Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back: Custom Special Edition

Hal9000's Custom Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Special Edition

If the following strikes you as esoteric, I invite you to peruse the forums of Originaltrilogy.com.

First and foremost, credit is due to DrDre and Sir Ridley for providing color correction LUTs; Adywan for producing his ‘Revisited’ project; CapableMetal, Jetrell1969, and SilverWook for their combined efforts at making the theatrical DTS audio from the 1997 Special Edition available; ChainsawAsh for encoding a DTS mix; and MalàStrana for assisting with subtitles.

Having satiated my restlessness with the Star Wars prequels, I wanted to put together a custom 'Special Edition' of the original trilogy to place on my shelf alongside the original, theatrical versions (currently represented by Harmy's Despecialized Editions). I thought about calling them the "So You've Decided To Watch The Special Edition" version, because they wouldn't be intended as one's sole version of the films. Rather, a companion piece to the original versions, as a Special Edition should be.

I do not consider this a full-blown fan edit, as I am primarily hybridizing existing official versions of the film, keeping changes I can appreciate and excluding those I feel hinder the film. Of course, this is highly subjective, and everyone's perfect blend would be slightly different.

I utilized three video sources for this project: The 2011 BluRay transfer, Adywan’s ESB: Revisited, and KK650's Semi-Specialized Edition. The primary audio source is the 1997 Special Edition theatrical DTS audio, though audio from Revisited was used for a few scenes, and 2011 BluRay audio for one scene. 

This project is presented in 1080p BluRay-compliant video, with DTS and AC3 audio tracks, and English and French subtitles. 

***Available as a 1080p BR-compliant mkv, 720p mp4, and a DVD5.***

Here follows a list of changes made to the 1997 SE starting point for this project. 

***Video Changes

- BluRay footage has been color corrected on a scene-by-scene (and shot-by-shot, as needed) basis using LUTs generated by DrDre and Sir Ridley, applied somewhat creatively at times
- Used wampa escape scene from Adywan’s Revisited, which brings enhancements while retaining the pacing (and, indeed, sync) of the original version.
- Used the conversation between Vader and the Emperor from Adywan’s Revisited, as he essentially honored the content of the original version of the scene while realizing the potential the 2004 DVD version presents.
- Used Adywan’s Revisited to avoid a continuity error posed by the Special Edition as an expanded cityscape out a Cloud City window disappears a few shots later.
- Recreated the original pacing of the escape from Cloud City, removing Vader departing for and arriving on his star destroyer, though leaving two brief shots of the shuttle ascending.

***Audio Changes, beginning from the 1997 Special Edition theatrical DTS audio mix:

- Reinstated Luke’s line to R2 of, “You’re lucky you don’t taste very good.”
- Used 2011 BluRay audio to include updated sound design for Slave I during its first appearance to match Episode II.
- Removed Luke’s scream from the 1997 mix as he falls down the Cloud City shaft after his confrontation with Vader.

(I have included an alternative audio track that omits the following audio change.)

- Altered Ben Kenobi’s description of Yoda from “The Jedi Master who instructed me” to “A Jedi Master who instructed me” for better continuity with the prequels.

It's interesting that you're doing this at the same time as @Possessed. I'm interested to compare your work.

It is interesting, but I think our projects will be different enough to appeal to different enough amounts of people, I don't see us as competitors or anything.

In short I'm sure there's room for both of us

With Hal9000's track record, I'm absolutely certain this is a quality release. I look forward to watching it and possibly stealing finding inspiration from it. Jk, I do look forward to watching it though! I'm sure it will be great as always.

Yep, this Hal9000 is open source.
Possessed’s listing prompted me to list my custom special edition versions of the original trilogy also, because I know there will be people who would not know about it otherwise.

Hal9000 said:

Yep, this Hal9000 is open source.
Possessed’s listing prompted me to list my custom special edition versions of the original trilogy also, because I know there will be people who would not know about it otherwise.

Click to expand...

That's funny, because you having yours at ot.com is what inspired me to list mine here, a long time ago. It just didn't happen until recently. I had made custom versions of the star wars for myself and family for a long time, but just never thought anybody would care so i didn't share them. Then I saw you having threads about them at ot all that time ago, and they were great and people liked them, including me but I just had some other ideas, so i thought "hey, maybe there's room for me in here after all?" So I decided to remake mine with high standards and more meticulous quality control for a bigger audience, and then just kinda fell off for a while, until recently.

The idea of changing Ben's ghost line on hoth is brilliant by the way.

The more quality options are out there, the better.

I couldn’t trace the precise origin, but I recall reading that idea in an OT thread years ago. It was a little tricky to get right.

As you’ll see soon when I post my ANH thread, I also modified a line of his in ANH. He now tells Luke, in reference to his father’s lightsaber, “I wanted you to have this when you were old enough.”

Should this be listed on IFDB? I don't see it there.

It’s been “pending moderation” for some time now after I submitted an update.