by canofhumdingers » Mon Nov 04, 2019 7:30 pm
First, they’re not fansubs, they are fan made restorations and preservations (restorations restore different versions that are not currently available legally; preservations preserve, or save versions by using original sources such as theatrical prints that at risk of being lost).
That’s some mighty fine moral high ground you stand on that is built on a foundation of sand poured by misguided, greedy, and in many cases outright criminal mega corporations that lobbied congress to do their bidding and pass archaic copyright laws regardless of how it impacts cultural heritage or history. You bemoan and loathe amazon for their bad faith practices, yet you blindly and obstinately insist on obeying (morally corrupt) laws that Disney foisted upon us for their personal benefit?
Should the Louvre in Paris suddenly decide that half the art in their possession is unimportant to their agenda and decide to let it rot and be lost to history, would you not raise your voice in ardent protest? Because that is EXACTLY what Lucasfilm, Disney, and Toho are doing with the films they control.
As to your comment about Star Wars “bootleg crap”, I leave you with this:
That’s right, a 4K preservation that looks dramatically better than anything ever officially released on home video, including blu-ray. Oh, and it’s the original theatrical cut that’s not currently legally available (and hasn’t been for over a decade) on ANY in-print media format today.
Look, we get it, you support official releases. And it’s the right thing to do. It’s one of the main reasons I do plan on getting the Criterion set. But don’t get all high and mighty over fans who, unsatisfied with the way many companies improperly handle their “rights”, decide to take matters into their own hands and prevent things from being lost to history or offer a better viewing experience than can be had officially. That’s just pompous.
EDIT:
Perhaps this hits closer to home... Have you ever watched and even, dare I say, enjoyed the 1956 American cut Godzilla: King of the Monsters on either official criterion release? Because if so, you supported fan “bootlegging”. That beautiful restoration would not have been possible if it weren’t for passionate fans breaking the law and collecting those film materials, thus saving them from almost certain loss or destruction by the “proper” rights holder.