View Full Version : Gary Kurtz interview
thxleo
12-Aug-2010, 06:16 PM
This is an awesome and candid interview with Gary Kurtz, the producer on the first two original Star Wars films. He details the original outline for Return of the Jedi that would have been a hell of a lot better than what was filmed. Great piece.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2010/08/star-wars-was-born-a-long-time-ago-but-not-all-that-far-far-away-in-1972-filmmakers-george-lucas-and-gary-kurtz-wer.html
bassman
12-Aug-2010, 06:30 PM
I have to admit I never liked Hayden Christensen in the role of Anakin Skywalker.
I doubt you could find a single person to disagree.
As for the series turning into a toy marketing scheme - that's pretty obvious from Jedi. I still like the film but it does have some major problems, as he addressed. Especially Death Star 2. Always thought that was silly...
shootemindehead
12-Aug-2010, 07:37 PM
What a pity Lucas didn't bugger off and leave Kurtz at the helm.
AcesandEights
12-Aug-2010, 07:48 PM
Well, I'll say this for good news: Kurtz working on Panzer 88 (http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/interview/624) is great, as far as I'm concerned! I just wish he was also directing it...
Filming kicks off later this year in Eastern Europe and the story is described as a a creature feature set around a group of blue-collar fighters in the German tank regiments in October 1944.
axlish
12-Aug-2010, 11:52 PM
I'm still a Lucas fan. Am I the only one left?
I don't think, I like the idea of Han being killed off in the film. Wouldn't have that made the rescue from Jabba's palace pointless then?
Legion2213
13-Aug-2010, 12:05 AM
The only change I'd make to Jedi would be to show the consiquences of blowing up a 900km wide construction made of exotic metals in low orbit...
http://gerrycanavan.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/endor_holocaust.jpeg
Or just place the DSII shield generator on Kashyyyk and have a believable battle scene with hordes of wookies attacking the Imperials. :cool:
Or just place the DSII shield generator on Kashyyyk and have a believable battle scene with hordes of wookies attacking the Imperials. :cool:
Why didn't they do that?
Was Lucas just like "Fack that!", and wanted Ewoks or was it for budgetary reasons?
Legion2213
13-Aug-2010, 12:19 AM
Why didn't they do that?
Was Lucas just like "Fack that!", and wanted Ewoks or was it for budgetary reasons?
I've no idea, but it makes perfect sense, the Imperials use Wookies as slave labour on certain projects (like the DSI allegedly). What better place to construct DSII than their homeworld...and what better race for the Rebels to recruit to help them bring down the Empire!
Then again, Lucas made the "Star Wars Holiday Special"...who knows what goes on in that twisted mind? :p
I've no idea, but it makes perfect sense, the Imperials use Wookies as slave labour on certain projects (like the DSI allegedly). What better place to construct DSII than their homeworld...and what better race for the Rebels to recruit to help them bring down the Empire!
Meh, I don't know I would rather have had a new race then Wookies, or Ewoks. Wookies already lost their novety too me after 'Empire'.
DubiousComforts
13-Aug-2010, 04:02 AM
The only change I'd make to Jedi would be to show the consiquences of blowing up a 900km wide construction made of exotic metals in low orbit...
:lol: +1
Why didn't they do that?
Was Lucas just like "Fack that!", and wanted Ewoks or was it for budgetary reasons?
The original idea, I believe even prior to Empire, was to have a battle on the Wookie planet depicting a primitive Wookie race teaming up with the rebels against the Empire. I recall reading about this in some magazine in the late 70s along with a description of an aquatic alien race which I'd assume eventually became the Mon Calamari.
At some point, Lucas decided that rather than utilize the imposing Wookies tribe, he'd create an race of midget teddy bears as the ultimate underdogs to rally against the technologically-advanced Empire.
I don't mind the Ewoks as much as the Muppet show rejects that seem to inhabit the background of Jedi. Even the Rancor looks like something from a Jim Henson production.
JDFP
13-Aug-2010, 04:27 AM
Count your blessings "Jedi" was made in '83.
If it had been made in today's time the Ewoks would have all been fake-looking CGI creatures instead of more realistic looking puppets.
That's "progress" for you. :sneaky:
j.p.
:
The original idea, I believe even prior to Empire, was to have a battle on the Wookie planet depicting a primitive Wookie race teaming up with the rebels against the Empire.
Primitive? It was already shown they could use technology in 'Star Wars' and 'Empire' though.
