I proudly say that I am a Star Wars fanatic. I would go so far as to dub myself a Geek. First film I ever saw in the theater and the love affair continues even today. But something happens when fans love a piece of work as much as we Star Wars fans do… we start to feel as if we “own” it. This has never been so apparent than it has been since the announced changes to the original trilogy coming on DVD.
People have been irrational, upset, up in arms… why? Because Greedo gets off the first shot? Because they updated a Jabba scene (That Lucas originally planned on having in the movie when he first shot Star Wars by the way)? Because the younger Anakin is added as a ghost at the end? Ok, I may or may not like these changes… but it begs the question…. WHO THE HELL CARES!?!?!?!
I mean really people! These are small details. Most rational people would say “irrelevant” afterthoughts. None of these coming changes alters in anyway the story of Star Wars (which is it’s heart and soul). None of these changes alter the film in any meaningful way… so what’s the problem here? I can understand not liking it. Heck, I can even understand being a little miffed about it (I am). But come on!!! These are MINOR changes that only fans as passionate as us Star Wars fans would get obsessed about.
As much as we love these films… as much as they are a part of our childhood… there is one inescapable fact we can not aviod… THAT DOESN’T MAKE THEM “OUR” FILMS. It’s still Lucas’ baby to do with as he pleases… and to be honest he hasn’t really changed things all that much.
So lets just all calm down, take a deep breath, and talk about the movies, talk about the changes to the DVD’s, talk about what we like and don’t like about them. But let’s stop the call to arms for a holy war just because for 2 seconds the Jedi Temple is added to the landscape shot of Coruscant. Uggg… ok… end rant.
I thought the lightsaber quality went down in the DVD versions, that is the only dissapointment I find worth whining about.
I have to agree. Star wars belongs to Lucas, for everyone who thinks it belongs to the fans is wrong. The only think that belongs to paying customers is right to watch his movies.
For those of you who have the original Beta or VHS versions I would hold on to them because they are no longer availiable and may be worth a lot [of money] in time. In that case the changes would work as an advantage to the “original fans”
Since these posts seem like a forum for expressing your opinion, here’s mine:
George Lucas stole the whole foundation for his story from Carlos Castaneda’s books. It’s so obvious to anyone who has ever read Carlos that no one ever mentions it. It makes my teeth hurt.
I personally would change a well remembered work of my art if I thought it would be how I originally intended, finally. Because I believe that there will be people (i.e. children) who will only see the revised work of art as I meant it to be. Selfishness wrapped in altruism? Nahhhh. That would be the darkside.
Okay. That’s it. What more is there to say? Really.
Some additions I like, others I don’t, so I can’t trash the Special Editions or the DVD releases as a whole.
DVD CHANGES: I don’t really like the addition of Hayden to the last scene in Jedi – it doesn’t really fit in with the story.
I do think Han should’ve shot first. How Greedo could miss at such a range doesn’t make sense.
It does make sense that the Emperor in Empire looks like he does in Revenge and Return, so I agree with that change, but it was interesting to have a woman play Palpatine.
I am undecided on the change of Boba’s voice, though the old voice was definitely more menacing.
OTHER CHANGES: The addition of all the extra CG stuff does get irritating at times, especially in Mos Eisley. At other times, it does make the films more exciting, like the scene with all the Rebel fighters at the Battle of Yavin.
All in all, I don’t mind the changes. I think people don’t like the new editions, not because they’re inferior, but because of nostalgia, something that I do think Lucas should have accounted for.
you all need therapy.
Hello,
My name is Casey Aguilar and I’m a store manager at a major retail grocery store and I’m trying to find some people that dress up as various star wars character for an up coming promotion that will be ran at my store. This will be next week tuesday and wednesday. If anyone is interested please email me at [email protected] and I will give you more details. Thanks!
