Gary Kurtz's thoughts on TPM and other SW related topics

Darth_I: Not that I know of. I don't know enough about him (or any of the other producers we've been discussing) to make a call on that.


And I am really sick of people equating CG with soullessness. I suppose that the Muppets in the Cantina that didn't even move had enough soul to fill a well (Indy reference, natch), whereas Yoda, Gollum, Dobby and the digital double for Ewan McGregor are evil creations of Satan sent to destroy filmmaking.

CG Yoda is just as soulful as the Muppet, because it still has Oz and Lucas' love for this character and his coolness. The soul doesn't come from the medium. It comes from the people.

And until you become a licensed exorcist, I would urge you to stop presenting soulless CGI as a fact.


Rick McCallum loves you!

 

"nothing more than an attempt to discredit those who disagree based on nothing more than the simple fact that they happen to disagree."

I guess you've not watched any court T.V. where they ask doctors and police for their expert opinion on a question that fits into their particular expertise. Don't try to focus on semantics to get around the fact that Kurtz knows more about Star Wars and Lucas than you do.

 

Well said, that is very true. Another point is that in the end the main reason for obtaining Marquand was because he had to get a British director, Lynch could not have possibly made the film. It kind of blasts that "yes men" theory to smithereens, don't it?

And Lucas went on to control Marquand and even went as far to direct a few scenes of ROTJ himself. Make no mistake, ROTJ is Lucas.

 

"But has Kurtz ever been turned away from a project he was interested in? He wanted to do Dark Crystal, he did. He wanted to do Return to Oz, he did. Has anyone ever said "No, we don't want you on this film" to him? "

Apparently they have been since Return to Oz, unless a producer likes to spend his time not producing... or doing much of anything. Or maybe they just decided to stop calling after he ran 3 productions in a row over budget.

 

And Lucas went on to control Marquand and even went as far to direct a few scenes of ROTJ himself.

What examples do we have of him controlling Marquand, anyway?

I do acknowledge the fact that he directed some scenes of ROTJ though. They happen to be my favorite bits though (the Emperor's throne room! w00t!)


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I'll try and find the source later. Right now I have an exam to get to. Oh, and I am pretty sure Mace cuts off Jango's arm right before he cuts off his head. I'll check that later too.

 

hawk --> "Make no mistake, ROTJ is Lucas."

Well, Lucas never controlled Marquand enough because I can see obvious technical and creative weaknesses that do not appear in any of Lucas's films as director. Lucas himself acknowledged the fact that he particularly disliked the close distance Marquand kept to his actors in conversation and other times. I can see exactly what he means.

 

"That's why Jerry Bruckheimer movies are generally all the same... stuff blowin' up with snappy one-liners here and there.
God, sometimes I hate him."


you mean stuff like a race where a vehicle crashes and the announcer throws out a snappy one liner like "i dont care what universe you're from, that's gotta hurt."

or heroes showing up for battle and one of their co-horts exclaims "welcome to the party"

or a character has his head separated from his body and is getting dragged across the ground and says (in completely anachronistic 60s dialect) "what a drag"

or when he sees his own head beside him and says "im beside myself"?

yeah i really hate that stuff too.

 

Apparently they have been since Return to Oz, unless a producer likes to spend his time not producing... or doing much of anything. Or maybe they just decided to stop calling after he ran 3 productions in a row over budget.

Kurtz wasn't on a "We'll call you if we've got a job for you" type of thing. Every film he produced he did because he wanted to. Which is why he's doing 5-25-77 now.

And "producer" isn't a constant employment job, just as director isn't. People in those positions who've got money to go without work for years on end don't need to be working all the time. For example, Stanley Kubrick only made 3 films in the last 20 years of his life.

 

DrEvazan - I didn't mind too many of those...
I can't say I was a big fan of "Dodge this" in Matrix though...

(I'm glad, though, that the Wachowskis could show us their creative use of a frickin' gimmicky lens trick though)


EDIT: Although I do mercilessly bash Bruckheimer, I am also willing to admit that I love "Armageddon"... God help me!
"The Rock" was pretty decent too.
Can't say I wanna see "Pearl Harbor" though.



Rick McCallum loves you!

 

Does anyone have an opinion on Kutrz' comments that the Indiana Jones series caused SW to become shallow action movies? He really harps on this in his interview. To me, this proves not only is he jealous, he's also delusional...and has no taste, to boot.

Return to Oz is a pretty good movie, although it simpflies and deviates from L. Frank Baum's work a bit much for my taste...but it's really interesting to watch.

 

Return to Oz is a pretty good movie, although it simpflies and deviates from L. Frank Baum's work a bit much for my taste...but it's really interesting to watch.

Thanks for the comment.... so few people have seen it, it's hard for me to get info on it!

