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12-Mar-2005
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8-Jul-2015
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Post
#169000
Topic
'Merge' Article- Lucas in his own words
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/169000/action/topic#169000
Time
Originally posted by: Adamwankenobi
Why were they called that, anyway? Didn't people ever reallize that they were episodes of a series, even if they were 4, 5, and 6? I mean, why in the hell did people once refer to Episode IV as simply "Star Wars?" And then people called the next two by their subtitles. Huh?


The same reason people used to call Cassius Clay by that name- because before he changed it that WAS his name. As many of us mentioned elsewhere the movie I saw on my birthday in 1977 was called 'Star Wars' and nothing else. The crawl didn't even reflect 'A New Hope' at all until the re-release, and then it was basically considered kind of a serial-referencial 'joke'. And granted most sequels are referred to by just the number (not many people would know 'The Quest For Peace' as a subtitle by itself by they might know a 'Superman 4' was made.) Further as I've quoted elsewhere from IMDB when the 'Star Wars' sequels were released they were NOT officially titled 'Episode 5 and 6' but merely 'Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back' and 'Star Wars: Return of the Jedi'. Audiences really didn't *care* that there were 'episode' numbers as part of a grander scheme and most of the bazillions of people who saw the Star Wars trilogy was sure it was over with ROTJ and didn't care past that point.
Post
#168899
Topic
'Merge' Article- Lucas in his own words
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/168899/action/topic#168899
Time
Perhaps George is just trying to become the Howard Hughes of his generation. There are similarities really. Early love of film, great technical accomplishments, distrust of the very industries they worked in, the denials and mis-truths as they get older....

Maybe GL will soon be running around the Ranch naked with mayonaisse jars full of his own urine. I hope not.
Post
#168880
Topic
Changes you want (or don't want) to the 2007 archival editions
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/168880/action/topic#168880
Time
Originally posted by: sybeman
Which would make it all the funnier! Makes you think, "Oh Han! Will you ever learn?" Of course, it has to come back and hit him in the ass and make him shoot up like a rocket, with a big "YEEOOW!"


Yeah! And its not repetitive... its continuity of character! I'd also change the 'I Love You' scene in ESB just before Han is frozen- I mean GL didn't even write the 'I know.." line- just who the Hell does Harrison Frod think he is for ad-libbing that crap?!?! He has ruined the master's works. Instead in the newly *corrected* scene Han should reply "I love you more." Then Leia says "No... *teehee*... I love YOU more." This goes on for a few lines until we get a close-up of Vader turning his head to the side and looking down slightly as he seems to remember the exchange.

See- continuity!
Post
#168860
Topic
BSG
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/168860/action/topic#168860
Time
Originally posted by: PSYCHO_DAYV

YES, IT COULD BE THE TORTURED CYLON CHICK HOLDING GUN, BUT STARBUCK IS GOING TO BE WITNESS TO IT.


Starbuck will be there of course. My guess is that she'll wimp out (in a valiant way) at the last sec and then BAMMO out of seemingly nowhere the Cylon finishes the deed... I suppose similarly to what Baltar did during season 2 opening arc.
Post
#168859
Topic
Changes you want (or don't want) to the 2007 archival editions
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/168859/action/topic#168859
Time
Originally posted by: Darth Richard
I would like goegre lucas to computerize it so gredo never shoots


Nah- change it THIS time so that Greedo shoots HIMSELF!. The blast bounces back and hits him. Or- for better PT quality comedic effect, have the blast bounce around the Cantina, of course with Looney Tune style sound effects added in, maybe the same shot cuts the arm off of the dude the Ben protects Luke from (just to save time), hits a couple of added in battle-droids (you know drowning their sorrows after being decommisioned) and the finally hitting Greedo. That would lend more credence to Han's joke about 'sorry about the mess' and we could all finally see what a funny, happy-go-lucky guy Solo is!!!
Post
#168748
Topic
BSG
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/168748/action/topic#168748
Time
Originally posted by: PSYCHO_DAYV
Originally posted by: MeBeJedi
"TONIGHT'S EPISODE ROCKED, BUT NEXT WEEK'S IS GOING TO BE EVEN BETTER"

Something tells me the hand holding the gun in the ad didn't belong to anyone on Galactica.


I'M THINKING THE SAME THING, BUT I DO THINK THAT STARBUCK IS IN THE ROOM WHEN IT HAPPENS.


Nope- my guess is that its the tortured Cylon chick, let loose by the VP. A surprise to *everybody*!

