The Couch Potato Report – September 21st, 2004
This week in The Couch Potato Report, Star Wars debuts on DVD, but
it’s not the Star Wars of old.
Back in May of 1977 a small film was released in theatres called STAR
WARS. It captured the imagination of a small boy named Danny Reynish,
and millions of other small boys and girls around the world.
Here in September of 2004 I’m sure I don’t have to recap how that
small movie spawned two just as popular sequels, two less than admired
prequels – with a third on the way – and became a cultural phenomenon.
And now, as the phenomenon continues, the first three films are
available on DVD for the first time.
But notice I didn’t say, “The original three films are available on
DVD.”
The original STAR WARS movie, along with the original sequels THE
EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and RETURN OF THE JEDI, are not available on DVD and
Star Wars creator George Lucas has repeatedly said they never will be.
He didn’t like the way they looked and once the technology existed to
change them, he did.
But if you expecting this new 4-disc DVD box set to feature the SPECIAL
EDITIONS of the films – complete with changes – that Lucas released in
1997, well you are out of luck again.
Unfortunately, Lucas continues to be unsatisfied with how his original
Star Wars Trilogy looks, and since technology keep advancing, Lucas has
changed the films once again for this DVD release.
Personally, I wish he would just leave these classic films alone and
give us the original films, as we enjoyed them in the 1970’s.
Sixty-one thousand other people have agreed with me and signed the
online petition at www.originaltrilogy.com hoping the original Trilogy
will someday come out on DVD.
In the end, these are George Lucas’ films to do with what he will.
The choice to buy the versions that Lucas has just released on DVD is
up to you.
If you choose not to buy this box set, well we are only three years
away from the 30th Anniversary of the release of the original STAR WARS
movie, and I suspect that they will be released again then.
Personally, I want the originals, but I am happy to have whatever
versions Lucas wants to put out on the digital format.
The movies might be different, but my memories are exactly the same. I
remain captivated by the films to this day.
Just as I, and folks like me are captivated by STAR WARS many young
filmgoers in this day and age are captivated with an actress named
Lindsey Lohan.
Over the past year she has been on almost every magazine cover, she’s
hosted awards shows, and her film MEAN GIRLS was a hit at the box
office.
MEAN GIRLS is now available on video and DVD and even though it is a
film aimed at teens, this movie is good for us adults too.
That MEAN GIRLS is good for all ages is due to the script by SATURDAY
NIGHT LIVE’s head writer TINA FEY. Fey has given us a movie that
contains the perfect amount of wit, pop culture and satire.
MEAN GIRLS is about a formerly home-schooled girl who has to deal with
life, and the students, at an actual school.
Once she befriends some of the most popular, but most hated female
students under a false pretense, she starts to become popular and hated
as well.
Every generation has their good movie about school, CLUELESS, THE
BREAKFAST CLUB, TO SIR WITH LOVE and HEATHERS are just a few
generation’s films. MEAN GIRLS belongs to this generation.
The final new release this week is director Jim Jarmush’s movie
COFFEE AND CIGARETTES.
It’s been said that coffee and cigarettes aren’t good for you, and
that is certainly true about this movie.
COFFEE AND CIGARETTES features celebrities, mostly playing themselves,
talking while drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes.
Bill Murray, Tom Waits, Iggy Pop and Cate Blanchett are some of the
celebrities.
If you smoke or drink coffee, like the work of Jim Jarmush, or need to
see everything the actors and musicians who appear in this collection of
black-and-white vignettes do, than you might enjoy some of the eclectic
conversations and the film itself.
But the people who don’t like this movie will always be far greater
than the people who do.
Personally, I love Bill Murray and need to see everything he’s in,
but I didn’t care for COFFEE AND CIGARRETTES. Then again, I also
don’t care for coffee or cigarettes either.
THE STAR WARS TRILOGY, MEAN GIRLS and COFFEE AND CIGARETTES are all
available at your favourite local video store. And I mean the movie
COFFEE AND CIGARETTES, not the actual items.
COMING UP IN THE NEXT COUCH POTATO REPORT
Jim Carrey and the luscious Kate Winslet star in the odd classic
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND. Carrey is a man tries to erase
his ex-girlfriend from his memory.
In the documentary SUPER SIZE ME a filmmaker goes on a fast food diet
and shows how that diet affects his life.
The final release to tell you about next week is ENVY. Ben Stiller and
Jack Black star, and they are two of my all-time favourite actors, but
ENVY is the worst movie I have seen this year.
I’ll have more on those, and some other releases, in seven days.
For now, that’s this week’s COUCH POTATO REPORT.
Enjoy the movies and I’ll see you back here next week on The Couch!
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