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October '08
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August '08
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Really George?
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By Aaron 6/18/2008
Riding the wave of an imdb poll that showed George Lucas to be America’s favorite “George” director, beating out, well, every other George, Lucas announced “Red Tails,” a  movie about the Tuskegee Airmen. This dispels earlier reports that “Red Tails” would be a documentary about Star Wars’ ‘red leader’ or even the beginning of an episode 7,8,9 trilogy. One Star Wars fan on hand was so devastated by the negative news he snapped his toy X-Wing in half and burst into tears. The fifty-seven year old fan was escorted to the back of the room by security at Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch.
Lucas continued the press conference by elaborating the role that Lucasfilm and Industrial Light and Magic would play in the movie saying smugly, “you saw what I could do with monkeys and vines in Indiana Jones, just think what I can do above the jungle canopy!” Polite chuckles followed the remark as Lucas droned on about the long scriptwriting process, finally yielding the floor for some questions.
The first questions pertained to the revelation of the Tuskegee Airmen plot and earlier rumors. A man in a trench coat asked if Lucas was worried Russia, China or North Korea would target him after the early film reports about "Red Tails" alluded to revelations of harsh Communist authoritarianism in those countries. Lucas replied, "it's not realistic to see myself as a target for espionage. The reason is because the paparazzi media doesn't follow what I do. If someone were going to spy on me, it would be the tabloid newspapers and magazines. I don't have any classified information, which would be of interest to the Russians, Chinese, Iranians or North Koreans. In short, I'm just not very interesting." (1) The crushed Star Wars fan who still held the X-Wing in his hands demanded to know when more live action Star Wars movies were coming out and Lucas chuckled and said, “It's difficult to know what will happen to Star Wars after I'm no longer here. I have plans for Star Wars Episode 10, 11 and 12 to be produced after my natural life has expired. The last Star Wars film trilogy during my lifetime will be the Star Wars Episode 7, 8 and 9 film episodes. Beyond this, it is uncertain. My children have shown no interest in Star Wars. It would be unfair to expect them to follow what I've done with Star Wars because they would be in the impossible position of trying to improve upon the Star Wars prequel and sequel trilogies. I don't think you need to worry about Star Wars because eventually it will enter the public domain and your descendants will make unlimited numbers of Star Wars films. Two hundred years from now will probably be the true golden age of Star Wars since the fans will have advanced home super computers, which can produce photo realistic computer animation beyond what we can imagine today. Hopefully, being cryogenically frozen at death will allow me to return one day to see the millions of fan based Star Wars films, which will be created over the next millennia.” (2)
Lucas was first asked a series of questions regarding casting of which he promptly replied, “You know I like to work with the same actors.” Shortly thereafter a puzzled  reporter remarked, “so Billy Dee Williams and Samuel L. Jackson?” Lucas just smiled and nodded yet some wondered whether he was trying to conceal casting choices or if he was planning on using CGI for all the actors too. Another reporter braved another question on the subject remarking, “aren’t they a little…old?” Lucas smiled again and replied, “I think the two of them have exceptional range. And I’ve worked with younger people before – I was looking through the script and found some parts I might send to Hayden [Christensen] and Jake [Lloyd]. But there are some parts in there for older people and I was thinking the flight instructor would be great for Harrison [Ford] – he was great in Air Force One.
A former Tuskegee Airman was at the conference and eagerly asked Lucas if he would bring the same merchandising power to Red Tails as he brought to Star Wars. Lucas began by saying that Red Tails was a much smaller movie and that his merchandising focus would remain, Star Wars, “I'm glad you buy things related to Star Wars. However, I want you [looking directly at the man with the broken X-Wing] to invest more heavily in the Star Wars merchandise. We make many products related to Star Wars like action figures, video games, novels and so forth. Don't spend all your time in one area. Make sure to purchase everything available. Producing the Star Wars film episodes and the TV series are very expensive. We depend on the revenues from the Star Wars collectibles to keep us in business. It should be the primary duty of each fan to buy as much of the merchandise involving Star Wars as possible. This also includes the new Indiana Jones products currently available…if you really love Star Wars, this will be your prime mission in life. Remember the fans are extremely special to me. Only my children and girlfriends are more important.” (3)
As the conference came to a close many people left quite disappointed muttering things like “we still don’t know anything about Red Tails,” and “is Jar Jar going to be in the movie?”
