Posted on 06/21/2015 1:57:43 PM PDT by OddLane
One day in the 1970s, George Lucas screened a rough cut of his new movie, Star Wars, for his influential Hollywood friends. And almost none of them liked it. The plot seemed incomprehensible, the made-up fantasy names absurd. Director Brian De Palma, who had just had a big hit with Carrie, made fun of everything about the film, including Princess Leias hairstyle: Hey, George, what were those Danish rolls doing in the princesss ears?
Almost 40 years later, De Palma is mostly making low-budget movies, and the most-anticipated film of the year is Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the first Star Wars movie since Lucas sold the franchise to Disney. In June, Empire magazine published its 500 greatest films of all time list, chosen by a poll of 250,000 readers; the winner was the sequel, The Empire Strikes Back, with the original also making the Top 10. You wont hear people today making fun of Leias hair or Luke Skywalkers disco haircut.
(Excerpt) Read more at macleans.ca ...
Whatever his politics, George Lucas made one of the last movies with white guys as the heroes and a damsel in distress; even Lando (Billy Dee Williams) was portrayed as a POS. It even had a religious overtone with “the force”.
That movie wouldn’t even be allowed to be made like that today...
The Carpetbaggers was much better than Star Wars.
The reasons that many of the greatest movies are so great are often furstratingly intangible.
But history has made its judgement in the cases of Star Wars, Alien, Pulp Fiction, The Godfather, Casablanca, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, etc.
Personally, I still don't understand why The Godfather is so esteemed. Yet I accept its greatness and the overwhelming verdict of the masses. Maybe one day I'll truly understand.
The same is true for those who don't respect the original Star Wars. The movie was just mind-blowingly great, even with all the mediocre acting and such. I, for one, rank it above The Empire Strikes Back, although many others do not.
I’ve always thought so. I do have a small bias, tho...
I thought the first three movies were great. The second three—not so much.
I have to agree with you. I skipped my last day of High School to see the original on opening night. (three hours in line to get tickets, and two more hours before the showing). It was a party atmosphere, the guy behind me in line was the Washington editor of the National Enquirer, a real hoot. When we were herded into the lobby his wife got a cow bell out of her purse and range it, we all “Mooooed” and scared the ushers.
When, during the opening moment, that Imperial Cruiser flew in overhead, everyone when “OOOOOOhhh!”
At then end, during the credits someone shouted “I was so damned tied of meaningful movies!”
It was lightweight fun, at the right time.
Those that saw it while on acid tend to disagree - they found it immensely entertaining....
"It insists on itself." ~ Peter Griffin.
Well I agree. Star Wars was too corny for me. I did like the second one better.
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