Re: [scifinoir2] Gary Kurtz Speaks Bluntly About George Lucas
Funny! - Original Message - From: "Martin Baxter" To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2010 9:05:16 AM Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Gary Kurtz Speaks Bluntly About George Lucas Keith, I would've loved to have seen Kurtz's proposed ending made real. I've also read that the late SF author Leigh Brackett, who's listed as a co-writer on "Empire", originally had Luke and Leia as NOT being brother and sister, and that Luke had a twin sister somewhere out there, whom Han was supposed to hook up with, allowing Luke and Leia to go off into the sunset together. Lucas himself kiboshed that, but left in the kissing scenes. Draw your own conclusions there... On Tue, Aug 17, 2010 at 8:56 AM, Keith Johnson < keithbjohn...@comcast.net > wrote: Right. The online world used to be called Expanded Universe, but I can't find that particular site anymore. Now it's unto Databank or something. But yeah, all the aftermath stories show just how difficult it was to change the course of the Empire. There were battles a-plenty left. Indeed, often there can be more and more painful fighting after the evil leaders are gone. And the relatively small number of Jedi would be hard tasked to restore a moral center to the galaxy entire as they struggled to rebuild their Order and make sure their own don't give in to temptation again. For example, I do recall reading that the Emperor lived on in that shade form that Yodi and Obi-Wan used, and continued to wreak his evil influence on people. I know Luke is forced in a way to give in to the Dark Side, and I believe either his son or his nephew also fell to the Darkness for a while. Realistically, the ending Kurtz mentions, with Leia overwhelmed by the work to be done, and Luke walking away to contemplate a difficult future, would have been better. I'm surprised someone hasn't created a fan film where, right in the middle of the Ewok Lua, a force of ships loyal to the Empire didn't show up and bomb the place. - Original Message - From: "Martin Baxter" < martinbaxt...@gmail.com > To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2010 6:28:56 AM Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Gary Kurtz Speaks Bluntly About George Lucas Another spot-on analysis, Keith. Reminds me of a fantasy novel that came out a few years ago (the name of which escapes me), considering what happens after the happy ending, that there's the management and clean-up aspects yet to be done. And I've read a few of the SW novels, enough to see the strengthening foundation that been laid for the SWverse. One batch in particular regards the Mandalorians (the clones of Jango Fett that chose not to be Stormtroopers, packed up and left for Mandalor). They developed their own unique culture, and even a language unlike any in the remnants of the Empire. On Mon, Aug 16, 2010 at 10:19 PM, Keith Johnson < keithbjohn...@comcast.net > wrote: The below from the interview really resonates with me. One problem i always had with "Return of the Jedi" was the ending. I kept thinking that just because the second Death Star was destroyed, and Vader and the Emperor dead, that only meant the work was beginning. After all, there was a huge interstellar apparatus in place that had aided and been complicit with the Empire's depredations. This system included the rule of whole solar systems, a corrupt Senate, leaders on hundreds of worlds loyal to the Empire that gave them money and power, a military dedicated to the Empire, and a dearth of Jedi to enforce the principles of the Old Republic. In short, the work was indeed just beginning, and tackling the task of a galaxy-wide makeover of a totalitarian state into a democratic one again would be a monumental task. Look at how the former Soviet Union is already struggling mightily with autocratic elements fighting with its democratic aspirations. They have a Prime Minister who was an autocratic president who's basically their strong man. So the "Ewok lua" as he put it, was indeed premature. I think that if you read some of the books, and study the Expanded Universe online, you see more mature, thoughtful, and in-depth treatments that handle that world a lot better than the kid- and crowd-pleasing movies. - Original Message - From: "Martin Baxter" < martinbaxt...@gmail.com > To: "SciFiNoir2" < scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com > Sent: Sunday, August 15, 2010 5:01:40 PM Subject: [scifinoir2] Gary Kurtz Speaks Bluntly About George Lucas George Lucas, Mercenary Bastich First Class? You betcha, according to Kurtz... http://www.collider.com/2010/08/13/star-wars-and-empire-strikes-back-producer-gary-kurtz-speaks-bluntly-about-george-lucas-return-of-the-jedi-and-more/ -- "If all the wor
