I couldn't help it -- or -- "trust your feelings"

[Jake]

Okay so I finally caved after telling myself I wouldn't do it, and I bought the Star Wars DVD set. And I like it a lot. Man, Star Wars is great. I still don't like the wildly gyrating farting robots that seem to litter Mos Eisley, and I still can't tolerate the mysterious presence of the Honeycombs guy in Jabba's palace, but oh man, I really like these movies. I've been having an enjoyable couple of evenings falling asleep to super crisp looking original trilogy goodness. Also as has been said elsewhere, the giant documentary is actually pretty good as far as DVD documentaries go. All the old footage they've included is great to see, and George Lucas comes across as shockingly consistant and not too selloutish, and even slightly owns up to the fact that he's become the Emperor.

I really can't tolerate the prequels and seeing them turned me off to rewatching the old films*, I in fact thought I might not enjoy them anymore. Fortunately I was wrong and I'm having a blast with these DVDs. Farting gag robots aside, they've reminded me of a lot of things, and made me very happy.

That's all really.

* Yes I realize that they're technically not the "old films" because they're now enhanced and tainted yadda yadda but whatever. Shh. It's a whopping 10 minutes of slightly damaged idiocy out of 6 hours that are generally not that. I'll live.

[Chris]

I'm still going to hold out and keep my VHS trilogy. I just have way too strong an objection to the DVDs. I don't doubt I'll be able to do it, too.

[Roderick]

Since I have them on video I'll be able to hold it out for a long time yet. Not out of spite, but I'm on a tight budget here. That said, the box looks amazing, with Vader on it with a light and a dark side.

And no matter what you think of the new movies, the old trilogy is still superb moviestuff. It really hit the right note, whether Han shoots first or not.

[Kolzig]

I'm still going to hold out and keep my VHS trilogy.

[Metalmickey]

And no matter what you think of the new movies, the old trilogy is still superb moviestuff. It really hit the right note, whether Han shoots first or not.

I always liked that Han shot first, even as a kid. I mean, no-one who makes a living as a smuggler and deals with some of the biggest gangsters in the galaxy can get away without the occasional 'pre-emptive bloodshedding'. It goes with the territory, and kind of rounded him out.

I don't have the videos, as I always seemed to live with someone who did, and have never had my own video player anyway. Also, my housemate just bought the DVD box set the other day, so I'll be watching them all over the next couple of weeks and make my judgement about whether the big fuss about the few more minutes of (re)edited footage is justified or not.

[Simon]

I love the original trilogy in the form I first saw it on video in the mid-90s. There's new things about the Special Edition versions that make me cringe, that seem unnecessary, or that I feel don't fit at all with the style. They're still largely very enjoyable to watch, but it's a hard pill to swallow that it's not a 'director's cut' alternative I'm watching, it's the version that Lucas is replacing those original films with.

I think an artist has a right to revise their work but actually erasing something of such cultural significance seems wrong to me. If I'm honest, this is definitely not enough to make me want to boycott the DVDs, but it has meant that I've not wanted to snap them up straightaway, like I did with the Indy box. I don't doubt that I'll get them eventually, if only for the features and commentaries, but it's a less exciting prospect than if they were what I see as the 'proper' versions.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

I need to see the first 3 movies, primarily to wash out the horrible aftertaste of the last 2 movies.

[Ben]

The Han not shooting first is just wrong, for a couple of major reasons. First, it completely changes the character's arc in the films (well, only in A New Hope actually). He's meant to be a badass and mercenary, not evil, just a gunslinger in a dog-eat-dog world, kinda like the clint eastwood character in the spaghetti westerns. It makes sense that he'll be cold and look out for himself etc. And it all makes his final decision to help out luke instead of leave as he was doing, all the more important - but that decision is somewhat dulled by the fact that he doesn't shoot first,. He still comes across as mercenary as a whole, it's not that bad, but it just takes the edge of him.

Anyway, that's not the real objecton i have to this change. The real problem lies in the reason and logic given for the change. Lucas and co. said the changes were made because they did not have the technological tools back in the day...huh? So, exactly what technology was stopping you from making Han shoot first?

