The thing about multiple versions is...

Posted by Rundquist from adsl-63-201-187-189.dsl.lsan03.pacbell.net (63.201.187.189) on Wednesday, May 29, 2002 at 1:46pm :

In Reply to: Re: George can't win for losing. posted by James from host-216-78-23-32.cae.bellsouth.net (216.78.23.32) on Tuesday, May 28, 2002 at 11:00pm :

that there is hardly any media available in multiple versions. Product goes in and then out of print. Blade Runner for instance is now only available in the director's cut (and I cherish my Criterion LD of the original version for that reason). You can't get the first Beatles records in stereo anymore. It's unfortunate but that's the way the cookie crumbles. The average consumer is confused by multiple versions (so I've noticed). I do agree that from a personal view, George is only interested in people seeing the newer versions of the films (that's obvious). While I made the point that these movies are not to be taken too seriously, I disagree with your assessment that George should not take them seriously either. Star Wars takes up the better part of his life's work. The big picture is that the original three films would look terribly antiquated when viewed next to the new ones. His whole reason for doing the new ones is to finish his story and lock the whole thing together. If he didn't fix up the old films, the reason for doing the new films would be defeated. In all honesty, George didn't do anything radical like change the plot of the old films in anyway. He just upgraded the effects, big deal. It's not like Obi Wan now goes on to live or something like that. I do see the special editions as director's cuts of some sort. He put on screen the type of images that he pretty much conceived in his mind's eye originally. Every other director is allowed to do it. I've got my old laser disks of the old versions of the original trilogy. The tapes were around for years. If you never watch the things as you say, then they should service you for years to come, even with degradation. Everyone should also keep in mind that just because something is available right now, it doesn't mean that it will be in a few years. That's enough of a rant for now. Cheers

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

: "If you can't enjoy Star Wars and Indiana Jones for what they are, then you're missing the point."

: I agree completely. Now, is it too much to ask Lucas to just let us enjoy the films for what they are- and the way they were?

: If anyone is taking this stuff too seriously it's Lucas. I mean, he's talking about basically locking the original films away, because they were "never really finished". It's 'Star Wars' for crying out loud! It's not like they were films that were only missing one or two minor elements and then they would've replaced 'Citizen Kane'.

: The irony is, if anyone had suggested doing this twenty years ago...to the films that inspired the original trilogy...do you really think Lucas would've seen the 'artistic integrity' in such an act?

: The Star Wars trilogy is the kind of thing that I like to only view every few years, something special that I don't like to watch over and over. Now, it would be nice (in ten years) to still be able to do that, wouldn't it?

Follow Ups:

Plus - Forrestal 3:18pm 05/29/2002

Re: Plus - James 7:27pm 05/29/2002

It's all how you look at it. - Rundquist 10:04pm 05/29/2002

Going in circles - James 11:34pm 05/29/2002

PS - James 11:36pm 05/29/2002

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: that there is hardly any media available in multiple versions. Product goes in and then out of print. Blade Runner for instance is now only available in the director's cut (and I cherish my Criterion LD of the original version for that reason). You can't get the first Beatles records in stereo anymore. It's unfortunate but that's the way the cookie crumbles. The average consumer is confused by multiple versions (so I've noticed). I do agree that from a personal view, George is only interested in people seeing the newer versions of the films (that's obvious). While I made the point that these movies are not to be taken too seriously, I disagree with your assessment that George should not take them seriously either. Star Wars takes up the better part of his life's work. The big picture is that the original three films would look terribly antiquated when viewed next to the new ones. His whole reason for doing the new ones is to finish his story and lock the whole thing together. If he didn't fix up the old films, the reason for doing the new films would be defeated. In all honesty, George didn't do anything radical like change the plot of the old films in anyway. He just upgraded the effects, big deal. It's not like Obi Wan now goes on to live or something like that. I do see the special editions as director's cuts of some sort. He put on screen the type of images that he pretty much conceived in his mind's eye originally. Every other director is allowed to do it. I've got my old laser disks of the old versions of the original trilogy. The tapes were around for years. If you never watch the things as you say, then they should service you for years to come, even with degradation. Everyone should also keep in mind that just because something is available right now, it doesn't mean that it will be in a few years. That's enough of a rant for now. Cheers : xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx : : "If you can't enjoy Star Wars and Indiana Jones for what they are, then you're missing the point." : : I agree completely. Now, is it too much to ask Lucas to just let us enjoy the films for what they are- and the way they were? : : If anyone is taking this stuff too seriously it's Lucas. I mean, he's talking about basically locking the original films away, because they were "never really finished". It's 'Star Wars' for crying out loud! It's not like they were films that were only missing one or two minor elements and then they would've replaced 'Citizen Kane'. : : The irony is, if anyone had suggested doing this twenty years ago...to the films that inspired the original trilogy...do you really think Lucas would've seen the 'artistic integrity' in such an act? : : The Star Wars trilogy is the kind of thing that I like to only view every few years, something special that I don't like to watch over and over. Now, it would be nice (in ten years) to still be able to do that, wouldn't it?

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