Lucas Vs. Whedon

POSTED BY: NEEDY
UPDATED: Wednesday, March 22, 2006 18:34
VIEWED: 7526
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NEEDY

Tuesday, March 21, 2006 5:02 PM

This may have been posted here before, but in case it hasn't (or you missed it), here's a strip featuring George Lucas talking about Serenity:

http://www.popcornpicnic.com/serenity.htm

You should check out the other comics too - they're all related to current movies, and some of them star Marlon Brando and E.T. (yes, its odd but still funny)

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Needy. Male Companion a.k.a. First Boy Whore of Destiny
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www.myspace.com/needsalt

JOSSISAGOD

Tuesday, March 21, 2006 5:12 PM

" I dunno, but I'm gonna need a baseball bat and a new T.V." ROFL!BWAHhahahaha! That strip was incredible! Since watching the Star Wars prequals, I have lost my respect for G.L. Thanks for posting this!

JOSSIS(Most Definitely)AGOD

ISAACSHEPHERD

Tuesday, March 21, 2006 5:14 PM

Interesting comic. I would have to say if the two got into a creative showdown Joss would win the day by a land slide, perhaps i'm a bit biased . Mostly due to Lucas's inability to write dialogue (need I say more?). Joss is smart about his writing and will do things unpredictable which keeps in intensity. I don't think Star Wars has the same emotional response that FF?Serenity has. Serenity didn't have that fairy tale ending that ROTJ had. Plus no good guys died that we even cared about.
IS

The Bible's a bit fuzzy on the subject of kneecaps.

BROWNCOAT1

Tuesday, March 21, 2006 5:32 PM

ROFLMAO!

Great stuff.

__________________________________________

"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

Richmond, VA & surrounding area Firefly Fans:

http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/richmondbrowncoats/

http://www.richmondbrowncoats.org

NEEDY

Tuesday, March 21, 2006 5:37 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by IsaacShepherd:
Interesting comic. I would have to say if the two got into a creative showdown Joss would win the day by a land slide, perhaps i'm a bit biased . Mostly due to Lucas's inability to write dialogue (need I say more?). Joss is smart about his writing and will do things unpredictable which keeps in intensity. I don't think Star Wars has the same emotional response that FF?Serenity has. Serenity didn't have that fairy tale ending that ROTJ had. Plus no good guys died that we even cared about.
IS

The Bible's a bit fuzzy on the subject of kneecaps.

I grew up watching the Star Wars films and I love them to bits. I'm also one of the few that thinks Jedi is better than Empire
I don't have a problem with happy endings (though in the original ending, apparently Lando and his funny-faced co pilot didn't make it out of the death star before it blew), and in my heart Jedi is one of my all time favourite movies
Serenity is a different type of movie - yes you can compare them, but I don't think its fair as Serenity is a more grown up, darker movie, whereas Star Wars is intended for people of all ages. It's like comparing the original Batman tv series with Batman Begins - they're two very different creatures

Though the prequels have made it blatantly obvious that Lucas should not have handled the moves by himself - he cannot write realistic dialogue, nor give the needed direction. To add to this, his over-use of CGI led to some less-than-stellar performances.
both Empire and Jedi were written and directed by people other than Lucas. There you have it.

As for Star Wars not having the same emotional response as Serenity... well I'd have to disagree there.
I think there are a lot of emotions on display during Han being frozen in carbonite, and Luke being told the truth by Darth in Empire, and the brilliant moment near the end of Jedi when Luke really lets loose on Vader after the mention of his sister. This scene alone, along with the remarkable music by John Williams, always sends a chill up my spine.

On the other hand, as much as I love Serenity, I never felt the same way. I went through all the emotions - shocked, sad, at the edge of my seat at one point and laughing the next... but I never got that same chill, the same emotional resonanace that I did watching Luke duel with his father.

Thats not to say that Jedi or Serenity is better than the other, but that they are - IMO - two very different movies. One is a darkish character piece, and the others modern fairy tales

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Needy. Male Companion a.k.a. First Boy Whore of Destiny
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www.myspace.com/needsalt

CARTOON

Tuesday, March 21, 2006 6:36 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by NEEDY:
Thats not to say that Jedi or Serenity is better than the other, but that they are - IMO - two very different movies. One is a darkish character piece, and the others modern fairy tales

This is so true -- and it's also hard to subjectively compare movies which you initially saw thirty years apart.

While I know there is no movie I've ever watched 5 times in 3 days (as I did with the "Serenity" DVD -- of course, there weren't DVDs or even VCRs when "Star Wars" came out), "Star Wars" changed the face of not only sci-fi, but of nearly all films made after it came out.

I enjoy the characters (most of them) in "Serenity" more than any characters in fiction I've seen anywhere in recent years (perhaps decades), and the humor of "Serenity" certainly outshines "Star Wars" (which had its humorours moments, but which cannot compare to "Serenity"). "Serenity" is also more of a believably reastistic world, in my opinion -- lacking in aliens and super powers.

However, I can still recall what "Star Wars" did to me and nearly everyone of my generation. Firstly, it put sci-fi back on the map (after it had virtually died for more than a decade) -- making way for the resurgence of "Star Trek", and all other sci-fi (and even every superhero film) which came after it.

"Star Wars" was the first film I'd ever gone to see more than once in a theatre -- actually 7 times (and two viewings in a row on a single day) -- I saw the original three episodes for a total of more than 20 screenings when they initially came out.

