It’s fascinating to see the trajectory George Lucas’ career has taken in the arena of public opinion. Here is a man beloved by seemingly everyone on planet Earth for creating “Star Wars,” a man who succeeded in beating the Hollywood studios at their own game, and one who opened us to a world of tremendous imagination. Then came the “special editions” of the original trilogy which funded the prequels, and the man went from being a demigod to a pariah of the worst kind. Our love for George Lucas turned into a vicious hatred that has us out for blood. Has he really become a greedy CEO, or are we all just a bunch of ungrateful bastards?

Those issues are examined in the highly entertaining documentary directed by Alexandre O. Philippe, “The People vs. George Lucas.” After all these years, we finally get to see the filmmaker get his day in court. Granted, he only appears in past footage of interviews and behind the scenes stuff, but Alexandre does make it seem like he’s giving his side of the story.

This could have been just a one-sided portrait of Mr. Lucas and of the venom he has inadvertently inspired in the most devoted fans this past decade or so. But what’s great about this documentary is that it gives us a multi-faceted view of the man. We see George at his humble beginnings and how he developed a love for film and a deep hatred for the corporations that ended up taking over Hollywood. We feel for him when he talks about how upset he was with the studios re-cutting “THX-1138” and “American Graffiti,” and we find ourselves rooting for him to get his independence from the studio system forever. The fact that he did through getting exclusive merchandise rights was a kick. No studio will ever let another filmmaker get away with that again!

Then we see how George Lucas, by gaining complete independence from studio executives, became the very thing he fought against. There’s a great interview with Francis Ford Coppola in how he talks about the George Lucas that could have been. Francis described how George truly had many great films inside of him, but that the success of “Star Wars” has pretty much enslaved him for life. George has said that with the conclusion of the prequel trilogy, he was going to make the smaller and more experimental films he always wanted to make. Sure enough though, he is now working on 3D versions of all six “Star Wars” movies just as the apathy towards that extra dimension gets worse and worse.

Philippe also presents Lucas to us as a mass of contradictions. On one hand, this is a filmmaker who fought the fight against the colorization of black-and-white movies, yet he will do nothing to save the original versions of the trilogy that started it all. When he did release the versions we grew up on, it was in a basic format that felt like a giant insult to what we collectively came to love.

But many feel like he totally ignored the fans who helped build “Star Wars” into a mighty franchise by giving them “The Phantom Menace” and Jar Jar Binks. Yet George also agreed with them that “The Star Wars Christmas Special” was a BIG mistake. While he would love to smash every copy of it to smithereens, you can still watch it on YouTube.

By presenting all these different sides of George Lucas, we don’t come out hating him or loving him. In the end he’s a human being like the rest of us, prone to making inescapable mistakes. While many of us despise him for what he has done, even with “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” he’s still created an amazing world which we all would love to be a part of.

One of the great things about “The People vs. George Lucas” is watching the fan made films and parodies that “Star Wars” inspired. Granted, they are recreating the original movies so there’s not much originality going on, but there are slight differences in appearance which make them oddly unique. Seeing filmmakers use stop motion animation, anime, and other methods is a lot of fun to take in. Among my favorites were “Troops” which is a spoof of the TV show “Cops” with Storm Troopers. I especially liked the “Misery” parody which has Annie Wilkes making the injured George Lucas rewrite “Episode III” the way she wants to see it. Why she didn’t want him to rewrite “The Phantom Menace” is beyond me.

Like just about everybody else, I am a big fan of the original trilogy even though I got a rough introduction to it. The first “Star Wars” movie I ever saw was “The Empire Strikes Back,” and that Wampa monster seriously freaked me out at the tender age of five years old. I never understood what was going on, and it took me over a decade to recognize it as the best of the bunch.

With the prequels, I enjoyed them for what they were. They were far from perfect, but for me they were better than nothing. Like the original trilogy, it left me with many great memories that I cherish. Being at the premiere of “The Phantom Menace” is something I will never forget as someone dressed as Darth Vader baptized me in the name of the force. When the opening words of “a galaxy far far away” appeared on the screen for “Attack Of The Clones,” I couldn’t help but say out loud:

“I’ve seen this one!”

The laughter that resulted from me making this statement is something I’m very proud of.

