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Just read this weeks 'Time' magazine, they pretty much agree that Lucas has found that which was lost. They were very positive about the whole movie.
Yoda is completely computer generated this time. It turns out one of the effects they had to had was to add some flaws from the puppet version of Yoda, otherwise it wouldn't look like the real Yoda. For example, they had to add some 'floppiness' to his ears so the movements would look more like the puppet version.
How in the world can you think it's a good sign that Lucas has revised his "marketing approach?"
Designing his movie around a marketing plan is what got us in this mess in the first place.
Designing a movie-- what used to be a work of art-- around market forces, like trying to see which way the rabbit jumps, is a profoundly stupid approach.
Here's an idea, George: Make a good film. Remember how that works?
Originally posted by Wulf Ratbane How in the world can you think it's a good sign that Lucas has revised his "marketing approach?"
Why, do you think he should have stayed the same?
The marketing is one of the problems. He said he has heavily reduced the marketing. Therefore, the change is for good. Maybe not as good as some hoped, but good nonetheless.
I'll take the same tactic I took for the Fellowship of the Rings movie:
Wait until it comes out. Then bash it at your leisure. What I've been hearing from friends who have spoiled themselves (a great sacrifice to the community, which will not go unrewarded) is that it will "redeem" the Star Wars franchise from Episode I. This comes from a Star Wars fan who hated Episode I.
But then, I liked Episode I, so what do I know?
__________________ "Conversely, I'm amazed at the number of people queueing up to tell people that don't like 4e that they are wrong. Why can't people just agree to disagree, and get on with actually playing the game?" --Delericho
If there's one dragon, it's a solo monster.
If there's five dragons, they're standard monsters.
If there's a dozen dragons, either most of them are minions or your DM is tired of the campaign.
--Lizard
Originally posted by Wulf Ratbane How in the world can you think it's a good sign that Lucas has revised his "marketing approach?"
Designing his movie around a marketing plan is what got us in this mess in the first place.
Designing a movie-- what used to be a work of art-- around market forces, like trying to see which way the rabbit jumps, is a profoundly stupid approach.
Here's an idea, George: Make a good film. Remember how that works?
Obviously not.
Wulf
Maybe you should read closer and catch things like this:
Quote:
The new film will have a "darker feel, closer to the original saga" and "no silly characters or kids", says the Lucasfilm document.
That is what I consider a good sign.
__________________ When you are lost in an imaginatory vagueness, your foresight becomes a nimble vagrant.
- Gary Busey
In other words, it will fulfill my hopes that it will be to Episode I what 'Empire Strikes Back' was to 'Star Wars' (although the rift will be much more significant in terms of quality).
__________________ "I'd say it's more appropriate to say that videogames are RPG-ish, wouldn't you?"
or our older WizarDru's Story Hour? You Should.
I ain't linking to Piratecat's story hour...no sir, I just won't do it. He can just get the next half-million reads on his own.
Did I mention that I have a Livejournal? It's possible that I have.
WizarDru:
In other words, it will fulfill my hopes that it will be to Episode I what 'Empire Strikes Back' was to 'Star Wars' (although the rift will be much more significant in terms of quality).
Except that the original Star Wars was a darn good movie, while the Phantom Menace only had flashes of brilliance during an otherwise somewhat lackluster showing. And that Episode III will probably be the darkest of the new series, not Episode II.
And I have "taken one for the team" and seen spoilers. I'm pretty darn excited for May 22...
Lucas is a marketer first and foremost, not a filmmaker. If you think otherwise, you are fooling yourself.
Yes, it's so refreshing that after a couple of years he's been able to scour the internet for the comments of disappointed fans and release a press release that addresses those concerns. Is it sinking in? I mean, in the past he's pretty much given the big F-U to his core fans, but maybe now, he's finally seen the light. It just happens to be a few weeks until opening.
I'm curious, do you think he really acknowledges the mistakes he made in Ep I, or is he simply reacting to market pressure? Do you think he gets it?
Does it make a difference to you that this "acknowledgement" of his was an internal memo addressed to licensees (I'll say it again, LICENSEES), and not to the fans.
Y'know, Wulf, I'm sure you're right. The man is only interested in scrabbling up as many merchandising dollars as he can, and isn't capable of showing any love for quality adventure cinema.
