That's it - I am boycotting George Lucas.

[everythingsxen]

Star Wars is dead to me. Dead I say!

Ok fine, I hated the Special Edition crap he released a few years ago.

However now, not contend with merely ruining 3 great films and changing history (Greedo shooting first...) now he is changing even more.

At the end of Return of the Jedi, now in Lucas' even-newer-totally stupid re-re-release, the old-man-Anakin-who-was-Vader-but-is-now-redeemed has been replaced with Hayden "Look at mea I am a dumbass angst-filled Jedi" Christianson.

Words cannot convey the rage I feel.

All the sci-fi I used to love, at least from a film standpoint, is gone.

They have stolen it all.

Lucas has destroyed Star Wars.
Rick Berman destroyed Star Trek.
The Alien series jumped the shark.

All I really have left is Blade Runner.

And that gets boring after the 30th or 40th time.

*sigh*

I HATE YOU GEORGE LUCAS!!!!!!!

[geek tragedy]

1. If this were Aint it Cool News,

I'd boast about how great the Lord of the Rings films are in comparison.

But I would never do that.

Here, anyway.

[everythingsxen]

4. Boast away...

And I would complain about how they never should have deviated from the books. How they added mindless filler while taking out relevant plot points.

:P

Besides, thats fantasy and fantasy still has some hope.

And it's not like anyone has gone through and changed great fantasy films to make them crap.

Besides... Dragonslayer & Willow are tied for best fantasy films ever.

[geek tragedy]

11. I can't debate purists.

So I'll just have to point out that in terms of critical, industry and popular reception, Rings ranks as the greatest film trilogy of all time.

[everythingsxen]

15. yeah yeah...

LotR was ok.

I just can't stand them though for some reason.

Fellowship was ok. Two Towers just... I dunno. RotK just just didn't do it at all for me.

I would take the Matrix trilogy over LotR.

[geek tragedy]

21. I admire your courage.

I think the Matrix sequels were unfairly bashed. That makes two of us.

[everythingsxen]

24. Thanks

I liked the Matrix trilogy. They weren't so bad.

I still want something more though.

Matrix was good, but was too bogged down with causality.

Plus Reloaded was waaaaay too heavy on the bullet-time camera work.

Revolutions was nice because they used it sparingly.

I want something perfect I guess.

I doubt I will see it in my lifetime.

[Huckebein the Raven]

32. I would like to see something based on

the 2nd Renaissance shorts from the Animatrix DVD.

[Blue-Jay]

2. The newest Han/Greedo change.

Han is actually holding a walkie-talkie under the table.

(think about it)

Spelling edit: holfing?

[BigMcLargehuge]

5. That was Spielberg's idea

Apparently he also suggested a heartwarming kids storyline about motherless robots be added as well.

[Blue-Jay]

12. I know it was Speilberg.

I just hate it when someone screws with a perfectly good movie.

[BigMcLargehuge]

14. BWAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!

I wonder if they will add a scene of Han text messaging Jabba

"6r33d0 ded. I h8 U... HAN"

[Blue-Jay]

17. 6r33d0 PWN3D!!!!11oneoneone...

ur teh f@t b@st@rd.

heh

[everythingsxen]

8. Maybe Lucas is....

holfing a can of hair-spray before he edits that scene...

I have heard in the new, new, new version, Han and Greedo fire at the same time.

Which is still insane.

Why would anyone use a blaster if they can miss from less than a foot away?

ARRRRRGHHH!!!

It drives me insane!

I liked Han because he shot first!!

But because of Lucas' reality altering ego of insanity, every following generation will think he is just lucky.

:argh:

[zbdent]

23. What, they cut the gay love scene betw Greedo & Han??

Those bastards!

[toddzilla]

3. he sucks

lucas' direction is horrible. if you look at the new movies his action scenes are so bad it's frightening.

sci fi can and could be such a great genre, but it really gets the second class treatment from hollywood.

[curse10]

6. Will future generations ever get to see the original?

I have the original on VHS somewhere...

[krkaufman]

10. Convert 'em to digitial to preserve...

... 'cause that's all we're gonna have, apparently.

[aeolian]

7. grrrrrrrr

And I was planning on buying those DVD's, too.

I guess it was too much to hope that it would just be a remastered release of the original (read: REAL) films.

*grumble, grumble, grumble*

[krkaufman]

9. Did he also tweak the voice of Darth Vader?

I was watching the A&E 'Stars Wars: Empire of Dreams' show, and it seemed like Vader's voice sounded different -- the James Earl Jones-iness was less noticeable.

Sad that Lucas has done this. I guess he wasn't much affected by the South Park 'Free Hat' episode.


p.s. I feel physical pain watching the LotR movies. So many changes, so little value-add.

