An open letter to George Lucas….
This probably isn’t the best or more effective place to write this, but I’m not a blogger and I don’t know how to get this put on any notable website which Mr. Lucas would actually look at, but I suppose there’s no harm in putting it here.
Dear George Lucas…..
Congratulations. And I mean that sincerely. Congratulations on being one of the most well known and influential people that cinema has seen in the last 50 years. You have created something that is more than just a series of films. You have created a phenomenon, one that has become ingrained in global culture, and one that has helped shape modern cinema in more ways than some of us realize. But you don’t need me to tell you any of this. It’s not something that even needs to be said. As soon as any of us step outside, or even turn on our computers or televisions, it’s all right there in front of us. Star Wars is everywhere.
I am 20 years old. I wasn’t around when the original trilogy first came out. When I was four years old, I was living in Saudi Arabia. At the time, it wasn’t exactly easy to get a hold of American films, but somehow my father managed to buy me VHS copies of your original films…. And as I watched them, all three in the same night, I was changed forever.
The impact your films had on a four year old me is not something I can easily explain. The original Star Wars films were my first overwhelming experiences as a child. It was something I thought to be impossible, but I had been transported to a new, and fantastic world. And I’m sure I don’t speak only for myself when I describe this experience….
Fast-forward sixteen years. Today, I am a Film student in New York City. I don’t know where my endeavors will take me, but I know that I want to tell stories. And, if the opportunity presents itself, BIG stories, but stories with heart. Like your Star Wars films. I’d be lying if I said they didn’t help shape my decision to get in to this field. So as you can tell, your creations have had a significant impact on myself, and many others like me.
And for that, I thank you.
But of course, many fans have gotten themselves involved in controversies about what the true versions of the films are, as opposed to more recent cuts. It’s been a 15 year argument that will probably never cease, and it pains me to admit it, but I’ve also been a part of it. Not today though. Today is about thanking you, George Lucas, for what you have done for cinema. And more than that, apologizing for thinking that I, as a fan, have the right to tell you what to do with your work. Box office numbers and DVD sales have made it clear that there are people who want to see your movies in 3D, and own the updated versions of them on BluRay. It is with this that I make one simple, humble request:
Please don’t let the original versions of these films be forgotten.
This letter was not under the guise of a thanks just so that I could talk about the controversy, I meant absolutely everything I said. But I can’t help but attempt to ask you this at the very least. I don’t know if you will ever see this, but I’m going to continue writing anyway.
Please don’t let the original cuts of the films fade away.
Put out as many new and improved version as you feel you need to, they are after all, your movies. But you know as well as the rest of us do, the original films stood for something great. They were a defiance of all odds. An inspired and inspiring large scale creation in an age where it was thought that such things could only exist in the imagination. And you proved everyone wrong. You did what was thought to be impossible. And the effects of it can still be seen and felt today…. So please, Mr. Lucas, try and keep the original versions of Star Wars alive as well.
I know it’s wrong to ask you for anything else after you’ve done so much for the world of cinema already, but it would mean a great deal to many, many people if the films were re-released in their original, un-edited forms. I own them on DVD, and perhaps I’d like to own them on BluRay some day, or whatever format may come next. But at some point in my life, I’d like to also view them as they were meant to be viewed…. in a theatre.
Don’t get me wrong, people are going to flock to the cinemas to watch the 3D re-releases of the movies, myself included. But I’m just writing this as a small reminder that someday, it wouldn’t hurt to re-visit your masterpieces as they were.
Once again, thank you.
Sincerely, a fan.
A poem for the boy with the purple hair
The title is self explanatory
This is about a boy
A boy with purple hair
He was not born with it
He was not given it
But he took it, and made it his own.
“They…” he said.
“They will never understand (me)….” he thought.
He reached for the object nearest to him,
it was a book.
This was no ordinary book. It was from a far off land.
A book of words, but a book of knowledge.
“My favourite meal,” he said.
He opened to the first chapter, and read the title…..
A poem for the boy with the purple hair.
gupta, can you tell me what 1138 means? is it a sign of sheeeeeeeeeevahhh?
It is the holy trinity. It is the singularity. It is one, and it is all. It is the moon, the sun, the stars and the earth. It is everything, but at the same time, nothing. It is the question, and the answer. It is life, death, love and loss. And above all, my son…. It is dicks.
Dilemma
Well, not an important one, but a dilemma nonetheless.
If I had to choose once single favourite movie of all time, I don’t think I could. I know this is probably the same for most people, but I don’t really care about anyone but myself. And I don’t really need to decide this for any reason, I’m just posting about it because I feel extremely self-indulgent at the moment and I haven’t used Tumblr in a while.
The candidates, in order of release date, are:
- THE LORD OF THE RINGS [Peter Jackson, 2001/2002/2003]
- THE DARK KNIGHT [Christopher Nolan, 2008]
- INCEPTION [Christopher Nolan, 2010]
- HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS [David Yates, 2010/2011]
At the moment, I have no way of deciding. And I’m okay with that.
Edit: I was going to choose Green Lantern, but it was sort of weighed down by Mark Strong’s performance.
