Han Shot First

In the original theatrical version of Star Wars, there's a scene where Han Solo is seated at a table with a bounty hunter. The bounty hunter has a blaster pointed directly at Han Solo while they discuss a debt that Solo owes Jabba the Hutt. While they're talking, Solo gets his blaster out and shoots the bounty hunter under the table, preemptively.

Some 20-odd-years later, Lucas later revised the scene for the DVD release such that the bounty hunter shoots and misses Solo (at point blank range) and then Solo returns fire and kills him.

For all of the specifics, check out the Wikipedia page devoted to this subject.

This is extremely irritating for (at least) two reasons. (1) I, like many people, believe that films are works of art that shouldn't change after they have been released. (2) The change to this scene implies it is immoral (or at least un-hero-worthy) to kill someone while you have a chance if you're know they're going to kill you.

This is one of many, many "enhancements" that Lucas added to the original Star Wars trilogy. The enhanced version has got fancier explosion, better special effects and bloopers removed. To add insult to injury, until 2006 you couldn't even BUY the original unaltered Star Wars movies on DVD.

Oh and that brings me to what prompted me to post about this. In the photo above, here's Lucas wearing a Han Shot First t-shirt. ...And he's talking to Harrison Ford (Han Solo). I think he's going for irony, but really he just makes me dislike him more. As my friend Wayne put it, he shit all over his sterling legacy by creating the new Star Wars prequel trilogy (the number of errors in continuity between the prequel and original Star Wars is stunning). He forces his fans to endure insult after insult.

If you see me wearing my Han Shot First t-shirt, please don't beat me up. Thanks.