Hey director, leave those films alone

They're great movies. Classics of their era. So why did the directors who made these masterpieces decide to tweak and alter them 20 or 30 years later?

If the changes had made the movies better I'd understand, but in the case of the original 'Star Wars' trilogy and the gritty, 1979 cut of 'The Warriors', the subsequent re-imaging has resulted in far inferior viewing experiences.

I have great admiration for both George Lucas ('Star Wars'), pictured below, and Walter Hill ('The Warriors'), two exceptional talents. But I'm mystified by their motivation for tinkering with some of their best work to make director's cuts that are best consigned to the nearest trash can in favour of the originals.

Many others have commented on these director's cut, take a look around on the internet and YouTube to see what has been said. In the case of the original 'Star Wars' trilogy the changes are mostly computer generated animations splashed across the screen that alter the tone of the movies and, quite frankly, clutter up the clarity of the stories. With Hill's director's cut of 'The Warriors' the inclusion of cartoon-cutsy transitions between scenes completely jars with the compelling realism and darkness of the 1979 version.

Sure, there is a place for revisiting creative works and improving upon them. My favourite poet William Butler Yeats did so with great success, and the evolution of the song 'Saints and Angels' by the music group The Waterboys, from its mid-1980s original to its early 2000s incarnation, with notably developed lyrics, are testament to how artistic works can rise to a new level when reworked by their original creators.

Returning to movies I would add Ridley Scott's director's cut of 'Blade Runner' to the list of artistic works enhanced by a slight re-imaging.

The big danger comes when the re-working is done on a creative work that has already proven to be massively popular in its original format. Anyone who tinkers with such is doing so at great peril.

Of course, you pays your money and you takes your choice. Except in the case of 'Star Wars' and 'The Warriors' you can't. If Lucas and Hill are saying, 'Hey, this is what I intended the movie to be originally' and leave the viewer with the option of watching the original or their re-worked alternative, then fine. Alas, that is not the case. It is practically impossible to lay your hands on unaltered versions of the original 'Star Wars' trilogy, likewise copies of the 1979 original of 'The Warriors' are no longer produced, having been superseded by the director's cut. Both directors have taken a deliberate and strong line, arguing that their director's cuts are the definitive versions and the originals should be removed permanently from public consumption.

The first 'Star Wars' movie, released in 1977, is unquestionably one of the biggest landmark cinematic releases of the 20th century. Yet today the public are unable to purchase or view this iconic film in its original, un-tweaked glory.

Similarly, if you want to see 'The Warriors' as it appeared in 1979 you'll have to scour second-hand shops or online sales sites to get one of the pre-director's cut releases. It's becoming scarcer, but it's worth the effort.

So what can be done? Ultimately, it boils down to a simple request. To slightly misquote the lyrics of a Pink Floyd song, 'Hey director, leave those films alone'.