[BigMcLargehuge]

13. Some other changes you may have read about...

Hmmmm...they forgot a lot of the changes I've read about. Here's some of the more noticeable ones.

Suggested by my friend Jim at Horrorview -

STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE:
1) Greedo shoots first, but only after Han refuses to "leggo his Eggo"
2) All Stormtroopers now wear flannel shirts and unkempt beards, and are referred to as LucasLurkers.
3) R2D2's name has been modified to appeal to the hip new audiences, and will henceforth be known as R-Tizzle 2-Dizzle D-Izzle 2-Shizzle.
4) C3P0 will now be voiced by Vin Diesal.
5) Mark Hamill's face has been digitally altered to look more like Mark Hamill.
6) The "incestuous" kiss now features more tongue.
7) Ben Kenobi's death is now accompanied by the Cantina song so that kids won't be too sad.
The Death Star is not blown up at the end. It's simply taught a lesson and floats off angrily.
9) Every scene now features some sort of Ewok.
10) Jar Jar Binks replaces Porkins as Luke's wingman. Hilarious space battle ensues.

STAR WARS: EPISODE V-THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK:

1) Billy Dee Williams is digitally removed and replaced by Jah Rule
2) The Tauntaun disembowelment scene has been cut, and replaced by the Wompa nursing Luke back to health, and then joining the team.
3) Boba Fett's missile on his back has been digitally changed to a pop-up tent, and his mask is now a smiley face.
4) In an all new scene, we meet the Ewoks of Hoth!!
5) Yoda now randomly breaks out into song.
6) Digitally removed Coke residue from Fisher's nose
7) Luke doesn't lose his hand...he loses his faith in God.

STAR WARS: EPISODE VI: RETURN OF THE JEDI:
1) Leia's "slave outfit" modified to look less slutty. Now wears turtleneck and surf shorts.
2) Harrison Ford's personality digitally altered to be less gruff
3) Jabba model now replaced by cuter, furrier Jabba.
4) 100% more Ewoks
5) Starbuck's signs added to new Death Star.
6) Samuel L. Jackson and an unknown Asian Jedi added to final "Ghost Scene" for a more racially diverse ending.
7) Hip new remix of Ewok celebration song, peformed by Moby and Beyonce Knowles.

Suggested by me, BigMcLargehuge 

Episode 4 A New Hope

1) Railings digitally added to Death Star catwalks
2) Old scene restored of Luke protecting his Aunt from Uncle Owen on a drunken rampage
3) Stop Motion chess table scene replaced with new scene of Chewbacca and R2D2 playing Pokemon Arena on Nintendo Game Cube
4) Scene of Carrie Fisher's Princess Leia offering to blow Grand Moff Tarkin for an 8-ball restored
5) Chewbacca has pivotal line restored "BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
6) Additional ten million blinking spacesships and lasers added to climactic Death Star Battle, "To cause seizures" Lucas says.
7) Luke has digitally enlarged tunic bulge
Millenium Falcon digitally replaced with 2005 PT Cruiser
9) Darth Vader now voice by Carrot Top
10) C3PO and R2D2 sex scene added
11) scene added of Luke Skywalker thrown through Mos Eisley Cantina window to explain facial lascerations in later films.

Ep 5- Empire Strikes Back

1) Hoth now tropical paradise
2) Billy D Williams as Lando Calrissian replaced by digitally inserted Sisqo as Lando Calrissian
3) Yoda now jumps around everywhere
4) Dagoba digitally filled with Gungans
5) Storm troopers fitted with iPods
6) Stop motion Tauntauns repaced with CGI to-look-like-stop-motion Tauntauns
7) C3PO given musical number
Jar Jar Binks now features heavily to "improve continuity"
9) Darth Vader in meditation chamber scene extended. He and emperor now discuss baseball before speaking original dialogue.
10) Boba Fett's ship no longer looks like an iron

Ep 6 - Return of the Jedi

1) Ewoks overrun moon of Endor like Tribbles
2) Restored hour of Ewok village sequence and musical number. Lucas says "everyone just loves the Ewoks"
3) Light sabre fight between Luke and Vader shortened and turned into kung fu battle
4) Jar Jar Binks digitally inserted into every scene to improve continuity
5) New line added when Vader is breathing his last in Luke's arms after climactic battle "I just saved a ton of money on my car insurance after switching to Geico..."
6) Entire end space battle sequence replaced with still shot of George Lucas screaming "BOOM! BLAMMO! BANG!" and waving his arms like a maniac.
7) Commentary track featuring Steven Spielberg and George Lucas talking about how much they hate the fans of their movies.
Entire soundtrack replaced with cuts from Outcast's "The Love Below" to give film an appeal to modern teens.
9) Speeder bikes all digitally remastered to look like Harley Davidsons
10) Admiral Akkbar nude scene restored

[everythingsxen]

16. Oh god...

I am crying from laughing so much.

