Posted by Jack Dulouz at 208-39-151-131.comcasttel.net on November 21, 2001 at 13:04:22:
In Reply to: I like the way you think, but..... posted by ScreamingMonkeys on November 21, 2001 at 09:53:00:
Yeah i can see where you're coming from. I guess i expect films - at least movies that have a good deal of fx in them - to become dated. I mean, king kong is dated when you watch it and things could be done better now - but would you really want to change it? Same could go for clerks - in another 10 years it's grainy black and white look will surely seem dated - but isn't that part of the charm and nostalgia of it? Sure, some films are timeless (Citizen Kane, East of Eden, On the Waterfront, etc) but it is rare. I don't think Lucas has ever claimed to be high art - he makes the kinds of film he likes based around mythology and the action serials of his childhood. I would certainly say PM was not that hot in my book and that they got way too caught up in the digital characters and that hurt the story and realism (they need to remember that just because characters are animated does not make them cartoons!). But i can't knock the guy - i respect him. I've seen lucas say in interviews and footage of the preproduction he said - we might have gone to far with this. He knows it, he's not an idiot. But i actually think that he likes to try new things and sometimes just gets carried away with that. On the flip side, while phantom menace does not hold up that well by itself, i think it will play it's part in the series. At the same time, it seems silly to talk in circles because it is one of those things where you either see it one way or another and who cares, really? But i have pretty high hopes for attack of the clones. When did i become such a nerd? I think a huge part of the star wars appeal is the association of it. Star Wars was the first film i felt captivated by, the first action figures i had and the first "making of" specials i saw. It convinced me that i could try and make a film in 2nd grade (my big budget food adventure movie!). I think that is the appeal teh fans remember and that is why it feels so empty now. My brother loves phantom menace, collects all of the action figures, loves it. He doesn't care that Jar Jar is a ethnic stereotype or that the "realism" of the series has been shaken. We're looking for something we can't get back. we're old and jaded now. It's star wars for god's sake - it shouldn't be our lives! Right? later - tom