George Lucas a purist? Hmm...

[Christopher C. Murphy]

Hey, who out there has followed the Lucas thing where we are forced to only get the "special" editions of the Star Wars movies? I'm all for anyone changing their art, but I do believe that ET was released with both versions and it definately satisfied my desire for the original (purist in me) and an updated version (enjoyable to watch).

http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movi....ap/index.html

Anyway, if you read this article it quotes Lucas in regards to the 3 Stooges being colorized. He apparently testified in court to Congress in the 80's about changing artists work later on! How about that?

Opinions on this one? Oh, and if you want to try and sway Lucas into giving us the untouched original...

http://www.originaltrilogy.com/

Myself personally....I signed up because I thought the "special" edition Star Wars in 1997 with Jabba the Hut looked like ASS. He needs to fix it or give us the original without it.

Murph

[Robert Knecht Schmidt]

<<<-- Anyway, if you read this article it quotes Lucas in regards to the 3 Stooges being colorized. He apparently testified in court to Congress in the 80's about changing artists work later on! How about that? -->>>

Naturally, he would say that he has no qualms with an artist updating his or her own work.

Apparently, neither does Steven Spielberg; the idea doesn't sit so well with Bob Zemeckis, however, who plants some thinly-veiled ridicule of Lucas's tweakmania in the Back to the Future DVD commentary.

There are numerous variations of the STAR WARS movies, so that "original theatrical version" doesn't have much meaning. The version of the first film shown in 1977 didn't have the subtitle "Episode IV: A New Hope." Also it had a relatively poor sound mix compared to the treatment it received for the 1997 release. Do you really want that version on DVD?

I think few will be satisfied until everyone can cut his or her own personal versions of the STAR WARS films.

[Christopher C. Murphy]

Hey, great idea....Lucas likes to break new ground with the Star Wars movies? He should sell the "Editors" version....all raw footage on 100 DVD-ROM disks and let us cut our own versions together.

I'd buy it.

Murph

[Boyd Ostroff]

The three stooges in color? Is nothing sacred anymore? ;-)

I'm very disappoined by George Lucas' revisionism also. The original Star Wars was a brilliant movie, and something that should never have been "updated". It saddens me to see what's happened to George Lucas.

[Robert Knecht Schmidt]

If you didn't like the Special Editions, wait until you see the changes made for the new DVD releases.

[Brack Craver]

Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back were awesome. But I think those movies have steadily gotten dumber and dumber. Now they merely seem to be vehicles to sell toys. Maybe they need to resurrect Joseph Campbell.

[Christopher C. Murphy]

I have a feeling the new, newer "Special" editions won't be as bad. He has to have heard of what fans think of the 1997 versions. I hope he takes the opportunity to fix those mistakes, and take care not to make new ones.

Also, I really hope he does something about the Phantom Menance. That movies sucks so bad I can't even believe it. I've tried at least 3 times to watch it with a fresh perspective, but sucks. I don't think Attack is much better either...only slightly better.

In my opinion, the 2 latest installments were advertisements for his games. The movies had a game feel...and I've got to say I don't play games and I certainly don't play games with movies! (double meaning there)

Anyway, I think Georgey Boy screwed up even trying to make prequels. If he didn't lose "it" - maybe they could have been great. But, he really lost the magic in my opinion. It's probably not his fault though...the original Star Wars trilogy was a period piece in a way. The technology (lack of it) helped shape the art in a way that's impossible to re-create now. I almost hate technology and love it at the same time. I think Lucas loves it and doesn't hate it....that's his choice and I respect it. But, I sure wish he respected all the millions of people who bought his original art and want an updated clean version, yet unaltered content film. He extended a few Tie figher sequences to give a more full effect...those little touches had nothing to do with characters. When he added the horrible Jabba Hut thing he went to far and messed with perfection.

I know, ranting here....but, those movies inspire me to create films.

Murph

[Brack Craver]

"I think Lucas loves it and doesn't hate it...."
You know, I think you nailed it. He keeps trying to outdo himself in terms of special effects but the scripts are terrible. Maybe he doesn't know a good script. Correction, obviously he doesn't know a good script. There was something really magical about that first Star Wars. I can remember coming out of the theatre blown away, feeling changed. But these last two were more annoying than anything.

[Yi Fong Yu]

i liked the SE. the original needed a good cleaning!!! but i was very disappointed with a new hope SE because i thought they would taken all the snap/crackle in the picture out of it already... instead when i saw in the cinema (a few times) it was still there! if you look closely at the '97 SE a new hope during ob1 training luke on lightsaber fighting, there is a shot of luke holding the lightsaber where he is wearing white robe. there is a lot of speck and dirt. i suppose it was worse before? why couldn't they blot all those things out? what, they don't wanna make it look TOO CLEAN like indiana jones? i don't get it. anyway, i liked the SEs, much cleaner quality presentation. i don't mind all of the new additions. heck i think the new music/sequence at the end of return of the jedi is so much better than the original ewok thingy. the only scene i take exception with is greedo shooting and MISSING someone an arm length away! even if his eyes were crooked still doesn't entail that. a blind person could have killed solo with that first shot! that scene shouldn't have been tampered with at all. i know what george is trying to say (that a hero like solo won't kill someone just like that) but it's all wrong. in a new hope he SHOULD be like a scumbag pirate but then gets a change of heart during empire by leia, THAT should have been his character arc. if he was a "GOOD PIRATE" in a new hope then his arc is gone! what more interest do we have in that? can you imagine if johnny depp's pirate character didn't drink/booze? that's ridiculous!

[Christopher C. Murphy]

Hey you - Yi Fong Yu!

I emailed you almost 2 weeks ago with links to my HDV clips and you promised to post feedback if I emailed you. I've not found any feedback!

Murph

[Brack Craver]

I blame the Ewoks.

[Yi Fong Yu]

Hi Chris!

I don't recall receiving the email, could you please send it again? I think I was also having some technical difficulties a few weeks ago. my computer had a catastrophic failure (hard drive+raid problems) and i had to rebuilt all of my data from scratch. Sorry about not getting back. If you send it I can view it when I get home tonight!

BTW we live so close to each other we should getogether. I think there are a lot of DVI members living in the New England area, it'd be a great opportunity to combine resources and make some astounding 'art' =^).

[Christopher C. Murphy]

Yi, I'm totally down with that...I'm just 40 minutes north of Boston.

I'm going to email you now.

Murph