Star Wars special edition

Watching the documentary in class, I was reminded that there are two different cuts of the original trilogy of Star Wars, the original and the special edition that George Lucas edited to included CGI characters and extended scenes. What are some of you're thoughts on the creation of the special edition - was it a good idea, a bad idea, are you indifferent?

I know some of my friends are hardcore Star Wars fan and they refuse to watch the special edition cuts of the movies (but they also love the prequels so where they stand on the series as a whole is kind of skewed).

Comments

  1. Max FriedmanNovember 28, 2018 at 2:26 PM

    Growing up, I vividly remember watching the original trilogy on VHS, and enjoying it immensely. Years later when my parents got me the OT on DVD, the changes didn't strike me because I was so young at the time. However, looking back, I find it absurd the differences between the two cuts. Some things are small changes, like the bantha riding Storm Troopers, but other things, like animating the ewoks just really bug me now. And recently, with the new releases of the OT, and even more changes being made, I can't really stomach it. Films shouldn't be living documents.

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  2. Rose PinnisiDecember 1, 2018 at 11:46 AM

    The same thing happened with Star Trek. There's old versions that are difficult to find, and then an "updated/remastered" version. I guess I have mixed feelings... I like being able to see the original effects and be impressed by how they managed to get those visuals even with less advanced technology. But there's still some value in getting closer to the vision of an artist, I think. Didn't we spend the first couple weeks talking about how indie projects have more direct auteur influence than big budget films, and how that was a great thing? So why is it bad when a filmmaker wants to go back and update their work to reflect the new tools that are available?
    I think I come down on the side of "both are fine, but don't replace one with the other". I don't see anything wrong with releasing another cut, but it does make me sad when it then becomes almost impossible to actually find and watch the originals.

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