[curiousuburb]

Fan quotient = high
Intelligence = not so much.

Seven weeks before its release, Star Wars fanatics started lining up outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre for the sixth instalment of the popular George Lucas movie series. The vigil began on Saturday. But there's a problem: ... Click the link, Luke!

Jedi mind tricks indeed.

[Luca]

Eh... doesn't even matter where and when it'll be showing. This last one is going to be so unpopular (relatively speaking) because of Episodes 1 and 2 that there's no point to waiting in line early. Anyone who does is just being stupid.

[scratt]

Why does everyone keep calling this the last episode?

I remember distinctly that there were suposed to be 9 episodes..

Looks like fatty has lied to us all again!

[Enki]

No, you just haven't been listening for the last 10-12 years. Before Episode IV was shot there was a nine episode sparse outline. By the time Return of the Jedi was finished the outline had graduated into a six episode well defined version with 4-6 in the can.

[scratt]

It actually looks like no one knows...

There are interviews with fatty where he totally denies ever having mentioned 9 episodes... (Big fat liar!)

There are also interviews with people who have contracts to be in them.

Apparently the special effects studio is contracted until 2012 still, as are certain other companies...

But that could all change.

My personal belief is that Hollywood always revisits stuff. So perhaps in 2050 a descendant of Peter Jackson will do them again, and make the last three epsiodes into good movies and carry on with the rest..

Look at Star Trek.. Dead and dead again... I bet we see another Star Trek movie in our lifetimes..

DR. Who... Talks of movies, then no movies, now a new series and a another one next season...

So I would be willing to bet money that we will see 7, 8 and 9.. I just pray that Fat Boy is long gone by then..

[psmith2.0]

I have a real problem with the idea of three MORE "Star Wars" movies, being episodes 7, 8 and 9.

Like it or not, "ROTJ" ended on a good note. It was the ultimate nice finish and climax (good guys won, Empire destroyed, Vader redeemed himself, Emperor is dead, our heroes all reunited, etc.).

Anything beyond that will feel tacked-on and forced (no pun intended).

What, is there suddenly going to be Empire II?

An even MORE bad-ass than the Emperor?

More of a threat?

See? Just seems desperate.

I read two of those post-ROTJ novels, involving some dipshit named Admiral Thrawn, and they just sucked. Han and Leia are married and have kids, Luke is supposedly his generation's Yoda and it's all just a cobbled together mess. Talk about "jumping the shark"...ugh.

It just needs to end now, after six episodes.



"Star Wars" was about one man's journey. The original trilogy doesn't play it that way, of course (it's more about Rebels vs. Empire), but when you view the prequels, you realize it's a six-step thing about Anakin. When viewed like that, the story - once Episode III is released - has a definite beginning, middle and END.

To go beyond that makes no sense. No one cares because the dramatic arc and the whole sense of "oh, I see what this is about now!" is gone.

Then you'd just have generic bad guys, trumped up adventure for adventure's sake, etc. You can't out-Vader Darth Vader and the Empire. And no one wants to see Mark Hamill on screen again and I sure as hell don't want to see crinkle-faced Harrison Ford trying to act bad ass, and bloated Carrie Fisher kvetching about her kids lightsaber practicing.

It would just make me cry.

[BuonRotto]

It's just more prood that Lucas is pulling this stuff out of his hindquarter despite the protests by fanbois that every aspect of this thing has been meticuluously constructed as some gestaltkunstwerk.

[Gizzer]

PScates I agree with all of your above comments.


...Although I do actually like the Admiral Thrawn stories, I wouldn't want to see them made as movies for said crinkly-actor theory above!

[Gizzer]

Originally Posted by Luca Eh... doesn't even matter where and when it'll be showing. This last one is going to be so unpopular (relatively speaking) because of Episodes 1 and 2 that there's no point to waiting in line early. Anyone who does is just being stupid.

You're forgetting one thing: Vader. Every, and I mean EVERY fan boy is waiting for Episode III just to see the sh*t being kicked out of all remaining Jedi, and for the rise of Darth Vader.....

[Moogs]

Not only do I agree with Paul, but if Lucas tries to fabricate three more episodes, I will send out a hit squad. That or maybe send him a great big banner that says "BRANCH OUT AND TRY SOMETHING NEW, GEORGE!"

Seriously man, sell your ranch, move into a giant high-tech thatch hutt in Jamaica and smoke some creativity-inducing ganja for inspiration. Listen to some Buffet, eat crab cakes... live a little. There's a whole great big, wonderful world out there George, just waiting to teach you what good script looks like!

