Star Wars Discussion Thread v. Rogue One

[The Dark Master]

For someone claiming not to care, that was quite the rant.

Well, let me put it this way:  what I cannot care about anymore is what Geroge does with these films and the franchise in the future.  I obviously care about the films, and about the legacy of Star Wars in the history of cinema, but as far as his future intentions, I could not care less.  Am I bothered by what he is doing?  Certainly.  I would be lying if I said otherwise.  But they are his movies, so he can do with them as he sees fit, and nothing anyone says will deter him from his ill-chosen course of action.  Seriously, if all those changes I mentioned in my previous post actually come to pass, I will not be surprised in the least.  I will not even be angry or sad or disappointed or anything else.  I simply won't feel anything, because as far as I am concerned, these are completely different films now.  They might as well be straight re-boots for all I care.  The originals still exist, and that is good enough for me.

What I DO care about, though, is how the Original Trilogy is being marginalized, as if they were some sort of horrible mistake that never should have happened.  If he said he was going to release the original trilogy , in anamorphic widescreen, on blu-ray, along side, or even packaged with, these new versions, I would be perfectly fine with that.  But what angers me is how he tries to pretend that the original versions don't even exist, and each new revision of those classic films just drives those original movies farther into the shadows of the past, and poisons the views of future generations on the Star Wars Saga.  Half of the kids who get into Star Wars from this point on will think it was always just about flashy CGI and ridiculously choreographed lightsaber duels, not about the great characters and philosophical wisdom that actually changes you, the sort of film that actually made you think, rather then just merely being entertained.   The other half, the half that actually grows up to have good taste in movies, will look at these new films and just shake their heads, wondering how their parents could actually find anything magical or profound in such tripe.  By removing the original versions of these films from general public, Lucas is doing future film enthusiasts a massive disservice, because he damages his own legacy, making it near impossible to understand why he became so revered as a film maker in the first place, beyond simply having the flashiest special effects.

Maybe it was the lightsabers and laser dogfights that first grabbed audiences back in the 70's and 80's, but what made those films emotionally resonate with the audience, and what made them the pop-culture phenomenon they are today, is so much deeper then all the flash and glitter.  It was the humanity of the characters, and the emotional depth of the story being told that made those movies memorable, and with each new "enhancement", Lucas takes away just a little bit of that old movie making magic.  Make no mistake, I am not anti technology.  I love a visual treat, but what George is doing here goes beyond simply updating the special effects; he is actually messing with the characters and the story.  He is not simply trying to revisit the visuals so they appear as he envisioned them, he is trying to force a change upon the original trilogy to fit his new view of the Star Wars Saga, and that view is one centered around a shallow Anikin-centric plot in which everything that happens is just a contrivance to make Vader a be-all, end-all to this universe.  

That is the most perverse thing in all this.  He isn't simply doing it for the money, he genuinely believes that the Prophesy based story told in the prequels is what Star Wars should really have been about from the beginning.  He is attempting to rewrite the history of his own story to better fit his more recent vision, and I wouldn't have a problem with that if he still left the original films alone an intact so those of us who enjoyed them more could still enjoy them as they originally were, but that is not good enough for him.  He won't stop until he forces his newer and "better" vision of Star Wars down all of our throats, even if that means attempting to erase the original films from history.  So while I don't care about what he does with these movie in the future, I do care deeply about him trying to destroy and cover up his own past, for no reason other then the fact it conflicts with his current view of the Saga.



