logo Sign In

Lucas on The Daily Show

Author
Time

http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/tue-january-5-2010-george-lucas

Starts around 14 minutes. As much as I wish he'd release a proper version of Star wars, it's tough for me to bash the guy too much. He's given me some of my very favorite films - American Graffiti, Star Wars77, & all four Indiana Jones films. He's given me so much more than he's kept from me.

He doesn't seem to sweat the intense passion of what must be millions of fans. I guess you have to let go to a certain extent once your creation becomes a permanent part of pop culture. Two quotes from the interview jumped out at me;

"It's fiction...you can either like it or not like it"

"I thought it was going to be one little movie"

Anyway, an interesting interview and Stewart is funny at the beginning.

Forum Moderator
Author
Time

Anchorhead said:

all four Indiana Jones films.

You mean all three Indiana Jones films? I don't recall a fourth.

Author
Time
 (Edited)

ferris209 said:

Anchorhead said:

all four Indiana Jones films.

You mean all three Indiana Jones films? I don't recall a fourth.

He's probably talking about the tv show.  Or maybe one of the video games.

Author
Time

Anchorhead said:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/tue-january-5-2010-george-lucas

Starts around 14 minutes. As much as I wish he'd release a proper version of Star wars, it's tough for me to bash the guy too much. He's given me some of my very favorite films - American Graffiti, Star Wars77, & all four Indiana Jones films. He's given me so much more than he's kept from me.

He doesn't seem to sweat the intense passion of what must be millions of fans. I guess you have to let go to a certain extent once your creation becomes a permanent part of pop culture. Two quotes from the interview jumped out at me;

"It's fiction...you can either like it or not like it"

"I thought it was going to be one little movie"

Anyway, an interesting interview and Stewart is funny at the beginning.

Stewart was funny all the way through...

"My son's favorite Star Wars film is 'The Phantom Menace' and I keep telling him 'No, it's not'."

"That'll be the title of your autobiography - 'George Lucas: Ehhhh, whadaya gonna do?"

My outlook on life - we’re all on the Hindenburg anyway…no point fighting over the window seat.

Author
Time

he's still arrogant as ever.    He also needs to lose some weight.  

Author
Time
 (Edited)

Warbler said:

he's still arrogant as ever.    He also needs to lose some weight.  

You talking about Stewart?

Author
Time

Warbler said:

he's still arrogant as ever.    He also needs to lose some weight.  

You just don't get it.

George Lucas understands that power is greater than shedding the LBs

He created Jabba.

"The other versions will disappear. Even the 35 million tapes of Star Wars out there won’t last more than 30 or 40 years. A hundred years from now, the only version of the movie that anyone will remember will be the DVD version [of the Special Edition], and you’ll be able to project it on a 20’ by 40’ screen with perfect quality. I think it’s the director’s prerogative, not the studio’s to go back and reinvent a movie." - George Lucas

<span> </span>

Author
Time
 (Edited)

It is nice to hear his side but at the same time he is so incredibly smug. "Its a work of fiction," sure but its also something that will forever be timeless and has altered history, and many lives. Not only that but don't belittle the trilogy and then pump it for every cent you can by sucking the fans dry who you know love it so much. If it is what it is as he is saying, then move on.

"It's not real" GL...but the money you kept getting from it by clinging to it is real.

"The Empire can't stop us now..now its our turn" -Luke-

Author
Time

GhostAlpha26 said:

It is nice to hear his side but at the same time he is so incredibly smug.

To me, he doesn't seem smug at all. He comes across as uncomfortable with being the subject of an interview. I got the same impression watching the interviews on the extras portion of the Kingdom DVD.

.

GhostAlpha26 said:

.....If it is what it is as he is saying, then move on.

I sort of get the feeling that he might finally be starting to. He's focused on TV (granted, it's still Star Wars-based, but it's a kid's cartoon), and he's been working on the film Red Tails. It might not be good news for those of us hoping for a proper release of Star Wars77, but at least it may be a slowing down of his weird obsession with trying to revise history. Although, truth be told, he's already contaminated the world of Star Wars to the point where you need Michael Kaminski's book to find your way back to the truth.

Forum Moderator
Author
Time

ferris209 said:

Warbler said:

he's still arrogant as ever.    He also needs to lose some weight.  

You talking about Stewart?

nope. 

Author
Time

That is the same excuse he gave for destroying Indiana Jones "its all fiction. none of it is real" His new excuse for destroying star wars.

Oh the kids loved it.  They loved other crap movies too.

I won't be buying blockbusting.  And let the man with an ego the size of several universes blame the ruin of star wars on his fans and not himself.

“Always loved Vader’s wordless self sacrifice. Another shitty, clueless, revision like Greedo and young Anakin’s ghost. What a fucking shame.” -Simon Pegg.

Author
Time
 (Edited)

Star Wars is "real" to me. And "real" to most every person that's watched the films.

So shame on him for missing the entire point of his fans' devotion and demeaning the power of his own creation.

"Fuck you. All the star wars movies were excellent. none of them sucked. Also, revenge of the sith is the best."

