WHY LUCAS DOESN’T GIVE A SHIT WHAT YOU THINK: $84 MILLION IN STAR WARS BLU’S ALREADY SOLD

Everything about Star Wars and Star Wars fandom just makes me sad for humanity.

Something as huge and influential as Star Wars was doomed from the start.  

These numbers are pretty much what I expected to see. There was no way it wouldnt be the best-selling bluray ever.

I'll just revel in my childhood memories of playing in the backyard dirt with my action figures and drag out the OT for my daughter to watch from time to time.

It's amazing how much money this franchise continues to make with so little effort. Lucas should be lauded for creating the perfect perpetual motion machine. I guess.

Sometimes I wonder if hardcore Star Wars fans even realize that other movies have been made and may be worthy of their attention/obsession.

I didn't buckle and any interest I might've had nagging me has already passed. It's too bad about the rest of these sheep.

Didn't buy it.  And not to make some statement or protest.  I'm simply not interested if I can't get the movies I grew up with.  There's too many cool new movies in theaters and other Blu-rays to buy.

Best deleted scene...

The public realizes what fanboys do not: that these are 98% the same films they always were. The way people carry on, you'd think that he'd changed every other frame. Lucas's tinkerings do not alter the films in significant ways. Most people can get over it.

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Originally Posted by Warren Peace 

The public realizes what fanboys do not: that these are 98% the same films they always were. The way people carry on, you'd think that he'd changed every other frame. Lucas's tinkerings do not alter the films in significant ways. Most people can get over it.

By whose definitions? I may be beating a dead horse here but Han not shooting first is pretty fucking significant when it comes to his characters' arc. What's next... Luke throws the Emperor down the shaft instead of Vader?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Warren Peace 

The public realizes what fanboys do not: that these are 98% the same films they always were. The way people carry on, you'd think that he'd changed every other frame. Lucas's tinkerings do not alter the films in significant ways. Most people can get over it.

I'm not even a huge fan but there's just something I find annoying about the fact that Lucas can't just leave these fucking movies alone already. I didn't mind the 1997 special editions. Cool, it's the twenty-year anniversary, let the guy make his definitive version. But every fucking time, this movie comes out on a new format, he has to change and update it. I can sympathize with the Star Wars nerds a little here. If the director of one of my favorite films had to keep switching things up and modernizing the flick everytime he put it out and wasn't offering a high quality version of the original, I would probably have a "geek fit" too. Spielberg did it with E.T. and Close Encounters, Coppola did it with Apocalypse Now, and Ridley Scott with Blade Runner but at the very least, they gave us options as to which version we wanted to see.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shaun H 

By whose definitions? I may be beating a dead horse here but Han not shooting first is pretty fucking significant when it comes to his characters' arc.

It really, really isn't.  But whatever.

It's amusing that you guys think it was just the geeks buying this.

I don't know who's more tiresome, rabid haters, rabid defenders, or this new hipsterish demographic that finds any emotional attachment to these films - either way - oh so very amusing and risible.

You're super cool kids - we get it.

Pride won't allow George Lucas to allocate money and resources to release what he considers inferior versions. He needs an out from his entrenched stance. That's where the Criterion Collection comes in. They do whatever restoration work needs to be done and release the originals on Blu-ray. Fans get what they want while the bearded one's pride stays intact. Just think of the cover art and special features possibilities.

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Originally Posted by The Rain Dog 

I don't know who's more tiresome, rabid haters, rabid defenders, or this new hipsterish demographic that finds any emotional attachment to these films - either way - oh so very amusing and risible.

 

You're super cool kids - we get it.

Granted, at this point I probably fall into the third category, but I'm confident the correct answer is 'rabid haters'.

84 fucking million? I just don't get it.

What's their to get? Star Wars is popular. Mainstream popular. 99% of the population doesn't give a shit who shot first nor will even notice.

http://www.pvponline.com/2011/09/23/a-new-dope/

Don't own a blu-ray player, but thought this was funny. 

Jesus fucking Christ. How many times can we have these same arguments?

