Star Wars: The Complete Saga (1977-2005)

[Kryptonic]

Originally Posted by stvn1974

Blah blah blah

I wouldn't expect you to comprehend simple logic.

I just watched the theatrical cuts of Empire and Jedi the other day and I don't remember "Directed by George Lucas" anywhere in the credits. He was the producer so by that logic the movie studios, book publishers and music studios should be able to alter their artists work since they paid for them to be made.

He wrote the story, the first draft, worked with Kasdan on finishing the scripts, financed, produced, edited, and in the case of Jedi, directed a large chunk of the film himself. Beyond those things, he owned the rights to the films. So yeah, I'd say he had the right to do with it what he wanted and you have no say and no room to demand anything. You can either like it or not and move along.

[balthazar_bee]

Originally Posted by popeflick

The funny thing here is that nearly everyone dissing him has clearly purchased his redux versions. So they call him names while giving him their coin. And they fail to see the irony in that. I love armchair filmmakers with a sense of entitlement.

I don't think they fail to see anything; their frustration grows out of precisely the dynamic you've identified. In other words, they love the films, they buy them, they rightly perceive the changes as running the gamut from superfluous to detrimental to shrieking idiocy, and wonder what worm crawled into Lucas's brain and caused him to implement a "do as I say not as I do" attitude towards film history and preservation.

If it's my raging sense of entitlement that prompts me to beat my head against this particular issue time and again, so be it; I love Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, and as films, the special editions are weaker than their original counterparts. Lucas and I (or "the world") don't see eye-to-eye on this issue, and god bless him, but I wish the UOT didn't end up as little more than collateral damage to his midlife film-making crisis.

Of course, a third way does exist -- namely treating each version with appropriate respect and releasing them all -- and the folks inclined to rally to Lucas's support on this issue have almost nothing coherent to say about that, instead preferring to parrot the usual "they're his films" line.

Wonder why.

[Packerfan75]

Originally Posted by balthazar_bee

I don't think they fail to see anything; their frustration grows out of precisely the dynamic you've identified. In other words, they love the films, they buy them, they rightly perceive the changes as running the gamut from superfluous to detrimental to shrieking idiocy, and wonder what worm crawled into Lucas's brain and caused him to implement a "do as I say not as I do" attitude towards film history and preservation.

If it's my raging sense of entitlement that prompts me to beat my head against this particular issue time and again, so be it; I love Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, and as films, the special editions are weaker than their original counterparts. Lucas and I (or "the world") don't see eye-to-eye on this issue, and god bless him, but I wish the UOT didn't end up as little more than collateral damage to his midlife film-making crisis.

Of course, a third way does exist -- namely treating each version with appropriate respect and releasing them all -- and the folks inclined to rally to Lucas's support on this issue have almost nothing coherent to say about that, instead preferring to parrot the usual "they're his films" line.

Wonder why.

Excellent explanation.
That's the bulk of the frustration. It's a problem so easily solved with original and directors cut editions being made available but old George must have more than one stubborn bone in his body to basically tell everyone, "if you want to own Star Wars then it's going to be the version I give you, and if you don't like it, tough".

[Batmon77]

[popeflick]

Originally Posted by Kryptonic

For the last time, he's referring to people WHO AREN'T THE CREATORS OF THE ART in question. A director has the right to alter a work if he/she sees fit and to only release a version that they feel is the most complete version of what they created.

Thank you - you beat me to it. That quote was wholly out of context and doesn't represent a change of mind by him in that topic. He was, in fact, primarily referring to colorization. There's no blah blah blah about it.

And last I checked, the OT is available on DVD. So evrythings available as far as that goes.

In other threads here when someone posts derogatory comments about the films or creators they are called trolls. It's the same thing here afaic...

[Gold Ranger]

1 - Stop fighting. It gets no one anywhere. Except people being banned or blocked.
2 - Trailer for The Force Awakens was terrible.

[wormraper]

Originally Posted by KaineKinetic

1 - Stop fighting. It gets no one anywhere. Except people being banned or blocked.
2 - Trailer for The Force Awakens was terrible.

1. Agree

2. Disagree. It was actually got me tingly with anticipation.... Something that none of the prequel trailers could

[balthazar_bee]

Originally Posted by popeflick

And last I checked, the OT is available on DVD. So evrythings available as far as that goes.

And a straight 4:3 port of a decades old laser disc transfer certainly qualifies as "respecting film history". Seriously, popeflick -- do you actually believe this, or is it just a convenient way of evading the issue?

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by kristoffer

The rumors of a OT BD box has died. I wonder if it might still happen before EP7.

No talk lately about it, but my guess is we wouldn't hear anything more substantive until Spring if it were to happen next year.

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by KaineKinetic

2 - Trailer for The Force Awakens was terrible.

It did have a little too much of the prequel look and feel to it for my taste, but let's see what happens.

[popeflick]

Originally Posted by balthazar_bee

And a straight 4:3 port of a decades old laser disc transfer certainly qualifies as "respecting film history". Seriously, popeflick -- do you actually believe this, or is it just a convenient way of evading the issue?

Well go ahead and move the goal posts if you don't like the answer.

