When your biggest fans turn on you, you know that you're in trouble. And no - we're not talking about Barack Obama. George Lucas's announcement that he plans to release all six Star Wars films in 3-D has unsurprisingly infuriated the cult franchise's nearly militant fans. While many purists will object to further tampering with the adored originals, what is more troubling to many is Mr Lucas's attempt to repackage an already successful item and re-sell it to the public. It is but one example in a long list of repackaged entertainment wares that are being peddled to uninspired consumers.
Long-time Beatles fans, for example, have had the ability to own the band's body of work on vinyl, tape, CD and MP3. The versions of their work are many: the red and blue compilations, the Anthology recordings, the digitally remastered stereo CDs, and let's not forget - the recent digitally remastered CDs in the original mono format. Such items are fantastic for fanatics, but in essence are unoriginal. Fanboys are almost by definition powerless in the face of this - if you'll excuse the pun - force. While obsessives may not mind, or indeed may enjoy paying to hear John Lennon's voice marginally clearer, some things, like seeing Jar Jar Binks in 3-D, are probably best left alone.
