[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: Star Wars... It's not the hype
>Dear Listies,
>I know many of you have seen Stars and more than a few like it. I
>must dissent!
That's OK, everyone's got their own opinions.
>I must say I have very little desire to see "Phantom Menace," unless
>it be at home, where I can mock its (likely) stupidity.
Boy oh boy, MST3k opened up a whole new way to enjoy cinema. 'Course
they got it from Rocky Horror.....
>Of course, as a 7 year old, I thought Star Wars was pretty cool. If I
>didn't I would have been a dork, and that wasn't an option!
Suffering from peer pressure at age 7? Already?
>However, after seeing the "Special Edition" version in 1997--dubbed
>into Spanish in Caracas--I must say I find it a total bore. Despite
>the 3D effects, the characters are 2 dimensional cliches, the plot is
>without the slightest surprise, and "the force" is void of any
>substance--like a Kool Aid sugar buzz.
I don't think I'd enjoy it as much if I saw a foreign-dubbed version either.
And lighten up on the Kool Aid, I'm into my 30's and I still maintain
a running supply to this day.
>I, for one, think special effects are terribly overrated, and lament
>the apetite for this stuff that Lucas, Spielberg, et al, have built
>into our culture.
The SFX appetite isn't really their fault. Are you gonna curse Mr. Hershey
for hooking the world on chocolate? It's the same thing....
>So much that is wrong with Hollywood could be traced to "Star Wars:"
No, so much that is wrong with the *marketing* of Hollywood can be traced
to Star Wars, or at least it gets the majority of the credit. There's nothing
wrong with the movie, it's the marketers who convinced everyone that they
couldn't live without it and had to have the "Official Star Wars
(insert-product-
here)".
>1.) Violence as computer enhanced spectacle.
Computers have nothing to do with violence being a spectacle, it's been
around for a long time regardless of the medium used to present it.
>2.) Obsession with the "blockbuster"
"Blockbusters" have been around for a while, as well. Star Wars just
happens to be the first that you (and many of us) remember
>3.) Poor scripts, written to be fully understood by 10 year olds.
Most scripts barely reach that level. I wouldn't expect them to. If the only
movies produced contained scripts grad students understood, Hollywood
would cease to exist. Most movies would be boring, confusing and offer
no escapism or entertainment value whatsoever. Those desires are what
created the form in the first place. Besides, I heard Lucas tell some reporter
in a sound bite that the Star Wars movies are just a bunch of kid's films,
anyway.
>4.) Shallow characters that undergo no important development.
I wouldn't say that the characters were neccessarily shallow or undeveloped,
just mosty inanely acted.
>If you want to see a brilliant dissenter from the Star Wars hype,
>read film critic Jonathan Rosembaum's very insightful review of Star
>Wars:
Don't know this fella so I can't comment. If he's against the hype, that's
cool.
You seem to be mostly against the movie itself.
later,
AaronB
np: Owsley - Owsley