“As much as we love these films… as much as they are a part of our childhood… there is one inescapable fact we can not aviod… THAT DOESN’T MAKE THEM “OUR” FILMS. It’s still Lucas’ baby to do with as he pleases… and to be honest he hasn’t really changed things all that much.”
Take a bow John.
I totally agree with you on this one.
I think the DVDs are grea,t the one thing that realy buggs me is they added Haden Christienson… WHY!!! there is no reyson!!!
Bottom line – They’re George’s movies, and he can do whatever the hell he wants with them.
If you scroll down a bit there will come 5 pictures from the region 1 version. If you mouseover these pictures you will see the region 2 equivalent picture.
It’s a danish site btw :o)
R2…. pause for dramatic effect. Yeah.. you get it now.
Ok I know you are talking about Region2. The website you provided us offers no information that we could gleam upon because I don’t speak German.
I will review the Package on Tuesday night as I will be picking it up on my lunch break. I will let you know how it sounds on my surround system.
By the way…this is the link:
http://www.jimsdvdsite.dk/anmeldelserhtml/star_wars_4.html
A guy who runs a DVD reviewsite in Denmark has made a comparison between the R1 and R2 edition of the new Star Wars Trilogy. Unfortunately it looks as if the R2 version is inferior regarding audio and video. He has made some still pictures comparing the overall quality and the R1 look more detailed. The R1 sound is more aggressive in the surround speakers and is also flagged for 5.1 EX use, which the R2 lack. So you have to setup for 6 channel use yourself.
Maybe Themovieblog could get additional info about this?
Thank you, all of you who agreed on this post! This is what I’ve been saying since ’97. In fact, I sent an email to originaltrilogy.com (an online petition for Lucas to re-release the theatrical version on DVD) a while back (which, not surprisingly, went unanswered). Here’s a copy of it:
“Hi all. I am 22 years old and grew up watching the original Star Wars Trilogy. Nearly every weekend from the ages of 8-10 I would watch one of the movies. I was one of the rare few who knew of Star Wars at my age for a while.
“One Christmas I got the trilogy on video. I’m sure those tapes are well worn, though I haven’t watched them in a long time. I was fifteen when the Special Editions came out, and I saw A New Hope on opening day. I still have the stub somewhere in my bedroom. Though I have the original trilogy on video and the Special Editions in Widescreen I wanted more, so I purchased the original editions in widescreen. Now my collection is all but complete. DVDs are the next step.
“I want to express my opinion as a film lover and aspiring filmmaker and though I’m sure I will be verbally crucified for it, I will express it anyway. I am well aware of the controversy concerning Lucas’ decision to only release the Special Editions on DVD. There are thousands, possibly millions who are outraged by this. To you I say, I’m sorry.
“I love the original editions. They will forever live in my memory; but as a filmmaker I have to side with George on this one. He may not be the world’s greatest director, and sure, he tampered with what had already been set in people’s minds as a classic, but the bottom line is: Star Wars is his creation. Just as we have no business telling someone how to raise their children, we cannot tell an artist how to finish his masterpiece.
“Let’s be honest about this. Did we not think it was cool when we saw the additional footage in The Phantom Menace DVD release? So ask yourself this: would we be this irked if the Special Editions came out with the original video release? Probably not. It’s the fact that it took Lucas 20 years to complete his pictures that caused this rift. He led an entire generation to belive that these were the finished products, when all the while he was waiting for the technology to put the final touches on his long in-progress project. Fair? Not really. His decision to make? By all means.
“That’s not to say I think the Special Editions are perfect. Yes, I have a problem with Greedo shooting first (I heard that will be corrected in the DVD release…let’s pray), and I think Lapti Nek made much more sense in an otherworldly atmosphere, but other than that I can’t see what the big deal is. It’s the same movie, with the same story, and the same ending. It’s not our story, so we have no say in what goes in and what gets cut, otherwise the film’s opening probably would have been bogged down by the boring Luke and Biggs scene (believe me, I’ve seen it).
