George Lucas to give up film-making because of Star Wars critics

[Valmy]

The only thing new was putting them in space. Which is not nothing, but not a lot either. Lightsabers and starships had a wee bit more to do with the appeal than any archetype combinations.

Not really.  Tons of movies have great special effects.  Besides those effects are pretty dated now but the movies are still good films.

[The Brain]

The only thing new was putting them in space. Which is not nothing, but not a lot either. Lightsabers and starships had a wee bit more to do with the appeal than any archetype combinations.

Not really.  Tons of movies have great special effects.  Besides those effects are pretty dated now but the movies are still good films.

How many 70s space/fantasy movies had special effects that were as good as Star Wars (non-rhetorical)?

[Barrister]

The only thing new was putting them in space. Which is not nothing, but not a lot either. Lightsabers and starships had a wee bit more to do with the appeal than any archetype combinations.

Not really.  Tons of movies have great special effects.  Besides those effects are pretty dated now but the movies are still good films.

What The Brain said.  Now, in 2012, filmmakers seem to think that the only thing necessary to have a big blockbuster are elaborate special effects.  That wasn't what they thought in the 1970s.  Star Wars effects were groundbreaking at the time - and incedentaly helped establish Lucas' ILM as the kings of movie special effects.

[Razgovory]

Close Encounters, 2001, Alien, Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

[dps]

GI Joe and Transformers both were bad TV shows designed to sell toys.

There weren't many 80s cartoons better than Transformers.

Talk about damning with faint praise.

[Valmy]

How many 70s space/fantasy movies had special effects that were as good as Star Wars (non-rhetorical)?

I am sorry I thought we were talking about their cultural importance now.  I was not around in the 70s (well I was but I was too young to pay any attention) so I cannot really judge the extent that the special effects alone played a role.

[Valmy]

GI Joe and Transformers both were bad TV shows designed to sell toys.

There weren't many 80s cartoons better than Transformers.

Talk about damning with faint praise.

Heh no kidding.  Now when people wax eloquenlty about Transformers and buy DVDs and so forth that is pure nostalgia.

[crazy canuck]

The special effects were great.  But that was not why Star Wars had the cultural impact it did.  There were other movies like ET and Close Encouters of the Third Kind that had great special effects but not nearly the kind impact Star Wars had.

[Barrister]

GI Joe and Transformers both were bad TV shows designed to sell toys.

There weren't many 80s cartoons better than Transformers.

Talk about damning with faint praise.

Heh no kidding.  Now when people wax eloquenlty about Transformers and buy DVDs and so forth that is pure nostalgia.

Indeed. I mean - I could tell it was crap when I was nine years old.

[The Brain]

Close Encounters, 2001, Alien, Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

AFAIK three of those were released after Star Wars. 2001 is certainly one of the giants in special effects before Star Wars.

[The Brain]

The special effects were great.  But that was not why Star Wars had the cultural impact it did.  There were other movies like ET and Close Encouters of the Third Kind that had great special effects but not nearly the kind impact Star Wars had.

Unlike ET or Close Encounters Star Wars had really cool gadgets and environments and was completely set in space or exotic planets and had cool aliens etc. An escapist's dream. Plus when Star Wars already had made its huge splash getting a new extreme pop culture phenomenon out of ET or Close Encounters faced an uphill battle.

[Darth Wagtaros]

Duck Tales was awesome. 

Dark Wing Duck was better.

[crazy canuck]

The special effects were great.  But that was not why Star Wars had the cultural impact it did.  There were other movies like ET and Close Encouters of the Third Kind that had great special effects but not nearly the kind impact Star Wars had.

Unlike ET or Close Encounters Star Wars had really cool gadgets and environments and was completely set in space or exotic planets and had cool aliens etc. An escapist's dream. Plus when Star Wars already had made its huge splash getting a new extreme pop culture phenomenon out of ET or Close Encounters faced an uphill battle.

So now you appear to be agreeing with the concept that Star Wars had something more than just great special effects.  This was no cliche.  It had powerful mythical archetypes set in and used in competely new ways.

[The Brain]

How many 70s space/fantasy movies had special effects that were as good as Star Wars (non-rhetorical)?

I am sorry I thought we were talking about their cultural importance now.  I was not around in the 70s (well I was but I was too young to pay any attention) so I cannot really judge the extent that the special effects alone played a role.

I am convinced that the cultural importance of Star Wars today is firmly based on what happened when it was released.

[The Brain]

The special effects were great.  But that was not why Star Wars had the cultural impact it did.  There were other movies like ET and Close Encouters of the Third Kind that had great special effects but not nearly the kind impact Star Wars had.

Unlike ET or Close Encounters Star Wars had really cool gadgets and environments and was completely set in space or exotic planets and had cool aliens etc. An escapist's dream. Plus when Star Wars already had made its huge splash getting a new extreme pop culture phenomenon out of ET or Close Encounters faced an uphill battle.

So now you appear to be agreeing with the concept that Star Wars had something more than just great special effects.  This was no cliche.  It had powerful mythical archetypes set in and used in competely new ways.

I don't follow. I have never said that the only thing Star Wars had was special effects. I have said in this thread that Star Wars used powerful archetypes. The only new thing I've seen about them in Star Wars though is that they are in space. Completely new ways? I just don't see it.