Re George Lucas's comments: He has the nerve to claim to have done something new? Star Wars was one of the most derivative series ever. There is zero in it you can't find in 50's space opera books. For that matter most of what was in it could have been found in the old Sci-Fi serials - Buck Rodgers, Flash Gordon - minus the Star Wars big budget. Filmed Science Fiction was undergoing a period of breaking away from the cliches. It is hard to believe that one year after the release of The Man Who Fell to Earth, we saw the release of Star Wars - damaged Tinker Toys and Legos in Space, with added Action heroes. Star Wars has its charms. But *originality*? Please.
Xander: Am I right, Giles? Giles: I'm almost certain you're not. Though, to be fair, I haven't been
listening.
'Sleeper'
Buffista Movies 7: Brides for 7 Samurai
A place to talk about movies--old and new, good and bad, high art and high cheese. It's the place to place your kittens on the award winners, gossip about upcoming fims and discuss DVD releases and extras. Spoiler policy: White font all plot-related discussion until a movie's been in wide release two weeks, and keep the major HSQ in white font until two weeks after the video/DVD release.
Typo Boy - Jan 02, 2016 12:53:36 pm PST #29641 of 30000
Calli: My people have a saying. A man who trusts can never be betrayed, only mistaken.Avon: Life expectancy among your people must be extremely short.
Jesse - Jan 02, 2016 1:06:08 pm PST #29642 of 30000
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.
Wasn't it originally supposed to be Flash Gordon or something?
Gris - Jan 02, 2016 1:46:05 pm PST #29643 of 30000
Hey. New board.
Which set, Gris? Newer or older?
I watched the newer set. Have not compared them.
Polter-Cow - Jan 02, 2016 5:23:07 pm PST #29644 of 30000
What else besides ramen can you scoop? YOU CAN SCOOP THIS WORLD FROM DARKNESS!
Tom Scola - Jan 02, 2016 5:28:53 pm PST #29645 of 30000
Mr. Scola’s wardrobe by Botany 500
Of course, Flash Gordon was nothing other than a rip-off of Buck Rogers, anyway.
billytea - Jan 02, 2016 7:21:28 pm PST #29646 of 30000
You were a wrong baby who grew up wrong. The wrong kind of wrong. It's better you hear it from a friend.
Guy from my FAC used to push the notion that Star Wars was in fact based on the Book of Revelation, with Darth Vader in the role of Jesus Christ. Still does, it seems: [link]
Typo Boy - Jan 02, 2016 10:23:45 pm PST #29647 of 30000
Calli: My people have a saying. A man who trusts can never be betrayed, only mistaken.Avon: Life expectancy among your people must be extremely short.
Of course, Flash Gordon was nothing other than a rip-off of Buck Rogers, anyway.
Just to be clear, I'm not *criticizing* Star Wars for lack of originality. I'm criticizing George Lucas for claiming originality for Star Wars. I know lots of people who love the Star Wars series. I have not encountered many who love it for its breakthrough originality. Many great films are great due to execution rather than concept. There is a reason "high concept" is not, for the most part, a term of praise.
I do have think the triumph of Star Wars represented a step backwards in filmic Science Fiction. That step backwards is not so much in itself. The problem is that its overwhelming blockbuster success helped change the ecology of the movie industry, intensified the already existing trend towards high budget formula films that needed overwhelming success to pay back their investment. Particularly in the Science Fiction and Fantasy realms, I think it played a role in encouraging big explosion space opera, and swords and sinews fantasy in film. Stuff outside of that range still happened, but I think at a lot slower rate than would have occurred otherwise.
erikaj - Jan 03, 2016 6:32:15 pm PST #29648 of 30000
Always Anti-fascist!
Totally, TB.
Vonnie K - Jan 07, 2016 10:19:48 am PST #29649 of 30000
Kiss me, my girl, before I'm sick.
Apparently I'm all fannish about Star Wars universe now. (I really floved TFA). I knew there was a film coming out late this year, but I thought it would be the next installment in the story. But apparently Rogue One is a... side story set between the prequels and the original trilogy? Yes, I only learned this just now.
Uh. How important is it for a hitherto indifferent viewer to catch up on the prequels for Rogue One to make sense? 'Cause I watched The Phantom Menace in theater and NOPE'd so hard out of the franchise that I never bothered with the next two films. And would I need to know stuff from ancillary shows like The Clone Wars and what's the other one, uh, Star Wars Rebels?
(I have not watched the original trilogy in over 20 years. The new movie made me go and order the Blu Ray set. Who knew, after all these years!)
Tom Scola - Jan 07, 2016 10:27:40 am PST #29650 of 30000
Mr. Scola’s wardrobe by Botany 500
But apparently Rogue One is a... side story set between the prequels and the original trilogy?
It's more like a prologue to the original Star Wars (i.e. it sets up certain things in that movie regarding stolen plans for the Death Star ). I doubt that much (or any) knowledge of the prequels will be required.