“We all know we’re gonna break down and at least watch the DVDs anyway, though most of us will probably buy them, so why beat around the bush? If this is the version George Lucas wants us to remember, then so be it. I still have my videos if I want nostalgia, which to me is all the originals are worth anyway. I work in an after school program with 10-12 year olds, most of whom probably don’t even realize that Star Wars was made in the 70s and 80s, let alone that there are two versions. Holding out for the original editions makes about as much sense as holding out for the Apatosaurus to be renamed Brontosaurus again.
“But as futile as this battle seems to me, I credit you all for trying. I hope, for your sake, that you succeed. Remember, however, that it is ultimately George Lucas’ movie, not ours.”
To add to that letter: I’ve also noticed that no one under the age of 20 really cares about the changes, and most people under the age of 15 don’t even know there ARE two versions! In time the original theatrical versions will drift into film oblivion, with only the few holdouts (like Blade Runner), which is what Lucas wants. Mark Hammill said recently that Lucas was never happy with the way the originals, particularly A New Hope, turned out in their orgiginal release, and that he’s glad George now has the opportunity to see the films the way he wanted to see them.
And finally, if you happen to check out my website, you may notice there’s not much there. I am still working on it, and I plan on adding a widescreen-fullscreen/pan&scan comparison page, and a page noting the changes made in the three versions of the Star Wars Trilogy.
Anyway, this post i long enough already, so I shall end it now. Bye all!
Hate to rain on your ownership parade there, but you paid a THEATRE for the right to sit there and watch it.
If you bought a copy of the movie then that COPY is yours, but the movie itself and the right to change, copy, edit, or modify still belong to the filmmakers. If you bought a pirate, or illegal yakuza ripoff copy, then you didnt contribute ANYTHING to the profitability of the studio.
You don’t own this movie any more than you own the moon for looking at it, even if you pay someone for permission to look up. Nor do you own the McDonalds chain by buying one of their burgers.
Its Lucas’ creation, he can do what he wants to it. If you feel that strongly, then don’t watch them.
Growing up in Asia I am thankful that there exist the original Star Wars movies on DVDs. yes the ones where Greedo did indeed shoot first and jabba was not in the first movie. how is that possible you ask? well the yakuzas and the triads have gone hi tech and have transfered all the movies into dvd themselves and did the whole menu shebangs and has been selling them since DVDs started to appear.
on the question whether its his or my movie, as far as i am concerned, i paid money to watch it, therefore it is MY movie. because without MY money, Lucas probably dont have the money to made the rest of the current movies and dvds he is putting out. therefore it is MY movie as much as his.
I for one am excited about the updates.
My 6 year old watches ALL of my star wars movies, and someday my letterbox original cut box set will likely put him through college. (my boys dont watch those copies)
I hope Lucas doesn’t release the originals on DVD JUST for that reason.
I have always been of the opinion that everyone will just find something to complain about when it comes to Star Wars. If he released all three versions (original, special, and new cut) people would be complaining that he is digging for money.
I understand that you want your choice, and I agree that he could have put them all out on dvd and made more money. But he didnt. And I have no problem with that, but then I still have my originals tucked away, right next to my Star Wars Christmas Special.
Take a VHS copy and get it converted to DVD.
I am so sick of hearing people who aren’t as concerned about changes in the films labeling those of us that are as irrational fanatics and whiners.
The point has already been made but I’ll restate it. As an artist concerned with history Lucas has an obligation to ensure the originals survive as they were originally released. Those are the versions that made cinematic history. Whether they are his movies or not he is officially a fraud when he shirks that responsibility. Second, those of us who grew up with the series simply want the opportunity to view them as we experienced them originally. I don’t care if he wants to tinker. I don’t care if he releases 20 different versions of the same film. As long as I have the originals the rest can be seen as interesting diversions. And I would probably buy them. Without the originals it smacks of revisionist history by a dictator who is trying to decide how we will remember his work. And I am going to enjoy my LaserDisk versions :)
I am very concerned about our national heritage, and I am very concerned that the films that I watched when I was young and the films that I watched throughout my life are preserved, so that my children can see them.” – George Lucas, talking about colorizing Three Stooges films.
originaltrilogy.com
Special Edition? Sure!