Funny thing about the Oz movies. The classic 1939 Wizard of Oz movie isn't much like the book, either. Lots of people don't even know there IS a book

The book is so much (for lack of a better word) WEIRDER than the movie. The movie has a lot of singing and dancing, but not nearly enough weird stuff like the Kalidahs, like the Tin Man chopping himself into pieces, like the Winged Monkeys having their wings tied together and hurled into a lake...

I don't care about the political allegory for the gold standard and William Jennings Bryan etc. etc. ... but I would love for someone to make a Wizard of Oz movie that resembles the book a LITTLE more closely.


PS - Good luck with your exam hawk ... although in my experience there's, etc. etc.


Rick McCallum loves you!

 

No, and in neither movie does Dorothy look like she's supposed to...although I'll always think of Judy Garland when I think of Dorothy, even though I know she's supposed to be younger and blond. Dorothy was actually supposed to be an Americianized Alice, and Wizard of Oz an American take on Alice in Wonderland. The series is quite imaginative, but wow, does it get out there. Wizard of Oz is actually one of the less weird books in the series.

 

Judy Garland was pretty hot in that movie. She was nearly 16 when they shot it, right? Bit old to be mincing around in little checked dresses.

One thing I DO love about the movie is the naturalness of the characters. The actors really get into their skin with their body language and grace and... everything. The only other movies I can think of where people had to play equally outlandish characters and pulled it off so well were X-Men (exception: Halle Berry) and LOTR.

I've read a bunch of the Oz books, at least up to the 20th... the Patchwork Girl, the Glass Cat, Ojo, Oogaboo, the ___(Hungry?)____ Tiger... man, this is bringing back memories!



Just to get us back on-topic:
Gary Kurtz loves you!

 

Lol...I'm just glad Lucas bailed out Return to Oz...at least it got made. I do think some of his comments regarding Lucas documentarian style of directing interesting. I have a feeling the Lucas' post-SW movies are going to be somewhat abstract.

 

I agree, and I hope he makes them.
I was just thinking about this today. He spent so much time just not directing anything. Well, now he has all the technology he needs, and his children are not as young as they used to be -- I think after E3 and finishing the SW DVDs he can and SHOULD return to directing. There is so much talent in him for beautiful visuals. I'm glad he made the prequels 'n' all, but come on, George, let's see something else now.

He's been talking for years that he wants to make experimental films, abstract things, isn't so interested in doing traditional storytelling any more... YOU HAD BETTER PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS, GEORGE. I wanna see these movies of yours. I will be there opening day, you have my word.

Heck, AOTC's most 'abstract' moment (the Anakin/Dooku duel shots after the lights go out) is easily my favorite moment, visually speaking, in the whole saga.

Of course, I also thought Lucas' small abstract experimental indie "THX 1138" sucked. Hmm.

Oh, let's figure it out in 2005.


Rick McCallum loves you!

 

Has anyone ever said "No, we don't want you on this film" to [Gary Kurtz]?

Given his spotty employment record over the years, the magic 8-ball says, "Probability is high."

 

Well, George Lucas for one definately did.

 

This thread = train wreck

24 hour bans:

sdj:

I wish some of these bashers would do more than piss and moan. It's been awhile since I'd had a decent discussion with someone of an opposite opinion to me on this board. All I hear is "Lucas sucks and that's a fact"

They are really just broken records that do not supply the opportunities for intelligent debate or conversation. If you took offense to this then you were probably one of the people I am talking about.

You whiners get a life. You can't convince us and we can't convince you so give up the moaning and groaning already..geez. It's just the same thing repeated over and over. Most of you should just write your standard response on Notepad and post it as your response to every post.

Kurtz has his opinion but it doesn't make the basher stance more valid in any way. It's just someone elses opinion.

Flaming and flame-baiting. Discuss the films, not the posters.

MeBeJedi:

I wish some of these GUSHERS would do more than piss and moan.

Right back at ya, sdj.

"You can't convince us and we can't convince you so give up the moaning and groaning already..geez. "

Even when it's someone else who starts the whining first?

"Why should I care what Gary Kurtz thinks of Episode I and why do you have an unhealthy obsession talking about him for and praising him all the time?"

I have 2 (count 'em) questions I would like you to answer. Why, then, should you care about a thread discussing what Gary Kurtz thinks of Ep.I, and why do you have an unhealthy obsession talking against him and bashing him all the time?

As was put so succinctly..."Most of you should just write your standard response on Notepad and post it as your response to every post."

Yeah, gotta hate those knee-jerk responses.

"Just sounds like yet another thread where all the friends can gather to bash Lucas and to celebrate that someone actually agrees with their opinion."

See what I mean.

Flaming and flame-baiting. Discuss the films, not the posters.

JKBurtola:

But to me he isn't worth listening to, he is about as intelligent as David Brin or any of the PT sceptics.

Flaming and flame-baiting. Discuss the films, not the posters.