stst415 said:

In all honest, I actually have NO problem at all with Lucas updating his movies to the various special editions. In some ways, he really did make at least some improvements. But what I simply want is a choice. In a perfect world, Lucasfilm would release a box set of the original trilogy that would include the original 1970-80s movies and the special editions.

I've been saying just that for years. These are Lucas's films, after all. He has the right to do what he wants to them, tweak them and fiddle with them and destroy what made them great. In a few (a very few) cases I can even concede that the changes improve the films (mostly visual FX cleanups). But the haphazard way it's all been done (good grief, there are things that have been wrong with the VFX since day one and STILL aren't fixed on the new Blu-rays), and Lucas's inexplicable insistence on adding ridiculous new FX and content, means that I get an unpleasant twitch every time I watch the "special" versions.

Like you, I just want the CHOICE. I'll watch the SEs to see some of the new cool stuff, but I vastly prefer the old originals...mistakes and outdated FX and all. I could never understand Lucas's reasoning on this. Doesn't he realize that he would make bucketloads of money just by offering both versions? Diehards like me would probably buy both, as long as we were given our beloved originals. :)

Anyway, Harmy's hard work has at least ensured that a new generation of viewers can see the films as they were originally released. And for that he deserves a medal or something.

cheers,

Phil