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Tuesday, July 28, 2015
They called him RIDICULOUS
More Hatred Towards George
Numb Nut compares Versions
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
From a 2014 Game Informer article...
In 2006, LucasArts teamed with Day 1 Studios to bring a new intellectual property to market. The vision for this new title was a first-person shooter that allowed the player to shape a battlefield’s terrain by using various science-fiction weapons. That ambitious design became Fracture, a game that was announced on May 3, 2007.
“The plan [for Fracture] was turned completely upside down in a meeting,” a LucasArts dev who worked on the title says. Although the team was far into development, a decision was made by LucasArts’ executives to turn it into a third-person shooter. “We were told to ‘pull the camera out.’ We had to make a character model, create animations, plot the levels differently, stream it differently. It was a nightmare for everyone involved.”
When Fracture was revealed to the public, its protagonist was a character named Mason Briggs. By the time the game launched, his name was changed to Jet Brody. A person who helped give this gun-toting rebel his original name recalls going through weeks of naming conventions. “Literally, whole teams sitting together, brainstorming what looks good – the first name, the last name, etc. Done, good to go.”
But then a phantom menace struck. George Lucas would periodically check in on the status of the games his company was making, lending creative input and advice. The developer I talked to sighs, and agitatedly says, “In one viewing of Fracture, [Lucas] said it looked really good, but he didn’t like [Mason Briggs’] name. We’re like, ‘What do you mean, George?’ He responded to the effect of, ‘It doesn’t really fit. When he jumps on stuff, he moves pretty fast. I like B.J. Dart.’
“So everybody’s like, ‘No, he’s gotta be f---ing with us.’ He’s absolutely not. So when something like that happened – in the middle of the campaign, mind you – we have to go back through that entire naming convention again… from scratch.” From that second session, Jet Brody was born. Coincidentally. Jett is the name of Lucas’ son.
A similar situation arose with Star Wars: The Force Unleashed’s protagonist, Starkiller. “[That name] was only supposed to be a nickname or call sign, not a proper name from the beginning,” a former LucasArts employee says. The development team hoped that Lucas would give Vader’s apprentice a Darth moniker, which at the time, was something that didn’t happen often.
“The team threw a Hail Mary to George, saying the game would have more credibility if the apprentice had a ‘Darth’ title,” a Force Unleashed team member says. Lucas agreed that this situation made sense for Sith royalty, and offered up two Darth titles for the team to choose from. “He threw out ‘Darth Icky’ and ‘Darth Insanius.’ There was a pregnant pause in the room after that. People waiting for George to say ‘just kidding,’ but it never comes, and he just moved on to another point.”
Team members involved in the decision to not use these ridiculous Darth titles could not be reached for comment, but three LucasArts employees believe an excuse was made to push the Darth title to the sequel. By the time development on that title commenced, the names were long forgotten by Lucas and weren’t muttered by the development team again. Starkiller remained Starkiller in the games, but was also named Galen Marek in the greater Expanded Universe fiction.
“These name problems may sound like funny stories, but the quality of these games suffered from these curveballs thrown by people not directly tied to the development process,” another employee angrily adds. “It got to a point that it became difficult to hire new talent because these stories got out there. People thought we were running a madhouse.”
Thursday, January 15, 2009
http://threadtheneedle.blogspot.com/2005/05/i-hate-george-lucas.html
By the time this post has been injected into the blogosphere, many of you will already have plunked down your hard-earned cash in order to witness George Lucas's latest cinematic atrocity. I'm sure that I won't be far behind you. Despite my certainty that this film will once again redefine the maximum possible disparity between resource expenditure and product quality, I know that I will be unable to resist its siren call. Besides which, since it is sure to gross approximately $100 billion over the course of its existence, denying George Lucas my measly 10 bucks wouldn't affect him in the slightest. As much as I would like to hurt this man in some way, my hands are tied.
