Originally posted by: Warbler
I don't see how. Many of Scorcese's hits came after Star Wars. I don't see how Star Wars stands in the way of making more serious and/or violent films.

They don't really "stand in the way of" per se. It's that now that movie blockbuster mentality has struck and firmly rooted itself (since the releases of Jaws and Close Encounters and Star Wars - all Lucas and Spielberg), studios want the next big cash cow. And this tends to keep them from seriously considering some of the smaller films that are made that won't bring in much bank. Guys like Scorsese have their name which almost guarantees that their films will be made. But there are so many other filmmakers with no marquee name and no budget and little to no chance that their films will ever be seen. Thank God for Sundance and Cannes and the Web. These are the only venues for many no-name filmmakers.