On a related note, someone on TheForce.net posted this little bit of historical irony, proving once again how out of touch George Lucas is with his own past:

"People who alter or destroy works of art and our cultural heritage for profit or as an exercise of power are barbarians." "The public’s interest is ultimately dominant over all other interests." "Attention should be paid to the interest of those who are yet unborn, who should be able to see this generation as it saw itself, and the past generation as it saw itself."
-George Lucas, 1988

https://nerdbastards.com/2011/08/31/george-lucas-vs-george-lucas-the-1998-speech-against-altering-films/

[zepp-head]

With all due respect, I've always stood by the notion that they are his films and he can do as he pleases, and unfortunately I can't only apply that to the things I like.  A lot of fans feel entitled to having a say in all of it since they helped "build the house", but when you buy a movie ticket, you're paying for the privilege of seeing a movie, not a stock or share in its outcome.  For better or worse, the Star Wars saga is Lucas' life work, and buying action figures and DVDs shouldn't give me an equal say in the matter.

I've never understood the cultural or cinema history arguments against changes to the films.  There should be no worry about the original state of the films being lost, because the films ARE preserved, forever in the National Film Registry.  They exist on celluloid prints, VHS tapes, laser discs, DVDs and as digital files all over, and anyone who cares to own a copy likely does so on at least one format.  What it really boils down to is whether people resent the changes or not, and just prefer the old way.  "Cinema history" and "preservation" are psuedo-noble buzz words in my book.  And let's not forget about how many films had succeeded in having their culture endured even before VCRs.

And before anyone talks about the shitty original trilogy transfer in 2006, let's be honest, that was only released to stop money from changing hands on pirated versions of the same films.

[The Dark Master]

Zepp, the issue I have with what Lucas is doing is that he is deliberately pushing the originals out of the spot light by not giving them a proper DVD or Blu-Ray release, and giving us another, further revised version of the trilogy.  As you say, they are his films, and by all means, he can do whatever he wants to them, but why not give the originals the same lavish and loving restoration and Blu-Ray release that the revised editions are getting?  He has the money and resources to give both versions of the original trilogy a proper High-Def treatment.  The only logical reason I can think of is that he actually wants to deliberately marginalize those films until it reaches the point where people are more familiar with the newer versions then the originals.   He actually wants the original versions of the trilogy to be forgotten in the public consciousness, to be superseded by these newer versions because of his own revisionist view of the Star Wars saga and it's internal history.

[ZBomber]

At first, I thought the bombardment of the amazon page with reviews about a product no one had seen was stupid. But at this point, it's kind of like the fans giving the finger back to Lucas.

The same thing happened with the LOTR blu ray set the first time it was released. I can't remember what was wrong with it (maybe it had the shortened versions?), but a bunch of the fans gave it 1 star reviews and refused to buy it. As a result, I think the total overall rating of the album on amazon is 1.25 stars, which might seem pointless to some, would actually have a really negative effect on the overall sales of the set. How many people are gonna buy something when they're shopping on amazon if it doesn't even have 2 stars? Not many.

Same thing seems to be going on here. And I have no problem with that.

[Adami]

it's kind of like the fans giving the finger back to Lucas.

Sorry, he didn't see it. He was too busing replacing all the Storm Troopers with digital renditions of young Anikan Skywalker from TPM.

[ZBomber]

it's kind of like the fans giving the finger back to Lucas.

Sorry, he didn't see it. He was too busing replacing all the Storm Troopers with digital renditions of young Anikan Skywalker from TPM.

 

[MetalJunkie]

I won't be buying this set. It's not the product I want to view. It's nice that they fixed some saber issues and the puppet arm, but it should have stopped there. If I want to view the extras or deleted scenes, I'll find them on youtube at some point. I mean, is this guy ever going to stop making stupid, unnecessary changes?

https://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/star-wars-blu-ray-confirmed-blinking-ewoks-jabbas-palace?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=star-wars-blu-ray-confirmed-blinking-ewoks-jabbas-palace

Blinking ewoks? Okay. Fine. Not good or bad. It's just there. It contributes nothing, so it was unnecessary. Enlarging Jabba's door? Wouldn't be that much of a problem, but FUCK YOU, George, for rendering the Battlefront/Lego Star Wars levels inaccurate. Those games are better than any of the shit you've squeezed out in the last several years.

