I love George Lucas. everyone around here knows that. I have defended him and still think he’s one of the most innovative ad creative minds in the movie business. I just don’t think he should be directing films. Anyway…
As much as I love George… I’ve gotta tell you… even I am starting to question the mans sanity.
This whole Indiana Jones mess has gone beyond the point of silly. I still maintain that this film will indeed never happen, no matter what George or Harrison or Steven say. But now George has come out with a quote that is seriously making me question the man’s sanity… and quite honestly… his integrity too.
The good folks over at CHUD give us this quote by George Lucas talking about Indiana Jones IV. Read it… and be prepared to be floored:
“We’re basically going to do The Phantom Menace”, says Lucas (stay with him here, he’s making a point). “People’s expectations are way higher than you can deliver. You could just get killed for the whole thing…We would do it for fun and just take the hit with the critics and the fans.”
Oh tell me he didn’t just say that. PLEASE tell me George isn’t so far gone off the rocker that he actually said the next Indian Jones film will be “The Phantom Menace” and that he’s knowingly going to make a film that neither critics nor the fans will like. WHAT THE FUCK!?!?!
I honestly don’t know what to say. I am just astounded by the insane stupidity of that statement. If it was April I’d swear Lucas was just pulling a joke on us… just pulling our legs as a gag. Certainly he wouldn’t be stupid enough to say that… would he?!?!?! Yup… he said it.
Instead of learning a lesson from Phantom… he’s intentionally going to repeat it. Wow. I don’t know what to say. My hero has fallen… and he apparently can’t get up.
Agreed. George is just airing his grievance that, no matter what he does, he loses the popularity contest. He’s a walking target, folks. Regardless, I don’t think his comparison of TPM and Indy IV should be read as anything more than him commenting about unreasonable expectations and the rabid army of detractors waiting in the wings for yet another opportunity to shoot their mouths off on the internet and sound intelligent, when all they’re really doing is being punks.
Give the professionals involved some credit and wait for the film to come out. Then you can climb up on your high horse and run your mouth off if you wish. Right now, you have nothing but highly subjective opinion, conjecture and a bad attitude to go on. The rest of us will go see the movie and decide, when there are some real facts on the table.
FYI, dratpackers: TEMPLE OF DOOM and THE LAST CRUSADE weren’t anywhere near on par with RAIDERS to begin with. George is simply stating that the bar continues to be set ridiculously high for the next Indy installment. Lighten up, peeps.
Why oh why is this man talking about this film? He is singlehandedly destroying.
I’d like to concur with the sentiment that Lucas is just saying they can’t possibly meet the expectations of the fans. The really insane part of it – reading between the lines – is he’s kind of defending The Phantom Menace. He’s saying the only reason people hate it is our expections were too high – not because it’s a horrible mess of exposition and character introductions. That’s some serious looniness right there.
Uncle Fredo has spoken. Amen.
Okay, this is how it goes. The final word on the prequels from Uncle Fredo.
The Phantom Menance was good. Not stellar, but Return of the Jedi good. Natalie Portman and Jake Lloyd were wooden, but I didn’t expect much from them. The folks that were supposed to deliver did so. I thought it was a nice opening for the new trilogy.
Going back to my statement of “Return of the Jedi good”, ironically, I think you can trace the downfall of the Star Wars saga to Return of the Jedi, when Lucas got cute (Ewoks) and started assuming the audience was stupid. You know? When he tells us that which we see already.
Lando: “Why aren’t those Star Destroyers attacking.”
[note: a good movie would let the scene play out and SHOW us, but Lucas has to TELL us, because he thinks we’re dumb]
Officer: “Why aren’t we attacking?”
Admiral Piet: “We have our orders from the Emperor. We only need to keep them from escaping.”
Oh, wow. We would have never figured that out. Thanks Flanneled One.
Moving on. Attack of the Clones sucked from the very first frame. The attack on Padme was lame and slow. Anakin and Obi-Wan’s elevator ride cemented how lame the movie would turn. I think Lucas had some of the longest pauses and slowest, crappiest edits that it’s laughable, especially in the Dooku-Kenobi-Skywalker-Yoda love fest at the end. Talk about a letdown. Like Chark said earlier, the only thing good about Attack of the Clones is vingettes of goodness, small, short bursts of beauty, but that’s it. And they can be counted on one hand.
Revenge of the Sith is better than The Phantom Menance, but still suffers. Not so much because it is crap, but because Lucas laid a crap highway, brick by shitty brick. The action is better. Some of the FX are lame and the dialogue strays into the wooden arena from time to time, but overall is the best of the prequel trilogy.
