The lost film intended to show before The Empire Strikes Back screenings will be available soon.
Once upon a time Roger Christian, director, set decorator and production designer, put together a short film, Black Angel, at George Lucas’ request and with a chunk of Lucas’ money. It was supposed to air before screenings of The Empire Strikes Back but, after the movie had its time in the spotlight, Black Angel vanished. Now it’s returned, had a screening in Marin County, and Christian intends to take it to Netflix and iTunes in 2014.
Two short segments from Black Angel have been made available online by Athena Studios, the company behind its restoration. The one you’re seeing here is Clip One; Clip Two comes from around about the halfway mark of the film. This is the medieval myth Christian wanted to make when he was a student, and couldn’t afford to; it features a knight who falls into a river, seemingly drowns, and surfaces in a strange world. His enemy is an evil knight who holds his beloved hostage; you’ll see more of him in clip 2.
“I’ve waited three decades to be able to show this film to audiences once again,” said Christian. “I’m so grateful.” No word on a price tag for this one, but you haven’t that long to wait. 2014 is just around the corner.
Source: Ars Technica