Special Revised Directors Cut Edition? No worries!
Ultimate Edition? Why not!
Just release the originals as well, pleeeese?
Not a Star Wars fan, sorry. However…
Quoting “C”:
“TIME magazine put it a good way, I think: They wrote that the making of Star Wars was one of the most awful periods of Lucas’ life. In making these changes, he’s making them what he always imagined they would be, and in doing so he could be healing some of the wounds inflicted by that period of his life. When they put it that way, I had a lot less problems with the changes.”
to which I say, that shouldn’t be the fan’s problem. That was his own issue 20+ years ago. I could personally give a shit about the changes, but say, if Wes Craven went back and changed A Nightmare on Elm Street I’d be pissed as well, but ONLY IF he was adamant about not giving people the choice. Lucky for my, I already own the un-fooled-around-with version.
And yes, I’m an artist as well, and I do believe I can do whatever I want with my art. But the thing is, you cannot take away people’s choice. You cannot make choices for them. That’s the problem here. There are actually some people that loved the older ones as a set, as they are, independantly of the new series. Those folks just may want the original versions to have the same amount of cleaning and remastering but without adding a whole bunch of stuff he didn’t have the opportunity to add the first time out.
Some of the changes were minor, like the ones mentioned, but what about that irritating rapping thing at Jappa’s palace. Aside from that I could pretty much forgive everything. However, that scene will stop me from ever bying the remakes.
Amen, as much as I disfavor the changes, the cleaned up picture quality alone, is worth a re-watch.
To begin with, I am a huge Star Wars fan, and I have strong emotional ties to the original versions of the trilogy. However, I am wondering if any of the people complaining about the changes made to the films have ever written and created their own art, be it a film or a song or a short story or any type of fiction writing or writing in general. When viewing the issue from the artist’s perspective, it seems almost absurd for anyone to argue that the artist does not have the right to change his or her own work. Furthermore, anyone who has done any serious writing knows that revision is an essential part of the process, often to the point of obsession. Creating art is a dynamic process, where the artist’s own product continues to change in the artist’s mind all the time. Writers who publish short fiction in the New Yorker or other magazines frequently make minor alterations and edits when re-publishing the stories as a collection later on. Musicians often re-record or update versions of older songs they wrote years ago. Of course, not *every* artist is going to make noticeable revisions to their work, but it is something that is pounded into one’s head for anyone who’s ever been part of a writing workshop or is a perfectionist (which many artists have a tendency to be).
And let us not forget that George Lucas makes revisions to *all* of his films, not just the original Star Wars trilogy. There was less of an outcry for the alterations made to “THX-1138” (currently in theaters as the “director’s cut”), “The Phantom Menace” and “Attack of the Clones” both had changes from their theatrical versions when released on DVD, and even the Indiana Jones films contained minor changes. People love to call this evidence of Lucas becoming a fascist, “empire”-like fan-hater–the embodiment of coporate filmmaking–but remember that this guy rejected the Hollywood studio system when he graduated film school, moved to the Bay Area in California to start his own independent film production house (with Coppola), got the studios to sign over all film profits from Star Wars to him, and then used all of that money to create his own company with its own special effects house and marketing divisions, etc. These actions provided Lucas the freedom to basically do whatever he wanted with his own artistic work, even if that meant Jar-Jar Binks and Greedo shooting first (both things I am personally not down with). As the audience, you’re certainly entitled not to like those (or other) aspects of his films, but Lucas has certainly earned the right to do whatever the hell he wants to many times over. Buying a ticket to someone’s film doesn’t make its vision “belong” to you all of a sudden. In the end, you are just enjoying Lucas’s films. They are, and always will be, his.
