silverwheel said:
CatBus said:
EDIT: This means that IMO fan edits are EXACTLY the same as the Special Editions, by every moral measure except fraud.
Considering that Lucas didn't direct ESB or ROTJ, I would argue that those Special Editions are rather morally questionable, since he's screwing around with them at his leisure, and then telling us in the end credits that they were directed by Irvin Kershner or Richard Marquand. No, these are not the films made by those people.
Film making is a collaborative process by it's very nature.
Parts of any /most films have a lot of 2nd unit footage(shot by a different director) which still has to be approved by the main director before it finds it's way into the final edit.
For instance, the battle at Helms Deep in LOTR:The 2 Towers was NOT shot by Peter Jackson-----considering it is such a pivotal part of that movie's climax it's quite surprising that Jackson did not helm it-----but he still Quality controlled how it got edited into the final cut.
Lucas "collaborated" with both Marquand and Kershner as they shot their respective films...from conception to execution(aswell as participating in some 2nd unit direction).
For Empire:
While The Empire was being made, Lucas showed up at the London studios, where the interiors were shot, only three times. "I'd invite him to stand by the camera," says Kershner, "and he wouldn't. He'd say, 'It's your picture.' Then he'd stand way, way back somewhere, craning his neck." Kershner added his own touches, such as softer, more reflected lighting than the direct light Lucas employed in Star Wars. But he was always operating with Lucas' story, and he knew that Lucas, diffident as he was, was looking over his shoulder. If Lucas was in California, a videotape of the rushes was flown from London after each day's shooting.
For Jedi:
Says Marquand: "It is as if Lucas were a famous composer who said to me, 'Here's a 120-piece orchestra. Here's my music. I'd like you to conduct.' "
George has every right to tamper with these films irrespective of whether the final outcome improves or degenerates the final product.