Has anyone ever thought of running a fan campaign about the preservation of the theatrical version of the original trilogy? Ie running ads in Variety and something like cinefex (all the effects people read this)? Am pretty sure that there must be some kind of feeling in the film-making fraternity about the changes that George Lucas has made to these films. A film is really a collaborative effort on behalf of a team - If I was an effects guy from 1977 I would be bretty freakin' unhappy if my work were tempered with in the way that it has been. And as for the excuse that George Lucas has that these are "his" movies - he didn't even direct Empire or Return of the Jedi. Generally changes of the kind that he has made are decisions made by a director (who, in the past has been given "author" status, and therefore authorial license). And to be frank - movies in which George Lucas have been involved with tend to be a hell of a lot better when he has someone to collaborate with who has the power to reel in hie excesses.
You would really need people in the entertainment business to press the case to Mr Lucas. It seems more than clear to me that he is unwilling to listen to the fan base (unlike other film/TV most notable: Peter Jackson or Joss Wedon).
OK - am done ranting now.
Am glad there are other people around who feel as strongly about this as me.
