I have to jump and say I think a lot of you are looking past hal's point and that I think he has one.

Better artists and artisans and, shock!, paying someone talented to help write the scripts, the dialogue, and to direct would have gone a long way. Hiring someone with the talent and the, *ahem* cajones to stand up to George when he was wrong... That would have cost more money. Money that George apparently wasn't willing to spend. And because of that, he has a few more bucks (maybe) than he would have had. And a crap reputation to show for it.

It's his loss. It's our loss. And it sucks.