground, David’s look at The Bravados from Twilight Time and The Satanic Rites of Dracula from Warner Archive, and finally Dr. Adam Jahnke’s updated look at Trick ’r Treat from Scream Factory.

We’ve got a quick news update for you today, starting with word that Sony’s Venom – which as we’ve revealed streets on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 12/18 (with the digital release due on 12/11) – will include a Venom Mode pop-up trivia option, 3 deleted and extended scenes, 5 featurettes (From Symbiote to Screen, The Lethal Protector in Action, Venom Vision, Designing Venom, and Symbiote Secrets), 8 Pre-Vis sequences, the Sunflower music video (by Post Malone and Swae Lee), and a sneak peek of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Audio on the 4K version at least will include Dolby Atmos, with HDR10 high dynamic range. [Read on here...]

(If it can be difficult to remember who won the Academy Award for Best Picture, it’s downright mindbending trying to remember everything else it was up against. In An Honor To Be Nominated, I’ll be taking a look back at some of the movies the Oscar didn’t go to and trying to determine if they were robbed, if the Academy got it right, or if they should ever have been nominated in the first place.) [Read on here...]