I will probably buy it, but I am damned glad I have my bootleg DVD of Star Wars, the original edition. THAT is the one that my son will see as the REAL Star Wars, not the Special Edition Greedo-fired-first piece of shit.
In the USA Today,
“The original versions technically don’t exist,” says Lucasfilm’s Jim Ward, who is the project’s executive producer. “(Lucas) wanted to represent the films as they exist in his mind, and that’s the special-editions versions.”
Commentary(same article):
That will distress a small but vocal minority of fans who have held out hope — expressed in online petitions and Star Wars Internet chat forums — that Lucas might include the originals on DVD.
“The general public won’t mind, but anybody who is a real fan of the films will,” says Doug Pratt, who publishes DVDLaser.com and the DVD Laser Disc Newsletter.
Count me in the small minority I suppose (though I haven’t signed a petition). I decided today that I am not buying this version.
If the version I loved doesn’t exist (technically), then I don’t want an inferior reproduction.
When does the revamped Special Edition come out, that will supposedly have additional material added to it? I’ve heard tell of Portman scenes being added to ROTJ, and Christensen digitally added to the final Three Dead Jedi vision, along other various bullshit.
I’d tip my hat to George Lucas for ruining my childhood fantasy alternate reality but I’m not wearing a hat, and I wouldn’t care to give him that much respect.
I’m astounded that the studios no longer have the original prints of the Star Wars trilogy. It’s truly sad, especially since the first one was even nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture back in 1977.
I may still have my copy I taped off of HBO years ago, if I knew where to send it, if only to help in the reconstruction of the film. It does have the Episode IV crawl, so its not completely accurate, but a step in the right direction.
It would seem a shame for Star Wars to not get the loving treatment that the Alien Quadrilogy got on DVD, what with the original films being available.
1 - Star Wars Boxed set Laserdiscs (the big black box)
1- LD player
1 - DVD recorder
3 - +RW or - RW DVD’s (you will want to cut out the blue screen displayed while the laser head switches sides.
(and, while you’re at it, pick up the Looney Tunes LD’s - they are going dirt cheap, and contain 497 titles. WB is releasing about 60/year on DVD. Do the math.)
(and I really doubt that they will ever again release “He Was Her Man”, “Wake Up The Gypsy in Me”, “Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips” and several other un-PC titles which were released on LD.)
I feel his pain. It must have been agonizing to have such a fabulous artistic vision but be denied by the limited technology of the time. Thank goodness advanced CGI became available so that, after being cruely denied for so long, he could finally accomplish the daunting high-tech task of making Greedo shoot first.
Or it could be that he’s just an egomaniacal twit.
That, of course, is why he doesn’t care one bit what the fans (without whom he would be the trivia answer to “who directed American Grafitti?”) want . He’ll get his money anyway.
Tempting but the “movie he wanted to make” isn’t one I want to see. Fie on him. Power to the bootleggers.
Maybe it’ll be like the Lillywhite sessions (DMB fans will know what I’m talking about) and all the bootlegging will eventually convince them to release the real ones. Sadly, I also know it’ll sell a million copies because of the fans.
The rumor of super-special editions was debunked several weeks ago. As it turns out, the list of “insider” enhancements was copied word-for-word from a uber-fan’s wish-list on a star wars message board before the release of Attack of the Clones. I’d post the link, but I don’t have it handy. Search Slashdot.org for the original link.
What I figure is, at some point after the sales of the Special Edition versions have fallen off, Lucas will “give in to the fan’s demands” and “graciously” make the original versions available on DVD.
Maybe I’m just cynical, but I think I’ll give the special editions a pass. I know which version I’d rather buy, and I suspect Lucas does too.
Oh, you guys are fulluvit. Y’all know that, a month after it’s released, you guys will see the set on sale while standing in line at Costco, and you’ll give in… you’ll give in… they always give in…