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Phantom Menace 3-D Featurette Says “We Know You’re Coming Anyway, Fanboys”

Damon Houx — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:59:11 +0000

When Star Wars was reissued in 1997, it became one of the top top ten grossing films of that year. That is the lasting cultural impact of the Star Wars franchise, but also paints a picture of how much the world and the Star Wars fan base has changed in fifteen years. On February 10, George Lucas‘s The Phantom Menace will be reissued in 3-D, and the latest marketing suggests they’re not selling it to everyone. Take a look…

Okay, this is just one piece of a puzzle, but it’s basically selling this to little, little children. On one hand Lucas has said that’s always been his intention with these films, and this film would be the most childish. On the other, fans – even those fans who hate Lucas – will probably see this anyway, so why sell it to the base?

Disney had a huge hit with The Lion King 3-D, which was about to reissued on Blu-ray when it hit theaters. It made $94 million in its run. Beauty and Beast hit a couple weeks ago, and is currently at $41 Million. The difference is that the Blu-ray of that was already out. With the Blu-ray box sets of Star Wars having come out recently, the question with this release is: will it be the theatrical experience or 3-D that brings them in? Will they come at all? Fandom feels possessive of certain things, but Star Wars was never just a nerd favorite, and The Phantom Menace made over $400 Million domestically. It’s possible that “normal” people liked this movie and want to take their kids. We shall see.

Is the force with this reissue?

George Lucas is Retiring to Focus on Art Films

Damon Houx — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:58:04 +0000

Oh, George. In his latest round of interviews for Red Tails, George Lucas told the New York Times that he’s going to retire from the big budget industry and make his art films, except to maybe make Indiana Jones 5. This is a drum Lucas has been beating for a long time, though we’ve seen no fruits of this labor. Perhaps this time he means it – Red Tails was once his passion project, and it gestated for over twenty years.

For anyone who grew up under the sway of Star Wars and loved movies, George Lucas had a number of fascinating periods in his career. The fiery upstart who financed his own sequel to Star Wars to maintain creative control, the guy who helped create Indiana Jones, the man who put his name on Akira Kurosawa’s film Kageshuma to get it made. And then came his hermit period where he only seemed to come out to produce things like Willow and The Radioland Murders. What was he doing in his Skywalker Ranch Xanadu? Then came the prequels.

Whether Lucas is serious or not, it would be great to see him actually make his art films, but like Steven Soderbergh’s retirement or any number of promises that come with buts, it’s hard to believe Lucas will actually pull that trigger. Perhaps there is nothing more terrifying than having the ability to do whatever you want.

Do you think we will ever see George Lucas’s art films?

Video: Preview Seven Minutes Of George Lucas’ ‘Red Tails’

traviswoods — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:44:24 +0000

In one of the strangest movie moments in 2012, it appears that George Lucas may be pulling off something he hasn’t done in at least 20 or so years—releasing a movie that appears to be, well, good. That’s right, Lucas has produced and helped fund Red Tails, the upcoming film about the Tuskegee Airmen, the all-African American World War II combat pilots, and it actually looks pretty great. Don’t believe Lucas could have a hand in anything awesome? Check out seven minutes of footage from Red Tails below.

The Anthony Hamilton-directed action film stars Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard, Bryan Cranston, and Method Man, as well as featuring something Lucas actually is known for doing well—stellar special effects.

RT Clip from Tambay Obenson on Vimeo.

A lot of eyes are currently on Red Tails and the financial numbers it will generate, with many believing that spending $60 million on a primarily African American action film is “risky,” and that if the film does well, African American cinema may get a boost and be seen as more commercially viable.

It remains to be seen how well Red Tails will do in cinemas, as it’s up against the 134^th new Underworld film, as well as Steven Soderbergh’s Haywire.

What did you think of the Red Tails footage?

Source: ScreenRant

George Lucas States Steven Spielberg Is Wrong About ‘Indiana Jones 5′ Plot Details

traviswoods — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 21:34:01 +0000

Just a week ago, we told you that Steven Spielberg and George Lucas were once again collaborating to defile our collective childhood dreams by making yet another Indiana Jones film, after already seriously tarnishing the franchise with Indiana Jones and This One Ridiculous Crystal Skull and Some Aliens. We reported that Spielberg is just waiting for Lucas to come up with a plot to fit around their agreed upon MacGuffin (the item that drives the plot, like the Ark of the Covenent or the Holy Grail in previous films). Well, according to Lucas, Spielberg was wrong and had the news backwards.