Re: [scifinoir2] Gary Kurtz Speaks Bluntly About George Lucas
Bosco, you begin by keeping your dollars as far away from Lucas-related material as possible. That's my tack on the matter. On Tue, Aug 17, 2010 at 12:51 PM, Bosco Bosco wrote: > > > I dont even know where to begin. At least I know I'm right. Everything post > Empire has been designed to maximize merch sales rather than make great > movies. > > B > > > --- On *Tue, 8/17/10, Martin Baxter * wrote: > > > From: Martin Baxter > Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Gary Kurtz Speaks Bluntly About George Lucas > To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com > Date: Tuesday, August 17, 2010, 8:05 AM > > > > > Keith, I would've loved to have seen Kurtz's proposed ending made real. > I've also read that the late SF author Leigh Brackett, who's listed as a > co-writer on "Empire", originally had Luke and Leia as NOT being brother and > sister, and that Luke had a twin sister somewhere out there, whom Han was > supposed to hook up with, allowing Luke and Leia to go off into the sunset > together. Lucas himself kiboshed that, but left in the kissing scenes. Draw > your own conclusions there... > > On Tue, Aug 17, 2010 at 8:56 AM, Keith Johnson > http://mc/compose?to=keithbjohn...@comcast.net> > > wrote: > > > > Right. The online world used to be called Expanded Universe, but I can't > find that particular site anymore. Now it's unto Databank or something. But > yeah, all the aftermath stories show just how difficult it was to change the > course of the Empire. There were battles a-plenty left. Indeed, often there > can be more and more painful fighting after the evil leaders are gone. And > the relatively small number of Jedi would be hard tasked to restore a moral > center to the galaxy entire as they struggled to rebuild their Order and > make sure their own don't give in to temptation again. For example, I do > recall reading that the Emperor lived on in that shade form that Yodi and > Obi-Wan used, and continued to wreak his evil influence on people. I know > Luke is forced in a way to give in to the Dark Side, and I believe either > his son or his nephew also fell to the Darkness for a while. > Realistically, the ending Kurtz mentions, with Leia overwhelmed by the work > to be done, and Luke walking away to contemplate a difficult future, would > have been better. I'm surprised someone hasn't created a fan film where, > right in the middle of the Ewok Lua, a force of ships loyal to the Empire > didn't show up and bomb the place. > > > > - Original Message ----- > From: "Martin Baxter" > http://mc/compose?to=martinbaxt...@gmail.com> > > > To: > scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com<http://mc/compose?to=scifino...@yahoogroups.com> > Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2010 6:28:56 AM > Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Gary Kurtz Speaks Bluntly About George Lucas > > > > Another spot-on analysis, Keith. Reminds me of a fantasy novel that came > out a few years ago (the name of which escapes me), considering what happens > after the happy ending, that there's the management and clean-up aspects yet > to be done. And I've read a few of the SW novels, enough to see the > strengthening foundation that been laid for the SWverse. One batch in > particular regards the Mandalorians (the clones of Jango Fett that chose not > to be Stormtroopers, packed up and left for Mandalor). They developed their > own unique culture, and even a language unlike any in the remnants of the > Empire. > > On Mon, Aug 16, 2010 at 10:19 PM, Keith Johnson > http://mc/compose?to=keithbjohn...@comcast.net> > > wrote: > > > > The below from the interview really resonates with me. One problem i always > had with "Return of the Jedi" was the ending. I kept thinking that just > because the second Death Star was destroyed, and Vader and the Emperor dead, > that only meant the work was beginning. After all, there was a huge > interstellar apparatus in place that had aided and been complicit with the > Empire's depredations. This system included the rule of whole solar systems, > a corrupt Senate, leaders on hundreds of worlds loyal to the Empire that > gave them money and power, a military dedicated to the Empire, and a dearth > of Jedi to enforce the principles of the Old Republic. In short, the work > was indeed just beginning, and tackling the task of a galaxy-wide makeover > of a totalitarian state into a democratic one again would be a monumental > task. Look at how the former Soviet Union is already struggling mightily > with autocratic elements fighting with its democratic aspirations. They have > a Prime Minister who was an autocratic president who's basically their >