So what’s next? I pray to all that is holy they don’t make Indiana Jones a prequel or a sequel. Let it go, Indiana is what I recommend. Do something different. In fact, don’t go back to directing. Just give the smart ones your money and let them do the work.
But that won’t happen. I agree with Roger Ebert. Star Wars 7,8, and 9 are right around the corner. If not by George, by his posterity.
how many people actually ever watch the TPM dvd they have on their shelf??
“Get over it. :) Lucus gets a lifetime pass to do whatever the fuck he wants. Quick question….How many of you that are blasting PM have the MF’er on your DVD rack?
haha”
…Lucas? Is that fucking you, George?
on a lighter note. The audio edtion always kicks ass. and Im about to listen to it.
I love ya, John Campea. You take “Do as I say, not as I do” to whole new heights.
I think Alfie said it best when he asked ” do you just want people to come here and agree with you?”
so you think “I am just astounded by the the insane stupidity of that statement” and “I dont even know how to respond to this ridiculous rant” convey vastly different points. What do you think you are calling insanely stupid. The situation or the statement? Seeing as how you used the word “statement” in the sentence I can only assume you are referring to the latter. And what is the statement? Is it George Lucas’s statement? Yes. I think it is. And what was Lucas’s statement? His opinion on the Indiana Jones situation. Rationilize it however you want but you are guilty of doing the same thing to Lucas that you chastised me for doing to you.
Oh, and a lot of people here understand what Lucas was saying (it helps to actually reference the entire quote) but if you dont, then I dont know how to help you.
Lucas isn’t even an idea man anymore. His group at ILM comes up with all the sweetness, i.e. the vingettes. I completely agree with Chark. Lucas hasn’t done anything original SINCE “American Graffiti” and “A New Hope.” Leigh Bracket, Irvin Kershner, Lawrence Kasdan and Richard Marquand were the force behind “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi, ” so you can’t credit Uncle George for that success.
When it boils down to it, George wants cash and has milked every last drop he can from fanboys popping wood and pup tents galore anytime something Star Wars hits the shelves or theaters. Personally, George screwed up the prequels and ruined one of the greatest filmmaking chances of all-time. To alienate critics AND fans, now that’s a feat.
How is George a great filmmaker? He’s a great idea guy- as for filmmaker? He wrote the damn scripts, Tim. Directors make scripts into fleshed out sweetness. Lucas failed on both counts- the latest Star Wars’ are simply vignettes.
To say George wasn’t at fault because he directed a great movie based on a shit screenplay is ludicrous.
Folks- you don’t owe George anything. Willow was marginal with only the story idea being credited to Lucas (and considered a flop in its time), THX is obscure and a Lucas apologist throwback. The Indiana Jones are great— but Lucas COWROTE them (here’s my idea- you write the screenplay) and Spielberg brought them to life.
Lucas is an idea man. He may have had a spark of filmmaking sweetness back in 78, but it’s long gone as evidenced by his last three movies.
I guess I don’t see what all the hub-bub is about. Lucas didn’t say anything unreasonable. The only thing unreasonable is the reaction by some bloggers. Everyone and their brother wants to see this movie made, and everyone has these expectations that can’t possibly be made.
gavin you cannot say that if TPM came out in the 70’s nothing would have changed.
that is a bit of a silly way to try and argue something….there is absolutely no way on earth you can ever prove that……I could just as well say that if TPM was released in the 70’s it would have changed everything and we wouldn’t even know who lucas is because it would have totally tanked and he would have had no career.
but i can never prove that….
He obviously doesn’t like his money. Maybe he should share it with the rest of us rather than making another disaster. Oh boy.
Everything was better than Whiney Anakin, even Jar-Jar. And I hated Jar-Jar.
It seems to me that you’re missing the point.
George is saying that No matter how good the film is… it will NEVER be as good as the originals, especially with the older cast.
I’m in full agreement with him here – and I think that he’s quite brave to make that point in public.
I know that lots of people don’t like TPM, but If the Phantom Menace had come out in 1977, instead of Star Wars, it wouldn’t have changed anything… (Except that everyone would think that “A New Hope” was the worst film). Is whiny Luke any better than whiny Anakin etc?
It all depends upon your point of view.
While I strongly disagree that Lucas is a bad filmmaker and/or producer, I’ll ask:
1) Is what he said taken out of context (this happens a lot with Lucas)?
2) What exactly did he mean?
See, while Jar Jar and other stuffed toys can walk about in the recent Star Wars films, he can’t sell you a rubber heart from “Temple Of Doom”, y’know? (Heck, even the Indy voodoo doll has never been on the market!)
