Lucas Screws Up Star Wars----AGAIN....

[MicromanZone]

And I really liked 'Empire Strikes Back'. If I get any nostalgia items of SW, it's only the original, vintage glossies, poster books, etc, you name it. Nothing of the last 30 years. Anything after that pretty much sucked any joy out of the saga as I knew it.

You are definitely not in the minority. The first two films—Star Wars & Empire Strikes Back—are the only ones I care about. Ditto for the original marketing and all of the wacky 1970s pseudo knock-offs trying to cash in on the Star Wars. By the time Return of the Jedi came around, the efforts were clearly more calculated, mechanical and uninspired. The movies truly started to be about the toys and not the story.

In contrast look at Steven Spielberg. He doesn’t jerk around on the one or two films that made him famous all the time. Constantly producing new product. Does redo his old films, but the original cuts are still available. Ditto with the Star Trek franchise. New series and new ways of viewing a new universe and when they redo effects or clean stuff up, it again doesn’t stand in the way of the original work.

George Lucas is milking his cash cow for all it’s worth. Nothing more. Nothing less.

[MIB41]

You are definitely not in the minority. The first two films—Star Wars & Empire Strikes Back—are the only ones I care about. Ditto for the original marketing and all of the wacky 1970s pseudo knock-offs trying to cash in on the Star Wars. By the time Return of the Jedi came around, the efforts were clearly more calculated, mechanical and uninspired. The movies true started to be about the toys and not the story.

In contrast look at Steven Spielberg. He doesn’t jerk around on the one or two films that made him famous all the time. Constantly producing new product. Does redo his old films, but the original cuts are still available. Ditto with the Star Trek franchise. New series and new ways of viewing a new universe and when the redo effects or clean stuff up, it again doesn’t stand in the way of the original work.

George Lucas is milking his cash cow for all it’s worth. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Excellent points! I agree 100%

[Adam West]

Why does Lucas and "Star Wars" create such emotional reactions? They are his creations after all and he can do what he wants with them. I guess I'm in the minority. I don't think he is trying to milk every dollar out of it but always had parts about the films that he wanted to fix to his liking (not necessarily yours or mine) which is what an artist does.

I will also still contend that he is a genius although many disagree. "American Graffitti" is a great movie and "Indiana Jones" are classics.

[Den82]

What about the Holiday Special? It's on DVDAficionado as coming soon by 20th Century Fox

[UnderdogDJLSW]

I would have an interest to see all of the deleted/missing scenes, but I don't own a blu-ray and am satisfied with my original version of the films. (Also, I too enjoy the Yub Nub ending of ROTJ rather than the celebration through the galaxy thing it was changed to).

[Hector]

Why does Lucas and "Star Wars" create such emotional reactions? They are his creations after all and he can do what he wants with them. I guess I'm in the minority. I don't think he is trying to milk every dollar out of it but always had parts about the films that he wanted to fix to his liking (not necessarily yours or mine) which is what an artist does.

I will also still contend that he is a genius although many disagree. "American Graffitti" is a great movie and "Indiana Jones" are classics.

Spielberg directed the Indy movies...not Lucas.

It's almost shocking that he has directed only six full feature length films in his entire career...it's obvious his strength lies as a producer...

Wikimedia Error

[Hector]

I actually love Lucas' first big full length feature film...THK 1138.

[Bruce Banner]

Why does Lucas and "Star Wars" create such emotional reactions? They are his creations after all and he can do what he wants with them. I guess I'm in the minority. I don't think he is trying to milk every dollar out of it but always had parts about the films that he wanted to fix to his liking (not necessarily yours or mine) which is what an artist does.

I will also still contend that he is a genius although many disagree. "American Graffitti" is a great movie and "Indiana Jones" are classics.

There's a lot of hatred and puerile vitriol aimed at Lucas these days, but he's still the guy who created Star Wars and Indiana Jones, and for that I'll always be thankful to him. Star Wars had a truly seismic impact on my childhood, and I'll always love it.

His skills as a visionary can't be questioned, regardless of what people may say about him. Decades ago, he could see the way the film industry was inevitably going to evolve, and embraced it. The work of ILM and their techniques pioneered the digital film industry, and THX Sound paved the way for the kind of great sound quality we take for granted in entertainment these days.

