The thing is the issue of the Prequels is easily solved for us that like the originals just don't ever watch the dvds. That is easy.
The not so easy part comes into play with the original trilogy because the 2004 set has been restored even with the colors messed up and is anamorphic. You either have to watch the crappy gout quality or put up with the changes in the 2004, to me as a fan i loose on both counts and this leaves little choice. I just don't get why Lucas cannot have the original originals side by side in the same quality as the 2004 minus the audio and color problems of course.
Yeah i have gout fanamorphic that would look better on a widescreen tv because you would not have to use the zoom function, but it still looks like crap.
Its a losing battle. I don't know why Ridley Scott can give us what we want but George Lucas cannot. If you compare the Blade Runner 5 disc standard dvd set against what Lucas has done with star wars there is no comparison.
And Negative 1 i like Plenty of Star Wars after 1983 even the prequels to a lesser degree if i consider them as EU, i like the Zahn trilogy and a lot of the expanded universe. I just cannot abide what Lucas has done to the original trilogy, if that could be taken out of the equation if Lucas gets off his duff and gets them restored then everyone is happy.
The Special Editions and Prequels deserve a place in the star wars universe, even if a somewhat lesser role than the original films. But to not have those films from 1977-1983 saved for future generations by a supposed film preservationist is downright retarded.
Just that imho, the Special Editions and Prequels should not replace the original movies. The fans should be given the choice what to like, love or hate. Lucas created the factions in the fandom by deliberately mistreating those old school fans and the films he has made way back when.
I have no problems with Kids liking the prequels, or the special editions, or the Clone Wars. But it would not kill Lucas to do a restoration of the films. In fact they were restored in 1997 except for those scenes that were not. It would not even take a complete restoration at this point if he wanted to be lazy just scan in those specific changed scenes and put them back in the film.
Despite what he says star wars in 1977 was a complete and finished film, the same thing with the empire strikes back in 1980, and return of the jedi in 1983. These are the facts.
Nobody has a problem with him going back in and revisiting these movies and creating an alternate edit that is made to suit his own tastes. The problem is denying the existance of the earlier "real" versions of the films and not allowing fans to choose.
Lucas could come out and say that Star Wars is continued growing and expanding in regard to canon, and explain away the revisionism and being just that. And it would be fair enough if we had the oot in an enjoyable and not laughable pathetic release.
Star Wars changes were made during the making of the original trilogy, Vader became Luke's Father and Leia Luke's sister as a retcon and i'm still fine with those changes.