Star Wars: The Complete Saga (1977-2005)

[Vidya]

Hollywood is in the business of raping ... old movies that is. Rather than take risks with new ideas, its investors seem content on financing and promoting this endless procession of rehashes.

[svenge]

Originally Posted by rickah88

George Lucas has given much more than he's taken away.

Not since 1989, he hasn't. Since then all he brought the world was the SEs, the god-awful Prequel Trilogy, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and Red Tails while at the same time taking away the original versions of the OT out of spite.

There's nary a positive in the list, except for him finally selling Lucasfilm to Disney.

[rickah88]

[StingingVelvet]

He didn't even make the best movie of the original trilogy.

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

He didn't even make the best movie of the original trilogy.

Did he ever get the Director's permission to alter Empire and Jedi? I know he owns the films, but I would still hope the Director was involved.

[crissrudd4554]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

Did he ever get the Director's permission to alter Empire and Jedi? I know he owns the films, but I would still hope the Director was involved.

Lucas was executive producer on ESB and ROTJ and with him in charge of Lucasfilm Im sure he had as much creative freedom to do what he wanted to the films with or without those directors approval. However I think Irvin Kirshner, director of ESB, gave his ok for the SE's. Richard Marquand, director of ROTJ, had passed on by the time of the SE's.

[StingingVelvet]

Kirshner talks about how little Lucas was involved with ESB in a lot of interviews and the commentary, but Lucas still swooped in to alter the movie. Makes me sick to my stomach, honestly.

[svenge]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

Did he ever get the Director's permission to alter Empire and Jedi? I know he owns the films, but I would still hope the Director was involved.

Lucas considered Kirshner (TESB) one of his mentors, so I'm sure that there was some kind of discussion. It was the least-tampered of the SEs anyhow, and thankfully some addle-brained "Wampa Rocks" scene didn't get added in or anything like that.

Marquand died in 1987, so clearly he couldn't be involved with the SE. But since according to many accounts he was director in name only, it probably wouldn't have mattered anyway.

[motorheadache95]

Originally Posted by crissrudd4554

Lucas was executive producer on ESB and ROTJ and with him in charge of Lucasfilm Im sure he had as much creative freedom to do what he wanted to the films with or without those directors approval. However I think Irvin Kirshner, director of ESB, gave his ok for the SE's. Richard Marquand, director of ROTJ, had passed on by the time of the SE's.

As Svenge mentioned, Lucas was supposedly "ghost" directing Return of the Jedi anyway. So with Kirshner being ok with Empire, I'd say Lucas was morally in the okay with doing the Special Editions (aside from also having legal rights).

Removing any moniker that the film was modified (which was every release of the movies after the initial "Special Edition" release, and treating the original releases as "rough drafts that will deteriorate on those old VHS tapes" was in the morally wrong. Luckily, he softened on that issue after the initial DVD release and then after selling them to Disney this is pretty much now a non-issue.

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by chip75

I'm not sure if it was the first used to describe a movie, but there were fan protests when a remake of the original King Kong was announced: "Don't Rape the Ape!"

Back in 1975/76???

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

Kirshner talks about how little Lucas was involved with ESB in a lot of interviews and the commentary, but Lucas still swooped in to alter the movie. Makes me sick to my stomach, honestly.

When? He talked about how Lucas didn't interfere with his directing decisions but the entire film was shot and cut to his specifications. Once principal photography was complete Kersh handed off the film. Preproduction was handled this way as well.

[SpaceMind]

I have no idea why I periodically check the latest posts of this thread. There is never anything positive and it's always the same crap.

Can't you guys give it a rest once in awhile? Seriously...

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

When? He talked about how Lucas didn't interfere with his directing decisions but the entire film was shot and cut to his specifications. Once principal photography was complete Kersh handed off the film. Preproduction was handled this way as well.

He had a producer role, yes. That's what producers do. I don't think that gives him carte blanche to alter the film after the final theatrical cut was agreed on. He acts like he wrote and directed them all, but he didn't.

[stvn1974]

WB bought the rights to The Wizard Of Oz, hired the director, the actors and paid for the script. They produced it so I want my version with CGI monkeys and "If I Only Had A Brain" rapped.