"Star Wars" also changed the way movies were viewed in relation to merchandising. Toys would never be the same after "Star Wars" -- not to mention "non-toy" merchandising, as well.

"Star Wars" did to the field of special effects what the transistor did to a world which previously utilized tubes. No more guys an space craft suspended by wires, pretending to fly. No more (or at least very little) miniatures.

"Star Wars" also brought competent musical scores back to films, which had been lacking for quite some time. In addition, and perhaps most notably, "Star Wars" brought back the good, old adventure film, after a decade and a half of
sharp-edged realism (which in my opinon also sucked -- I don't pay to go and see realism in a theatre; if I wanted "realism", I'd look out my window). Suddenly, it was fun to go to the movies again.

People who were born (or grew up) after "Star Wars" don't realize how different movies were in the 60's and early 70's. It's not as easy for them to grasp how it changed the face of movies over the past 30 years in so many ways.

I'm sure Joss Whedon would be the first to admit there never would've been a "Serenity" if not for "Star Wars".

That being said, I think the prequels were a let down. Were they "bad" films? No. But, then (in my opinion) they never could've lived up to the originals, because the originals forever changed the face of sci-fi and films, in general. Those are big shoes to fill.

NEEDY

Tuesday, March 21, 2006 7:59 PM

Cartoon - whilst I didn't grow up in the 60s and 70s, in fact I was born in '83 so I wasn't able to even see the original SW movies when they were released, but there were a handful of films I would watch almost daily: Back to the Future, Three Amigos (though to a lesser extent) and yes the Star Wars trilogy. So not only can I practically quote every line of these, they hold a special place in my heart - made all the more clearer that despite knowing every inch of it, I still thoroughly enjoy them every time I watch them

I had a LOAD of star wars toys (toys which I stupidly sold away before I realised their potential value) and some of the comics

I would say that Star Wars got me into sci-fi, but since I can remember watching them from such a young age, its hard to be sure whether I'd enjoy the genre anyway if I'd never seen the trilogy

But Star Wars was no small cult thing, it defined a generation. Whilst I'm not saying Firefly/Serenity doesnt have the same potential, Star Wars, in being family friendly was and still is far more accessible than our BDM which is in all honesty a bit too violent for kiddies.
SW has a childlike innocence to it too (even though its not always an upbeat story at times) that lets you enjoy it for its fun and comedy... or if you want more, you can appreciate the story of heroes and villains, or the redemption of a father... there's so much to take from it

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Needy. Male Companion a.k.a. First Boy Whore of Destiny
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www.myspace.com/needsalt

ISAACSHEPHERD

Tuesday, March 21, 2006 8:14 PM

Needy,
You make some very good points in your last post. Reguarding the emotional level in star wars it wasn't enough for me. You are right, there were some moments that did it, but not enough. Yes the final battle with Luke vs Vader and in Empire when Luke finds out Vader is his father. But Lucas also needed the help (and I'm glad he had it)of others to direct. It kinda makes me sad that the prequels turned out the way they did, they had so much potential but I digress.
I didn't mean to say Lucas has no talent, or that the old Star Wars were no good, however I think that if Joss was given adequete time (say a trilogy or more seasons of Firefly) that it would easily top Lucas.
IS

The Bible's a bit fuzzy on the subject of kneecaps.

SHEPARD

Tuesday, March 21, 2006 8:15 PM

I think ya'll have pretty much hit the issue on the head (and it's gone looking for a lawyer, so watch it!) When most of us first saw SW, it was a kids' movie, and we were kids. When we first saw FF/Serenity, it was for adults, and were adults (BTW, when the HELL did that happen?) When we saw the prequels, we were adults watching a kids' movie, and it wasn't the same.

But for all the ranting I could do about GL, I have to thank him for one thing: he made Sci-Fi (and indirectly fantasy) movies fun again. Thank you, George, that forgives a lot of ewoks.

Hell. It's special. And populated by ewoks.

NEEDY

Tuesday, March 21, 2006 8:27 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by IsaacShepherd:
Needy,
You make some very good points in your last post. Reguarding the emotional level in star wars it wasn't enough for me. You are right, there were some moments that did it, but not enough. Yes the final battle with Luke vs Vader and in Empire when Luke finds out Vader is his father. But Lucas also needed the help (and I'm glad he had it)of others to direct. It kinda makes me sad that the prequels turned out the way they did, they had so much potential but I digress.
I didn't mean to say Lucas has no talent, or that the old Star Wars were no good, however I think that if Joss was given adequete time (say a trilogy or more seasons of Firefly) that it would easily top Lucas.
IS

The Bible's a bit fuzzy on the subject of kneecaps.

I know what you mean Isaac, and I didn't take your comment to mean that you thought Lucas was talentless.
I guess though, considering theres so much criticism of the SW movies nowadays (due to the prequels for the most part) that I always feel the urge to give my opinion on the matter
I merely wanted to get across the differences between Serenity and the SW Trilogy, to get across why I can't really compare them

As for the prequels - and to a point addressed by Shepard - I cannot agree more when it comes to Episode 1 - so very much a kids film

Episode 2 and 3... not so much.
The only issues I had with those two was the dialogue and acting, but on the whole, they are as enjoyable as the others... even if they are again, very different in feeling to the originals

Oh and btw - I liked the ewoks.
(Then again, I grew up with them so I can't help but look at them and smile at how CUTE they are)

...

I didn't actually "grow up" with ewoks... though my mum is short and my cat is very cute

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Needy. Male Companion a.k.a. First Boy Whore of Destiny
-----
www.myspace.com/needsalt

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