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> The fact that even guys as influential as Spielberg and Tarantino are worried about having their past work censored is the most convincing reason I've seen t

> The fact that even guys as influential as Spielberg and Tarantino are worried about having their past work censored is the most convincing reason I've seen to own your own data. No need to even go to censorship, you have people like George Lucas who go out of their way to destroy their previous productions.

zx8080 4y ago
What did Lucas do?
- yreg 4y ago
  He remastered Star Wars several times and some people are apparently convinced that he 'destroyed' the work by doing that. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changes_in_Star_Wars_re-releases#Significant_changes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changes_in_Star_Wars_re-releas...
  - Findecanor 4y ago
    George Lucas has claimed that he cut and spliced the original negative when editing the Special Edition of the original trilogy, so that the master copies of the original films don't physically exist.
  - danparsonson 4y ago
    He didn't just remaster, he repeatedly altered the films, even changing the sense of some scenes, perhaps most notably and notoriously the stand-off between Han and Greedo. Most of his revisions have been questionable at best, ham-fisted and cringeworthy at worst. Count me among the purists who think he ruined his good work ;-)
    - caseysoftware 4y ago
      While Han vs Greedo is the most egregious, the style is the most jarring. You can tell all the inserted scenes because the colors are off, the animations are not blended well, and it feels off uncanny valley style.
      - philwelch 4y ago
        I think the Jabba scene is arguably worse because it simply repeats the same lines we already had in the Greedo scene for no real gain. It also undermines the dramatic reveal of the much-discussed but never-seen Jabba in ROTJ. Plus the unnecessary fan service of Boba Fett literally turning and staring at the camera at the end.
  - red-iron-pine 4y ago
    I'll make an exception for authors who want to tweak or improve their work. Sometimes directors have to give into the limitations of their medium -- time, money, meddling producers, etc. If they want to revise it later to meet their original vision, more power to them. Also entirely possible it was a cash grab; Skywalker Ranch needed a new wing or something.
    - OkayPhysicist 4y ago
      For a positive example, Ridley Scott has a bunch of edits of Blade Runner. The huge improvement over the narration-riddled theatrical release was huge, and the pathological edits around hints towards Decker's replicant-ness are just kind of fun, in that different people are likely to have different views on the subject depending on which cut they watched.
- Pinegulf 4y ago
  Did Han shoot first? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_shot_first https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_shot_first
samhuk 4y ago
I didn't follow the Lucasfilm acquisition too closely when it was all going down, but something that has confused me is that Lucas seems like a fairly talented guy with a passion for what he does, so how does it make sense that he actively wants to destroy his legacy? I'm really doubtful that it's as simple as Lucas one day having a left-wing/progressivism epiphany or some other grand artistic change, sell Lucasfilm to Disney, then participate in the destruction of their IP. Wasn't he promised "treatments" and general involvement in the latest trilogy, then Disney back-stabbed him last-minute? I vaguely remember some drama about that. Anyway, long story short, I think that there is more to the story, such as him being promised one thing and another thing happening, etc.
- barrysteve 4y ago
  He knew his style of films were over, so he sold the franchise and let Disney take the burn for it. It's difficult to see this as a political event, where he was outplayed. He's worked with and against the big cats in Hollywood his whole career, he specifically made career decisions to 'get away' from Hollywood meddling in his work. He knew what he was doing and this mythical George Lucas character, who is victim and hero in one man, is getting a bit long in the tooth.
  - Technotroll 4y ago
    I, for one, would love to see another George Lucas movie.
- joshjdr 4y ago
  I think they’re referring to the remastering of the original trilogy, long before Disney got involved.
- drewcoo 4y ago
  When I consider this, I don't think there's any legacy there to ruin. The only thing that made the first movies watchable was gone long before Disney bought it up. https://collider.com/star-wars-george-lucas-wife-marcia https://collider.com/star-wars-george-lucas-wife-marcia
HeckFeck 4y ago
I've deliberately sought the DVD edition of the unaltered original trilogy. The editing that makes Greedo shoot first looks cheap. It also doesn't make sense; someone pointing a gun at you is a clear sign of intent, and Han was simply defending himself. Han's decision to shoot first was also in line with his character as the rogue for hire. Agh, I know the series is still raking in millions. But I can't enjoy the edits because my brain cries 'blasphmeny!'
- philwelch 4y ago
  Entertainment media seem to have significantly different use-of-force standards than any real life legal or moral statutes. Maybe because the drama of protracted Mexican standoffs would be undercut if people reacted realistically to having guns pointed at them. The Greedo scene has been tweaked multiple times. In the most recent version available on Disney+ (confirmed to be Lucas’ work), Greedo exclaims “macklunkey!” just before the shooting starts, which I find hilariously absurd.
- ReptileMan 4y ago
  The whole point is that Han Solo is badass. So he doesn't need high bar to shoot. Luke is the crybaby. The original trilogy Han will totally opportunity shoot Grido in the back if he knew he was sent for him and Grido was walking the street. And the only thing he will feel is recoil. And I know blasters don't have any recoil.
  - hirundo 4y ago
    Even flashlights have recoil. Not that Han would feel it. https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/c206f2/do_lasers_have_recoil/ https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/c206f2/do_laser...
- dspillett 4y ago
  > I've deliberately sought the DVD edition of the unaltered original trilogy The best you are likely to find is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmy%27s_Despecialized_Edition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmy%27s_Despecialized_Editio... – I don't think the unaltered editions were ever released on DVD or BluRay at all, just VHS and LaserDisc.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
bookofjoe 4y ago
>A work of art is never finished, only abandoned.—Paul Valéry
zczc 4y ago
Well, Spielberg himself replaced guns with walkies-talkies in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E.T._the_Extra-Terrestrial#/media/File:ET1982.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E.T._the_Extra-Terrestrial#/me...
- iconjack 4y ago
  Literally the subhed of the article: "Director has criticised the practice of re-editing older films while expressing remorse over removing guns in a later edition of ET"
- ycombobreaker 4y ago
  That was my first thought upon reading the title. However, people learn, grow, and change. I believe his argument will carry more weight with the acknowledgment and duscussion of his own prior decision. It's not hypocrisy; it's a lesson learned.
  - bombcar 4y ago
    And he's a director! His job is to experiment and use new tools as they come available, and he's realized he made a mistake. I have no problem with people making new versions of existing works; the problem I have is destroying the originals; even if destroyed by the author. The existence of copyright itself is a "deal" between society and an individual, we give the individual certain rights and privileges in exchange for certain benefits to society. Only now has the ability to go back and change things resulted in large-scale destruction of personal copies of that original thing.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