[obscure]

  

[Super Dude]

I won't be buying this set. It's not the product I want to view. It's nice that they fixed some saber issues and the puppet arm, but it should have stopped there. If I want to view the extras or deleted scenes, I'll find them on youtube at some point. I mean, is this guy ever going to stop making stupid, unnecessary changes?

https://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/star-wars-blu-ray-confirmed-blinking-ewoks-jabbas-palace?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=star-wars-blu-ray-confirmed-blinking-ewoks-jabbas-palace

Blinking ewoks? Okay. Fine. Not good or bad. It's just there. It contributes nothing, so it was unnecessary. Enlarging Jabba's door? Wouldn't be that much of a problem, but FUCK YOU, George, for rendering the Battlefront/Lego Star Wars levels inaccurate. Those games are better than any of the shit you've squeezed out in the last several years.

It's funny and sad how true that is.

[Summers]

Wow, so it's confirmed.  Well I won't be buying this crap now anyway, not that I have a blu ray player to begin with but hoping to have one soon.       

All I can say is thank god he didn't put in a CGI Jabba or Rancor or something...   

[Super Dude]

Don't speak too soon.

[Summers]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[zepp-head]

I hope the forum is not okay with wishing somebody dead.  I'm not happy either, but come on.

I'm sure that even though there'd be certain benefits to the lack of GL no body is literally wishing death upon him. I just made the joke because your 'watch it' comment seemed to imply that you took it a little too personally.

Well yeah, Lucas has been a huge inspiration in a number of different areas of my life, and he is a fellow human being.  I understand you're joking around, but it was worded kind of harshly in my opinion.  Hoping someone dies soon doesn't sit right with me.

Well, sorry to offend you then. Was just being a bit sarcastic, wasn't trying to offend anyone with my remark.

Noted.  No hard feelings.

Zepp, the issue I have with what Lucas is doing is that he is deliberately pushing the originals out of the spot light by not giving them a proper DVD or Blu-Ray release, and giving us another, further revised version of the trilogy.  As you say, they are his films, and by all means, he can do whatever he wants to them, but why not give the originals the same lavish and loving restoration and Blu-Ray release that the revised editions are getting?  He has the money and resources to give both versions of the original trilogy a proper High-Def treatment.  The only logical reason I can think of is that he actually wants to deliberately marginalize those films until it reaches the point where people are more familiar with the newer versions then the originals.   He actually wants the original versions of the trilogy to be forgotten in the public consciousness, to be superseded by these newer versions because of his own revisionist view of the Star Wars saga and it's internal history.

Well naturally he wants his newer versions to have the spotlight.  And this guy says it better than me, though also a little more dickishly.  We just disagree on a fundamental level I'm afraid.

Now, we can all see every film released (and even some before they’re released) over and over again. We can each buy a copy if we want or download it on iTunes or Netflix. Most of us have dozens if not hundreds of movies in our personal collections. The Star Wars films are among them. All versions. Even some non-official versions.

What “cinema preservation” means to a fanboy is not just that they are entitled to have a copy of the OOT for their paneled basement “vault” (because those are available), but the best copy technologically possible at the moment, on the latest home video format at the highest resolution possible. In the case of Star Wars, it means new 16K transfers pulled from the original negatives with every artifact from the original release frozen in celluloid amber. Non-anamorphic versions using technology less than two decades old not only isn’t good enough, it’s an insult. It’s “rape.”

Cut the shit.

The real reason — and for most fanboys the only reason — for demanding the OOT in such pristine quality is because fanboys simply don’t like the SEs. That’s it. (To be more accurate, they don’t like parts of the SEs – because some of the most vocal OOTers are also fan-editors. It’s okay for THEM to change Lucas’ films, but not Lucas) It’s not about “these are the versions we grew up with” or the worries of “digitally altering older films,” it’s about Lucas making changes that bug them and then refusing to jump when they throw tantrums. They don’t want the OOT for “history,” they want it so they can flip off George Lucas and say, “Screw you, George! Han shot FIRST!” It’s about having personal copies that allow them to pretend the SEs and the prequels don’t exist. It’s a battle for “cinema history” where they want their preferred version, not the artists’, to be canon. To be THE story. To be “Star Wars.”

