Ever since the announcement that Disney was making Star Wars: Episodes VII – IX, Star Wars mania has started to grow to levels it had only hit prior to 1999. While J.J. Abrams' film is currently under production, Atlanta's Plaza Theater is getting a jump on the bandwagon with a very special screening of the film that started it all: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. As you know, though, managing to land a print of the 1977 science fiction classic is a pretty amazing (amd nearly impossible) feat in and of itself, so there are a couple of things you should know before going too crazy and booking a flight to Georgia.
Deadline has the vital details of the Star Wars event, which specifies that tickets to the event are priced at a diamond-worthy premium of $75. I don't know about you, but I think that's a lot of money for a film I already have a copy of at home. To be fair though, it would all depend on which version of Star Wars the theater charging $75 would be showing. After all, a fresh print of the original 1977 of the film would be a cherry find. Instead of the original 1977 release, however, the Plaza Theater is screening a digital print of the 1997 Special Edition version that George Lucas himself released during the film's 20th anniversary.
The 1997 Special Edition of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope was the first of the three Special Edition re-releases, and it contains a fresh paint of digital-effects wizardry. In addition to the better-looking effects, Lucas took the time to add in some elements and scenes that weren't already included in the original. New creatures, new scenes, and even a brand new sound mix were all crafted to bring the Star Wars classic trilogy closer to the original vision George Lucas had in mind when he originally made the films. You can see some of that in the original trailer for the Special Edition re-release:
Ultimately the big reason to even consider plunking down that much money for a ticket to see Star Wars is for one, singular reason: it's going to be back on the big screen. It's true that the home theater experience is starting to rival the experience of actually leaving your house and going to the local theater, but when it comes to something like Star Wars, it's usually a hell of a group experience. To see it in the oldest theater around in the state of Georgia, a theater dating back to the heyday of 1939, is something that even George Lucas would approve of. Considering Star Wars was modeled after Flash Gordon and Buck Rodgers serials of that exact era, this could be an event well worth the admission price.
Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (Special Edition) opens the Atlanta Plaza Theater's 75th year of operation on July 18th.
