CLASSIC IMAGE: DISABLING THE BLOCKADE RUNNER!

The dreaded Star Destroyer Devastator has swiftly caught up with its Rebel Alliance prey over the far-off world of Tatooine, as its heavy weapons array soon outclasses and disables the fast but less well shielded diplomatic marked Blockade Runner and its vital solar fin.

A hit!

The opening scene as brilliantly rendered by Howard Chaykin for the first issue of Marvel's comic adaptation, from 1976.

CLASSIC IMAGE: RE-INVENTING A CLASSIC!

The classic scene that set the standard for future science fiction/fantasy storytelling and blew audiences away worldwide with its truly epic special effects work- the opening to the original 1977 Star Wars involving an Imperial Star Destroyer chasing the Rebel Blockade Runner above Tatooine.

But it's not. Instead, this is an equally impressive moment from the sequence specially re-shot from scratch (using a more-detailed meter long Star Destroyer model from The Empire Strikes Back) for the equally incredible and ground-breaking IMAX screen format, as part of legendary sound designer Ben Burtt's pleasing 1996 documentary Special Effects: Anything Can Happen, shown exclusively in IMAX and OMNI MAX cinemas in the US and Canada.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQjY7ZDWFNo

ILM CLASSIC IMAGE: IMPERIAL PURSUER!

A terrific shot (taken by the late Grant McCune) of the mighty Imperial Star Destroyer (later named Devastator) model that will onscreen chase Princess Leia's soon-damaged Blockade Runner above the wastes of Tatooine, during the classic opening to the original Star Wars of 1977. It's amazing that this original three-foot long model was built smaller than the expensive to build six-foot long Blockade Runner at ILM, yet ultimately appeared so large and lengthy on screen- the power of the camera and the talented visual effects artists!

ILM technician Doug Smith prepares the model for filming.

'STAR WARS AT 40': "THERE GOES ANOTHER ONE!"

In one of the laser cannon sections of the Star Destroyer Devastator, two Imperial gunning officers witness the departure of the droids escape pod and do nothing about it- after all, why waste energy weapons firepower on a short circuited pod with no lifeforms aboard...

How stupid they were! I hope Vader never found out about this!

The two officers were played on one of the last day's of filming- mostly pick ups across three units - at Elstree for STAR WARS on July 16th, 1976. The set was a hastily built one for the two actors John Forgeham ("There goes another one") and John Wreford ("Hold your fire") to work on, against a blue screen. Forgeham, a noted British character actor, was happy to to do one day's film work at the last minute, and enjoy the afternoon at the studio's popular bar. No still images of the actors together in filming, nor the small set, seem to exist- by this time the movie's stills photographers had likely departed the project for new assignments, and, with the rush to get things finished that day across several stages, I don't think taking images was on the production team's mind, either.

Sad news from March 2017: Death of Footballers Wives' actor John Forgeham 'shock to all' - BBC News

'STAR WARS' AT 40: ESCAPE TO TATOOINE!

It's a blast-off that Threepio and Artoo will never forget, as their escape pod breaks out from the captured Rebel Blockade Runner, heading turbulently towards the atmosphere of nearby Tatooine- a lovely effects shot scene heightened by gorgeous John Williams music.