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Lucasfilm Defends DVD Changes from SF News of the Week...

#31 User is offline   SouthernRonin Icon

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Posted 17 September 2004 - 07:32 PM

I originally wrote this post arguing that Star Wars wasn't art, and therefore didn't fall under any rules of "artist's rights". My arguement was that, in the end, Star Wars is a piece of merchandise. It's a cinematic Happy Meal. The "art" of it was just a by-product of its financial success.

(Please remember: this piece of art started a long time ago in a studio far far away with George Lucas signing a contract with 20 Century Fox that said: "I will make Star Wars for X number of dollars, and in return, I will charge Y dollars for the effort. I expect Z percent of its returns.")

However, I would have to say that these new movies are the real art, not the old ones. The old movies were originally created to make money. It's well-known that one of the things Lucas did was revolutionize the marketing of films: with merchandising and comic books and lunchboxes and all the rest.

Except for the anticipation of TPM, the new trilogy has been created almost solidly against public opinion. Certainly, Lucas muted the influence of Jar Jar and completely ignored all traces of "midichlorians" (which I think should be "Special Edition"-ed out of TPM), but he has continued to create his own vision for the films, telling the story the way he wanted to.

That's what art does. Art asks questions, art stirs up public debate, and most of all, art does not go along with the status quo of public opinion. If you just want Lucas to follow along with what you think he should do, that's called "pop culture".

If you really don't like what Lucas is doing, don't go see the movie. Otherwise, you are encouraging the changes he's making. It's that simple.

I'm not saying I like what he's done; in most cases, I don't. But you have to admire any man that will stand up before a nation and say, "This is my movie. I own it. I'm going to do what I want with it. If you don't like, don't buy it. I'm not forcing you to."

I once felt exactly the same as everyone here does: "How can Lucas do that? Greedo never shot first!" But I'm coming to realize that Lucas can't change what I don't want him to change. The product will always exist in the hands of its owner, but the story lives in the minds of the audience. That's the difference.

If Lucas wants to say Greedo shot first, fine, let him. But my VHS copy of Star Wars disagrees with him. And that's good enough for me.
Watch "Fall of a Saga" on Southern Ronin.com - The film for every Star Wars fan that died when Greedo shot first.

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#32 User is offline   barend Icon

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Posted 17 September 2004 - 08:05 PM

but these films are not defying popular opinion... they are catering to it...
the more than willing to spend unquestioning lowest (comon) comon denominator!

the same people who think top 40 music is genuin spontaneous creativity. not generated by pepsi to destroy art and drain wallets.

the same people who think leafblowers' burning of air polluting fossil fuels to blow leaves all over the place instead of into a neat manageble pile, is much better than quitely raking them without waking up your family and neigbours...

the same superficial fuckwits that make up the majority who's lack neurologicall activity has made the world the shithole it is today...

I tell you right now, catering to those asshole is NOT art!!! and those people are the people who love it and defend it!
it's the people who want art and are not getting it because assholes like lucas keep raising the exploitive bar for executive opression of the majoritvley stupid!

people like me who'se child hood imagination was kindled by the original SW, have been told they are in the wrong for questioning the generic bullshit slung at us in cans marked 'brainfood'

there is no defence for the atrocity before us!!!
this isnt about a difference in expectations, or about nostalgia...
it's about what we accept as valid 'art'
quality of life in general...
mankind has already accepted so much bullshit form the powers that be... i'll be damned if i let creativity be forever disolved by comercialism...

that might be good enough for everyones else, but those people are primordial scum who don't deserve the gift of live when they lower the quality of mine bu voting for and accepting the worst things...

i resent having to share my leafblower-fuel-polluted air with them.

LUACS is wrong in every aspect of the situation. in the 70s he changed the creative world by showing to what an extent you can do thingsa with special FX, now he's revolutionizing the world again, but this time it's on how to fuck over the general public more efficiently...

it's not just what he's done, but how successfully he's encouraging others to do the same...

and that makes him the worst criminal ever. he's turning the world into hell!!!
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#33 User is offline   J m HofMarN Icon

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Posted 18 September 2004 - 04:06 AM

I think something people are forgetting is that mistakes are beautiful. Things don't always come out as we want them to and no matter how hard an artist may work their product is probably still going to be sub-standard in their view and the views of some people. It's just silly to keep harping on something until you consider it perfect. I could re-edit and re-edit this post from now til kingdom come and it still wouldn't be perfect, in fact I might make it worse.

Don't think of it in terms of Star Wars. Think Evil Dead or Deathstalker or anything really. Would it be at all conscionable if the directors went back and re-did those movies? What if the guy in Casablanca got on the plane? What if Ash drove off into the sunset instead of being sent back in time? What if Monique Gabriel was digitally modified to have less tits and more acting ability?

People need to grow and move on as artists. Lucas has stagnated and festered until he produced the specialer editions.

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#34 User is offline   Commoner Icon

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Posted 18 September 2004 - 11:05 PM

Barend is right, Lucas is setting a dangerous precedence, but I'm praying that the mighty dollar and viewer sensibilities will set things right; but herein lies the problem. The viewers. You get viewers who have no discerning skills, to determine whether a film is good or acceptable; and these are the types who swallow everything Lucas shovels at them. Sure, there are a few "gems" the glom onto, but they'll take the shit along with the gems. Sorry, the Prequels are too much shit with only a couple "gems" which are zirconiums anyway...
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