You see, like the title of this post says, I hate George Lucas. I realize that "hate" is strong language to employ and that it might shock some of you to see it in this context. But, as I search my soul with an open mind and an honest heart, I must admit that it is true. There are few in this world who can draw such emotion from me. I reserve it for the worst of the worst. George -- you win the prize.
Now, I don't hate him for assaulting us with The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. Sure, they didn't endear him to me in any way. In fact, it's fair to say that these films were crushing disappointments. They looked pretty (for the most part) and each provided an exhilarating light saber battle for our amusement. Yet, they lacked plot, meaningful characters, believable dialogue, and -- worst of all -- the slightest hint of excitement. Rather gaping omissions, if you ask me.
But, I don't hate him for it. Lots of people produce great work early in their careers, only to stumble later. Paul McCartney was fantastic as a Beatle, but a chump as a Wing. Stephen King is rightly considered a legend of the horror genre, despite the fact that I quite regularly wipe my ass with the pages from Tommyknockers. Even Francis Ford Coppola, after giving us The Godfather, The Godfather: Part II, and Apocalypse Now, left us with Dracula and The Godfather: Part III. The presence of sin doesn't erase all acts of virtue. I may be disappointed by their fall from grace, but I won't condemn them for it.
No, my distaste with George Lucas is driven by something altogether different.
As most of you know, the recent Star Wars abominations were preceded by a re-release of the original trilogy (identified as the Special Edition). But, this re-release wasn't simply a crisp new print of the original films. Instead, George Lucas decided to produce new edits of the original films. Some of the changes were mere touch ups, erasing flaws introduced by the special effects of the era (no complaints here). Others allowed him to add scenes that had been cut from the original due to certain technical infeasibilities. He also chose to add in a fair amount of background to certain scenes, inserting alien creatures that had been unrenderable without CGI.
Some of these changes were OK, but most of them were not. In fact, most of them were laughable. But, again, I don't hate him for it.
This is why I hate him. There it is a very important scene in the original Star Wars with Han Solo and the bounty hunter Greedo. Apparently, Hans Solo owed money to the intergalactic gangster known as Jaba the Hut and Greedo had been hired to bring him in. During the scene in question, Greedo finally catches up with Han Solo. Because he's a rather unscrupulous character, Greedo makes it clear that he can be bought off. Han Solo pretends to negotiate for a few moments, but once Greedo lets his guard down, Han shoots him dead -- in cold blood.
From this scene we learn a lot about who Han Solo is. He is a ruthless mercenary with a checkered past, willing to kill those who would stand in his way. He is out for himself and no one else. This is important because, at the end of the film, after abandoning Luke and Leia to attack the Death Star alone, he returns at a crucial moment to assist in its destruction. Thus, Han is transformed from selfish rogue to selfless hero. How about that? Actual character development.
Unfortunately, this isn't how the scene plays out in the Special Edition release. I'll let the Star Wars databank speak for itself.
Greedo was an overzealous bounty hunter hired by Jabba the Hutt to collect on Han Solo. Greedo challenged Solo in the Mos Eisley Cantina. At blaster point, the Rodian demanded Solo pay his debt to Jabba. Solo claimed he didn't have the money with him. Greedo had lost his patience, and opened fire. His shot missed; it was the last mistake Greedo would make. Solo opened fire with his powerful blaster pistol, ripping through the cantina table and the Rodian's chest.
That's right. In the Special Edition release of Star Wars, the version that truly represents George Lucas's vision, Greedo shoots first! Suddenly, Han's preemptive murder becomes an act of self-defense. So, while he may be a little rough around the edges, he's basically a nice guy who wouldn't hurt anyone (who wasn't a bloodthirsty killer attempting to vaporize him -- and could you blame him?).
This isn't just cleanup work. This isn't background enhancement. This is a dramatic modification of character that affects the entire rest of the movie. Han's selfish protestations that ensue no longer ring as true. His insistence upon payment for rescuing the princess are out of sync with the character now being drawn. And, worst of all, his act of redemption during the final moments of battle no longer signify an ethical rebirth. Instead, we're left wondering why it took so long.
