I so vividly remember this very issue (though it wasn't so fuzzy). I remember the redish issue, the greenish one too...
So like any good geek I was eager to get any news I could about Lucas creating episodes 1-3 of the series. Sure, I'd sat through Howard the Duck, Willow, and two spotty Indiana Jones sequels (still get hardly any enjoyment out of Temple of Doom) but I figured American Graffiti couldn't of just been a fluke... And I don't think he invented the prequel (did the Godfather do that?), but it was an interesting notion when he first announced it and so he had my attention. Word started spreading about the cast of Episode 1 and the choices seemed fine -- all was still well. The image of the little kid with the Vader shadow was indeed tantalizing.
But then the commercials came. Ok, at first... But there was this noise about the movie now -- it was all about Lucas trying to get the new generation of 7 and 8 year olds to buy all the new toys and games that were about to be air dropped onto the masses. Indeed, it seemed that what millions had been waiting over a decade for was a kiddie flick. Then the thought occurs that maybe that's what the first Star Wars was... Yet looking at the various documentaries about the phenomena of the original it seemed like it was stoned teenagers and geeky 20s that were queuing up. Sure, those were the ones queuing up this time too -- but were those the ones coming away pleased? And shouldn't that be the same audience he should be shooting for?
So I was pissed. I walked out of the theatre thinking the time would've been better spent catching a few winks. And of course the main brundt of my cursings was that fucking hell spawn Jar Jar... but we'll speak no more of that bastard. Let's chalk it up to a big fucking disapointment, try to forget it ever happened and move on. Thought immediately turn to how much better Empire was than the the first one.
I didn't even see Clones in the theatre -- that's how pissed I was over Menace. Even a kung-fu Yoda on the Imax couldn't get me to shake it. And the title didn't help at all. But I must admit, when I watched the DVD, I wasn't too disapointed. Maybe because my expectations were so low, but I found myself shrugging off the more preposterous moments with a laugh and simply enjoying the fact that it was better than Menace, if even by a small margin. Yoda definitely helped.
And so now, as if to start the vicious cylce over again, there's this...
Again, I find myself tantalized -- i think it reaches down to some sort of cellular level childhood reaction. I don't know. There's even a cool THX feel to that hallway. And the noise this time is that it's supposed to hit much darker themes and possibly even be PG-13. But I'm not going to get my hopes up again. Lucas has lost that ability in me. I'll be dropping the 10 dollars ro see this next installment but this is what will be in the back of my mind (copied from here)...
Thursday, October 07, 2004
I LOVE STAR WARS!
George Lucas recently gave an interview to ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY to promote the release of the “directors cut” versions of the first three STAR WARS movies that just came out on DVD. What follows are actual real (true!) quotes from George, along with what I would say if he said that shit to me…
DOUG BENSON: Why the fuck did you have to go and add a bunch of useless crap to the original trilogy?
GEORGE LUCAS: When STAR WARS came out, I said it didn’t turn out the way I wanted—it’s 25 percent of what I wanted it to be.
DOUG BENSON: 75 percent of the movie wasn’t there? Funny, it seemed pretty complete to me.
GL: So the choice came down to, do I please myself and [finally] make the movie I wanted, or do I allow the audience to see the half-finished version that they fell in love with?
DB: Half-finished? That’s only 50 percent.
GL: If you really look at it, there’s hardly any changes at all.
DB: First you say 75 percent, then 50 percent, then hardly any changes…are you retarded?
GL: The thing that really caused the trouble on STAR WARS is the whole question of whether Han Solo or Greedo shoots first.
DB: Yeah, Han Solo understandably shoots Greedo because Greedo is holding him at gunpoint.
GL: He didn’t shoot first.
DB: But he did. I saw it. At least 50 times.
GL: In my mind [Greedo] shot first or at the same time.
DB: Sounds like you really don’t know what your mind thinks.
GL: We like to think of [Han Solo] as a murderer because that’s hip...
DB: Yeah, murderers are awesome!!
GL: I mean, I don’t see how you can redeem somebody who kills people in cold blood.
DB: Greedo, the green ant-eater faced monster, is a person now? You’re so crazy, I wanna have your baby.
GL: Every other change is, you know, I wanted to have a good matte painting in here.
DB: So you’re saying STAR WARS is 75 percent matte paintings? I thought it was mostly characters and plot and shit. But then again, I’m not a filmmaking genius, I’m just an asshole comedian.
GL: Half of directing is great casting.
DB: You should really stop throwing around percentages.
GL: It really is. If you cast it right, you don’t have to do much work.
DB: That kid you hired to play young Anakin in PHANTOM MENACE was terrific.
GL: I said, well [PHANTOM MENACE] is not going to work because I’m making it about a ten-year-old boy, and nobody is going to want to see this.
DB: I certainly wish I didn’t.
GL: And then [ATTACK OF THE CLONES] is a love story.
DB: No wonder I didn’t like it. Love is stupid.
GL: It’s not a hip, happening romantic comedy with the Olsen twins.
DB: Um, I know you’ve been busy making horrible movies, but there’s no such thing as a hip, happening romantic comedy with the Olsen twins.
GL: So at least Darth Vader is in [EPISODE III]. Only for two minutes, but he’s in it. If you take them all together it’s a fascinating saga.
DB: Oh, I get it, if I see EPISODE III next May it will magically make EPISODES I and II not suck. I’m gonna go get in line right now!
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