Very true.
"so I have to trust that what you see on the DVD is what they intended, even if you may disagree with their choices."
Even when the foreign soundtrack has different (i.e. "correct") settings? LOL!
"Van Ling: I would definitely expect something like that, probably around 2007. But I still think this current set is worth getting as well, since the content will be different for any future sets."
Curious. Does the "different content" refer to the extra materials, or to the movies themselves? More changes, George?
"The bottom line is that Lucas is 100% within his rights to do anything he wants with these films. I don't want to be called a Lucas apologist for pointing out an objective fact. "
Actually, you are absolutely right. I just have a problem with how Lucas is exercising these rights.
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"They created the OT, Lucas (along with the real Producer) could only REVIEW and CONFIRM their creation. It's a pretty easy concept to understand, but it seems to go over the head's of many Lucas Fanboys.
Lucas does have the LEGAL RIGHT to screw up the OT, but he's no different than Ted Turner attempting to colorize classic movies. Both own the legal rights, so they can do what they want with someone ele's creation.
But that legal right does not make hacking up classic cinema morally right.
Well, I'm certainly not one to defend Lucas either, but you are seriously splitting hairs and mixing the issues in your argument here.
"So no, I don't see much different between Ted Turner and George Lucas, and I think it's quite insipid to consider Lucas the creator of the Star Wars Trilogy, any more than Albert S. Ruddy *created* The Godfather, or Lawrence Bender *created* Pulp Fiction."
By that reasoning, just because you don't see a difference between Turner and Lucas doesn't make it so, either. The only film he had to buy the rights to in order to change was ANH, which is ironic because it is the one film that was mostly his.
Now, if you wish to put a myopic focus on the strict definition of theatrical terminology in order to put 1) a man who financed, oversaw and finalized ESB and ROTJ on the same level as 2) a man who had no direct or peripheral involvment in the actual making of films which he later bought and changed, then go right ahead, but you are nowhere near making a relevant point.
Lucas did not want direct, day-to-day involvement with his films, but he was involved with them. Obviously, he's gotten way too involved with them now (as have we, apparently.
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