TheBoost said:wwdarth said:But...why? Hopefully, just for the fun of it.
STAR WARS is what it is. An amazing piece of entertainment. I was 7 years old in 77, so believe me when I say it literally changed my life...not to mention giving me a tremendous childhood. White sabres can be annoying, but there is a also a certain charm that goes along with grainy film and that original LUCASFILM logo.
Don't get me wrong, what Adywan did was...incredible, and he should be applauded for such a time consuming, creative undertaking. If nothing else, it's a bold statement to Lucas to say this is how you fix a lightsabre...it's really not all that hard to tell the difference between blue and green. If Adywan can make a cinema quality special edition, why can't Lucas fix the blatant errors with his own professional release? I'm all for recompositing fx shots to get rid of matte lines as well as other subtle digital fixes where the original just wasn't good enough. However, if I'm being honest that's where I would draw the line at repairs.
Yes it's fun to hear "Vader's March" in ANH, or find out the limits of a new space battle on home video/computer equipment...but some things should remain the same. When Obi-Wan paused to exchange with a telling smile with Vader befor being cut down, it was that musical cue that brings me back to childhood viewings and embodies the original film. Yes, it was interesting to see how the prequal music fit over the beginning of the scene which wasn't scored...but if the original cue now is substituted or sped up to make room for a prequal cue, to me at least, that's just as bad as Greedo shooting first.
Preach on brother.
Like you, I also totally dig Adywan's work. But what he did, while very cool, didn't perfect the movie. In my mind, 'Star Wars' was perfect to begin with.
I used to have my SE VHS on the shelf next to the REAL versions. Now I happily have Ady's version in the same DVD case as the REAL version (laserdisk rip).
Although I disagree on drawing the line at repairs. That's one of the reasons I like Ady's title "Revisited." It, and all OT fan edits, can only ADD to the experience and the love, they can never replace it. It lets me experience it again, with fresh eyes.
I also like it because I convinced my roommate it was the sequal to Brideshead Revisited.
Seeing as Lucas started this the moment he began adjusting his own film back in 1978ish I don't see how making varient versions is any more puzzling now than it was back then.
ANH is ANH because George altered a film called Star Wars.
As for there being a Real version and varient less Real versions of the story, surely that's something more for individual viewers to decide and not for any author or editor to dictate.
Since Conan Doyle first started writing Holmes stories people have been debating who or what is the definative Sherlock Holmes.
Is it Holmes as written about by Doyle in A Study In Scarlet, is it Holmes as drawn by Sidney Paget, is Holmes as played by Rathbone, Cushing or Brett?
It's a debate that will never end.
For some people these edits are just playful fun but to some it's an attempt to find and share an idealised form of a story that is important to them.
I have no problem with anyone who sees any version of these films as their Real Star Wars but none of us should delude ourselves into believing there is one universal definative version.