Just saw this article and knew I had to share it with you guys. Thoughts?
I forgive you Lucas. Whatever that means. (Some people are so melodramatic about Star Wars. Do the guys who write these articles know that Lucas is not our dad?)
The ball is in Lucas court all he has to do is restore the original trilogy from 77-83 and make it viable for future generations of film fans.
Not just for DVD and Blu Ray, the existence of the movies on restored film prints need to be worked on for archival versions.
Fans like me could not care less about the special edition and prequels if we could watch the movies in a modern transfer that is not twenty years old, from thirty year old analog video format.
“Always loved Vader’s wordless self sacrifice. Another shitty, clueless, revision like Greedo and young Anakin’s ghost. What a fucking shame.” -Simon Pegg.
The article can come off a bit as if the author is being 'the better man' and forgiving Lucas; that's generous and all, but that requires for him to have held Lucas' 'transgressions' against him on a personal level.
Listen, I'd like to see the originals restored as much as the ne... Almost as much as the next person. And yes yes, the prequels. But for me, that just doesn't translate into some kind of personal grudge.
Kitbashed
Essays, videos and thoughts on the inspiration behind Star Wars.
Too bad the author didn't expand more on the treatment of the OT. The Prequels don't bother me nearly as much as the SEs.
I don't think I have a personal grudge against Lucas, I just don't admire him nearly as much as I used to.
A lot of that admiration would return, however, if he were to restore and release the original trilogy properly. I'd never feel exactly the same way about him, of course, because the poor SE decisions and the Prequels revealed that he's not the talented artist and director I once thought he was. I'm mostly disturbed by the petty attitude towards the OOT and the fans, but a lot of that would fade away with the proper OOT restoration.
The 3D release is the last straw for me.
VADER!? WHERE THE HELL IS MY MOCHA LATTE? -Palpy on a very bad day.
“George didn’t think there was any future in dead Han toys.”-Harrison Ford
YT channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader
Tobar said:
Just saw this article and knew I had to share it with you guys. Thoughts?
Misses the point entirely.
"Close the blast doors!"
Puggo’s website | Rescuing Star Wars
I never got this stuff about forgiving or not forgiving Lucas for the prequels. So he made films that you don't like, accept it and move on. The real stick in the craw is the original versions of the original trilogy, and that's a real instance where Lucas has made enemies.
captainsolo said:
The 3D release is the last straw for me.
3D may prove to be a good thing for the PT since the eye candy is easily the best thing they have to offer in the first place. Imagine AOTC’s speeder chase in 3D. I’m looking forward to seeing that.
As for the OT, whatever. All I want from Lucas is a proper release of the original versions. I don’t like what Lucas did with the SE’s and I’m not interested in whatever further changes he makes to them. If he wants to convert them to 3D he’s welcome to do so. I’m not going to go to the theaters and spend the money to see them. I’d rather stay home and watch Revisited.
Time is running out for the Rebels. Antilles upcourt to Skywalker. He’s being paced by Darth Va— the bone-jarring pick by Solo! He came out of nowhere! Skywalker’s open from way outside, he launches at the buzzer... Good! It’s good! The Rebels win on a sensational buzzer beater by Luke Skywalker! Let’s take another look at that last shot. He just does get it off in time. Wow, what a shot. That’s why they call him Luke Legend.
That may be the most exciting battle I have ever been privileged to broadcast. Certainly the most dramatic finish. We’ll get you an update on the Artoo Detoo injury situation in just a moment. Right now let’s go courtside where SuperShadow is waiting with Chewbacca.
Nope. I still hate his stinking guts.
IT'S MY TRILOGY, AND I WANT IT NOW!
"[George Lucas] rebooted the franchise in 1997 without telling anyone." -skyjedi2005
"Yeah, well, George says a lot of things..." a young 1997 xhonzi on RASSM
"They're my movies." -George Lucas. 19 people won oscars for their work on Star Wars (1977) and George Lucas wasn't one of them.
Tobar said:
Just saw this article and knew I had to share it with you guys. Thoughts?
What I can say now, after rewatching the best film of the series on the occasion of its 30th anniversary, The Empire Strikes Back, is that George Lucas is directly responsible for one of the things that has given me the greatest, most quantifiable joy (if by "money spent" alone) in my life and no one—not even George Lucas—can sully the goodness that he created.
(emphasis mine)
Except by stealing the original versions of the films from those that loved them.
Dang does this dude miss the point.
For those of you who feel he missed the point, his email is at the bottom of the article: joel@gizmodo.com. It might be a good idea to properly inform him so that the real issue might get some proper exposure.
Tobar said:
For those of you who feel he missed the point, his email is at the bottom of the article: joel@gizmodo.com. It might be a good idea to properly inform him so that the real issue might get some proper exposure.
