Friday, August 15, 2008

George Lucas and the Return of the George Lucas Hatred

Rob here, back from a little vacation of my own and noticing that while attention has moved from movie to movie from week to week this Summer (with a long layover in Gotham City), one thing has been on movie lovers' to-do lists since June:

Hate George Lucas.

And this hobby hasn't been confined to mere fanboys alone. Today Jim Emerson outlines his argument against George Lucas (which, honestly isn't that different from anyone else's). This summer it's all about how George has ruined our childhood with his less than stellar update of Indiana Jones. Personally I'm not sure why Steven Spielberg doesn't get any of the blame since his fingerprints are all over the film: the overly-happy ending, the.... well... not to ruin the surprise, but lets just say "other elements found often in Spielberg movies."

Perhaps it's because George Lucas also has the Star Wars baggage, more of which comes out this week (and don't ask about Jabba the Hutt's gay uncle... seriously). Perhaps it's because he's already talking about a possible fifth Indiana Jones movie. While I personally don't approve of this, the obsessive compulsive in me kinda does, if for no reason than to have something to support this fourth film, which now is leeched onto the rest of the trilogy, 20 years removed (it's just unsettlingly unsymmetrical).

Anyways here are some suggestions for a title for George Lucas's fifth Indy film:

Indiana Jones and the Bad Case of Osteoporosis
Indiana Jones and the Attack of the Clones
Indiana Jones and the CGI Critters
Indiana Jones and the Small Personal Movies I'm Going to Start Making
Indiana Jones and the Attack of the CGI Critter Clones
Indy and Chewie Celebrate Life Day: A Family Adventure for the Whole Family
Midi-Chlorians and Nuclear 'Fridge Rides: The Story of George Lucas' Genius

(that last one would be a documentary)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Spielberg might be a flawed filmmaker, but he'll never take as much ire as Lucas until he makes a CGI-laden "E.T. 2." He doesn't screw around with people's childhood memories, for the most part. And from what I hear, he wasn't too keen on taking the new Indy all the places it ended up going.

NATHANIEL R said...

then why did he?

he didn't need the money.

Anonymous said...

Exactly. Also, he doesn't seem any less prone to making bad films (Terminal, Always), bad sequels to great films (Lost World), and revisionism (removing guns from E.T.) without Lucas' help.

Don't get me wrong, Spielberg made some of my absolutely favourite movies over the years; I am looking forward to each his new project with cautious optimism at least. But I acknowledge he is far from flawless -- and believe people who are ready to blame Lucas alone for new Indy's problems must be really blinded by their hatred towards the latter.

libhom said...

The first Indiana Jones movie was absolute garbage. Why should the other ones be any better?