I recently read an article about the possibility of more Indiana Jones movies, which included this little gem:
Lucas sat down with AP Television at his Big Rock Ranch outside San Francisco, where he said he didn’t pay much attention to the reception from critics and fans to “Crystal Skull,” a sci-fi adventure set in the 1950s.
Let’s just mull over that for a sec.
To say, “I don’t care what the critics think” is the prerogative of any director. Saying, “I don’t care what the audience thinks” is something altogether different. Only filmmakers who claim to be making pure art can do that. For instance, David Lynch probably doesn’t worry too much about what audiences think.
But if you’re making a film that is supposed to have mass appeal, and at the same time you are claiming that you don’t care whether anyone enjoys it, then you are either a self-indulgent egomaniac or a liar, or a little of both.
Personally, I think Lucas’ ignoring us is an epic act of passive-aggression. He probably lives in a cocoon of yes-men, and he naturally saw the negative reaction to the prequel trilogy as unfair. Probably the only thing that brings him joy now is taking the money of the people who are the most critical of what he’s produced over the past 10 years: his fans.
I remember how back in 2006, he finally released the original trilogy on DVD, without the “Special Edition” bells and whistles. But it wasn’t even a transfer from the original film stock – it was just the 1993 laserdisc version copied onto a DVD. There were only two channels of stereo sound, instead of the standard 5.1. And it wasn’t even anamorphic – it was letterboxed.
If you don’t know what any of that means, don’t worry about it. But just take my word that it was a clearly inferior DVD release, especially coming from a company known for its technological wizardry. It seemed like a purposeful slap in the face to the hardcore fans, who had the audacity to like the movie the way it used to be.
Anyway, I know none of this is a news flash. The idea that Lucas has no respect for his fans is pretty much as old as the Star Wars Holiday Special. But reading that article, where he comes right out and says that he doesn’t care what we think of Crystal Skull… somehow that still surprised me. The man who invented the blockbuster has become a misanthrope. I’d feel sorry for him, if he wasn’t such a douche.
and boy, did we love the star wars holiday special.
What the…? Okay, I hate Star Wars, but that Holiday Special: Was that an actual product sanctioned by the Great Man? Or was it a satire?
Jean, I envy you. A person only gets to learn about the jaw-droppingly awful Star Wars Holiday Special once. Enjoy your astonishment at how terrible something can be.
I like to think about the Star Wars Holiday Special as a really bad spin-off of _Maude_.
It makes it easier to get through the day.
Also, on the topic of bizarre non-topical sci-fi cast projects, check out the cast list of this other unlikely Christmas special:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096009/fullcredits#cast
Yep, that’s Sisco, Janeway, LaForge, Tuvac, and I believe a few additional guest stars all shoehorned in there. It’s like an episode of Gargoyles!
My soul is in the fetal position and weeping incessantly right now. It’s inconsolable.
I would ask why I had never heard of the holiday special before, but I think I already know the answer.
Lucas needs to just be stabbed in the heart with a spoon.
Yeah, I’m sorry about that. It’s pretty astoundingly bad. Poor Harrison Ford. Hell, I feel sorry for Bea Authur.
One good thing did come of it, though: the introduction of a certain fan-favorite bounty hunter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rtPmPDrWjY
George Lucas raped my childhood.
Anyone else see the Star Wars comic ad? Just sayin…
I’m pretty sure Mr. Lucas was talking about fanatic fans, like Star Wars or Indiana Jones buffs. People who have the script memorized and a basement full of miniatures type fans. Whether he cares what the non-fanatic audience thinks is an open question.
If you’re correct that he is showing contempt not for the general sheeple audience but instead for the addicts of his brand of media crack, he is worse still- he is a pusher sneering at junkies.
Sick.