let's warm things up

[seekaee]

About Leon( aka the professional), their working on a sequel with Portman as the next "professional". Supposedly Besson is going to produce and write the script with Johnny tio(up and comming director from Hong Kong) helming it.

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[SoulJacker]

Despin, is their an echo in here?

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Jay & Silent Bob DO NOT LICK BALLS.

[Dirty Cricket]

Here is my openion on Jar Jar Binks.

He is a perfect charecter. I applaude Lucas for his excellent job on him. Why? You are asking? Well in the film Jar Jar is supose to be an annoying nusence that noone really likes much. And yes in the film he did convay that image very well. But the excellence of his charecter could not be bound by the screen. Jar Jar managed to annoy most everyone that saw the movie, which in turn brought the viewer deeper into the film becaue you were able to experiece what Obi Won and Qui Gon were feeling. So the more people say Jar Jar was annoying the more they help Lucas and make him look better.

So instead of going on your own feelings maybe you should look at it from a film makers point of view.

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[shirt]

For one, Lucas would never make a character annoying on purpose. It's Lucas. Second, the man is a producer, not a director. His directing is awful. Watch any of his films, and for the most part the acting is terrible.

His films rely on his special effects guru's. All Lucas cares about is money. The guy repeatily rapes 'Star Wars' fans for it. Not only does he over merchandise his films, but he fucks everyone over with his constant rereleases. He fucked the first one, so now he has to release a 'special edition.' Ah well. If you don't agree with the last statement, then look up how many times the original 'Star Wars' has been rereleased onto VHS.

Anyways, why are we talking about Lucas? He's old news.

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[deanl]

Hey there.

If you dont want to keep forking out for different editions then dont fuckin buy them. Jeez if you have no self controll and feel you need to keep buting special editions and all the toys and all the posters thats your problem not Lucas'.

If I made a movie and people were willing to buy toys and posters and different editions I would make them and sell them.

Its common sense.

The guy makes millions. Like I said some people (shirt) resent him for it. Its because of the merchandise he was able to make Empire, Jedi and Menace into the movies he wanted to make. Good or bad there what he wanted. To get what he wanted he had to pay out of his own pocket. Its the merchandise that lets him do that.

Without Lucas we wouldnt have great movies ranging from Raiders to Toy Story.

P.S
Can someone explain the big deal with the title Attack Of The Clones. I dont understand what all the fuss is about. I dont love or hate the title anymore than any other title. Its is just a title.

Despin out.

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"Ive got bad feeling about this."

[eddie]

Just watch the films. You can see that he knows the recipe, but he just doesnt know how to cook.
As an inspiration to make loads of cash and a bloke who understands mass markets then I guess he's the man.
But as a bloke who understands the subtlety and pyschology that makes up a good film....He's no inspiration.
All he has done is emphasis the commercial side of filmmaking. At least Steven Speilburg seems to enjoy making films, and can be quite poetic. All Lucas does is make money. He's a business man, not a film maker.

If thats what filmmaking is to you, then I guess he'll be your inspiration.

Get a life, get a realy role-model. You come across as a bunch of geeks, rather than inventive film makers who are capable of thinking for themselves.

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[hairbrain]

eddie... you have to remember that Lucas was also the man behind such greats as `Howard the Duck` and `The Young Indiana Jones`. He is therefore not such a great businessman either.

Lucas` crowning acheivment was getting ILM together, via Star Wars. He was also lucky enough to encounter a young Harrison Ford and befriend a certain Spielberg. The truly exceptional work which ILM did on Star Wars placed Lucas on a pedestal ever since. Lucas is the Gene Rodenbury of holywood. He has such a mindless following of devotees that he actually can't do anything wrong. Despite bad film after bad film, bad project after bad project, Lucas is still hailed as a king amoung film makers.

Lucas is infact a bloated old fart who has shown quite clearly beyond a shadow of a doubt that he has no idea of what the market wants and how to deliver a watchable movie through the mere fact that he has systematically tried and failed to deliver `event` movies. Whilst his friends have all moved on from their `Close Encounters` to their `Saving Private Ryans` lucas has been singularily unable to make lightening strike twice. This, therefore, casts a big fat shadow of doubt across the question of whether he was actually responsible for the lightening of Star Wars striking in the first place.