I'm convinced that if all the duplicate discussions about George vs Special Editions vs Original Trilogy vs Nerd Rage vs Too Cool to Argue About It etc were deleted then the whole of internet would halve at leaste.

I'm a fucking huge SW fan but for the past ten years my role in being a fan has moved from enjoying the films to reading duplicate arguments in multiple forums all discussing the same fucking arguments and coming to the same conclusions,

There will always be people defending George's decissions, people attacking and people on the fence who point and laugh. For ten fucking years. Nothing has changed and we've gained nothing.

Can we just stop discussing this? Just repost an old SW thread and lock it, so people can read it and agree/disagree with exactly the same thoughts as we're having now?

SW is so fucking stale nowadays and it's in no small part to our continued discussion of it.

And with that I'm off to trawl through HomeTheaterForum.com and the 50-odd threads they've got on the subject.

Rant over. Carry on.

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Originally Posted by stelios 

84 fucking million? I just don't get it.

It was the marketing blitz as well. I don't about you but here in blighty you couldn't move for Star Wars. "FINALLY" Screamed the TV spots, like they had never been released before. There were midnight launches everywhere.

They also turned the BT tower in London into a lightsaber, which almost made the whole thing worthwhile.

Grandma Ethel is looking for a present for little Timmy and there it is.

I hardly talk about STAR WARS at all anymore. I try to avoid even thinking about it. I've cut it out of my life like a cancer, boxing my (considerable, IMHO) merchandise collection away and out of sight. It's not that I don't care about STAR WARS, it's that I used to care with all my heart and soul, and with the series held hostage by a bearded, plaid addled mad man, I simply can't bring myself to go on with that level of investment

The truth of the matter is that I am deeply upset by what Lucas has done to the franchise. To hide the original cuts away, and force on the public his "improved" versions that change the story and the characters.. it's just extremely disrespectful, both to the fans, and to the people of the world who are entitled to see the original movies. I am sick of being told that they are Lucas' property to do with as he pleases. Wasn't that Ted Turner's argument when he was colorizing his entire film library? What about film history? What about America's cultural legacy? Lucas can update the films all he wants, but it's his insistence that the changed versions are the only ones that matter that is what wounds most deeply

It boggles my minds that if a young film historian wanted to see Star Wars in order to write a paper on the phenomena that swept the world in 1977, they would have zero access to the film in an anamorphic, high def format

I've stopped caring about the changes at this point. I've written Lucas off as a highly disturbed shell of a man, endlessly groping at the past in a bizarre attempt to "perfect" it. It's no longer worth my time or attention, the increasingly strange and incomprehensible alterations he makes. I have no interest in the films now that he's tinkered with them, and I've made peace with the fact he doesn't really care whether or not I stay a fan

With this in mind, for my own mental health it's necessary for me to call it a day and stop paying attention to this on any level. If the original STAR WARS films come out at some point, I may get them, I may not. Who knows

What I do know is I am damn proud that not a dollar of this 84 million came from my pocket. I eventually broke down and bought that STAR WARS set a few years back when it was on super sale, but seeing as I don't own a BLU RAY player, that won't be the case here

Star Wars and I are done, and I have no more tears to shed. I can't say that much bothers me

George, thanks for being such a maniac that you've become a self parody (Vader screaming "Noooo!" in JEDI? At this point, all I can do is laugh). It made the break up much, much easier

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Rain Dog 

I don't know who's more tiresome, rabid haters, rabid defenders, or this new hipsterish demographic that finds any emotional attachment to these films - either way - oh so very amusing and risible.

 

You're super cool kids - we get it.

Please tell me I'm not the hipster.  I can take rabid defender, but not hipster.

No one is entitled to entertainment. Entertainment is a luxury, not a right. Hate Lucas all you want for his creative bankruptcy, but he doesn't owe you anything. 
 

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Originally Posted by Princess Kate 

...it's just extremely disrespectful, both to the fans, and to the people of the world who are entitled to see the original movies. I am sick of being told that they are Lucas' property to do with as he pleases.

