Star Wars (1977)
There’s fandom, and then there’s Star Wars fandom, which began way back in 1977, with the release of the then-called Star Wars. The film was repeatedly re-released, eventually gaining the subtitled name Star Wars IV: A New Hope in 1981.
George Lucas never really left it alone, though, and in 1997, the film and its sequels were re-mastered using state-of-the-art digital technology, with new footage added just in time for a 20th anniversary re-release. The addition of new footage by Lucas essentially constituted a director’s cut but, despite a palpable adoration for the filmmaker and the universe he created, the changes to the original were generally not well-received.
Many of the most deeply disliked new snippets involved the character of Han Solo, with one seeing more of him in conflict with Greedo, and one seeing more of him in conversation with Jabba The Hut. These small changes had such little positive impact on the narrative structure of the film that they served merely as a distraction. While the re-mastering of the original material was impressive, the additional scenes felt unnecessary and self-indulgent, which is something that goes against everything fans love about the original Star Wars trilogy.
