The Phantom Edit
Encyclopedia
Fan edit
A fan edit is a version of a film modified by a viewer, that removes, reorders, or adds material in order to create a new interpretation of the source material...
of the movie Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a 1999 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the fourth film to be released in the Star Wars saga, as the first of a three-part prequel to the original Star Wars trilogy, as well as the first film in the saga in terms...
, removing many elements of the original film. The purpose of the edit, according to creator Mike J. Nichols
Mike J. Nichols
Mike J. Nichols is an American film editor originally from Illinois.Nichols created a re-cut of George Lucas' Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace known as The Phantom Edit...
, was to make a much stronger version of The Phantom Menace based on the previous execution and philosophies of film storytelling and editing of George Lucas
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
. The Phantom Edit was the first unauthorized re-edit of The Phantom Menace to receive major publicity and acclaim.
History
It was originally circulated in Hollywood studios in 2000 and 2001, and was followed by media attention. Salon.comSalon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
, NPR, PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
, and the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
all covered the edit to various degrees.
Rumor attributed The Phantom Edit to Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...
, who admitted to having seen the re-edit but denied that he was the editor. The editor was revealed to be Mike J. Nichols
Mike J. Nichols
Mike J. Nichols is an American film editor originally from Illinois.Nichols created a re-cut of George Lucas' Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace known as The Phantom Edit...
of Santa Clarita, California
Santa Clarita, California
Santa Clarita is the fourth largest city in Los Angeles County, California, United States and the twenty-fourth largest city in the state of California. The 2010 US Census reported the city's population grew 16.7% from the year 2000 to 176,320 residents. It is located about northwest of downtown...
in the September 7, 2001, edition of the Washington Post.
Available on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
, DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and later via BitTorrent, the DVD contains two deleted scenes and a commentary track by the editor as well as a few easter eggs. The DVD version has also been relabeled as Episode I.II, has a slightly different podrace from the VHS version, and contains more extensive editing to individual images and sounds that have not been entirely cut.
Originally, George Lucas
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
, director of the original film, appeared to tacitly approve of the edit. By the end of June, however, Lucasfilm had reversed its position, warning fans that the edit was infringement.
Changes
Changes made from the original film in The Phantom Edit- Opening crawl replaced with a new one explaining why the edit was made
- Re-editing of nearly all scenes featuring Jar Jar BinksJar Jar BinksJar Jar Binks is a fictional character from the Star Wars Saga , and the television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. His primary role was to provide comic relief, but many reacted negatively to his character...
and removing some of what Nichols dubs 'Jar Jar Antics' - Removal or re-editing of most of the Battle DroidBattle droidBattle Droids are a fictional, robotic combat unit used in the Star Wars Universe. Though developed earlier, battle droids served as frontline units in the Trade Federation Army and for the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars era. They were mass produced on Confederate planets...
dialogue - Limiting of exposition throughout the film
- Trimming scenes involving politics
- Re-arrangement of shots and scenes to match the original Star Wars trilogy's presentation style
- Removal of "Yippee" and "Oops" from Anakin's dialogue
- Removal of dialogue that specifies the nature of midichlorians as a biological basis for Force sensitivity
A total of 18 minutes cut giving a new movie runtime of 115 minutes.
Reviews
Critics and filmmakers have commented on the original Phantom Edit, in most cases providing the approval and recognition which furthered the fan edit movement."Smart editing to say the least" — Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...
, Film Director (Clerks
Clerks
Clerks is a 1994 independent comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith, who also appears in the film as Silent Bob. Starring Brian O'Halloran as Dante Hicks and Jeff Anderson as Randal Graves, it presents a day in the lives of two store clerks and their acquaintances...
, Mallrats
Mallrats
Mallrats is a 1995 film written and directed by Kevin Smith. It is the second to be set in Smith's View Askewniverse series of interlocking films set mostly in New Jersey, although the movie was filmed in Eden Prairie Center and Osowski's Flea Market which are located in Minnesota...
, Chasing Amy
Chasing Amy
Chasing Amy is a 1997 romantic comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith. The central tension revolves around sexuality, sexual history, and evolving friendships. It is the third film in Smith's View Askewniverse series....
)
"...Materialized from out of nowhere was a good film that had been hidden inside the disappointing original one." — Daniel Kraus
Daniel Kraus
Daniel Kraus is a former German footballer and current Head and Goalkeeper coach of FF USV Jena.-Coaching career:Kraus hold the coaching licence C and began as Goalkeeper coach for FF USV Jena in July 2010.-References:...
, Salon.com
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
(November 5, 2001)
"[Done by] someone with a gift for editing!" — Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
Film Critic (June 18, 2001)
Sequel: Attack of the Phantom
The Phantom EditorMike J. Nichols
Mike J. Nichols is an American film editor originally from Illinois.Nichols created a re-cut of George Lucas' Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace known as The Phantom Edit...
followed up his edits of Episode I with an edit of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones is a 2002 American epic space opera film directed by George Lucas and written by Lucas and Jonathan Hales. It is the fifth film to be released in the Star Wars saga and the second in terms of the series' internal chronology...
.
Called Star Wars Episode II.I: Attack of the Phantom, the DVD contains a re-edited version (38 minutes cut, new runtime of 104 minutes) of Episode II in surround sound, with a commentary track. At points during the commentary, the viewer has the option to interrupt the movie to view in more detail some of the things that the editor is talking about.
External links
- Mystery of Star Wars phantom edit, BBC News Article, Thursday, June 7, 2001
- All Things Considered, an NPR story, 'Star Wars' - The Phantom Edit, Robert Siegel talks with Andrew Rodgers from Zap2it.com, July 16, 2001
- "The Phantom Edit", a Salon.com article by Daniel Kraus, November 5, 2001
- Hollywood Goes Digital, Like It Or Not, a PBS Article by Charles C. Mann, November 22, 2001
- "The Phantom Editor Strikes Again", Joshua Griffin's April 29, 2005 review of Episode II.I: Attack of the Phantom, on TheForce.net fan site