And hey, if you don’t like these special-special editions, there are certainly places one can go (*ahem, ebay*) to hook up the old-school versions. And everyone has to admit that taking out the Luke-screams-like-a-bitch business at the end of Empire is one ’04 revision of a ’97 revision that we can all agree upon, right??
Ok–my rant is done. Sorry for the length. In short: artist’s rights up in this bitch! Jea.
I’m just glad that he took out that damn ewok yub-yub song, I’ll trade a lot for never having to see that again.
It’s regarded as a bit of a fascist personality trait to want to alter and manipulate history. Lucas has himself admitted jokingly in some interviews that he’s become like the Empire. TIME magazine summed up Lucas’ psychosis well with regard to obsessively altering these films.
I’ve seen the original version quite a few times, so when the Special Editions came out, I felt that the changes weren’t subtle enough to slip by me without comment.
In fact, I disagree that the changes that Lucas made to Han Solo aren’t innocent. It changed his character. And character is really what gets a viewer emotionally involved in a film.
Don’t forget that Lucas also changed dialogue for a few characters through the three movies, resulting in more character changes. Albeit, some subtle. But, in Return of the Jedi, he removed one of Han’s infamous “Trust me.” lines. Oh I was hurt!
Changing character is, to me, as detrimental as changing plot.
Another point dealing with the technical nastolgia side, is that the Academy awarded Star Wars for best special effects in 1977. We’ll never get to see how those special effects were done in 1977 compared to modern day. You may think it’s insignificant, but would you think the same if Ray Harryhausen’s work was altered by modern CG?
To resolve my whining, I say George Lucas should just release the originals as well, and let the fans decide. Otherwise, I’ll bootleg.
I’ve got to agree that I’m tired of people whining about what a huge impact these changes are. And then you ask them which changes they’re specifically pissed off about, and they can generally come up with 3. Greedo shooting first, the extra Jabba scene, and the extra background characters in Mos Eisley. With the addition of the DVDs, they now have 2 additional ones: The change of Anakin’s face, and the addition of a shot of Gungans cheering at the end.
Now really, I ask you, what do ANY of these things change, except for the Greedo shoots first scene? The extra Jabba scene just gives us a bit more background of the relationship between Han and Jabba. The extra characters in Mos Eisley is actually a good thing, as without them, this “bustling spaceport” looks like a ghost town. And the additions to the end of Jedi just help tie everything together. Considering that he made parts 4-6 25 years before 1-3, there are probably tons more things he could’ve changed with respect to tying things together. So the things that did get added are VERY minor.
The only real sticking point, when you get right down to it, is Greedo Shoots First. And I think if you really pressed most people who say they’re unhappy with the changes, this is really the only one that they have a real problem with. And that’s understandable. It changes Han’s character. It sort of downplays his “redemption” at the end of Episode 4. Han’s supposed to be a smuggler. A scoundrel. A man on the other side of the law. And he’s being hunted for a price on his head. Why the hell SHOULDN’T he try to kill anyone who tries to collect? Having Han’s shot be a self-defense reaction rather than a self-preservation instinct dilutes his character somewhat.
But even that change is relatively minor in the grand scheme of things, and I’m willing to live with it for the sake of having all of the effects cleaned and polished to look spectacular.
I think it’s kind of funny that most of the time, people complain when a movie is re-released in its original form. They whine that they’re being “forced” by the studios to buy multiple copies of the same film. Well, now’s your chance to actually buy a better quality film, with a ton of work done to it, rather than just buying another copy of the same exact film.
Anyway,I’m sure that like myself, most people who really want to see the original versions of the movies still have VHS copies of them somewhere.
