I tried to watch Star Wars when it was on tv yesterday, but I couldn't do it. Two reasons:

1. It was the "special edition", which means Lucasarts messed with it digitally, and
2. It was pan-and-scan, rather than widescreen, which irritates me to no end.

When George Lucas and his digital wizards churned out the special edition, they inserted all kinds of unnecessary scenes and made changes that actually ruined scenes. For example, remember that scene in the saloon, where Han shoots Greedo, the bounty hunter? In the special edition, Greedo shoots first, but inexplicably misses Han's head by a foot. That completely ruins Han's introduction as a morally dubious smuggler. Over the course of the original three movies, his character develops into someone almost respectable ("General Solo"). That's a good story. But Lucas had to bugger it up.

The CG animals and droids in the Mos Eisley scenes do nothing but upstage the action in the foreground. Why is it necessary to have a snorting, mooing lizard in the background when the storm trooper pops up from the bottom of the frame to say, "Look sir, Droids"?

As for pan-and-scan, it should be abolished. If the cinematographer composes an image for a wide screen, it ruins the movie to show only half of the composition.

I've read recently (I can't remember where) that Lucas will never release the original Star Wars edit on DVD. All I have to say to that is Harrumph. Somebody smack that guy over the head. Once for the three "special edition" edits of the original trilogy, and twice more for inflicting Jar-Jar on us and ruining the mystique of the Force by introducing these midi-chlorien creatures (however you spell it).

Oh well. At least Princess Leia is easy on the eyes, as they say.