Friday, June 09, 2006

George Lucas is a Moron

So I was overly optimistic when I heard that Lucas was releasing the original, untarnished Star Wars films on DVD. Evidently (and I'm taking this with a grain of salt, as I can't trust anything anymore relating to these films) Lucas destroyed the negatives of the original Star Wars films, and the DVD copies are going to be rips from the Laserdisc versions released back in the late '80s (I think?). They won't be spiffy. They won't be hi-def. They won't be up for individual sale. They will only be available for sale with the damaged versions of the first three movies as a boxed set, selling for $90. Makes me want to call him a naughty word that will get someone leaving an anonymous comment telling me I shouldn't use language like that.

Now, why do I rant on Lucas so much? He's a filmmaker. His style changes. A lot of filmmakers change. Look at Spielberg. Close Encounters was released around the same time Star Wars was, and is one of my favorite movies of all time. And he's changed. However here's some major differences: Close Encounters took a while to grow on me, and I didn't really learn to appreciate it until I was an adult, Star Wars changed my life when I was a kid. Spielberg has changed and grown as a filmmaker. He's matured. Lucas has atrophied and turned this franchise of films that changed my life (the only filmmaking he is known for for the last 30 years) from one of the most spectacular and fun (if a bit lame in the dialogue department) shows on the screen into something pathetic and tiresome. My fury knows no bounds.

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