I don’t so much mind the changes. Like you said, they’re minor things for the most part. The only thing nagging the back of my mind is that he seems to be altering them, not to his original vision, but to his current vision. I own Episodes 1 and 2, I’ve seen them and enjoyed them. But I liked being able to view them as somehow seperate entities from the original series. And he’s taking that away. He’s using the original, amazing series to shove the newer, frankly inferior, movies down our throats. He should let the fans choose which parts they want to accept.
You’re right. They’re HIS babies.
But we paid for them.
TIME magazine put it a good way, I think: They wrote that the making of Star Wars was one of the most awful periods of Lucas’ life. In making these changes, he’s making them what he always imagined they would be, and in doing so he could be healing some of the wounds inflicted by that period of his life. When they put it that way, I had a lot less problems with the changes.
I agree with Campea.
These are cosmetic changes that don’t affect the structure of the whole story. Adding people here and ships there don’t really add up to a lot.
If Lucas had made Chewbacca Luke’s father, or added a scene in Empire where they blow up a Death Star Version 1.1, the story would change and become something different.
He’s been doing this since the late 1970’s. He added “Chapter 4: A New Hope” to the opening crawl in Star Wars during its second theatrical run. I doubt anyone noticed.
That said, if Lucas wasn’t such a control freak, he’d release both versions on DVD and let us decide which is better. But as long as he’s at the controls, we won’t get it.
Stop whining?! Never! :-)
I do not have a problem with the “Enhanced Editions” themselves. I have a problem with Lucas suppressing the original editions. I like my historical record intact, thank ye kindly. Lucas has made it very clear that if he had his way the originals would be completely expunged and forgotten, and that’s just wrong.
Suppose that whichever studio held the rights to some Humphrey Bogart movies decided they really would have been better with Adam Sandler in the lead, so they CGI him in? Then, furthermore, they decide to never issue the “Bogart Editions”, and forevermore will only support the “Sandler Editions”. How much whining would be acceptable then?
OK, the subject is highly personal and emotional to people… I think Lucas does not understand the psychology of the fans, or nostalgia…
Seeing the movies with all the new changes is, psychologically, like having a nitpicker tapping you on the shoulder every 20 minutes: “I would have done that differently.” “THIS is how it should play out.” “In MY version, Greedo shoots first.” It’s impossible NOT to be annoyed.
Far worse are the changes which ruin perfectly good scenes. The scene in Tatooine, where Obi-Wan uses the Force to distract the Stormtroopers worked fine as it was. Adding the clutter of pedestrians and aliens IN FRONT OF THE SHOT just ruins it.
OK, some effects shots needed cleaning up, and it was well done. Great. Then why didn’t Lucas fix the botched lightsaber effects in the first place? ANYONE could see those (suddenly the lightsabers turn into light-strip tubes).
And what prevents Lucas from just carrying on in the same manner? He can change and alter and embellish the original movies until he dies. Will this make the fans happier? I daresay not. But now that you’ve encouraged him, he has no reason not to.
Look forward to the “General Audiences Edition”, the “NC-17 Edition” with more blood, the “Tarkovsky Edition” with extra-long non-speaking scenes, the record-long “24”-style “Realtime Edition”…
-A.R.Yngve
http://yngve.bravehost.com
I have to respectfully disagree on the impact of these changes.
From my perspective, the original Star Wars trilogy exists in my life in two parts: the original experience of seeing them in the theater, and the comfort and nostalgia I feel upon subsequent, repeat viewings of the movies.
It is the latter experience that I feel suffers at the hands of Lucas’ tinkering. Not only do the new additions, deletions, corrections, etc, fail to enhance my enjoyment of the movies, but they TAKE ME OUT OF THE MOMENT as I watch them.
It is in this way, this interruption of my attempt to flee this world to the comfortable and familiar environs of that beloved galaxy far, far away, that I am upset at Lucas’ consistent manipulations of the films.
So instead of purchasing the DVD’s, I will fire up my VCR and spend several hours with the versions I know and love.
HAHAHA!!! Ok, I stand corrected.
Greedo not Guido.. Sorry :)