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Beyond Wrong
This is from <http://www.thedigitalbits.com"> The Digital Bits site.
One other note today... we've heard from a number of interesting (and we believe reliable) inside sources that Lucsafilm is currently making major new changes to the original Star Wars films - the kind of changes he began a few years ago with the theatrical "Special Edition" releases. These changes include new special effects, revised and updated shots and scenes, and new footage shot with actors Hayden Christensen (Anakin) and Ian McDiarmid (the Emperor) that would flesh out moments with their characters in the original films. For example, an aged and scarred Hayden now appears as Anakin at the end of Return of the Jedi when Luke removes Vader's helmet. Among the other changes reportedly being made are the restoration of the original "Han shoots first" moment from Star Wars and a revamped lightsaber fight between Obi-Wan and Vader. What we've heard meshes with what we've been told before, which is that Lucas has always planned to release ultimate, "Archive" editions of these films that tie in better with the new prequels. The main question in our minds now is this: will these changes be completed in time to appear on the DVD releases planned for next September, or will we have to wait until after Episode III hits theaters to see them? And if we have to wait, what versions will appear on the DVDs? Time will tell.
Why can't Lucas leave well enough alone. Han didn't shoot first. Dude I have that on tape. He didn't shoot first. And why change digitally change what Anakin looks like? Why can't he just let the original movies be. People loved them for the way the were. Too much messing with things can ruin it.
Just wrong.
edited because I was going to bold the really offending parts but then I realized those would be the WHOLE THING!
Dude. Wrong.
One other note today... we've heard from a number of interesting (and we believe reliable) inside sources that Lucsafilm is currently making major new changes to the original Star Wars films - the kind of changes he began a few years ago with the theatrical "Special Edition" releases. These changes include new special effects, revised and updated shots and scenes, and new footage shot with actors Hayden Christensen (Anakin) and Ian McDiarmid (the Emperor) that would flesh out moments with their characters in the original films. For example, an aged and scarred Hayden now appears as Anakin at the end of Return of the Jedi when Luke removes Vader's helmet. Among the other changes reportedly being made are the restoration of the original "Han shoots first" moment from Star Wars and a revamped lightsaber fight between Obi-Wan and Vader. What we've heard meshes with what we've been told before, which is that Lucas has always planned to release ultimate, "Archive" editions of these films that tie in better with the new prequels. The main question in our minds now is this: will these changes be completed in time to appear on the DVD releases planned for next September, or will we have to wait until after Episode III hits theaters to see them? And if we have to wait, what versions will appear on the DVDs? Time will tell.
Why can't Lucas leave well enough alone. Han didn't shoot first. Dude I have that on tape. He didn't shoot first. And why change digitally change what Anakin looks like? Why can't he just let the original movies be. People loved them for the way the were. Too much messing with things can ruin it.
Just wrong.
edited because I was going to bold the really offending parts but then I realized those would be the WHOLE THING!
Dude. Wrong.
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Unless Lucas puts the original, unmessed with, movies out on dvd I'm never spending any more money on the Star Wars franchise. I hate what Lucas did to them. I so hated Attack of the Clones...hell the first time I told someone that was the name the guy thought I was joking. It wasn't until about 10 mins later he realized I was serious.
Even then he didn't want to believe me. He thought I got the info wrong. When a fan's first reaction is to laugh at the name of the new installment in your grand epic...it's a big flashing neon sign something's gone terribly wrong.
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Doesn't he know other people are supposed to be his audience? That if he needs to diddle all over the movies he can keep his insanity to himself?
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Makes me afraid of what the next one is going to look like.
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Then, they go back, because they're perfectionist, and make the earlier sections more like they think they want them to be, which may or may not be an actual improvement. Then they find that because they already posted one version, it's tough to get the replacement up, unless they've given it quite limited circulation.
It's not a good position to be in. But-- having done it myself on the much smaller fanfic scale-- I have a certain measure of sympathy.
I do understand the upset, though. And I can't see why he'd want Han to shoot first.
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That's what originally happened. With the dvds his correcting one of the biggest mistakes when he "remastered" the movies. If you can get your hands on the original versions (maybe there's a video store that has older copies, or you local library) you'll see that in the Han/Greedo exchange at the table Han shoots first. They talk, Han has his finger on the trigger of the gun, and then he kills Greedo before Greedo could kill him.
