Not going to discuss the merits of having Hayden at the end of Return of the Jedi. It's been done to death.
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CO's reply: Because that goes against the old argument, Lucas was just changing things cosmetically that he couldn't do in 1977, and now all of the sudden you have new actors in a 20 year old movie. And it does change the context now of the saga, cause Lucas is now saying that Anakin died in ROTS, and that is why he comes back as Hayden ROTJ. I would ask you, who is that guy who is conflicted all through ROTJ? ANAKIN!!!!!! He is the same guy!! So not only is it jarring to many of us who saw it for 20 years, it doesn't make sense.
As for the "rumor", what do you think is the percentage of "fans" that desperately need a remastered version of the theatrical releases? I'm curious because I don't see it as large as some here seem to think it is....
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Co's response: I don't think everyone needs it, but you are forgetting about who rebuys movies from a movie series: Diehards. The casual fans don't keep rebuying the same movies over and over again, hence why they are casual. There are large enough group out there who would gladly pay for a OOT remastered set, not everyone, but still a good bit.
And the reason he's celebrate the 30th Anniversary with "his version of Episode IV" is because basically, it's still the same, damn film...cosmetic changes and all. It's still the same film that has Luke, Han, and Leia as the main characters. Obi-Wan still gets it in the end. The Death Star still gets destroyed. The music is still by John Williams. The actors that played them in 1977 are still playing them in the 2004 versions. I mean, it begins the same and ends the same....
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Does it end the same? The last time I checked the whole ending of ROTJ montage is different, with the new song, the addition of new planets, taking out of the Ewok song, and the stupidest subtraction is when Lucas took out Lukes wink to the force ghosts! That was a nice moment gone from the SE because Lucas didn't have a vision of Luke winking in 1983?
As for the overall story, I do agree that that has stayed the same, but that still doesn't justify it is right. Why doesn't Coppola change Pacino in The Godfather and have him shoot second as the Cop & Solazzo shoot first in the Italian Restaurant so it can make Pacino's character less of a cold blooded killer. I mean it would only be a 5 second change? Whether it be 5 seconds or literally changing the whole movie, it is still unnecessary for something that was beloved and successful.
Casual fans, which make of the majority, don't have this feverish need to have the theatrical versions of the film released on DVD. When they pop in Star Wars, that's what they see. It feels Star Wars to them.
And even if Lucas were to relent and release it how this "core group" wanted them, the bitchin' would never, ever stop. It just wouldn't. That's the nature of Star Wars fans now. If everything was perfect except for one small oversight that nobody at Lucasfilm caught but some zealot fan caught, all hell would break loose and the bitchin' at Lucas would continue. It just would.
Why should he relent?
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CO's response: Please stop with the argument that everyone is bitchin, I have argued with you before Jumpman on TFN, and if you go read the posts when the OOT was announced on May 4th before everyone knew it was non-anamorphic, 95% of the fans were happy and satisfied. Sure there are always idiots who complain about the covers, and the extras, but most people here would be happy with the OOT remastered. And by the way do you still not want the OOT to be released in anamorphic like you said last August to me on TFN? Cause I always found that pretty petty when you constantly say we are the fans that are bitchin.