Re: [scifinoir2] Gary Kurtz Speaks Bluntly About George Lucas
I dont even know where to begin. At least I know I'm right. Everything post Empire has been designed to maximize merch sales rather than make great movies. B --- On Tue, 8/17/10, Martin Baxter wrote: From: Martin Baxter Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Gary Kurtz Speaks Bluntly About George Lucas To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Date: Tuesday, August 17, 2010, 8:05 AM Keith, I would've loved to have seen Kurtz's proposed ending made real. I've also read that the late SF author Leigh Brackett, who's listed as a co-writer on "Empire", originally had Luke and Leia as NOT being brother and sister, and that Luke had a twin sister somewhere out there, whom Han was supposed to hook up with, allowing Luke and Leia to go off into the sunset together. Lucas himself kiboshed that, but left in the kissing scenes. Draw your own conclusions there... On Tue, Aug 17, 2010 at 8:56 AM, Keith Johnson wrote: Right. The online world used to be called Expanded Universe, but I can't find that particular site anymore. Now it's unto Databank or something. But yeah, all the aftermath stories show just how difficult it was to change the course of the Empire. There were battles a-plenty left. Indeed, often there can be more and more painful fighting after the evil leaders are gone. And the relatively small number of Jedi would be hard tasked to restore a moral center to the galaxy entire as they struggled to rebuild their Order and make sure their own don't give in to temptation again. For example, I do recall reading that the Emperor lived on in that shade form that Yodi and Obi-Wan used, and continued to wreak his evil influence on people. I know Luke is forced in a way to give in to the Dark Side, and I believe either his son or his nephew also fell to the Darkness for a while. Realistically, the ending Kurtz mentions, with Leia overwhelmed by the work to be done, and Luke walking away to contemplate a difficult future, would have been better. I'm surprised someone hasn't created a fan film where, right in the middle of the Ewok Lua, a force of ships loyal to the Empire didn't show up and bomb the place. - Original Message - From: "Martin Baxter" To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2010 6:28:56 AM Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Gary Kurtz Speaks Bluntly About George Lucas Another spot-on analysis, Keith. Reminds me of a fantasy novel that came out a few years ago (the name of which escapes me), considering what happens after the happy ending, that there's the management and clean-up aspects yet to be done. And I've read a few of the SW novels, enough to see the strengthening foundation that been laid for the SWverse. One batch in particular regards the Mandalorians (the clones of Jango Fett that chose not to be Stormtroopers, packed up and left for Mandalor). They developed their own unique culture, and even a language unlike any in the remnants of the Empire. On Mon, Aug 16, 2010 at 10:19 PM, Keith Johnson wrote: The below from the interview really resonates with me. One problem i always had with "Return of the Jedi" was the ending. I kept thinking that just because the second Death Star was destroyed, and Vader and the Emperor dead, that only meant the work was beginning. After all, there was a huge interstellar apparatus in place that had aided and been complicit with the Empire's depredations. This system included the rule of whole solar systems, a corrupt Senate, leaders on hundreds of worlds loyal to the Empire that gave them money and power, a military dedicated to the Empire, and a dearth of Jedi to enforce the principles of the Old Republic. In short, the work was indeed just beginning, and tackling the task of