Moreover, it erases one of the few thematic ambiguities of the entire series: that not everyone is purely good or evil. Some exist in the space in between, to be potentially drawn to one side or the other as they are influenced by those around them. Han didn't start off good -- he became good, won over by the nobility of his peers. That's a message worth learning.
But, George Lucas doesn't care. I have heard that he now believes that Han's cold-blooded murderer of his pursuer is too dark an event to be witnessed by children. Apparently, he was uncomfortable with children idolizing someone so distasteful. Thus, he "cleaned it up." Now, we can all watch the film without these troubling complexities. Wonderful.
So, that's my problem with the man. Sure, he hates actors, dialogue, and plot. He is completely subservient to the cross-marketing aspects of his production. He has completely lost touch with his creative roots. But, I could forgive all that if he could maintain an iota of respect for the characters that he once brought to life. However, those characters are as capriciously mutable as the background scenery, to be pasteurized in service of his arrogant impression of his audience. Star Wars was never Shakespeare, but within it there were moments that lifted it above typical sci-fi schlock. No longer. This mutation (and many others) demonstrate that he is no longer interested in producing anything but bubblegum cinematic drivel. So strong is this drive that he is willing to literally undo the past. That, I cannot forgive.
That's my case. George -- if you're out there -- you suck. You mercilessly eviscerated a great character and spat upon all those who loved him. For that, I grant no quarter. I promise that for as long as I live, I will revile you, body and soul.
Forever. Get used to it.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
ThankyouGeorge.com
Friday, May 13, 2005
ThankyouGeorge.com
ThankyouGeorge.com is a web site to thank George Lucas for his movies. They want to gather 1,000,000 signatures on a letter of appreciation to be presented to Lucas later this year. Looks like they have a long way to go: currently they've only collected 7139 signatures. But these aren't really "signatures" anyway. They're collecting contact information. Second, they want your location as well as an email address. And the domain is registered to Decipher, Inc., a company that makes "Trading Card Games".Hmm, what could someone do with a collection of 1,000,000 email addresses? Thanks George!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Let it be clearly stated that George Lucas and his cohorts have purposely attempted to influence and indoctrinate their viewers with an eastern, new a
Star Wars: One World Religion According To George Lucas
Hating Harry While Endorsing George“Everyone hates Harry Potter.”
Those were the words from an adult who was justifying her praise and adoration for a completely unbiblical, new age epic called “Star Wars” while simultaneously lecturing the world on the evils of witchcraft.
Mind you, witchcraft and the new age are theological twins.
But she felt safe in her endorsement of Star Wars because “a lot of good people, including my pastor, love Star Wars.” Meanwhile, she felt comfortable casting stones at Harry Potter followers because her pastor and church were nearly unanimous in their condemnation of the little Wizard.
Condemning Satan Consistently
Let it be known that this ministry condemns the endorsement of witchcraft and, specifically, the Harry Potter indoctrination. We also condemn the godless, anti-Biblical message of indoctrination found in the George Lucas film series, “Star Wars”. Consistency is very becoming of a believer.
We do not, however, condemn all forms of fiction or fantasy. We thank the Lord for blessing us with Veggie Tales, Focus on the Family’s many animated features (Adventures In Odyssey) and others that we have used in bringing up three little girls and working in youth ministry for 15 years. We also thank God for giving us Frank Peretti, Jannette Oke and the fictional works of Dave Hunt, Tim LaHaye, Jerry Jenkins, Oliver North and others. Imagination is wonderful when it is Biblical.
Nor do we condemn the portrayal of the supernatural in parable form. We believe that Christian authors C.S. Lewis (Chronicles of Narnia) and J.R.R. Tolkien (Lord of the Rings trilogy), among others (Pilgrim’s Progress, etc.), present outstanding forms of godly, useful fictional parables. The message is Biblical in the works of each of these men while good triumphs over evil without the use of or endorsement of blatant witchcraft and/or new age technique and influence.
