LMAO - George Lucas called out on the mat

[Queasy]

Link

It?s a free country, and Lucas can make whatever films he likes, and put in whatever subtle or not-so-subtle political messages he likes. But I can?t be the only one who finds a stunning disconnect between the messages of Lucas? films and the decisions he?s actually made in his life and work.

Let me get this straight. With villains in Attack of the Clones that consisted of the ?Trade Federation?, ?Commerce Guild?, ?Techno Union? and ?Intergalactic Banking Clan?, etc., I?m being warned about the dangers of capitalism from a man who made perhaps more money from merchandising than any other man in history. I?m getting lectured about the dangers of greed from man who authorized, ?C-3POs? breakfast cereal, ?The Star Wars Christmas Special? featuring Bea Arthur?s musical number, and not one but two Ewoks made-for-TV movies.

I?m being warned about the dangers of technology, and the glory of primitive cultures like the Ewoks, who are able to defeat the ?technological terror? of the Empire, in what is supposedly an allegory of Vietnam. Technology is bad, soulless, dangerous, and dehumanizing. Mmm-hmm. This from a man who replaced a tall man in a hairy suit, a projecting the human-eyed loyalty and sadness of Chewbacca, with the CGI cinematic war crime that is Jar-Jar Binks. A man who tossed aside the Yoda puppet, the spaceship models, the stop-motion animation of the Imperial walkers to go all-computer-animation-and-green-screen, all-the-time.

I?m being warned about the dangers of a ?you?re either with me or against me? attitude, and the viewing of the world in a black and white morality, from a filmmaker who has his villain dress entirely in black, choke the life out of helpless pilots, and blows up entire planets. This from a man whose nuanced moral view required an edit to make Greedo shoot first.

Topic for discussion among the geeks: George Lucas had to make the second trilogy first because the character of Luke paralleled his life at the time ? a young, gifted outsider taking on the powerful repressive empire of the Hollywood system, and triumphing over astounding odds to the point where he was free to follow his vision. Like his protagonist in the second trilogy, Anakin, Lucas finds himself being swallowed up by the oppressive system he strove to fight against, and has become? well, more machine now than man, twisted and? you get the idea.

I thought it was especially funny after seeing this

As part of their promotional deals with "Star Wars" creator George Lucas' Lucasfilm for "Sith" -- which include tens of millions of dollars of marketing support for the movie -- Burger King, Kellogg's and Cingular Wireless commercials will feature such perennial "Star Wars" favorites as Chewbacca, R2-D2, C-3PO and Darth Vader in their TV commercials. Pepsi has exclusive rights to feature Yoda in its spot. And two other promotional partners, PepsiCo.'s Frito-Lay and Masterfoods' M&M's, are featuring their own animated Cheetos and M&M's brands dressed up as "Star Wars" characters in their TV spots.

 

[Jzero]

Mr. Geraghty is reading far too deep into a film franchise largely inspired by campy comic books.

Here's something that will knock his socks off (and anyone who agrees with him): Just because you write or produce some work about a specific concept does not mean you actually espouse that particular concept in real life.

 

[Legendary]

NumberOfWaysLucasIsAnAsshat++;

 

[Jumpem]

Interesting. Another Hollywood lib to boycott. there have been so many movies lately I won't go see simply because an actor in the film has socialist leanings.

 

[SaltBoy]

Lucas as admitted that he's become the person he was trying to avoid becoming. At least he's honest and genuine.

 

[JDub02]

i wish he would have made some more indiana jones movies when harrison ford was still younger ... those were great.

 

[irwincur]

Star Wars sucks anyways - this is just another reason.

 

[dugweb]

bah, people read way to much into these things. Why shouldn't Lucas try to make as much money as he can?

How could anyone ever hope to have the new trilogy bring the same feelings of awe as the old trilogy did. they were doomed before they began in the eyes of most fans.

eps. IV V & VI = revolutionary
eps. I II & III = evolutionary

 

[Kadarin]

It's JUST a movie (movies)...

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: JudistPriest
bah, people read way to much into these things. Why shouldn't Lucas try to make as much money as he can?

How could anyone ever hope to have the new trilogy bring the same feelings of awe as the old trilogy did. they were doomed before they began in the eyes of most fans.

eps. IV V & VI = revolutionary
eps. I II & III = evolutionary

I don't think anyone is saying he shouldn't, but he also shouldn't be a hypocrit.

 

[whistleclient]

Originally posted by: Jumpem
Interesting. Another Hollywood lib to boycott. there have been so many movies lately I won't go see simply because an actor in the film has socialist leanings.

this is the funniest thing i've read today! thanks for a great laugh!

because obviously the actor has the most influence on a films content. not the writer or director or producer. wait. maybe you should just shoot your tv and never go to the movies. now you won't be influence by those diabolical dems!

you suck at the thinking.

 

[TuxDave]

Originally posted by: Jumpem
Interesting. Another Hollywood lib to boycott. there have been so many movies lately I won't go see simply because an actor in the film has socialist leanings.

hahaha.... so I were to give you my interpretation of how Smurfs are really an attack on capitalism, you'll boycott that too?

 

[alien42]

Originally posted by: tangent1138

Originally posted by: Jumpem
Interesting. Another Hollywood lib to boycott. there have been so many movies lately I won't go see simply because an actor in the film has socialist leanings.

this is the funniest thing i've read today! thanks for a great laugh!

because obviously the actor has the most influence on a films content. not the writer or director or producer. wait. maybe you should just shoot your tv and never go to the movies. now you won't be influence by those diabolical dems!

you suck at the thinking.

