From Bill Hunt-The Digital Bits
I wanted to comment on a story that's been posted at Ain't it Cool News this morning (also reported on The Force.net). Star Wars creator George Lucas appeared last night at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood in honor of the opening night of a week-long tribute to ILM and Skywalker Sound by the American Cinematheque. According to many that were there, Lucas reportedly confirmed that the original theatrical versions of the Star Wars movies (as we all remember them from 1977, 1980 and 1983), will never appear on DVD. They're lost to time, replaced by his new and still-in-development ultimate, final "super special editions". The outraged reaction from fans is, of course, predictable... and entirely justified.

This plan isn't particularly new - Lucas has vaguely (and not so vaguely) hinted several times in recent years that this was his intent. But if that turns out to be his final decision, the result would be that the original experience that captured the imaginations of an entire generation of moviegoers would be lost forever. How can that make any Star Wars fan anything but sad... and absolutely, downright, steaming, pissed-off angry. Given the almost complete lack of charm the new prequels have compared to even the first edit of the rough-hewn, original film, the fact that Lucas would fail to preserve the original experience of Star Wars shows how utterly and completely he's lost sight of the point over the years.

Filmmakers have a responsibility to their audience and to cinema history. Lucas owes it to every single Star Wars fan that ever paid $5 for an action figure or $8 for a theater ticket to preserve the original experience. I don't care if he doesn't like them. We love them. I don't care if he owns them. In a equally real and important way, we own them too. They're part of our childhood! Steven Spielberg understood the importance of saving the original version of E.T., including it on DVD recently along with his "better" 2002 version. Lucas needs to follow his lead. Hey... don't get me wrong. I'm dying to see the new CGI-finished versions too. It's his right to remake the films the way he always wanted to in the first place, and I'm all for it. But he still needs to preserve the original versions. He owes it to the fans, he owes it to everyone who ever worked on the films and he owes it to generations of film lovers as yet unborn.

You might have built the Empire, George... but your fans paid for it. While you're making us wait for YEARS for these fabled super-boffo special editions of the original films on DVD, WHY IN THE HELL don't you release a set of movie-only DVDs of the original theatrical versions?! Every Star Wars fan on Earth would gladly shell out their hard-earned cash for the original versions now. And then, in 3 years or 5 years, they'd all be happy to buy the super-deluxe versions too!

If you have the gall to tell me that these films that were so much a part of my childhood don't exist as I remember them anymore, that's just fine. But then I want a refund for every movie ticket, every poster, every T-shirt, every book, every piece-of-crap action figure and every single God-damned bubble-gum card I ever bought as a kid. I'll send you the bill.

I'll tell you this: I WILL NEVER BUY A DVD OF THESE FILMS THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE ORIGINAL VERSIONS. I WON'T EVER REVIEW IT. I WON'T EVEN GIVE IT SO MUCH AS A GLANCE. If you're a fan and you're reading this right now and feel the same, you should speak out. Write letters, make phone calls, send e-mails... let George know exactly how you feel.

But as for me... whatever. I've been a fan of Star Wars since I first saw it in 1977 as a fresh-faced, 10-year-old. It's been much more than a movie for me - it opened my eyes and fired my imagination. But I am SO done with it. What charm was left for me is finally gone. Lucas has officially killed it. I've been trying to hang with these new films, and have even defended them in my reviews of the DVDs. But now... you can count me out.

Back later...

Bill Hunt, Editor
The Digital Bits

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[This message was edited Sat Feb 8 14:17:00 PST 2003 by rdhull]

George Lucas had a good idea with Star Wars, Lawrence Kasdan made it great with The Empire Strikes Back, George almost ran it to the ground with Return of the Jedi then completed the job with the abysmal Special Editions, and is now releasing excrament after corn filled excrament with the Prequels.

Even MJ's kid knew Episode 2 sucked Jawa sack.

dumbass said:

watermelon seeds too..watermelon was eaten previously...



How telling is that?

the original Star Wars was the bomb, they need to put that shit on DVD.

I have the trilogy on dvd. It is a bootleg from malaysia and it is ripped from laserdisc. Return of the jedi is damn near flawless with menus and bonus footage. The empire strikes back skipped about 45 minutes into the movie. I haven't checked out my Star Wars disc. But i will do that soon. All three cost me $40.00, and even with the one that skips it is well worth it.




The edit
[This message was edited Sat Feb 8 16:36:04 PST 2003 by theC]

I totally don't get it--the updated versions are better. What's the problem? You actually LIKE your tie-fighters to have a faintly visible box around them?

teller said:

I dont think any advocates of the originals have any problems with improving the picture quality etc..I think it's adding scenes and changing things etc..Greedo shooting firts at Han etc for instance,...come on. Stop changing the story etc.

