The People v George Lucas (2010)

By Ronan MacEwan

Follow @ausfilmreview

Warning this review includes swear words. No discussion of the Star Wars remakes and prequels can be had without them.

Lovers of the original Star Wars have finally got the film they’ve been waiting for.

No, it’s not the prequels remade to by James Cameron, David Fincher, Darren Aronofsky, or Peter Jackson. It’s the People v George Lucas, which elegantly and precisely catalogues every grievance with the work of George Lucas ever since he fiddled with Star Wars: A New Hope bits.

The complete jeremiad is here – many seen by the fans as personal slights or direct attacks by Lucas on their very existence: Han shooting first (takes away his roguish edge), midi-chlorians (reduces the universal, accessible, spiritual nature of the force to a genetically superior blood type basis – i.e. an Ubermensch) and, of course, Jar-Jar Binks (a preposterous, endlessly irritating and arguably incredibly racist character – described by one fan as the archetype of “what someone with no sense of humour thinks is funny.”)

The rage and frustrations of the fans is palpable, but what the documentary makes clear is that the objections come from a place of love. The fans see themselves as wronged lovers, willing to take back George Lucas if he would just cede to what they see as reasonable demands. The fans want Lucas to gently woo them, but instead he’s just fucking them.

This is a first-world indulgent issue of the highest order, and it one I once cared deeply about  but I’ve moved on. Thinking about it or keeping up with the latest Star Wars release was, as Shaun of the dead Simon Pegg has articulately stated, a bit like being a part of an abusive relationship. You just have to a walk away – it’s not going to change, Lucas will just keeping hitting you in the face with a wet fish.

The fish will be CGI, but it will still hurt.

Nevertheless, there’s a great deal of catharsis and satisfaction in seeing Lucas’ outrageous acts of cultural vandalism so clearly spelt out. It feels like a rebellion order of fans that just can’t give up the hope – the old hope that the traditional Star Wars Empire will strike back and everything we loved about the Jedi will return.

For those who do not give a single fuck about things like Lucas changing the Ewok’s theme the end of episode VI– this may be a little ‘challenging’ (read: insanely boring). But if you want to know why your Star Wars loving fans get so mad when the fact you mention that you “didn’t mind”  the menacing phantoms, attacking clones or revenging Sith – this is an ideal primer and may spare you some sullen evenings.

In conclusion, George, we the people hate you but we wouldn’t be who we are without you. Mr Lucas, you have made generation with some extreme cognitive dissonance issues, who are will likely go on talking about this well into their twilight years.

Out through Hopscotch Entertainment.

The Other State: Film news and etcetera from New Zealand – June 2009

The Short Film

Six Dollar Fifty Man

Huge congratulations to the team (directors Mark Albiston and Louis Sutherland) behind the NZ short film Six Dollar Fifty Man which won a special distinction at Cannes in May. This is only two years after winning the special distinction for the filmmakers previous short Run. Please someone give these guys a real budget – I want to see a feature! link

The Competition

Each year New Zealand’s filmmaking talent is put to the test during the 48 Hours Furious Filmmaking contest. This year’s competition took place over the weekend 8-10 May, with the Grand Final held on the 20^th June. The concept is simple – make the best film possible in only 48 hours. All creative aspects of the film must be created in the 48 hours allotted; even genre and other random elements are provided just before the timer starts to prevent any cheating. Now in its 7^th year, 48 hours has attracted the attention of Wingnut Films (Peter Jackson’s company) who now sponsor it and often enter a team to keep their talent on its toes.

Here is this years winner, Charlotte, from Dunedin based Team Line Men:

Charlotte is the first animated supreme winner. Here is my pick of the past winners. It’s called Jesse McCleod: The Journey from 2004, and has been described as “a friendly tale of family euthanasia”:

You can read more about the competition, and watch all of the previous winners here.

The Woman

This barely makes it as New Zealand news, as it relates to a British film (Bright Star) that premiered in France (at Cannes) starring an Australian (Abbie Cornish) – but it was directed by New Zealander Jane Campion (who lives in Australia). Whew. As with most ex-pat does good products the buzz in NZ was that Bright Star was set to win the Palme D’Or. While the film is receiving rave reviews from some, it also failed to set others worlds alight. One Little White Lies reviewer lists it in the best and worst: “Biggest Disappointment: That Jane Campion’s Bright Star, a turgid, middle-brow exercise in Quality Filmmaking, so successfully hoodwinked the general public.”

Bright Star will open the 2009 Auckland International Film Festival. I may go. I may also skip it and see Brüno which also comes out that day.

The Peter Jackson Empire

Peter Jackson has a lot on his plate – Lovely Bones is still in post-production, his Dambusters remake is still going ahead, and he is producing The Hobbit. This hasn’t stopped him from taking on a new role: leading a ministerial review of the New Zealand Film Commission. Jackson has been a vocal critic of the commission’s funding decisions in years past, this coupled with the brand new CEO might lead to a few positive changes down at the NZFC… {link}

The Film

Taika Waititi’s follow up to Eagle vs. Shark has just wrapped. The Volcano promises to be full of 1980s coming-of-age awkwardness. The buzz? – it’s gonna be ‘mean’. {link}

The Volcano

– Morgan Stewart

The Other State: Film news and etcetera from New Zealand.

