Preserving Your Memories Through Entertainment Media

I remember it as if it were yesterday. George Lucas destroying my childhood by announcing that only the new digitally enhanced versions of the Star Wars trilogy would be available on DVD. (Okay the man did not destroy my childhood, but he did selfishly decide to withhold the old versions because his artistic vision was the second version and that's what we should be forced to enjoy.) When they first came out, I refused to watch the new ones because they were not what I would quote with my father back and forth at the dinner table when I was eight years old. Greedo shooting first? Jabba the Hutt in the first one? Who cares about a more realistic futuristic background? I want my Star Wars.

When I was younger, I found an old Star Wars VHS early 90's re-release in the bargain bin at Blockbuster. It completed my copies of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi that I had recorded off of USA so long ago. (You wouldn't turn in a child who doesn't understand the concept of copyrighted materials would you? I just wanted to be a Jedi.) Who would have thought that with $4.99 and two blank tapes I was helping preserve my childhood memories? My three year old niece had dug them out recently and she constantly has them playing over and over again. Or at least did before my sister bought her Carebears DVDs. I think we are determined to make these children live the 80's as we did. (Or at least they lived in the 80's while I was born then but watched all of their stuff. Hehehe, ALF.)

Thinking about Star Wars and all those other movies I watched repeatedly until my parent wanted to curse the man who invented VCRs, I got nostalgic about old movies I loved. I started to find them at Best Buy and without even thinking (or even renting them again) I bought them. I wanted them because I remember enjoying them. But what you loved at eight or even twelve may not translate well by the time you can drink and play craps (hopefully not at the same time).

I tried to ignore the general feeling that these movies weren't all that great. I know most were guilty pleasures, but for some reason, The Cutting Edge wasn't as great as I remember. When I watched Dirty Dancing for the first time in like a decade, I was stunned. I understand why my parents didn't bother to explain everything in specifics. Penny was sick okay I remember that...wait, that was an abortion? Holy crap! So I was picking up on things that were more adult or realized the writing and acting aren't so great. Or both.

It happened with Little Giants (shut up), Ace Ventura (admit you loved it), While You Were Sleeping (again shut up) and Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death (I can't tell you to shut up here because I've rendered you speechless). I know now these are all stupid movies that I loved for no reason. Or didn't know better.

So what if this happens with Star Wars? What if it's true what my friends have been telling me? What if Luke was as much of I whiner as Jake Lloyd was? What if I start to root for Darth Vader to kill him like I prayed for the death of Jar-Jar all those times? What if I want to strangle Yoda because he speaks more annoyingly than that little guy in Twin Peaks? And then I realized that in order to save my love of Star Wars completely, I would have to do the unthinkable: never watch it again. I think for the sake of preserving the happy childhood memories I'll make this sacrifice.

So what has hard core Star Wars fans buzzing lately? Apparently George Lucas has announced that they WILL be releasing the original versions but in a package that forces you to buy all of them. So I have to buy the crappy versions I don't want in order to get the original versions I will not watch. What about all those people that caved and bought the trilogy back then? They have to shell out even more for something they already own. I guess Lucas has no more space stories to tell because he's using his creative power to screw over all his fans. I have to say though that as far as profits are concerned, the man is brilliant. Evil, but brilliant.