To badly misquote The Beatles, it was 35 years ago today that George Lucas taught the world to play. Yes, Star Wars came out on May 25, 1977, and now we’ve been living in its shadow for three and a half decades. Though too often anniversaries are mentioned as milestones, it’s worth reflecting on what has changed since the release.
Love him or hate him, director James Cameron has never been one to play it safe. But Cameron just announced that he is not open to developing any projects, original or otherwise, in the near future. Instead he will focus entirely on directing sequels to his groundbreaking 3D epic Avatar. This is cause for concern. In the past, some directors opted to coast off huge successes and ended up irrevocably damaging their reputations. The most notable of these being George Lucas with his Star Wars franchise. Will James Cameron follow in his path?
Time for another round-up of this week’s entertainment bits and pieces. The Office‘s executive producer Greg Daniels dropped a bomb this week – he’s debating whether or not to reboot The Office next season. We’ve also got a gallery featuring Darth Vader as a good father to Luke Skywalker. All that and more below.
Star Wars was a cinematic revolution. Though other filmmakers had attempted science fiction and fantasy before, the 1977 film showed worlds unlike anything seen before and inspired imaginations with its galaxy far, far away. One of the most important architects of that universe has passed away–conceptual artist Ralph McQuarrie died this weekend from complications related to Parkinson’s disease.
It is a holiday weekend – at least for some government employees and students – so it’s worth looking at the four day numbers, though there’s very little difference. The big winner is last week’s Safe House, which managed to hold stronger than The Vow, while Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance proved a weaker draw than expected. Let’s look at the numbers, shall we?
Let’s be honest—just about all of the nips, tucks, tweaks, and changes that George Lucas has made to the original Star Wars trilogy over the past 15 or years hasn’t exactly endeared the man to Star Wars die hards. And the scene that has become the metaphor for how Lucas’ revisions fundamentally change/ worsen the tone of the films is when Han Solo goes from shooting the bounty hunter Greedo first and without warning to simply shooting Greedo in self defense. But now, Lucas says Star Wars fans are “confused,” and that Han never shot first, despite the original film showing him, well, shoot first.
Last weekend, we saw two new picture do much more business than expected on a Super Bowl weekend. This weekend we’re looking at four pictures that could all do over $20 Million. Safe House, The Vow, The Phantom Menace 3-D, and Journey 2: The Mysterious Island all have name players, and target audience appeal. Who wins? Take a look…
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…
For years, there has been a rift in the science fiction and fantasy community. There are some who love Star Trek, and there are those who love Star Wars, and for many it’s a one or the other sort of deal. Unfortunately, this divide has been escalated recently when William Shatner took some shots at the George Lucas-owned franchise, and Carrie Fisher responded in kind. But now George Takei made a video to broker the peace by offering a new target: Twilight.
