That’s right, at least somewhere, George’s brain is wired correctly about what should be done about old-style movies.
Lucas, along with many other purists, directors and movie-industry-legend types, wants Black and White Film kept Black and White and see colorization as a bastardization of sorts. Which I agree.
The old Three Stooges movies, being released by Sony on DVD are also being released in colorized form because, according to the studio, “the newer generation might be more apt to watch them, because of their familiar exposure to color.” I’m sorry, what? Well, while we’re at it, let’s turn the Mona Lisa into a really cool Hologram because hey “2-D paintings” is, like, so last millenia. Hey, Disney did it right? 3-D is the way to go! Update everything! Gimme a break. Sorry, but Black and White is how the Stooges were made, leave them like that. The Stooges have no need to be “competing for today’s market”, because they weren’t made for today’s market. Simple as that.
There was a big hum-drum about this way back in the early 80’s with Lucas and Spielberg and a bunch of others dragging the ‘colorizers’ through color debates – even speaking before Congress. (Ted Turner was “threatening” to colorize every Black and White movie in MGM’s archives). I’ve also heard of Jimmy Stewart trying to buy the rights to the Colorized version of “It’s a Wonderful Life” simply so he could bury it.
But I digress. Even though I agree, I find it interesting that George Lucas freaks out about people adding color to old movies, but on the other hand, has no problem adding CGI, changing chronological events, adding more people and effects to others, all the while, maintaining that this new creation is still “the original”. Odd.
Well, to be fair – it is the creator making the changes, and that’s what most people are up in arms about in the colorizing debates. (We can guess that the Stooges aren’t supervising the changes being made to the new releases.)
Whether or not Lucas has his head in his ass about the changes to Star Wars, they’re still the creator’s changes, and so have a little more ethical weight behind them. No matter how much they’re going to suck.
Ah, the irony…