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OT vs. SE Debate misses the point.

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Quibbles over whether the changes made in the Special Editions are good for the films or not, which version rocks and which version sucks and debates about Lucas' rights as an artist to alter his own work miss the real issue that makes the campaign for the Original Versions on DVD so important.

At the end of the day, it's not about artistic freedom, Han shooting first, CGI, or even the fans. The one responsibility that George Lucas has in releasing the Original Versions is to film history itself. Decades from now, when all of us rabid fans are old or dead or just don't care anymore, the real tragedy will be that between 1977 and 1983, three science fiction films effectively changed the face of filmmaking for an entire generation and no one will be able to point to a clean print of what those films really looked like.

Star Wars is bigger than George Lucas now. It's even bigger than the fans. Has been for some time. The real losers in all of this are the future generations of film lovers, film students and filmmakers who will have lost the original versions of an important piece of their heritage.

That is why we must not give up just because these new DVD's are being released this Tuesday. We who believe in these films must become louder now more than ever, before it's too late.


To read my further thoughts, check for my soon-coming article at http://www.geocities.com/reeladvice.
"The Originals made history, not the Special Editions." --KCN<><
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Actually, this point comes up rather often. It's yet another reason in the long list of why these films should be preserved on all upcoming formats. While many justify the existence of the SE as artistic expression, no one can truly justify the OT's absence.


Made for IE Forum's Episode III theme month - May 2005.

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nicely said...
welcome to the forums and i look forward to reading more on your website
"Never. I'll never turn to the darkside. You've failed your highness. I am a jedi, like my father before me."