zx8080 4y ago

What did Lucas do?

yreg 4y ago
He remastered Star Wars several times and some people are apparently convinced that he 'destroyed' the work by doing that. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changes_in_Star_Wars_re-releases#Significant_changes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changes_in_Star_Wars_re-releas...
- Findecanor 4y ago
  George Lucas has claimed that he cut and spliced the original negative when editing the Special Edition of the original trilogy, so that the master copies of the original films don't physically exist.
- danparsonson 4y ago
  He didn't just remaster, he repeatedly altered the films, even changing the sense of some scenes, perhaps most notably and notoriously the stand-off between Han and Greedo. Most of his revisions have been questionable at best, ham-fisted and cringeworthy at worst. Count me among the purists who think he ruined his good work ;-)
  - caseysoftware 4y ago
    While Han vs Greedo is the most egregious, the style is the most jarring. You can tell all the inserted scenes because the colors are off, the animations are not blended well, and it feels off uncanny valley style.
    - philwelch 4y ago
      I think the Jabba scene is arguably worse because it simply repeats the same lines we already had in the Greedo scene for no real gain. It also undermines the dramatic reveal of the much-discussed but never-seen Jabba in ROTJ. Plus the unnecessary fan service of Boba Fett literally turning and staring at the camera at the end.
- red-iron-pine 4y ago
  I'll make an exception for authors who want to tweak or improve their work. Sometimes directors have to give into the limitations of their medium -- time, money, meddling producers, etc. If they want to revise it later to meet their original vision, more power to them. Also entirely possible it was a cash grab; Skywalker Ranch needed a new wing or something.
  - OkayPhysicist 4y ago
    For a positive example, Ridley Scott has a bunch of edits of Blade Runner. The huge improvement over the narration-riddled theatrical release was huge, and the pathological edits around hints towards Decker's replicant-ness are just kind of fun, in that different people are likely to have different views on the subject depending on which cut they watched.
Pinegulf 4y ago
Did Han shoot first? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_shot_first https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_shot_first

