To whom it may concern:
I am writing to you in an attempt to possibly generate a story about the growing majority of Star Wars fans who want the original versions of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi on DVD as seen in the 70's and 80's (as opposed to the 1997 & 2004 Special Editions).
I think it would be an incredible help for our cause if a story was published in an upcoming issue of your magazine. I love your magazine, because to me it represents everything that is 'in' (with today's movies, music, and television) that the mainstream public is concerned about.
Since 1997, when George Lucas released the Star Wars Special Edition, he has not only refused to release the original three movies out on DVD, but he has denied that they even exist in their original form. For a film like "Star Wars" that influenced so many millions of people and permeated our popular culture, this is a significant historical loss. Thousands of fans have gotten extremely frustrated, and the demand for the original Star Wars trilogy on the current high tech format has been growing and growing.
There is a website entitled "www.originaltrilogy.com" that contains over 80,000 signatures of Star Wars fans merely asking for the original versions to enjoy on DVD. All of these fans respect the fact that George Lucas has a right to change the movies (despite the fact that he only directed one of them), but many believe that both versions should be available on DVD so that every customer may be satisfied. It would be much appreciated by the fans who have supported Lucas since the seventies. At this time, there is one 2004 DVD release, in which there were even more awful changes than there were in the 1997 Special Edition. The only current release could easily be titled "Star Wars Special Edition, Part 2", and many fans are disgusted.
A huge number of people (myself included) would love it if you were able to do a story about the history of the Star Wars movies, and the fact that there are many different versions of the films as a result of Lucas' incessant tinkering with the films. You could discuss the fact that the original versions are no longer for sale, and that many fans have resorted to buying illegal bootlegs. People shouldn't have to buy bootlegs to enjoy the original version of one of the greatest films of all time.
If you are at all interested in doing a story on this, I can give you the name of the creator of the website entitled "www.originaltrilogy.com". He would be more than happy to give you all the information you might need for the story. I don't think it would be an anti-Lucas story as much as a pro-Star Wars story, and it would be appreciated by thousands of fans out there.
Thanks very much for your time,
Chris Olivo
colivo72@aol.com