"The Phantom Edit"

How one "Star Wars" fan nearly fixed the "Episode 1" disaster, and why George Lucas is indirectly stoking another kind of digital revolution.

By Daniel Kraus

Nov. 5, 2001 | Earlier this year, rumors of a new, supposedly better version of "Star Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace" began surfacing on the Internet. The rumor-mongers were not talking about the video version, which had already been released. Nor were they chattering about the then-unreleased DVD -- just out, with extended scenes and George Lucas commentary -- but actually a shorter version that was traversing the bootleg circuit. This version had been reedited by a fan who disliked the film, but who saw a lot of promise in the footage. The revision was titled "Episode 1.1 -- The Phantom Edit," and was, allegedly, much better than Lucas' original.

For a while it was treated as but a wishful myth. But through the infamous underground network of "Star Wars" fanatics, copies of the new version began popping up all over the place. Fans would watch it in a friend's living room or at a party, dub off a copy for themselves, download it onto their Web site and send it to other rabid fans.

No one knew who the "Phantom Editor" (as he identified himself at the start of the movie along with the e-mail address thephantomedit@hotmail.com) was or where the tape had its origins. But this added to the mystique and appeal, for materialized from out of nowhere was a good film that had been hidden inside the disappointing original one -- perhaps the film that every adult "Star Wars" fan had been hoping "Episode 1" would be.

Lucas supposedly was interested in seeing the reedit. And then it was rumored that the project was the work of filmmaker Kevin Smith ("Clerks," "Chasing Amy," "Dogma"), until a statement on Smith's Web site denied it, adding that he "has seen a copy and can confirm that it does exist." As further confirmation, a fan site popped up as a home base for discussion and analysis of the film (more than 105,961 hits thus far). Sample discussion subjects included "E-mail me if you want a copy," "need a copy of the re-edit.please!!!!" as well as the more jargon-y "unpacked .rar file is a 700MB DivX encoded video."

In early June, the alleged Phantom Editor himself, using the alias "Emily," posted a fabricated Chicago Tribune article on the fan site, falsely reporting that several Aurora, Ill.-area Blockbusters were renting the revised film. The article was soon pulled, but not until after it had been quoted as fact in several publications, including the New York Post and Inside.com.

Things continued to escalate. Bootleg tapes were being sold on the street and at comic book conventions. A group calling itself "The Phantom Edit Fan Network" began organizing mass distribution of the tapes, handing them out in front of theaters and sending them to people in as many different states and countries as they could. Other edited versions, known as "Episode 1.2", "1.14" and "The Phantom Re-Edit NY" began to surface, each with its own take on how to make the movie better. Reputable news sources like the Chicago Tribune began running reviews of these revisions. "There has never, so far as I know, been a movie-critic's cut," wrote Village Voice critic J. Hoberman in the New York Times Magazine.

Meanwhile, the responses from Lucasfilm spokespeople began turning from amiable to intimidating. Back in mid-June, Lucas spokeswoman Jeanne Cole told Zap2it.com, "When we first heard about the [reedits], we realized that these were fans having some fun with 'Star Wars,' which we've never had a problem with. But over the last 10 days, this thing has grown and taken on a life of its own -- as things sometimes do when associated with 'Star Wars.'

"And, when we started hearing about massive duplication and distribution, we realized then that we had to be very clear that duplication and distribution of our materials is an infringement. And so we just kind of want to put everybody on notice that that is indeed the case."

Furthermore, said Cole, Lucas no longer had any intention of watching any of the reedits.

On June 28 -- two weeks after the veiled threat from Lucasfilm -- the alleged Phantom Editor (who had previously admitted he was an industry outsider living in Los Angeles) e-mailed an apology to Zap2it.com, which it published in its entirety. It read in part:

"This project began as a personal endeavor when I watched 'The Phantom Menace' as an audience, analyzed it with the care and attention of a Lucas team member, and carefully re-edited it, concentrating on creating the storytelling style that Lucas originally made famous. ... Although I definitely appreciate all the unexpected attention and support, I also respect and understand the discontentment of Lucasfilm Ltd.

"For the record, I am not now nor have I ever sold copies of 'The Phantom Edit,' and I DO NOT support this. I do not want my name associated with these kinds of activities. ... I sincerely apologize to George Lucas, Lucasfilm Ltd. and the loyal 'Star Wars' fans around the world for my well-intentioned editing demonstration that escalated out of my control." It's true that the distribution channels for Phantom Edits have become a convoluted underground of hidden identities and carefully chosen words. No one wants to get in trouble with the Lucasfilm behemoth. At the same time, none of the editors seem to want credit for their work, either. These faceless "fan-toms" simply want to get their beloved Phantom Edits seen. For years, Lucas has been touting the approach of a new age of filmmaking, a revolution of sorts brought on by advancements in digital technology. He backed up his boasts with several key maneuvers. In 1997, he rereleased his original "Star Wars" trilogy as Special Editions. Each film was digitally remastered for optimal sound and picture quality and also included new scenes, shots and creatures of entirely digital origin.

"Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace" relied even more on digital imaging: Entire cities, action sequences, even major characters (including the much-maligned Jar-Jar Binks) existed principally inside a computer. Audaciously, Lucas decided to shoot next year's "Episode 2" on a 24-frame digital video camera rather than the standard 35mm film. The entire movie industry is well aware that a success could change the face of Hollywood forever.

However, it seems that the very technology that Lucas embraces has turned against him. Whereas digital technology equals "boundless imagination" for Lucas, it equals "cheap accessibility" for everyone else. These days, for a couple thousand dollars, you can own your own digital video camera and editing system, from which you can burn your movie directly to a DVD or download it onto your personal Web site. High-quality moviemaking no longer takes a crew of hundreds. It takes one person. And this is how "The Phantom Edit" was most likely created.

Next page: What the new version fixes -- and what it can not