J.J. Abrams Wants The Original Trilogy Released Uncut...but says it won't happen.

[RedMercury]

 

[Teuthex]

It's not like Lucas didn't do it himself ages ago on DVD (even if they were inferior transfers).

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Yeah, I have these. The original theatrical trilogy is quite low-res, but it is all there. It certainly beats the ROTJ special edition.

 

[MrMephistoX]

Nor my laserdisc box set and one random DVD release that included the OG films. I actually think I'm going to watch those instead of the D+ versions before I mainline TFA and TLJ before Thursday.

 

[Deleted member 11822]

It's absurd that there is no way to watch the theatrical versions legally. Laser disk versions just don't cut it in 2019.

Thank the Maker for the de-specialized versions.

 

[kiguel182]

It's a disgrace the original versions aren't easily available.

The added scenes are CGI are terrible. And stuff like replacing actors in scenes is specially disrespectful.

As people said, he didn't even direct two of those movies. Altought, even if he did, movie preservation matters and the original cuts should always be available even if Lucas wanted to add his dumb shit later.

 

[Biske]

It is really weird he doesn't allow an original version. By all means go nuts forever editing your movie with weirdo choices but how can you not understand people like your original work and wanna see it? Hell people probably would love to watch them all. Some people would even agree with George and say his edits are the best. It's just fucking weird

 

[Jegriva]

Because it's not true. Disney would release the theatricals if they could. They can't. George still doesn't want that to happen, and it almost certainly was part of their sale deal. And it wouldn't surprise me if it was written into his will that it can never happen, although I don't know how well that would stand up in court.

Earlier this year the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences held a special weekend symposium/celebration of classic ILM effects artists and their work. The centerpiece of the weekend was a screening of the Academy's archive copy of the original Star Wars. Lucas threw a fit and and refused to allow it to be shown. It took Kathleen Kennedy and Bob Iger personally arguing with him for months to convince him to let them show it, and only because they were finally able to get across their point that it makes no sense to screen a version of the film that doesn't include most of the special effects the event was supposed to be honoring. Even after that he basically made them swear it would never happen again. He is dead set against the originals ever seeing the light of day again, and nobody really knows why.

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That drives me mad. We are talking visual special effects, sound editing, sound mixing that won a buttload of awards... and nobody has a legal way to see it!

Quoting a different J Jonas Jameson " If we can get a picture of Julia Roberts in a thong, we can certainly get a picture of this weirdo. "

 

[Dalek]

I just watched the Disney+ version of Return of the Jedi - and that scene in Jabba's palace is so insanely bad it's mind boggling.

 

[Azuran]

Good on Lucasfilms for respecting George's wish.

JJ sure has been on a run lately trying to convince people why he's better than George. He sure needs to stop already and finally accept he's never going to be bigger than the creator of the franchise he's currently working on.

art does not belong to any one person once it's out there

and it's not like the release of the original cuts would make Lucas's neverending alterations suddenly disappear

people are going to continue bootlegging the despecialized editions, they just won't be seen in as high a quality as they deserve

Lucas's wishes are petty and misguided

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Star Wars always belonged to George Lucas. He's free to do whatever changes he wants to his films if they fullfill the vision he desires.

Star Wars films certainly belong to one person (or corporation) even if it's out there. They're not bananas ductaped to a wall.

 

[GillianSeed79]

I don't see what the big deal is. It's like releasing a "Theatrical Version" and "Director's Cut" on a two-disc Blu-Ray. Disney Doesn't owe George Lucas shit, he sold them the rights. And it's not impossible. The fact that unofficial despecialized editions already exist is testament to that. Disney should just pay the dudes who released the despecialized versions for their versions and release them. They're probably better than anything Lucasfilm would re-release. They are literally leaving money on the table.

 

[hidys]

People who alter or destroy works of art and our cultural heritage for profit or as an exercise of power are barbarians, and if the laws of the United States continue to condone this behavior, history will surely classify us as a barbaric society. The preservation of our cultural heritage may not seem to be as politically sensitive an issue as "when life begins" or "when it should be appropriately terminated," but it is important because it goes to the heart of what sets mankind apart. Creative expression is at the core of our humanness. Art is a distinctly human endeavor. We must have respect for it if we are to have any respect for the human race.

These current defacements are just the beginning. Today, engineers with their computers can add color to black-and-white movies, change the soundtrack, speed up the pace, and add or subtract material to the philosophical tastes of the copyright holder. Tomorrow, more advanced technology will be able to replace actors with "fresher faces," or alter dialogue and change the movement of the actor's lips to match. It will soon be possible to create a new "original" negative with whatever changes or alterations the copyright holder of the moment desires. The copyright holders, so far, have not been completely diligent in preserving the original negatives of films they control. In order to reconstruct old negatives, many archivists have had to go to Eastern bloc countries where American films have been better preserved.