If Lucas means a film that takes place before “Temple Of Doom” [which was set pre-‘Raiders’] then I say it is safe to say that Harrison Ford isn’t returning, unless it is a cameo like he did on the ‘Young Indy Chronicles” series. If it is post “Crusade”, then Lucas makes no sense whatsoever…although I think Ford’s role should be recast anyway, or, if need be, keep in line with Ford’s age, but then should we set “Indy Jones” in the mid 1960’s?
What was it you said before, John? Ain’t gonna happen?
The best way to appease the fans is to just let sleeping dogs lie.
-Sealer
Hey Jay,
Gosh, if you can’t tell the difference between respecting other people’s thought’s on a particular situation… and the situation itself, then I don’t know how to help you.
Let’s see. It’s been 25 years since the Raiders of the Lost Arch, and if Lucas placed the new Indiana Jones movie in the 50’s and had Indy facing agents of Joseph Stalin, that could be cool.
Wayyyyyyyy too much is being read into his quote….
it’s quite obvious what he means…..all lucas means is that expectations will be so high that it will be pretty much impossible to meet them so you just have to ignore everyone else and just make the film you want to make and hope for the best.
…he doesn’t mean that all of sudden indys new sidekick is going to a pigeon english speaking CG creature.
oh and speilberg has directed plenty of bad films…..
May George wants people to hate him….
don’t know what to say… maybe he’s just trying to say that they’re going to do Indie 4 the way they want to do it, and maybe, since Spielberg is in on the project it’ll turn out okay. I think perhaps we’re all freaking out a little too early. Don’t get your hopes up, but don’t completely write it off.
We know George’s bio. And we don’t know shit about your credits. Soooo, the foolish one here is..
If I had his paper, I’d do the same damn thing as you would too. Don’t lie.
Sorry, I meant to say “Hey Tim…”
But I agree with you too Hi.
Hey Hi,
I’m glad I’m not the only one who read the whole quote.
Whaqt Lucas was saying was that the expectations are as high for this 4th Indiana Jones movie as they were for the 1st prequel. Almost impossible to meet.
“we would do it for fun and just take the hit with the critics and the fans, but nobody wants to get into it unless they are really happy with it” — See how the meaning of the quote changes when you actually post the entire quote.
Lucas has Speilberg to please on this one. S.S. wont let an inferior Indiana Jones movie make it to the screen if he can help it.
“I am just astounded by the insane stupidity of that statement”
John, heres a thought. If you disagree… how about just saying “I disagree…. and here’s why” instead of sinking into name calling and condescending language. Give it a shot, its liberating.
Sound familiar?
it seems like way too many people get really emotional when star wars or indy get mentioned. people act like these movies are thiers, and either feel like those were the greatest movies of all time or they’ve been personally raped by lucas
lucas does have a point though. the tradegy of star wars was that it was bigger than lucas himself. it was this franchise that was so beloved that any addtion would bother it’s fans no matter how good or bad.
Indy is in that phase now. theres no point to making indy 4 but for the money. if it was a franchise that they cared about it’s installments. they would’ve continue the movies throughout the 90’s, but after last crusade everybody basically said it was done.
and no one ever mentions Harrsion Ford in this story. heres a man who hasn’t done a good film in how long? the last time he was mentioned was air force one….yeah “get off my plane” air force one
Get over it. :) Lucus gets a lifetime pass to do whatever the fuck he wants. Quick question….How many of you that are blasting PM have the MF’er on your DVD rack?
haha
George is just saying it’s easier to kiss a wookie than satisfy ALL the fans. Hate to say this, but I think sci-fi fans are the pickiest people on the planet and I am a HUGE sci-fi fan myself. You never see ‘romantic comedy conventions’ or heated debates on ‘Who is the better CSI leader, Gil Grisson or Horatio Caine’….well maybe you do.
Sony should hire Lucas to pimp the PS3. At least they both seem to be living in the same fairyworld.
If you dont make a movie for the critics nor for the fans then YES, you are making it for yourself..
there are a lot of movies that are made just to please the director and his close circle of friends
Spileberg is diecting the thing, and some other guy is writing it. George came up with the story and producing it. Has Spielberg ever directed something bad i don’t think so
“But nobody wants to get into it unless they are really happy with it”
That’s what Lucas said directly after where you cut it off. I don’t think there’s any need to worry.
Look, people. GEORGE LUCAS IS NOT A BAD FILMMAKER! He gave us three great films in the ’70’s (THX 1138, American Grafitti, Star Wars), and I’m sorry, but the problems with the Star Wars prequels all lie in the screenplay, NOT the direction.
