Re: Not necessarily

Posted by Indiana Joe from dialup95.multilinkws.com on November 10, 1999 at 09:27:02:

In Reply to: Re: Spielberg and Ford are better judges than Lucas posted by Dirk Pitt on November 10, 1999 at 07:50:51:

: Agreed. All one needs to do is look at Phantom Menace to have an example of Lucas's discretion in script approval...

I’m aware that many disliked “Star Wars - Episode I: The Phantom Menace”, but there’s hardly a consensus on its perceived lack of merits; it’s not like the situation with, for example, “Star Trek V - The Final Frontier”, where even the series’ staunchest fans nearly all agree the film wasn’t up to the standards of the others. I assure you, there are plenty of people who absolutely loved the film. The “Star Wars” name alone guaranteed it a certain amount of success, but it would not have made as much money as it did had it been an acknowledged dud.

As far as Spielberg and Ford being better judges of scripts than Lucas, I’d have to say I just don’t know. Going purely by the acting assignments he’s taken, Ford certainly seems to have a good head on his shoulders, but I for one would say Spielberg has worked with more crummy scripts than Lucas, seemingly because of errors in judgement (even when Lucas has worked with poor material, it seems to be the result of something other than thinking the script good - my understanding of his involvement with “Howard the Duck”, for example, is that he came aboard the project relatively late, principally to lend his name to the film as a favor to his friends Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz; if I’m wrong, I hope someone calls me on it, but I don’t think I am).

- IJ

: : If you read the update on the front page of Indyfan today then you know that it looks like the big three- Lucas/Spielberg/Ford are not in agreement about the script for Indy IV. Seems Lucas is happy with the script and the other two are not convinced. On the surface this seems like a bummer because it delays the shooting for Indy IV but if you look closer then it means that Spielberg was serious when he said that they wanted to make sure they had a good script.
: : Spielberg and Ford are better judges of a quality script in my opinion than Lucas is, especially Spielberg, and I hope they both dig in their heels and hold out for the best script possible. Even if it means we have a longer wait for Indy IV I'd rather they were patient and put the best they have into it.
: : Too often in Hollywood the script is the last consideration and the execs go with a lackluster screenplay in hopes that any problems can be fixed in postproduction. On paper I can understand this since the studios have schedules they need to stick to. They can't have people like Spielberg and Ford waiting around forever while some lowly writer tinkers over the script. It's not good business but the current system sacrifices art for commerce.
: : The script that Lucas feels is good enough must not be all that great or Spielberg and Ford would be excited about it as well.
: : I hope they all recognize that they can afford to pour all of Hollywood's creative juices into writing the most amazing script possible and I hope that Spielberg and Ford will stubbornly hold out until they see a script that will turn the whole world into a drooling bunch of Indyfans.
: : Only then do I really want to see production of Indy IV proceed.

Follow Ups:

I've got three words for you... Dirk Pitt 13:17:27 11/10/99 (4)
- Re: And I've got three words for you... Indiana Joe 14:50:43 11/10/99 (3)
  - Re: And I've got three more words for you... Indiana Joe 14:52:40 11/10/99 (2)
    - Re: You LIKE him?!!! Dirk Pitt 22:23:31 11/10/99 (1)
      - Re: Perhaps I should elaborate... Indiana Joe 23:19:39 11/10/99 (0)

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: : Agreed. All one needs to do is look at Phantom Menace to have an example of Lucas's discretion in script approval...

: I’m aware that many disliked “Star Wars - Episode I: The Phantom Menace”, but there’s hardly a consensus on its perceived lack of merits; it’s not like the situation with, for example, “Star Trek V - The Final Frontier”, where even the series’ staunchest fans nearly all agree the film wasn’t up to the standards of the others. I assure you, there are plenty of people who absolutely loved the film. The “Star Wars” name alone guaranteed it a certain amount of success, but it would not have made as much money as it did had it been an acknowledged dud.

: As far as Spielberg and Ford being better judges of scripts than Lucas, I’d have to say I just don’t know. Going purely by the acting assignments he’s taken, Ford certainly seems to have a good head on his shoulders, but I for one would say Spielberg has worked with more crummy scripts than Lucas, seemingly because of errors in judgement (even when Lucas has worked with poor material, it seems to be the result of something other than thinking the script good - my understanding of his involvement with “Howard the Duck”, for example, is that he came aboard the project relatively late, principally to lend his name to the film as a favor to his friends Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz; if I’m wrong, I hope someone calls me on it, but I don’t think I am).

: - IJ

: : : If you read the update on the front page of Indyfan today then you know that it looks like the big three- Lucas/Spielberg/Ford are not in agreement about the script for Indy IV. Seems Lucas is happy with the script and the other two are not convinced. On the surface this seems like a bummer because it delays the shooting for Indy IV but if you look closer then it means that Spielberg was serious when he said that they wanted to make sure they had a good script. 
: : : Spielberg and Ford are better judges of a quality script in my opinion than Lucas is, especially Spielberg, and I hope they both dig in their heels and hold out for the best script possible. Even if it means we have a longer wait for Indy IV I'd rather they were patient and put the best they have into it.
: : : Too often in Hollywood the script is the last consideration and the execs go with a lackluster screenplay in hopes that any problems can be fixed in postproduction. On paper I can understand this since the studios have schedules they need to stick to. They can't have people like Spielberg and Ford waiting around forever while some lowly writer tinkers over the script. It's not good business but the current system sacrifices art for commerce.
: : : The script that Lucas feels is good enough must not be all that great or Spielberg and Ford would be excited about it as well.
: : : I hope they all recognize that they can afford to pour all of Hollywood's creative juices into writing the most amazing script possible and I hope that Spielberg and Ford will stubbornly hold out until they see a script that will turn the whole world into a drooling bunch of Indyfans.
: : : Only then do I really want to see production of Indy IV proceed.

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