- DarthZorgon (YouTube)

Author
Time

Anchorhead said:

GhostAlpha26 said:

It is nice to hear his side but at the same time he is so incredibly smug.

To me, he doesn't seem smug at all. He comes across as uncomfortable with being the subject of an interview. I got the same impression watching the interviews on the extras portion of the Kingdom DVD. 

He does seem a bit awkward with the huge iconic status he's been granted, and at the same time the venom shot his way must not be fun.

I never thought he had a personal obligation to please fans. I wish the PT was better, and more in line with the OT, but have never taken their faults as a personal knock on the man, the way many seem to have.

I think most fans now realize that the greatness of the OT was a combo of luck, serendipidy, collaboration, and excellence brought on by technical limitations. While I don't love the PT, I recognize that Lucas made exactly the films he wanted, which for good or ill is the dream of every filmmaker.

While I understand and am part of the passion of the masses for Star Wars, and am even vocal about my opionins, it is true it is 'just fiction' which people will like and dislike, and in the end the culture will make judgements about any of its actual long term worth or meaning.

Author
Time
 (Edited)

The culture has pretty much already came to the consensus the prequels sucked, and that the original trilogy is a classic. And there is nothing Lucas can say to change that. 

He can talk about how the prequels made him a billionaire if he wanted to but that does not make them great films.

The bayformers films made tons and are garbage, by Lucas own way of judging things those must be great films too.

Unless how much a film grosses is somehow more important than storytelling and character.

“Always loved Vader’s wordless self sacrifice. Another shitty, clueless, revision like Greedo and young Anakin’s ghost. What a fucking shame.” -Simon Pegg.

Author
Time

skyjedi2005 said:

The culture has pretty much already came to the consensus the prequels sucked, and that the original trilogy is a classic.

 Has it really? They made more money than God, people love every scrap of new Star Wars material out there, and now (sadly) most of it is pretty PT-heavy, there's a hit PT cartoon out there and if the PT TV show ever gets made, I'm inclined to bleieive it would be a huge hit.

Twenty years from now, will a generation of people consider the PT and related works to be pivotal and beloved parts of their childhoods? It seems highly possible.

Author
Time
 (Edited)

Highly impossible.

I don't have any proof of that, Boost, admittedly. It's just something I firmly believe. That the PTis going to be a cinematic laughing stock. That it already is. Keep in mind that because someone buys Star Wars merchandise does not necessarily mean they like it. Look at us here on OriginalTrilogy. We've colletively bought quite a lot of prequel-based products, probably thousands of dollars, while also raising "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" television ratings. You can't make an argument that the majority of OT.com enjoy the PT.

I think it's because the OT "suckered"/attracted us so much into the franchise that not even the horrible quality of the PT could totally erase that obsession/devotion initially. But it's happening in many fans. Look how the TCW CGI film did in the box office. Good, if we're judging it alongside other, non-Star Wars films. Pretty bad when compared to other Star Wars films. That tells me something.

"Fuck you. All the star wars movies were excellent. none of them sucked. Also, revenge of the sith is the best."

- DarthZorgon (YouTube)

Author
Time
 (Edited)

Maybe it'll just be one of those fondly remembered kids' things, like He-Man or G.I. Joe. Star Wars now isn't pervasive enough with anyone over 12 (and even there the cartoon gets clobbered in the cable ratings by SpongeBob and Hannah Montana) to have that lingering cultural impact it had the first time around.

Is Lucas' health okay? He seemed sort of unwell even just compared to a few years ago.

Author
Time
 (Edited)

DarkFather said:

We've colletively bought quite a lot of prequel-based products, probably thousands of dollars, while also raising "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" television ratings. You can't make an argument that the majority of OT.com enjoy the PT.

I can't make the argument the majority of us even like the OT judging from some of the posts I read.

And if we're buying/patronizing/watching all this material, I think it's probably because we like it, even as we like bitching about it. Life's short, and there's no shortage of entertainment options.

In the end, it's out of our hands, and Lucas's how these films endure. I guess we'll know someday. But I still stand to say that it's premature or foolish to say that the consensus is that the PT sucked, because it apparently is quite liked by lots of people (including I beleive, more of us than admit it).

But it's happening in many fans. Look how the TCW CGI film did in the box office. Good, if we're judging it alongside other, non-Star Wars films.

I think it's a pretty good barometer to the Star Wars love out there that a made-for-tv pilot with limited marketing could still be a moderate success, especially for being a low-budget CGI movie not clearly aimed at the CGI movie kiddie crowd.

Author
Time

In the end, it's out of our hands, and Lucas's how these films endure. I guess we'll know someday. But I still stand to say that it's premature or foolish to say that the consensus is that the PT sucked, because it apparently is quite liked by lots of people (including I beleive, more of us than admit it).

Boost, I'm not being a smartass when I say that, if you personally have warmed up to the PT, that's okay. I'll still talk to you in discussions because you seem to be overall reasonable and nice.

If a lot of posters on OT.com secretly like the PT, I'm not seeing that at all, though.