a galaxy-wide makeover of a totalitarian state into a democratic one again would be a monumental task. Look at how the former Soviet Union is already struggling mightily with autocratic elements fighting with its democratic aspirations. They have a Prime Minister who was an autocratic president who's basically their strong man. So the "Ewok lua" as he put it, was indeed premature. I think that if you read some of the books, and study the Expanded Universe online, you see more mature, thoughtful, and in-depth treatments that handle that world a lot better than the kid- and crowd-pleasing movies. - Original Message ----- From: "Martin Baxter" To: "SciFiNoir2" Sent: Sunday, August 15, 2010 5:01:40 PM Subject: [scifinoir2] Gary Kurtz Speaks Bluntly About George Lucas George Lucas, Mercenary Bastich First Class? You betcha, according to Kurtz... http://www.collider.com/2010
Re: [scifinoir2] Gary Kurtz Speaks Bluntly About George Lucas
Keith, I would've loved to have seen Kurtz's proposed ending made real. I've also read that the late SF author Leigh Brackett, who's listed as a co-writer on "Empire", originally had Luke and Leia as NOT being brother and sister, and that Luke had a twin sister somewhere out there, whom Han was supposed to hook up with, allowing Luke and Leia to go off into the sunset together. Lucas himself kiboshed that, but left in the kissing scenes. Draw your own conclusions there... On Tue, Aug 17, 2010 at 8:56 AM, Keith Johnson wrote: > > > Right. The online world used to be called Expanded Universe, but I can't > find that particular site anymore. Now it's unto Databank or something. But > yeah, all the aftermath stories show just how difficult it was to change the > course of the Empire. There were battles a-plenty left. Indeed, often there > can be more and more painful fighting after the evil leaders are gone. And > the relatively small number of Jedi would be hard tasked to restore a moral > center to the galaxy entire as they struggled to rebuild their Order and > make sure their own don't give in to temptation again. For example, I do > recall reading that the Emperor lived on in that shade form that Yodi and > Obi-Wan used, and continued to wreak his evil influence on people. I know > Luke is forced in a way to give in to the Dark Side, and I believe either > his son or his nephew also fell to the Darkness for a while. > Realistically, the ending Kurtz mentions, with Leia overwhelmed by the work > to be done, and Luke walking away to contemplate a difficult future, would > have been better. I'm surprised someone hasn't created a fan film where, > right in the middle of the Ewok Lua, a force of ships loyal to the Empire > didn't show up and bomb the place. > > > > - Original Message - > From: "Martin Baxter" > To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com > Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2010 6:28:56 AM > Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Gary Kurtz Speaks Bluntly About George Lucas > > > > Another spot-on analysis, Keith. Reminds me of a fantasy novel that came > out a few years ago (the name of which escapes me), considering what happens > after the happy ending, that there's the management and clean-up aspects yet > to be done. And I've read a few of the SW novels, enough to see the > strengthening foundation that been laid for the SWverse. One batch in > particular regards the Mandalorians (the clones of Jango Fett that chose not > to be Stormtroopers, packed up and left for Mandalor). They developed their > own unique culture, and even a language unlike any in the remnants of the > Empire. > > On Mon, Aug 16, 2010 at 10:19 PM, Keith Johnson > wrote: > >> >> >> The below from the interview really resonates with me. One problem i >> always had with "Return of the Jedi" was the ending. I kept thinking that >> just because the second Death Star was destroyed, and Vader and the Emperor >> dead, that only meant the work was beginning. After all, there was a huge >> interstellar apparatus in place that had aided and been complicit with the >> Empire's depredations. This system included the rule of whole solar systems, >> a corrupt Senate, leaders on hundreds of worlds loyal to the Empire that >> gave them money and power, a military dedicated to the Empire, and a dearth >> of Jedi to enforce the principles of the Old Republic. In short, the work >> was indeed just beginning, and tackling the task of a