Very well put, Bingo. It's your clarity and groundedness that serves our corner of the fandom well. Respected critics, directors, & authors have all said the same thing, ad nauseum, yet it continues to fall on deaf ears. It's not the SEs - it's the lack of originals. A very simple solution that will never be addressed because of an insanely self-involved man.

Good points on the CGI pre-hate by some folks, which I just can't understand. CGI is the matte painting of the 21st century and can be a very effective resource in the right hands.