I don't mind the Ewoks as much as the Muppet show rejects that seem to inhabit the background of Jedi. Even the Rancor looks like something from a Jim Henson production.
I'd probably agree with you, but damn it I love that blue elephant, and cyclops alien! It kinda, wouldn't be 'Jedi' for me without them muppets.
Though that Syn Snootles puppet was freaking terrible. :|
shootemindehead
13-Aug-2010, 12:31 PM
Why didn't they do that?
Was Lucas just like "Fack that!", and wanted Ewoks or was it for budgetary reasons?
Money.
Lucas saw the cutesy toy/teddybear angle and went for it.
Think about it. Ewok is a household name, even with people that have never seen the film and it's not mentioned once in the entire series.
DubiousComforts
13-Aug-2010, 01:29 PM
Primitive? It was already shown they could use technology in 'Star Wars' and 'Empire' though.
Chewbacca was shown to be skilled with technology, but I believe that the original concept was for the Wookie planet to be more primitive. At least that is what was being reported during the speculative period between Star Wars and Empire.
It was often pointed out during Jedi's release that the central irony of Star Wars is the use of cutting-edge technology to convey an anti-technological message.
Money.
Lucas saw the cutesy toy/teddybear angle and went for it.
Think about it. Ewok is a household name, even with people that have never seen the film and it's not mentioned once in the entire series.
Ha! You mean Ewok®
bassman
13-Aug-2010, 01:54 PM
Anybody seen the Ewok spin off films?:stunned:
Lucas just saw money. That's all he's cared about since the first film. I've always found it funny that the best entry in the series isn't even his. Here's to you Mr. Kirshner. *tip of the hat*
And now seems like a good opportunity to drop this familiar, creepy gif...
http://i.pbase.com/o4/04/557904/1/62589520.A5MPBAkb.ewok.gif
JDFP
13-Aug-2010, 02:25 PM
Anybody seen the Ewok spin off films?:stunned:
Hey, I happen to enjoy the Ewok spin-off films -- I think they are fairly entertaining (or at least when I saw them when I was little). Sure, they are pure sugary-sweetness but that's their intent to be pure childish sugary-sweentness.
Plus, any film with Wilford Brimley automatically kicks ass in my book. :p
Now, you've got me wanting to go back and check out the two Ewok films and see if I can find the "Ewoks" and "Droids" cartoon somewhere (is it on DVD?). Argh, damnit, I'm in a reminiscing about the great days of being a kid again in the 80's now...
j.p.
bassman
13-Aug-2010, 03:17 PM
Hey, I happen to enjoy the Ewok spin-off films -- I think they are fairly entertaining (or at least when I saw them when I was little). Sure, they are pure sugary-sweetness but that's their intent to be pure childish sugary-sweentness.
I remember nothing other than I didn't like to watch them. Even as a kid...
DubiousComforts
13-Aug-2010, 07:42 PM
Anybody seen the Ewok spin off films?:stunned:
Ha! Anyone see the Holiday Special? The Wookie treehouse was an early indicator.
AcesandEights
13-Aug-2010, 07:50 PM
Ha! Anyone see the Holiday Special? The Wookie treehouse was an early indicator.
For years before the internet I thought I had dreamt up what little childhood bits I recalled of the Holiday Special. Such is the power of denial.
bassman
13-Aug-2010, 07:57 PM
I try to block the holiday special from my memory. I think I saw one time that Lucas actually tried his best to not let it ever see the light of day again. Just like with his prequels....he failed.:lol:
BillyRay
13-Aug-2010, 08:20 PM
Still, the Holiday Special had the first appearance of Boba Fett...
http://www.starwars.com/img/vault/collecting/news20090805/SWHSPIX01.jpg
And Chewie's son Lumpy was in the later tie-in novels as Lobacca....
SO IT'S CANON, PEOPLE! DEAL WITH IT!!! :evil:
I always hear about this Holiday Special, but have never seen it. Is it really that terrible? People always say "STAY AWAY!", but all this negative is making me want to see it more!
bassman
13-Aug-2010, 09:07 PM
Its all over youtube. You've been warned...
Sweet! Thanks, I'll watch it and get back too on it! I mean how bad can it possibly be...
BillyRay
13-Aug-2010, 09:29 PM
Just remember that Carrie Fisher is stoned out of her gourd during her big musical number...
http://popomaticjeff.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/cap138.jpg?w=300&h=226
“I did the voiceover for some of the Star Wars discs or whatever and I made it a condition that he would give me the Star Wars Christmas special so that I could, you know, have something for parties … when I wanted everyone to leave.”
