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Artists' rights

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Hello all, I'm new here.

I signed this petition quite awhile back, then found it again when I first heard the films would be hitting DVD... and hey, Idiscovered this board, which I think is quite cool! Glad to know I'm not alone... I even got my girlfriend (a devout Star Wars hater, though she graciously bought me the DVDs for our anniversary) to sign the petition. I've registered to the forum a little while ago, just never bothered posting.

Anyway, I'd just like to express my overall disappointment, as many have, over the fact that we'll never get an official release of the original trilogy on DVD (according to Lucas at least). While I prefer the originals, without a doubt, I'm still able to watch these new DVDs and enjoy the films. I'm still getting the story and the adventure, with a little bit of altered things that I don't care for, but I can enjoy them for what they are... but, and I know this has been said before, I can't see a real point to any of these changes unles you've got something to compare them to eg. the films in their original, unaltered states.

This IS the first time I've seen all three Star Wars films in widescreen (at least, the first time I've watched them in widescreen knowing the difference between widescreen and fullscreen - I saw the ANH and ROTJ SE's in '97 when I was 9, not knowing at all what more I was seeing). While I can't deny that George Lucas has the right to do as he pleases with these films... I also feel that once any sort of art is made available to the public, it becomes theirs as well. No, artists don't make things for the public, they make art for themselves, but I feel that the artist gives their art up to the public. While it may be George Lucas' vision, we the fans own it as well. He gave us Star Wars with models, matte lines, and Sebastian Shaw... and now he owes us that. For him to just forget them is a horrible injustice to US, because without us, he wouldn't even be able to do what he's doing to the trilogy now. How he can simply say "Sorry you fell in love with an unfinished film," shrug it off and sleep at night, I have no idea.

My outrage not only comes from being a Star Wars fan, but as a filmmaker. I want to appreciate what special effects were like in '77, '80, and '83. With changes coninually being made, I can't. I can't appreciate the fact that bunch of guys got together and build models. I can't appreciate that they were able to erase a set of wheels by putting vaseline on the lens. I can't appreciate that you had no choice but to have black lines around your space ship. Turning to a 30-year-old movie to appreciate MODERN technology? That doesn't sit well with me at all.

And of course, I'm outraged that certain story elements have changed. Boba Fett an Aussie? Anakin's ghost looking like Hayden?! Obi-Wan said it himself... " From a certain point of view." From a certain point of view, these changes make perfect sense. From others (like mine), they don't.

Anyway, there's my rant of sorts.
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I recently read the Lucas interview in Entertainment Weekly, which puts his comments in a slightly different perspective. I'm really beginning to get the idea that what GL and his fellow "artists" want from the current copyright regime is something more along the lines of the protections software compaines enjoy i.e. you don't own a piece of art-- you have a licence to use a piece of art for a set period with few restrictions, or an unlimited period with many restrictions. This is a stand I cannot condone, because as far as I'm concerned, once you own a DVD of a movie, it should be yours to do with as you wish, even if that means something I may not agree with, like the ClearPlay content filtering system.

Princess Leia: I happen to like nice men.
Han Solo: I'm a nice man.

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I am sorry if I said any bad cometts before I hope you can forgive me. Anyway I think george lucas has every right to change his moives the way he originaly wanted them to be also I think a flimmaker has every right to change his movie if he want's to.
Kenneth Kraly Jr.
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I dont think anyone on the site is really arguing his right. I mean, we may say its rediculous, but it is his right. The real problem is that he wont release the originals as well. If you dont understand this now, you never will. There are about a zillion threads explaining what we feel his obligations are: to the fans, the original artists(etc.), history, the whole film making community, the list goes on. If you really cant see that perspective, ok. Like I said, im not here to convince you.

It is his right, but he is really taking it to the extreme. His stubborness about the OT isnt reasonable. There isnt much about these decisions that makes sense. But like I said, you might not agree.

Personally, I think its a travesty.
"You don't own space, so stop actin' like you do."