the crimes of george lucas ('90s on)

Its ruined because it is completely impossible to purchase the original, theatrically released versions in a watchable format.

― jon /via/ chi 2.0, Thursday, September 1, 2011 9:05 AM (18 minutes ago) Bookmark

this is otm, though.

i'm secretly grateful that all these new bullshitty movies drained my enthusiasm for SW because now i can go "well it is a bit silly," but i would at least like to be able to see the actual original things that got me so pumped in the first place.

That clip of of the "krayt dragon call" is the funniest fucking thing I think I will see all day today

Thats true, and a pretty good analogy. I just don't understand why he just can't leave the older versions available for us to purchase. Its not like it would cause him to make less money or something.

Basically, I just look at something like Ridley Scott's Blu-Ray set for Blade Runner with 5(!) different versions of the film. Its hard not to look at this as a "fuck you", when he knows what people are clamoring for but doesn't give a shit about releasing it.

(xpost)

I'm sure when you're 85 the original edits will be released via "Help me, Obi-Wan" hologram.

but i would at least like to be able to see the actual original things that got me so pumped in the first place.

I mean, this is key. I'd love to show my kid the originals some day.

LIFE SIZED SATANIC DOLL USED AS MASTURBATION TOY FOR AMERICA'S YOUTH

one day the unfuckedup oroginal will be released - I proimise

I think we still have the originals on VHS

omg Mark is that link for real

The Darth Vader "Nooooo!" thing is just so clunky and stupid and idiotic. I really don't see why he doesn't just dig out all the cut scenes from the first film and clean them up and put them back in. Stuff like Luke hanging around with his friends is actually kinda dull and detracting from the pacing of the original movies, but not nearly as distracting as some of the new stuff he's put in. Anyone want to chime in on the R2D2 rock? I haven't seen that yet, but yeah, sounds like a good way to waste millions of dollars. Putting a digital rock in somewhere.

Thats true, and a pretty good analogy. I just don't understand why he just can't leave the older versions available for us to purchase. Its not like it would cause him to make less money or something.

Basically, I just look at something like Ridley Scott's Blu-Ray set for Blade Runner with 5(!) different versions of the film. Its hard not to look at this as a "fuck you", when he knows what people are clamoring for but doesn't give a shit about releasing it.

yeah, this is where i smell whiffs of anti-fandom w/lucas, i guess. a criterion-style remastering of the originals, in high-def, w/o whizz-bang special effects, would totally sell. so he either doesn't care about making money (i really think he doesn't at this point, why would you), doesn't want the originals to be seen anymore now that he's made changes (likely), or actively holds in contempt fans that think the originals are better ("they don't get it").

likely all three

well also Lucas is making the mistake of thinking people love his artistic/creative vision when what people actually loved was how he got around/adjusted to/circumvented technical limitations that got in the way of his artistic vision, something that becomes more and more apparent as he goes back to all of these movies and retinkers them into what he REALLY wanted all along

wait i thought you could buy the og 3 on dvd? or is that not 'a watchable format' for you nerds?

haha, true! xp

also, thing is, to hear my parents tell it, it wasn't the actual nuts and bolts of his creative vision that was appealing, it was that it got into a movie at all, ever.

SW was the first time joe moviegoer got a taste of competently done space opera. i mean, it's kinda like ppl (non-nerds) going nuts for the LOTR movies. like whoah i've never read the books but this shit is EPIC and COOL and its like dude this is nothing new, it just happens to be in a movie now

a hoy hoy - you can buy versions of the OG trilogy on DVD that have the original versions on a bonus disc, but even a 5 year-old would tell you they are unwatchable.

From an Amazon review:
The picture & sound are intentionally presented in mediocre quality. These DVD's are transferred from the exact same videotape used to create the laserdisc release in 1993. That means a non-anamorphic, muddy, letterboxed picture that will have to be zoomed in to fill widescreen TVs or computer monitors. Lucasfilm refuses to fulfill the basic minimum standards of a current DVD release and make a new transfer. The quality of this DVD presentation will not live up to that of such timeless classics as Caddyshack II & Ishtar.

