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How 'Star Wars' ruined sci-fi
CNN ^ | 5/2/2014 | CNN

Posted on 05/04/2014 2:13:54 PM PDT by Dallas59

Now that the cast of the seventh "Star Wars" movie has been announced, you can imagine the anticipation among the millions of fans of the film franchise. And why not? The six "Star Wars" films have been enormous successes: they have grossed over $2 billion domestically at the box office, spawned scores of books, comic books and merchandise (how many kids have their own light saber?) and made household names of characters like Darth Vader, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Chit/Chat; Music/Entertainment; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: cinema; film; movies; sciencefiction; scifi; starwars
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To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra
How about doing a movie of the great book “A Mote In God’s Eye?”

Or "Ringworld."

21 posted on 05/04/2014 2:42:07 PM PDT by SeeSharp
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To: Dallas59
As much as I love the original Star Wars.... this is true. Merchandising is horrible. I mean.... photo Jar-Jar_zps246c838b.jpg

Really! Do we need this?
22 posted on 05/04/2014 2:42:33 PM PDT by Thorliveshere (Minnesota Survivor)
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear

Ah, now I see! (John Wayne movies had white heroes, too ;-).

In addition to action, the science fiction genre in movies and television (and associated books) has produced a lot of thoughtful exploration of many themes. Even the current fad of comic-book based movies raises important questions that can generate interesting discussion.

Perhaps this article was generated because today is Star Wars Day. One has to agree that Star Wars is not the most sophisticated exemplar of the genre; aside from the visuals, the various movies stand or fall as “Westerns,” without much more to be said.


23 posted on 05/04/2014 2:42:53 PM PDT by Tax-chick (There is no Star Wars, there is only Zuul.)
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear

Lando was black. Chewbacca a thing. Droids don’t have a race. Lots of weird aliens in the alliance.

Don’t know what this guy was watching.


24 posted on 05/04/2014 2:43:58 PM PDT by Fledermaus (Conseravtives are all that's left to defend the Constitution. Dems hate it, and Repubs don't care.)
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To: Thorliveshere

http://www.johnspeedie.com/healy/algoof.wav


25 posted on 05/04/2014 2:43:59 PM PDT by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both.)
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To: ReignOfError

You almost exactly described “The Princess Bride”! (The “old wizard” part in that movie is distributed among several characters.)


26 posted on 05/04/2014 2:44:34 PM PDT by Tax-chick (There is no Star Wars, there is only Zuul.)
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To: Dallas59

‘How ‘Star Wars’ ruined sci-fi”

It certainly increased the % of people who first think of movies or TV shows when they hear the term ‘sci-fi.’ I think of books first for sci-fi, but I think of movies and TV shows when I hear the term ‘western,’ as opposed to Zane Grey or Louis L’amour. I still think of books for the term ‘mystery.’

Freegards


27 posted on 05/04/2014 2:46:08 PM PDT by Ransomed
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To: Tax-chick

Never cared for sci fi but I’m starting to feel a little embarrassed that I’ve never seen ‘Star Wars’ or any of it’s progeny.


28 posted on 05/04/2014 2:46:23 PM PDT by TalBlack (Evil doesn't have a day job.)
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear

What color was Chewbacca?


29 posted on 05/04/2014 2:46:48 PM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans!)
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To: Dallas59

30 posted on 05/04/2014 2:48:31 PM PDT by ClearCase_guy
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To: Dallas59

This is silly. Star Wars is classic pulp magazine SF,aka Space Opera, in concept, if lately clumsy in execution. Space Opera WAS SF, or most of it, in the 1930s-50s.
This stuff was aimed directly at geeky boys and still is.
Some of the boys never grow up of course.
And some of the Space Opera did approach actual literature, as with Dune. But SF never needed to be great literature to be authentic or appealing to its target audience.

Octavia Butlers stuff is come-lately chick-lit junk.


31 posted on 05/04/2014 2:48:47 PM PDT by buwaya
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To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra
Footfall would make a great movie.

Also Oath of Fealty, but it's pro-corporate message would detonate minds throughout Hollywood.

32 posted on 05/04/2014 2:49:00 PM PDT by Sherman Logan
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To: TalBlack

No prob but you need to see Lord of the Rings to be cool

/ sarc


33 posted on 05/04/2014 2:49:11 PM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans!)
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To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra

Never got why no story by Niven ever got

made into a movie.

Ringworld would be a hoot to see on the

big screen.Always been fascinated by the protectors

Guess I`d rather see the Motie movie tho


34 posted on 05/04/2014 2:50:40 PM PDT by Harold Shea
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To: GeronL

Kind of a golden-retriever shade.


35 posted on 05/04/2014 2:51:09 PM PDT by Tax-chick (There is no Star Wars, there is only Zuul.)
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To: ClearCase_guy

Now there’s a space western.


36 posted on 05/04/2014 2:51:11 PM PDT by Sherman Logan
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To: Tax-chick

Chewbacca is a ginger. :)


37 posted on 05/04/2014 2:52:26 PM PDT by Politicalmom (Modern "Peace Officer" motto-"We have to go home at night, we don't care if you do.")
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To: Sherman Logan; ClearCase_guy
Now there’s a space western.

Yes, it is.

38 posted on 05/04/2014 2:52:45 PM PDT by Tax-chick (There is no Star Wars, there is only Zuul.)
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To: Politicalmom

LOL!


39 posted on 05/04/2014 2:53:02 PM PDT by Tax-chick (There is no Star Wars, there is only Zuul.)
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To: ReignOfError

That WAS SF in the old days.
Burroughs Mars books for instance are just that, wild adventures in a more exotic setting. He could have set them as Caribbean pirate tales just as easily, or as Louis L’Amour westerns, or redone medieval fantasy in the setting of Orlando Furioso. Its just that in his time Mars, Aliens and super-science were cooler.


40 posted on 05/04/2014 2:54:48 PM PDT by buwaya
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