“Premakes” The Empire Strikes Back (1950)

By Shamus Posted Saturday Jun 19, 2010

Filed under: Movies 23 comments

I liked the Original Empire Strikes back, before Lucas got his hands on the series and ruined the whole thing with his fancy special effects and technicolor glitz:


Link (YouTube)

And I can’t believe he cast Harrison Ford as Han Solo! WTF? I mean, did he even SEE the original?!? And don’t get me started on how Princess Leia’s costume looked NOTHING like a stewardess.

Kidding aside, this is a very interesting arrangement of clips. The author has a whole series of these “premake” trailers, and it’s amazing how well he’s made them fit. The Ghostbusters one (starring Bob Hope, Dean Martin, and Jerry Lewis!) is also good for a grin.

 


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23 thoughts on ““Premakes” The Empire Strikes Back (1950)

  1. Syal says:

    Something tells me he cheated a little with Vader’s speech.

    I want to see that movie now.

  2. Mari says:

    So much for Lucas as visionary ;-) I love this. Possibly because I love those lame old 50s monster and sci-fi movies. I had a huge collection of them on VHS but the shift into DVD happened at the wrong time. First they weren’t available on DVD and now that they are I find myself wondering if it’s worth the money to get them.

  3. Phoenix says:

    Awesome! Does anybody know if he just fits existing old sci-fi films together, or does he actually create new scenes? Some shots look so Star Wars specific, it’s hard to imagine that they stem from another unrelated movie.

    1. Syal says:

      I can’t say definitively, but apart from the spliced in lightsabers (I don’t remember those being in Forbidden Planet), it all looks like old movie footage. Could you clarify on Star Wars specific?

      Totally unrelated; I’m noticing the flavor text is elated when there are “nearly three comments!” and then depressed when there are “only three comments.” I can only assume the third comment is always a complete letdown.

      1. Will says:

        It’s the site realizing that it was being all excited about there being a whole THREE comments! And then it looks at the other threads with 100+ comments and it sinks into a fuge as it realises how 3 comments is nothing.

        1. Syal says:

          But surely the site has gone through this enough times to realize the problem is temporary? There have been… n+1 threads made already, and all of them hit double digits, if not triple.
          Or should we assume the threads themselves are individuals, who must each learn and grow on their own? What then can we assume about the nature of threads, and the nature of the site as a whole?
          Truly, understanding thread society may bring us that much closer to understanding our own.

          Or not, who knows.

          1. acronix says:

            Evidently, each thread is a lone individual. Comments are for them what thoughts are for us. However, unlike us, threads are pure intelectuality, since they don´t have any other need than to be commented, and even then they can exist the same way a stupid person could exist without thinking too much.

            Therefore, the thread was excited when there were almost three coments, because it understood that it is growing intelectually, and thus, becoming wiser and a better thread. But then, when it finally becomes wiser, it is wise enough to see that its current wisdom is nothing compared with the wisdom it could achieve if it had more comments, and is worried he won´t be able to get enough comments to become the Socrates of threads!

            1. Teldurn says:

              That must be true, because even at 7 comments, it is still lamenting its weak commentitude.

              Perhaps that will change when it reaches 8? We shall see.

              EDIT: No, even upon reaching its 8th comment, it is still a sad state of “only 8 comments.” You can almost swear it wants to include a :( after it.

              1. Comment Thread says:

                :(

                1. Teldurn says:

                  I was right!

                  I rejoice in my correctness.

              2. Simulated Knave says:

                At nine…and even ten, it is the same.

                1. acronix says:

                  Aha! At the twelveth comment it has changed! Its wisdom has grown, and so it recognized that 12 is a dozen. But its not sure, since his wisdom is yet imperfect. And still sounds depressed. You can do it thread! Don´t lose hope!

            2. Someone says:

              I just imagined the thoughts of a thread on 4chan. Now im suicidally depressed too.

              1. Falcon says:

                Do not be depressed, for while comments here increase the wisdom of a thread, 4chan uses a different system. Here wisdom is distilled to it’s essence and gradually builds up until it has reached the apex. 4chan, however, distills down the collective stupidity of it’s commenters. Initially a thread is a well rounded and reasoned individual, but as time passes it grows into a horrendous ravening monster, whose ineptitude and bile is the essence of it’s very audience, eventually collapsing under it’s own weight forming a black hole of hopelessness, sucking down all the joy and good of all those who view it.

                Let those who have fallen into this inescapable trap be remembered, for where they have gone, so may we yet be, if we do not remain ever vigilant.

                1. Will says:

                  Every now and then a thread reaches heights of utter jaw-dropping incredibility however. It’s rare, but potent when it occurs.

    2. evileeyore says:

      Okay, Chocolate Hammer awoke and now your accusing the Twenty Sided of achieving sentience?

      What did Twenty Sided ever do to you to deserve that sort of insult?

  4. Yar Kramer says:

    I like how they used “Luke Starkiller” as his name. Ah, what Star Wars could have been …

  5. Winter says:

    That is somehow much cooler than it has any right being.

    (Edit)

    Although you missed one thing: complaining about Lucas adding all that “The Force” mysticism and, thus, ruining a perfectly good science fiction plot should be mandatory.

    1. Soylent Dave says:

      Further mandatory complaints include how Lucas also ruined things by aiming his films at a family audience. The bastard.

      *shakes fist*

  6. Sam says:

    Have movies gotten so bad that we’re now going back and making our own fake movies out of other, older, lesser known movies?

    I’m actually a little depressed after watching this.

    1. Winter says:

      I would absolutely watch a full version of this movie before i would watch anything coming to theaters this summer (i think… maybe there’s something i actually want to see).

      Of course i’ve been impressed by the imagination involved–maybe that wouldn’t translate into a full movie very well.

      1. Davin Valkri says:

        I liked it, but then what I like and what other people like are very different spheres. Something about the hokey special effects and the fuzzy black and white makes it kinda heartwarming, even with Lord Vader and all the explosions. But, yes, I kinda would like to see a full movie along these lines.

        (It might end up blowing up all sorts of copyright minefields, but hey.)

  7. Jason says:

    This is so nice and all, BUT!!!! Who is Supreme Leader Snoke????

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