It’s a silly, futile battle they’ve already lost.

Keep in mind they're his words, not mine, and I direct no derogatory remarks toward any posters here.

[Super Dude]

Just saw a great comment on the Krayt Dragon clip:

"Sounds like Jay Z when he first saw Beyonce naked"

Maybe not terribly funny, but I gotta hand it to him: I'd probably make that sound too given the chance.

[GuineaPig]

They should've got Aisha Tyler to re-dub the line.

[ReaPsTA]

Now, we can all see every film released (and even some before they’re released) over and over again. We can each buy a copy if we want or download it on iTunes or Netflix. Most of us have dozens if not hundreds of movies in our personal collections. The Star Wars films are among them. All versions. Even some non-official versions.

What “cinema preservation” means to a fanboy is not just that they are entitled to have a copy of the OOT for their paneled basement “vault” (because those are available), but the best copy technologically possible at the moment, on the latest home video format at the highest resolution possible. In the case of Star Wars, it means new 16K transfers pulled from the original negatives with every artifact from the original release frozen in celluloid amber. Non-anamorphic versions using technology less than two decades old not only isn’t good enough, it’s an insult. It’s “rape.”

Cut the shit.

The real reason — and for most fanboys the only reason — for demanding the OOT in such pristine quality is because fanboys simply don’t like the SEs. That’s it. (To be more accurate, they don’t like parts of the SEs – because some of the most vocal OOTers are also fan-editors. It’s okay for THEM to change Lucas’ films, but not Lucas) It’s not about “these are the versions we grew up with” or the worries of “digitally altering older films,” it’s about Lucas making changes that bug them and then refusing to jump when they throw tantrums. They don’t want the OOT for “history,” they want it so they can flip off George Lucas and say, “Screw you, George! Han shot FIRST!” It’s about having personal copies that allow them to pretend the SEs and the prequels don’t exist. It’s a battle for “cinema history” where they want their preferred version, not the artists’, to be canon. To be THE story. To be “Star Wars.”

It’s a silly, futile battle they’ve already lost.

Keep in mind they're his words, not mine, and I direct no derogatory remarks toward any posters here.

Whoever wrote that obviously views film in general completely differently than most people (or at least most Star Wars fans).  It's like George Lucas himself said, once a film is released, its identity becomes more than just the celluloid it was printed on, but a part of cultural history.  No one should care if the Special Editions were released and the original films were restored as well.  The original would there for those who remember it and want to see it.

He tries to frame it as Star Wars fans trying to spite Lucas and being greedy.  When it was never Lucas's place to take the originals off the market in the first place, and fans have every right to want to see it.

The only really legitimate point he makes is that a lot of people who hate the revised editions are indeed fan-editors.  If they can change the material (which no one should care about), then why can't Lucas?  Just please for the love of god release the original.

[Super Dude]

I'm not a fan editor. And I have no problems with a special edition containing reasonable or good edits, just the ones with pointless, unnecessary or just plain bad edits.

[Super Dude]

Meaning a better quality picture or clarifying muddled scripting, things that don't mess with the original spirit of the film but instead enhancing it.

[ReaPsTA]

Meaning a better quality picture or clarifying muddled scripting, things that don't mess with the original spirit of the film but instead enhancing it.

I guess this is the deviation.  I'm not sure what muddled scripting means, but in terms of the picture, here's my thing.

No matter what, I wish the original film was on DVD with no alterations.  With the crappy composite artifacts and everything.

But if something else must exist, and I wish it existed, it would be a straight remaster of the original.  For instance, when Luke's putting the restraining bolt on R2, you can see the marks from the bolt before it's even put on.  Why not use a computer to digitally remove this?  This doesn't seem like adding anything to the film to "enhance" it, just cleaning up a flaw in the original.  Same with some of the weird lightsaber effects, a couple of odd jump-cuts, and the ridiculous jitteriness of the doors opening and closing.

