Welcome to another edition of DVD Diggers, where we strive to put right what once went wrong.
Well, the week has finally arrived, so there’s no use trying to hide it. Let’s talk about...
As you’ve probably heard by now, this week sees the first DVD release of Star Wars, and as you’ve probably also heard, this isn’t your father’s trilogy... heck, it’s not even your trilogy. Yet again, George Lucas has taken to tinkering with the Star Wars movies in an effort to bring them closer to how he’s always imagined them, as well as bring them in line with what’s been developed in Episodes I and II.
Some of these changes are good. They’ve gotten rid of the ugly, all too obvious CGI-Jabba in Star Wars: A New Hope and replaced him with a newer, much better looking CGI Jabba. They’ve replaced the only non-Ian McDiarmid footage of the Emperor with McDiarmid’s mug in Empire. For those poor fans out there who haven’t had a good night’s sleep since Greedo shot first, they’ve evened that up a bit, making Greedo look like less of a buffoon.
Of course, with the good comes the bad. The big controversial change is that poor Sebastian Shaw has had every moment he appeared on screen altered or erased. As Vader’s helmet is removed Shaw’s face appears, now sans eyebrows and with digitally altered eye color. At least he’s still in that scene though, as his final appearance alongside the spirits of Obi-Wan and Yoda has been replaced with Hayden Christenson. Rumor has it Lucas explains the change and gives a big spoiler for Episode III. I guess we’ll have to see about that. Despite the continual battle being waged in the CB forums, I’m buying the DVD. I’ll be reviewing the set as well, and that’s where the real problem is going to come.
You see, Star Wars (That’s “A New Hope” to you young’uns) is the first movie I can remember seeing. To me Star Wars is perfection. I can remember being a little boy sitting in the back seat at the drive in watching this perfect amalgamation of action, mysticism, and science fiction play on the large screen. I can remember the sequels too, seeing The Empire Strikes Back with my grandmother as Chewie and Vader greeted movie patrons. (I of course freaked out - imagine how Chewie dwarfs a six year old). I remember Return of the Jedi, seeing the Ewoks (which I loved and still love), Jabba, and the ultimate battle between Vader and Luke. How am I supposed to fairly review movies that represent everything that inspired my love and appreciation of films?
Well, they aren’t those movies anymore. Lucas’s constant changes to the Star Wars films, as well as the prequels, have tainted the flicks for now and future generations. That’s right, I said it - tainted the flicks for now and future generations. If I were a newcomer to the films, I doubt I’d be anywhere near as impressed with the movies as I was when I first saw them. They aren’t the same movies, they aren’t even the same story anymore. The movies I saw were about the struggle of the rebel alliance, and its heroes - a farmboy, a scoundrel, and a princess. These new movies are about the political rise and fall of an empire. You no longer have surprises as Luke’s father and sister are revealed because we learn about those earlier on in the series. Everything story wise that I loved about these movies has been taken away.
Lucas could even mend relationships with his former fanbase by offering the original films as well as his new and improved editions. Lucas has said himself that won’t be happening though. Some fans seem to think they can force his hand by not purchasing the versions that are being put out. Personally, I don’t see how withholding fifty bucks here or there would help, but to each their own. Lucas is a whore. He’ll release the original versions of the films when it’s most profitable to him. I guarantee eventually we’ll see the original versions out again, called something like the “Classic Edition”. Until then, I only have pan-and-scan versions of Star Wars on worn out VHS - I need these DVDs.
So, the movies I’ll be reviewing this week won’t be the Star Wars trilogy - they will be part of the six picture story that is now Star Wars. I’ll be watching Episodes I and II before I move onto the classic pictures, looking at how well they all tell the overall new story. Yes, I know we’re missing Episode III still, but it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out what happens in that gap. I don’t know how I’ll cut out the part of me that still remembers those old classics, the part of me that felt like Charleton Heston at the end of Planet of the Apes when I saw the picture of Hayden Christenson’s Anakin in those final frames, but that’s part of reviewing films - being objective. That’s why I’ve remained silent for the most part on the issue of these changes, I’m reserving judgment until I see these movies - these new movies in the coming week. As for those old movies... well, I still have my memories and my old VHS copies. For now, those will have to do.
Yes, there’s other stuff coming out this week...
But not a whole heck of a lot. It seems most everybody wants to avoid going up against the 500 pound gorilla that is Star Wars. For the few courageous films out there ready to take on that particular animal, it seems a porn sounding name is appropriate. For instance, Women Talking Dirty with Helena Bonham Carter, or for an exotic touch try La Dolce Vita. My personal favorite is Mean Girls, partially because with the high school world it captures it’s really only a step or two away from being a porno, and hey, what geek out there wouldn’t like to see Tina Fey in a porn flick, or Rachel McAdams or Lacey Chabert for that matter? ( for those of you who were thinking the same thing about Lindsay Lohan - shame on you!)
TV on DVD
With Star Wars out on DVD this week, my next big thing to look forward to is the release of “Arrested Development”. Unfortunately that’s still a few weeks away, and no doubt there are plenty of crappy television series releases between now and then. Just to prove it, let’s kick this week’s TV on DVD section off with “King Solomon’s Mines”. No, we’re not talking about the cult eighties flick with Richard Chamberlain and Sharon Stone, or even the cool original film from the fifties. We’re talking about the TV remake with Patrick “I need a hit so bad I’m thinking about doing a Roadhouse 2” Swayze. Did you miss that version? Did you want to see it on DVD? Me neither.
Also coming out this week is the fourth season of “Mr. Show” and the first season of “MADtv”. Between the two of them you should get enough decent sketch comedy to make up for “Saturday Night Live’s” downfall, at least for a couple of weeks.
“Felicity” gets kudos for using a semi-original title. Instead of going with the standard “Complete First Season” or “Every Episode of the First Season” this week’s release of the third season of “Felicity” is the “Junior Year Collection”. I know it’s not much, but it’s nice to see something original every once in a while. More shows should take this approach. Imagine: “Buffy The Vampire Slayer: the slacker year” or “Dallas: the Year J.R. Screwed Everybody Over”
Yeah, I guess it just wouldn’t work for all shows.
DVD Pick
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