Star Wars vs. Indiana Jones: a writer/creator's opinion

Posted by Shawnkara from spider-wa021.proxy.aol.com on June 10, 2001 at 01:02:03:

Suffice it to say, we will never see another installment to the Indiana Jones saga. Why not? Lucas is far to preoccupied with the completion of the Star Wars films. I say this not with a sarcastic tone, as so many do, but simply as a matter of fact. SW has always been Lucas's central project. It is the core of his creative existence. Anything else that he has done, even our beloved Indy, has been little more than a distraction; a creative exercise, if you wish. I have a project such as this and, although the list of things I would like to accomplish is longer than my arm, everything else always falls to the wayside of this 'pet' project. Like it or not it is NOT about what the fans want to see, it's about what the artist wants to create. Just because a side project finds a cult following does not mean that a career based around a greater passion will shift gears to accommodate anyone. If that were the case you may as well forget the whole thing and keep your shitty dayjob. Either way you're at the whim and demands of someone who doesn't understand or care about what you want from yourself, as an artist. True art is the result of inspiration and passion, not supply and demand. 'Raiders' was a masterpiece because it sprang from a sincere desire to create that particular type of film. 'Temple of Doom' continued this, based not on what fans wanted to see really, but rather on what the creators wished to challenge fans with. 'Last Crusade' seems to fall away from this level of integrity. It seems to center on what they felt people expected from it and the failure of this way of thinking shows through in a horrible way. 'Star Wars' is an endless universe of tales waiting to be told. The work thus far and the complexity of it is ample evidence that the project is Lucas's entire life. Indy, no matter how great it turned out, was never anymore than an ensamble of themes and images borrowed from all of the things that made want to write in the first place. The most induring films, writings, art and music are the result of passion and vision, not opinion polls and petitions. Some creator's careers are founded on integrity. Some earn the luxury of this freedom after years in the industry of being told what to make. Either way Lucas is definately at a point where the opinions and wants of others is of little concern. If what you create is honest and from the gut it WILL find acceptance. This is how any creator worht their salt gets things done.

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Re: Star Wars vs. Indiana Jones: a writer/creator's opinion Greg 12:54:52 6/10/2001 (0)
Re: Star Wars vs. Indiana Jones: a writer/creator's opinion Arizona Smith 07:10:19 6/10/2001 (0)

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: Suffice it to say, we will never see another installment to the Indiana Jones saga. Why not? Lucas is far to preoccupied with the completion of the Star Wars films. I say this not with a sarcastic tone, as so many do, but simply as a matter of fact. SW has always been Lucas's central project. It is the core of his creative existence. Anything else that he has done, even our beloved Indy, has been little more than a distraction; a creative exercise, if you wish. I have a project such as this and, although the list of things I would like to accomplish is longer than my arm, everything else always falls to the wayside of this 'pet' project. Like it or not it is NOT about what the fans want to see, it's about what the artist wants to create. Just because a side project finds a cult following does not mean that a career based around a greater passion will shift gears to accommodate anyone. If that were the case you may as well forget the whole thing and keep your shitty dayjob. Either way you're at the whim and demands of someone who doesn't understand or care about what you want from yourself, as an artist. True art is the result of inspiration and passion, not supply and demand. 'Raiders' was a masterpiece because it sprang from a sincere desire to create that particular type of film. 'Temple of Doom' continued this, based not on what fans wanted to see really, but rather on what the creators wished to challenge fans with. 'Last Crusade' seems to fall away from this level of integrity. It seems to center on what they felt people expected from it and the failure of this way of thinking shows through in a horrible way. 'Star Wars' is an endless universe of tales waiting to be told. The work thus far and the complexity of it is ample evidence that the project is Lucas's entire life. Indy, no matter how great it turned out, was never anymore than an ensamble of themes and images borrowed from all of the things that made want to write in the first place. The most induring films, writings, art and music are the result of passion and vision, not opinion polls and petitions. Some creator's careers are founded on integrity. Some earn the luxury of this freedom after years in the industry of being told what to make. Either way Lucas is definately at a point where the opinions and wants of others is of little concern. If what you create is honest and from the gut it WILL find acceptance. This is how any creator worht their salt gets things done.

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