Ever since I saw “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier,” I have come to curb my expectations for the movies I look forward to the most. The problem is that our excitement for the films we so want to see, and that moment when we’re in the movie theatre when they are about to begin, are far more exciting than the finished product. It reminds me of what Lewis Black had said:

"There is no better moment than this moment, when we're anticipating the actual moment itself. All of the moments that lead up to the actual moment are truly the best moments. Those are the moments that are filled with good times. Those are the moments in which you are able to think that it is going to be perfect, when the moment actually happens. But, the moment is reality, and reality always kinda sucks!"

The anticipation for “The Phantom Menace” was higher than any other movie before it, and there was no way that it could have been completely satisfied everyone. In retrospect, the excitement of the upcoming prequels was far more enthralling than the finished product could ever hope to be.

What “The People vs. George Lucas” seems to suggest in the end is that we should be thankful he continued the series at all. It also suggests that despite our anger at the prequels, he still gave us a wealth of imagination we can still derive from. In spite of our indifference to Episodes I-III, we have to admit that we would love to see Lucas make more “Star Wars” movies in the future, assuming he would take the time to collaborate with other people on them.

Had this been just a documentary bashing George Lucas to within an inch of his life, it would have become tiresome very quickly. But “The People vs. George Lucas” is great because it give us the different dimensions of the man and shows us how the ways he fought the system ended up working against him in later years. Nevertheless, “Star Wars” remains a powerful narcotic for us all, and regardless of how we feel about the prequels, there is a part of us that yearns for movies from the man (providing he is not the director).

This is a great documentary that will appeal to fanboys and those who are not fans of “Star Wars,” assuming any such people exist on this planet.

* * * * out of * * * *

Universal Studios announced today, the George Lucas classic "American Graffiti" will be released in a special edition DVD and Blu-Ray for the very first time on May 31st.

Press Release:

From legendary director George Lucas (Star Wars) and celebrated producer Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather), American Graffiti Special Edition is an Academy Award®-nominated classic coming-of-age story set against the 1960s backdrop of hot rods, drive-ins and rock n' roll. Debuting for the first time on Blu-ray™ on May 31, 2011 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment and featuring a new digitally remastered picture supervised by George Lucas, American Graffiti Special Edition stars Ron Howard ("Happy Days"), Richard Dreyfuss (Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Jaws), Harrison Ford (Cowboys & Aliens, Star Wars), Cindy Williams ("Laverne & Shirley," "Happy Days"), Mackenzie Phillips ( "One Day at a Time") and Suzanne Somers ("Three's Company," "Step by Step") in their breakout roles.

Nominated for five Oscars®, including Best Picture and Best Director, this nostalgic look back follows a group of teenagers as they cruise the streets on their last summer night before college. Featuring the howling sounds of Wolfman Jack and an unforgettable soundtrack with songs by Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, The Beach Boys and Bill Haley & His Comets, American Graffiti Special Edition recaptures the heart of America's last age of innocence. The American Graffiti Special Edition Blu-ray™ includes never-before-seen director video commentary and the Special Edition DVD features all-new director audio commentary.

AMERICAN GRAFFITI SPECIAL EDITION BLU-RAY™ BONUS FEATURES: Unleash the power of your HDTV with perfect picture and the purest digital sound available.

U-CONTROL™: Universal's exclusive feature that lets the viewer access bonus materials without leaving the movie!

Director Video Commentary: All new picture-picture video commentary with the director of American Graffiti.

The Music of American Graffiti: Instantly identify the songs heard while watching the film, create a custom playlist of your favorites and even purchase them from iTunes.

SCREEN TESTS: Never-before-seen screen tests with Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, Cindy Williams, Mackenzie Phillips Paul Le Mat and Charles Martin Smith.

THE MAKING OF AMERICAN GRAFFITI: An original documentary featuring interviews with director George Lucas, executive producer Francis Ford Coppola, members of the cast including Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, Harrison Ford and Suzanne Somers.
BD-LIVE™: Access the BD-Live™ Center through your Internet-connected player to watch the latest trailers and more!

pocket BLU™: The groundbreaking pocket BLU™ app uses iPhone®, iPod® touch, Android™, PC and Macintosh to work seamlessly with a network-connected Blu-ray™ player. Also available on the iPad™, owners can enjoy a new, enhanced edition of pocket BLU™ made especially to take advantage of the tablet's larger screen and high resolution display. Consumers will be able to browse through a library of Blu-ray™ content and watch entertaining extras on-the-go in a way that's bigger and better than ever before. pocket BLU™ offers advanced features such as:

Advanced Remote Control: A sleek, elegant new way to operate your Blu-ray™ player. Users can navigate through menus, playback and BD-Live™ functions with ease.