I do genuinely like parts of the special edition.  The new Yavin battle is incredible.  But let's look at this hypothetical:

Only one of the following two movies can ever exist for the rest of time

 - The special edition, minus obviously stupid scenes like Greedo shooting first, while still including good ones such as the new Battle of Yavin.

 - A remastered version; with better color correction, a new sound mix, flaws such as composite artifacts removed, but no additions whatsoever.

I'd choose the latter.  There's just something about the original version of anything that I always want to see.  I don't think it's some kind of radically purist thing.  While an un-adulterated original version should always exist, I'd never watch it if there was a faithful remaster.  I'm relatively anal about quality.  But I don't want enhancements.  They aren't of the original's time.

[Super Dude]

Here's where I sort of draw the line: in ESB, changing the hologram of the Emperor so he doesn't look like a gigantic monkey is a change I'm pretty okay with, although I agree with you that for the sake of preserving the film as it was has its merits even in that case. Or I would be okay with fixing continuity problems, such as Vader magically knowing by the time of that conversation that Luke is his son.

I can see what you mean though.

[ReaPsTA]

Here's where I sort of draw the line: in ESB, changing the hologram of the Emperor so he doesn't look like a gigantic monkey is a change I'm pretty okay with, although I agree with you that for the sake of preserving the film as it was has its merits even in that case.

All fair.

Or I would be okay with fixing continuity problems, such as Vader magically knowing by the time of that conversation that Luke is his son.

I don't see how it's a continuity problem.  There's lots of ways he could have found out.

[Super Dude]

I mean it just seems sort of odd that a guy who's not known about his son's existence for twenty years is beat by some Force-sensitive kid in battle and thinks, "Hmm, no punk kid could be that strong in the Force unless he's my kid!"  imo it just makes sense that it took the Emperor telling him so, or confirming his suspicions or something.  I realize I can't explain it well (mostly because I don't have the film in front of me), but that's in fact one of the few 2004 remaster decisions I was actually pretty happy about.

Edit: Huh, it's not as radically different as I remember.  That said, I'm sticking to my guns on this one.  I think it's better for the plot progression personally that the Emperor says "I have no doubt that the young Rebel who destroyed the Death Star is the offspring of Anakin Skywalker."  It also adds to the mystery about Luke's father, which I think is a really great red herring leading up to the epic revelation.

[ReaPsTA]

I mean it just seems sort of odd that a guy who's not known about his son's existence for twenty years is beat by some Force-sensitive kid in battle and thinks, "Hmm, no punk kid could be that strong in the Force unless he's my kid!"  imo it just makes sense that it took the Emperor telling him so, or confirming his suspicions or something.  I realize I can't explain it well (mostly because I don't have the film in front of me), but that's in fact one of the few 2004 remaster decisions I was actually pretty happy about.

Edit: Huh, it's not as radically different as I remember.  That said, I'm sticking to my guns on this one.  I think it's better for the plot progression personally that the Emperor says "I have no doubt that the young Rebel who destroyed the Death Star is the offspring of Anakin Skywalker."  It also adds to the mystery about Luke's father, which I think is a really great red herring leading up to the epic revelation.

None of this is wrong, in fact I had never thought about it that way.  But I always believed that from the beginning, Vader was no longer just a guy who ran around beating things up.  He was commanding the super Star Destroyer, and he personally went into the Hoth base even though he had no reason to unless he was looking for Luke.  It also explains to me why, from the beginning, he has such a special interest in the Falcon.  He wants to capture Luke's friends as bait.  It never felt to me like an arc that just happened to start at the middle.

[Super Dude]

And I never thought of it that way, so we both learned something interesting today.