According to Lucas, the story has been worked out, and now just needs a MacGuffin to be inserted. “I told him about the story, but I really haven’t found the MacGuffin yet,” Lucas said, as he thoughtfully mused about what other franchises he could destroy. “I mean, I know what it’s about, but I just have to find a MacGuffin that fits into the arena we’re working in.”

So there you have it: George Lucas and The Search For the MacGuffin in the Unnecessary Sequel. Sounds like a hell of a film. Spielberg can play the wise-cracking sidekick.

What do you think of the Indy 5 news?

Source: /Film

Steven Spielberg Drops ‘Indiana Jones 5′ Plot Clues

traviswoods — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:19:38 +0000

Seeing as how Steven Spielberg and George Lucas simply did not learn their lessons with Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull-Thing That Tarnished a Beloved Franchise, Indiana Jones 5 is definitely happening, because they haven’t quite finished ruining the beloved collective dreams of our childhoods.

The first sliver of detail about the upcoming sequel slipped out when Spielberg, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, noted that the film is “up to George. We have already agreed on the genre of the fifth movie, we already have a concept in mind. I don’t know where George is with the story. There is no Indy 5 until George says there is.”

This comment created a flurry of fanboy friction on the internet, as the phrase, “agreed on the genre” seemed to imply that Indy would be entering a new genre. Did this mean that Indy 5 would be a romantic comedy? Pure sci-fi? Erotic thriller? Slasher film? Transformers tie-in?

Turns out, none of the above. Sensing that the heads of nerds worldwide were exploding with the possibility that Indy might be tampered with any more that he already has been, Spielberg clarified his statement, explaining that “it’s not a new genre at all.” Rather, instead of “genre,” he meant to say “MacGuffin”:

“It’s all the same genre. It’s just the MacGuffin that changes. The MacGuffin was the Ark of the Covenent in Raiders, the Holy Grail in The Last Crusade, and the skull in The Crystal Skull. That’s what always changes, and that’s what we always look for…

“It’s up to George. We have already agreed on the [MacGuffin] of the fifth movie, we already have a concept in mind. I don’t know where George is with the story. There is no Indy 5 until George says there is.”

So there you have it—Indy will stay the same. Hopefully he’ll even go back to normal, and our long national nightmare that began with the last film can finally end.

What do you think of the Indy 5 news?

Source: /Film

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace 3-D Trailer

Damon Houx — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:59:42 +0000

For a couple generations of film goers, it’s impossible to say that they don’t care deeply about the Star Wars franchise. George Lucas‘s masterwork still provokes discussion, especially when George decides to tinker with the franchise further. Well, he’s tinkered again, and on February 10, 2012, we’ll see how well The Phantom Menace stands up to third dimensional scrutiny. Here’s the trailer, check it out…

It seems drawn from the same blueprint as the Star Wars reissues done in 1997, when Lucas included digital effects into the original trilogy, and fans turned out for the first film in such numbers that the reissue made $138 Million dollars. But where that trailer was arguing you could only watch the film’s on crappy television (with the picture expanding to the full screen), this seems slightly more disingenuous – these films look great at home on DVD and Blu-ray – and it doesn’t seem to be selling the 3-D in the same sort of way.

Of course it’s worth noting what this does not sell from The Phantom Menace: Jar-Jar or the dialogue – then again, why would you? Though at the time the film was breaking box office records (though couldn’t top Titanic, which is also due for a 3-D reissue), it has a reputation as the worst Star Wars film. But when the box set of the films breaks sales records, Lucas has shown this fanbase will often show up and spend money, even if they know they won’t like it. The Phantom Menace hits theaters February 10, and this discussion will surely continue until then.

Will you go anyway?

‘Star Wars’ Blu-Ray Set Becomes Bestselling Blu-Ray Of All Time… In Just One Week

traviswoods — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 16:55:32 +0000

Wow. Despite the fact that the giant goiter with a man growing out of it (or, as you might know it, George Lucas), continued to meddle with his original vision, tossing in even more cheesy CGI additions and horrible Darth Vadar “NOOOOOOOO!” exclamations, the Star Wars complete saga Blu-Ray set has, within just one week, become the highest selling Blu-Ray of all time.