 

"Fuck you. All the star wars movies were excellent. none of them sucked. Also, revenge of the sith is the best."

- DarthZorgon (YouTube)

Author
Time
 (Edited)

skyjedi2005 said:

The culture has pretty much already came to the consensus the prequels sucked...

 

Hardly. If anything, the culture has declared them a major success. Star Wars in the realm of modern pop culture is most definitely PT-leaning.

We're on a very narrow-focused board here, so our view is going to be counter to what mainstream culture deems successful & important. Take a quick look at the TFN boards - people are more than happy with the PT. The films we like were given away as an extra, in sub-standard form. We're in the minority here. We're the rebels going against the Empire.

You guys all know my stance, it's even more narrow - the 1977 version of one of the films. I haven't seen Star Wars as an awesome, larger than life presentation since I sat in the theater in 1977. Believe me, I get the frustration - really I do. I just don't have the hate and the venom.

Weird - I listen to the XM film score channel all day and Star Wars just started. What a fantastic score. It's currently the music when R2 & 3PO are walking through the desert. Fitting - considering how far away from all things mainstream Star Wars Saga I am.

Forum Moderator
Author
Time

TF.NET a few years ago was likethat. If you go on there now and take an honest look around, there is PT bashing everywhere. What you once could get banned for, you are now allowed to state in less than tactful terms.

One person made a thread on things that bothered them about ANH. Someone came in and said something like "Nobody with a Jar-Jar Binks icon gets to state their problems with ANH." The person who said that wasn't chastized or even admonished for it. I don't agree with that person really, but my point still stands. Even go into the PT section, and you'll see that only a handful are actually "gushers". It seems many of the gushers are doing their own personal retrospectives and seeing the objective flaws about the whole PT. Not all, but enough to raise an eyebrow.

If you go out and take a survey on a crowded street, I'm pretty sure the consensus will be OT > PT. So a bunch of kids tune in to the Clone Wars cartoon. That too is probably a passing trend. Inconsequential. As those kids get older they're going to realize that the only reasons they even came close to liking it is the fact it's a cartoon and that it had lightsabers.

"Fuck you. All the star wars movies were excellent. none of them sucked. Also, revenge of the sith is the best."

- DarthZorgon (YouTube)

Author
Time

Baronlando said:

Maybe it'll just be one of those fondly remembered kids' things, like He-Man or G.I. Joe.

this.

Author
Time

Honestly, I don't care if Star Wars is viewed as good or bad, popular or unpopular.  I like watching the movies, I have a couple of the books left and a handful of toys that look on my DVD shelf.  The OT movies are still a lot of fun for me.  I just want a great Bluray transfer to watch a few times a year.

Author
Time

Sluggo said:

Honestly, I don't care if Star Wars is viewed as good or bad, popular or unpopular.  I like watching the movies...

I think that's why I don't have hate & venom for Lucas or the prequels**.  I don't care even the slightest what our culture thinks of whatever it is that moves me - films, music, my choice of motorcycles, etc, etc - and I  never have.

Truth is, I watch The Conversation much more often than I do Star Wars and The Conversation isn't even a blip on pop culture's radar. It speaks to me, it moves me, and I identify with the character.  It's been an important part of my world since I was a kid.  Culture's view of it - or lack of any view -  isn't part of how it speaks to me or how I feel about it.

 

** I haven't seen the SEs or the last two prequels, so that also makes it impossible for me to carry any real resentment toward them.

Forum Moderator
Author
Time
 (Edited)

I think the prequels had a lot of other competition going against them. Even though they had groundbreaking visual effects (esp episode I), Matrix won in 1999 and Lord of the Rings won visual effects oscar in 2002. I didn't remember 2005 until Wikipedia told me it was King Kong. Revenge of the Sith wasn't even among the 3 nominated. The prequels found themselves in a much more crowded field than the originals.

So even if a lot of kids liked the new Star Wars movies, it's hard to believe many of them were raised by Star Wars or those movies were their lives. I think this would have been true even if the prequels had been better. 

I'm trying to think of all the other things kids could become preoccupied with during the 90's instead of the Star Wars prequels but I'm drawing a blank besides Nintendo and Pokemon. Okay, there was Nickelodian and cartoon network on cable tv, even Disney had much more memorable animated features like Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King. http://www.crazyabouttv.com/decades/1990s.html

But is it because I wasn't alive back in the 70's so I don't remember or was there just not as much other stuff to get interested in besides Star Wars? I mean if the Holiday Special was trying to cram all sorts of 70's tv stuff under a Star Wars banner, I don't know if I want to see more of the stuff from that decade.

So the prequels will not have the same impact the originals did. I don't think they even had a chance.

Interestingly on the youtube upload, I commented on how Lucas was wrong to mention everybody in the first generation went to see episode IV when they really saw Star Wars.

Some guy responded saying I was a retard for not knowing that Episode IV is the first movie and says so in the title scroll. Yeah, maybe it does now but we're talking about back then.

Take back the trilogy. Execute Order '77

http://www.youtube.com/user/Knightmessenger