 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Suppose STAR WARS had been based on novel by Sidney Sheldon, starred Marie-France Pisier, John Beck and Susan Sarandon, with music by Michel Legrand* and had clocked in at an ungodly 166 minutes.
And had gone belly-up just like THE OTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT (1977)?
How would popular American film have been different after 1977?
*instead of, as David Raksin once said, "John Williams when he's wearing his Richard Strauss clothes"
|
|
|
|
|
|
I think science fiction might have taken a less pre-teen approach, perhaps along the lines of things like LOGAN'S RUN or DEMON SEED. (CE3K was already in the pipe, and that was rather more like LR and DS than SW).
Harrison Ford might have gone back to pounding nails. Carrie Fisher would not have made so much money out of being in rehab (or gotten into rehab at all?).
Steven Spielberg was already being called "wunderkind", so John Williams wouldn't have lacked for work.
|
|
|
|
|
|
I also don't think SUPERMAN (1978) would have been made. (sniff!)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I'm trying to imagine Pisier's ice-cube scene in STAR WARS.....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kenner would have made Alvy Singer and Annie Hall 3 and 3/4" action figures, ("Now with coke-sneezing action!"). Kids would "collect 'em all!" and mail in five proofs of purchase and $1.99 for the special Marshall McLuhan bonus figure.
Damn, how I wish Star Wars had tanked.
And possibly Tony Roberts' "driving through plutonium" suit might have caught on.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
…there would never have been:
Battlestar Galactica
The Black Hole
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (or any of the sequels!)
I know there are probably dozens of sci-fi media that sprang from the amazing success of Star Wars...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yeah, I was gonna say, "Superman" was going to happen one way or another. Two fortuitous and important creative decisions seem to make "Star Wars" more of an influence on "Superman" than it might actually have been -- John Barry as set designer and John Williams for music.
But really, the cost-cutting measure of shooting interiors in England was the biggest influence of all, and added "Star Wars" makeup genius Stuart Freeborn, as well as the special effects veterans of the state-of-the-art James Bond movies to "Superman's" remarkable roster of behind-the-scenes talent.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The flying plane in Firefox wouldve looked naffer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
I wouldn't have spent a fortune on Star Wars soundtracks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NOw thats funny!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Posted: |
Oct 23, 2015 - 6:54 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Ado
(Member)
|
It is a good question David.
The other day when the hysteria hit a peak, when they started selling tickets online, almost 2 months ahead of time, I thought, is it really even about the movie anymore, or is it really something else - like a mass hysteria effect? Phantom Menace proved that millions of people will pay, and pay again and again to see a pretty bad movie. There is a pretty decent chance this one will be a lot better at least.
But Star Wars was basically a live action version of a cartoon, stilted dialogue and the turn of events little in doubt or surprise - the exception was Empire Strikes Back. Sometimes I think a movie is a monster success due to nothing particularly excellent about the movie itself - but because it is some serving of something that there was a craving for. Like when you have not had pizza in a long time and you have a pizza - any pizza, it tastes pretty great - even if it is not really that good of a pizza. (I think that Guardians of the Galaxy was another example of this.) Star Wars 77 was an assemblage of science fiction in a way that was less self serious for the most part, except for that jedi stuff. We might have all been better off if Fox had not created a juggernaut of endless versions of Star Wars though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
