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I’M A SUCKER

By Felix Vasquez Jr. | September 12, 2006

So, I finally confirmed to myself that not only am I a sucker, but the whole hobby of my love of film has officially become an obsession. To further exemplify how much of a pure sucker I am, I bought the Limited Edition Star Wars films on DVD, a while after I purchased the boxed set last Christmas. Does that make me a sucker? Oh yes, I won’t deny that.

And if you waited through the box set and bought these, then pat yourself on the back and shut up, already.

Some will say that Lucas has finally released these only as a last money grab for his initial release of the originals and the re-cuts before we have two new formats pushed on us which he will then re-release these on. But while the suckers dole out their money for two formats of film that may not even succeed, I figured I may as well get the DVD versions.

Firstly, the movie companies think consumers are suckers, and in many respects they are. I can only imagine someone buying a Blu Ray Player and a library only to have it go the way of the Laser Disc while HD-DVD dominates, or vice versa. But neither format will officially take the place of DVD for at least three years. And if one format wins out, rest assured I’ll be properly pointing and laughing at the other with the obscenely priced obsolete player, and 40 dollar relics.

I mean seriously, will you be buying two over priced players and two sets of movie libraries, neither of which can play on the other? That’s clearly insane.

I’m waiting for the dust to clear and wait to see which format wins out, though. So, no 999 dollar players, for now. In spite of previous rumors the media and tech elitists push on you, the death of the DVD format is pretty far off from now. I’d say about three years, so don’t hesitate to buy that rare film on DVD you want on the grounds of these two new formats. Hell, UMD and PSP have yet to catch on completely.

Hell, VHS is still around, just not in the glut it once was in. It’s now an affordable format for independent filmmakers, and underground movie collectors. There are stores that sell rare hard to find films which are only available on VHS for now. I still have my VHS player, I have to because the films I receive are sometimes in VHS form.

And yes, I still have my VHS collection. And when DVD dies, as long as my DVD player works, I’ll still have my DVD collection. Take that. I showed you, didn’t I?

VHS is not a dead technology it’s just not the preferred technology of consumers, anymore. And the elitist customers whom were once for VHS now mock it and prefer DVD only. Maybe it’s because they didn’t have the foresight to keep their VHS players.

I like to laugh at them because a VHS movie transfer to DVD without extras and touched up video is still essentially on par with a VHS.

Either way, I couldn’t wait long enough for one format to win out over the other. So, I bought the DVD’s of the “Limited Edition” (he said with a laugh) of the original “Star Wars” films before Lucas forced his re-cut vainly connecting his prequels to his original films. And they’re very nice. The packaging is great and it will be interesting to see the original versions. I’ve only seen them once on VHS, and it was a memorable experience.

Sure, these new DVDs are one last cash grab, and Lucas is trying hard to milk the cow again, but they’re better than the re-cuts. Now THAT is a butcher job. He makes some technical additions like adding a bigger explosion to the death star, and brightening the light sabers, but beyond that he gets out of hand.

Adding Hayden Anakin at the end of “Jedi,” replacing the voice of the original actor of Boba Fett, adding Jabba in “A New Hope,” re-arranging the dialogue between Darth and the emperor in “Empire,” and so forth; it’s pretty f*****g embarrassing to watch, I must admit. And it’s painful.

These purchases are pretty interesting, because at the end of the day, you’ll be able to watch both versions on DVD, and you can keep these when six years from now people are bitching that “Star Wars” has yet to be released on “Platinum Plus.” I just made up that name, but it could be a format.

So, I’m a sucker for buying these new versions, but then that’s the curse of the movie buff, and the “Star Wars” fan.

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  1. Felix Vasquez Jr. says:

    Oh no… your comment was cut off… and I was so interested too…. yaawn.

  2. Lucas Lvr says:

    You know, I lurked over here on my lunch break and couldn’t resist reading/responding. I am an avowed lover of Star Wars, appreciate Lucas and the impact his films have had. I’ve purchased ever version of the films, and then some, over the years, and gladly ran out this past Tuesday to get this new stuff. It is funny that I can put up with my willingness to buy this stuff over and over and over again, but what I can’t abide is the obnoxious holier-than-though anti-fan rants.

    Face it – the films are dated and outside of nostalgia, the OT doesn’t visually stand up to today’s films. Outside of a few knee-jerk PC changes, all the alterations make sense in the context of one six-part story told over thirty years.

    Not that you guys here are on that bad of a bandwagon, but I just … I mean, it’s not like an LFL employee was at my local Target Tues. point guns to people as they walked by the New Release rack. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it – by now any reasonably intelligent person has to release every incarnation of the films will eventually be released on disc.

    Lucas is a film preservationist and he lies; we all have proof of that fact in our hands.

    I mean, really, just quit the bitchin and enjoy the movie now that you have multiple ways to do so.

    -End Rant-

    I’d rather be a Lucas Lover, wasting space and cash, than some hater (which, to be far,

  3. Stina says:

    “So, I finally confirmed to myself that not only am I a sucker, but the whole hobby of my love of film has officially become an obsession.”

    if only that love & obsession never had to die or grow stale.

  4. HeroStew.com says:

    Won’t Hd and Blu Ray be backward compatible with regular DVD.

    Anyway….

    Yeah I had copies of the originals on DVD burned from the original Laser disc collection. Then I bought a cheap dvd recorder, then returned it, AFTER transferring my pan and scan versions of the OT from VHS.

    I got the Special ‘poop’ Editions box set last year as a gift. Would never have bought it. Except for maybe the 4th bonus disc that has the Bonus Material. That’s the only reason to own it.

    However I was one of those who went out yesterday and bought A New Hope UNALTERED. I watched it and enjoyed it last night.

    But I am sorry to admit, if Lucas adds the Biggs footage and other cut stuff to the three films, I will be buying them again. And he knows it.

  5. Felix Vasquez Jr. says:

    Pat yourself on the back, have a cookie, and shut up!

    But yeah, they’re worth the money.

  6. You’re not a sucker for buying these versions. You are for buying those shitty “special” edition versions last year.

    Few people didn’t buy them and I am proud to say I am one of them. Remember when he said he was never going to release them this way? Since when has Lucas been a man of his word. “I’m only going to direct one of the new trilogy films, just to set the pace.”

    But I will be buying these ones though.

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