Most Anticipated Films of 2023

[thecolorsblend]

Lucasfilm is presently being run by talentless political activists and nepo babies who are steadily killing off all the franchises Lucas himself worked so hard to build. They've ruined Star Wars and Willow, and now it looks like they've ruined Indy too. I suppose American Graffiti, Labyrinth and Monkey Island will be next. I'm starting to wonder if this wasn't George's plan all along, to avenge himself against the Fandom Menace.

Did you ever see the movie/documentary The People vs. George Lucas? It's basically a bunch of (then) middle aged Gen X'ers going ham on Lucas.

I don't usually go in for the whole "toxic fandom" thing. But TPVGL is pretty much a dumping ground for every negative comment Lucas received from 1997-2007. Including "George Lucas raped my childhood". The entire thing is pretty mean-spirited. Way over the line of good taste. And I sometimes wonder what role TPVGL played in Lucas's decision to sell. You could argue he would've had to sell eventually anyway. But that's not the only way of looking at it.

[The Dark Knight]

The Dial of Destiny news is genuinely upsetting to me. Like The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, the first three Indiana Jones films were perfect as a trilogy and the following two films had no reason for being made. As a youngster I watched the Indiana Jones films religiously (ha) and prime Harrison Ford was the man, as much as Sean Connery and Roger Moore. I have very fond memories of my childhood because the movies I watched were so entertaining. They were wish fulfilment fantasy. Now it's all being torn down with subpar products that just make me cling to the grandeur of yesteryear all the more.

[Silver Nemesis]

Did you ever see the movie/documentary The People vs. George Lucas? It's basically a bunch of (then) middle aged Gen X'ers going ham on Lucas.

No, I still haven't seen that. I'd be interested in watching it though. I'm as guilty as anyone of making fun of Lucas in the past, and I still find his refusal to release the theatrical cuts of the Star Wars OT frustrating. But with age, I've come to appreciate the positive contributions he made to cinema. Having seen how bad things got without him, I miss his creativity and imagination. It's sad to think his last film, Red Tails, came out over a decade ago. I don't know if he had any more good movies left in him, but I can't imagine his output from 2012-now would have been worse than what others have done with his creations.

As a youngster I watched the Indiana Jones films religiously (ha) and prime Harrison Ford was the man, as much as Sean Connery and Roger Moore.

Connery and Moore are my two favourite Bonds. Eventually I'd like to have threads about both Bond and Indy, but for now I'll just mention that I disliked No Time to Die. I rank it among the five worst Bond films. I'm not a fan of Craig-era Bond in general (I'll say more about that in the Bond thread), and that movie was a particularly dud note to end on. And Phoebe Waller-Bridge was one of the writers. She also played the annoying droid in Solo. Now she's co-starring in what many critics are calling the worst Indiana Jones movie. Coincidence? I've no doubt that critics and the Rotten Tomatoes summary will single her out for praise (modern critics are no longer allowed to criticise women or to say that anyone was miscast in a project), but I can't help feeling her involvement was a jinx.

Anyway, here's a palate cleanser – the trailer for Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon. Unlike Indy 5, this film received a positive reception at Cannes.

[thecolorsblend]

I've come to appreciate the positive contributions he made to cinema.

I wish more people would do the same. Because someday, George Lucas is going to pass away. And when he does, two things are going to happen.

01- The world will eulogize one of the greatest filmmakers of all time.

02- I'm going to hit the roof because remembering Lucas as a mere filmmaker is an utter travesty to that man's true legacy and contribution to cinema. Pioneering Pixar, essentially creating digital filmmaking, managing (and reviving) the biggest IP in the world at the time and revolutionizing the theatrical experience to name but a few of his contributions, George Lucas is second to none when it comes to being a true pioneer. Happily, the man is still alive. But it already pains me that he'll be remembered for Star Wars when his true legacy goes so much deeper than that.

Like you, I totally understand the frustration people have over the status of the unaltered trilogy. But in the big picture, Lucas did so many amazing things that I choose to err on the side of cutting him slack and simply enjoying the many innovations he is directly and indirectly responsible for.