We have a 52" screen at home and they took up maybe a quarter of our screen. If I zoomed in, it was blurry to the point of making me nauseous trying to watch.

"Any child that has seen this movie is finding that their natural attraction to members of the opposite sex is being replaced with an attraction to a 7ft devil with elephant feet, a 25 inch tongue, polka dot skin, a fish snout, and two phallic eyes that jut out like hard erotic pokers. For the Love of God! If you've got this devil in your house, remove it as soon as possible! "

lol

"Jillian! We have a surprise for you in upstairs in your bedroom!"

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3581/3367427674_f7201f3864_b.jpg

lolling at walking in on some kid sitting on Jar Jar's face. AMERICA WAKE UP!

ya rly I feel like we got off track by not delving deeper into that amazing amazing page

im astonished that you werent clued in on landover baptist already djp. it's been around forever! it's a parody site btw

kil everything

I figured it had to be but omg if it was real the world would have seemed a brighter, more amazing place

Take that parody aside, I still can't believe they sold seven-foot Jar Jars to children.

Just picturing the suspense at the birthday party when they wheeled that thing in covered in wrapping paper and bows.

Then imagining the children screaming in terror.

It's almost as weird as this guy.

http://thebiglead.fantasysportsven.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Embarrassed-dog-yearns-for-a-PETA-rescue1.jpg

That poor dog!

a bulldog in bama gear http://i.imgur.com/aKxbn.gif

actually idk what breed that is

Lucas: "Hey James, do you think we should add some overdubs into the climactic scene of 'Jedi'?"

JEJ: "No."

Lucas: *clicks recorder* "Hey, that's great! Print that!"

JEJ: "NOOOO"

http://www.sandcrawler.com/SWB/Images/StarWars/Walkers/walkers-jarjar-pair.jpg

a few years back i bought one of these^^^ from sainsburys -- the white one bcz yes i'm a racist

eventually the tongue deliquesced into small blobs of pink mucus

"George, patch in the one from Revenge of the Shit; I'm 80 fucking years old."

xp

I once interviewed one of the Lucasfilm dudes, and you wouldn't imagine the omerta in effect. He just would not confirm or deny that the original negatives are either gone or unrepairable.

sticky... tongue toy

at this point i think part of it might be that putting out the originals would feel to him like a capitulation, especially since there is literally no one on the planet who prefers any of the modified versions and nobody would ever buy any of them again except by accident.

The remastered Blu-Ray sticky tongue toy will be a delight.

We have a 52" screen at home and they took up maybe a quarter of our screen. If I zoomed in, it was blurry to the point of making me nauseous trying to watch.

1. i've got a 26" screen so this sounds perfect for me

2. but frankly, if i want my kids to experience the thrill of star wars, sitting on a couch watching TV is not going to fulfill the brief

yeah those versions are fine on my completely shitty tv i gave a departing housemate $20 for, but i think that's about the limit.

What, you going to fly them around in the actual Millenium Falcon?

part of me is glad that i might be able to avoid the crushing disappointment ill feel when my kids dont give a shit about star wars

i didn't realize until i bought them how long it had been since i'd actually seen the real movies, though; when luke drove into mos eisley and no one stepped in poop or fell off a dinosaur i was overcome with peace.

These films were never that good. You were six.

omg

And you were forty-eight, its okay.

empire's neck-and-neck with khan for Best Space Movie, the others are fine.

some parts less fine than others.

are you speaking of negative space?

I prefer the newly tinkered ending of ROTJ with Hayden and his long hair and awful smirk: it injects the only bit of pathos into a movie that even in 1983 looked like Lucas had been tinkering with rejected ideas for years.

Thank God I was a teenager who preferred Annie Hall