It's one thing to "remaster", and another thing to "re-record"...for lack of a better description.

I have no intentions of buying the one with all the computerized images...

rdhull said:

I agree the Greedo shot is really off somehow...and really the Jabba scene is a little fucked also--however, I suspect he'll fix these. The Special Editions are far from complete--he's hinted at further polishing.

Also, it's his creation, his property. It upsets me to think that Prince may never remaster anything with cuss-words in it--that would really fucking hurt--but again, it's his right. We may not like it, but it's not our place to make demands. You like the original? You were offered VHS I suppose.

I certainly don't want the original washed-out Star Wars, though--at a minimum the ships can look presentable, not nasty-ass 70's special effects.

LaVisHh said:

There ya go..you have the right idea...as usual.

rdhull said:

What in fuck is the problem with the computerized images--at least of the space battles? I mean c'mon--is the old fucked up version where George couldn't fully realize his vision really better?

LaVisHh said:

I like the new scenes added. It is done the way lucas REALLY wanted it to look. They should make the disc like "Terminator 2", where you can watch it in the orginal version or with scenes added. That way they could satify both fans on one disc.

teller said:

I never said it was not his right to do what he wants with his creation. I will say however it s kind of fucked up to those who grew up with the films to change them drastically which in some aspects he has done and will probably continue to do..dont be surprised if in the final dvd releases if you see things like jar jars father-offspring etc. Which is to say if you love film etc then why mess with something that does not need any fixing?

theC said:

yes they should..but will they?

rdhull said:

Probably, Lucas is susually cutting edge and know that these movies are already bootlegged all to hell. He will have to make it worth it for te people who already have copies of the movie to buy his set. But only Lucas knows for sure what he will do.

teller said:

Yes and plus did I not already say that improving the film is not an issue but adding and changing parts of the story are? thats "what in th fuck the problem is" in mine and others opinions.

rdhull said:

In this sense I agree with you, we are perhaps losing something precious. But so it goes with every other thing we lost in life--old photographs, 8-tracks, teddy-bears. We can't go back, man.

teller said:

ok teller

teller said:

Yes, I like fucked up originals.

teller said:

Nobody is talking about "going back"..it's simply about releasing an original. This is liek making 8 tracks or teddy bears that are anotomically correct. There's a difference.

rdhull said:

I dunno...George Lucas is the artist, and he hasn't lost his mind or anything--this is Star Wars as he intended it. On the other hand, I respect nostalgia--very much actually. But I have to wonder, given the choice, which version would I watch? Probably not the old one.

Also, "these edits are ok," and "those edits are wrong," yeah well, says who? I guess you just want the exact original, which I can understand to an extent...

teller said:

no comment

btw what do u think of Prince changing his lyrics?

rdhull said:

Yes, it pisses me off, point taken.

I can't see George Lucas NOT including the original version on the DVD. I'm sure that he will give in to public opinion and include them.

He will probably include all THREE versions of each of the original episodes in the DVD edition, and then charge $50 each. Each episode will probably be a 2 or 3 disc set.

I'm not personally offended when George Lucas "fixes" some of the original trilogy (i.e. matte lines or added scenery) but I think the added music scene and Jabba scene are unnecessary.

A nice addition would be the Star Wars TV shows on a bonus disc.

Se7en said:

I can



Ya think so eh? Many hope you are right.



Yeah...20 years fromm now.



Im not personally offended either..its just a dumb move. Its his so called Wedding Feast.

The same thing was done to E.T.

At least in this case they did in fact release the original, which I still have on laserdisc from years ago.

I have the new E.T. DVD, and it's great!

The revisions to the movie are so subtle - and so tastefully done - that you don't really notice them unless you're looking for them. Plus, it's nice that Spielberg did in fact include both versions.

I have to say that I'm really looking forward to the new versions of the original trilogy.

I've heard that the revamp is 90% concerned with re-doing the special effects shots (out with the models, in with the CGI). and with regard to the 'Jabba' scene, GL has already said he want's to redo it (I think, without Han standing on his tail).

I know they've been tinkering around with CGI AT-AT's & snowspeeders, and from what I gather, most of the stuff will be used to recreate the old model shots on computer, with the odd extra bit thrown in.

It's all about making the original trilogy visually & effects-wise tie in with the new films.

This just in..CGI sucks big donkey dicks. You guys are fans of that cgi crap

what happened to the days of actually building sets that looked authentic instead of that fake cartoonish cgi stuff? I am highly dissappointed in some people. Yes this is silly in the long run but since we're here Im going to say it..some of you aren't true Star wars fans and I want to battle your evilness of crap movie making with a light saber..my electric blade is black. Folks like some fans are reaosns Jar Jar is created etc.