[Havok83]

I just saw the film for the first time and absolutely loved it! Definitely the best of the prequels and I enjoyed it more than Revenge of the Jedi. I had my reservations bc I hated Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones wasnt much better. I really enjoyed Anakin's story arc and like how everything came together. Obviously this felt more tied to the OT and as a result came across stronger. The final battle sequence between Anakin and Obi Wan was very well done. Overall great film. and has me pumped to go watch Episode I now

What I didnt get though was why the twins were separated. Didnt make sense to me why Organa didnt take both babies. Vader didnt know that there were two kids so if Sidious ever came looking for his child, it would be more effective to keep the twins together.

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

He had a producer role, yes. That's what producers do. I don't think that gives him carte blanche to alter the film after the final theatrical cut was agreed on. He acts like he wrote and directed them all, but he didn't.

Kersh was interviewed when the SEs came out. He smiled and said he liked the SE of Empire. "We finally get to see the snow monster". He didn't owe anything to Lucas at that time so he looked genuinely happy. But fact is he was a hired to do what Lucas wanted him to do, just like the Marvel movies today.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Havok83

What I didnt get though was why the twins were separated.

I can't really tell from this post: have you seen the OT yet? Separating the twins was clumsy but ultimately necessary to maintain any semblance of continuity.

With regard to the twins specifically, my particular 'wtf' aspect is the fact that nobody seemed to know that Padme was carrying twins in the first place. It's the kind of thing one can rationalize away if so inclined (maybe Padme knew but didn't want to freak Ani out, Ani could have sensed them both but was too preoccupied being wooed by the Dark Side and all, etc) but you really have to want it.

[DetroitSportsFan]

Originally Posted by chip75

I'm not sure if it was the first used to describe a movie, but there were fan protests when a remake of the original King Kong was announced: "Don't Rape the Ape!"

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

Back in 1975/76???

When Paramount’s poster is revealed, with King Kong straddling the twin towers of the World Trade Center, the fan uproar became even more intense, with monster film fans dressing up in gorilla suits and carrying signs reading “Don’t Rape the Ape!” around the observation deck of the Empire State Building.

http://baitanoscarnominations.weebly...king-kong.html

[happydood]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

He had a producer role, yes. That's what producers do. I don't think that gives him carte blanche to alter the film after the final theatrical cut was agreed on. He acts like he wrote and directed them all, but he didn't.

Actually, he did do a draft of the script and most definitely orchestrated all plot lines. These things don't materialize out of thin air.

The reality is that the situation with Lucas, as with all human beings, is complicated. For people who don't like what he's done, I'm with you- I'm despecialized. I find things in the prequels that I like, wince at some, and ultimately have made my peace with it and find things to like. I would never try and convince somebody to like what they don't. I would, however, expect them as grown men and women (if they are grown men and women) to understand the nature of creative works of art and move toward a larger view of how things work rather than the 'what have you done for me lately and so you're a doddering old idiot, now.' (And this, Stinging, is not meant for you, but it's most definitely evident around here.)

I just for the life of me can't imagine sitting around and watching these movies over and over again with clenched fists and still jumping on the internet to spit the same old bile over old news unless you've legitimately got issues. Especially since the despecialized editions are so easily found, we'll likely get the OT from Disney, and Lucas is old and pretty much retired. That kind of venom causes heart attacks. He's made some bad artistic choices. But to dwell on that and that alone? I'm sorry- I try not to judge- but I can't imagine you get anything out of the message of Star Wars beyond a totally superficial, non-spiritual, and stylistic reading.

[Havok83]

Originally Posted by octagon

I can't really tell from this post: have you seen the OT yet? Separating the twins was clumsy but ultimately necessary to maintain any semblance of continuity.

With regard to the twins specifically, my particular 'wtf' aspect is the fact that nobody seemed to know that Padme was carrying twins in the first place. It's the kind of thing one can rationalize away if so inclined (maybe Padme knew but didn't want to freak Ani out, Ani could have sensed them both but was too preoccupied being wooed by the Dark Side and all, etc) but you really have to want it.

Yes I did. I mentioned that in my post. I came in knowing they were seperated but watching Episode III, its not exactly explained. The guy just takes one of them bc his wife he and he always wanted a daughter, yet no one finds this odd bc there is another child. It all happened rather quickly as if they were just brushing through it, just for the sake of tying the films together. I thought there would be more of a reason here, like Padme had a dramatic birth, with Leia stolen from her amidst the chaos