Jaded cynics. Pelor love 'em.
__________________ "Ugh, a spider!"
~Mialee MialeeIconicWiz@aol.com
Last edited by Mialee; 25th April 2002 at 07:05 PM..
Originally posted by Wulf Ratbane Lucas is a marketer first and foremost, not a filmmaker. If you think otherwise, you are fooling yourself...
george lucas has done a hell of a lot for the movie industry in general. how many of your favorite movies have used the cutting edge technology of ILM or skywalker sound? probably quite a bit.
george lucas owes me, you and average SW fan - NOTHING! he is free to make good star wars movies, bad star wars movies, or no star wars movies. if anyone feels robbed by him or slighted, don't go and see the movie. it's your best form of protest. i actually feel sorry for the guy, he's trying to live up to three movies that are viewed with rose-colored glasses by many people, and he has to listen to nerds around the world to try to tell him how to make movies - something he's done for over 30 years.
man, i never knew i'd turn into such a lucas-defender, but some of you really need to stop harboring such hatred for a man who has brought such joy to so many.
I can't agree more. The poor man brought us arguably THE best sci-fi/adventure mythos ever, and here his trying to do it again- his every move is being second-guessed by legions of cruel, snide "fans" who never really were in danger of actually LIKING the new movies at all.
I poke fun at Uncle George now and then, but really, I'd love to shake that man's hand with a tear in my eye.
All I know is that I was so excited when the movie started up for Ep. I that I nearly puked. I left the theater euphoric. Sure, after I sat down and let the magic fade, some things about it bothered me, but I saw a Star Wars movie, and I got what I expected.
__________________ When you are lost in an imaginatory vagueness, your foresight becomes a nimble vagrant.
- Gary Busey
What I've been hearing from friends who have spoiled themselves ... is that it will "redeem" the Star Wars franchise from Episode I.
Sure. I'll believe it when I see it. Which will NOT be opening week, and I'd encourage everyone here to do the same and join the opening week boycott.
Quote:
Mialee:
The man is only interested in scrabbling up as many merchandising dollars as he can, and isn't capable of showing any love for quality adventure cinema.
Why, I think that sums it up quite nicely...
__________________
Last edited by Rinndalir; 25th April 2002 at 09:15 PM..
Originally posted by Dr Midnight
I poke fun at Uncle George now and then, but really, I'd love to shake that man's hand with a tear in my eye.
I agree. The tear in the eye might be a little overzealous, but the point was well made.
I too was not expecting much from Episode I. And that being the case, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. And, probably just like so many other fans, after a while I started seeing all the weeknesses (although I had braced myself, being forewarned, for the idiocy of Jar Jar).
After seeing the Episode II Trailer on Fox that one night, I'm actually pretty disappointed and not expecting much from Episode II either. I mean let's face it; Star Wars, the original saga, was a moment in time, and that moment is gone.
Here's an analogy: I loved Alien and Aliens. But if they tried to continue that saga (which they did with disastrous results) I would recognize that those movies cannot be remade, because half the reason for their glory (and the glory of SW, and Blade Runner for that matter) was that they were in the 80's.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the 80's rocqued.
Originally posted by Wulf Ratbane I'm curious, do you think he really acknowledges the mistakes he made in Ep I, or is he simply reacting to market pressure? Do you think he gets it?
Does it make a difference to you that this "acknowledgement" of his was an internal memo addressed to licensees (I'll say it again, LICENSEES), and not to the fans.
Really, what do you think?
Honestly? I'm of two minds. On the one hand, I think he's been hard pressed to truly read his fans for a long time, and with good reason. Fans can be a fickle, difficult lot, often maligning something they enjoy, even as they continue to enjoy it. I heard an awful lot of folks bad-mouth episode I (and for the record, I enjoyed it, but didn't think it was anything as amazing as the first film...but then, there was no way it could be), but many still went to see it two, three and four times....even as they were complaining about it.
I think Lucas took a lot of the criticism of Episode I to heart, and set out to make a better film, not just a better Star Wars film. Parts of Episode I are fantastic...the problem is that the whole was less than the sum of it's parts. Pod Races, Light Saber battles and Jedi Councils do not a whole film make.