Post
#168659
Topic
So, what would happen if he did release the OOT on DVD?
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/168659/action/topic#168659
Time
Actually there already have been several launches of Music DVD and 'better than CD quality' audio.... much to the snoozes of the consumer public. Like you said it takes a much bigger leap in quality (or more importantly PERCEIVED quality) for a new technology to take root with most consumers. Blu-Ray and HD-DVD will look kick-ass on those of us with HD tvs, but on your still more common 27" tube set most consumers won't see much difference. What really helps new technology is a 'gimic' of sorts. I personally never would have thought PSP video would almost instantly have shelf space in Wal-Mart of whatever. But people like their portability. Go figure!
Post
#168578
Topic
.: Citizen's NTSC DVD / PAL DVD / XviD project :. (Released)
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/168578/action/topic#168578
Time
Originally posted by: Guy Caballero
Just found this place, very cool! Looks like some great work is being done. the originals have been out of view for so long, it's depressing. Maybe this is old news, but the dvd of "More American Graffiti" has a beautiful, perfect shot of the old Lucasfilm logo, has anyone used that in one of these projects?


Welcome Guy! I personally had not picked up that disc yet but meant too- that is a good idea!

Love your screen name too! SCTV fans unite!
Post
#168285
Topic
BSG
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/168285/action/topic#168285
Time
TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nah, I'm not stoked or anything.

PS: And soon we can have 'Xena: Cylon Princess'!
Post
#168278
Topic
5-25-77 Documentary
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/168278/action/topic#168278
Time
Originally posted by: battlewars
i think blockbusters arent special anymore because thats mostly what hollywood makes now, therefore they become less special


Problem is you can't MAKE a blockbuster. Very few films that went into existence with the expectation of *being* a blockbuster ever become one. And I don't mean just making a decent release weekend boxoffice By definition a 'blockbuster' is something, such as a film or book, that sustains widespread popularity and achieves enormous sales. Not just good first weekend. Bloated expensive films are a dime a dozen and realistically, even with DVD sales and overseas revenue, studios will reach a point that it just isn't worth spending $200 million to have a total take of $250 million when all is said and done. Instead of trying to be the biggest or loudest film they should focus on getting the best film out of the money they are budgeted for.

Actually I just had a cool idea! (Well, cool to me at least) What if, as an experiment, a current filmmaker were to be given a budget equivalent in today's dollars to the budget of the original 'Star Wars' and given the task of completely re-making 'The Phantom Menace' (or maybe any of the PT) using ONLY that budget and ONLY 70s-era movie tech? The goal would be to see if the vision and the script could be enough to make a good picture instead of just relying on dazzling effects to fill in gaps. Hmmm... just a thought.
Post
#168251
Topic
'Merge' Article- Lucas in his own words
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/168251/action/topic#168251
Time
From MergeDigital.com

From Merge

Creating The Galaxy: Myth Maker And Jedi Master George Lucas In His Own Words
Amy Longsdorf
Special to Merge

He sees himself as a hard-working independent filmmaker constantly at odds with the powers-that-be, a man who's not above sinking his own money into his films.

Others, of course, see George Lucas a tad differently. The mastermind behind the $3.5 billion-and-counting Star Wars series almost single-handedly gave birth to the modern blockbuster. He's rich beyond belief and sure to get even richer with the release of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.

Lucas insists that the final chapter in his Star Wars prequel came into being for a single reason: so he could finally finish the story he's been telling since 1977 when the groundbreaking space opera first touched down in multiplexes.

Here, the filmmaking icon, who turned 61 last Saturday, talks about Darth Vader, evil empires and life after Star Wars.

Can this really be the end of the Star Wars saga?

GEORGE LUCAS: Yes. The series starts with Darth Vader as a young lad and ends with him dying. So I don't know where else I can take it.

Wasn't there talk at one time of three trilogies?

LUCAS: That was created by the media, not by me.

But can you just walk away from it all?

LUCAS: I walked away from it before, for 15 years. I thought long and hard about coming back and doing the backstory. The only reason that I did do it was because I was interested in the story, and the fact that would sort of shift the way that you look at Episodes IV, V and VI.

Can you explain that a bit more?

LUCAS: It's really a story about Darth Vader. Luke and Leia became central figures and had a strong impact. But I knew if I gave Darth Vader his due, you would understand what a tragic story the whole thing was and it would change the way you look at the other movies. So that's why I did it.

But you must be sad that it's all over?

LUCAS: Not sad, relieved. It was a 10-year commitment. That's a very long period of time. You just hope that you can get through it without anything happening and I've done that. I'm glad about the way things turned out. It's what I wanted it to be.

It sounds like you've already let it go.

LUCAS: I'm letting go of the very thing that I fear to lose the most (laughs). Not really. But I am letting go. You sort of reach a point where you have to plan your life out. I'm sort of at that point. I love Star Wars but I'm not going to spend the rest of my life doing it. There are other things that I want to accomplish before I leave.

Are they in the sci-fi genre?

LUCAS: No. They're more independent in nature. They're not like any other kinds of movies. I want to go back to the kind of movies that I made at the beginning of my career. With Star Wars, I took a path of opportunity, thinking that it would end at any moment. I thought it was a little sidetrack and it ended up being my life.

You don't consider yourself part of the Hollywood establishment. Why is that?

LUCAS: I've never been based in Hollywood. I live in San Francisco. I make movies in San Francisco. I had to go down there and beg them to pay for my first three films. Even with Raiders of the Lost Ark, the studio didn't want Steven to direct it because he had made some extremely expensive movies.

