What?
I found a new site today–AltWeeklies.com. As you might guess from the name, it collects “news and arts reporting from more than 100 alternative newsweeklies.” Think SF Weekly and other papers such as the Columbia Free Times, where we find this story on the continuing revision of Star Wars.
Much of it won’t come as a surprise to you–Lucas has been seduced by the dark side of the force, etc–but it does contain one absolutely stunning quote.
“After all, Lucas said, “Art is technology.”
Yes George, and your car is the people who ride in it.
I also like a couple of points the article writer brings up at the conclusion, because I think it says something about the relationship between producers of pop-culture movies & shows and their audience.
“Lucas pretty much relies on fans’ consumerist impulses overpowering their revulsion at his edits…At Dragon Con this year, one of the most popular events was a presentation by a representative of Lucasfilm, one of Lucas’ many companies. The hour-long presentation was a shameless pitch of upcoming video games, collector’s items and, of course, DVDs. The whole affair was so blatantly commercial that even a family of Jedi and a pair of stormtroopers near the front started shifting in their seats, perhaps uncomfortable with their own role in sustaining Lucas’ empire…Will they grow tired of squirming?”