Supposedly when Lucas went to remaster the movie he decided that Han shooting first was bad for the children or some such rot so he altered it so that Greedo got a first shot off that went wide and then Han shot Greedo.
Fans were not happy.
Han Solo is a great character because he's a smuggler and not a good guy, he doesn't care about doing the right thing or saving the princess to save her. He wants reward. He's out for himself. Han was cool. Lucas took away part of his cool.
As for Lucas trying to go back and fix the problems he sees in the movies. I'm sure that most directors see problems in their earlier movies but they leave them alone. They also respect that the audience and fans enjoyed the movies they way they were.
I think editing Hayden's face over David Prowse's won't please the fans. Vader's death scene is touching, David Prowse did a fantastic job as Vader and Lucas is going to take away Prowse's moment to show his face.
That sucks.
The only feeling I get is that Lucas is so blinded by his love for CGI that he can't help but put it first and make it more prominent than anything else in the movies. More CGI! More effects! Watching Attack of the Clones I felt like I was getting hit over the head with "see how cool this looks! See what I did!"
Compare that to Jackson did with Lord of the Rings. Jackson didn't use CGI for ever special effect. And a lot of the CGI effects he used were so subtle that even though intellectually I knew there were computer effects when I watch the movies I forget.
Peter Jackson used CGI to showcase the story. George Lucas used the story to showcase CGI.
That's a huge difference and I feel that Lucas is just going back and fiddling with the original movies so he can keep showcasing CGI.
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Ah. I see now; and you're quite right.
How did I not know that before?
See the trouble with many edits, George? You can't convert the younger fan to the same material that was originally so good.
*note to self: get old copy of Star Wars*
>I think editing Hayden's face over David Prowse's won't please the fans. Vader's death scene is touching, David Prowse did a fantastic job as Vader and Lucas is going to take away Prowse's moment to show his face.
That, too. I can see, on the one hand, why Lucas wants to create a continuity; on the other hand, there's a point at which he should trust his initial casting choices and let Prowse act. Which he can do, and (IMHO) Hayden's not so great at.
>Peter Jackson used CGI to showcase the story. George Lucas used the story to showcase CGI.
Lucas does have something of the child-with-new-toy about the way he uses CGI. Jackson uses it like an experienced painter might use a white or metallic paint, who can put just a touch of the right colour in the right place to make the whole picture better; Lucas uses it like a kid who's given a whole box of paints and mostly splashes two or three colours over the whole sheet.
>I feel that Lucas is just going back and fiddling with the original movies so he can keep showcasing CGI.
I can see why. On balance, I'm inclinded to agree; I can sort of see his side of it-- that he's trying to give all six movies a 'complete' feel by spalshing CGI over the lot; but it really doesn't help the story telling.
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They are complete. But they were made during different time periods when different technologies were around. Most fans are intelligent enough to realize that in the late 70s and early 80s the Star Wars movies had cutting edge special effects and that Lucas and Industrial Light and Magic were pioneers in many aspects.
Unless Lucas goes back and remakes the first three movies they are never going to look the same. The continuity of Luke and Leia aren't going to match up in Star Wars and the other two.
Lucas changed the idea of The Force being something mystical and somewhat spiritual --- "reach out to the Force/feel the Force" to something that could be determined by a blood test. He can't go back and "fix" that continuity problem now that he's changed him mind, unless he redoes the first three movies.
It's just maddening because I don't think he's been thinking about the fans for a long time and just thinking about the cool neat things he can do. If he wants to do cool neat things, then maybe he should make another, different, movie where he can explore some of the ideas he has rather than trying to retrofit Star Wars.
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I agree- Lucas isn't thinking of the fans, really; he's thinking of the new fans, the younger ones who might not be converted by an old film, not the old ones who loved the films from way back. Also, when he is thinking of the fans, he's thinking "how can I make them spend money on this? I know, let's have another 'new' version of the old movie so they'll buy a new copy". A new movie in a different world would have to sell itself, rather than relying on an establised trade mark-- Star Wars.
So, err, I agree, and I understand your anger, and I have some of it myself; but I can also see why the situation (and mistakes that creators, including me, tend to make) might lead Lucas to do what he's doing. It's maddening, and I don't want to argue with you about it. I never really had the chance to fall in love with the original Star Wars before he made the newer and not-so-good movies, and that makes me as angry as anything else. Completely illogically.