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DVD WRITING CAMPAIGN - WEEK ONE - "Entertainment Weekly"

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Ok, we're going to start this writing campaign off by sending emails to Entertainment Weekly Magazine. Thanks to darkhelmet and Mike O for their help. Check the 'contacts' thread for more info: here

They have an "Obsessive Fan of the Week" spot on the letters page, but maybe if they get enough emails, they'll do a featured article.

Letters reference articles in previous issues; tie the DVD discussion to an article you've read in EW:
letters@ew.com
http://www.ew.com/ew

PLEASE do your part, folks. When you've sent your email, please post here to let everybody know so that we can gauge how many of us are participating. Also, post here if you get a response from EW, or if there's anything else you want to discuss regarding this week's target.

When writing your email, remember to keep it as brief as possible while still hitting some of these major points:

1) The films are some of the most influential of all time any yet they're being given sub-par DVD treatment, although many lesser films have been given much better treatment. This is especially ironic, considering they do not even meet the standards of Lucas' own THX program.

2) LFL's claim that the OT films don't exist is a lie- many organizations are preserving prints of the Original Unaltered Trilogy, such as the British Film Institute, the Library of Congress, private collectors, etc.

3) Even though GL has plenty of money to do this, other people such as film restorationist Robert A. Harris have still volunteered to do the restorations/transfers for the OOT. GL just doesn't WANT to. He wants to deny the fans an acceptable transfer of the OOT since it is no longer 'his vision'. The public would not accept permanent changes to other classic films (name a couple) and changes to the OT should not be accepted either. Besides, the fans aren't even asking for a full-blown restoration of the trilogy- just a new DVD transfer made from decent prints.

4) The claim that the OT discs are 'bonus features' is bogus- the DVDs are being marketed with the OT discs being front-and-center.

Please send your email to EW THIS WEEK and we'll hit another target next Wednesday.

Good Luck!

(mods: could we possibly make this thread a sticky?)

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Regardless of what you people think of me, I definitely want to contribute
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Just sent this out. Hope it does some good.

RE: Dalton Ross' 5/12/06 article, "Greed(o) Kills"

I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Ross' summation of George Lucas' treatment of Star Wars and then some. It is quite frankly outrageous that after all these years we still have not been given the original Star Wars trilogy on DVD. And, after hearing advanced reports on the new DVDs, it appears that these transfers of the original cuts are sub-par, taken from the laserdisc transfers and not even anamorphic! This is not just about stuck up fans getting what we want, this is about preserving film history. These films literally made George Lucas into the millionaire that he is now, and he could not care less about them, as well as the fans that made him so rich as well. There is absolutely no excuse for this treatment of the films. Although Lucas and stock Lucasfilm employees claim they have no copies of the original films (which may very well be true), there are original copies in the hands of many private collectors as well as film institutions that would no doubt be happy to provide Lucas with them if he has "misplaced" them. I hope that there will be enough support to make Lucasfilm see the errors of their ways; after all, after hearing fans reactions, Steven Spielberg was more than obliging to provide the original cut of ET on DVD in addition to his new special edition (in premium quality, no less!). Let us hope that Mr. Lucas will follow suit.

Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here, this is the war room!

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I'll take part in this.

"Now all Lucas has to do is make a cgi version of himself.  It will be better than the original and fit his original vision." - skyjedi2005

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Uhg, I didn't do well on the "brief" part, but at least my email might help influence them. It went as follows:

The original Star Wars has been so meaningful to so many people and in so many ways. For many it has been the height of dramatic entertainment for over a generation. For others it was a morality play that spoke of the struggle between good and evil. To many it was a magical fantasy world to lose their imaginations within. There are too many ways to count. The point is that many people were deeply attached to what originally came before (warts and all).

Now, Star Wars is very different. Much of the original beauty we all saw in Star Wars movies, and fanatically came to love, has now been deemed illegitimate by the very man who was the epicenter of their creation and now naturally controls the films' destinies. Much of the amazing and historic work performed by so many other people on the behalf of George Lucas' films has now been casually rejected by him as lacking all importance and value. While he has the legal right over Star Wars to make that judgment, he also claims to have the moral right, and that's just plain wrong.

