A Spirited Perfect Ten

[PhotoDave219]

Well, it looks like George must have gotten an angry phone call from a certain weatherman.

Nah, I think George saw the headline and realized "Uh-oh, I better apologize"

 

[FigmentJedi]

Or his wife, a black woman, might have explained how idiotic and offensive his slavery comparison was.

Actually "White slavery"'s an old term for prostitution. Still excessive though.

 

[Mike S]

Few complaints? Everyone I know can't stand the special edition cuts. In our house we still have the VHS tapes and a VCR because of the revisions, and the only DVDs we purchased was the set that contained the non-SE versions.

I still have the VHS tapes too but I thought they never released non-SE DVD's?

 

[the.dreamfinder]

Actually "White slavery"'s an old term for prostitution. Still excessive though.

But the more contemporary term pimping is still fair and relevant.

 

[hopemax]

I still have the VHS tapes too but I thought they never released non-SE DVD's?

On the 2006 DVD releases, as a bonus feature they included the original theatrical versions. But they meant original versions, so no upgraded sound, cleanup or anything like that. But bonus to the bonus, the crawl on A New Hope, doesn't say Episode IV

 

[FigmentJedi]

On the 2006 DVD releases, as a bonus feature they included the original theatrical versions. But they meant original versions, so no upgraded sound, cleanup or anything like that.

At least we've had those various fan restoration efforts, especially the Despecialized Edition.

 

[Mike S]

On the 2006 DVD releases, as a bonus feature they included the original theatrical versions. But they meant original versions, so no upgraded sound, cleanup or anything like that.

Well that sucks. What's the point then? Will Disney ever be able to release them on Blu-Ray?

 

[PhotoDave219]

On the 2006 DVD releases, as a bonus feature they included the original theatrical versions. But they meant original versions, so no upgraded sound, cleanup or anything like that. But bonus to the bonus, the crawl on A New Hope, doesn't say Episode IV

..... Thats why I bought those.

I've bought this movie several times. My mother gave away my original VHS copies, not really understanding.

 

[tirian]

Apparently the plan calls for building a new berm and mountainscape in Frontierland to hide it from the viewpoints of the truncated Rivers of America route and having one of the side entrances to it in Critter Country in addition to going through the old Big Thunder Ranch area.

I hope the plan includes widening the narrow paths near Splash and Hungry Bear Café—not to mention the walkway around BTMRR.

In positive news, I'm hearing the DHS version will be significantly plussed. Mostly landscaping, but still a more immersive area.

 

[Magenta Panther]

..... Thats why I bought those.

I've bought this movie several times. My mother gave away my original VHS copies, not really understanding.

I still have the Empire Strikes Back VHS. Too bad I no longer have a VCR to play it on.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Actually "White slavery"'s an old term for prostitution. Still excessive though.

I think Lucas meant the term as in 'people from civilisation captured into slavery by barbarians'. I rather liked his comparison. Although in America I wouldn't touch the word 'slavery', never mind anywhere near words such as 'white / black', with a ten foot pole.

Other than that, Lucas' criticism is exactly what we've read in this thread and elsewhere too.
Lucas has always been anti-Hollywood. He resents his kids, products of independent cinema, being reduced to money making beasts of burden by Hollywood. What was the term that critic used? "I felt beaten into submission by a hedgefund".

Lucas never repeated himself. His credo was the same as Walt's. 'I do not like to repeat successes, I like to go on to other things". A credo shared by two of the most successful creative minds the movie industry ever produced, and one completely ignored by the ip machine that owns their brainchilds.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

20K would have been a simulator-style ride and Videopolis was never planned to go there. Island at the Top of the World would have been an indoor coaster, with the Hyperion in hangar as part of the exterior.

Yes. It's just that Videopolis (and other elements of DLP's Discoveryland) is the closest thing to Discovery Bay that got actually build, so it serves as a visual reference / comparison.

 

[BlueSkyDriveBy]

"“There’s something exciting about creating something new that’s not inhibited by existing intellectual property rules,” said Ryan Harmon, a former Disney Imagineer who is president of Zeitgeist Design."

Obviously, Harmon had nothing to do with the DL roving 60th/SWL commercial, uh, Rose Parade float. I doubt he heavily relies on confetti cannons to distract the viewers from weak design details.

If the real SWL ends up as boring as its parade representation this morning, the west side sacrifices will be for naught.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

And Steampunk is supposed to be a 19th century futurism, that was itself inspired by American industrialism.

It certainly is. And Westerns in turn were successful because they nostalgically returned to an era, and territory, removed from industrialised America.

Frontierland crossing over into steampunk industrialism is something like Main Street crossing over into suburban America.