[Brad]

George can't try something new, though, Moogs. He doesn't have any original ideas. Let's look at his rep sheet:

• Star Wars
• Indiana Jones
• American Graffiti
• Howard the Duck
• Willow

He only had a couple of good ideas and they all taped out decades ago.

[Moogs]

I thought Steven the Magnificent Directed Raiders of teh Lost Ark? I forgot about American Graffiti. Gotta give him major props for that one. One of my DVD classics.

[Brad]

Raiders was a collaborative effort with Lucas and Steven but, yes, it was mostly under Steven's wing. I can't remember the specifics on who did what; so, I'll just have to watch the DVDs again tonight.

[BuonRotto]

Don't forget he did THX 1138, and don't forget that he sold Pixar.

[LudwigVan]

Originally Posted by Brad George can't try something new, though, Moogs. He doesn't have any original ideas. Let's look at his rep sheet: Star Wars Indiana Jones American Graffiti Howard the Duck Willow He only had a couple of good ideas and they all taped out decades ago.

Two more for the list (from the top of my head):
Radioland Murders
Tucker

[psmith2.0]

Regarding "Raiders of the Lost Ark", I believe the story and general vision was George's. Steven actually directed the movie (with lots of input from George, I'm sure).

Now THAT was a butt-kicking collaboration if there's ever been one!

And yes, "American Graffiti" is awesome. Got it on DVD for Christmas, and it's one of those "near perfect" movies. I actually dig everything about it, even though the sound and picture are rough in places. And holy cow...what a cast!



Any scene with Terry the Toad just does it for me. "Yeah, that's real tuck and roll. Climb in and I'll let you touch it. Um, you can feel it...um...".

And him at the liquor store, buying everything BUT a bottle of liquor, was a hoot also. "Some beef jerky, a comb, the ink pens..." and slyly mentioning the liquor in with all that stuff, in hopes the clerk would just bag it with no questions asked.

[LudwigVan]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 I have a real problem with the idea of three MORE "Star Wars" movies, being episodes 7, 8 and 9.

The whole 9 episode thing is explained here. TheForce.Net site has some more info on this too (the link at About.com to this article wasn't updated).

[Kickaha]

And then if you go all the way back to THX-1138, the slide from greatness to marketing shill is all the more painful.

[thuh Freak]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 And him at the liquor store, buying everything BUT a bottle of liquor, was a hoot also. "Some beef jerky, a comb, the ink pens..." and slyly mentioning the liquor in with all that stuff, in hopes the clerk would just bag it with no questions asked.

i only saw a minute or so of american graffiti before i was bored out of my mind. but that sounds a lot like a nice little bit they did in the Simpsons. Homer is out of town and wants to get some illegal fireworks:
Hi... ummm... let me have some of those porno magazines... large box
of condoms... a couple of those panty shields [quickly] and some
illegal fireworks [back to normal] and one of those disposable enemas.
Ehhh... make it two.

[psmith2.0]

Originally Posted by LudwigVan The whole 9 episode thing is explained here. TheForce.Net site has some more info on this too (the link at About.com to this article wasn't updated).

Yep, that's how I view it. Good to see George sees it my way too.

These six will - and should - be IT...for many, many reasons!

Anything else left to explore can be done with novels, comics, animated ("The Clone Wars" is actually kinda cool, the few I've seen), etc.

I believe George has told the story he wanted to tell.

[thegelding]

quote: Homer is out of town and wants to get some illegal fireworks:
Hi... ummm... let me have some of those porno magazines... large box
of condoms... a couple of those panty shields [quickly] and some
illegal fireworks [back to normal] and one of those disposable enemas.
Ehhh... make it two. end quote


with the famous line from marge when she looks into the bag when homer gets back from the store, "i don't know what you had planned for tonight, but count me out."

g

[LudwigVan]

Don't forget what happens immediately after this:

Marge (in the next scene, unpacking the bag Homer brought back): "Homie, I don't know what you had planned for tonight, but you can count me out."

EDIT: Bah! Missed it by that much.

[curiousuburb]

THX1138 isn't so far out if you look at the % of the US population whacked on pharmaceuticals.

Ritalin, Vicodin, PhenPhen, Viagra, Valium... a pill prescribed for every feeling.
The overmedicated state where will is pacified by the teevee teat isn't so fictional now.

And dystopian futures are always popular cult classics after the calendar catches up.

[Luca]

I'm gonna lock this and suggest that everyone takes the discussion to another one of the several Star Wars threads.