Firstly, I have to state I am a massive admirer of this site, both the cause and goal that it achieved with the petition - as part of the fan pressure - which led to the release of the 2006 GOUT dvds. And the evolution of the site into some of the best Original Trilogy preservation projects available to us mere mortals…
From the early VHS and laserdisc captures I see on here in the older parts of the forums, to the 2004 SE & 2006 GOUT DVD improvement projects, to the painstaking reconstruction by Harmy for his Despecialized Edits - based on the 2011 blu rays, puggo’s ‘Grande’ 16mm project (puntastic!), poita’s ongoing and amazing 35mm OT projects, the SSE and 4K projects by many of the good people both on here and also at TheStarWarsTrilogy.com, the educational and quality aspects of Mike Verta’s SW Legacy, and countless other projects.
On top of that… the various Fan Edits too; not just OT-based projects - but for all aspects of Star Wars. From Zion’s, Editroid’s & SKot’s Holiday Specials, adywan’s Revisited Edits, Hal 9000’s Prequel Edits, smudger’s Clone Wars, ADM’s 6-film Edit Saga, MagnoliaFan’s Eps 1 & 2 Edits and his pre-ANH VHS project.
All the way through to Sequel Edits, and newer projects by poppasketti, DigMod, NeverarGreat, Cameron Samurai, IlFanEditore and a whole list of people I’ve probably offended by omitting here (Sorry!)
The sheer talent and dedication, the ideas and problem-solving, that takes places in many of these threads is something to behold, respect and admire.
I love all of the projects I’ve seen on here - and especially the preservations of the Original Trilogy - where they be from those previously mentioned VHS, laserdisc and dvd projects - through to Harmy’s superb Despecialized or reel-based 4K projects recently available - and those projects still to come!
They are all fantastic and we are so fortunate to have them, all of them, thanks to the magnificent efforts of the people on this resolute and fantastic site - as well as other similar sites too.
What the fans have achieved and accomplished here is nothing short of remarkable…
And yet…
as the thread title states, I still yearn for that elusive, eagerly awaited, much anticipated, often rumored, (waiting for Godot!) official release of the unaltered theatrical version for the Original Trilogy…
Why on earth do we do it to ourselves? 😉
• Maybe it is the kid in us?
Wanting what we have been told we can’t have, maybe it is because we have had that precious, worn-in and much-loved thing taken away - and replaced with another newer, yet less kosher, shinier replacement… that just quite isn’t the same as the old original one?
• Or maybe the Rebel still alive in us (just)?
Thumbing our noses at ’George the creator’ in all of this, who has took it upon himself to decide that these award-winning films which stood unaltered (near enough) for 20 years - and made what they were by many talented and dedicated people around him - can longer be seen… as he solely adjudged them to be not the ‘right’ version or ‘vision’ (this, despite George not even directing two of the 3 OT films - and speaking how the films belong to the directors - not the studios (cough)…
• Maybe it is this place itself?
This hive of creativity, will, and rebellion - us wanting to see it succeed once again as it did in pressuring Lucasfilm into the 2006 GOUT DVD release (along with fan pressure from others, of course). To see it be victor again and this time with a quality release on a modern format with the love, dedication and respect these films so deserve.
Or the kindness of people like Rikter in helping people acquire these projects, and the old PIF systems before torrents, Mega and Rapidshare etc. People helping each other out with technical issues, queries and advice, giving up precious time and efforts and working towards improving techniques - for better and continually improving versions of projects; maybe it is these efforts that continue to amaze - all given for free.
And not be cheated with a release of the quality that we, the fans, were ‘rewarded’ with back in 2006 on the back of our successful fan pressure on Lucasfilm… a substandard and obsolete transfer meant for a laserdisc release 13 years prior - with DNR problems and other quality audio/video issues.
• Maybe it is the old claims & acknowledgments from Lucasfilm… (now no longer being acknowledged)?
That broken promise of what we were initially informed of in 2006 on the official Star Wars website - in the PR release by then Lucasfilm Vice President by Jim Ward:-
“That overwhelming demand” mentioned - which nobody from Lucasfilm (or now Disney) wants to talk about - and willfully ignores…
“Over the years a truly countless number of fans have told us they would love to see and own the original version that they remember experiencing in the theaters” - see above re Lucasfilm and Disney, see above…
“We returned to the Lucasfilm archives to search exhaustively for source material that could be presented on DVD” - re that obsolete and 13 year old transfer for a laserdisc release we ended up receiving instead 😉 Some ‘search’…
(click on ‘expand’ below to see a screenshot image of the Star Wars website announcement of the 2006 GOUT DVD release)
• Maybe it is wanting to share that same experience we all had… with family, loved ones, and the new younger generation?
We’re all getting older (dammit!) - yet one of the more important things I’ve learnt as I’ve ‘grown up’ is to share those special memories or experiences with others; with your loved ones, family, friends the next generation, as it were… which is increasingly difficult to do when it comes to sharing your favourite Star Wars moments - given most are likely to be from the Original Trilogy - and there so are many different versions available - apart from the ones we grew up with and would like to share, watch again and experience with people important to us…
And no, the '97, '04, '11 or ‘19 Special Editions don’t cut it - they aren’t ours, they aren’t the ones’ we grew up with and fell in love with, they didn’t stand for 20 years before being altered to freely test new technology for forthcoming projects - or formed the basis for all of the Star Wars Universe since.
• Maybe it comes down to what is ‘right’ and what is ‘wrong’, the lies, conflicting reasons, and retcons?
The importance of chronicling film history and preserving it - ironic consider George Lucas is an advocate of preserving films - just not his own…
The fogging of the differing versions in official sources - inferring to younger fans and those who don’t better and believe some of the footage from the films were from 40 years ago - again… not in changes from 2019, or in '11, or '04, or in '97.
The conflicting and often nonsensical reasons given by George as to why we cannot have a release of the OOT - continually disproved over time… much like many of his statements of his plans for the films, the reasons why he made the changes to the films, and also his attempts to re-write history.
Though maybe it is something else altogether?
Anyway, that’s enough of my opinion and rambling on…
Does anyone still feel the same, or along similar lines? Do you still pine for that unlikely official OOT release?
Are the reasons why you do akin to the reasons listed above - or something different altogether for you?
It’d be awesome to read others’ views and discuss that here with like-minded members of the community - as well as with those offer think differently, or with those who are content with the fan preservations - and talk about that too…
MTFBW us all.
#ReleaseTheOriginalTrilogy
(Feel free to ignore this thread if you haven’t much interest in it - there are many, many other absorbing threads and projects on this great place to discuss and post in! Though I hope the subject is still one of passion to members on here? That we are still the spark that will light the fire that will restore the Republic OOT? Many thanks to ooj for some of the history and links included above.)