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New Gary Kurtz interview!

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I ran across this at TF.n. Though you guys would get a good laugh out of it.

Just thought'd I'd post this, as it contains info which may be of interest to certain people. Now, i know its no secret that Gary Kurtz and George Lucas had somewhat of a "mutal parting" after ESB and that Kurtz has been pretty displeased with how Lucas has been making movies following that--in fact his bashing of the PT and of Lucas himself has been pretty disheartening at times. But I guess he has been somewhat diplomatic in his "official" interviews because in more private conversation he is much more honest--and he reveals a whole side of history that many are oblivious too, what with Lucas' brainwashing of the masses.

Recently, i attended a screening of an indie film called "5-25-77" --its a sort of coming-of-age film about an aspiring filmmaker who desperatly is trying to see Star Wars on its opening day. Anyway, whats interesting is that its Gary Kurtz first time producing a film since the 80's. Surprisingly, Kurtz himself was at the festival, and some of the star wars fans there were asking him all sorts of stuff right in the theatre lobby. Because i had my video camera that day, i was even able to capture one particularly interesting conversation on-camera (no, i was not bootlegging the movie BTW)--suffice to say, he shed some light on things, and even recommended boycotting Lucas' rereleases of the SW films since Lucas refuses to release the original original trilogy. Finally meeting him in person, i also realised that Obi Wan may very well have based on him of all people.
I dont have any webspace to upload the video (its pretty murky anyway) but here is transcription of what went down:

[taking to some other guy] Kurtz: ...but that isn't what it was supposed to be anyway.

[some fan walks up to him]fan: Gary Kurtz! You told us Lucas had plans for Episodes VII-IX! Now he says that it was a media creation.

Kurtz: You have to understand, George Lucas was seduced by retirement. He abandoned his plans after changing his story for Return of the Jedi, compressing all the remaining episodes into that one film. When that happened, the plans he had for the Sequel Trilogy were destroyed, though he never admitted this. So what i have told you is true...from a certain point of view.

fan: A certain point of view?

Kurtz: Look kid, you're going to have to realise that a great number of the "truths" we cling to depend greatly on point of view--especially when it comes to George.

[they sit down on a nearby table]

Kurtz: George was a good friend. When i first met him he was already a great director, but i was amazed at how strongly the force of creativity was with him. I took it upon myself to produce his movies. I thought i could produce them as well as Francis Ford Coppola--I was wrong. I mean, yeah, we had the first two films, and American Graffiti, but i couldnt control him after that, the success was just too much. My pride had terrible consequences for the world.

fan: There is still good in him.

Kurtz: He's more interested in CGI now than man--twisted and evil. Even the films i did with him have now been corrupted.

fan: I can't do it, Gary. I can't bash my own hero or boycott his latest re-releases in place of the original original trilogy.

Kurtz: Then Lucasfilm has already won. You--the disgruntled fans--were our only hope.

fan: Francis Coppola spoke of another.

Kurtz: The other he spoke of was Lucas'non-Star Wars projects.

fan: But Lucas has no other projects, other than that crappy Indy 4 he's been struggling to write for 10 years.

Kurtz: Hmm. To protect them from Francis, who felt that Star Wars was the worst mistake of George's life, George hid them himself after he outlined them, in that damn binder of his he is always talking about. You see, Lucas knew, as I did, that if he were to make any non-Star Wars films before he finished the prequel trilogy, they would a threat to him--since he would end up not having enough time or energy to do the next Star Wars trilogy and thus rob him of his main source of income. That is the reason why his next films remained safely anonymous.

fan: Oh, those "experimental" art films he is always talking about, like THX 1138 was! He's been talking about those since the early 80's. Maybe he'll finally return to his talented roots.

Kurtz: Your insight serves you well. But bury your feelings deep down--they do you credit, but they could be made to serve Lucasfilm. If they knew anyone was looking forward to these, it would be like the Special Editions all over again.

Later on i asked him what had happened when Lucas and him split up following Lucas decison to make ROTJ. "Do you really think we should stop buying all the new star wars re-releases and merchandise? I mean, they're not all that bad, and Lucas is a hero to so many people..."

"You should not think of that man as your hero," he replied. "When i saw what had become of him, after he said Empire was terrible and how he wanted to put Ewoks in the next film, I tried to dissuade him, to draw him back from the dark side of money-making. We fought...George eventually fell into the whole computer division of Industrial Light and Magic, where he spent most of his time before Jurassic Park arrived. When George clawed his way out Skywalker Ranch, the change had been burned in him forever--Jar Jar Binks, lots of useless aliens, Gungans, bluescreen, digital cameras and an all-digital cast. Irredeemably dark. Scarred. Kept alive only by computer machinery and his own black will to make more money and play with his tech toys."

Needless to say it was an interesting conversation. I dunno--can Lucas be redeemed???

