Re: can you answer CHICAGO question?

In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
 "Mike Kohary" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> > You say it isn't fair to the millions; thus far, I've not heard an
> > outcry from the millions.
> 
> That's what you're partially hearing in this newsgroup.  Many, many people
> are upset about this.  

>From fewer than a handful of people.

> There's even an online petition that's been very
> successful at gathering signatures and comment, over 37,000 to date:

That is a drop in the bucket.

> > No, I'm not saying that.  The owner of the physical media is 
> > entitled to burn it; I have the right to burn any book I own 
> > (provided I follow the fire and pollution codes); no one else has 
> > that right.  The author, though, so long he hasn't signed away his 
> > right, has the right to prevent republication of the book.
> 
> Speaking figuratively, how does that differ in effect from burning 
> the book? 

It does not affect existing copies.

> Preventing republication of a previously released work is 
> wrong, because it unfairly deprives the audience of that work.

Existing copies are still available.

> > OK, then why did he cut it down?  Why didn't he leave Jaba the Hut in
> > the original production?
> 
> Because he didn't have the time, money or technology to complete the
> sequence the way he envisioned it. 

And now he does, so he's doing it.  But that doesn't answer the second 
question.  Jaba the Hut existed in the original movie, but got cut.  Why 
did it get cut?

> It wasn't due to studio demands - he had complete creative control 
> (which isn't really as rare as a lot of people like to think).

As soon as the studio imposed a budget, that infringed on his creative 
control.  Also, studios still can and do impose time restraints.  Chris 
Columbus had to fight the studio to let him make the LOTR movies as long 
as they are--and he still had to cut out scenes to fit time constraints.

> > Er, no; I have been asking questions to get you to clarify your 
> > position.
> 
> So then you know that Star Wars has *never* been released in it's 
> original format to any medium, ever.  The Empire Strikes Back and 
> Return of the Jedi have been, but not to DVD.

I consider appending "Chapter 4" to the title so trivial as to 
constitute original format.  The only reason it did not appear in the 
original is that Lucas didn't want to give away in advance that it was 
the middle of a longer saga.

Heck, I even know that the delay in producing episode 1 was caused by 
his divorce, and property rights issues resulting therefrom.

> > Since I was wrong about that, and you agree that he can and may 
> > prevent the original version from being release, we don't have 
> > anything further to discuss on the matter.
> 
> Why?  Is it only a technical discussion on that level?  Is that the 
> important issue here?  Do you think that because a person *can* do 
> something, any debate stops at that point?  Talk about missing the 
> forest for the trees - that's a surprisingly narrow-minded viewpoint 
> to take about anything.

No; it's because your entire argument is based upon what you think is 
fair or not, and that is entirely subjective and not conducive to 
meaningful discussion.  And that is why we have been going around in 
circles.

> > Oh, you have the right to complain about it, but you should realize 
> > that no one has the obligation to listen to your complaints or to 
> > pay them any heed.
> 
> Then I'm curious what you're responding to these posts at all for.  
> If you only care about this on the most superficial level, why 
> respond at all?

Just because I'm not obligated to pay them any heed doesn't mean that I 
can't respond to them.

> > > Lucas is an intelligent man who has consistently demonstrated a 
> > > certain amount of concern and care for the fans of his films, and 
> > > I have faith that he'll see the light when he hears enough 
> > > voices.
> >
> > Well, thus far, there haven't been enough voices.
> 
> We don't know that yet.

Yes, we do know that thus far, there haven't been enough voices.

-- 
Never play strip tarot.