Lucas Lives
Three movies.
Two words.
One obsession.
“I love Star Wars,” said Cache Valley resident Jaron Hyer. “I’ve seen them millions of times.”
Such sentiments were common Monday night at the local Hastings for the release of the Star Wars Trilogy DVD box set.
The original Star Wars movie “A New Hope” was released in 1977 and despite George Lucas’s intentions that none of the movies would ever be put on home video, the movie was released on video for the first time in 1982. The original VHS or Beta release sold for $120.
All that was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away from Hastings where more than 50 people gathered to get the entire trilogy on DVD for the first time – at less than half the original price.
As early as 10 p.m. people started waiting around to ensure that they were among the first to own their favorite movies on DVD.
“I just couldn’t wait any longer for them to be on DVD,” said Scott Astin, a junior majoring in journalism.
Astin, who has been watching Stars Wars since childhood and went to both Episode One and Two as well as all three of the original’s re-releases on their opening days, was not alone in his quest to get the box set.
Stars Wars fans of all ages wearing everything from Star Wars shirts to pajamas gathered around the large display wrapped in packing tape that contained both silver boxed wide-screen and golden-boxed full screen versions.
To bide their time while waiting for the official release, fans flipped through Star Wars Comic Books, watched “Return of the Jedi” on Hastings’ television set and chatted with other fans about the movies.
When comparing favorite moments from the movies few people could actually define what their favorite was.
Luke Meyers an undeclared freshmen had no such problems.
“Definitely the final battle between Luke and Darth Vader. I love how it’s the final battle of good and evil and it’s the conclusion of Anikin’s story. And of course the light sabers. I’m into Star Wars for the light sabers,” he said.
To coincide with the release of the DVD trilogy, LucasArts, a computer Game company owned by LucasFilms, also released Star Wars Battlefields which allows players to re-enact the famous battle scenes from the movies for the first time without risking injury while using florescent light tubes as lightsabers.
On the night of the release, expectations were high.
Many Star Wars fans have been disapointed with the two prequels and were excited to get back to the basics of Star Wars.
“These movies raised me,” said Justin Reeves, a sophomore majoring in English who camped out for a week to see “Episode One” dressed as Jabba the Hutt. “It was always disappointing to go through the discount DVD bin and think how all these movies made it to DVD before Star Wars.”
The release of movies onto DVD has been big news throughout the country. Newspapers and magazines such as Maxim, Teen, People, Playboy, GQ and Woman’s Day have printed articles covering the release.
Part of the reason for such nationwide attention is that the release of the original movies aren’t exactly in their original form. Many scenes have been changed by George Lucas to eliminate plot gaps between the original trilogy and the newer installments in the Star Wars saga.
For example in the original version of “A New Hope,” during the scene in the cantina where Harrison Ford’s character, Han Solo, is arguing with Greedo, a green bounty hunting alien, it is Solo who draws his gun first and shoots Greedo. In 1997 when the movie was re-released in theaters Greedo shoots first. Now in the 2004 version they both shoot at the same time.
Another change that has some fans in an uproar occurs during the final scene when Luke sees his fallen Jedi teachers Obi-wan and Yoda in their ghostly forms, soon to be joined by a helmetless Darth Vader.
The original actor, Sebastian Shaw, has been edited out and replaced by a younger Anikin Skywalker who looks like the character from the newer movies.
These few seconds of change have spawned endless debates throughout the Star Wars universe.
On one Web site dedicated to movie fans, www.themovieblog.com, opinions ranged and tempers flared with one camp degrading George Lucas for his decision and others loyally defending their beloved director.
Lucas’s company, LucasFilms, made an official statement that while they respect the opinions of those fans that dislike the changes they still stand firmly by the right of the artist to create the work the way he feels it should be.
Another big topic on such Web sites is whether or not Lucas will be able to tie all five existing movies together with the release of Episode III, “Revenge of the Sith,” scheduled to be released May 19th 2005.
Despite many media rumors that another three movies will be produced within the next 25 years George Lucas says “Revenge of the Sith” will end the long-running series.
“This was never planned as a nine-episode work,” Lucas said in an interview with MTV this month.
-steveshinnie@cc.usu.edu