We previously ran a poll on this subject back when it was first announced that the ‘Star Wars’ saga would be coming to Blu-ray. However, now that new details have emerged regarding the further changes that George Lucas has imposed on the original trilogy, I feel that it’s worth revisiting the topic. Are you still planning to buy ‘Star Wars’ on Blu-ray next week, or have you finally had enough of George Lucas’ revisionism?
The last time we asked this, the results shook out that the majority of voters (43%) were planning to buy the whole “Complete Saga” six-film set. Just behind that at 29% were people who insisted that they wouldn’t buy the movies on Blu-ray until Lucas finally releases the original, unaltered versions of the first trilogy. I wonder if those percentages will still hold up.
After giving this a lot of thought, I’ve decided that I’m burned out on ‘Star Wars’. I find George Lucas’ behavior to be reprehensible. The ‘Star Wars’ trilogy were incredibly groundbreaking and influential films that changed the cinematic art form (for better or for worse). By systematically dismantling and disfiguring them the way he has, while refusing the preserve their original presentations that made such a profound impact on both filmmaking and popular culture, George Lucas is destroying an important piece of our cultural heritage. Until he restores these movies to their original forms, I will not buy them again on Blu-ray or any format. Screw George Lucas. He’s an asshole.
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Ryan Megan
and anyone who thinks this won’t sell like hot cakes, please bet me solid money on it.
I could use it.
While it might not be the best selling title of the year, it will certainly be the best selling catalog release.
William Henley
Yeah, I am the person who will fight on whatever bone Lucas throws me. I hate to say it, but altered-Star Wars is better than No-Star Wars.
However, because of unemployment, I had to cancel my preorder. I will probably put it on my Christmas wish list instead.
Jeffry
Im pretty sure 1/2 of the people that voted that they wont buy them cause of the changes have it by the end of the year.
The rest buys it when the price goes down enough with the excuse that they just want to add it to their collection.
EM
43% does not constitute a majority. In the context of the January 19 poll, though, it does represent a plurality.
Brian J. Wright
I think you guys are kidding yourselves if you think Lucas has any intention of releasing hi-def versions of the unaltered trilogy.
Lucas is a canny marketer in many ways, but he’s also a deeply clueless man in many others. And when it comes to the movies themselves, he’s going to tinker with them for-bloody-ever, because that’s just the way he does things. He’s wrong, but I am sure he honestly thinks he’s improving these movies each time, and that his alterations are features and not bugs.
He’s not holding out for a double-dip. He could’ve double-dipped the hell out of those DVD’s, and didn’t. Whatever motivates him, it’s not as simple as mere greed.
Brian Marshall
Too all the haters, go watch twilight.
Dean
I am not a fan of the Star Wars movies in general so I wouldn’t be buying the blu-rays even if they came with a free pass to the Mustang Ranch and a pound of blow, but I think it is pretty sad that Lucas is tampering with his old films in this way without at least throwing in the theatrical versions so the buyer can decide what they want to see.
Dennis Lafontaine
Technically speaking, can’t AFI remove Star Wars from their Top 100 since they’re a moving target, never the same movie twice?
Josh Zyber
AuthorThe AFI list is voted on by its members, not one single person in charge of making decisions of what stays and what goes. Many of the same movies appear from update to update, which is natural since certain movies will continue to be highly regarded from generation to generation (Citizen Kane, Casablanca, Lawrence of Arabia, etc.).
It’s not like someone at the AFI can say, “We’re done with Star Wars. No Star Wars in the next list update!” It doesn’t work that way.