#studyingstarwars Day 4
The class is soon coming to a close! It’s crazy how the time has passed, but it’s been an awesome week! Also, only a few hours until the new movie comes out! I can’t see it just yet but I’m anticipating it will go crazy at the box office!
Sadly, I had to leave early today and missed out on most of the discussion, but I did have the chance to watch “American Graffiti”, and I loved it.
American Grafitti
Watching “American Graffiti” was one of the coolest things I’ve done all week. Not only was it great, not to mention having incredible cars and music, but a lot of it was shot in my hometown of San Rafael, California! The stores are different, but the structure of downtown has hardly changed at all. Cool stuff!
In my opinion, the movie was awesome and a true example of Lucas’s talent. It was very carefully set in time and totally entertaining throughout. It does draw a few parallels to “Star Wars”, though it is very different and unrelated to other galaxies. There was a lot of rivalry amongst male characters and lots of displays of masculinity, not at all unlike the relationship between Han Solo and Luke Skywalker. It was really entertaining and trippy to see so many familiar places!
Early 1970s in Film
1970–1973 was a time of huge development in the film world, hence why some consider it the “golden era”. America was in the midst of widespread financial problems and there was lots of unrest in the country during the war. Directors like Lucas got more creative and made films that pushed the envelope unlike ever before, often employing sci-fi and/or sexual elements.
These years bred legendary directors like Francis Ford Coppola, close friend of George Lucas. Because people were desperate for distraction and were becoming more open to film, the 1970s were prime time for Lucas to begin his career in the strange world of “Star Wars”.
The Project
As the end of the week nears, I’ve been working hard on my final project. I’ve found that “The Hero with a Thousand Faces” is a seriously relevant text. It helps reinforce my point that the “Star Wars” franchise is a prime example of an independent business’s success.
Having seen how big the business is growing up, it’s interesting to see the small beginnings Lucasfilm came from and the widespread doubt Hollywood had in “Star Wars”.
The New Movie!
I personally can’t make it to the new movie yet, so please, friends, let’s keep the spoilers to ourselves!
I hope everyone who’s seeing the movie tonight has an amazing time! I’m jealous of you!