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Originally Posted by Bartleby_Scriven 

No one is entitled to entertainment. Entertainment is a luxury, not a right. Hate Lucas all you want for his creative bankruptcy, but he doesn't owe you anything. 
 

Film is art. It's part of our cultural legacy. It's why there are those Marty Scorsesse adverts about how preserving film is our "duty" and something we "have to do" before the trailers on many DVDs these days

I feel like Lucas is giving the middle finger to the 'films are art, and more importantly, cultural artifacts' argument. To him, they're property, nothing more. And yeah, I feel that he's wrong, and as an American, seeing as my tax dollars partly go to my government paying money to keep a print of STAR WARS '77 in a temperature controlled vault where it's restored every few years, you're darn right I am entitled to see the movie as it originally existed

I have bought most of the releases. I always hated the Greedo shoots first thing its only gotten worse over the years when i've watched the special edition of A New Hope. The Vader cry threw me over the bridge. Thats just a wonderful moment and one of my earliest childhood memories was watching ROTJ and asking my mom " Why did Vader the bad guy throw the Emperor. " during all of that I heard no stupid " NOOOOO! " cry.

That was a deal breaker for me i'm done with Star Wars until the originals are released in high def untouched.

I don't need CGI in the Seven Samurai or extra CGI blood in Fight Club or a Jackie Chan blooper real in Schindlers List.

Leave classic films alone.

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Originally Posted by Princess Kate 

Film is art. It's part of our cultural legacy. It's why there are those Marty Scorsesse adverts about how preserving film is our "duty" and something we "have to do" before the trailers on many DVDs these days

 

I feel like Lucas is giving the middle finger to the 'films are art, and more importantly, cultural artifacts' argument. To him, they're property, nothing more. And yeah, I feel that he's wrong, and as an American, seeing as my tax dollars partly go to my government paying money to keep a print of STAR WARS '77 in a temperature controlled vault where it's restored every few years, you're darn right I am entitled to see the movie as it originally existed

"The moral life of man forms part of the subject-matter of the artist, but the morality of art consists in the perfect use of an imperfect medium. No artist desires to prove anything. Even things that are true can be proved." - Oscar Wilde

Art is not an entitlement. It is a happy by-product of human existence.

Being subjective, it can only help those that help themselves. Or to quote Master Yoda, what's in Star Wars is only what you take with you.

I believe that no work of art is ever finished, it's abandoned. Sometimes, you just have to say 'enough' and leave it as is and move on. I guess Lucas says to hell with that, I have some new toys and is bent on creating his perfect vision. I wish he wouldn't, but as anyone who has ever created something and then later looked and went 'Aaw! I should've done that instead!', I get it, I do.

But stop. You'll never get your perfect vision because your idea of perfect keeps changing. In 77, it was the closest to perfection for 30 year old Lucas. 97, closest for 50 year old Lucas. And so on.

That being said, god damn...$84 million? 84 million dollars? Jesus, if I were Da Vinci, I'd be tempted to rework the Mona Lisa for that.

I thought the only reason Lucas released the unaltered OT (albeit a non-anamorphic laserdisc port with mono sound) in 2007 was because fans were bitching.  So obviously he does take the temperature of fandom and is aware of what is said in forums like this.  This is why I think it's healthy to voice your opinion about this.  It's fucked up that Lucas refuses to give the unaltered OT the same quality treatment as his special editions and he should be made aware of this.  Not in a bitchy fanatical way, but just state your piece and move on.  Who knows, he may relent.

I don't buy this.  Lucas has had 30 plus years to ponder his "vision" for the OT, but every time a new format is released, he makes more changes.  This is nothing but marketing, all the way.  He has no "vision" for these movies, just little nitpicky things that bother him that are par for the course with the flaws of filmmaking in general, and he doles it out bit by bit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doc Happenin 

 

But stop. You'll never get your perfect vision because your idea of perfect keeps changing. In 77, it was the closest to perfection for 30 year old Lucas. 97, closest for 50 year old Lucas. And so on.

 

Just a hypothetical...

