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Found this quote from Lucas about changing the Original SW

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George Lucas on Sept 21, 2004 defending the changes to the original Star Wars movie:

"When Star Wars came out, and every interview I did, the movie didn't turn out the way I really wanted it to, it is only about 25% of what the movie should be, and I was very depressed about it because it never got finished." People said, "Your out of your mind its the greatest movie ever made! Everybody loves, why would you wanna do anything more?" Lucas then says, " But there are things that need to be there that are not in there."

Don't be fooled guys, Lucas knows people hate the changes, he knows we want the O-OT.

I guess we all fell in love with a movie that was 25% done, man those were the days!
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Yes, of course he knows. It's just that he doesn't care. He doesn't consider the OT the OOT anymore, despite the fact that some do.
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So how did a film that was 25% complete get Oscar nominations for Best Picture, director and screenplay? If George really believes that then he should have refused all the nominations and pulled the movie from theatres!!!

What annoys me is that so-called unfinished version of his film made him the billionaire he is today. Not to mention that while he deserves all the credit in the world for creating the characters and worlds we love, he couldn't have done it without the hundreds of people who colaborated on that film and the fans that paid money to see the film. Had the movie flopped, Star Wars would have been OVER. The fact that George is able to keep tweeking with his films is because of all the money the films and merchandize brought in.

Here's the ironic thing. George is always saying how everything related to Star Wars is HIS vision, even though the original was a disaster until his ex-wife, Richard Chew and Paul Hirsch gave some life to his film. It was THEIR vision that turned Star Wars from an average film to a great film. It was John William's music that put emotions into scenes that weren't there, the "crappy" special effects that blew audiences away and the creative sound effects that made audiences believe in this film. George may be the creator, but it was a collaborative effort that made the film work.

The fact that he claims that this version was only 25% complete is a slap in the face of the very people who saved the film's arse. Had it not been for them the film would have flopped badly. Sorry George, it's true.
George Lucas was seduced by the dark side. The OOT ceased to exist in his mind and became the Special Editions...." "They're more maching now than movies. Twisted and evil."
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Originally posted by: JennyS1138
So how did a film that was 25% complete get Oscar nominations for Best Picture, director and screenplay? If George really believes that then he should have refused all the nominations and pulled the movie from theatres!!!


Because that 25% was groundbreaking for 1977, but still no where near what Lucas had in mind.

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Originally posted by: Adamwankenobi
Originally posted by: JennyS1138
So how did a film that was 25% complete get Oscar nominations for Best Picture, director and screenplay? If George really believes that then he should have refused all the nominations and pulled the movie from theatres!!!


Because that 25% was groundbreaking for 1977, but still no where near what Lucas had in mind.



But he didnt Mind making millions of dollars and picking up the awards, they were not billed as 25% completed films to the fans queuing up and the Awards people..........
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Of course not. He's a brilliant businessman. If he can make the millions, then he will. I don't blame him really.
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this is from the guy that bashes Lucas for going on the Apprentice and releasing a trilogy boxset you were not calling him a brilliant businessman then you were calling him Luca$ greedy milking the cash and how sick you found it, but its o.k for him to do that, but not appearing on The Apprentice or releasing a trilogy boxset.
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George Lucas is full of himself, plain and simple. Probably always was.
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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I'm willing to buy that the OOT Star Wars was only 25% done. But the changes he made affect only about 2% of the film. Does that mean that the DVD Star Wars is only 27% done? When's he gonna do the 73% that's still missing? What, conceptually, is still missing? What's left to change? The performances? The music? The production design?

If OOT Star Wars was only 25% done, that means that the "real" Star Wars is more unlike the OOT than like it.
"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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I alwasys thought he meant that the original SW was only 25% of the whole story, meaning that there'd be three more movies. We got five. I thought that's what he meant by that statement. He couldn't tell the whole story without it being an eight hour movie. Maybe I was wrong.
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You know George Lucas has lost touch with the Star Wars base when.....

-special effects he didn't create bug him, but terrible lines of dialogue that HE wrote don't
-having Han shoot first at Greedo makes him a nasty, unlikable guy, but rescuing Princess Leia for money does NOT make him a nasty guy
-the dozens of plotholes HE created don't bother him as much as an immobile dewback with 5 seconds of screentime
-Jedi Rocks replacing Lapti Nek makes him sleep better at night
-a budget of $10 million brings us Darth Vader, C3PO, R2D2, Chewbacca, Sandpeople and Jawas, while a $130 million budget brings us battle droids, Jar Jar, Watto, Nute Gunray and Boss Nass.
-The battle of Yavin, which held audiences on the edge of their seats in a "failure", but the suspensless and virtually meaningless space battle at the begining of Revenge of the Sith is a success.
George Lucas was seduced by the dark side. The OOT ceased to exist in his mind and became the Special Editions...." "They're more maching now than movies. Twisted and evil."
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^that was.......wow.....that makes too much sense. I really don't know how to feel about this guy. I mean, sometimes I agree with him, sometimes not at all. I could care less what he likes to do with his films but when he has the weird mind to say one of the most memorable stories ever told was only 25% realized yetmade him a millionaire and won't recognize all these people that fell in love with that makes me wonder about his moral integrity. I mean, I'm not one for religion or whatever the common basis is for morals but I wholeheatedly believe on my own moral level that what he is doing is just.......i dunno.....fuck, i'm just kinda going off track here so i'll stop.