As for this quote, I think what he meant by saying ‘We’re making the Phantom Menace’ is that the expectations and hype will be so high, that a lot of people will be disappointed.
George Lucas is a hack. A has-been. Basically a one-hit wonder with no clue.
He’s a great businessman and innovator, but he’s a horrible filmmaker.
IT’s very clear what he means in his statement about TPM and making it all over again. HYPE is WAY UP THERE. I am sure he meant that he’d Love to put out a joke Indy 4 just for fun and not make the effort. We as his Fans and Haters have put him in front of the firing squad so many times. Can you blame him for making such a statement. I mean we throw him under the bus for EVERY LITTLE FUCKING THING. My god. This is the man that had the Imagination to make our wonderful StarWars Trilogy of old. Yet there seems to be nothing but hate for him. I ( on a personal note ) have loved all of his innovations in the Movie World from ILM .. to SkyWalker Sound ( Mostly ) for his Sound Innovations. As I love Everything THX and 5.1 6.1 and so on. He helped that sound process evolve and I for one Applaud him just for that. Yet all we can do as fans is pick apart all of his words for cridical review. I’m sorry but you guys who hate WHATEVER about him have to recognize that he has helped us enjoy all our movies better in one way or another. and the next time you sit in your home theater take a second to realize all of George Lucas’s accomplishment’s.He’s one of the few people to sink his money back into making film’s as good as they can be. And futher more let’s all WAIT for Indy 4 to suck .. Good Lord. How many times do we all get on here and see yet another trashing of film .. not yet made.. Here’s a funny thought “whatif” John Williams refused to do the score to the film ( indy4 )on his first raw screening .. Now that would be telling.. haha.
The man has a great imagination, but in terms of putting those ideas on film, he is certainly a hack.
If you dont make a movie for the critics (implying that it wont be superbly acted and directed and written to oscar levels…), AND you dont make a movie for the ‘fans’ (implying that it would simply be a fun, funny, special effect heavy party…)…..Ummmmm… Errrrr… THEN WHO THE HELL ARE YOU MAKING THE FILM FOR? Yourself?
Will it be “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Lucas”? Will George spend 200 mil on this so he can enjoy it in the home theater room of his ranch? Perhaps Lucas and Indy team up and spank Hitler for 3 hours?
Maybe he gets of on this… Maybe he is basically making a 200 milion dollar porno staring Indiana Jones? Oye. I dont know Georgie… you have us all stumped on this one.
PS – Hey. Check out IMDb under Indian Jones 4… It has Jar Jar Binks listed as a character (Indy’s Cousin), and he’s being played by Chris Tucker! ;-)
“Don’t forget that the Phantom Menace earned 430 million. I think the lesson to be learned is that as long as he can keep putting out crap and making money on it…why not continue to put out crap??”
You said exactly what I came in here to say. The quote proves that it’s all about money. Enough of this mythologizing. Lucas isn’t Homer. Lucas isn’t Shakespeare (although I did hear Lucas speak startlingly insightfully about mythology and literature in an interview a few years ago). Lucas is a moneymaker first and an artist second (a distant second). The original three Star Wars films were great, but I think it’s out of hand for people to have used them to suggest that a new Homer or Shakespeare walks among us and his name is George Lucas. Fans–including you, John, sorry–shouldn’t be so surprised or outraged by statements like this. You simply shouldn’t have built up the meaning of what are primarily children’s films from your youth, shouldn’t have built it up to ridiculous levels. Honestly, none of his films are very deep.
John,
This story originated with Empire as an exclusive. Please give the credit to the right source. As far as Indy 4 goes, fan expectations are already way too high, but like I said in my post on FilmRot it’s not impossible to turn in a film that both children and adults love. He tried to make Star Wars more for the kids and ended up alienating the adult fans who were kids when the original trilogy hit. With Indiana Jones, however, it’s not just Lucas in control and I highly doubt Steven Spielberg would turn in an Indy 4 that is the letdown equivalent of The Phantom Menace.
Dave (let’s just take a deep breath)
i think what he was trying to say was its impossible to please. after this long of a wait and everyone aging and having the old movies tied to memories and emotions its hard for a new jones to measure up
as with menace they will try their best and do it justice, greatly he has speilberg to help creatively
Hey Alfredo,
All Lucas has is the Original Star Wars?!?! Really? How about American Graffitti? How about Willow? How about Indian Jones?
All George Lucas has is the orginal Star Wars. That’s it. He’s not film maker at this point he’s a hack.
Don’t forget that the Phantom Menace earned 430 million. I think the lesson to be learned is that as long as he can keep putting out crap and making money on it…why not continue to put out crap??