Well, I still don't have my Star Wars DVD set from Amazon yet -- cursed doghumpers haven't even shipped it yet, alas. But despite my agitation I can handle waiting a few more days for it. What's truly funny to me though in the wide weird world of the Internet is the burbling babble of outrage that fanboys continue to direct at George Lucas, who apparently has been crowned the Antichrist without my knowing it. You know the drill -- ever since the "Special Editions" changes and then the mediocrities of the two prequels so far, Lucas' name has changed from gold to mud in the fanboy realm. Or perhaps you didn't realize that by changing the trilogies George Lucas raped our childhoods?
For some reason, I just can't get that worked up about the things many of these other people are worked up about. I fell in love with "Star Wars" at age 8, fondly remember seeing the original movie in its original run, and had a nigh-complete collection of action figures before foolishly selling them at a yard sale years ago. The original trilogy are still great fun for me, perhaps clinically not the best movies I ever saw but certainly the most influential. I know who IG-88 and Dengar are and have a complete set of the Marvel comic book series. I played with plastic lightsabers and saw "The Phantom Menace" the first day.
And I'll admit I'm not nuts about many of Lucas' changes to the original trilogy, the silly added Jabba the Hutt meets Han Solo scene or the gibbering scampering CGI distractions added to Tattoonie's hot, dry streetscapes. Creatively, I don't think they're needed, and they certainly add very little. But despite my distaste for the changes I have to fall firmly on the side of the debate that says George Lucas can do whatever the heck he wants to the movies, up to erasing Harrison Ford and replacing him with Pauly Shore if he wanted. If I don't like the changes, I won't buy the work. The unbridled hubris of many fanboys out there who think they are OWED something by Lucas just cracks me up. George Lucas is a creator, not the best creator of all by any means, but through the act of creation he lays all claim to Star Wars, while disgruntled Ain't It Cool News poster #3210 has exactly no credence or right to tell Lucas what he should do. When it comes to "Star Wars," we are patrons, consumers -- we vote with the wallet. That's where our say ends, and that's where it should end. Hey, I bought the DVDs, and they're how George Lucas wanted them, so it's the creator's vision. If 1/10th of the fanboys who are so outraged about the SEs actually refuse to buy the DVDs I'll be shocked.
(Of course, I say this as someone who still hangs on to his VHS set of the original, pre-Special Edition Star Wars Trilogy. Hey, you have to hedge your bets.)
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