AcesandEights
13-Aug-2010, 09:45 PM
Its all over youtube. You've been warned...
Sweet! Thanks, I'll watch it and get back too on it! I mean how bad can it possibly be...
God indicating the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil: "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
Doc walking off towards the tree: "Oh, I been lookin' for that! Thanks for the 411, Yahweh!"
shootemindehead
14-Aug-2010, 11:30 AM
For years before the internet I thought I had dreamt up what little childhood bits I recalled of the Holiday Special. Such is the power of denial.
Me too.
I saw it donkey's years ago on Irish television. At that age, I thought it was part of the original 'Star Wars' that I'd just forgotten and as I got older, I convinced myself that I'd made it up in my head!
---------- Post added at 11:30 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:24 AM ----------
Well, I'll say this for good news: Kurtz working on Panzer 88 (http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/interview/624) is great, as far as I'm concerned! I just wish he was also directing it...
http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/photosizer/timthumb.php?src=/photosizer/upload/panzer2020810.jpg&w=700&zc=0
Hmmm...I hope this 'Panzer 88' thingy is better than the concept art. Cos that ain't no panzer that I know of. :rockbrow:
Legion2213
14-Aug-2010, 12:17 PM
Sweet! Thanks, I'll watch it and get back too on it! I mean how bad can it possibly be...
Mark Hamill wearing 14 kilos of make up...it don't be good... :shifty:
God indicating the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil: "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
Doc walking off towards the tree: "Oh, I been lookin' for that! Thanks for the 411, Yahweh!"
Mark Hamill wearing 14 kilos of make up...it don't be good... :shifty:
Uh...Yeah. Well, to be in the safe side I saw a Nostalgia Critic Review on it. Looks like, I did the right thing...dear goodness. I didn't know i was about to endure 2 hours of that Special til I saw that review. I though it was only 30 minutes initial.
AcesandEights
16-Aug-2010, 02:18 AM
Uh...Yeah. Well, to be in the safe side I saw a Nostalgia Critic Review on it. Looks like, I did the right thing...dear goodness.
You show great wisdom!
rongravy
16-Aug-2010, 03:01 AM
Yeah, wish they could've comprimised, sans Han dying.
A darker vision for Return and the prequels would've been sweet.
I was 11 when Return came out, even then I was like WTF with all these cuddly little fucks.
I know it's too late to fix what's been done. I'd be happy with a heavy duty dark as shit animated teatment. Just don't make their heads wierd like in their Clones cartoon.
Realistic and 3D.
MoonSylver
17-Aug-2010, 05:26 AM
I don't think, I like the idea of Han being killed off in the film. Wouldn't have that made the rescue from Jabba's palace pointless then?
Eh...Ford wanted them to kill Han off in the deep freeze. He really didn't want to come back & play that character, as he felt he was pretty useless in Jedi...and he kinda was...:([COLOR="Silver"]
The only change I'd make to Jedi would be to show the consiquences of blowing up a 900km wide construction made of exotic metals in low orbit...
Both of them appeared to pretty much vaporize in the explosions....
Or just place the DSII shield generator on Kashyyyk and have a believable battle scene with hordes of wookies attacking the Imperials. :cool:
That I would have loved.:D
Why didn't they do that?
Was Lucas just like "Fack that!", and wanted Ewoks or was it for budgetary reasons?
Lucas was in love with this idea of a low tech primitive people overcoming a high tech "superior" enemy. The Wookies were originally the plan, but after 3 movies of seeing Chewie piloting a space ship, repairing robots, etc, he didn't think they made a good fit any more.
The story I remember from "Skywalking: The Life & Films of George Lucas" is that when coming up with a new alien species he asked his young daughter what they looked like, who replied "Teddy bears!":mad:
Eh...Ford wanted them to kill Han off in the deep freeze. He really didn't want to come back & play that character, as he felt he was pretty useless in Jedi...and he kinda was...:(
Oh, I know. I still think it would have been a horrible idea. His death might ahve detached alot from the rest of the film though.
The story I remember from "Skywalking: The Life & Films of George Lucas" is that when coming up with a new alien species he asked his young daughter what they looked like, who replied "Teddy bears!":mad:
Thanks for that piece of trivia. Didn't know that. :stunned:
MoonSylver
17-Aug-2010, 06:49 AM
Oh, I know. I still think it would have been a horrible idea. His death might ahve detached alot from the rest of the film though.
Agreed.