And that's my problem with all the special editions, i don't mind a majority of the changes, even the ones that seem to change the storyline a bit. It's just the plain lying that annoys me. It's Lucas hiding behind the technology excuse when quite obviously he has some other issues with his work. There's nothing wrong with being a perfectionist until it becomes revisionism. He's within his rights to do what the hell he likes in the end, and fuck it, he can even lie about his reasons as much as that annoys me. But the originals, like it or not, are part of modern cinemas heritage - that's how people saw it and loved it and they must be preserved in that way, to stand beside the re-edits.

Also the fact that they got rid of the yub yub song at the end of Return sucks.

Edit: Err, yes, i meant Han NOT shooting first is wrong ¬ ¬

[Jake]

I like that Han shoots first, I really like that Jabba was only talked about and not seen until the 3rd film... Basically every change I don't like (except for the occasional matte line or light saber clean up which are fine by me), but it's still entertaining film, it's still enjoyable to watch. I prefer the old edits by a lot, but if those things ruin the film for you then I think you have to let go a bit.

[Erkki]

I've only seen the first 3 movies on TV. And that's enough for me.

[Chris]

Even little clean-ups I think are kind of sad in a way, in that from now on there will be generations of movie watchers who will grow up and never be able to look at Star Wars in its 1977 revolutionary context in the same way. The films are no longer completely a product of 1977, utterly surpassing their contemporaries in many visual ways, they now has the "benefit" of hindsight and are the mixed and matched children of an absurd number of revisions, however minor. The New Special Editions, or whatever they're called, simply don't have the identity of the original films. And Jake, you're right to an extent that this attitude can be taken too far, but the Star Wars films are great for a multitude of reasons, and I think at least some of those reasons are dulled or even lost in revisions. Stuff like Jabba not showing up until the third film is a great decision in terms of structure and suspense and subtly building up a legend in the viewers' minds, but that's stuff that obviously didn't need to be changed. Even extensive lightsaber clean-ups kind of bother me because they take the films out of their home turf.

And I don't say these things out of some wacky Star Wars fanboyism; I would have the exact same attitude to such changes made towards any film of great historical significance.

EDIT: Before Kingz calls me on it, yes this post was longer than it needed to be. Whoops.

[Skinkie]

Greedo Shoots First???!??!?!?!!

[jokemaster]

I bought it too. I never lied to myself, I knew I was gonna buy it.

EDIT: Now Han and greedo shoot more or less at the same time, maybe han a little earlier. And he shoots twice.

[Jake]

Chris I agree and am in the process of obtaining some DVD copies of the proper 70s/80s versions... but on the whole some of this stuff isn't a big deal. The only reason that it's a deal at all to me is that George isnt going to put the old ones out... I mean that's obviously the big deal for most people, but sometimes I feel like people just go too nuts. As it is now with the current DVD set, its far from perfect, and I don't at all like the thought of people experiencing the films like this for their first time, but what's there is enough to get me in the proper Star Wars mood, that's all I really wanted/needed from these DVDs (my VHS copies are a bit overwatched and pathetic looking at this point)

[Chris]

but on the whole some of this stuff isn't a big deal.

Yeah, but you're saying "some of this stuff" as if some of it is more acceptable than others, whereas where you and I differ is that for me the changes bother me in general, not specific things like whether lightsabers are fixed. I just mean the whole tampering thing bothers me in principle. As you probably know, though, I'm not trying to tell you to do anything any particular way, I'm just not going to buy the DVDs myself. Fortunately even if I didn't mind the changes I don't think I'll be able to justify spending $40 on DVDs for quite some time anyway, so it's a moot point.

[Kolzig]

thedigitalbits reported couple of days ago that in 2007 the next special version Star Wars boxset is coming out.

They had talked with the guy who was in charge of the dvd release.

Who wants to bet that George will make further changes to the movies?

That would be one sure bet.

[Skinkie]

Who wants to bet that George will make further changes to the movies?

That would be one sure bet.

Episode 1: The Ultimate Edition. Now featuring a team of Ewoks who follow Jar Jar around worshipping him as goonier than them.

[jokemaster]

Yeah, but you're saying "some of this stuff" as if some of it is more acceptable than others, whereas where you and I differ is that for me the changes bother me in general, not specific things like whether lightsabers are fixed. I just mean the whole tampering thing bothers me in principle. As you probably know, though, I'm not trying to tell you to do anything any particular way, I'm just not going to buy the DVDs myself. Fortunately even if I didn't mind the changes I don't think I'll be able to justify spending $40 on DVDs for quite some time anyway, so it's a moot point.

Dude you misspelled it, it's supposed to be a moo point.