[ACID_FOX]

STOP DESTROYING MY CHILDHOOD GEORGE etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2yPAXBsaRA&feature=player_embedded#!

[zepp-head]

Now, we can all see every film released (and even some before they’re released) over and over again. We can each buy a copy if we want or download it on iTunes or Netflix. Most of us have dozens if not hundreds of movies in our personal collections. The Star Wars films are among them. All versions. Even some non-official versions.

What “cinema preservation” means to a fanboy is not just that they are entitled to have a copy of the OOT for their paneled basement “vault” (because those are available), but the best copy technologically possible at the moment, on the latest home video format at the highest resolution possible. In the case of Star Wars, it means new 16K transfers pulled from the original negatives with every artifact from the original release frozen in celluloid amber. Non-anamorphic versions using technology less than two decades old not only isn’t good enough, it’s an insult. It’s “rape.”

Cut the shit.

The real reason — and for most fanboys the only reason — for demanding the OOT in such pristine quality is because fanboys simply don’t like the SEs. That’s it. (To be more accurate, they don’t like parts of the SEs – because some of the most vocal OOTers are also fan-editors. It’s okay for THEM to change Lucas’ films, but not Lucas) It’s not about “these are the versions we grew up with” or the worries of “digitally altering older films,” it’s about Lucas making changes that bug them and then refusing to jump when they throw tantrums. They don’t want the OOT for “history,” they want it so they can flip off George Lucas and say, “Screw you, George! Han shot FIRST!” It’s about having personal copies that allow them to pretend the SEs and the prequels don’t exist. It’s a battle for “cinema history” where they want their preferred version, not the artists’, to be canon. To be THE story. To be “Star Wars.”

It’s a silly, futile battle they’ve already lost.

Keep in mind they're his words, not mine, and I direct no derogatory remarks toward any posters here.

Whoever wrote that obviously views film in general completely differently than most people (or at least most Star Wars fans).  It's like George Lucas himself said, once a film is released, its identity becomes more than just the celluloid it was printed on, but a part of cultural history.  No one should care if the Special Editions were released and the original films were restored as well.  The original would there for those who remember it and want to see it.

I wouldn't say that.  The biggest Star Wars forum on the web largely has views in favor of what that guy is saying.

And I'm not sure if you're referencing the "We must not allow our cultural history to be rewritten" quotation from Lucas or not, but IF you are, you're taking it out of context, which seems to be the popular thing to do with that particular speech.  If not, carry on.

[emindead]

STOP DESTROYING MY CHILDHOOD GEORGE etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2yPAXBsaRA&feature=player_embedded#!

This was amazing.

[emindead]

After watching that scene again one must realize the level of genius in it. I wish I could have experienced the level of catharsis as the regular fan who attended the premiere.

[ReaPsTA]

I wouldn't say that.  The biggest Star Wars forum on the web largely has views in favor of what that guy is saying.

And I'm not sure if you're referencing the "We must not allow our cultural history to be rewritten" quotation from Lucas or not, but IF you are, you're taking it out of context, which seems to be the popular thing to do with that particular speech.  If not, carry on.

What am I taking out of context?

My name is George Lucas. I am a writer, director, and producer of motion pictures and Chairman of the Board of Lucasfilm Ltd., a multi-faceted entertainment corporation.

I am not here today as a writer-director, or as a producer, or as the chairman of a corporation. I've come as a citizen of what I believe to be a great society that is in need of a moral anchor to help define and protect its intellectual and cultural heritage. It is not being protected.

The destruction of our film heritage, which is the focus of concern today, is only the tip of the iceberg. American law does not protect our painters, sculptors, recording artists, authors, or filmmakers from having their lifework distorted, and their reputation ruined. If something is not done now to clearly state the moral rights of artists, current and future technologies will alter, mutilate, and destroy for future generations the subtle human truths and highest human feeling that talented individuals within our society have created.

