Films About Films

For some reason, I’m watching The People vs George Lucas. I’m not that big a Star Wars fan. I can tell you for a fact that I am not wearing Star Wars underpants (unlike most of the people in the film.) But the Star Wars fan base fascinates me. So, here I am, watching a film about a film and its relationship to the people who love it.

It’s a film about art, and whether it belongs to the one person who created it, or to the culture that grew up around it, and at what point it makes the transition from one to the other.

Essentially, they’re putting George Lucas on trial for the “new” versions of the film, and more importantly, for making the “old” versions unavailable.

There’s a strangeness to that. The creator of a world, being cast out. Eden in reverse.

Interesting idea.

And exactly how much tweaking can you do before a work of art becomes a different work of art?

I’m not to the end of it, so if you want to watch along with me, the film is on Crackle, right now. (July 12, 2018) And shout, if you have opinions.

2 Comments

  1. Reply

    That is interesting analogy and true. Star Wars has been my inspiration from the beginning and lead me to thinking I can write and sell. Yeah, I own collectibles and light sabers and lifesize standups lol. I suspect that Lucas himself has perpetuated the outcast phenomenon from the beginning.

    Did not always think that, but after 30 years where it has always existed in some form, that is my theory. Yes some rant on him for sure, but again I think it was a domino Lucas deliberately knocked over himself setting a chain in motion, which builds interest, controversy and hype for Star Wars.

    I love Lucas. I think he is genius. I want to slap him when he is negative about it because it is where it is, what it is and what happens is from HIS personal creativity Choices in the story and business of getting it out there that created the hype.

    His choices allowed others input. ALL of the responsibility sits on his shoulders for the big thing it has become. He said cause people bitched he played down Jar Jar as he made 2 and 3 HIS CHOICE, so I think it is a genius plan of his from the beginning otherwise he would have said to heck with opinion. He is rich enough not to have done anything he did not want to do.

    It worked and it still works. All those that rag on him I think love him too. Love/hate has always been a big seller. Genius.

    • Reply

      And as soon as you start thinking about it, there it is in other areas, too. I just ran into an album where all the reviews said not to buy it, because one of the songs had been pruned down. The new version is about two minutes shorter than the old one!
      I know I would have noticed, but I’m still debating if I’d be upset by it. There’s absolutely no mention of it on the copy from the company. You’d think the MP3 version would be identical to the disk I have in my drawer.

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