OhThanks for that piece of trivia. Didn't know that. :stunned:
I've read later that the idea was the Wookies were tall so he'd make the Ewok's short & that the name "Ewok" is "Wookiee" with the syllables reversed (and altered to resemble the name of a Native American people.)
I'm calling shenanigan's on that one though.;)
bassman
17-Aug-2010, 12:50 PM
Having Han die was Harrison Ford's request, wasn't it? In "Empire of Dreams" Ford says that he agreed to do Empire under the circumstances that his character would die. Instead, they had him frozen with the possibility of coming back in Jedi. Seems to me like he wanted to die for good, but they weren't having it...
Having Han die was Harrison Ford's request, wasn't it? In "Empire of Dreams" Ford says that he agreed to do Empire under the circumstances that his character would die. Instead, they had him frozen with the possibility of coming back in Jedi. Seems to me like he wanted to die for good, but they weren't having it...
Wow, really? Why did he want to disassociate from the franchise so, much? I mean sure his character peaked in 'Empire' and he was probably better as, Indiana Jones anyway.
bassman
17-Aug-2010, 08:24 PM
Wow, really? Why did he want to disassociate from the franchise so, much? I mean sure his character peaked in 'Empire' and he was probably better as, Indiana Jones anyway.
It's been a while since I've seen the documentary, but I believe Indiana Jones was the reason. He didn't need SW anymore, so I cant really blame him.
Legion2213
17-Aug-2010, 08:29 PM
Wow, really? Why did he want to disassociate from the franchise so, much? I mean sure his character peaked in 'Empire' and he was probably better as, Indiana Jones anyway.
Actors are funny creatures...look at Heston not wanting any part of Planet of the Apes and demanding that he die in the second one...one of the most important films ever and he was like "meh, wanna do other stuff"
---------- Post added at 08:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:25 PM ----------
Both of them appeared to pretty much vaporize in the explosions....
http://www.theforce.net/swtc/holocaust.html
It's a bit of a heavy read, but the guy is a bonafide physicist and star wars nut. I believe he has been recruited for bits of SW work since writing his article.
It's been a while since I've seen the documentary, but I believe Indiana Jones was the reason. He didn't need SW anymore, so I cant really blame him.
Well, that explains his bad preformance in 'Jedi' then. Maybe, they really should have killed his character off in 'Empire'. :shifty:
bassman
17-Aug-2010, 08:41 PM
Actors are funny creatures...look at Heston not wanting any part of Planet of the Apes and demanding that he die in the second one...one of the most important films ever and he was like "meh, wanna do other stuff"
Huh? Heston was one of the main reasons the original film got made. He was behind it 100% from all the things i've heard. It was the sequel, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, where he wanted to be(and was) killed. Can you blame him for wanting out of that awful, unwanted, rehash of a sequel?
Legion2213
17-Aug-2010, 08:46 PM
Huh? Heston was one of the main reasons the original film got made. He was behind it 100% from all the things i've heard. It was the sequel, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, where he wanted to be(and was) killed. Can you blame him for wanting out of that awful, unwanted, rehash sequel?
Sorry, I wasn't clear I know he was up for Planet, but you'd think after the reception to it that he'd want to continue his support, when really, he just wanted outa there after doing the first one.
*sigh* Nova.:cool:
bassman
17-Aug-2010, 08:49 PM
Do you remember Beneath? Ugh. Horrible film.
Whenever I watch the series I just skip over it. Escape, Conquest, and Battle are all worthy of the original, but Beneath was nothing more than a cash grab that served no purpose to the story or characters. I mean....they hired a Charlton Heston look a like, FFS!
Legion2213
17-Aug-2010, 08:52 PM
Do you remember Beneath? Ugh. Horrible film.
Whenever I watch the series I just skip over it. Escape, Conquest, and Battle are all worthy of the original, but Beneath was nothing more than a cash grab that served no purpose to the story or characters. I mean....they hired a Charlton Heston look a like, FFS!
I've been meaning to get the DVD box set for years but never get around to it...now it's out on BD but it's a bit expensive at the moment. :(
I'd like the hokey TV series as well, I used to watch it on sci-fi now and then...good cheesey fun.
bassman
17-Aug-2010, 08:55 PM
I've been meaning to get the DVD box set for years but never get around to it...now it's out on BD but it's a bit expensive at the moment. :(
I got extremely lucky and caught the blu ray box set on one of amazon's gold box deals. Got it for 40 bucks. Awesome set if you're into the series. Highly recommend it.:cool:
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