Displaying items by tag: Harrison Ford
Empire @ 40: Remembering the Early 70MM Cut
“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...]
- Billy Dee Williams
- Peter Mayhew
- Alec Guinness
- Frank Oz
- Kenny Baker
- Anthony Daniels
- Carrie Fisher
- Harrison Ford
- Mark Hamill
- John Williams
- 40th anniversary
- The Digital Bits
- Michael Coate
- History Legacy & Showmanship
- The Empire Strikes Back
- Irvin Kershner
- George Lucas
- Star Wars
- Mike Matessino
- Saul Pincus
Betting the Ranch: Remembering “The Empire Strikes Back” on its 40th Anniversary
“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...]
- Star Wars
- George Lucas
- Irvin Kershner
- The Empire Strikes Back
- History Legacy & Showmanship
- Michael Coate
- The Digital Bits
- WR Miller
- Justin Berger
- Richard Woloski
- 40th anniversary
- John Williams
- Mark Hamill
- Harrison Ford
- Carrie Fisher
- Anthony Daniels
- Kenny Baker
- Frank Oz
- Alec Guinness
- Peter Mayhew
- Billy Dee Williams
Retro Release Day: Blade Runner: The Director’s Cut on DVD (1997)
Today’s Retro Release Day title here at The Bits happens to be the very first DVD title I ever purchased and it’s also one of the very first titles released on the format.
I’m talking of course of Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner: The Director’s Cut on DVD, released twenty-two years ago today on March 26, 1997.
The film stars Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos, and Daryl Hannah, with cinematography by the great Jordan Cronenweth, and music by Vangelis.
This was not the first time that Blade Runner had been released in its Director’s Cut form for home viewing; it appeared on VHS and LaserDisc in 1993. It would also not be the last version of the film to reach home video. [Read on here...]
Celebrate the Love: Remembering “Return of the Jedi” on its 35th Anniversary
“With its dramatic and satisfying conclusion of the overall plot and its upbeat finale, Return of the Jedi set the future of the Star Wars brand on an extremely sure footing and ensured that the trilogy would be regarded as one of the greatest of all time.” — Craig Stevens, author of The Star Wars Phenomenon in Britain
The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this retrospective commemorating the 35th anniversary of the release of Return of the Jedi, the concluding chapter of George Lucas’ original Star Wars trilogy, which featured Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher reprising their popular roles of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia, respectively.
Tying up all of the loose ends of the previous chapter and showcasing a galaxy’s worth of creatures, robots and visual effects, Return of the Jedi opened to record-breaking box-office thirty-five years ago this week. [Read on here...]
- science fiction
- 70mm
- History Legacy & Showmanship
- Michael Coate
- The Digital Bits
- film retrospective
- George Lucas
- Star Wars
- Return of the Jedi
- 35th anniversary
- Mark Hamill
- Carrie Fisher
- Harrison Ford
- Michael Kaminski
- Mark O’Connell
- Craig Stevens
- The Secret History of Star Wars
- The Star Wars Phenomenon in Britain
- Watching Skies: Star Wars Spielberg and Us
- Richard Marquand
Return to 2019: Remembering “Blade Runner” on its 35th Anniversary
“Even after decades of imitators, bigger budgets and more advanced technology, Blade Runner still stands high as a groundbreaking, unparalleled masterpiece.” — Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner documentarian Charles de Lauzirika
The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this retrospective commemorating the 35th anniversary of the release of Blade Runner, Ridley Scott’s neo-noir sci-fi adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young and Edward James Olmos. [Read on here...]
The Great Adventure: Remembering “Raiders of the Lost Ark” on its 35th Anniversary
“The guys who made Jaws and Star Wars have done it again. It’s too good to be true.” — David Ansen, Newsweek
The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this retrospective article commemorating the 35th anniversary of the release of Raiders of the Lost Ark, the immensely popular Spielberg & Lucas action extravaganza that introduced moviegoers to the globe-trotting adventures of Indiana Jones.
Raiders, featuring Harrison Ford as everyone’s favorite archaeologist, opened 35 years ago this week, and for the occasion The Bits features a compilation of box-office data that places the movie’s performance in context, production and exhibition information, a list of the film’s 70-millimeter “showcase” presentations, and an interview segment with a group of Spielberg authorities. [Read on here...]
New announcements from Scream, Blue Underground & many more, plus Indy has plane trouble & Harve Bennett RIP
[Editor’s Note: Be sure to like TheDigitalBits.com page on Facebook for breaking news, site updates on the go, discussion with our staff and other readers, giveaways and more!]
We’re rounding out the week today with a pair of new Blu-ray reviews and a little more release news. First up, the reviews...
Our own Tim Salmons has checked out a pair of recent titles: Kino Lorber’s Sorceress and Twilight Time’s Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison. Both titles (and the reviews) are worth a look. [Read on here…]
- Tim Salmons
- Bluray
- BD
- My Two Cents
- The Digital Bits
- Bill Hunt
- Harve Bennett RIP
- Harrison Ford
- Sorceress
- Heaven Knows Mr Allison
- Ghosthouse
- Witchery
- Dog Soldiers
- Tentacles
- Reptilicus
- Sleepaway Camp
- Escape from the Bronx
- 1990: The Bronx Warriors
- The New Barbarians
- Blue Underground
- Scream Factory
- Singles
- Empire Records
- Pretty Little Liars: S5
- Detroit Rock City
- NOVA
- Nature
- Victory at Sea
- The Bounty
- UTurn
- Solomon and Sheba
- Twilight Time
- King of the Hill
X Marks the Spot: Remembering “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” on its 25th Anniversary
“There was no way for Spielberg to top himself, and perhaps it is just as well that Last Crusade will indeed be Indy's last film. It would be too sad to see the series grow old and thin, like the James Bond movies.” — Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
The Digital Bits is pleased to present this retrospective commemorating the silver anniversary of the release of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, George Lucas & Steven Spielberg’s third entry in the popular Indiana Jones movie series starring Harrison Ford as everyone’s favorite archaeologist-adventurer.
The Bits celebrates the occasion with this retrospective featuring a compilation of box-office data that places the movie’s performance in context, quotes from well-known movie critics, production and exhibition information, and a list of the 70-millimeter “showcase” presentations.
The article also features an interview segment with a quartet of film historians (found on Page 2), who discuss the attributes of the movie and whether or not it has endured. [Read on here…]
Fortune & Glory: Remembering “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” on its 30th Anniversary
“This picture is not called The Temple of Roses; it is called The Temple of Doom. The warning is clearly marked on the box.” — Steven Spielberg
The Digital Bits is pleased to present this retrospective commemorating the 30th anniversary of the release of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, the follow-up to the incredibly popular Raiders of the Lost Ark.
The Bits celebrates the occasion with this retrospective column. It features some quotes from movie critics, some trivia on the film, an interview segment (featuring film historians Scott Higgins and Eric Lichtenfeld), a list of the movie’s premium-format (70mm) presentations, and a compilation of box-office data that places the movie’s performance in context. [Read on here…]