I guess you're right - Star Wars is a particular bugbear of mine, but it is more to do with what it represents to me than anything else. That and the fact that I think it's sh!te ;) I suppose I am nostalgic for what I see as Hollywood's heyday - the 70s - they definitely don't make films like The Godfather and Taxi Driver anymore IMO, so I've been hoist by my own pertard yet agian :)
-----Original Message----- From: Brendan Nelson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, August 16, 2004 11:28 AM To: 313@hyperreal.org Subject: RE: (313) Star Wars (was RE: (313) Techno Films) I'd say that the exploitation of kids through merchandising had been around for a long time before then. Star Wars did change that whole market, though, largely due to the fact that the film's design was so effective that there was *demand* among kids for replicas of the film's starships, characters, droids and so on. Things like Star Trek had never created that sort of demand, largely because the design was much more mediocre. The big question is, were kids made to want these replicas, or did they just *want* them? Speaking for myself, I just *wanted* to have a model of the Millennium Falcon. Previous generations of kids were just the same with model warplanes, tanks and cars: Star Wars just came up with things that were far better-looking than the standard military fare kids had wanted before. I'd say that it's misleading to imagine Hollywood cinema prior to Stars Wars as having put substance over style; it had been pretty schlocky since its inception, IMHO. The proportion of films coming out of Hollywood which are particularly insightful or thought-provoking seems pretty much the same now as it was in, say, the late 1960s. To think otherwise ("films were much better in the past") is, I'd suggest, another way in which nostalgia can override one's critical faculties. Brendan > -----Original Message----- > From: Robert Taylor [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: 16 August 2004 13:16 > To: Brendan Nelson; Stewart Caig; 313@hyperreal.org > Subject: RE: (313) Star Wars (was RE: (313) Techno Films) > > > It also kickstarted the exploitation of kids through merchandising. > Hollywood went seriously down hill after Star Wars' success > (the triumph of style over substance), not that that is > Lucas' fault. It now only seems concerned on capitalising on > past successes instead of coming up with new ideas. > In my not so humble opinion of course ;) > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Brendan Nelson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Monday, August 16, 2004 10:59 AM > To: Stewart Caig; 313@hyperreal.org > Subject: (313) Star Wars (was RE: (313) Techno Films) > > > My take on Star Wars is that it's 1930s sci-fi visually > rendered with an immense 21st-century budget. Immature, > swashbuckling, aimed-at-kids romp - yep, that's all true. > But that's pretty much the form. > > It's undeniable that it influenced practically a whole > generation, and caused loads of kids to develop a > fascination with outer space, aliens, snazzy futuristic > technology and kick-ass sound design which IMHO helped > to provide a cultural environment in which techno music, > when it came along a decade later, was able to capture > the imaginations of so many people who, as children, had > been awe-struck by Star Wars and never got over that > sense of fascination with the future and with imaginary > worlds. > > Brendan > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Stewart Caig [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: 16 August 2004 10:18 > > To: 313@hyperreal.org > > Subject: Re: (313) Techno Films > > > > > > >As for Star Wars, I agree with Sean - IMO it's the most > > overrated film of > > all time - I loved it when I was a kid, but when I saw the > > new editions as > > an adult I realised how shoddy they were - it was comparable > > to watching the > > A-Team again after 20 years and realising that it was aimed > > at people with > > tiny little brains (ie children) > > > > Thats a little condenscending to the many people on this list > > who do still > > hold Star Wars in high regard... > > ############################################################## > ####################### > Note: > > Any views or opinions are solely those of the author and do > not necessarily represent > those of Channel Four Television Corporation unless > specifically stated. This email > and any files transmitted are confidential and intended > solely for the use of the > individual or entity to which they are addressed. If you have > received this email in > error, please notify [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Thank You. > ############################################################## > ####################### > > ##################################################################################### Note: Any views or opinions are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Channel Four Television Corporation unless specifically stated. This email and any files transmitted are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to which they are addressed. If you have received this email in error, please notify [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thank You. #####################################################################################
