But then I found this place, got some links to DVDR copies of the Original Trilogy, and as of this afternoon, had copies of Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back. Wow! What a rush, seeing these movies as they were intended, with no extraneous crap. It was simply beautiful and after the SE and SSE viewings, I had forgotten how exceptional these movies really are and the incredible level of *consistency* present in the OT. Nothing looks out of place, there are no pacing issues, and it's a seamless viewing experience.
So I'd like to say thanks to:
Those hard-working individuals who imported, converted, edited, and otherwise compiled the OT DVD copies. Great work!!!
This forum, for providing a place for like-minded movie fans to converse, and slam that senile old fart Lucas.
The guy who invented LaserDisc, as without that technology, we likely wouldn't have a high-end edition of the OT to work with.
The people, other than that simpleton Lucas, who worked tirelessly to create a killer Original Trilogy, yet have seen their work continually diminished by the meddling of that madman.