George Lucas's 1988 speech about altering films

[Warhammer]

I see what you're saying but it is still splitting hairs and he wasn't the director or writer on two of them (and arguably even the first; his wife was omitted from credit despite doing at least half the work). Lucas worsened his films with some of the changes. He also refused to release the unaltered ones for several years.

You know, that's a solid point that rarely gets brought up.

Yep, it's a solid point that can't really be argued against to be honest.

 

[Victarion]

did Lucas kill an entire nation ? what did this man do to deserve so much hate. hhhhhhhhh

Better. He killed a whole plant in Return of the Jedi when the rebels blew up the Death Star over Endor.

 

[AnneFan]

Lucas can alter the films as much as he likes. I'll just keep watching the originals.

 

[Quasimod0]

None of the changes that he has made alter the films in significant ways. I don't see why everyone gets all in a tizzy about it. So what if Yoda is CG now? Fanboys. lol

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

None of the changes that he has made alter the films in significant ways. I don't see why everyone gets all in a tizzy about it. So what if Yoda is CG now? Fanboys. lol

It'd be different if the cgi aged well, but it didn't.

 

[Hordakfan]

I think Star Wars fans like me deserve to own the unaltered original trilogy on blu-ray. Lucas can have his special editions, but we should have the the movies as they were made originally.

Do you agree it's awesome now that Lucas has retired and sold his company with someone else in charge? i'm glad so he won't rape, torture and mutilate the original movies anymore and destroying our American hertitage.

Do you also agree Disney-Lucasfilm-Fox should join forces together for a boxset and restore the original cuts? Kathleen Kennedy and Disney are no stranger to film preservation you know.

 

[redhawk23]

Lucas had the right to do whatever he wanted to his own work. Whether he should have comes down to what you think tweaking work does to the integrity of the original piece. I'm of the opinion that once you've finished a piece you move on, even if you're not happy with the outcome 100%, because ultimately you learn something from the experience.

And that's the thing: Is a film written by Laurence Kasdan, directed by Irvin Kershner and produced by Gary Kurtz his work?

He does hold the rights and did start the franchise but how different really is it from Harvey Weinstein hacking up someone else's movie?

 

[sueb1863]

I hope they can now release all the original versions on Blu-Ray, but I've heard rumors that Lucas had all of the film negatives of the original versions destroyed, so I'm not sure how they make a transfer that's any better than the DVD versions that came out years ago. Those were made off of the laserdisc versions.

 

[Quasimod0]

Do you agree it's awesome now that Lucas has retired and sold his company with someone else in charge? i'm glad so he won't rape, torture and mutilate the original movies anymore and destroying our American hertitage.

Do you also agree Disney-Lucasfilm-Fox should join forces together for a boxset and restore the original cuts? Kathleen Kennedy and Disney are no stranger to film preservation you know.

Destroy our American heritage? Really? He made a bunch of tiny changes. Nothing serious at all.

 

[Tequilla]

Lucas had the right to do whatever he wanted to his own work.

Just like the fans have the right to express their wish to see the originals.

 

[sueb1863]

They can express it all they want, but Lucas seems determined to say no.

I think we're lucky to have gotten the DVDs of the original versions. If Lucas has his way, they will never be released again in any format. I'm hoping the sale will change that but since Lucas doesn't want them to survive, it wouldn't surprise me if the deal stipulated that the original versions remain under his control. He wants people to forget them.

 

[Solidus]

No. He has no control over it. George wanted to move on. Iger last year during the talk of the merger said that they have the final say. Not Lucas. And Fox would love to get in on the action of making some last effort money off of a new release of the OT.

There has been heavy rumor/talk that Disney is getting ready with Fox to do exactly that. And I will bet money they will. Probably right in time before Episode VII's release.

 

[Hordakfan]

Hey Quasi, the original trilogy are part of our American cinema culture you know and Lucas has no right to replace the originals with bastardnized versions. I bet you want Obama on mount rushmore or having Citizen Kane digitally altered with color and the only version of that forever would be the colored one with the black and white version lost. It's also like changing Raiders of the Lost Ark like on that South Park episode.

Changing Anakin's ghost in Jedi was the stupidest most unacceptable thing ever. I mean it's like digitally altering Fred Astair out of Singing in The Rain with Shia Lebeouf, very very disrespectful.

Do you agree the real Lucas was replaced by an evil greedy imposter or was taken over by the darkside? i mean he has no lover for film preservation like say Spielberg who knew what he was doing when he did beautiful restored HD versions of Jaws, Close Encounters (in 3 versions), ET (in it's untampered cut), Schindler's List, Raiders of the Lost Ark etc. all look amazing on blu-ray with quality film restoration. Do you agree the Lucas from 1988 would hate the Lucas he has became now and would call him an "gangster" or "barbarian"? It's just that he was senile and more CGI than man with alzeheimer's and hating fans including film preservationists.