Let me say that again– the Star Wars complete saga Blu-Ray set, released on September 16^th, has, within just one week, become the highest selling Blu-Ray of all time, according to Deadline. This means that people actually paid money to see Lucas defile his classic series (ok, classic original trilogy and mind-bendingly horrible prequel trilogy) even further, as the box set sold over one million units, which equals about $84 million in sales, 515,000 of those being sold right her e in the U.S. of A.

So, there you go, America—never underestimate the need of the fanboys to see Greedo shooting first in high definition; meanwhile, somewhere in a mansion far, far away, an almost comically out of touch filmmaker sits in a pair of blue jeans and a red flannel shirt, twirling his beard and laughing, as his wallet and neck waddle continue to swell in parallel proportion to the Dark Side of the Force, which forces us all to keep watching a series of kid’s movies about glowing swords and talking robots.

What do you think of the Star Wars news?

George Lucas Has Reedited The Original Star Wars Trilogy… Again

traviswoods — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:17:22 +0000

Wow. It seems that George Lucas, once the cinematic wizard who gave our childhood dreams shape and form through the whiz-bang popcorn entertainment of the original Star Wars and Indiana Jones trilogies, continues to morph into the flabby-necked monstrosity hell-bent on turning those once-cherished dreams into nightmare drudgery. I’m talking, of course, about how Lucas has, once again, reedited and revised his classic Star Wars trilogy, this time for the Blu-Ray premiere of the franchise.

It turns out that the new Indiana Jones film wasn’t torturous enough for movie fans, so, as he prepared his original Star Wars trilogy for its first Blu-Ray release, George, sigh, tinkered with them once again. As broken by Devin Faraci over at Badass Digest, now, for instance, the Ewoks blink and it’s really creepy. Not a big deal? Well, try on Obi Wan Kenobi’s new garbled scream from A New Hope:

That not stupid enough for you? Ok, try this on for size: remember the end of Revenge of the Sith, when the Darth Vader let out that really cheesy “NOOOOOOOOOO!”? You do? Great! Remember how insipid and stupid it was? Even better! No, guess what? Lucas has him scream in the exact same way when he kills the Emperor at the end of Return of the Jedi!

So there you go folks—he’s done it once again, taking a once cherished cinematic memory and scribbling all over it. No, George. NOOOOOOOOO!

What do you think of the Star Wars changes?

Red Tails Trailer Soars

Damon Houx — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 18:31:07 +0000

George Lucas has been talking about Red Tails for over two decades. He started dishing on the project around 1988, and even as he was going into production on the prequel trilogy, the title kept popping its head out. Lucas was supposed to direct, then he decided to back seat it as the executive producer. Instead TV journeyman Anthony Hemingway was brought in to direct and shooting commenced in 2009. Nobody gets to rush Lucas, though, so the film is now targeting a January 2012 release. Check out the trailer…

The film stars Terrence Howard, Cuba Gooding Jr., the ubiquitous Bryan Cranston, and a number of The Wire veterans (Andre Royo, Tristan Wilds, Michael B. Jordan and Method Man), and that trailer suggests some of the best aerial combat photography this side of Howard Hughes.

It also looks like a compelling story. Lucas may have taken his lumps on the prequel trilogy – and deservedly so – but he was once one of the great cinema minds, and has always had a good eye for talent and material. Then again, it’s hard to know how “hands on” he was in the production – fandom often gives him more proprietary credit than he perhaps deserves, and a number of executive producers simply cash checks. But this was once one of his passion projects, so it’s hard to imagine him not behind a number of decisions – especially after helming the reshoots.

Regardless of how terrible the prequel films might be, it would be great to see Lucas redeem his reputation. This could be that picture – at least until he finally makes his small independent film he keeps talking about.

Can George Lucas save his reputation?

Shia LaBeouf Confirms That George Lucas Is ‘Looking’ For Indiana Jones 5

traviswoods — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 22:30:26 +0000

Because George Lucas and Steven Spielberg didn’t completely destroy all of the public goodwill directed towards the character of Indiana Jones with the utterly atrocious Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, it appears that there may be a fifth film starring the ever-adventurous Dr. Jones, at least according to Crystal Skull costar Shia LaBeouf, so says the AV Club:

“I talked to Harrison, he said he’s staying in the gym, he said he’s heard no word, but he does know that George [Lucas] is out there looking for a MacGuffin. He said he’s staying in the gym, so it means, you know, it’s not so far off.”

