I think Star Wars is a particular bugbear of yours partly because so many people - especially in the world of electronic music - like it so much ;)
The 1970s probably was Hollywood's heyday, but I'd suggest that that was more down to the social backdrop in the US at the time. Vietnam, severe recession, post-1960s souring of the hippie dream - these all inspired a lot of the 1970s movies that I myself still hold in extremely high regard. My favourite film from the 1970s (and possibly my favourite film ever) is "Network"; they very rarely make films like that anymore. Brendan > -----Original Message----- > From: Robert Taylor [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: 16 August 2004 13:39 > To: Brendan Nelson; 313@hyperreal.org > Subject: RE: (313) Star Wars (was RE: (313) Techno Films) > > > 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. > ############################################################## > ####################### > >
