Dear Mr. Ward
I am writing to you as a concerned Star Wars fan who has been a fan since 1977 when it was shown at the now closed Coronet Theater in San Francisco. I, like countless others, were ecstatic about the announcement of the upcoming Sept 12th releases of the Original Unaltered Trilogy. That ecstasy came down slightly when details were revealed that they would be packaged with the 2004 DVDs which most fans already had and that they would be in 2.0 Stereo. These I could deal with easily. Dolby 2.0 stereo can be processed into Surround sound though a decent audio system.
But my excitement quickly turned to anger when I heard rumors, later confirmed, that the films will not be of a restored type in any form but they will be from laserdisc masters which are not anamorphic widescreen but in fact letterboxed 4:3 pictures. This is a highly disappointing development. It is in fact below standards of any DVD released today. It is certainly below Lucasfilm standards.
I’m an active member in the Star Wars community: a member of the 501st Legion and Fan Force. I’ve done various promotions and events in celebration of Star Wars such as midnight premiers, charity events, and DVD launch events. But I can no longer see myself being enthusiastic about supporting a cause that does not support its fans in this manner.
These films in their original theatrical versions are an important part of cinema history as well as American history. They have inspired millions around the world and have influenced generations of filmmakers, writers, and artists. Yet disdain of these original films have been a sore point among fans for a long time. These are the film we grew up with, the ones that inspired us. These are the films that created a new mythology for the last 2 generations. Most of us understand that Mr. Lucas has a right and desire to improve upon his vision, but the fact is many people did fall in love with the originals in their unaltered form.
Please reconsider this upcoming release and give the Theatrical versions of the Star Wars Trilogy a proper presentation.
I doubt it may help at this point. But I had to say something. Perhaps if they get flooded enough, they may reconsider anything in the future. Or they may realize how pissed off people have finally gotten.