Some might argue that he didn't need to follow up his career and make good films. But can you imagine what it must feel like to be a one hit wonder... don't you think he must have tried, at some point, to show he was shoulder to shoulder with his old pals as they produced fantastic film after fantastic film. The truth is he did try... and he just couldn't do it.

So eddie thinks that the best thing to say about Lucas is that he is a businessman focussed upon pandering to the market. But go and check out his `producer` resume. It stinks big time.

In short the only thing that makes Lucas great is the fact that he knows, as well as you and I do, that all he has to do is take a dump and a billion people will que up to sniff it. This alone is what makes Lucas business worthy. Above and beyond that Lucas has nothing else to give other than the work of the companies he helped form.

Lucas MUST know by now that his repeated failures are beginning to blow his cover. Only the die hard brain dead Star Wars geeks are 100% in love with him. His empire is faltering and if he doesn't pull out something which proves his mastery soon he's ready for being bumped down a notch or two in the Hollywood payroll. I am waiting for `Attack of the Clones` with great interest. `Attack` more than any other will surely be a Lucas response to critical disaster after `Phantom`. If Lucas can't pull out anything good in this, his hour of need, then he really can't direct his way INTO a paper bag... let alone out of it.

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[ac_01]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by hairbrain:
[B] He has such a mindless following of devotees that he actually can't do anything wrong.

cant do anything wrong!!!! tell that to the tousands of star wars fans who are still pissed over the phantom menace!

As a pioneer he did some ground breaking stuff with ILM, but as a filmmaker he might have lost his touch now. There is no doubt he knows how to entertain, the question is who is he trying to entertain... "I made The Phantom Menace for my kids"...remember that.

The fact is Lucas(TM) is still revelling in the glory that is Star Wars and until Star Wars stops making money i doubt he is going to do anything else.

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There can be only one.

[eddie]

hairbrain - food for thought, and maybe an example of what you mean about making lightening strike once:
As most people on this forum know Star Wars was a carefully (and well(ish) written - OK) story about a 'hero's coming to age' based
on 'hero with a thousand faces'.

If you study the script it confirms this. Its a three acter. End of first act when Luke meets Obi Wan. End of 2nd Act when Obi Wan 'dies'.
Almost exactly a third and 2 thirds through the script.

Now watch the film.

Its not Luke you care about. If Harrison Ford (and maybe Carrie Fisher) hadnt been in that film then it would have just been another dodgy straight to Video Space Opera.
Harrison Ford makes the film. And you could argue that this makes him miscast (by Lucas) because he outshines the 'Hero' who is on the quest. Thats Bad Directing. And its just enormous luck that they managed to get away with it.
Raiders if the lost ark, its not.


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[This message has been edited by eddie (edited February 05, 2002).]

[hairbrain]

"There is no doubt he knows how to entertain"

Call me cynical but here in London `Phantom` toys were pretty quick to go half price. The simple fact was they couldn't shift them. You'd have to be pretty out of touch with youth culture to not realise that quite alot of kids thought `Phantom` was lame too. Remember that small insignificant film which came out of the blue barely a couple of months before hand? The Matrix blew Phantom away and kids across the world loved it.

The assertion that Lucas knows how to `entertain` is completely ungrounded. His films almost invariably excite a yawn from me. I wouldn't have seen `Phantom` if it weren't for my kid brother who wanted to see it. When we came out of the theatre he had this kinda glazed look on his face and said something like `err yeah it was alright`. Only a few days later and the whole experience had been forgotten (?10 down the drain) and `The Matrix` posters were plastered over his bedroom wall.

Now if that's what you call entertainment I'd hate to see what you think boredom is.

I put this case back in the pro-Lucas side of the court. Can you actually cite any evidence, besides Star Wars, that Lucas deserves the respect he has swindled.

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