May the Force be with you.

[Travis]

Having recently finished reading Richard's 'The Berglas Effects' and viewing the new blu-ray edition of 'Star Wars: A New Hope', it struck me that I've not seen Obi-Wan Kenobi and David Berglas in the same place at the same time. Watch Alec Guiness as Kenobi in the original film. It's exactly, I imagine, the demeanor, gentleness, and confidence of Berglas. I dare say he even looks a bit like the Man of Mystery; that is if David lived in the desert and wore tunics.

By all means, view the supplemental DVD materials that come with Richard's book, but really all you need do is view the classic "You don't need to see his identification" scene in 'Star Wars'. It's all right there.

[Richard Kaufman]

You paid $125: may the Force be with you.

[Leonard Hevia]

Travis also paid for the Blu-Ray edition of Star Wars. "Those aren't the droids he's looking for."

[Travis]

Nope. Didn't pay a dime for the 'Star Wars' Blu-ray, and I won't until the original theatrical versions of the films are available.

[Magic Newswire]

Never forget... Han shot first. Oh wait... that was on the laser disc.

[Mathias435]

Never forget... Han shot first. Oh wait... that was on the laser disc.

Hehe !:)

[Leonard Hevia]

Nope. Didn't pay a dime for the 'Star Wars' Blu-ray, and I won't until the original theatrical versions of the films are available.

Travis--did you walk out of the store without paying? I can imagine how you walked past that security guard: "You don't need to check my bag."

The Force has a strong influence on the weak minded.

[Richard Kaufman]

I thought about whether or not I would buy the new Star Wars blu-ray set for a bit. I don't consider the original films the masterpieces that most folks do. At the time when the first one came out, it really rubbed me the wrong way. It was like someone took Joseph Campbell's mythic hero and turned it into a comic book with really bad dialogue and direction. The second and third films were better because George Lucas was not the director. There's no need to even discuss the three prequels--they're moronic at almost all levels.

The larger question is whether I care that he's changed/improved the first three films ... and the answer is no. I could care less. So I bought the blu-ray set. I'm less of a film snob than I used to be, so perhaps will enjoy them more now.

[erdnasephile]

I thought about buying the blu-ray set, but I didn't for a different reason than the goofy new changes Lucas put in.

I just don't feel they have held up all that well all these years later. (*GASP* Heresy!)

Granted, they are classics and changed film as we know it (and I LOVED them as a kid). However, other than ESB (and maybe ANH), they are all just a little embarassing in terms of dialogue, acting, and plot. (Ewoks, Jar Jar Binks--need I say more?)

Let the flames begin! :)

[Anthony Vinson]

I just don't feel they have held up all that well all these years later. (*GASP* Heresy!)

Couldn't agree more. I think Forbidden Planet and The Day the Earth Stood Still (to name two) have held up better as examples of the science fiction film genre. The first three Star Wars films were fun, character-driven popcorn movies; check your brain at the door and enjoy. The last three, well need I even bother...?

[Travis]

For some reason, people often classify these films as science fiction. They're not. They fall into the fairy tale or fantasy genre.

Re Lucas' alterations. I personally dislike them (particularly one very ridiculous change he made this round), but I fell he should be able to do with his films as he pleases. I just wish he didn't also feel the need to see the originals erased from history in the process. I think they should be preserved as they were for film history, if nothing else.

The originals definitely hold up for me. Pure magic, but there's no doubt I have an emotional tie to them, having seen them as a young boy and dreaming of telling my own stories one day, which I do through both magic and filmmaking.

And there's no doubt they caused a paradigm shift in movies and filmmaking in more ways than one.

[Jonathan Townsend]

The Tempest, Farewell to the Master and Who Goes There stand up as stories as well.

I'm not expecting to see Revelation Space, Blindsight or The Dosadi Experiment attempted as films for a long time.

[Charles Spector]

I too did not want to buy these unless they were the unaltered originals, but I was at Fox Studios yesterday and the employee discount was $27.99 for all three.

[Jonathan Townsend]

Wasn't Forbidden Planet (and 2001) in some very wide format?

[Richard Kaufman]

Forbidden Planet is in the standard 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen ration.
Read all about aspect ratios here:
http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/index.htm

[Magic Randy]

Forbidden Planet is in the standard 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen ration.
Read all about aspect ratios here:
http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/index.htm

Just spent an hour on this site. Interesting & thanks for the link.

[Roger M.]

George Lucas was actually a friend of Joseph Campbell's.

He considered Campbell his mentor, and Campbell consider Lucas to be somewhat his student.
When Bill Moyers shot "The Power of Myth" (which is how most laymen came to know of Campbell) he shot it at Lucas's Skywalker Ranch, with Lucas's invitation to do so.

I'm a huge fan of Campbell's, and in fact feel that if more people read him, we'd probably live in a much better world.
The depth of Campbell's intellect is impressive, and George Lucas (for any who have ever watched him interviewed) is actually a bit of a dummy.

That Lucas read and understood "The Hero's Journey" isn't really impressive, as it's really not that difficult to understand Campbell's basic points...........but Lucas did indeed turn what is an amazing tale of the history of mankind into a Saturday afternoon movie serial.

I believe Lucas has a bit of a low IQ, and that his take on Campbell's "Hero" resulted in Star Wars is hardly surprising.
In effect, it was the best a guy like Lucas could come up with.......and not very good indeed.

Even though Star Wars is often the film mentioned as an example of "The Heros Journey", there are dozens of far better films which use Campbell's template to far better effect.

An interesting take on how Campbell's Myth's have impacted almost every great movie out of Hollywood can be found in Christopher Vogler's book "The Writers Journey - Mythic Structure for Writers". A fantastic read if you're at all into the works of Joseph Campbell.