A copyright is held in trust by its owner until it ultimately reverts to public domain. American works of art belong to the American public; they are part of our cultural history.
People who alter or destroy works of art and our cultural heritage for profit or as an exercise of power are barbarians, and if the laws of the United States continue to condone this behavior, history will surely classify us as a barbaric society. The preservation of our cultural heritage may not seem to be as politically sensitive an issue as "when life begins" or "when it should be appropriately terminated," but it is important because it goes to the heart of what sets mankind apart. Creative expression is at the core of our humanness. Art is a distinctly human endeavor. We must have respect for it if we are to have any respect for the human race.

These current defacements are just the beginning. Today, engineers with their computers can add color to black-and-white movies, change the soundtrack, speed up the pace, and add or subtract material to the philosophical tastes of the copyright holder. Tommorrow, more advanced technology will be able to replace actors with "fresher faces," or alter dialogue and change the movement of the actor's lips to match. It will soon be possible to create a new "original" negative with whatever changes or alterations the copyright holder of the moment desires. The copyright holders, so far, have not been completely diligent in preserving the original negatives of films they control. In order to reconstruct old negatives, many archivists have had to go to Eastern bloc countries where American films have been better preserved.

In the future it will become even easier for old negatives to become lost and be "replaced" by new altered negatives. This would be a great loss to our society. Our cultural history must not be allowed to be rewritten.

There is nothing to stop American films, records, books, and paintings from being sold to a foreign entity or egotistical gangsters and having them change our cultural heritage to suit their personal taste.

I accuse the companies and groups, who say that American law is sufficient, of misleading the Congress and the People for their own economic self-interest.
I accuse the corporations, who oppose the moral rights of the artist, of being dishonest and insensitive to American cultural heritage and of being interested only in their quarterly bottom line, and not in the long-term interest of the Nation.

The public's interest is ultimately dominant over all other interests. And the proof of that is that even a copyright law only permits the creators and their estate a limited amount of time to enjoy the economic fruits of that work.

There are those who say American law is sufficient. That's an outrage! It's not sufficient! If it were sufficient, why would I be here? Why would John Houston have been so studiously ignored when he protested the colorization of "The Maltese Falcon?" Why are films cut up and butchered?

Attention should be paid to this question of our soul, and not simply to accounting procedures. Attention should be paid to the interest of those who are yet unborn, who should be able to see this generation as it saw itself, and the past generation as it saw itself.

I hope you have the courage to lead America in acknowledging the importance of American art to the human race, and accord the proper protection for the creators of that art - as it is accorded them in much of the rest of the world communities.

[Super Dude]

lol

[Elite]

After watching that scene again one must realize the level of genius in it. I wish I could have experienced the level of catharsis as the regular fan who attended the premiere.

Indeed, that is one of the best scenes in the entire film series.

[Fiery Winds]

Regarding that GL quote, I see the hypocrisy of it, but he obviously views himself as the creative owner still and feels it's his right to change it to how he sees fit.

A copyright is held in trust by its owner until it ultimately reverts to public domain.

The fans view it as being public domain (not in the legal sense of the term) while GL views it as still his.

[zepp-head]

I wouldn't say that.  The biggest Star Wars forum on the web largely has views in favor of what that guy is saying.

And I'm not sure if you're referencing the "We must not allow our cultural history to be rewritten" quotation from Lucas or not, but IF you are, you're taking it out of context, which seems to be the popular thing to do with that particular speech.  If not, carry on.

What am I taking out of context?

What you quoted.  One doesn't need to look much farther than the sentence after the snippet everyone likes to quote to find out what he said has absolutely zero to do with what an artist can do with his own work. 

[YtseJam]

Bring back the originals

Kill George Lucas

Let someone who doesn't have his dick in his ass make 1,2&3 over

[ZBomber]

GL can do whatever the fuck he wants to his movies, I just wish he would just stop trying to erase history and give the fans the original editions. He could release the newer versions too, but the original Star Wars films are the ones that are held so highly among movie fans, not these new versions.