Let it be clearly stated that George Lucas and his cohorts have purposely attempted to influence and indoctrinate their viewers with an eastern, new age (quasi-Buddhist) belief system. Serious Christians will read the evidence and act accordingly.
Pathway to Apostasy
Lucas was raised in the midst of lukewarm Methodism. The “social gospel” is a bloodless message that teaches the world that Jesus was an “example” to be followed, rather than the Biblical fact that He was Messiah dying as our Substitute to pay for our sins. As an adult, Lucas looked eastward and, being influence greatly by his Mormon friend Gary Kurtz, found commonality in the moral message of all religions. 1
The typical account of the eastern/new age influence upon the making of Star Wars is as follows:
“Lucas eventually came to state that his religion was "Buddhist Methodist." Gary Kurtz, a Latter-day Saint who had studied Comparative Religion extensively in college and on his own, was pivotal in introducing Lucas to Eastern religions (particularly Buddhism) and Native American religion, and discussing with Lucas how best to improve "Star Wars" by giving it a believable but sufficiently universal religious underpinning. Kurtz was the producer of "Star Wars" and "The Empire Strikes Back" and also did some work on the "Star Wars" screenplay.” 2
The account on adherents.com goes on to explain:
“I wanted a concept of religion based on the premise that there is a God and there is good and evil. I began to distill the essence of all religions into what I thought was a basic idea common to all religions and common to primitive thinking. I wanted to develop something that was nondenominational but still had a kind of religious reality. I believe in God and I believe in right and wrong. I also believe that there are basic tenets which through history have developed into certainties, such as 'thou shalt not kill.' I don't want to hurt other people. 'Do unto others...' is the philosophy that permeates my work." [Source: Ryder Windham. Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace Scrapbook. Random House (1999), pg. 11.] 3
The knowledgeable Bible student will recognize that Lucas has bought into the New Age lie. God is not a person but a principle of being. His use of the term “nondenominational” is not to be understood in the sense of not being of one or the other Christian denomination. Rather, he actually means “non-sectarian” and “non-exclusive”. This is the new age lie that would have us believe that all paths lead to God and that Jesus is NOT the only way as He said in John 14:6 and as Peter taught in Acts 4:12.
We are not contending that we know the heart of George Lucas. We can only judge his words and deeds, not his intentions. Nonetheless, you will never hear Lucas refer to the Cross, the empty tomb, eternal life or eternal damnation. His is an innocuous religion bent on human potential, rather than the glorification of the Savior. It is bloodless (Colossians 1:14) and without any cure for “the wages of sin” (Romans 6:23), which is eternal death and separation from God (John 3:6-17).
In an interview referenced by adherents.com and posted by Time magazine as of the writing of this article, Lucas was pointedly asked about religion by Jess Cagle. The exchange was simple:
“Q: What religion are you?
“A: I was raised Methodist. Now let's say I'm spiritual. It's Marin County. We're all Buddhists up here.” 4
The authenticity of the Buddhist confession of George Lucas is confirmed by Christian and Buddhists alike. For example, the eastern influence of Lucas’ films is included in the Pagan Invasion documentary titled, “East Versus the West.” This production of Jeremiah Films is co-hosted by Chuck Smith and Carol Matriciano. I personally asked apologist and author Dave Hunt (prominently featured in the film) about the Pagan Invasion reference to the new age indoctrination in the Star Wars films written and produced by Lucas. Hunt assured me that his research had confirmed the claims found in the Pagan Invasion documentary. 5
Also confirming the Buddhist credentials of Lucas are the many Buddhist web sites which embrace him as one of their own. We refer you to one clear example at the site hosted by Buddhist Faith Fellowship of Connecticut. One article on the site is titled, “Star Wars and Buddhism.” This paper was published by Eli Williamson-Jones. It was originally a reading. The site states, “This reading was discussed on June 5, 2005.” 6 We can conclude that Lucas has been the center of discussion at Buddhist meetings. They definitely see him as a fellow adherent.