PS....i typed this reply over an hour well attending to different things so i lost my train of thought.

Hey look, a bear!

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So, basically, this is the "project and suppose and mindread a man you never met" thread part II, right?

Again, Jenny--don't act like Chew and Marcia just swooped in and took the film out of Lucas' hands and then gave it back to him all giftwrapped with a bow on top. Lucas was in those cutting rooms right along with them, helping and directing as they were cutting, approving and disapproving when needed. And it's not as if he's trying to take away any credit. They got their oscars, they got their points, they got their credits. The guy was the FIRST director in the HISTORY of filmmaking to distribute his back-end percentage points to the crew. EVER. People never bring that part of it up. They don't bring up that he would finance people's films simply because they came over to his house and helped him make spaghetti on a summer night. because then it gets in the way of the weird half-ass psychoanalysis that belongs to a hack villain in a Soap Opera more than it actually does to George Lucas, based on anything we ACTUALLY KNOW.

The logical fallacy at the heart of all these types of threads is the one that says "When he changes something, he's trying to deny anyone else any credit."

one isn't the other. If I paint my computer desk a different color, am I trying to deny Belkin the credit for manufacturing it? That's silly. And that's not even a good analogy--if I add in another shelf or two and use roundtop screws instead of flatheads--am I trying to shut Belkin out of the picture? Because he drops in a CGI shot into the movie doesn't mean he's NOT saying it's a collaborative effort. That's a silly leap in logic to make. And everyone here is Carl Lewis style leaping right along with it. Where, in any of these interviews that we're bringing up, does he ever say "Good, now that I've put Red Leader's line about Anakin back in--Richard Chew and my bitch wife are idiots, and it was all me MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA" When has any of this REALLY been about him trying to make it look like his movies AREN'T collaborative efforts? How does that even enter in without fan hysterics getting overblown on the internet? Those names still aren't on the credits? Those people still aren't getting interviewed for documentaries? Those people having their checks taken away? is LFL sending repo-men into their house every time a new shot is dropped in an OT film?

C'mon. Look at the silliness here. He should have turned down any and all nominations? I'm sure Marcia and Richard and Williams and Dykstra would have appreciated his saying "No--they can't be recognized by their peers because it'd be the right thing to do" I mean--that's sort of a contradiction, isn't it? either he's trying to diminish their contributions, or he should strip them of their recognition? What kind of deal is that? That makes absolutely no sense. The movies are classics that made a bunch of money, but he's an idiot because they're full of plotholes? If the plotholes didn't bother you when they were classics, why would they bother you any extra now? If it's about the story and the feeling, why is the first major gripe on the list about MATTE LINES? If you're going to use the billions of dollars the movies have made (without recognizing that the largest chunk of that change comes from the MERCHANDISING) as proof of how successful and wonderful the movie is, how can you then in the next breath call him moneygrubbing for making billions of dollars? Is it a reward or is it theft? If he's lost touch with the Star Wars base then why are the movies STILL making billions? Now--be careful. It's sorta hard to say money isn't a good indicator of quality when it's been used by the people PROPOSING this argument as EXACTLY THAT.

How can an opinion so ultimately contradictory, scattershot and diffuse try to correctly pin down the thought process of a guy who apparently doesn't even really exist outside of fan-fiction and paraphrased biography? Because this guy everyone's describing--sure as hell doesn't really sound like George Lucas. But then again, I don't know how many of you have actually read any of the books on the man, the books on his colleagues, the books on that period in film, watched the documentaries or read the interviews with all those involved to actually come close to maybe understanding the guy. It seems a lot of you are content to rely on supposition and stereotype and a few links to interviews that simply already back up what you've decided to believe BASED on those stereotypes. If you've put in the work to really find out what went down outside of a few google searches, and you still think that, hey. Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks, perception determines reality and other hack dialog

The Best Show You've Never Heard
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I know about the profit points he gave to cast members and think it's great. Who on this message board thinks only negatively about the man who created their favorite movies? I certainly don't. Heck, I'd cheer if George got a best director nomination for Revenge of the Sith.