Much thanks to SuperShadow.com where several of the Lucas "quotes" are borrowed from. Hopefully you realized this article was fictional. Unfortunately the favorite George thing is true as is the curious fact that Lucas' Red Tails will be about Tuskegee Airmen. If you were unamused, offended, or didn't laugh, don't hestitate to complain by dropping me a line at aaron.saltystix@gmail.com. If you want to talk about Red Tails in seriousness or jest, hit back below.
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Bob’s October Movie Preview
By Bob 10/2/2008
 Now that we have gotten through the sludge of September movies, it’s time for some Oscar contenders, and movies that think they’re good but not. Halloween is also this month so there is bound to be a lot of random horror movies going on and of course a Saw film to soak in. Whatever happens though, I’m gonna guess that at least one of the following gets some nods come Oscar time. With that, my October Movie Preview:
Cops, Robbers, and Blah
10) Pride and Glory: October 24th
From the director of Miracle comes one of the most clichéd trailers of ALL TIME. Edward Norton as A COP. Colin Farrell as HIMSELF. What more could we want from a movie? I don’t know, and I will likely never find out because this is not one flick I will be seeing.
9) Max Payne: October 17th 
As I feverishly go through my mind trying to think of a video game adaptation that has actually been a good movie, I’m also reminded of all of the bad movies Marky Mark has made over the past ever (excluding The Departed and Boogie Nights of course). I would be shocked if there is anybody who is actually excited for this, as anybody who actually played the game has probably outgrown the genre.
8) Body of Lies: October 10th
Leonardo Dicaprio. Russell Crowe. Ridley Scott. Something about spies. The trailers really tell us nothing about this film except, “How am I supposed to run an operation when you’re running a side operation.” I don’t really know what that means, but Leo says it in the trailer. This film looks like another lame attempt by Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe to win Oscars. I’m not buying it.
7) Flash of Genius: October 3rd
Greg Kinnear stars as an man who invents the intermittent windshield wiper, and then has it stolen from him buy the major auto manufacturers. This just looks like a boring film that will get a lukewarm response. For some reason, however, it has been getting a huge level of marketing with television and even radio advertisements. I doubt people will buy it.
6) RocknRolla: October 10th
Guy Ritchie is back in the genre he knows best, and this appears to be an English gangster film much in the mold of Lock Stock and Snatch. We’ll see if he still has his stuff, but for now, I’ll just pop in my DVDs of the older films that I can trust, and look to be almost identical in plot to this one.
Movies that Intrigue Me
5) Changeling: October 24th 
Angelina Jolie stars in this Clint Eastwood film about a woman whose son goes missing and is returned with something different. Any film that Eastwood directs (that’s not Flags of our Fathers of course) is worth checking out, and this looks to be no different. It got solid reviews with it premiered at Cannes, and Angelina Jolie is ready for a solid role.
4) W.: October 17th
 A film that is certain to be the years most controversial, Oliver Stone directs this biopic about our current president. While I am sure Stone will exaggerate many of the details, there is no denying that he has put together an awesome cast including Josh Broling (as Bush), Elizibeth Banks (as First Lady Laura), James Cromwell (as his father H. W.), Richard Dreyfuss (as Cheney), Thadie Newton (as Condoleezza Rice) and others as the rest of his cabinet. Whatever happens in this film, it will certainly be interesting.
3) Synecdoche, New York: October 24th
A film that I have been awaiting since last year, this is Charlie Kauffman’s directorial debut. I have loved the films he has written (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Being John Malkovich, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, and Adaptation. ) and this should prove to be equally compelling. It stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as a playwright who attempts to put on a production in a warehouse that includes a scale model of New York. It will probably boggle our minds, but that is Kauffman, isn’t it?
2) Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist: October 3rd
Michael Cera and Kat Dennings star as the eponymous Nick and Norah who meet each other one night in New York and have adventures. Something about the trailer really brought this movie to my attention, probably the indie style that I love. Cera is always great, and Dennings was really cool in Charlie Bartlett, so I might make my way to a cinema this week to check it out.
1) Zach and Miri Make a Porno: October 31st 
Seth Rogen and Elizibeth Banks star as two best friends who decide to make a porno together. This is Kevin Smith’s first film since Clerks 2, and I can only hope that it matches that film in hilarity. The only thing I don’t understand, is why are they releasing this film on Halloween? I guess there is probably a Saw film being released anyways.
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