Art is not something that stands apart from the time and space it occupies. The greater effect that a given piece of art might have had on the world, the more respect that particular piece of art should be given. The previous DVD release of the “original” Star Wars was not the same, classic film that we all remember. It was in fact George Lucas’ special edition from 1997 but without the “special” designation (and it contained even more revisionist changes beyond the 1997 version). The original films that affected so many people so deeply were instead maligned by their creator as something that didn’t even exist anymore (only in his mind of course).

Fans of the original Star Wars don’t want to sound like big crybabies, but the upcoming Star Wars DVD release, which merely puts a “Laserdisc master” of the “theatrical” Star Wars on a “bonus disc,” is far from acceptable treatment for such obviously important films. There are many who work in the field of film restoration (such as Robert A. Harris) who would absolutely jump at the chance to help restore the original theatrical versions to a modern, digital form and then transfer it to DVD. This act has been performed with far less important and far less marketable films and yet they somehow managed to generate profit. Yet Lucasfilm, with all of its resources and skill, cannot give this same, standard treatment to Star Wars?!

Whatever format a film is released in, it should try to mimic the original quality as best as possible. Using an older, laserdisc master is not the best representation of the original, theatrical Star Wars on DVD by any means. The sad part is that we know Lucasfilm has the means and the money to do a proper digital master for DVD. It’s not as if fans and movie enthusiasts would not reward Lucasfilm for a high quality, release. Instead, the sheer arrogance of Lucasfilm and George Lucas takes all the fun out of this for many Star Wars fanatics. I for one will not be purchasing this release of Star Wars despite my devotion to it. As much as I love to support the preservation of the original films, that same love of mine prevents me from supporting inferior, DVD treatment.

Lastly, as a Star Wars fan, I already have purchased the 2004 DVD version of the original Star Wars trilogy. It is plainly insulting that I should be expected to repurchase those same films a second time just to get a Laserdisc-quality version of the theatrical releases on DVD. This was the nail on the coffin in terms of my excitement for this upcoming release. Was that the ultimate “artistic vision” of George Lucas?

Thank you for your time,
Chad Derek Jacobson

"Now all Lucas has to do is make a cgi version of himself.  It will be better than the original and fit his original vision." - skyjedi2005

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Great! Thanks! You can probably re-use that letter in the coming weeks.

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BK, for the record, Lucas is a Billionaire, not a Millionaire. That's an edit well worth making.
I am fluent in over six million forms of procrastination.
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OK, as my computer has crashed and I'm operating from a library, I need to type much info in this post. First off, my idea as it originally stood was get Jay to drop a line to the 75,000+ people who signed the petition, figuring that that many e-mails would get some attention. I PMed him, but he hasn't said anything on the board. As I'm a newbie, I really don't want to bother him further, but if anyone here knows him well, then drop him a line. Strength in numbers. Second, we might just have to Shawshank Redemption this. We can't be ignored forever, can we? Third, one more important point. Lucasfilm will continue to spout their BS stating that the films have been restored on the 2004 DVD boxed set. We need to make it abundantly clear that no one is denying Lucas his original vision or the SEs, but that we just want high quality copies of the original versions for ourselves. It's too bad Pauline Kael isn't still alive. She may have hated the Star Wars trilogy, but can you even imagine what she'd do if Welles altered Citizen Kane. How about if someone went to make The Wizard of Oz more politically correct? These are the necessary points. By the way, for pure fanboy pleasure, one could mention tha this is not a new phemenon and that everything from the music replacement on the Northern Exposure and Quantum Leap DVDs to Spielberg's strange obsession with Close Encounters. Imagine it now gang, on the cover of EW or Time: "Jay Sylvester and originaltrilogy.com. The Battle Over Star Wars: How Far Can Revisionist History Go?" And we must remind them that, if they want more info, they should contact Jay. All right then, in the words of The Wild Bunch, "Lets go." Sticky, anyone?

“What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.”

Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death

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Originally posted by: ADigitalMan
BK, for the record, Lucas is a Billionaire, not a Millionaire. That's an edit well worth making.


Wow, so he is. Greedy bastard

Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here, this is the war room!

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Originally posted by: Mike O
OK, as my computer has crashed and I'm operating from a library, I need to type much info in this post. First off, my idea as it originally stood was get Jay to drop a line to the 75,000+ people who signed the petition, figuring that that many e-mails would get some attention. I PMed him, but he hasn't said anything on the board. As I'm a newbie, I really don't want to bother him further, but if anyone here knows him well, then drop him a line. Strength in numbers.

That would be great, but considering that we haven't heard from Jay in a while, we might as well just go on ahead and try to do this ourselves.

I agree that this thread should be made a sticky---anyone????


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Only if we get rid of another sticky thread. We have too many of those suckers already.

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

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It's better just to bump this one. Sticky's, ironically, tend to just get ignored because people are used to seeing them and automatically looking below them o see which threads near the top by virture of having new posts.
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OK- no sticky then.

Who else has sent their email to EW?

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I dont think you will achieve anything writing to places like these, as hardly any I think will go against George as he is quite powerful/popular man.

If you want to do something along these lines which may be better ,you could try alertting DVD magazines/reviewers(also stores) to the quality of this "bonus" OOT release as they been previewing them I assume without seeing them (defin here in the UK they have big priviews) to let readers know because I would very surprised if LFL will actually send to reviewers a copy of these, as they will get torn shreds if they are as bad as been assumed, and LFL have done nothing disprove the quality of this release, but I am sure they still be pushing the bonus feature(the OOT) with in store posters in store promotions as the main selling point of the DVD and not every comes on the net and knows and thinks it a good standard product so some customers will be unaware.

just an idea.
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Bump. If my computer is ever up and running again, I'm definately in.

“What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.”

Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death

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Originally posted by: Mr Bungle
I dont think you will achieve anything writing to places like these, as hardly any I think will go against George as he is quite powerful/popular man.

If you want to do something along these lines which may be better ,you could try alertting DVD magazines/reviewers(also stores) to the quality of this "bonus" OOT release as they been previewing them I assume without seeing them (defin here in the UK they have big priviews) to let readers know because I would very surprised if LFL will actually send to reviewers a copy of these, as they will get torn shreds if they are as bad as been assumed, and LFL have done nothing disprove the quality of this release, but I am sure they still be pushing the bonus feature(the OOT) with in store posters in store promotions as the main selling point of the DVD and not every comes on the net and knows and thinks it a good standard product so some customers will be unaware.

just an idea.
We're going to be targeting a new one each week, so we can send our emails to Sound and Vision (or someplace else that does DVD reviews) next week.

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Hi, Mielr and Mike O. I'm finally back in the fray! I hope you can get back online soon, Mike.

Here's what I sent to EW:

Dear EW,

Like many people, I have been a Star Wars fan since childhood. Following the franchise’s development through the years, I was interested to see the unmasked villain of the entire Skywalker Saga, Darth Vader, front-and-center on last year’s May 20 issue (#820), a testament to the impact that the original three movies have made on our society.

Not only did Star Wars imbed itself in our consciousness, it garnered 6 Oscars and permanently changed not only the movie industry but also the art of filmmaking itself.

Which are three reasons why the upcoming DVD releases containing this seminal film and its sequels are egregious, artistic sins. I use the word “containing”, because that is all this upcoming release presents them as, elements of a release.

The theatrical versions of the original Star Wars trilogy have been relegated to bonus material, while the release showboats yet another incarnation of George Lucas’s digitally altered versions of the films. Digital alterations have already been released twice on DVD. In an article on MTV.com (5/11/06, George Lucas Says Indiana’s Next Crack Of The Whip Will Be Tamer), Lucas states, “It's just the original versions, as they were. We didn't do anything to it at all.” What kind of treatment is that for three of the most popular and influential films in all of film history?

In the same article, Lucas claims that this release will indicate whether or not DVD buyers really wanted the originals on DVD. People will always want the original of any important film on the latest, greatest home format; just look at the original King Kong released this year from Warner Home Video!