One thing that Lucas has ALWAYS been good at is marketing. Look how long he waited to release the trilogy on Blu ray. All iterations of it sold massively well, you can't refute that. Had he released the OT on blu during that retail run he would have hurt sales. And he sold to Disney before he got around to doing so. Whether or not he would have is a different conversation, but why you'd expect him to release the OT hot on the heels of the newer ones doesn't compute quite frankly. Lucas is all about seperating you from your money. Instead 13 months after he released the blu he sold the company - for pennies on the dollar I might add.

[happydood]

Originally Posted by balthazar_bee

I don't think they fail to see anything; their frustration grows out of precisely the dynamic you've identified. In other words, they love the films, they buy them, they rightly perceive the changes as running the gamut from superfluous to detrimental to shrieking idiocy, and wonder what worm crawled into Lucas's brain and caused him to implement a "do as I say not as I do" attitude towards film history and preservation.

If it's my raging sense of entitlement that prompts me to beat my head against this particular issue time and again, so be it; I love Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, and as films, the special editions are weaker than their original counterparts. Lucas and I (or "the world") don't see eye-to-eye on this issue, and god bless him, but I wish the UOT didn't end up as little more than collateral damage to his midlife film-making crisis.

Of course, a third way does exist -- namely treating each version with appropriate respect and releasing them all -- and the folks inclined to rally to Lucas's support on this issue have almost nothing coherent to say about that, instead preferring to parrot the usual "they're his films" line.

Wonder why.

See, I want the originals, too. And yes your frustration is rooted in your fondness for the films. They should be released. I get it. Believe it or not, I'm on your side.

I wont defend Lucas' decision to withhold them. I will, however, call the folks out who aren't seeming to get a point of reference outside of themselves and condescend without having any demonstrable right to do so.

[Bluyoda]

Watched ROTS today. WOW!

After having my gamma level calibrated, and the surround system installed, this movie is breathtakingly beautiful to look at.
It's perfection in the video department.
The sound, interestingly, was much better than expected.
In stereo, I had to turn this one up much higher to get the sound close to the other to prequels in terms of volume and oomph.
In surround, it's almost the same, and there is plenty of bass and rumblings going on. Really sweet.
There was pretty much always something in the surrounds, but it was more environmental stuff. Spaceships and laser blast weren't nearly as bold as in TPM and AOTC, so it's not quite ideal, but still loads of fun and very enveloping.

The film is so sad. It's really heartbreaking to witness the fall of our hero, and democracy.
It's the best film of the entire saga to me. It's got the whole package.

The lightsaber fights are absolutely amazing, and there is lots of emotional weight to the Anaking/Dooku fight. It's so shocking when he

[Show spoiler]cuts of his hands.

, and the Anaking/Obi Wan fight.
I love when they are wielding their swords, and at the same moment use the force to push each other. It's sheer brilliance.
I love everything about it, although it's really emotional, and makes my heart ache.

Video: 5/5 This is my new/old reference disc to go.
Audio: 4,5/5 I wish there was more oomph, and more aggressive use of ships and stuff zipping through the surround channels, etc., otherwise excellent.

Film: 10/5

To the haters, I already have most of you on ignore, so save yourselves the responses.

[Bluyoda]

Btw., The Complete Saga set will be a lightning deal on amazon.de tomorrow. Just a heads up for those who are interested.
I don't know at what price though.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Kryptonic

For the last time, he's referring to people WHO AREN'T THE CREATORS OF THE ART in question. A director has the right to alter a work if he/she sees fit and to only release a version that they feel is the most complete version of what they created.

Actually the property owner has the right to alter the work as he or she sees fit. That was the case when Lucas was railing against Ted Turner 'vandalizing' his own property and it's still the case now.

And the issue isn't whose rights Lucas was trying to protect. The issue is the manner in which he justified that protection.

He was lobbying the US Congress to protect the so-called moral rights of artists and he justified congressional action on the grounds that American works of art belong to the American public.

He clearly and unambiguously argued that the public not only has an interest in what happens to movies, it has a say in what happens to movies.

Originally Posted by popeflick

At the end of the day they are his films, thus he can do with them what he wants.

Unless we're talking about a glorious fall day a little over two years ago.

At the end of that day...

[Kryptonic]

Originally Posted by octagon

Actually the property owner has the right to alter the work as he or she sees fit. That was the case when Lucas was railing against Ted Turner 'vandalizing' his own property and it's still the case now.

And the issue isn't whose rights Lucas was trying to protect. The issue is the manner in which he justified that protection.

He was lobbying the US Congress to protect the so-called moral rights of artists and he justified congressional action on the grounds that American works of art belong to the American public.

He clearly and unambiguously argued that the public not only has an interest in what happens to movies, it has a say in what happens to movies.

[stvn1974]

Originally Posted by Kryptonic

Ah, he makes sense and you have nothing to refute it with so we get a gif?

[Egons Ghost]

I find it funny all the negativity about the new trailer - principal photography has been finished for barely a month!

[Gold Ranger]

Originally Posted by Egons Ghost

I find it funny all the negativity about the new trailer - principal photography has been finished for barely a month!

For me, it isn't presentation, but content.

[crazyBLUE]