George Lucas on the Star Wars Franchise

[willywonka666]

“You go to make a movie, and all you do is get criticized, and people try and make decisions about what you’re going to do before you do it,” he explains. “It’s not much fun, and you can’t experiment. You can’t do anything. You have to do it a certain way. I don’t like that, and I never did. I started out in experimental films and I want to go back to experimental films, but of course, nobody wants to see experimental films.”

“I loved your first film,” a voice says, referring to THX 1138.

“Well, nobody else did,” Lucas adds.


I get what he's saying. There have always been naysayers, but in this day and age, it's all you seem to see on social media, and while it's not his job to please the entire world, it's got to wear on you to have virtually every aspect of your work picked apart at some point.

I'm so glad Twitter wasn't around during the first round of films.

I also think that this applies to more than just movies, entertainment, etc.

EVERYTHING seems to be boiled down to an exact science and people don't seem to have time or patience for anything.

[kidglov3s]

Too bad Lucas didn't love THX 1138 as originally released enough to allow it on Blu-ray.

or American Graffiti.

or Star Wars.

etc

[Push R Truth]

I still love Willow


OUT OF THE WAY... PECK!

[YAKMAN is ICHIBAN]

It seems pretty clear at this point that Star Wars only became what it is due to other people limiting his more idiotic ideas, much like Russo's ideas were tempered in the Attitude Era in WWE.

If he wants to do experimental films, nothing is stopping him. He can surely finance that hobby himself.

[Crimson]

I guess my thing is there's room for both. I don't think people would have given shit as long as the original prints were preserved.

[Deleted]

Jar Jar
Cantina band

Both are enough to render all his opinions completely invalid.

[mizerable]

God, what a whiney man child.

People try to make decisions before you do anything? Uh yeah...it's called noticing that not all of your ideas are good and trying to still make sure you don't fall flat on your face.

If those people didn't help make decisions, then George personally wouldn't have reaped the profits that made him a billionaire today. When he fired his editor for Star Wars and editted the movie himself, EVERYONE hated it because he's not an editor.

People who were more mature, more efficient, and more reasonable looked at what he had and realized that they cpuld help him. His ex wife busted her ass enough to edit the film so much so that she won an Academy Award for it, and I think that still stings George to this day.

George could've easily done art house and experimental movies after his initial Star Wars success, but he didn't. He stuck with a franchise that he apparently was disenfranchised with creatively, probably because it was going to make him more money. Everything seems to everyone elses' fault if you listen to George. Bitter toward everyone who helped him along the way.

Edit: he was likely talking about the fan complaints, but I still find it to be yet another excuse he makes because he can't handle criticism of any kind. Again if it was such a f***ing issue, he should have handed the reigns off a long time ago. The same people who complained were the same ones that fed his ego and his wallet when it came time for him to make the prequels. Apparently, the fans are only valid when they like what you give them and they pay for it. Film making will be much better off without George Lucas.

[Surfer Sandman]

Nov 19, 2015 9:00:07 GMT -5 kidglov3s said:

Too bad Lucas didn't love THX 1138 as originally released enough to allow it on Blu-ray.

or American Graffiti.

or Star Wars.

etc.

I see Lucas as a rabid perfectionist. He's never happy with his creations, hence the constant re-invention of the wheel. He did it with the editing of the first 3 films and he also did it (in a lesser way) with the last 3 films (midichlorians).

I don't think that George Lucas will ever be happy with his work and I think the internet was the last nail in the coffin for his involvement with Star Wars. If not for the internet, who knows how many more films he would have made and re-made and re-booted?

[Cyno]

I agree. That's the way I've always seen Lucas, especially with all the Special Editions adding changes.

I think if he had the chance and the ability, we'd see Prequel Special Editions to fix what he perceived as their flaws. Though unlike the OT special editions, they probably would've almost been better.

Though really, if you took the original theatrical cuts of the trilogy and just took the updated VFX of the Special Editions without any other changes, I'd be a really happy camper.

[Bob Schlapowitz]

Nov 19, 2015 9:00:07 GMT -5 kidglov3s said:

Too bad Lucas didn't love THX 1138 as originally released enough to allow it on Blu-ray.

or American Graffiti.

or Star Wars.

etc

Wait, what's altered on the American Graffiti blu-ray?

[A Platypus Rave]

Nov 19, 2015 12:29:54 GMT -5 Cyno said:

I agree. That's the way I've always seen Lucas, especially with all the Special Editions adding changes.

I think if he had the chance and the ability, we'd see Prequel Special Editions to fix what he perceived as their flaws. Though unlike the OT special editions, they probably would've almost been better.