Video Timeline: Users can easily bring up the video timeline, allowing them to instantly access any point in the film.

Mobile-To-Go: Users can unlock a selection of bonus content with their Blu-ray™ discs to save to their device or to stream from anywhere there is a Wi-Fi network, enabling them to enjoy content on the go, anytime, anywhere.

Browse Titles: Users will have access to a complete list of pocket BLU™-enabled titles available and coming to Blu-ray™ Hi-Def. They can view free previews and see what additional content is available to unlock on their device.

Keyboard: Entering data is fast and easy with your device's intuitive keyboard.

uHEAR™: Never miss another line of dialogue with this innovative feature that instantly skips back a few seconds on your Blu-ray™ disc and turns on the subtitles to highlight what you missed.

THEATRICAL TRAILER

AMERICAN GRAFFITI SPECIAL EDITION DVD BONUS FEATURES:

ALL-NEW AUDIO COMMENTARY: Audio commentary with the director of American Graffiti.

THE MAKING OF AMERICAN GRAFFITI: An original documentary featuring interviews with director George Lucas, executive producer Francis Ford Coppola, members of the cast including Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, Harrison Ford and Suzanne Somers.

THEATRICAL TRAILER

Man! I was so frackin’ lucky to see this before I flew out of LAX on Friday. I was afraid I would have to wait a whole week to see this one, and it brought back bad memories of when I was forced to wait to see some of the movies I desperately wanted to view. Fortunately, I managed to get off of work early and haul ass to the nearest movie theater to view a movie 19 years in the making before I had to rush off to the airport.

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is another in a long line of films listed as “the most eagerly awaited film in movie history!” However, what the “Star Wars” prequels and “The Matrix” sequels taught us (whatever you thought of them) is that the expectation of something tends to be far more exciting than the actual finished product. That always works against movies like these because we are just soooo excited about them, and they never meet our expectations. Ever since I saw “Star Trek V – The Final Frontier,” I have done my best to keep my expectations at bay. It is way too easy to be disappointed by a movie that you restlessly wait for. I came into the latest adventure of Indiana Jones just wanting to have a good time, and you know what? That’s exactly what I got!

The newest Indiana Jones movie is not without its flaws, as is the case with all the sequels in this franchise. The script at times is rather convoluted, and it’s a little hard to figure out what the whole deal with the crystal skull is (a second viewing may end up rectifying that). It's no “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” but to expect it to be is ridiculous. The first adventure of Dr. Jones is such a classic and held so far up in the pantheon of movies that it is impossible to beat it in terms of its entertainment value and freshness. Just seeing Harrison Ford put on that fedora one more time was more than enough for me.

This movie moves Indiana Jones to the 1950’s, and the Nazis are all gone (just as well). In their place are the Russians, the villains of choice back in the 1980’s until US relations with them improved. Indy and his pal 'Mac' George McHale (Ray Winstone, the voice of “Beowulf”) have been captured by the Ruskies and taken over to Area 51 in New Mexico, the warehouse where the US government hides all the things it wants no one else to see (The Ark of the Covenant makes a cameo appearance). This leads to the first big action sequence that gets the movie off to a quick start and has those “whoa” moments that I am always looking for in action movies. Indy’s final escape from the area does seem a bit ridiculous, but these movies deal with death-defying actions, and these are stories that take a place in a reality somewhat removed from our own.

Dr. Henry Jones Jr. (his real name as we learned it from “The Last Crusade”) still teaches archaeology courses at the university he has always taught at, but soon finds himself dismissed as he is under suspicion of being a Communist. Back in the days of the Joseph McCarthy era, you were guilty until proven innocent. Time has certainly for Indy and his university friend Dean Charles Stanforth (Jim Broadbent from “Hot Fuzz”), and they have both lost friends over the years like Indy’s father and Marcus Brody (played by the late Denholm Elliott, who is appropriately acknowledged here years after his death). Just as Indy heads off to go around the world, he is visited by Mutt Williams, a 50’s greaser played by Shia LeBeouf. Mutt informs Indiana that his mother has been kidnapped, and that she needs his help to get to this Crystal Skull. This artifact promises to give one power when it is returned to its rightful place, an immense power that the Russians want every bit as much. It is a little bit hard to describe what the big deal is about the Crystal Skull in words, and it is likely that I will be viewing this movie again soon to be sure.