So as long as Ford keeps himself in a gym to stay relatively well-muscled (in that leathery old guy kind of way), the torch stays lit for the fact that Lucas and Spielberg, despite both having more money than, well, anybody, are returning to the well to create more nostalgia-ravaging crap to kidnap our childhood hero’s and hijack them for even further financial gain and even further critical disappointment. Also, it appears that this is part of a long-reaching plan on behalf of Hollywood’s power-players (including Michael Bay) to somehow bestow fame and wealth onto Shia LaBewhatever. It’s diabolical, I tell you—simply diabolical.

What do you think of the Indiana Jones 5 news?

George Lucas Has Completed 50 Scripted Episodes Of ‘Star Wars’ TV Show

traviswoods — Tue, 31 May 2011 21:53:14 +0000

Remember back to about a million years ago (ok, maybe it was four years), when George Lucas decided he was going to take a break from ruining his original films with constant updates and make a Star Wars TV show that would bridge the gap between the original trilogy and the dreaded prequels? Well, after taking a break to utterly and brutally destroy everything that was great about Indiana Jones, Lucas has quietly amassed fifty hours of scripted episodes for the new series.

Now, before your fanboy or fangirl head explodes, keep in mind that at this stage, only the 50 one-hour scripts been completed, according to the AV Club—George still has to shoot the thing. Why the delay?

“It’s just that, in typical Lucas fashion, he’s looking to develop an entirely new type of production technology first before he feels comfortable putting it on the air. Calling that development “a very difficult process” when he spoke to G4, Lucas was reluctant to provide a timeline for when the series might move forward again, only saying that he wanted to wait until this breakthrough, more cost-efficient technology was invented in order to make the new show ‘credible.’”

Hang just a sec—I just need to duck down behind my desk here, as the words “George Lucas” and “credible were just used in the same paragraph, and so the resultant matter/ anti-matter explosion should happen any minute now…

Anyway, what this means is that fans of the Star Wars saga can look forward to at least 50 more hours of stilted, wooden dialogue that describes a great and mystic force that binds us all, and that eventually gets buried beneath an avalanche of CGI and characters designed to instigate mass suicides.

What do you think of the Star Wars news?

Criterion and Hulu Plus Equals Great Art Films

Damon Houx — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 21:09:09 +0000

For those looking to catch up on their classics, Criterion’s deal with Hulu plus opens up the door for the cheap explorer. Recently Criterion is now including some of their supplements with the Hulu deal, which means for $7.99 a month you can watch George Lucas talk about Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress, or hear Martin Scorsese wax on about Frederico Fellini. They’ve also added an additional 100 titles to their first announcement.

Those titles include, but are not limited to: Robert Bresson’s L’Argent , Michelangelo Antonioni’s L’eclisse, Max Ophüls’ La Ronde , Akira Kurosawa’s The Bad Sleep Well, Jean Renoir’s Boudu Saved from Drowning, Orson Welles’ Confidential Report, Jean-Luc Godard’s Masculin Féminin, Alain Renais’ Night and Fog, Fiend Without a Face, the Hanzo the Razor series, Ingmar Bergman’s Scenes from a Marriage Carl Theodor Dreyer’s Vampyr, and Andrei Tarkovsky’s Ivan’s Childhood.

As so much of the news of late portends, we’re unavoidably heading to a digital future. Criterion is staking out their position on this road by joining with Hulu, and have said they’re looking to eventually get more and more supplements digitized for this format. For Criterion collectors this is either an annoyance or a non-issue, the hard copies are still available, but for those looking to to get a sample of cinema history, every single director above (many with multiple titles on Hulu) is considered a master.

Criterion has established itself as the watermark of quality for older titles, and many directors (like Wes Anderson) have sworn by Criterion as their teacher when it comes to the old classics. Ultimately this feels like a stop-gap in how we will eventually be able to collect and/or absorb home video in the future, but as most Criterion DVD’s and Blu-rays have $30 to $40 list prices, for those who want to dip their toes in, this is a relatively cheap way to have instant access to many in the collection.

But if this is the future, Criterion will no longer have items to collect, and as the Criterion label has appealed to collectors, we shall see how that changes their brand.

How much do you watch through streaming?

ScreenCrave.com » george lucas

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