I hope they can now release all the original versions on Blu-Ray, but I've heard rumors that Lucas had all of the film negatives of the original versions destroyed, so I'm not sure how they make a transfer that's any better than the DVD versions that came out years ago. Those were made off of the laserdisc versions.

You actually believed Lucas destroyed the original negatives? NO! why are people so much morons to believe in that garbage.

Read this from the Save Star Wars.Com on one of the FAQ:

5) Q: I heard the original versions do not exist as film elements. The negatives were destroyed, and there are no good copies. Is this true?
A: No, this is untrue. There are relatively good quality 35mm print masters, such as interpositves and fine-grain prints, as well as Technicolor prints. There is also a perfect duplicate of the negative in separation masters. Finally, the original negatives were not destroyed. What is meant when it is said that "they don't exist" or permanently altered is that the assembled edit of the film which uses the original pieces was re-ordered from the original edit to the Special Edition edit, so in this sense the original does not "exist." It would be very easy to simply put the original pieces physically back in, but in a theoretical modern restoration they would just be scanned digitally to avoid re-cutting the negative.

No. He has no control over it. George wanted to move on. Iger last year during the talk of the merger said that they have the final say. Not Lucas. And Fox would love to get in on the action of making some last effort money off of a new release of the OT.

There has been heavy rumor/talk that Disney is getting ready with Fox to do exactly that. And I will bet money they will. Probably right in time before Episode VII's release.

Yup and wouldn't be awesome to have Disney-Fox join forces together for a blu-ray set of beautiful restored original versions on HD? if Fox/Universal/MGM joined for the Chucky Collection on BD, Paramount/Warner for the Friday The 13th set, Lionsgate-Warner for the Nolan Collection, Lionsgate-Universal-Warner for the Tarantino Collection etc. then maybe Fox-Disney can do a deal together to bring back Star Wars in it's original cinematic identity

 

[sueb1863]

You actually believed Lucas destroyed the original negatives? NO! why are people so much morons to believe in that garbage.

You could just say "You're wrong" without being such a jerk about it.

I never said I believed it, I said I'd heard a rumor that he had done it. If he hasn't, I'm glad to hear it, but not in the uncalled-for rude way in which you presented the information.

I mean it's like digitally altering Fred Astair out of Singing in The Rain with Shia Lebeouf, very very disrespectful.

Fred Astaire was never IN Singing in the Rain. That was Gene Kelly.

 

[Poni_Boy]

Being raised by artists I've seen firsthand the dichotomy of a person who both wants to leave a something wonderful they created alone and continue to add to it/change it in an effort to fully realize their vision.

Lucas can do whatever he wants to the movies he created. Whether fans like it or not is up for debate. But that's not really what was up for debate in that statement he made. Remember, that took place in the late 80s. Star Wars was already a cultural phenomenon at that time but it wasn't considered *iconic* cinema in the vein of 1930/40s movies. That's why he and so many influential Hollywood personalities (including Jimmy Stewart) traveled to D.C. in an effort to fight Ted Turner's money grubbing intentions. What he decided to do with the SW movies a decade after have no relevance to what he was fighting against at the time. And for that I applaud him.

 

[jmc]

Just like the fans have the right to express their wish to see the originals.

You actually won't get any argument from me there. I was once dismissive of the original trilogy when the special editions came out in 97, but a couple years later Tim Burton said something which resonated. He said it didn't really make sense to add in new special effects because the film was ground breaking for its time and should be celebrated for its achievements. That statement changed my opinion on the matter because it's 100% correct, it was ground breaking for its time. In retrospect the special editions were nice, but really unnecessary. Maybe for Lucas it was necessary, maybe it was an itch that he couldn't scratch until CGI came along, but he should of treated it as nothing more than a new directors cut, he should never have looked down upon the originals as inferior products, at one stage he clearly never wanted those to see the light of day again which was completely wrong because he didn't take into account how much the originals actually mean to the people who lined up for the theatres in 77.

 

[sueb1863]

Yep, Burton was right. Although I never had a problem with Lucas tinkering with the originals, it was his whole attitude of "I don't like the original versions, so therefore I don't want anybody else to be able to watch them, either." Why he would do this to the fans who supported his work to such a huge extent I have no idea. It's like he's punishing them for not agreeing with him that the special editions are better and preferable. "Oh, you don't like the new versions? Fine, just for that you'll never be able to buy decent versions of the originals again. So there." For a long time his stance was that if fans wanted to see the original versions, they could watch the old VHS tapes. Never mind that VCRs were disappearing from the landscape and many fans couldn't do that anymore. He didn't care. Even when he finally broke down and released DVD versions they were nothing but bargain-basement non-anamorphic transfers of the laserdisc versions.

 

[TheDreamMaster]

Anything to **** all over Lucas some more, right people?

I swear, as someone who love the prequels, I feel like Prequel/ Special Edition haters think Lucas shot their fathers and raped their mothers in front of them. Like the mere existence of these things they don't like is physically harming them.

