True. And if you don’t like that part of being in entertainment, it seems the smart thing to do is stop being in entertainment. Which is, more or less, what Lucas is doing here, isn’t it? He’s sick of the over-the-top vituperation from Star Wars fans, and has decided he doesn’t want to expose himself to any more. So he’s not doing any more Star Wars films.
I’m genuinely unsure why this reflects poorly on him. And I say this as someone who thinks the prequels were among the worst movies ever made, relative to their budget and prestige. Why should he continue to produce more media for people who are absolute dicks to him at every opportunity? If I were him, I’d be tempted to turn off the tap completely: no movies, no toys, no books, no games. Although I doubt he has that sort of control over his company anymore.
This is weird, because I swear I’ve seen pics of him wearing a “Han Shot First” T-shirt, so he’s at least able to poke fun at himself sometimes. Maybe this interview happened on a day when he was in a bad mood or his cat died or something.
I personally don’t think it’s so bad, but I think the reason it’s rubbing people the wrong isn’t that he’s bowing out, it’s that he’s bowing out and then whining about how everyone made him do it. Nobody would care, save some jokes, if he just quietly decided to stop. It’s more the “everybody hates me!” siren he threw the press at the same time he quit.
I don’t see how he’s blaming the fans here. He does sound whiny and thin-skinned here. But then, the crazy fanboy shit he’s had to listen could eventually erode the thickest hide. Sure, something like Han not shooting first is irksome, but the bitching about upgraded SFX or whining about “A New Hope” is really nutso.
But I bet he comes back to it. It’s his legacy. And despite the problems with the movies (yes, even the original 3), it’s a great universe he’s created.
Yeah, when you become a fan demigod and then disappoint them, and they all go absolutely crazy, well… hmmm… maybe you should do something else.
Or retreat into a cave.
I have this theory that if Lucas had made The Phantom Menace in 1986 or so, I mean made the exact same movie minus the digital effects and computer graphics, people would have said “it wasn’t great, but it did have some really good parts, let’s wait for the next film to see where the story goes”.
i.e. this one wasn’t very good, but the next one might be, and even if that one isn’t there’ll be more down the pipe.
I mean, that’s the point right? with serials like “Buck Rogers” and “Tarzan” and whatever. Keep cranking 'em out. Some will suck, and some will stick, and if you do a good enough job the overall effect should be positive.
Instead Star Wars fans were given an almost 20 year wait, and after all the hype and expectation were served with three “enjoy-these-cause-this-is-it” Shinola sandwiches.
An aside but TPM has some of the most beautiful sets, costumes, design, and shooting locations. It really is a gorgeous film in parts, but in the later prequels even this was lost he moved to all digital sets. I remember about shitting myself watching ROTS and realizing Palpatine’s office was CGI, A CGI COUCH WTF?!
George Lucas needs some god damn fucking self reflection. People are pissed because he created something great then shit all over it. You may like the shit, but that doesn’t mean that he didn’t take the memories of people watching the films in the 70’s and 80’s and completely alter them. And to prevent anyone else from having access to the originals? That’s a dick move
So we’ll never get to see “Episode VII: The Droid Danger” with Randomname Solo-Skywalker as the protagonist, and a bunch of adorably marketable action figure designs?
He’s certainly not under any obligation to make more Star Wars movies or anything related to it, and he can do so for any reason he chooses (or none). The only part that bothers me is the claim that he stopped making Star Wars movies because he was tired of the fans complaining. The last Star Wars movie came out six and a half years ago. That was the third of three planned movies. He didn’t stop making the movies because of complaints from fans. He stopped making them because he was done with them. I’m somewhat annoyed by the attempt to shame his fans years later - fans who aren’t obliged to kiss his ass, who helped make him very rich, and who are under no obligation to like the movies he made.
This is almost exactly how I felt when I read the article. Something about it really bugged me, but I didn’t quite have the words to express it when I started the thread. You’ve nailed it for me.