Ribs.. breaking. :silly:

[BigMcLargehuge]

18. We had fun writing it

actually, it started with a thread here, then we each started our own lists for the horrorview forum. The overlap in our thinking is scary.

[everythingsxen]

19. Yeah it was funny...

right now though I am somewhere between laughing hysterically and curling up in a ball and crying my eyes out.

When I was a kid I loved Star Wars. It was my whole childhood.

George Lucas has stolen my childhood memories away from me.

That's pretty messed up.

[BigMcLargehuge]

20. It was our childhood too

and we looked upon the various special editions with the same horror and derision as you.

Believe me, you are not alone.

[everythingsxen]

22. Yeah..

I am glad to know there is a whole legion of others out there who feel how I do.

Of course for every 1 of us there are 2 deranged fanboys who think that Lucas descended from on high by the grace of God himself.

I am glad I have Moddox to give me humor.

http://www.maddox.xmission.com/c.cgi?u=websense

His latest rant.

That man is so hilarious.

I may not agree with him all the time, but still, he makes me laugh.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

25. Honestly...

If it weren't for the Star Wars series, would anyone even know who George Lucas was?
Duckie

[northzax]

28. well, seeing as he's only directed 5 movies in his life

probably not for directing. But that's roughly like saying "if it wasn't for windows, would anyone know who Bill Gates was?"

when you discount the seminal event in people's careers, yes, they become less famous.

And knock Star Wars all you want, the fact remains that the three original movies have made Lucas a Billionaire. And the second three are going to take him to two billion. so he must be doing something right.

Also, without the profits from the first trilogy, there would be no ILM, no Raiders of the Lost Ark. and that would definately be a loss.

So the guy wants to make the movies he wants to? isn't it his right to do so? He owns them.

[everythingsxen]

29. Gates v. Lucas

Bill Gates would no doubt not be famous if not for Windows; however, with his fame, money and power he has founded charities and he still hangs out with his people and, by all accounts from friends at Microsoft, is a great guy.

George Lucas on the other hand, made a ton of money and started several other businesses that made money too. Yes ILM would be a loss, as would Raiders. As far as him wanting to make his movies better, according to his vision; that's pure horsesh-t. He just wants more money. Look at his record. He whored his toys as much as he could, he has made every dime he can off of Star Wars. When he made the first Star Wars, it was his vision; a throwback to the serials of the 40s, but with good special effects, and made for kids of his generation (i.e. adults), but with enough grey area for kids to like it.

Once he realised that kids absolutely loved it and that he could bilk every dime out of them and make even more movies.

Empire Strikes back was good....

but in RotJ you see the Dark side already has taken Lucas.

From then on he begins crafting his films purely for profit, focusing on his core demographic, kids.

No - he doesn't have the right to change the movies.

I could care less if he owns them.

[northzax]

30. ok, that's fair

I believe that an artist can touch up their art at any time in their lifetimes. You don't have to purchase the new art, but it's their right to do so. Leonardo daVinci repainted the Mona Lisa over 50 times. and that seems to have come out alright.

[everythingsxen]

31. True..

However, DaVinci never sold the Mona Lisa, made a ton of money off of it, waited for it to become a part of popular culture and then announced that he was adding an extra section of canvas around it, showing a dog farting, so we can understand why she is smiling. Also, he didn't add a cool dragon in the background behind Mona, a dragon fighting a sixty foot Pope, because at the time of his re-release of the Mona Lisa, it was trendy to bash the Pope.

[northzax]

34. actually, he had already sold it

he was just late delivering it. and he was excorciated at the time for his failure to 'complete' projects. One reason he was so late on everything is that he knew he'd never get a chance to redo something once he handed it over. the old movies are still a part of popular culture, don't you have the tapes? I do. just consider it a new version of the Director's cut.

[LoZoccolo]

26. I was thinking of /Max Headroom/...

...but even that got revised between the original UK version and the US version.

[BigMcLargehuge]

27. kick

:kick:

because I wanted to

[slutticus]

33. I'm boycotting the phrase "jumped the shark" eom

[Skeet]

35. Bootlegs

I'm happy to have my unaltered Star Wars bootleg DVDs. Han still shoots first!!!! Plus I've got a pretty swank~ DVD of extras containing such gems as the Revenge Of The Jedi trailer!

I'll still probably buy the new release tough. All the reviews I've read say the picture is clean and the sound is great. Plus I hear the extras DVD is sweet, too.

[KurtNYC]

36. To me, Lucas made 2 great movies

Star Wars (1977) and American Graffiti. Everything else is seriously flawed and some are unwatchable - Ewoks, Jar Jar Binks, etc. Spielberg grew into an epic mature story teller and Lucas fizzled -- who would thunk it?!