Star Wars discussion from The Bits... - Page 16

Re: Star Wars discussion from The Bits...

The following email has been posted to Ms. Hale at LucasFilm:

Dear Lynne,

I've read the statement which has been released under your name.

I wanted to make very certain that you totally understand what both Star Wars fans and Home Theater aficionados have been trying to say. Occasionally the message may have become muddled from passion.

Everyone respectfully understands that Mr. Lucas prefers his updated versions of the films.

There is no argument.

Everyone understands that a proper of restoration of the films could be both expensive and time-consuming.

There is no argument.

Allow me to explain that this has nothing to do with "prints." It doesn't matter if prints are faded, scratched, or even missing every scene in which a favored character appears.

Prints are disposable.

That said, we must believe that acceptable Pre-print elements survive in the form of interpositives, dupe negatives and / or separation masters. If this is the case, then Fox would be totally capable of creating a new anamorphic video master. This is what their archival staff does on a daily basis, and they do it exceedingly well.

Assuming that these elements exist, then no one is suggesting the reconstruction of elements or a restoration that isn't necessary.

The single point that has so many people dissatisfied is that the original films are not being placed into home video distribution in WIDE SCREEN ANAMORPHIC format.

No one is requesting that the films be digitally cleaned and re-mastered to perfection, although many feel that they may be deserving of such treatment.

A bit of dirt; an occasional scratch; an errant mark here or there is not what this discussion has been about.

While the use of your 1993 masters, which were the highest quality of their era, would have been fine almost a decade ago, they are no longer of a quality requisite to be screened with black on all four sides on wide screen monitors, no less an modern projection devices.

Now that we all seem to have better communication, can we please re-consider a simple re-transfer in anamorphic widescreen as opposed to using archaic video masters.

This isn't what LucasFilm, which has always led in both quality as well technology has ever been about.

Without any high cost, without any restoration, and yet allowing Star Wars fans to properly screen on modern devices what to many is a veritable holy grail...

This should be a simple, painless and viable answer.

With best regards,

RAH