Open Letter (8 comments)
Dear George Lucas,
I like Star Wars. I've liked Star Wars for a long time. I first saw Return of the Jedi in its original theater run when I was two years old and I remember being awestruck (and I'm told I was very boisterous in saying "Return to the Jedi" afterwards). I'm not a rabid fan, never having read any of the books, but I've watched each of the original three episodes quite a few times and I've come to appreciate them for the cinematic achievement they represented. They're phenomenal films in their original context.
However, removing the films from that context changes them. Adding new CG effects cheapens everything else, making effect shots that had been brilliant and revolutionary twenty years ago appear passé and outmoded when compared to the new footage. It seems that not even ILM is skilled enough to insert the new content into the old scenes in a convincing manner. The result appears as an antiquated movie with shiny bits pasted here and there. Worse yet, many of the changes alter the characters and storytelling that made the trilogy what it is.
I'm writing to let you know that I agree with tens of thousands of other fans that your petty selfishness has ruined what was once a great franchise. With the realization that you will never admit to your mistake and release our preferred version of your work on modern media, I've been inspired to purchase the laserdisc release and a laserdisc player. Judging by the traffic of such items on eBay, it appears that there exists a market willing to pay a premium to watch the unmolested Star Wars trilogy on digital media. I think you're a fool to ignore it.
chris