galaxy-wide makeover >> of a totalitarian state into a democratic one again would be a monumental >> task. Look at how the former Soviet Union is already struggling mightily >> with autocratic elements fighting with its democratic aspirations. They have >> a Prime Minister who was an autocratic president who's basically their >> strong man. >> So the "Ewok lua" as he put it, was indeed premature. I think that if you >> read some of the books, and study the Expanded Universe online, you see more >> mature, thoughtful, and in-depth treatments that handle that world a lot >> better than the kid- and crowd-pleasing movies. >> >> >> - Original Message - >> From: "Martin Baxter" >> To: "SciFiNoir2" >> Sent: Sunday, August 15, 2010 5:01:40 PM >> Subject: [scifinoir2] Gary Kurtz Speaks Bluntly About George Lucas >> >> >> >> George Lucas, Mercenary Bastich First Class? You betcha, according to >> Kurtz... >> >> >> http://www.collider.com/2010/08/13/star-wars-and-empire-strikes-back-producer-gary-kurtz-speaks-bluntly-about-george-lucas-return-of-the-je
Re: [scifinoir2] Gary Kurtz Speaks Bluntly About George Lucas
Right. The online world used to be called Expanded Universe, but I can't find that particular site anymore. Now it's unto Databank or something. But yeah, all the aftermath stories show just how difficult it was to change the course of the Empire. There were battles a-plenty left. Indeed, often there can be more and more painful fighting after the evil leaders are gone. And the relatively small number of Jedi would be hard tasked to restore a moral center to the galaxy entire as they struggled to rebuild their Order and make sure their own don't give in to temptation again. For example, I do recall reading that the Emperor lived on in that shade form that Yodi and Obi-Wan used, and continued to wreak his evil influence on people. I know Luke is forced in a way to give in to the Dark Side, and I believe either his son or his nephew also fell to the Darkness for a while. Realistically, the ending Kurtz mentions, with Leia overwhelmed by the work to be done, and Luke walking away to contemplate a difficult future, would have been better. I'm surprised someone hasn't created a fan film where, right in the middle of the Ewok Lua, a force of ships loyal to the Empire didn't show up and bomb the place. - Original Message - From: "Martin Baxter" To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2010 6:28:56 AM Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Gary Kurtz Speaks Bluntly About George Lucas Another spot-on analysis, Keith. Reminds me of a fantasy novel that came out a few years ago (the name of which escapes me), considering what happens after the happy ending, that there's the management and clean-up aspects yet to be done. And I've read a few of the SW novels, enough to see the strengthening foundation that been laid for the SWverse. One batch in particular regards the Mandalorians (the clones of Jango Fett that chose not to be Stormtroopers, packed up and left for Mandalor). They developed their own unique culture, and even a language unlike any in the remnants of the Empire. On Mon, Aug 16, 2010 at 10:19 PM, Keith Johnson < keithbjohn...@comcast.net > wrote: The below from the interview really resonates with me. One problem i always had with "Return of the Jedi" was the ending. I kept thinking that just because the second Death Star was destroyed, and Vader and the Emperor dead, that only meant the work was beginning. After all, there was a huge interstellar apparatus in place that had aided and been complicit with the Empire's depredations. This system included the rule of whole solar systems, a corrupt Senate, leaders on hundreds of worlds loyal to the Empire that gave them money and power, a military dedicated to the Empire, and a dearth of Jedi to enforce the principles of the Old Republic. In short, the work was indeed just beginning, and tackling the task of a galaxy-wide makeover of a totalitarian state into a democratic one again would be a monumental task. Look at how the former Soviet Union is already struggling mightily with autocratic elements fighting with its democratic aspirations. They have a Prime Minister who was an autocratic president who's basically their strong man. So the "Ewok lua" as he put it, was indeed premature. I think that if you read some of the books, and study the Expanded Universe online, you see more mature, thoughtful, and in-depth treatments that handle that world a lot better than the kid- and crowd-pleasing movies. - Original Message - From: "Martin Baxter" < martinbaxt...