The Russians are led by Irina Spalko, and she is played with utter relish by Cate Blanchett. She is a cold, steely woman whose interest in psychic powers and education in said subject proves to be more dangerous than anyone can realize. Like all the villains in this franchise, she lusts for ultimate power and will get it at any cost. Of course, her lust and greed will lead to her eventual undoing. You know how these Indiana Jones movies go. Irina may not be the greatest villain in this franchise, but she is still a formidable foe as embodied by Blanchett, one of many actresses out there who can play just about anybody.

The movie features great stunts that, even if they are not entirely believable, still generate a good deal of excitement. Some are ridiculously over the top, like Shia’s character swinging along vines with the monkeys. But then again, not everything in this movie is meant to be completely believable. Spielberg said he would not rely so much on CGI effects in this movie, but you do notice them when you see them, and it does take away from the action a little. In the end, the movie keeps up at a pace which never lets up so that you can catch your breath.

Many have said that Harrison Ford is just too damn old to play this part, or to be in any action movie at all. This was probably brought up more when he did “Firewall” which ended up doing poorly at the box office. Frankly, I am sick of all this talk about him being at the AARP age level. Ford certainly doesn’t look his age, and he still handles the action scenes with a gusto that you never doubt. No one will ever surpass Ford in this iconic role, and I would hate to see anyone else try. God forbid Michael Bay tries to remake any of the other movies here!

But one of the real masterstrokes that Spielberg and Lucas did hear was bring back Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood, Indiana’s love from “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” It is so great to see her again as she matches wits with Indiana at every step of the way. Marion also turns out to be Mutt’s mother, and this leads to other revelations that I invite you to see for yourself. There is a line in the movie where Marion and Indy are in the back of a truck trying to escape, and she asks Indy why his other relationships didn’t last, and Indy says:

“Because they weren’t you Marion.”

This points the obvious of how the other heroines of these movies didn’t even come close to matching the wonderful presence of this character, and Karen continues to be such an immensely engaging presence in this and other movies she does. Her character is not like the whiny bitch Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw) from “Temple of Doom,” nor is she the underwritten cold character played by Allison Doody from “The Last Crusade.” It is clear that everyone involved knew that they could do no worse than to bring Karen back. I am very glad that they did.

The big surprise I got from watching this movie was the performance of Shia LeBeouf. I expected him to be an annoying sidekick a la Short Round from “Temple Of Doom,” and essentially give us the same performance as he did in “Transformers.” That was not the case at all as he perfectly slipped into the mold of a 50’s greaser out to save his mother. He matches wits well with Harrison Ford as they journey together to other countries on a search and rescue mission. Thus, we get another one of those scenes where we see a map and a red line showing where our heroes are going, silhouetted against the planes and other transportation they use to get to their final destination. Shia is very good here, even if he does end up on the verge of some Wesley Crusher-like moments.

Ray Winstone is also very good here, as he is in just about everything he does. At first, I started to think that his character was somewhat unnecessary, and was basically there as a foil for both Indy and the plot of the movie. However, Ray’s performance helps to make some of the more implausible moments in the film actually believable as he sucks us into what his character wants, and he convinces us of this as much as he does Indiana Jones.

I have to give the filmmakers some credit as they took their iconic hero and placed him in another period of time. To have Indy fighting the Nazis would have been overkill, and we already know what happened to them. Having Dr. Jones go up against the Russians showed that at least the filmmakers were trying something a little bit different instead of just giving the audience the same old thing. There are a lot of moments where Spielberg and Lucas pay homage to the earlier Indy movies as well as to other Spielberg movies like “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” There is a big sci-fi element to this movie in particular which was not as big as in the other movies, but these movies have always indulged in the world of fantasies be it real or imagined.

There is actually a surprising lack of snakes in this sequel, but one does make a memorable cameo appearance. The main animals to fear here are red ants who, even in their CGI form, are terrifying man and woman eaters. We even worry about them devouring the bad guys. Even if the angry red ants do look a bit fake, they still left me unnerved like all the dangerous animals in an Indiana Jones do.

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is by no means a perfect movie, but then again, we had no right to expect it to be. None of the sequels in this series were perfect either, but whatever flaws they had were eventually redeemed by their entertainment factor which was far above most other action films you see. The only movie in this franchise that has any right to be called perfect is “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and nothing is ever going to top that. Ever.

I would probably rate this particular sequel just right above “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.” While that one may have been a little more entertaining, it also had a first half and characters that drove me up the wall. It doesn’t have the same amount of heart and character as did the 1st or 3rd movies in this franchise, but those characters still remain true to their origins and they keep us engaged in the action. In the end, it is pointless to get too critical on the Indiana Jones movies, let alone this one. To take it apart limb from limb would take the fun out of it, and these movies are really made for the moviegoers more than anyone else. No one should ever come into any movie expecting it to be a classic, and it certainly goes with this one.

