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"The Making of the Empire Strikes Back," Rinzler's follow-up to the fantastically difinitive "The Making of Star Wars" is out today. My preordered hardcover showed up and it looks amazing. Here are some web highlights plus I took a few pics with my Droid phone.

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• Vanity Fair - Empire Strikes Back Rare Photos
• Vanity Fair - Jonathan Rinzler Interview
• Vanity Fair - Director Irvin Kershner Interview

Might not be able to wait til Christmas for this

[align=center]THE MAKING OF THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK BOOK TRAILER[/align]
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[flash width=640 height=385]http://www.youtube.com/v/Fpu4kopxmGY?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&hd=1[/flash]
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Amazon's got it for just under $50 right now.

Looks like this is another must have for me. Given all the work that's been put into his books so far, I can't wait to read the (eventual) "Jedi" making of.

Thanks for the thread, Topeka. I didn't know about this book or the one on ANH.

Does the book have any new information about the father reveal?

RE: Father Reveal

It's hard to tell just how much was definite in George's mind when writing and plotting Empire. The second handwritten draft--it's important to distinguish it from the typed second draft--includes the reveal of Vader as Luke's father. This was written by George in early 1978. the Typed second draft omits this reveal for "secrecy" reasons.

George says he left it on a strictly need to know basis. Understandable, but it's never brought up in preproduction story meetings, even when it's just George and Leigh. It's odd since Empire was so meticulously planned and thought out, and George hired guys to write and create mostly to service the characters, yet this truly DEFINING characteristic of Vader is never ever brought up to his team in pre...

Yeah, I don't buy the idea that he just didn't tell Brackett for whatever reason. You don't hire someone to write your story and then not tell them key plot points.

Rinzler also says that, despite the dialogue and some of the characters actions, Brackett follows George's treatment pretty closely. And just to clarify things, Brackett didn't write her own narrative. It was based on George's treatment and things he told her in story conferences. It was definitely George's story.

Yeah, Brackett's first draft was pretty different than what ended up following in Lucas' draft and Kasdan's. Brackett is given so much credit because Lucas wanted to honor her after she died, even though she only turned in one draft that Lucas had numerous problems with. Lucas' second draft seems to be the "real" launching pad in terms of scripting and focusing the story.

I was even surprised to learn a lot of the interesting/funny bits that really made Empire came from Lucas himself, like Leia's "I am not a committee!" line. Most obsessive OT fans/PT haters love to downplay Lucas' involvement in ESB.

Vanity Fair has published a recent interview with Irvin Kershner.

"Ten years later, I would have said yes to directing one of the prequels."

That's a great interview. Thanks for the link!

This one question bugs me, though: "Do you think that films today have lost a sense of realness by using all CGI instead of models?"

I hate it when people say that. They have no clue what they are talking about. CGI doesn't always replace model photography. It's often a mix of BOTH.

But anyway, I can't wait to grab this book.

That's true, but I guess the misconception goes hand in hand with the notion that CGI is somehow easier to produce than practical effects or traditional animation.

My issue is less with models vs. CGI and more the digital backlot kind of thing that Lucas pushed with the prequels and everyone has been adapting.

Can't really argue with you there-it tends to look pretty obvious, even when done right but I think the blue screen work on the prequels still holds up pretty well. Let me put it to you this way: is it any less believable than when countless productions use the same Universal Studios backlot set as a stand in for New York?

Below is a somewhat similar book - MF 3D Owners Guide @ Starwars.com. The trailer is sorta cool if you can get past Leland Chee

[align=center]MILLENNIUM FALCON 3D OWNERS GUIDE TRAILER[/align]
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[flash width=640 height=385]http://www.youtube.com/v/4vzO0sX5lsI?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&hd=1[/flash]
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