samhuk 4y ago

I didn't follow the Lucasfilm acquisition too closely when it was all going down, but something that has confused me is that Lucas seems like a fairly talented guy with a passion for what he does, so how does it make sense that he actively wants to destroy his legacy? I'm really doubtful that it's as simple as Lucas one day having a left-wing/progressivism epiphany or some other grand artistic change, sell Lucasfilm to Disney, then participate in the destruction of their IP. Wasn't he promised "treatments" and general involvement in the latest trilogy, then Disney back-stabbed him last-minute? I vaguely remember some drama about that. Anyway, long story short, I think that there is more to the story, such as him being promised one thing and another thing happening, etc.

barrysteve 4y ago
He knew his style of films were over, so he sold the franchise and let Disney take the burn for it. It's difficult to see this as a political event, where he was outplayed. He's worked with and against the big cats in Hollywood his whole career, he specifically made career decisions to 'get away' from Hollywood meddling in his work. He knew what he was doing and this mythical George Lucas character, who is victim and hero in one man, is getting a bit long in the tooth.
- Technotroll 4y ago
  I, for one, would love to see another George Lucas movie.
joshjdr 4y ago
I think they’re referring to the remastering of the original trilogy, long before Disney got involved.
drewcoo 4y ago
When I consider this, I don't think there's any legacy there to ruin. The only thing that made the first movies watchable was gone long before Disney bought it up. https://collider.com/star-wars-george-lucas-wife-marcia https://collider.com/star-wars-george-lucas-wife-marcia

HeckFeck 4y ago

I've deliberately sought the DVD edition of the unaltered original trilogy. The editing that makes Greedo shoot first looks cheap. It also doesn't make sense; someone pointing a gun at you is a clear sign of intent, and Han was simply defending himself. Han's decision to shoot first was also in line with his character as the rogue for hire. Agh, I know the series is still raking in millions. But I can't enjoy the edits because my brain cries 'blasphmeny!'

philwelch 4y ago
Entertainment media seem to have significantly different use-of-force standards than any real life legal or moral statutes. Maybe because the drama of protracted Mexican standoffs would be undercut if people reacted realistically to having guns pointed at them. The Greedo scene has been tweaked multiple times. In the most recent version available on Disney+ (confirmed to be Lucas’ work), Greedo exclaims “macklunkey!” just before the shooting starts, which I find hilariously absurd.
ReptileMan 4y ago
The whole point is that Han Solo is badass. So he doesn't need high bar to shoot. Luke is the crybaby. The original trilogy Han will totally opportunity shoot Grido in the back if he knew he was sent for him and Grido was walking the street. And the only thing he will feel is recoil. And I know blasters don't have any recoil.
- hirundo 4y ago
  Even flashlights have recoil. Not that Han would feel it. https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/c206f2/do_lasers_have_recoil/ https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/c206f2/do_laser...
dspillett 4y ago
> I've deliberately sought the DVD edition of the unaltered original trilogy The best you are likely to find is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmy%27s_Despecialized_Edition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmy%27s_Despecialized_Editio... – I don't think the unaltered editions were ever released on DVD or BluRay at all, just VHS and LaserDisc.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

bookofjoe 4y ago

>A work of art is never finished, only abandoned.—Paul Valéry

zczc 4y ago

Well, Spielberg himself replaced guns with walkies-talkies in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E.T._the_Extra-Terrestrial#/media/File:ET1982.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E.T._the_Extra-Terrestrial#/me...

iconjack 4y ago
Literally the subhed of the article: "Director has criticised the practice of re-editing older films while expressing remorse over removing guns in a later edition of ET"
ycombobreaker 4y ago
That was my first thought upon reading the title. However, people learn, grow, and change. I believe his argument will carry more weight with the acknowledgment and duscussion of his own prior decision. It's not hypocrisy; it's a lesson learned.
- bombcar 4y ago
  And he's a director! His job is to experiment and use new tools as they come available, and he's realized he made a mistake. I have no problem with people making new versions of existing works; the problem I have is destroying the originals; even if destroyed by the author. The existence of copyright itself is a "deal" between society and an individual, we give the individual certain rights and privileges in exchange for certain benefits to society. Only now has the ability to go back and change things resulted in large-scale destruction of personal copies of that original thing.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]