QFT

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: TuxDave

Originally posted by: Jumpem
Interesting. Another Hollywood lib to boycott. there have been so many movies lately I won't go see simply because an actor in the film has socialist leanings.

hahaha.... so I were to give you my interpretation of how Smurfs are really an attack on capitalism, you'll boycott that too?

Sh!t, I once appeared in The Threepenny Opera, and I'm appearing next month in Man Of La Manch! Don't tell Senator McCarthy...I just might be a red!

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: Jumpem
Interesting. Another Hollywood lib to boycott. there have been so many movies lately I won't go see simply because an actor in the film has socialist leanings.

Yeah, avoid all movies in which any of the cast disagrees with you on anything.

Better not buy anything made in China.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Queasy
Let me get this straight. With villains in Attack of the Clones that consisted of the ?Trade Federation?, ?Commerce Guild?, ?Techno Union? and ?Intergalactic Banking Clan?, etc., I?m being warned about the dangers of capitalism from a man who made perhaps more money from merchandising than any other man in history. I?m getting lectured about the dangers of greed from man who authorized, ?C-3POs? breakfast cereal, ?The Star Wars Christmas Special? featuring Bea Arthur?s musical number, and not one but two Ewoks made-for-TV movies.

This has been the glaring socialist liberal hypocrisy of much of Hollywood for decades.

 

[JDub02]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Queasy
Let me get this straight. With villains in Attack of the Clones that consisted of the ?Trade Federation?, ?Commerce Guild?, ?Techno Union? and ?Intergalactic Banking Clan?, etc., I?m being warned about the dangers of capitalism from a man who made perhaps more money from merchandising than any other man in history. I?m getting lectured about the dangers of greed from man who authorized, ?C-3POs? breakfast cereal, ?The Star Wars Christmas Special? featuring Bea Arthur?s musical number, and not one but two Ewoks made-for-TV movies.

This has been the glaring socialist liberal hypocrisy of much of Hollywood for decades.

yah, but being a nitwit socialist means you don't have to make sense ... it just has to *feel* right.

 

[scauffiel]

Originally posted by: JudistPriest
bah, people read way to much into these things. Why shouldn't Lucas try to make as much money as he can?

How could anyone ever hope to have the new trilogy bring the same feelings of awe as the old trilogy did. they were doomed before they began in the eyes of most fans, because those fans are no longer seven years old.

eps. IV V & VI = revolutionary
eps. I II & III = evolutionary

Fixed.

My eight year old son loves the new movies as much as the old ones. HE has those feelings of awe.

S.

 

[J Heartless Slick]

Is this a joke?

 

[xirtam]

I don't understand why the author whining about Star Wars thinks that Lucas accepts the principles of his fictitious stories in his practical life.

If he couldn't nitpick about money or ethics, he's the type who would be making some other off-base complaint, saying, "get a grip, dude, there's no force all around us."

I don't know of anyone who watches Star Wars because it condones pantheism or good ethics. And I don't really see the series as a message series.

 

[Jumpem]

Originally posted by: tangent1138
this is the funniest thing i've read today! thanks for a great laugh!

because obviously the actor has the most influence on a films content. not the writer or director or producer. wait. maybe you should just shoot your tv and never go to the movies. now you won't be influence by those diabolical dems!

you suck at the thinking.

No I don't like the views that some actors have. Therefore I don't support them by paying to see a movie they star in.

I made no mention of the movie's content, just casting.

 

[dude8604]

Originally posted by: Jumpem

Originally posted by: tangent1138
this is the funniest thing i've read today! thanks for a great laugh!

because obviously the actor has the most influence on a films content. not the writer or director or producer. wait. maybe you should just shoot your tv and never go to the movies. now you won't be influence by those diabolical dems!

you suck at the thinking.

No I don't like the views that some actors have. Therefore I don't support them by paying to see a movie they star in.

I made no mention of the movie's content, just casting.

The actors get paid the same whether a movie does well or not. I guess the only thing it would affect would be if every movie a certain actor was in did badly, they might not get hired again.

 

[chuckywang]

FWIW, Lucas had NO part in the Star Wars Holiday Special.

 

[brigden]

Regardless whether there are deeper meanings in Lucas' films, the last two are completely terrible. They are nothing more than a loose-end; a needless exercise in special effects technology, devoid of any charm or adventure. It's a shame really; he created an absolutely beautiful mythos, full of charismatic heroes and terrifying villains; characters you cared for. We were whisked away to exciting locales on alien worlds.

As bad as the scripts were, as wooden as the acting was, it was all forgivable. It didn?t matter, the story of Luke Skywalker stood on its own. It was a wonder to behold, a joy to watch.

I?m willing to let the mass-marketing and hype go; that?s expected today. I just wish I could fathom how Lucas let the story get away from him and end up subjecting us to such tripe.

Let me put it to you this way: What significant event has taken place during the last two films? Nothing! Nothing significant has occurred! All of the new characters, worlds, story-lines, all of it is disposable.

Anakin as the ?Chosen One?? What has he done of consequence? How has he proved himself as a great warrior? Remember the exploits of Luke? He blew up a Death Star, took out an AT-AT single-handedly, he killed Jabba The Hutt, and eventually defeated his father.

Sigh.

I wish the last two films had never been made.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

People read too much into stuff. It's a friggin SciFi movie. Jeebus.