@gmail.com > To: "SciFiNoir2" < scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com > Sent: Sunday, August 15, 2010 5:01:40 PM Subject: [scifinoir2] Gary Kurtz Speaks Bluntly About George Lucas George Lucas, Mercenary Bastich First Class? You betcha, according to Kurtz... http://www.collider.com/2010/08/13/star-wars-and-empire-strikes-back-producer-gary-kurtz-speaks-bluntly-about-george-lucas-return-of-the-jedi-and-more/ -- "If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik -- "If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
Re: [scifinoir2] Gary Kurtz Speaks Bluntly About George Lucas
Another spot-on analysis, Keith. Reminds me of a fantasy novel that came out a few years ago (the name of which escapes me), considering what happens after the happy ending, that there's the management and clean-up aspects yet to be done. And I've read a few of the SW novels, enough to see the strengthening foundation that been laid for the SWverse. One batch in particular regards the Mandalorians (the clones of Jango Fett that chose not to be Stormtroopers, packed up and left for Mandalor). They developed their own unique culture, and even a language unlike any in the remnants of the Empire. On Mon, Aug 16, 2010 at 10:19 PM, Keith Johnson wrote: > > > The below from the interview really resonates with me. One problem i always > had with "Return of the Jedi" was the ending. I kept thinking that just > because the second Death Star was destroyed, and Vader and the Emperor dead, > that only meant the work was beginning. After all, there was a huge > interstellar apparatus in place that had aided and been complicit with the > Empire's depredations. This system included the rule of whole solar systems, > a corrupt Senate, leaders on hundreds of worlds loyal to the Empire that > gave them money and power, a military dedicated to the Empire, and a dearth > of Jedi to enforce the principles of the Old Republic. In short, the work > was indeed just beginning, and tackling the task of a galaxy-wide makeover > of a totalitarian state into a democratic one again would be a monumental > task. Look at how the former Soviet Union is already struggling mightily > with autocratic elements fighting with its democratic aspirations. They have > a Prime Minister who was an autocratic president who's basically their > strong man. > So the "Ewok lua" as he put it, was indeed premature. I think that if you > read some of the books, and study the Expanded Universe online, you see more > mature, thoughtful, and in-depth treatments that handle that world a lot > better than the kid- and crowd-pleasing movies. > > > - Original Message - > From: "Martin Baxter" > To: "SciFiNoir2" > Sent: Sunday, August 15, 2010 5:01:40 PM > Subject: [scifinoir2] Gary Kurtz Speaks Bluntly About George Lucas > > > > George Lucas, Mercenary Bastich First Class? You betcha, according to > Kurtz... > > > http://www.collider.com/2010/08/13/star-wars-and-empire-strikes-back-producer-gary-kurtz-speaks-bluntly-about-george-lucas-return-of-the-jedi-and-more/ > > -- > "If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell > wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik > > -- "If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
Re: [scifinoir2] Gary Kurtz Speaks Bluntly About George Lucas
I neglected to cite the text from the interview I was talking about, but include it below. Again, spend some time reading the Expanded Universe, which details the history after the third film. It's fascinating, and much more well thought out and mature than the bulk of the movies. http://www.starwars.com/databank/character/lukeskywalker/index.html “We had an outline and George changed everything in it," Kurtz said. “Instead of bittersweet and poignant he wanted a euphoric ending with everybody happy. The original idea was that they would recover [the kidnapped] Han Solo in the early part of the story and that he would then die in the middle part of the film in a raid on an Imperial base. George then decided he didn’t want any of the principals killed. By that time there were really big toy sales and that was a reason.” The discussed ending of the film that Kurtz favored presented the rebel forces in tatters, Leia grappling with her new duties as queen and Luke walking off alone “like Clint Eastwood in the spaghetti westerns,” as Kurtz put it. Kurtz said that ending would have been a more emotionally nuanced finale to an epic adventure than the forest celebration of the Ewoks that essentially ended the trilogy with a teddy bear luau. - Original Message - From: "Keith Johnson" To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, August 16, 2010 10:19:34 PM Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Gary Kurtz Speaks Bluntly About George Lucas The below from the interview really resonates with me. One problem i always had with "Return of the Jedi" was the ending. I kept thinking that just because the second Death Star was destroyed, and Vader and the Emperor dead, that only meant the work was beginning. After all, there was a huge interstellar apparatus in place that had aided and been complicit with the Empire's depredations. This system included the rule of whole solar systems, a corrupt Senate, leaders on hundreds of worlds loyal to the Empire that gave them money and power, a military dedicated to the Empire, and a dearth of Jedi to enforce the principles of the Old Republic. In short, the work was indeed just beginning, and tackling the task of a galaxy-wide makeover of a totalitarian state into a democratic one again would be a monumental task. Look at how the former Soviet Union is already struggling mightily with autocratic elements fighting with its democratic aspirations. They have a Prime Minister who was an autocratic president who's basically their strong man. So the "Ewok lua" as he put it, was indeed premature. I think that if you read some of the books, and study the Expanded Universe online, you see more mature, thoughtful, and in-depth treatments that handle that world a lot better than the kid- and crowd-pleasing movies. - Original Message - From: "Martin Baxter" To: "SciFiNoir2" Sent: Sunday, August 15, 2010 5:01:40 PM Subject: [scifinoir2] Gary Kurtz Speaks Bluntly About George Lucas George Lucas, Mercenary Bastich First Class? You betcha, according to Kurtz... http://www.collider.com/2010/08/13/star-wars-and-empire-strikes-back-producer-gary-kurtz-speaks-bluntly-about-george-lucas-return-of-the-jedi-and-more/ -- "If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
Re: [scifinoir2] Gary Kurtz Speaks Bluntly About George Lucas
The below from the interview really resonates with me. One problem i always had with "Return of the Jedi" was the ending. I kept thinking that just because the second Death Star was destroyed, and Vader and the Emperor dead, that only meant the work was beginning. After all, there was a huge interstellar apparatus in place that had aided and been complicit with the Empire's depredations. This system included the rule of whole solar systems, a corrupt Senate, leaders on hundreds of worlds loyal to the Empire that gave them money and power, a military dedicated to the Empire, and a dearth of Jedi to enforce the principles of the Old Republic. In short, the work was indeed just beginning, and tackling the task of a galaxy-wide makeover of a totalitarian state into a democratic one again would be a monumental task. Look at how the former Soviet Union is already struggling mightily with autocratic elements fighting with its democratic aspirations. They have a Prime Minister who was an autocratic president who's basically their strong man. So the "Ewok lua" as he put it, was indeed premature. I think that if you read some of the books, and study the Expanded Universe online, you see more mature, thoughtful, and in-depth treatments that handle that world a lot better than the kid- and crowd-pleasing movies. - Original Message - From: "Martin Baxter" To: "SciFiNoir2" Sent: Sunday, August 15, 2010 5:01:40 PM Subject: [scifinoir2] Gary Kurtz Speaks Bluntly About George Lucas George Lucas, Mercenary Bastich First Class? You betcha, according to Kurtz... http://www.collider.com/2010/08/13/star-wars-and-empire-strikes-back-producer-gary-kurtz-speaks-bluntly-about-george-lucas-return-of-the-jedi-and-more/ -- "If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
[scifinoir2] Gary Kurtz Speaks Bluntly About George Lucas
George Lucas, Mercenary Bastich First Class? You betcha, according to Kurtz... http://www.collider.com/2010/08/13/star-wars-and-empire-strikes-back-producer-gary-kurtz-speaks-bluntly-about-george-lucas-return-of-the-jedi-and-more/ -- "If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
