PRICKS-George Lucas

George Lucas changed the world of movies with Star Wars. I remember as a little kid seeing that movie for the first time of many repeat viewings. It became a cornerstone of my childhood. Later on, I would watch Raiders of the Lost Ark which sprang from the mind of George Lucas. Both franchises were huge for me growing up. Then, something happened.

Somewhere along the line, Lucas lost his senses. I'm not sure when that happened, but it is clear to me that he lost it back in the 70's. I think he had a brief creative spell where he got all his great ideas which have made his life ever since. I suspect drugs may have been involved with this creativity. Whatever the guy was taking, he needs to get back on them because he really sucks these days.

What makes Lucas a prick is the fact that he goes back and edits those original Stars Wars movies which are classics. The most famous fuck up is the famous Greedo-Shoots-First controversy. In the original, Han just shoots the guy and establishes himself as a complete cinematic bad ass. That moment made the character, and he is the coolest hero that Lucas ever created. Then, he went back and bastardized his classic work by having Greedo shoot first. That was fucking lame as hell.



Star Wars fans can be divided between the Han Shoots First people and the Greedo Shoots First people. I can understand why Lucas wanted that change. In the original, Harrison Ford played the character like you would expect in the moral ambiguity of 1970's America. The guy is a rogue and a scoundrel. He is ambivalent about the Rebel cause. He doesn't give a damn about politics or being a hero. In short, Han Solo is a complex guy. All of the other characters in the films are either good or evil. Han is in between. Lucas wanted to erase this complexity because he is an idiot.

This tone deafness to the audience is what kills Lucas. The other aspect is that he made the Star Wars franchise a colossal marketing scheme to sell toys. This would explain Jar Jar and the Ewoks. I understand kids love this shit, but adults wanted something they could enjoy as well. The beauty of Star Wars was that the whole family could enjoy the thing. Lucas destroyed this.

Great movies are ultimately great stories. This is what moves people. Star Wars was a great story. George Lucas forgot this. Back in the day, he had people who told him what worked and what didn't. Somewhere, he stopped listening. The result is that his legacy is now becoming not one of a great director or a great storyteller but a lucky hack who caught a lucky break and milked it for everything. This is a shame. People will forgive your mistakes and forget them. But to fuck up your successes after the fact is a colossal dick move. Lucas betrays the fans, and this makes him a prick.

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