 

[indyumd]

I think Lucas meant the term as in 'people from civilisation captured into slavery by barbarians'. I rather liked his comparison. Although in America I wouldn't touch the word 'slavery', never mind anywhere near words such as 'white / black', with a ten foot pole.

Other than that, Lucas' criticism is exactly what we've read in this thread and elsewhere too.
Lucas has always been anti-Hollywood. He resents his kids, products of independent cinema, being reduced to money making beasts of burden by Hollywood. What was the term that critic used? "I felt beaten into submission by a hedgefund".

Lucas never repeated himself. His credo was the same as Walt's. 'I do not like to repeat successes, I like to go on to other things". A credo shared by two of the most successful creative minds the movie industry ever produced, and one completely ignored by the ip machine that owns their brainchilds.

So it was Hollywood that made Lucas try to bilk his fans out of every cent for two decades by re-releasing his movies with slightly different versions and formats? It was Hollywood that prevented Lucas from ever stepping outside his Indiana Jones and Star Wars universes? Its amazing that Hollywood was so cruel to the billionaire Lucas, but let his BFF Spielberg make whatever movies he wanted for 30 years.

 

[lazyboy97o]

It certainly is. And Westerns in turn were successful because they nostalgically returned to an era, and territory, removed from industrialised America.

Frontierland crossing over into steampunk industrialism is something like Main Street crossing over into suburban America.

The Frontier was conquered by industrialism, the railroads and mines that are right there at Big Thunder Mountain. The basis of Midwestern railroad towns finding themselves at the crossroads invention a la Main Street, USA.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

So it was Hollywood that made Lucas try to bilk his fans out of every cent for two decades by re-releasing his movies with slightly different versions and formats? It was Hollywood that prevented Lucas from ever stepping outside his Indiana Jones and Star Wars universes? Its amazing that Hollywood was so cruel to the billionaire Lucas, but let his BFF Spielberg make whatever movies he wanted for 30 years.

Lucas did all of that, for better or for worse, by and large independent of Hollywood. One can resent a million aspects about Hollywood and still lead a financially successful studio. Or be an insufferable character. Independent is not a synonym for destitute and unsuccessful, even if the unsuccessful are eager to blame their failure on their being so very independent.

As for other things Lucas did: ILM, Pixar, THX, LucasArts, SW sequels not driven by easy pandering to fans. And movies from the great Willow to the even greater Howard the Duck.

Modern Disney will never produce Horizons or the Haunted Mansion, and modern Disney will never produce a Star Wars. Only a clone. Lucas is right about that. Although one can question whether he didn't see this coming, and if he did, why he persevered with the deal, if he feels so strongly about this.

 

[Quinnmac000]

So it was Hollywood that made Lucas try to bilk his fans out of every cent for two decades by re-releasing his movies with slightly different versions and formats? It was Hollywood that prevented Lucas from ever stepping outside his Indiana Jones and Star Wars universes? Its amazing that Hollywood was so cruel to the billionaire Lucas, but let his BFF Spielberg make whatever movies he wanted for 30 years.

Well the only movies outside of Star Wars and Indiana Jones he got to direct are THX 1138, American Graffiti (my fave film of his) and Red Tails. Only one of those actually did rather well while the other two didn't. So his track record proves he isn't a strong director outside of franchise films where as Steven was strong in franchise and stand alone films.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

The Frontier was conquered by industrialism, the railroads and mines that are right there at Big Thunder Mountain. The basis of Midwestern railroad towns finding themselves at the crossroads invention a la Main Street, USA.

Good point. As I was writing I felt the same tension. The frontier is not about the wilderness, but about the taming and bringing into civilisation of the wild. Even more specifically, about the tension at the crossroads of the two, in time and in space. There is a tension there with the nostalgic (in time) or escapist (in space) longing for the frontier in response to the rigid, artificial world of industrialisation.

Still a long way removed from Baxter's Jules Verne Land though...
Give me SWL over this monstrosity lurking behind Thunder's peaks:

 

[BrianLo]

Modern Disney will never produce Horizons or the Haunted Mansion, and modern Disney will never produce a Star Wars. Only a clone. Lucas is right about that. Although one can question whether he didn't see this coming, and if he did, why he persevered with the deal, if he feels so strongly about this.

Modern Disney just produced Mystic Manor. Modern Disney produced Tokyo Disney Sea. Not to mention films like Inside Out and Guardians of the Galaxy that many would say qualifies as Star Wars-esque.

Old Disney would never produce a film like Star Wars. Modern Disney actually contains multiple studios now where films like Star Wars could conceivably be born.

Modern Disney is actually the safe haven where people actually want beloved IP to wind up. Now that's something no one would have said even 10 years ago.