Why hasn’t Lucas given the original movies which made him famous and wealthy their own commemorative release on DVD with the best treatment possible? His companies push the cinema technology envelope with THX sound and special effects, and he retools the original Star Wars films to create his “original visions” of them, but why won’t he issue even an industry-standard DVD release of the original theatrical versions of the films that he is best known for?

Frustrated Fan,
Michael Banks


The final question really sums up the source of my frustration with the upcoming DVDs. Doesn't sound too kooky, does it?

Edit: I was thinking about how to drum up more contributors to the cause; is it against forum rules/ettiquette to PM a list of people about this to try to get them involved?
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Originally posted by: darkhelmet

Edit: I was thinking about how to drum up more contributors to the cause; is it against forum rules/ettiquette to PM a list of people about this to try to get them involved?


I don't know- I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Seeing how so few people have participated so far, I'd say it's a good idea.

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Originally posted by: Mielr
Originally posted by: darkhelmet

Edit: I was thinking about how to drum up more contributors to the cause; is it against forum rules/ettiquette to PM a list of people about this to try to get them involved?


I don't know- I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Seeing how so few people have participated so far, I'd say it's a good idea.


Alrighty then. I'll PM a couple of people.

One thing people will need to understand is that we are NOT trying to change September's DVD release but only trying to make known the ridiculousness, the illogic, and the dishonor (to the films AND the fans) of releasing the originals as mere bonus material.
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Since EW is naturally only interested in publishing letters that relate to their publication in specific ways, I've amassed the link list from EW.com below to enable us letter writers to reference an article that we can use as a springboard for our September DVD questions about the shoddy, substandard treatment that the "OOT-as-bonus-material-only" is getting.

I hope the list gives everyone something to reference and maybe a little inspiration to fight the good fight.

Here it is:

Pertinent Links on EW.com:

SW Search Results on EW.com:
http://www.ew.com/ew/search/verity/result/1,9158,,00.html?origin_topic=&origin_type=&origin_brand=0&find=star+wars&x=5&y=3

Specific Articles:

2004 DVD Release:
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/review/dvd/0,6115,697508_21_0_,00.html

DVD Reviewer Speaking Against Yet Another SW DVD Release This September:
http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1193583_1_0_,00.html

George Lucas AFI Lifetime Achievement Award Articles:
http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1073713_1_0_,00.html
http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1070800_1_0_,00.html

ROTS Box Office Articles:
http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1065898_1_0_,00.html
http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1067003_1_0_,00.html
http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1064489_1_0_,00.html
http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1063956_1_0_,00.html
http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1058214_7_0_,00.html

EW’s 5 Burning Questions About SW:
http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1060832_7_0_,00.html

The Saga Ends:
http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1060829_7_0_,00.html

Expanded Timeline of SW History:
http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1059915_7_0_,00.html

Reader Favorites from SW: Aliens, Ships and More:
http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1062143_1_0_,00.html

Comprehensive Look at the SW Franchise (link page):
http://www.ew.com/ew/allabout/0,9930,42702_11_0_,00.html

Mielr, I've PM'd a few people; I have a couple more in mind to PM as well.

We'll see if that helps the cause.

Edit: I PM'd those two others; more are coming to mind.
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Feel free to use and edit this letter of mine, if you'd like. Posting via snail mail is not really a viable option for me, as I reside in Australia, but I could still use it for emailing purposes if I tailor it correctly...

Dear IMDB.com staff,

I am writing to you concerning the multiple versions of the original Star Wars trilogy: the original theatrical version, the 1997 Special Edition, and the 2004 Special Edition. I believe that the '97 and '04 special editions are sufficiently different to warrant separate ratings to the original theatrical version, if not only to highlight the differences between them. As you are no doubt aware, there are many schools of thought among Star Wars fans, particularly when it comes down to which versions (or indeed, even which trilogy) they prefer. A fan of the original theatrical version may utterly despise the special editions and vice versa, and this can make things difficult with regards to reader ratings and comments on your website (am I scoring this film according to my view of the original version or the special edition?). As it stands now, it is impossible to tell which versions are the preferred ones amongst the viewing public. Indeed, a great portion of the viewing public is largely unaware of the changes that have been made to these films over the past decade; changes that in some instances are merely cosmetic, but in many instances affect the continuity, characterisations, and even meaning of the entire Star Wars story (the "Han Shoots First" debate springs to mind).