One should also point out that Lucas has never been considered a great director, to begin with. Yes, 'American Graffiti' is an excellent film. But 'Star Wars' is actually somewhat herky-jerky in it's direction. I consider Empire to be a much better film, the best of the entire series, in point of fact...and Lucas didn't direct that one.
I also think that Lucas is a pragmatist and an excellent businessman. He wants to make a film people will want to see over and over again, and listens to his audience about what works and what didn't. Hopefully, he's learned his lesson.
Only time will tell.
__________________ "I'd say it's more appropriate to say that videogames are RPG-ish, wouldn't you?"
or our older WizarDru's Story Hour? You Should.
I ain't linking to Piratecat's story hour...no sir, I just won't do it. He can just get the next half-million reads on his own.
Did I mention that I have a Livejournal? It's possible that I have.
Originally posted by Mialee Y'know, Wulf, I'm sure you're right. The man is only interested in scrabbling up as many merchandising dollars as he can, and isn't capable of showing any love for quality adventure cinema.
Perhaps you should read what I said again. Being a marketer first and foremost does not preclude a love for adventure cinema. It's not an all or nothing situation, I have nothing against him making money from his movies. I buy the merchandise, and, after all, much of it pays my salary. But given the choice of a marketing ploy with story as the afterthought, or a brilliant movie with marketing as the afterthought, it's an easy choice.
Quote:
Originally posted by King_Stannis ... he has to listen to nerds around the world to try to tell him how to make movies - something he's done for over 30 years.
That comment might hold some merit if it were only nerds who observed the low quality of the first movie.
Quote:
Originally posted by Dr Midnight The poor man brought us arguably THE best sci-fi/adventure mythos ever...
No argument. It's the best.
Quote:
... and here his trying to do it again- his every move is being second-guessed by legions of cruel, snide "fans" who never really were in danger of actually LIKING the new movies at all.
Now that's just silly, Doc. The fans didn't want TPM to suck. Don't call my fandom into question because I call a spade a spade. The writing is on the wall. It is Lucas' attitude (parroted above by Stannis) that he doesn't owe the fans anything that has alienated fans and made them angry, cruel, and snide.
Quote:
Originally posted by omedon American Graffiti, was definitely made by a film maker, not a marketing mogul. And what a masterpiece it is.
I only wish it were the same man.
Quote:
Originally posted by Rinndalir Sure. I'll believe it when I see it. Which will NOT be opening week, and I'd encourage everyone here to do the same and join the opening week boycott.
That's my plan as well. I have seen enough first-hand to recognize that there will be a lot of parts I will love: the action sequences and the special effects, and there will be plenty of both. (Coincidentally, these are the parts that sell action figures.)
But it won't stand as a good story. The plot is thin (stretched already to the breaking point, by the damage done in TPM), the dialogue is terrible, and I don't expect much from the acting.
Unfortunately, as a wise man once said, "A special effect without a story is a pretty boring thing."
Originally posted by King_Stannis
... he has to listen to nerds around the world to try to tell him how to make movies - something he's done for over 30 years.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That comment might hold some merit if it were only nerds who observed the low quality of the first movie.
==============================================
yeah, but it's only nerds who are obsessing on it. other people either thought that the phantom menace was pretty good, not great (i put myself in this category), or it was a little lackluster. but you don't hear them crying for an idiotic one-week boycott, either. nor calling for lucas' head on message boards around the internet. and most likely, they're pretty pumped up for this movie - quietly so.
ahh, the one-week boycott. the nerd's ultimate masturbatory excercise. delude yourself into thinking that you'll "teach lucas a lesson" because you were disappointed in the last movie (yet still partake of his latest movie 7 days later - apparently without restriction). even though that last movie was done 3 years earlier, i might add. if you like episode 3, do you plan on writing lucas a personal check in 2008? thank god the internet fanatics are a small percentage. AotC will be the biggest movie of the year, and there's really nothing you can do to stop it.
![[OT, Starwars] He has seen the light... maybe...](http://www.enworld.org/forum/iconimages/media-lounge/ot-starwars-he-has-seen-light-maybe_ltr.gif)
MialeeIconicWiz@aol.com 
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