I read some of his comments.
"I hate Jar Jar!" and "The PT suxxor" were among the more intelligently put.
Maybe WE'VE missed the point. Maybe being an enraged wierdo who can't get over that the Prequels weren't particuarly good is the natural thing to be, and maybe someone concerned over the continual existence of one of the watershed films of all time is the real wierdo.
TheBoost said:
Except by stealing the original versions of the films from those that loved them.
Fortunately, Adywan has given us back the (almost exactly) original version of ESB and an (almost universally seen as) improved version of ANH, with an improved version of ESB on the way. (Is there a “theatrical reconstruction” for ANH like there is for ESB?) ROTJ is a few years away, but it will get here — in 1080p, no less.
It will be easier to forgive Lucas as the damage he does is undone by Ady. Ady deserves to be famous for his extraordinary contributions to recovery of this cultural treasure. Unfortunately, copyright issues will keep his work from reaching the large audience it deserves and who deserve it, and will keep the film industry and cultural preservation organizations from ever recognizing it. :-(
Time is running out for the Rebels. Antilles upcourt to Skywalker. He’s being paced by Darth Va— the bone-jarring pick by Solo! He came out of nowhere! Skywalker’s open from way outside, he launches at the buzzer... Good! It’s good! The Rebels win on a sensational buzzer beater by Luke Skywalker! Let’s take another look at that last shot. He just does get it off in time. Wow, what a shot. That’s why they call him Luke Legend.
That may be the most exciting battle I have ever been privileged to broadcast. Certainly the most dramatic finish. We’ll get you an update on the Artoo Detoo injury situation in just a moment. Right now let’s go courtside where SuperShadow is waiting with Chewbacca.
cap said:
Fortunately, Adywan has given us back the (almost exactly) original version of ESB and an (almost universally seen as) improved version of ANH, with an improved version of ESB on the way.
Er, no. The reason for preserving the original movies is not because they were "better" than the more recent versions (either George's or Ady's). The reason is because they are a part of film history, and represent the state-of-the-art for special effects (and other things such as editing) that won the relevent Academy Awards in 1977. Making a better version is cool, and making a worse version kinda sucks, but neither is relevant to why we are here.
Also, as much as I enjoy Adywan's edit, I still prefer the original. That's not relevent to my point, but it does relate to one of yours.
"Close the blast doors!"
Puggo’s website | Rescuing Star Wars
Puggo - Jar Jar's Yoda said:
The reason for preserving the original movies is not because they were "better" than the more recent versions (either George's or Ady's). The reason is because they are a part of film history, and represent the state-of-the-art for special effects (and other things such as editing) that won the relevent Academy Awards in 1977.
Also, as much as I enjoy Adywan's edit, I still prefer the original.
I understand that, and it’s why I refer not only to the Revisited edits but also to Ady’s Theatrical Reconstruction of ESB, which is an almost-exact reproduction of the original film. It’s also why I ask whether there’s a Theatrical Reconstruction of ANH.
There should be a proper release of the originals, ideally in hi-def. We are in agreement that there’s no legitimate excuse for not doing it and Lucas is being an asshole. But the TR comes pretty darn close to recreating what Lucas chooses to keep from us, at least in the case of ESB.
Time is running out for the Rebels. Antilles upcourt to Skywalker. He’s being paced by Darth Va— the bone-jarring pick by Solo! He came out of nowhere! Skywalker’s open from way outside, he launches at the buzzer... Good! It’s good! The Rebels win on a sensational buzzer beater by Luke Skywalker! Let’s take another look at that last shot. He just does get it off in time. Wow, what a shot. That’s why they call him Luke Legend.
That may be the most exciting battle I have ever been privileged to broadcast. Certainly the most dramatic finish. We’ll get you an update on the Artoo Detoo injury situation in just a moment. Right now let’s go courtside where SuperShadow is waiting with Chewbacca.
I thought it was a decently-written article, and I certainly hope those who are foaming at the mouth and crying for blood can see it and calm down a bit. But I agree it is missing the point. Like Mielr said, the prequels don't bother me as much as the SEs do (although with the 2004 version having the prequels bleed into them, that does sour me on them a bit). I'd much prefer Lucas give up Star Wars, end the franchise, now and forever, and have no one ever write another book, code another video game, or shoot another movie. That would be great. But at the end of the day, all I really care about is getting the trilogy the respect it deserves, and the article doesn't even touch on that.
There is no lingerie in space…
C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.
The disrespect for the OOT is the thing that really pisses me off.
These bloggers only write about stuff that stirs the shit. The altering/suppressing of the original versions is so much worse than the prequels but it's easier to say people are just upset about a fictional world and make everyone involved sound like an unreasonable nut.