Why is this important? This coming September, Lucasfilm and Fox will be re-releasing the original Star Wars trilogy on DVD. The 2004 DVD release was a disappointment to many Star Wars fans across the galaxy, who were expecting a quality DVD transfer of the original theatrical versions, as the title was not designated "Special Edition". This was not the case, and we have since learned that George Lucas now considers the 2004 special editions to be the definitive version, and has been quoted as effectively denying the existence of the original theatrical versions. As you can expect, this has angered many Star Wars fans, who are yet to see their definitive version (and indeed, the original, unaltered version) transferred and restored faithfully to a modern, quality digital format like DVD. Many lesser films have recieved this treatment, while films such as Superman and E.T. have been restored faithfully alongside their special edition brethren within the same DVD sets. But I digress.

The September 2006 DVD set will reportedly consist of the 2004 Special Edition versions, with the original theatrical versions included as bonus material. This is great news for fans of the original versions, but at the same time, this treatment does not give these films their proper due. The original theatrical Star Wars trilogy will be a direct transfer from the 1995 Laserdisc masters (as in, not restored and remastered from the original prints) and will not be presented in anamorphic display - an industry standard for important DVD releases such as this. No doubt this DVD set will again be designated as the Star Wars Trology, with no indication that the special editions will once again be the core of the release, and yet the inclusion of the "original, unaltered trilogy" will be used as its major selling point, if Lucasfilm's press releases are to be believed. After all, what Star Wars fan wouldn't already own the 2004 DVD set?

So on one hand, we have George Lucas dismissing and effectively denying the existence of the original theatrical versions, and on the other, we have Lucasfilm using the original, unaltered trilogy as a major incentive for Star Wars fans to purchase three DVDs which they already own, with the major incentive as "Bonus Material". To add credence to his now "definitive vision", George Lucas has gone on record on a number of occasions to claim that there is no demand for the original theatrical versions of Star Wars, and that the fans only want to see the 2004 special edition versions. This has created a catch-22 situation for many Star Wars fans, who would love to demonstrate the overwhelming demand for the original versions, but are unable to, as the core of the release is still the special edition versions (George Lucas could simply claim that people purchased them for the special editions). On top of that, most of these fans already own the 2004 DVD set, and do not wish to purchase them again *just* to get the original versions as bonus materials from Laserdisc masters. What there *is* demand for, is a separate release of the original theatrical versions of the Star Wars trilogy on DVD, restored and remastered from the original prints, and presented in anamorphic widescreen (basically, given the treatment that any great film deserves and has been given). And so, while fans may be unable to demonstrate this demand with their wallets, it would be great if they could at least do it with a separate star-rating on a website, namely one as widely-read as IMDB.com. If you could accomodate this request, you would be doing both Star Wars fans and consumers a great service.

Thank you very much for your time,

The Red Baron
MTFBWY. Always.

http://www.myspace.com/red_ajax
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Thanks, theredbaron. This spells out extremely well the frustration with and the inequity of the Septmeber DVD release that I hope we can address with this writing campaign.

Please, everyone who reads this thread, we need your help TO DEMONSTRATE TO LUCAS AND THE ENTERTAINMENT WORLD THAT THERE IS DEMAND FOR THE OOT ON THE LATEST, GREATEST DIGITAL FORMAT and that WE FANS WILL NOT SIMPLY TAKE GEORGE LUCAS' BACKHAND AND SAY, "PLEASE, SIR, MAY I HAVE ANOTHER"!
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Yeah, the purpose of my letter was to illustrate the frustration of OOT fans as objectively as possible, without it sounding like a rabid, emotive piece of propaganda.
MTFBWY. Always.

http://www.myspace.com/red_ajax