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

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wow gary kurtz really does sound like obi wan!
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haha that was me that posted that actually.
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he's my hero I love Gary. That was awesome what he said, very obi wan ish
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Originally posted by: Darth Richard
he's my hero I love Gary. That was awesome what he said, very obi wan ish


Fine, just as long as you don't start yelling "Gary! Gary! Gary! Gary!"
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I love Gary Kurtz, but this convo has got to be a scripted comedy somebody wrote! Not that it's not funny!
I feel lately that Lucas would have destroyed Star Wars right out of the gate, if he'd had more say AND the technology had been around. If this new Star Wars is what it was meant to be all along then I guess I'm not a Star Wars fan, and it breaks my heart cause I've been one my whole life.
As for 5-25-77, I am currently obsessed with seeing it. I even bought the I <3 Huckabees soundtrack today cause it has the song featured in the trailer for the movie. I wonder what people have thought of early screenings of this film? Especially since it's not finished yet. Anyone who's seen it have any comments they'd like to share? I'd love to hear any more about it.
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gary kurtz has become the new lucas! at least the lucas who tells the truth
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Originally posted by: skye_solo
I love Gary Kurtz, but this convo has got to be a scripted comedy somebody wrote! Not that it's not funny!
I feel lately that Lucas would have destroyed Star Wars right out of the gate, if he'd had more say AND the technology had been around. If this new Star Wars is what it was meant to be all along then I guess I'm not a Star Wars fan, and it breaks my heart cause I've been one my whole life.
As for 5-25-77, I am currently obsessed with seeing it. I even bought the I <3 Huckabees soundtrack today cause it has the song featured in the trailer for the movie. I wonder what people have thought of early screenings of this film? Especially since it's not finished yet. Anyone who's seen it have any comments they'd like to share? I'd love to hear any more about it.


Yes, you have become obsessed.

But as the Interview is obviously scripted. I'm not even sure the screening even existed.

But damn it's funny
There's good in the Original Trilogy, and it's worth fighting for.
"People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people."
http://www.myspace.com/harlock415
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That's neat, but I'll wait for the Special Edition. In that version of the interview, instead of falling into the ILM computer division, Lucas just sits next to a rendering farm too long while Kurtz berates him. "You were supposed to destroy the Hollywood system, not join them!"
"It's the stoned movie you don't have to be stoned for." -- Tom Shales on Star Wars
Scruffy's gonna die the way he lived.
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That's great. I'm glad Gary feels that way about it.

Great guy
http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/2348/liverpool7vb1.png
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Damn it, I thought it was a real Gary Kurtz interview.
“Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” — Nazi Reich Marshal Hermann Goering
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ANH SE 2007:

Artoo plays message:

Leia: General Kurtz you served Dictator Lucas for 2 movies, SW & ESB, and they turned out to be classics. Since 1983, Dictator Lucas has seized total control and now is writing, directing, and producing the SW movies, and worse off he is changing the older movies for the worse. We are in dire need for your help, I have placed new transfers of the O-OT on DVD in this R2 unit, you must see them to ILM for mass production and to offer the fans a real choice for the OT DVD's. Help me General Kurtz, your our only hope!

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Maybe Kurtz did the Obi-Wan talk on purpose.

Interesting read all the same.
I'd like a qui-gon jinn please with an Obi-Wan to go.

Red heads ROCK. Blondes do not rock. Nuff said.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/greencapt/hansolovsindy.jpg
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If that really was Gary saying that (even though it was obviously scripted) I now love this man. What better way to get your point across than turn it into a sketch comedy for all the fans. God bless this man.

And atleast we now know what happened to the sequal trilogy. It got squashed into ROTJ. Which is good, because that means that Lucas won't go back and film it now, further ruining the trilogy.

I must see this movie. I hope that it comes to one of the theaters in this city.
"I am altering the movies. Pray I don't alter them any further." -Darth Lucas
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"Damn it, I thought it was a real Gary Kurtz interview."

LOL...are you guys kidding me? This was totally made up! Hence my comment that you would get a good laugh out of it. ROTFLMAO!

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

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mebejedi do you like makin us look like douchebags? why would you lie like that?
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Lie? Jeez Louise. Maybe if some folks used some reading comprehension, and paid attention to the VERY PECULIAR SIMILARITIES between the dialogue in this "interview" and the dialogue from the films.....


Nah, I guess I was expecting too much. //roll eyes

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

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Originally posted by: MeBeJedi
Lie? Jeez Louise. Maybe if some folks used some reading comprehension, and paid attention to the VERY PECULIAR SIMILARITIES between the dialogue in this "interview" and the dialogue from the films.....


Nah, I guess I was expecting too much. //roll eyes


I guess I was the only one who caught it.
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I cant believe how many ppl are thinking this is real! I guess ppl havent seen Return of the Jedi in a while...

for the record the part of Lucas crawling out of ILM is taken from the ROTJ novelisation where Kenobi describes how he battled Anakin on the volcano.
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"I guess I was the only one who caught it."

"Gary Kurtz angers me."


I guess you weren't.

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

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Riiiiiiiiiiight.

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

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Originally posted by: MeBeJedi
Riiiiiiiiiiight.


Ah, good to see you understand.