It is difficult to gauge "Star Wars" fans and their obsessive attention to detail. To date, there is still not a version of the original film (Episode IV) that satiates the fans' desire to see the ultimate original cut without all of the bells and whistles that digital photography and special effects later brought to the print.
Earlier this week, a rumor surfaced that Disney, the new Empire, was planning on releasing an unaltered version of the original "Star Wars" trilogy in high definition Blu-ray. However the kibosh was soon put on the rumor, leaving fans still desperate for an official, unaltered release of the films. There are controversies that have lasted decades that fans are desperate for producers to get right including, most famously, Han shooting first at Greedo in the Mos Eisley cantina. Fans' ravenous appetite will never be fulfilled, but at the very least, they are hopeful with the pending release of the new trilogy starting in 2015.
The many changes to the "Star Wars" films over the years have caused fans to spend an obscene amount of money from the days of VHS to the more recent DVD & Blu-ray era. According to a report on ScreenRant, the alterations made to the original cut of the first trilogy were at George Lucas' behest. Due to the limitations of the technology available at the time, the movies were hamstrung and only "25 to 30 percent" of the film is what the auteur envisioned.
Although there was a "pure" version of the original "Star Wars" trilogy back in a 2006 DVD release that featured unaltered versions of the films but not in anamorphic widescreen. However according to the ScreenRant report, "these versions were purposely of a lower quality so as not to compete with the restores and remastered, though altered releases."
But have no fear because the geeks are here. Devoted fans of the Rebels have packaged together an effort to restore the original film's presentation by taking out any of the alterations made in the last decade or so. The title of the film is "Star Wars: Despecialized Edition" and it represents the undying devotion of "Star Wars" fans across the galaxy. It may not sound like much from a group of "amateurs," but it is a dedicated cut to the film's preservation and its history.
The painstakingly detailed process continues and it is necessary for all fans of the holy trilogy to check out the featurette that the producers have put together for the "Despecialized Edition." Eventually the fan filmmakers will wade through the rest of the original trilogy to bring the films up to George Lucas' original vision. Gotta love the "Star Wars" fans...
