On many, many occasions -- perhaps far too many to keep track of -- we fans get accused of taking things way too seriously.
During much of the 1970's and 1980's, in fact, Bill Shatner and several others near and dear to the Star Trek franchise earned laughs by telling fandom to "Get a life!" The sad reality of that commentary is that if all of those fans had 'gotten a life' then Bill, Leonard, and George's lives would've been spent in pursuit of riches earned elsewhere instead of from that same fandom, but I'll give them a pass because, sure, I agree that we sometimes do cling a bit too fondly to things that might not mean as much today as they did in our youth.
In that regard, Den Of Geek is reporting that Lucasfilm head honcho Kathleen Kennedy has finally "put a pin" in that whole issue about whether or not fans can expect to see the original versions of Star Wars (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return Of The Jedi) available either theatrically and/or on home video: for those who missed it, the answer appears to be a resounding "no." She goes one step further by saying that those original visions really belong to George, a sentiment that I've always agreed with but like anyone hate to be reminded of so frequently. It would appear those folks claiming that those cuts of the immortal space fantasy are better than the Special Editions will never get the capitalist opportunity to test the theory in today's mainstream, and blah blah blah it is what it is.
Now, first off ...
I've never considered myself one of those folks who thought George Lucas "raped my childhood" by tinkering with the original films. Like Ms. Kennedy alleges, they're really his vision, and if he's decided his vision needed some window dressing then so be it. Granted, it would be nice to have some modern means of comparing the old and the new without having to resort to VHS tapes or YouTube.com, but in the end I'm not sure one home-based viewing would definitively make anyone feel better about the never-ending debate. (Despite what anyone -- including Harrison Ford -- says, I know without a doubt that Greedo shot first.)
And second off ...
Even though Kennedy tries to make hers the last word on the subject, I can't say that I'll believe it until I see it (or I reach the grave, whichever comes first). Even though she's trying to couch her argument in terms of artistic integrity, Star Wars has and always will be a commercial venture, and when the modern well runs dry of re-invention you know that the Mouse House won't pass up the opportunity to 'make a buck' on finally giving the fans what they're clamored for since those Special Editions saw the light of day and the dim of the cinema lights.
Lastly, do I want to see them?
Sure. It would be nice.
Is my life going to be incomplete if I don't see them again?
No. Absolutely not.
Those who know me well know that I'm no fan of what JJ Abrams did to the saga with Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens, but I'm not exactly losing sleep over any of it. It's still a tale that'll always interest me, and I, like most, clamor for more and not less from that galaxy far, far away.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
During much of the 1970's and 1980's, in fact, Bill Shatner and several others near and dear to the Star Trek franchise earned laughs by telling fandom to "Get a life!" The sad reality of that commentary is that if all of those fans had 'gotten a life' then Bill, Leonard, and George's lives would've been spent in pursuit of riches earned elsewhere instead of from that same fandom, but I'll give them a pass because, sure, I agree that we sometimes do cling a bit too fondly to things that might not mean as much today as they did in our youth.
In that regard, Den Of Geek is reporting that Lucasfilm head honcho Kathleen Kennedy has finally "put a pin" in that whole issue about whether or not fans can expect to see the original versions of Star Wars (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return Of The Jedi) available either theatrically and/or on home video: for those who missed it, the answer appears to be a resounding "no." She goes one step further by saying that those original visions really belong to George, a sentiment that I've always agreed with but like anyone hate to be reminded of so frequently. It would appear those folks claiming that those cuts of the immortal space fantasy are better than the Special Editions will never get the capitalist opportunity to test the theory in today's mainstream, and blah blah blah it is what it is.
Now, first off ...
I've never considered myself one of those folks who thought George Lucas "raped my childhood" by tinkering with the original films. Like Ms. Kennedy alleges, they're really his vision, and if he's decided his vision needed some window dressing then so be it. Granted, it would be nice to have some modern means of comparing the old and the new without having to resort to VHS tapes or YouTube.com, but in the end I'm not sure one home-based viewing would definitively make anyone feel better about the never-ending debate. (Despite what anyone -- including Harrison Ford -- says, I know without a doubt that Greedo shot first.)
And second off ...
Even though Kennedy tries to make hers the last word on the subject, I can't say that I'll believe it until I see it (or I reach the grave, whichever comes first). Even though she's trying to couch her argument in terms of artistic integrity, Star Wars has and always will be a commercial venture, and when the modern well runs dry of re-invention you know that the Mouse House won't pass up the opportunity to 'make a buck' on finally giving the fans what they're clamored for since those Special Editions saw the light of day and the dim of the cinema lights.
Lastly, do I want to see them?
Sure. It would be nice.
Is my life going to be incomplete if I don't see them again?
No. Absolutely not.
Those who know me well know that I'm no fan of what JJ Abrams did to the saga with Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens, but I'm not exactly losing sleep over any of it. It's still a tale that'll always interest me, and I, like most, clamor for more and not less from that galaxy far, far away.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
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