The Man

After Dr. Ruth Harley left the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) for Screen Australia last year, one of the biggest roles in the NZ industry was up for grabs. It lay vacant for quite some time – until Graeme Mason was announced as her successor in March. The press release gives a slice of his CV and he’s had a solid international career and seems likely to bring a commercial eye to the industry. What gets me about the press release is the films he has been involved with – The Usual Suspects, Trainspotting, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Spice World – The Movie, and When We Were Kings – wait. Go back [rewind?]. Spice World? Either the NZFC publicist has a sense of humour or this may be a mark of things to come…{link}

The Buzz

The Strength of Water is a NZ/German co-production that is doing the rounds on the international film festival circuit – apparently to much acclaim. This is good news for one of NZ’s most established independent producers Fiona Copland (Topless Women Talk About Their Lives, The Price of Milk) and for the creative talent behind the film – first time director Armagan Ballentyne and playwright Briar Grace Smith. It tells the tale of two young Maori twins in a relatively remote North NZ town whose lives are interrupted when a stranger comes to town. Perhaps drawing obvious Whale Rider comparisons (coming of age/Maori youth/remote NZ) will benefit the film and help it turn a profit for the NZFC. And maybe nab another young Kiwi an Oscar nomination. Who knows?

 

The Peter Jackson Empire

I can’t really talk about New Zealand’s film industry without mentioning Peter Jackson. Well I could, but might have my citizenship revoked. Jackson has released a pretty pic from his upcoming film adaptation of The Lovely Bones. I’m thinking this one’s going to be more Heavenly Creatures than Meet the Feebles…{link}

Lovely bones

The Quick Link

The Quiet Earth. I love a good kiwi post-apocalyptic film. Now available on DVD it seems. [God knows we all need a cheerful distraction from the GFC -Ed] {link} 

The Rant

And whilst the NZ film industry may be flourishing, making money from US investors and getting recognition from overseas festivals – back home we seem to be stuck in a screen culture stasis. Auckland in particular lacks any kind of screen/moving image scene. Though having stated that – I will now have those that disprove it (please, I welcome it).

In an effort to undermine my own theory – I searched for a cinema event or screening that offered something outside of the current releases – to no avail. No cult film or classic film screenings. No interesting events tied in with screenings. I figure it mustn’t be there if I don’t know about it – I should be the target audience, no? – A true cinephile with a largely disposable income. A last minute search revealed the Human Rights Film Festival is on this week. THIS week. How come I didn’t know about this before?

Unfortunately for Auckland, Melbourne is my point of comparison here – from ACMI to Rooftop Cinema to the Astor to MIFF* to smaller privately run or student run festivals – there never seemed to be a cinematically dull patch on the calendar.

This, my dear Auckland will have to change. Even if I have to do it myself.

Morgan Stewart  

*[not to be confused with the Malaysian International Furniture Fair -ed]

 

 

Weekend Reading: Box office Gross, High pays, and Shooting in Sydney

Here are a couple of good articles E.J. Epstein has written for Slate magazine:

The truth about box office gross {link}

“First, the reported “grosses” are not those of the studios but those of the movie houses. The movie houses take these sums and keep their share (or what they claim is their share)—which can amount to more than 50 percent of the original box-office total. Consider, for example, Touchstone’s Gone in 60 Seconds, which had a $242 million box-office gross. From this impressive haul, the theaters kept $129.8 million and remitted the balance to Disney’s distribution arm, Buena Vista. After paying mandatory trade dues to the MPAA, Buena Vista was left with $101.6 million. From this amount, it repaid the marketing expenses that had been advanced—$13 million for prints so the film could open in thousands of theatres; $10.2 million for the insurance, local taxes, custom clearances, and other logistical expenses; and $67.4 million for advertising. What remained of the nearly quarter-billion-dollar “gross” was a paltry $11 million. (And that figure does not account for the $103.3 million that Disney had paid to make the movie in the first place.)”

High pays for A-list deserved? {link}

Studio executives are hardly clueless when it comes to negotiating contracts with A-list talent, although the popularity of The-Moguls-Must-Be-Crazy stories in the media would have you believe otherwise. Examples abound: The Wall Street Journal reported that, “In order to sign actress Cameron Diaz and director Nancy Meyers, the [Sony] studio had planned to offer both women a share of the movie’s gross box-office revenue from its first day of release on. It is a practice known as ‘first-dollar gross’ and it’s standard fare for top-tier talent.” Variety reported that “20 percent of the gross [of King Kong] is going to [Peter] Jackson.” Wiredreported that, “A deal worth $20 million against 20 percent of the box office gross [is] the kind of contract Tom Cruise or Tom Hanks generally get.”

Down a slightly different tack, here is an article from Timeout on the prohibitive costs to shooting in Sydney, contains interesting vox-pops with various Australian film luminaries {link}

Gillian Armstrong: “Too many people had earned a lot of money from the big US films. The local councils in Sydney can’t see the big picture. It’s really frustrating and sad to see a film like Tender Hook being shot in Melbourne when it’s set in Bondi in the 1920s. The minute Fox Studios got in, it sent out the wrong message. It did help some people, but not the local film writers/directors/producers. And it created a boom-bust situation. The Matrix and Mission Impossible II could pay those huge fees. Then the studio was empty for two years until Baz Luhrmann brought Australia in.”