In the future it will become even easier for old negatives to become lost and be "replaced" by new altered negatives. This would be a great loss to our society. Our cultural history must not be allowed to be rewritten.

George Lucas, speech to Congress, 1988

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Jesus...

 

[Helot_Azure]

So I have to wait until Lucas dies to get the original version of the OT on Blu-ray?

What.the.fuck!

 

[alr1ght]

I don't see what the big deal is. It's like releasing a "Theatrical Version" and "Director's Cut" on a two-disc Blu-Ray. Disney Doesn't owe George Lucas shit, he sold them the rights. And it's not impossible. The fact that unofficial despecialized editions already exist is testament to that. Disney should just pay the dudes who released the despecialized versions for their versions and release them. They're probably better than anything Lucasfilm would re-release. They are literally leaving money on the table.

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"Despecialized" versions were a mish mash of sources along with rotoscoping in/out certain elements. Disney would be using an original 35mm print to digitize if they did anything. I'm sure Disney has prints available (maybe not the original negative) to digitize, which is what the 4K77 guys did.

 

[Prine]

George Lucas directed only one of the original trilogy. Just because he created Star Wars and owned Lucasfilm does not give him the artistic right to alter the work of others. He should have preserved the films as constructed by their original directors and present his versions alongside them.

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He still guided, funded and oversaw all the other movies, no decision was made without him, they're still his movies despite appointing better directors. He always did what he wanted, told the writers guild to get lost because he felt the beginning crawl was so important to his movies etc. Even if you don't like it, that doesn't matter, its his creation and I think it's fair he ultimately has final say on it.

 

[Ether_Snake]

Well maybe we can get this special edition instead

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVW6cdpEirU

 

[FaceHugger]

My dad still has the originals on VHS tape. At least I assume they are the originals, he recorded them back in the early 80's when I was a baby / toddler. I wonder if they're still good / functional?

 

[Nappuccino]

I'm glad saints like Harmy work to make film history accessible to the rest of us.

 

[Tobor]

It's absolutely pathetic that anyone would back Lucas on this.

Film preservation is important. Cultural preservation is important. History is important.

Lucas can do whatever he wants to the movies, yes. No one is saying otherwise. That said, it should be optional. Every release should contain the theatrical versions alongside his clown shoes dipshit versions. He has an obligation to history, which he is ignoring by attempting to erase the theatrical films from existence.

As to why this is still happening post Disney sale, my assumption is that Lucas had it written into the contract when he sold. He's that vindictive and petty.

Seriously, fuck George Lucas.

 

[Forkball]

People who alter or destroy works of art and our cultural heritage for profit or as an exercise of power are barbarians, and if the laws of the United States continue to condone this behavior, history will surely classify us as a barbaric society. The preservation of our cultural heritage may not seem to be as politically sensitive an issue as "when life begins" or "when it should be appropriately terminated," but it is important because it goes to the heart of what sets mankind apart. Creative expression is at the core of our humanness. Art is a distinctly human endeavor. We must have respect for it if we are to have any respect for the human race.

These current defacements are just the beginning. Today, engineers with their computers can add color to black-and-white movies, change the soundtrack, speed up the pace, and add or subtract material to the philosophical tastes of the copyright holder. Tomorrow, more advanced technology will be able to replace actors with "fresher faces," or alter dialogue and change the movement of the actor's lips to match. It will soon be possible to create a new "original" negative with whatever changes or alterations the copyright holder of the moment desires. The copyright holders, so far, have not been completely diligent in preserving the original negatives of films they control. In order to reconstruct old negatives, many archivists have had to go to Eastern bloc countries where American films have been better preserved.

In the future it will become even easier for old negatives to become lost and be "replaced" by new altered negatives. This would be a great loss to our society. Our cultural history must not be allowed to be rewritten.

George Lucas, speech to Congress, 1988

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I may have gone too far in a few places.

George Lucas, 1999

 

[Crackhead_Bob]

It's absolutely pathetic that anyone would back Lucas on this.

Film preservation is important. Cultural preservation is important. History is important.

Lucas can do whatever he wants to the movies, yes. No one is saying otherwise. That said, it should be optional. Every release should contain the theatrical versions alongside his clown shoes dipshit versions. He has an obligation to history, which he is ignoring by attempting to erase the theatrical films from existence.

As to why this is still happening post Disney sale, my assumption is that Lucas had it written into the contract when he sold. He's that vindictive and petty.

Seriously, fuck George Lucas.

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Let's assume that the fans overwhelmingly had loved the Special Editions and the prequels to the point of it being ubiquitous good will on the level of Peter Jackson's LOTR trilogy. Do you think Lucas would have perhaps allowed for the original versions to go on the market?

I've heard the theory that Lucas' stubborness stems from all the criticism he received over the years moreso than his claims of artistic integrity. At this point, this almost feel vindictive on Lucas' part.