The God of Forces
“May the Force be with you.” The entire storyline of Star Wars is based upon the ability of the “good”, personified in Luke, to defeat the “evil”, personified in Darth Vader. As anyone alive the past decade knows, Luke ends up being the son of Darth Vader. The message is simple: it’s all relative. Darth and Luke are two from the same. It’s the Yin and Yang. Notice how the definition of Yin Yang even makes direct reference to the “forces”:
“In Chinese philosophy, these terms represent the two complementary forces in the universe that together form the basis of everything: yin is female, passive, dark, cold or wet, and negative; yang is masculine, active, bright or light, warm or dry, and positive.” 7
This idea of “forces” being a “God”, denying God’s very real personality and relationship with man, is the real idea behind Humanism and the whole Secularist world view that has engulfed the minds of Americans by and large. One of the most influential men of the 20th century is John Dewey. Thought by many non-Christians to be the greatest American philosopher in our short history, Dewey’s confession of faith sounds eerily similar and demonstrates that the position Lucas holds is pervasive throughout modern American academia. Dewey stated:
“But this idea of God, or of the divine, is also connected with all the natural forces and conditions—including man and human association—that promote the growth of the ideal and that further its realization. We are in the presence neither of ideals completely embodied in existence nor yet of ideals that are mere rootless ideals, fantasies, utopias. For there are forces in nature and society that generate and support the ideals. They are further unified by the action that gives them coherence and solidity. It is this active relation between ideal and actual to which I would give the name "God." I would not insist that the name must be given.” (Emphasis ours.) 8
This is exactly what we find in the Unitarian Universalist movement. A position in total agreement with the Occult, New Age, Buddhist position taken by George Lucas and found in his Star Wars series.
Star Wars presents “the Force” as an impersonal power that is made up of both sides of all that exists. The Bible says that this Buddhist/ New Age God of forces will be the religion of the man who will come upon the scene at the end of time and envelope all world political and religious power into one oligarchy of which he will ascend as supreme ruler (Daniel 11:38—please note that most new translations change “forces” to “fortresses”, thus HIDING the coming religion of “forces” that will be adhered to and promoted by the Antichrist.). He will eventually declare Himself to be God, just before being destroyed (2 Thessalonians 2:4 kjv).
George Lucas is just one of millions who are unwittingly paving the way for this final world religion (2 Thessalonians 2:7-12 kjv).
Star Wars IS the Menace
We will not labor the point. The truth of the matter is obvious to any truth seeker. George Lucas is a decent man, as far as fallen human beings go. But his religion is not Biblical and he has filled his Star Wars film series with Buddhist/ New Age teaching.
And lukewarm Christianity will mock those who point out the obvious in an effort to simply warn the saints of the danger of over-exposure to this kind of indoctrination, especially in the lives and minds of children. But there is a remnant who is on guard. And we must be vigilant, enduring to the end.
Spread the word. Jude 3 (kjv).
— G. A. Miller
FOOTNOTES:
1 Please note that the new age leanings of Mormonism and Freemasonry are clearly documented by many former Mormons and Masons, such as Ed Decker of Saints Alive ministries.2 “The Religious Affiliation of Director: George Lucas,” posted: http://www.adherents.com/people/pl/George_Lucas.html 8-05.
3 Ibid.
4 http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101020429/qa.html
5 “Pagan Invasion, The (Volume 4): East Versus West.” Jeremiah Films. Copyright 1991. Copy available for purchase at http://www.jeremiahfilms.com
6 http://buddhistfaith.tripod.com/pureland_sangha/id40.html
7 The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Copyright © 1993 Columbia University Press.
8 John Dewey, “Faith and It’s Object.” One of many lectures in a series entitled, “A Common Faith.” Posted by Harvard Square Library as a page on the “Notable Unitarian Friends” section. Posted at http://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/unitarians/dewey.html, as of 8-7-05.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
“For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. “
Romans 10:9-11 kjv