 

[Quasimod0]

Hey Quasi, the original trilogy are part of our American cinema culture you know and Lucas has no right to replace the originals with bastardnized versions. I bet you want Obama on mount rushmore or having Citizen Kane digitally altered with color and the only version of that forever would be the colored one with the black and white version lost.

I don't even know what to say to you. But trust me, I'd rather have Millard Filmore on Mt. Rushmore than Obama. lol

 

[Teelie]

Anything to **** all over Lucas some more, right people?

I swear, as someone who love the prequels, I feel like Prequel/ Special Edition haters think Lucas shot their fathers and raped their mothers in front of them. Like the mere existence of these things they don't like is physically harming them.

I like the special editions and don't hate the prequels. However I do think not releasing the unaltered originals was a hypocritical move on Lucas' part and he only gave in after he realized how much money he could cash in on them.

He went too far in trying to erase the originals' existence.

 

[Hordakfan]

You could just say "You're wrong" without being such a jerk about it.

I never said I believed it, I said I'd heard a rumor that he had done it. If he hasn't, I'm glad to hear it, but not in the uncalled-for rude way in which you presented the information.

Fred Astaire was never IN Singing in the Rain. That was Gene Kelly.

My mistake Sueb, i was just tired that night before going to bad so ok it was Gene Kelly.

I like the special editions and don't hate the prequels. However I do think not releasing the unaltered originals was a hypocritical move on Lucas' part and he only gave in after he realized how much money he could cash in on them.

He went too far in trying to erase the originals' existence.

I did too like the Special Editions in 1997 but i didn't like Han not shooting first or having that musical Sny snoodle number but i own the original versions and special edition versions on laserdisc even on VHS in widescreen both cuts. But his SE habit went too far with the stupid changes like changing Anakin to Vader screaming "nooo" at Jedi on the BDs. I refuse to buy the blu-ray set until the original version is released because i care about film preservation.

But Teelie, you glad he's finally gone too and that he sold his company, retired and left Kathleen Kennedy in charge? do you too agree Fox-Disney-Lucasfilm should join together for a BD boxset of the original unmolested theatrical cuts with proper unique 42K film restorations and back to the public at last? do you also agree Disney is great at film preservation and did great jobs on some BDs like Tron, Beauty and The Beast (3 cuts included), Lion King etc.?

 

[Teelie]

I have a my problems with Disney and their methods but I think I'd place them above George Lucas. Maybe not much higher, but they are more likely to cater to the fans for proper releases. It would surprise me if they didn't eventually release the original, unaltered version of the OT at some point on Blu-Ray. They might be digitally cleaned up and restored but it wouldn't be additions or alterations like Lucas either.

 

[TheDreamMaster]

I like the special editions and don't hate the prequels. However I do think not releasing the unaltered originals was a hypocritical move on Lucas' part and he only gave in after he realized how much money he could cash in on them.

He went too far in trying to erase the originals' existence.

I'll give you this one. I could give that spiel about they're his movies, blah blah blah, but honestly, I do think it is kinda crap that he wouldn't acknowledge the original versions.

However, I do think some, almost a majority, really take it too far though.

I did too like the Special Editions in 1997 but i didn't like Han not shooting first or having that musical Sny snoodle number but i own the original versions and special edition versions on laserdisc even on VHS in widescreen both cuts. But his SE habit went too far with the stupid changes like changing Anakin to Vader screaming "nooo" at Jedi on the BDs. I refuse to buy the blu-ray set until the original version is released because i care about film preservation.

One thing the Blu did fix was the shooting scene, the refined it to more of a showdown between Greedo and Han, rather than the awkward cut the first SE had, but still not as effective as the original. The musical number is meh to me.
I will admit, the Blu changes to the Vader scene annoy me, but I didn't mind the first NO, the drawn Noooooo seems so tacked on, like they were trolling the collective internet fans after the whole "Noooooo" meme from ROTS took off.

 

[Figs]

I have a my problems with Disney and their methods but I think I'd place them above George Lucas. Maybe not much higher, but they are more likely to cater to the fans for proper releases. It would surprise me if they didn't eventually release the original, unaltered version of the OT at some point on Blu-Ray. They might be digitally cleaned up and restored but it wouldn't be additions or alterations like Lucas either.

I wouldn't be surprised if Disney released the unaltered OT at some point. They know it would sell really well with how large the Star War's fan base is and Lucas doesn't have the rights anymore, so I don't think his grubby mitts would be able to stop them.

 

[Farren]

I wouldn't be surprised to see a Disney release of the unaltered OT within the next decade, but I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't happen either. There's so much we don't know about the current feeling at Disney or Lucasfilm towards the OT, or what agreements (legal or otherwise) might have been made with respect to any future releases of the OT when the sale was made.

Pretty sad that our best hope at this point is Disney's greed to make a profit.