Though really, if you took the original theatrical cuts of the trilogy and just took the updated VFX of the Special Editions without any other changes, I'd be a really happy camper.

well he already replaced the Puppet yoda with a CGI in the blu-ray collection...

[Burst]

What I find very fascinating is the collective opinion of George Lucas now versus the collective opinion of him 15-20 years ago.

He's certainly still a visionary, but seemingly against all other odds did things work out for him, and pretty much everything out of his mouth in the last decade hasn't really helped his case.

[Hit Girl]

He still doesn't get it.

No George, you made BAD movies. Then you altered good movies to make them worse. That's why you got criticised.

[Deleted]

Nov 19, 2015 9:26:07 GMT -5 YAKMAN is ICHIBAN said:

It seems pretty clear at this point that Star Wars only became what it is due to other people limiting his more idiotic ideas, much like Russo's ideas were tempered in the Attitude Era in WWE.

If he wants to do experimental films, nothing is stopping him. He can surely finance that hobby himself.

I equate it more to a Metallica in the sense that they were a groundbreaking band when they came out, but millions of dollars, and a wife with kids later it's very hard to sustain that same creative juice. They both also married themselves to a genre that harbors a pretty hardcore fanbase who get quite ornery when what their given doesn't suit their particular tastes. From an artistic standpoint I don't envy a guy like Lucas who struck gold with a sci fi film and is expected to carry that flag the rest of his life. Not that it's completely black and white, Lucas could stand to have thicker skin and try these experimental movies regardless of what people say about him, but there's truth to the fact that his critics can be completely over the top and almost seem to take it as a personal attack that Lucas put out some Star Wars movies they didn't like. He didn't have to remaster the original trilogy, he didn't have to make the prequels, and they are definitely bad movies, but that's really all they are is bad movies that are easy to cast aside, and you can't take the original trilogy from him either.

[Mighty Attack Tribble]

The writing was on the wall way back in the pre-production phase of Return of the Jedi, when Gary Kurtz was forced out as producer over his objections to Lucas' assertion that people cared more about the spectacle than the story.

So when we got a prequel trilogy that was all spectacle and horseshit story, nobody should've been surprised, and Lucas shouldn't have been surprised that people hated them.

[Goldenbane]

Nov 19, 2015 10:15:48 GMT -5 mizerable said:

God, what a whiney man child.

People try to make decisions before you do anything? Uh yeah...it's called noticing that not all of your ideas are good and trying to still make sure you don't fall flat on your face.

If those people didn't help make decisions, then George personally wouldn't have reaped the profits that made him a billionaire today. When he fired his editor for Star Wars and editted the movie himself, EVERYONE hated it because he's not an editor.

People who were more mature, more efficient, and more reasonable looked at what he had and realized that they cpuld help him. His ex wife busted her ass enough to edit the film so much so that she won an Academy Award for it, and I think that still stings George to this day.

George could've easily done art house and experimental movies after his initial Star Wars success, but he didn't. He stuck with a franchise that he apparently was disenfranchised with creatively, probably because it was going to make him more money. Everything seems to everyone elses' fault if you listen to George. Bitter toward everyone who helped him along the way.

Edit: he was likely talking about the fan complaints, but I still find it to be yet another excuse he makes because he can't handle criticism of any kind. Again if it was such a f***ing issue, he should have handed the reigns off a long time ago. The same people who complained were the same ones that fed his ego and his wallet when it came time for him to make the prequels. Apparently, the fans are only valid when they like what you give them and they pay for it. Film making will be much better off without George Lucas.

Absolutely spot on. George Lucas has gone on record in recent years stating that he hates Empire Strikes Back with a passion. Which of the Star Wars movies is always hailed as the best? Empire. Which, of all of them, did Lucas have the least amount of say on? Empire. I think he holds a grudge against Irvin Kirshner for showing him up.

[Zaq "That Guy" Buzzkill]

George Lucas should take advice from this guy:

[Hit Girl]

I don't have much problem with ROTJ being reworked from the original idea, because Lucas still had decent people around him and it turned out to be a good film.

The real issue began with the changes to the originals. They weren't necessary and he was changing parts of movies he didn't even direct, which was disrespectful to Irvin Kershner and Richard Marquand. Then came the prequels when he was completely unchallenged. The end result was inevitable.

[Crappler El 0 M]

THX 1138 is interesting, but I wouldn't call it good. You can see the talent in its filmmaker.

[mizerable]

Nov 19, 2015 20:10:42 GMT -5 Crappler El 0 M said:

THX 1138 is interesting, but I wouldn't call it good. You can see the talent in its filmmaker.

Outside of ANH, I wouldn't consider any of his movies very good, at least in terms of direction.

It became evident that George's ideas were far better off in the hands in others.