Comments on: How the Grinch Stole STAR WARS

By: Puggo

Puggo — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:19:21 +0000

Beautiful essay, I agree 100%. Nobody would complain about the revisions if the original was also restored. That’s just common sense, artistically and historically. And I’m sorry that so many people won’t take the time to appreciate good writing – 3000 words is “long”? This isn’t any longer than even the shortest research conference notes. No wonder the U.S. is facing a educational crisis and falling behind the rest of the world… our kids refuse to read.

By: alc.

alc. — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:09:24 +0000

Couldn’t agree more, the clash of 70s/90s is getting even more noticeable
with current television.

By: adambadadam

adambadadam — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:46:24 +0000

“As far as Lucas is concerned, he has lost his mind. He reminds me of a child on a playground, stomping his feet and screaming when he doesn’t get his way.”

Don’t you mean the fans and that they’ve lost thier mind??? Who’s stomping thier feet now? Hey it’s Lucas’s World, we just live in it!

God this is soooo tired……………

By: bono

bono — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 22:04:12 +0000

wow…and people tell me i go on and on and on

By: Thomas

Thomas — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 19:27:41 +0000

as a child of the 90s, the 1997 version is my version, and I’m always appalled to see Hayden Christensen at the closing scene of Return of the Jedi. that said I’d also enjoy seeing the original series. I have the 90s re-release on VHS, and they’ve been played so many times that 2 of the 3 tapes won’t even play anymore.

By: John

John — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:57:40 +0000

Excellent. Thanks for putting into words what I’ve felt (strongly), but have been unable to articulate myself.

To the people who are saying, and I paraphrase, “Duh, too many words! Brain hurt baaad!” I recommend Ain’t It Cool News or any of the the other countless websites (many of which feature lot of nice big pictures and only a few very small and unintimidating words!) that cater to the mentally challenged reader.

By: SeeingI

SeeingI — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:44:50 +0000

Great article, I agree completely.

But 3,000 words is a long article? Do readers of this site actually, you know, READ?

By: Lucas Opposed to Altering Old Films at Space Ninja

Lucas Opposed to Altering Old Films at Space Ninja — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 01:11:21 +0000

[...] Posted by Scott on Friday, August 1, 2008 at 5:11 pm Lucas recently spoke out against companies altering old films and colorizing black and white features; he claimed that, as a proponent of history, viewers should be able to appreciate a film as it was originally released. “I am very concerned about our national heritage, and I am very concerned that the films that I watched when I was young and the films that I watched throughout my life are preserved, so that my children can see them,” he said a few years ago. Perhaps he should re-examine his beliefs. –Michael Kaminski, How the Grinch Stole Star Wars [...]

By: Paul

Paul — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 16:18:32 +0000

Despite being a self-confessed Lucas Apologist, that was a very well researched and written essay. However I think a critical factor in all of this that remains unexplored is how it relates to Lucas’ philosophical disposition. There is a tension throughout his work (and in Star Wars in particular) between a nostalgic attachment to the past and a future-gazing, progressive attitude which, while contributing massively to his internationally significant creative output, I believe has also resulted in the misjudgements of recent times. I’d love to see a talented biographer explore this.

By: James Clayton

James Clayton — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 10:26:20 +0000

Interesting article indeed. Once more I’m torn between my Star Wars geekdom and the inescapable truth that Lucas has done a lot of stuff that you can only describe as tending towards insane. Very contradictory and confused he is…

Would it be so hard to release the untainted originals on DVD? Your point about Stalinist revision conjures up some comic images. In moments, Lucas does lok a little like Stalin from those propaganda posters.

By: dtjedi

dtjedi — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 23:00:15 +0000

Best article I’ve read on this site. Enumerates every point I’ve ever made in personal discussions and comes to the same conclusion about Lucas’s contradictory thoughts on film preservation.

Thank you.

By: justsomedude

justsomedude — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:16:37 +0000

I’m a big Star Wars fan. I agree with your general idea, that the original Star Wars should be available without even “A New Hope” to mess with. I miss Biggs Darklighter. Most, if not all of his dialogue has been cut from the original.
As for you kicking the crap out of George Lucas in words, let me come to the guys defense. George Lucas is a God. Without Star Wars, without Industrial Light and Magic so much of movie history would not have happened. Pixar comes to mind, it started under George’s careful control.
As for the dreaded Prequels here is what happened. The guy sat down to write, looked back on the original and some how fell into a trap of seeing himself making the first one, and feeling that “Hey I was just a crazy kid.” That feeling overpowered him and he wrote the crap about a little kid. He had long since surrounded himself with corporate yes men so no one looked at him and said, “Hell no George. Hell no!”

By: W.E.B. Adamant

W.E.B. Adamant — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:44:45 +0000

Good article! I agree that Lucas has completely lost his mind. When was the last time that he directed something good? Or even produced something good? I think he feels like he can’t get away from what’s seen as his best work, and he’s taken a feverish liking to revising them because he can’t move on.

By: The Glove

The Glove — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 09:51:54 +0000

Lucas is obviously a nut job, let him do what the fuck he wants , they are his films after all! I never really liked Star Wars anyway.(Look what he’s doing to the Indy Franchise now!)
Nut Job!

By: cambion

cambion — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 04:53:36 +0000

Very good article. Long as fuck, but it really needed to be to convey just how absurd all this is. George Lucas has become insane in his old age. Maybe when he kicks the bucket we’ll finally get a decent release of the originals. Either that or he’ll have a clause in his will that specifies he be buried with every existing copy of them. Actually, I think the latter is more likely.

By: SteveGrassel

SteveGrassel — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 02:01:00 +0000

Christ on a cracker, dude. You realize you spent over 3,000 words to say “Hey, I’d like to see the original trilogy on DVD”?

By: Michael Kaminski

Michael Kaminski — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:56:21 +0000

Its a software problem; I can’t post pictures, and when you hit “submit for review” instead of submitting it for review it just posts it. I think its a problem exclusive to feature articles category.

By: Ray

Ray — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:30:04 +0000

I agree with Jillbat … let’s put a picture or something in there. My eyes crossed looking at that monolithic text block.

As far as Lucas is concerned, he has lost his mind. He reminds me of a child on a playground, stomping his feet and screaming when he doesn’t get his way.

The 1997 Special Edition didn’t bother me too much. You mention a couple of grievous changes – the Greedo scene, etc. – but the repairs to the Death Star battle were effective. However, since that time, he has continued to meddle with the movies in a way I find compulsive and disturbing.

He needs psychiatric help.

By: jillbat

jillbat — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:31:27 +0000

wow, that’s a shitload of text.