25 Years Ago The Force Disappeared
I try telling myself that my age has a lot to do with my disdain for anything created by George Lucas. I imagine that if Star Wars was released now instead of in 1979 I would hold it in the same regard I do Independence Day; Hollywood bubble gum. But I know I am lying to myself. I know the never-ending joy I have watching Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back is not just some nostalgic trip to my youth but the result of being immersed in a fantastic movie.
Twenty five years ago this May 25, Return of the Jedi opened in theatres and it was the beginning of the end. Michele Catalano writes about the Star Wars transformation from brilliant cinematic story to marketing ploy.
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As Ewoks danced merrily on the screen before me and the whole space world seemed to celebrate in unison, I cringed at what I was seeing. Ewoks? Cute, furry little animals? I watched in horror as it dawned on me that George Lucas had completed his saga with the intent of making a killing in merchandising. To think that this movie was nothing more than a marketing ploy to sell the Star Wars name to kids was to admit to myself that Lucas was no more than another Hollywood shill out to make a buck, and not the storytelling, brilliant hero I had made him out to be in my mind. I had been so enamored with Lucas and his vision and now I just felt betrayed and hurt. |
It is true, and evident in my ability to watch the first two whenever they're on, no matter what station, no matter how many commercials, sometimes for a few minutes, in Spanish. But Jedi? By the end I'm looking for something else to watch. And as far as the more recent trilogy goes, their titles on my digital cable menu carry as much weight as League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
The marketing of movies will only increase going forward as we see more and more movies attaching themselves with products that hardly seem related. Indiana Jones instant ticket lotto game? Ugh.
I remember talking to a friend when Revenge of the Sith advertising was in full...um..force, and I mentioned the real crime now in how they handle the marketing is that no character is safe from shilling for some product. I seemed to remember that some characters held on their context even if they appeared in a commercial. But when you see Darth Vader dueling Yoda over a Pepsi you know it is all over.