In terms of the summer movies released so far, “Iron Man” is still the movie to beat. “Indiana Jones 4” is not able to beat it out there, but “Iron Man” is a strong movie for more or less the same reasons that “Raiders of the Lost Ark” was when it was first released. They both brought a freshness and energy to their genres that had felt somewhat dormant, and they were created by filmmakers who cared about the stories and the characters that they were bringing to the screen. “Iron Man” will eventually lead to a number of sequels, most of which will probably not hold a candle to the original. While we want some of the same old stuff, we also want something new that brings a new edge to what we saw before. With the latest adventure of Indiana Jones, it was business as usual, and that was more than enough for me.

And stop telling me that Harrison Ford is too old to be doing movies like this because frankly, I don’t give a shit!

*** out of ****

I have a feeling that NO ONE likes money more than George Lucas. According to Mr. Lucas, he will be releasing a "Star Wars: Clone Wars" movie into theaters on August 15 of THIS YEAR!!! (followed by a multitude of DVD releases).

Here is the official press release.

A new era of Star Wars entertainment begins in 2008 when "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," from creator George Lucas, premieres as an all-new feature film in August, followed by the television series debut in the fall, in a partnership announced today between Lucasfilm Ltd., Warner Bros. Pictures and Turner Broadcasting System Inc.

Produced by Lucasfilm Animation, "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" takes audiences on incredible new "Star Wars" adventures, combining the legendary storytelling of Lucasfilm with an eye-popping, signature animation style. "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" will open in North American theaters Friday, August 15. International release dates will be announced soon.

"I felt there were a lot more 'Star Wars' stories left to tell," said George Lucas, executive producer of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars." "I was eager to start telling some of them through animation and, at the same time, push the art of animation forward.

"The theatrical debut of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" is only the beginning of all-new "Star Wars" adventures that continue in the fall when the long-awaited television series premieres on Cartoon Network, followed by airings on TNT. Details regarding international broadcasts will be announced shortly.

"Star Wars: The Clone Wars" showcases an entirely new look and feel to the galaxy far, far away – combining the expansive scope of the "Star Wars" Saga with state-of-the-art computer-generated animation. Each week, viewers will see a thrilling, 30-minute "mini-movie" created by the talented artists at Lucasfilm Animation.

On the front lines of an intergalactic struggle between good and evil, fans young and old will join such favorite characters as Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padmé Amidala, along with brand-new heroes like Anakin's padawan learner, Ahsoka. Sinister villains – led by Palpatine, Count Dooku and General Grievous – are poised to rule the galaxy. Stakes are high, and the fate of the "Star Wars" universe rests in the hands of the daring Jedi Knights. Their exploits lead to the action-packed battles and astonishing new revelations that fill "Star Wars: The Clone Wars."

"Warner Bros. and Turner are uniquely positioned to deliver on the enormous potential of 'The Clone Wars' because together they offer a world-class opportunity: the theatrical and home-video distribution of Warner Bros. and the broad reach of the Turner Networks," said Micheline Chau, President and Chief Operating Officer of Lucasfilm Ltd. "This terrific combination hits the key demographic groups, ranging from kids to adults, that make up the 'Star Wars' audience."

Dan Fellman, Warner Bros. Pictures President of Domestic Distribution, added, "This is a breakthrough project – returning 'Star Wars' to the big screen in a completely new way while beginning an exciting new chapter in George Lucas' legendary saga. We immediately felt that it would be a fantastic theatrical event and are thrilled to be bringing it to moviegoers."

"Nothing like this has ever been produced for television," said Stuart Snyder, President/COO Turner Animation,Young Adults & Kids Media. "For 30 years, 'Star Wars' has shown that it appeals to a huge breadth of fans. 'The Clone Wars' on Cartoon Network will be appointment television for everyone in the family. We're thrilled to be working with Lucasfilm again and very excited to be playing a role in bringing this remarkable adventure to viewers.

"With a new story each week, "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" continues the tradition of thrilling stories, astonishing visuals and extraordinary music that have always been the hallmarks of the "Star Wars" Saga.Lucasfilm Animation, which is based in Marin County, Calif., with a studio in Singapore, has produced more than 30 all-new episodes of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," and production continues on even more exciting episodes.