‘Release the Cerveza Cristal Cut!’: Fans React as Chile’s Hilarious Star Wars Edit Resurfaces
Star Wars fans are pleading for the Cerveza Cristal cut as a version of the original trilogy with Chilean beer ads edited in resurfaces.
Back in 2003, when the original Star Wars trilogy began airing on TV in Chile, broadcasters opted to edit the commercials in instead of cutting to them. The result is a hilarious and beer-filled experience of the iconic trilogy.
One X user first posted the clip which shows ads for “Cerveza Cristal” – a Chilean beer company that has been around since 1850 – edited right into scenes from A New Hope. For longtime fans of the original trilogy, it’s equally bizarre and gut-achingly funny to see scenes that look totally familiar suddenly be interrupted by an ad for Cerveza Cristal. The ads are going viral with fans calling for Lucasfilm to “release the Cerveza Cristal cut.”
One such example, and the one posted in the original video, shows the scene where Obi-Wan first gives Luke his father’s lightsaber. When the wise old Jedi Knight reaches into a compartment to retrieve the plasma blade, it cuts to a shot of an ice-filled cooler loaded with Cristal-brand beers. Users across X and TikTok have started posting their favorite scenes that feature the now-iconic Chilean beer brand. Some are even jokingly calling for the re-release of the “Cristal Cut”– a bit of a play on the 2017 campaign to release Zach Snyder’s cut of Justice League.
The Ad Was Given an Award for Creativity and Innovation
In 2004, the ad received an award for its creativity and innovation at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. “Without a doubt, [the campaign] is more effective than traditional spots because it averts zapping and creates surprise for consumers,” reads an AdAge article from the time.
This is not the first time that an edit of the original Star Wars trilogy has sparked conversation – or debate. In 1977, Star Wars: A New Hope was released, and it changed the landscape of cinema in many ways. However, the movie was almost very different, and it is said that it was “saved in the edit.” Marcia Lucas, George Lucas’ wife from 1969-1983, was one of three main editors who cut and rearranged the film into the version fans know and love. Marcia Lucas is, like many editors, one of the unsung heroes in the creation of Star Wars. In recent years, however, she has received more and more recognition for her work. Before Star Wars, Marcia Lucas worked with directors like Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese, helping edit films like The Rain People (1969) and Taxi Driver (1976).
Star Wars has also been re-released multiple times with edits from creator George Lucas. The first round of edits came in 1997, with the release of the Special Edition remaster. These changes included scene expansions and the replacement of old cast members with new ones –like Hayden Christensen appearing as Anakin’s force ghost in Return of the Jedi instead of Sebastian Shaw. The movies underwent another round of editing and remastering in 2011 with the release of the Blu-ray. Many saw the minor aesthetic changes as successful, and a refining of the original films with new technology. However, some larger story-related changes were received poorly by fans and critics alike.
Fans can watch a full compilation of all the Cerveza Cristal ads below.