If Lucas were to preserve his original films as they were when they were first theatrically released for film history/archival purposes, but still refused to release them on whatever the current format is at the time... would you be fine with that?

I would actually be totally cool with that. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcnooj82 

Just a hypothetical...

 

If Lucas were to preserve his original films as they were when they were first theatrically released for film history/archival purposes, but still refused to release them on whatever the current format is at the time... would you be fine with that?

 

I would actually be totally cool with that. 

IMHO film exists to be exhibited, to be seen. It's not film history if it's just in a vault - it's just history. That's why when a new Chaplin short is discovered, the story doesn't say "New Chaplin film found, to be stored in secrecy till the end of time"

They get on putting that stuff out there ASAP

I respect what you're saying, McNooj82, I just strongly disagree. The BLADERUNNER set is how you do this with respect and class. The 'DIRECTORS CUT' of BLADERUNNER was an event in it's own right, and so it gets it's own release. Just like the '97 special editions had theatrical prints made, and people saw the film for the first time in that format. The 97 Special Editions need to be put out there in HIGH DEF as well

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ambler 

I thought the only reason Lucas released the unaltered OT (albeit a non-anamorphic laserdisc port with mono sound) in 2007 was because fans were bitching.  So obviously he does take the temperature of fandom and is aware of what is said in forums like this.  This is why I think it's healthy to voice your opinion about this.  It's fucked up that Lucas refuses to give the unaltered OT the same quality treatment as his special editions and he should be made aware of this.  Not in a bitchy fanatical way, but just state your piece and move on.  Who knows, he may relent.

George Lucas released the laserdisc ports because it didn't require any money or additional work to do so, just extra discs. Which means he doesn't so much mind the originals being out there, he just doesn't want to spend any time or money to remaster them in the latest format. Which is an important distinction. I think the key to getting them in hi-def is for a third party to handle the restoration and release.

Kate, I'm just saying that at least the films would exist in their original form someplace.  Forget class and whatnot.  We're beyond that.  But I have heard people say that they don't even care about the changes he makes and that it's about film preservation.

I'm just saying I would be cool with them still existing somewhere even if I can't see it.  It really is about film preservation.  I mean, if you really want to see the movies as close as they were to original release, you can still get the extra feature DVDs.  They CAN be seen.  Or at least before they stopped printing those extra features DVDs, I guess?

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcnooj82 

Kate, I'm just saying that at least the films would exist in their original form someplace.  Forget class and whatnot.  We're beyond that.  But I have heard people say that they don't even care about the changes he makes and that it's about film preservation.

 

I'm just saying I would be cool with them still existing somewhere even if I can't see it.  It really is about film preservation.  I mean, if you really want to see the movies as close as they were to original release, you can still get the extra feature DVDs.  They CAN be seen.  Or at least before they stopped printing those extra features DVDs, I guess?

 

 

It is about film preservation, but IMHO the whole point of preserving stuff is so it can be seen by the public. Why bother to preserve it at all if no one can ever watch it in high def? Why should you need to be an academic or get special permission to watch a certain version of a film? IMHO the crippled DVD releases don't count, though perhaps some are cool with that level of access

Oh well, difference of opinion I guess. I need to stop getting worked up over STAR WARS, it's not good for my health

Thanks for sharing your views with me

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcnooj82 

Kate, I'm just saying that at least the films would exist in their original form someplace.  Forget class and whatnot.  We're beyond that.  But I have heard people say that they don't even care about the changes he makes and that it's about film preservation.

 

I'm just saying I would be cool with them still existing somewhere even if I can't see it.  It really is about film preservation.  I mean, if you really want to see the movies as close as they were to original release, you can still get the extra feature DVDs.  They CAN be seen.  Or at least before they stopped printing those extra features DVDs, I guess?

But what is the point of preserving it if they just plan to leave it in some storage room forever? We're talking about the highest-grossing movie franchise in film history. As I said earlier, I actually endorse the 1997 Special Edition. It was good for what they were doing. A lot of director's cuts and special editions exist. However, I don't like the idea that the movie is never COMPLETE to Lucas. He sees a new format as a new way to alter his films while discarding the previous versions. No matter what movie or filmmaker it is, this is a miserable way to do it.