Too bad, since presenting the preservation angle can stir shit too, that always brings out loyal superfans who will say they are purely his work, he has the moral right to do what he wants with them, etc. etc.. (Which ignores the fact that the trilogy he's altering is made up of one movie that he didn't finance and 2 that he didn't direct.) Anyway, this one's better:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/roughsketch/2010/10/princess_leias_cocaine_use_not.html
After Indy IV, I have moved on, nothing to see here, no more second chances from me.
There's nothing to forgive - I still have that thrill of seeing Empire and Jedi in the cinema on first UK release and being old enough to appreciate it. (I did see Star Wars in the cinema too when it first came to the UK, but all I remember about that is wetting the bed! Followed by a very worn out VHS recording of its first broadcast on ITV some years later).
They are George's flicks - he can do what the hell he wants with them. He knows that scarcity creates value.
I thought the article kinda made a good point.
George has made a lot of bad decisions and alienated a lot of fans. But I can dump my Star Wars figures out on the floor and watch my 2 sons entertain themselves for a couple of hours. Then we can have a lightsaber fight.
I'm grateful for that connection with my kids.
You know of the rebellion against the Empire?
cap said:
Puggo - Jar Jar's Yoda said:
The reason for preserving the original movies is not because they were "better" than the more recent versions (either George's or Ady's). The reason is because they are a part of film history, and represent the state-of-the-art for special effects (and other things such as editing) that won the relevent Academy Awards in 1977.
Also, as much as I enjoy Adywan's edit, I still prefer the original.
I understand that, and it’s why I refer not only to the Revisited edits but also to Ady’s Theatrical Reconstruction of ESB, which is an almost-exact reproduction of the original film. It’s also why I ask whether there’s a Theatrical Reconstruction of ANH.
There should be a proper release of the originals, ideally in hi-def. We are in agreement that there’s no legitimate excuse for not doing it and Lucas is being an asshole. But the TR comes pretty darn close to recreating what Lucas chooses to keep from us, at least in the case of ESB.
I don't think so. As the guy who wrote the article, you are hitting a strawman. People may like the GL Special Editions better than the originals, or Adywan's edits better than both, but that's not the problem. And Adywan's edit is way more different than the original than the Special Edition of TESB. Don't get me wrong, I love Adywan's work so far.
Alexrd said:
cap said:
Puggo - Jar Jar's Yoda said:
The reason for preserving the original movies is not because they were "better" than the more recent versions (either George's or Ady's). The reason is because they are a part of film history, and represent the state-of-the-art for special effects (and other things such as editing) that won the relevent Academy Awards in 1977.
Also, as much as I enjoy Adywan's edit, I still prefer the original.
I understand that, and it’s why I refer not only to the Revisited edits but also to Ady’s Theatrical Reconstruction of ESB, which is an almost-exact reproduction of the original film. It’s also why I ask whether there’s a Theatrical Reconstruction of ANH.
There should be a proper release of the originals, ideally in hi-def. We are in agreement that there’s no legitimate excuse for not doing it and Lucas is being an asshole. But the TR comes pretty darn close to recreating what Lucas chooses to keep from us, at least in the case of ESB.
I don't think so. As the guy who wrote the article, you are hitting a strawman. People may like the GL Special Editions better than the originals, or Adywan's edits better than both, but that's not the problem. And Adywan's edit is way more different than the original than the Special Edition of TESB. Don't get me wrong, I love Adywan's work so far.
The Theatrical Reconstruction is not the same thing as the Revisited edit. The TR is almost exactly a reproduction of ESB-1980.
Somebody correct me if I’m wrong about how close the TR is to ESB-80.
Nobody has responded to my question about a TR of ANH-77 (or ANH-79). Does one exist?
Time is running out for the Rebels. Antilles upcourt to Skywalker. He’s being paced by Darth Va— the bone-jarring pick by Solo! He came out of nowhere! Skywalker’s open from way outside, he launches at the buzzer... Good! It’s good! The Rebels win on a sensational buzzer beater by Luke Skywalker! Let’s take another look at that last shot. He just does get it off in time. Wow, what a shot. That’s why they call him Luke Legend.
That may be the most exciting battle I have ever been privileged to broadcast. Certainly the most dramatic finish. We’ll get you an update on the Artoo Detoo injury situation in just a moment. Right now let’s go courtside where SuperShadow is waiting with Chewbacca.
cap said:
Nobody has responded to my question about a TR of ANH-77 (or ANH-79). Does one exist?
dark_jedi's GOUT-sourced versions of all three films are theatrical reconstructions, since the GOUT is a theatrical reconstruction.
Is that right?
