[Laura]

Many of you have expressed your certainty that the third movie is going to be shit, and I agree with you. This is a message for all of you that speak of going to see the last movie as an unpleasant and costly duty.

Remind me again why you're even going?

Morbid curiosity is no excuse to dump a couple billion more box office dollars into Lucas's dangerously obese wallet. At least watch the movie in a way that won't benefit Lucas. Renting it in a few months or going to the second-run, $2 theatre won't benefit Lucas much, but there are plenty of ways to waste two hours of your life that won't benefit him at all.

• You could download it. This is the most spiteful thing to do, because they so clearly don't want you to, but it will be in so much demand that it simply must make it to the internet. It's free and immediate.
• If you're like me, you don't have p2p, because you think it's a hassle. But plenty of people still do. Get friend who does to burn you a DVD. Again, immediate. It costs you a dollar or two, but the money goes to blank DVD makers, not Lucas.
• If you can wait until it comes out on video--and there's no real reason why you need to be the first on your block to know just how terrible it was--borrow it from someone who's bought it (free) or buy it second-hand on ebay from someone who bought it in a moment of weakness. This may only be marginally cheaper than buying it new, but you'll get the satisfaction of knowing the money is going to an individual who has already, beyond your control, given money to Lucas. YOUR money is not going to him.
• If you can wait a little longer, the VHS tape will appear, sans dust jacket, at your local Salvation Army.
• You can just watch the damn thing when it comes on TV. Note: Only do this if you do not have a Nielsen box.

Don't treat handing over your hard-earned cash to someone who has killed your childhood legends as an unpleasant inevitability. It's not. Like voting, you may think that your one movie ticket more or less won't make a difference in the great scheme of things, and maybe you're right; but seeing the movie in a cheaper way is not just about keeping money from Lucas, it's about keeping money in your pocket!

I have stated before that I do not intend to see the movie in theatres, and this is partly because I have no desire to see it at all; but I understand that many of you feel an obligation to see the entire series, no matter how shitty it may be. Do everyone a favor and see it cheaply. You may think you cannot wait that long to bash it once your friends already have enough information to do so. I recommend devoting yourself to charity work. The time will just fly by. Or, get a group of friends together and make a pact--you'll wait the three weeks to see it in the second-run theatre.

This summer (?), don't complain about how George Lucas kicked you in the balls after paying him twelve bucks to kick you in the balls. Take a stand!

(Also, vote. Vote for not Bush. It's time to stand up and brush aside the apathy. MTV may not want you to vote, but I want you to vote.)

[Just your average movie goer]

I take my hat off to you, Laura. I for one, am not planning to see this thing in the cinemas or hand over any money in order to see it. I will see it for free in the fullness of time - if I even see it at all. I could live quite happily without doing so.

But I hope that other people on this forum who still plan to see the movie at the cinemas may change their mind after reading your post. I hope everyone who is planning to hand over some money to Lucas reads your post and finds a cheap (or free) alternative to seeing it.

Don't give up your money to this ruthless individual who does not care one bit about the opinions of the original fans who made him so rich in the first place.

I am behind you on this all the way, Laura. Very good post.

[civilian_number_two]

Great post, Laura. Love the bullet points.

I for one will run out and see the movie right away ... as soon as I see the last one.

[Ferris Wiel]

I'm afraid I am just too weak. I'll have to go. I'll have to see it. I'll have to cry about the money I spent. I'll have to do this all on the day it comes out because I am a sucker. I need closure. I need to have the final nail put in my SW movie-going experience.

--FW

[Chefelf]

I wish I could just not see it... but I have to. I would be disappointing too many people if I did not put up a "X reasons to Hate Episode III" series.

Truth be told, I'm kinda looking forward to seeing how bad it is. It's to the point of just being comical now.

[Vwing]

I'll go. In fact, I'm even planning to go to the midnight showing. Up until the moment it sucks, I'm going into this as a Star Wars movie. Hell, that's all the fun. The movie itself isn't what matters to me right now, though of course it would be a bounus if it was great. It's the atmosphere, the anticipation of a Star Wars movie, of hearing those first few notes of the Star Wars theme blasting, the blue and yellow scroll. Seeing it in the theater amplifies this feeling of pure glee. Sure, it'll most likely suck. But it'll be an experience. And I'll gladly pay 8 bucks for the experience. And there's always the possibility it will be great. And if it is, I don't want to miss it in theaters. It's not a question of Lucas making money. I don't care about that. I don't understand the fascination that even haters of the movie have of denying him money. He made a movie, he worked hard. Maybe he worked horribly, but he did make this, and even if it sucks, he deserves whatever money he makes from it. I don't care about getting Lucas more money, he's almost a billionaire anyway, and I will gladly shell out 8 bucks, even if it's only for those first few seconds of the opening scroll to make me feel like I'm watching the OT again.

[Despondent]

I'd liken it to a traffic jam caused by an accident, forming miles of bumper to bumper traffic. If nobody slowed to look at the accident, there'd be no reduction in speed, save for the safety of cleanup crews. Although I Hate waiting and detest rubberneckers, Damn right I'm going to turn my head and catch a gander.

Even if what I see disgusts me

[Supes]

I like you Laura! I like you a whole lot!!!

I've already expressed my intentions elsewhere on the forum not to pay to see the movie so I'll be standing with you on this cause. I will see it, because I am morbidly curious, but I wont be sending once red cent to Uncle George.

I also, would like to compliment you on the excellent use of bullet points. They are a much undervalued tool.

[Just your average movie goer]

Don't worry, Laura. I'm still with you!

[barend]

I am renouned for being a spiteful, hatemongering, resentment machine... that spreads intollerance of stupity like a virus amongst those i trust to propergate my opinions and ideals to the masses.
BUT...

You can just watch the damn thing when it comes on TV. Note: Only do this if you do not have a Nielsen box.

damn! you have so much in the ways of spite to teach me still!
i am M-pressed!!!

[Just your average movie goer]

Absolutely - it will be terrible. To hope otherwise is to hope very much in vain.

[civilian_number_two]

The source for APOCALYPSE NOW is Joseph Conrad's HEART OF DARKNESS.

If Lucas somehow inspired Coppola to translate Conrad to Vietnam, then whoop-de-doo.

The incredible effort of making that film, and all of botching it, I might add, is all Coppola.

It is a cinematic wonder, I will admit, from the moment Robert DuVall comes on screen to the moment he leaves. All the rest of it is a mess, narratively speaking. Sure, Brando sounds great reading TS Elliot, but we might have known that going in.


AMERICA GRAFFITI is great. It is a nostalgia film, and Lucas was close enough to the time that he knew exactly what he was after. I don't think he would be able to pull it off today.

[Just your average movie goer]

Lucas has just gone off the edge really - suddenly instead of trying to give us, the loyal fans, what we want, he is giving us what he wants and expecting us to like it. And on top of all that, he's denying us ever seeing the untainted original movies on DVD. Come to think of it, he's become a total wanker actually.