Sure, it's a shame he didn't direct more movies, but that may yet come.

[MIB41]

I don't think he is trying to milk every dollar out of it...

... Can you please offer me your definition of milking? From my perspective, Lucas rewrote the definition.

[Hector]

Sure, it's a shame he didn't direct more movies, but that may yet come.

Sorry...you opened yourself up to that one...

[MicromanZone]

As much as I cherish my memories of seeing Star Wars in 1977, George Lucas is not a great director. Had he gone on to do other things after Star Wars, then maybe I’d have respect for him as a director. But he only made TWO full-length films prior to Star Wars and post-Star Wars he did 100% of nothing until the prequels.

As others have mentioned, his great filmmaking significance is he created such an amazing, thought out world in Star Wars and did it in a way that showed respect to the genre in ways that other B-movie sci-fi films never came close to that he changed the game. He and Steven Spielberg helped kickstart the dying U.S. film industry. And if you have seen or enjoyed ANY science fiction on film or TV in the past 30+ years, you need to respect what George Lucas did.

But like I said, past that he has done squat. Every “new” Star Wars film is the same-old same-old at best, face-palmingly incompetent at worst.

And heck, I’m going to add another beloved geek creator to the fair comparison column against George Lucas here: Jim Henson. Look at what that guy did? He created so many characters, branched out a popular children’s TV show (Sesame Street) and created a vaudeville musical comedy puppet show that worked with The Muppet Show. And then he went on to create more and more and more cool stuff: Fraggle Rock, Dark Crystal, etc… And look at Frank Oz who worked with him. Creates “Grover” and others, and then creates “Yoda” which is basically just Grover’s voice but a very distinct & new character.

What has George Lucas done in comparison? Especially with the prequels. The guy is a hack creator and director at this point. It doesn’t diminish the great stuff he created, but he’s phoning it in and cashing it in. Nothing more and nothing less.

How many different action figures of Chewbacca bending over in different positions does the world need?

[Hector]

As much as I cherish my memories of seeing Star Wars in 1977, George Lucas is not a great director. Had he gone on to do other things after Star Wars, then maybe I’d have respect for him as a director. But he only made TWO full-length films prior to Star Wars and post-Star Wars he did 100% of nothing until the prequels.

As others have mentioned, his great filmmaking significance is he created such an amazing, thought out world in Star Wars and did it in a way that showed respect to the genre in ways that other B-movie sci-fi films never came close to that he changed the game. He and Steven Spielberg helped kickstart the dying U.S. film industry. And if you have seen or enjoyed ANY science fiction on film or TV in the past 30+ years, you need to respect what George Lucas did.

But like I said, past that he has done squat. Every “new” Star Wars film is the same-old same-old at best, face-palmingly incompetent at worst.

And heck, I’m going to add another beloved geek creator to the fair comparison column against George Lucas here: Jim Henson. Look at what that guy did? He created so many characters, branched out a popular children’s TV show (Sesame Street) and created a vaudeville musical comedy puppet show that worked with The Muppet Show. And then he went on to create more and more and more cool stuff: Fraggle Rock, Dark Crystal, etc… And look at Frank Oz who worked with him. Creates “Grover” and others, and then creates “Yoda” which is basically just Grover’s voice but a very distinct & new character.

What has George Lucas done in comparison? Especially with the prequels. The guy is a hack creator and director at this point. It doesn’t diminish the great stuff he created, but he’s phoning it in and cashing it in. Nothing more and nothing less.

How many different action figures of Chewbacca bending over in different positions does the world need?

Couldn't have said it better myself...

[Bruce Banner]

But he only made TWO full-length films prior to Star Wars and post-Star Wars he did 100% of nothing until the prequels.

True, but when you look at the quality of those few movies he actually did direct (prequels aside), THX 1138, American Graffitti and the original Star Wars, it can only be seen as a shame that he more or less retired from the directorial chair so early.

[Gorn Captain]

How many different action figures of Chewbacca bending over in different positions does the world need?

Wait! wait!
I don't have that action figure yet!
Is it a two-pack with Solo standing behind him?

[MIB41]

http://nooooooooooooooo.com/vader.jpg


Sorry...you opened yourself up to that one...

Nice graphic Hector.