 

I'd be fine with that, but I wouldn't be satisfied.  What's the point of preserving the unaltered films if he's not going to make them available for viewing, which is the point of film preservation in the first place?  Lucas is full of shit, as his quote to Congress in the 80s shows.  I don't mind anymore, he can do what he likes if it helps him sleep at night, but he's not getting another dime from me.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcnooj82 

Just a hypothetical...

 

If Lucas were to preserve his original films as they were when they were first theatrically released for film history/archival purposes, but still refused to release them on whatever the current format is at the time... would you be fine with that?

 

I would actually be totally cool with that. 

I specifically heard he released them because fans were bitching.  Why else would he put shitty non anamorphic ports of the unaltered OT with mono sound on there?  It sure as shit wasn't for the average fan who ate up the 2004 box set with all the changes in anamorphic 5.1

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Originally Posted by Barry Woodward 

George Lucas released the laserdisc ports because it didn't require any money or additional work to do so, just extra discs. Which means he doesn't so much mind the originals being out there, he just doesn't want to spend any time or money to do so in the latest format. Which is an important distinction. I think the key to getting them in hi-def is for a third party to do the restoration and release.

It's just the thought that they still exist in that form, at least.  Speaking only for myself, that's good enough for me at this point since I don't really care all that much about seeing Star Wars again.  But I do care that it still be preserved in principle. 

Battered wives, all of you.  Put some ice on your eye and shut the fuck up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bitches Leave 

Criterion or some other 3rd party is the only way the unaltered original trilogy will be released. Why would he spend money on releasing them when 99.9% of the buying public would choose the updated versions. People buy this shit for their kids, for a new generation, and they want the new and shiny shit.

Personally, I can't wait to buy this new box-set. I love Star Wars and love everytime we get a new crisp transfer. I also laughed and sighed of the "nooooooo!" and some of the other stuff, but I just don't care about the small, silly changes. If I cared I would probably just mute the sound for the one second of "NO" heheh.

Sorry but I don't buy that. There's obviously a demand for the originals. It's not a matter of choices. You throw a remastered version of the original film on the set and the asking price goes up about $10 and people will buy it. Trust me. Everybody wants the most complete set possible.

 

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Originally Posted by HarleyQuinn22 

Battered wives, all of you.  Put some ice on your eye and shut the fuck up.

I never really looked at it that way but well said miss.

There has to be a stopping point and for some there isn't. I understand.

When restoration was done to make the SE, the originals had to be scanned in!

I bet their sitting some where on an ILM hard drive.

I'm sure you all have seen this, but if not, this is a great read!

http://secrethistoryofstarwars.com/savingstarwars.html

Just to throw more fuel on this thread:

How much did the LOTR blu rays make their first week...?

(And I'm asking out of genuine curiosity; I love both franchises and bought both sets [though I still watch my DVD laserdisc rips of the Holy Trilogy over the ever-changing Special Editions]).

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAIRUS 

When restoration was done to make the SE, the originals had to be scanned in!

 

I bet their sitting some where on an ILM hard drive.

And that hard drive is probably resting in a rusty, food stained reel tin labeled "carbonite" in magic marker that hangs on the guy's office wall.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAIRUS 

When restoration was done to make the SE, the originals had to be scanned in!

 

I bet their sitting some where on an ILM hard drive.

So you're saying the Original Trilogy is in the computer?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bitches Leave 

Criterion or some other 3rd party is the only way the unaltered original trilogy will be released. Why would he spend money on releasing them when 99.9% of the buying public would choose the updated versions. People buy this shit for their kids, for a new generation, and they want the new and shiny shit.

There is a HUGE demand for the unaltered films, why else would Lucas waste his time and money releasing the unaltered OT in 2007 (albeit in shitty quality)?  

I guarantee you if Lucas suddenly announced the unaltered OT in high-def bluray, pre-orders would clog servers.