George has done more positive than negative things, but the minute he stopped calling the updated Star Wars films "special editions" a lot of fans got understandibly annoyed.
George Lucas was seduced by the dark side. The OOT ceased to exist in his mind and became the Special Editions...." "They're more maching now than movies. Twisted and evil."
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I can't argue with anything you just typed, and agree with your assessment. My problem is that fans getting annoyed translates into some really WEIRD and typically baseless assumptions being made--and then simply accepted as fact. It's one thing to be annoyed. but putting together a multi-part contradictory argument/indictment against the man based on not much fact or anything other than stereotype...I dont' see that as helping assuage the annoyment any, just muddy it up.
The Best Show You've Never Heard
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i personally have more a problem with the films were remastered, too dark for my taste. still isnt this the reason for these forums, too bash lucas, and to have schizoid feelings about him am i missing something?
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I don't think the reason for the forums is to "bash" Lucas at all, but I understand why there's a large annoyance with his decision-making. But there's more to this place than just running in circles playing "I hate Lucas more than you do." I'd like to give everyone here more credit than that.
The Best Show You've Never Heard
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Originally posted by: The Bizzle
I don't think the reason for the forums is to "bash" Lucas at all, but I understand why there's a large annoyance with his decision-making. But there's more to this place than just running in circles playing "I hate Lucas more than you do." I'd like to give everyone here more credit than that.


Text

I personaly come here because it is the only place regarding Star Wars where you feel that they are fans who didn't love the prequels, didn't love the SE, still want the O-OT on DVD. Sure we all like to vent sometimes toward Lucas, if there were a 'Rocky' forum, I would be on there saying , "Stop Stallone, please no more, don't do Rocky VI." Its only natural that something you like, that you like to express your opinions, and Star Wars is, 28 years later, still near and dear to our hearts.

I think the frustation and anger goes on because most in the forum feel that Lucas has turned his back on those same fans that created his empire in the late 70's/early 80's, and I am sure that no one would be bitching about Greedo shooting first or Hayden in ROTJ, if we had the original movies on DVD. I guarantee you if Lucas released a mega box set with the prequels, and a seamless branching version of the OT with the originals and SE, everyone in this forum would buy it, and nobody would complain. They wouldn't complain cause the set contains TPM & AOTC in it, or the SE, Lucas can do what he wants to his movies, he has every right. I always believe the bitching and complaining about SW now stems from the things we can't get. If the O-OT were released tomorrow on DVD, what there be anymore threads about Hayden in ROTJ? Nobody would care anymore because if we don't like it, we can watch the originals.

Now as I am saying all of this, this is not life or death for me, Star Wars is true entertainment. It doesn't affect my job, my personal life, or anything else, it is just pure escapist fun, and that is why I am passionate about it. Star Wars is my favorite movie of all time, ESB is #2, and Jedi is in my top #10, I just want to watch them the same way I saw them each in the theater in a medium, DVD, that is up to standards of technology, not VHS, not crappy bootlegs, thats it.
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I just wanted to make this comment here, as I don't want to start a new thread. I read a review of ROTS on Amazon.com that was written by this 8 year old kid. He says: "I hope they make a fourth one where Anakin turns good again." I laughed out loud at this.
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That's... the saddest thing I've read in a while.

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

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why the hell cant we bash lucas if we want what is this nazi, germany?!
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I actually went out and found that review you were talking about, Adam. Am I the only one who finds it strange that he doesn't know that Anakin is Darth Vader, yet he refers to Palpatine as The Emperor, a name that is barely used to refer to him in the prequels at all? It makes me wonder if it's real.

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

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why the hell cant we bash lucas if we want what is this nazi, germany?!

No one said you couldn't. I wouldn't want people NOT to. I just want them to polish up their arguments a little, to the point where it's not just fevered "Bashing." but something with substance in it. But yes, this is just like nazi germany. We hate jewish people and are completely for burning them and gassing them and turning them into lamps. We also don't like blacks and catholics and gays and eventually the people of this board will band together and start taking over countries brutally and manaically with the idea of creating a pure genetically caucasoid race.

That's exactly what this board is. You give it so much credit.

Please don't use nazi comparisons again. They're counterproductive.

And speaking of the supposed 8 year old on Amazon.com--why is it sad? He's EIGHT. But then again, if you really believe an 8 year old is posting movie reviews on Amazon.com in his spare time, I have a lot of very important things to sell you that you can't live without at a very low cost to you, the consumer

If the O-OT were released tomorrow on DVD, what there be anymore threads about Hayden in ROTJ? Nobody would care anymore because if we don't like it, we can watch the originals.


I've seen it said--but I don't believe it. I really don't.
The Best Show You've Never Heard
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Originally posted by: Gaffer Tape
I actually went out and found that review you were talking about, Adam. Am I the only one who finds it strange that he doesn't know that Anakin is Darth Vader, yet he refers to Palpatine as The Emperor, a name that is barely used to refer to him in the prequels at all? It makes me wonder if it's real.


Yes, strange indeed.