No one gives you a hard time anymore, do they?

LUCAS: When I said I was going to do The Phantom Menace, everyone was saying, 'It's a Disney film. You're going to destroy the franchise. You can't do it. The fans will revolt.' I said, 'But this is the story. I'm telling the story and this is what I want to do.'

But I know that if I'd been at a studio, they would've just said, 'Nope, we're not doing this movie. You can have Darth Vader going around killing everyone but you can't do a film about a little boy.'

You asked for the sequel rights to Star Wars rather than take a fee up front. Did you know the movie would be a huge hit?

LUCAS: Just the opposite. I wanted the sequel rights so I could make the movie myself. I thought, 'I can finance this second movie if I get my company together, if I do this right.' They never thought that in a million years I'd be stupid enough to finance the film myself. The first rule of movie-making is that you never invest in movies, especially your own. That's what I did and by doing it, I got everything.

When you first wrote Star Wars, what inspired you to take a look at the rise and fall of governments?

LUCAS: It came out of the period of the Vietnam War and then Richard Nixon wanting to run for a third term. I'm a history buff, and I was reading that democracies basically end because the senate or the people bring in a dictator. And why do they bring in the dictator? It's usually because there's some kind of outside threat. Star Wars is more about Cesar and Napoleon and Hitler than it is about anything here in the U.S.

Did anything that's happened in the world since 9/11 inform the prequels?

LUCAS: No. A lot of it I'd written already. The only weird part about it is that it's so relevant. I didn't expect it to be this relevant, with Palpatine and his growth, and the corporate guilds and all of that stuff.

Can you give us a preview of the Sith DVD? Any deleted scenes?

LUCAS: I'm not actually doing the DVD. I'm helping to set that up but other people are going to do it. I'm not going to be involved in that.

You do sound like you're ready to move on.

LUCAS: I'll never be able to cut my ties completely from Star Wars, unfortunately or fortunately. I love Star Wars and I don't mind being intertwined with it. I just don't want to spend all the rest of my days doing it. I don't want to be on the treadmill of having to deal with it every single day. So the TV shows and the books will be done by other people. They're different from the saga, which is these six films.

You didn't direct Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi but you wrote and directed the latest three films. how come?

LUCAS: I've tried to get out of writing over and over and over again. It's the one thing that I don't want to do. It's strange: I don't think that I'm very good at it but I can do it better than most people. When I have an idea, I know how to express it. I know what needs to be done. I work with tons of writers on a lot of projects. I've turned things over to people, and I realize that I can pretty much do it as well as anyone can.

Can you keep all of the minutiae of the Star Wars world straight? does this stuff ever confuse you?

LUCAS: I haven't read any of the novels. That's a different world than my world. I do try to keep it consistent. I have a Star Wars encyclopedia on my shelf and when I come up with a name or something, I have to look it up to make sure it hasn't already been used.

http://www.mergedigital.com/custom/archive/me-lucas0518,0,2920316.story?coll=me-archive-hed
Post
#168194
Topic
5-25-77 Documentary
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/168194/action/topic#168194
Time
Looks like a SW-centric 'Dazed and Confused' which could be very very cool. And for those who weren't alive or just born it WAS a magical time. Seriously. Hell, 1977-1980 were just awesome times to be a kid and be a movie fan. You must remember that this is before the days of the 30 screen theaters with 15 shows of each film per day. My home town had one movie theater with two screens. You maybe got 5 shows a day. 'Star Wars' was such a multi-generational film that it seemed *everyone* had to see it. All ages, both sexes- no racial boundries, etc.

And to my 6 year old eyes and mind there was magic before I even sat down in the theater with my mom- I could barely comprehend why there was a 3/4 of a mile long line (literally) of happy excited people waiting to see this film. And not some die-hards who camped out for weeks either- these were normal everyday people. And afterwards everyone talked about it... for weeks and months afterwards. There wasn't the buzz-factory and Hollywood crap that shoved down our throats every week these days to get us to waste $10 on some over-hyped movie-du-jour. This was the real deal. Pre-internet good ole human love of good cinema. Good entertaining cinema that had accessible human characters thrust into situations that were familiar feeling but entirely new. And tickets were affordable enough that people would go back to see films over and over- in no small part due to the fact that there was no home video market. People used to count the times they went to films and wear those numbers as bragging rights. Hell between the intial release and subsequent re-releases of 'Star Wars' I saw it in the theater 27 times. And I do not count the one viewing of the SE as #28 either.

Being a part of that experience was absolutely my 'first step into a larger world' and part of me actually is saddened that anyone else had to experience it any other... but that's life, right?
Post
#168017
Topic
Info: Master Edition - the website for future Star Wars DVD changes
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/168017/action/topic#168017
Time
Originally posted by: Master Skywalker

Yeah, that actually makes me wonder what if Tarkin would still be alive at the time of the second Death Star, and also would be in command of it....


All I have to say is that the stormtroopers and construction workers would have had LOTS of BBQ Ewok to eat well before the Rebels ever arrived.