Release Date: Oct. 25, 2011
Price: DVD $27.98
Studio: Lionsgate
Star Wars fans have a love-hate relationship with the franchise’s creator. On the one hand, George Lucas gave us the movie(s) that are tops on many favorites lists, but on the other hand, his prequels … well, sucked, and he keeps making bad changes to the original films — which we loved just the way they were!
So it’s no surprise that the documentary The People vs. George Lucas was made, and we at Disc Dish can’t wait to see it.
The film’s DVD release is timely with the Blu-ray debut of the six Star Wars films, which are setting off fans as much as the theatrical re-releases of the original three movies in 1997. Lucas has confirmed that he’s tweaking the movies even more for the high-definition versions.
The most recent alteration that is infuriating fans occurs in Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi, where Darth Vader lifts up the evil Emperor and hurls him to his doom in the depths of the Deathstar. The “adjustment” comes in the form of Vader screaming “Noooooooooo,” but in the original scene, Vader’s rebellion was silent. First reported by Badass Digest, the news has taken hold over the Star Wars community (a community that could probably fill a thousand Deathstars!), and media outlets everywhere, including The New York Times, have been weighing in on whether Lucas should mess with the original films.
That debate — and the emotions it erupts — is what The People vs. George Lucas explores, in a comedic way. The documentary features die-hard fans and notable media personalities sharing their feelings, both loving and bitter, about the filmmaker and his immortal Star Wars series.
Directed by documentarian Alexandre O. Phillippe, the 2010 movie played film festivals across the world to enthusiastic responses from fans and critics. The film’s DVD debut follows its video-on-demand release on Sept. 27, 2011.
The DVD comes with a bunch of bonus features:
- Poetry slam selections
- Music video for “GL Raped Our Childhood”
- “The People vs. Star Wars 3D” featurette, which interviews Comic-Con attendees
Where do you stand on the to-change-or-not-to-change debate? (A friend of ours once said he’d like to sue George Lucas for ruining his childhood, and for the upcoming Blu-ray discs, another friend suggested Lucas release them as “Raped” and “Unraped” versions.)
To help you decide, here’s the clip of the altered scene with Vader’s controversial “Noooooooo!”:
Buy or Rent The People vs. George Lucas
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Okay. I’m saying this as someone who absolutely loathes 99% of what Lucas has done to the original movies—it sucks, and every time I hear about a new one it feels like I’ve been suckerpunched right in the gut. Hearing about this addition to RotJ made me feel outraged and vaguely nauseated.
But the thing is, last year I sat on a jury to hear a case regarding two girls who were sexually assaulted before they’d turned 10 years old. And you know what? Somehow I doubt either of them, when asked what it felt like, would say, “Actually, it was just like finding out a director changed a beloved movie from my childhood on me.” So do you think maybe we can stop comparing what Lucas is doing to being raped? Please?
No offensive meant, Yorick, and we and our friend don’t mean any disrespect in the comparison.