Winter winds moving in from the North… the Santa bus going around town, blasting Mariah Carey at full volume… and no one can move an inch in Kensington Gardens…
It can all only mean one thing…
It’s time for my annual Star Wars talk at the Duke of York’s Picturehouse in Brighton, on 10th December 2017 at 11 a.m.
(Deleted scene from the rare ‘Brighton edit’ of Empire Strikes Back.)
So last year I revealed all about the things that shaped Star Wars, from Dune and Flash Gordon to Kurosawa and obscure Japanese fantasy films.
This year, I’m turning it around and looking at the effect Star Wars actually had on Hollywood and the film industry.
And I found a weird thread that you can start from Star Wars in 1977, then weave through the Disney studio corridors in the late 1980s, get to 1999’s The Matrix, and end up at the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that 22-instalment monster of a franchise.
It’s a fascinating journey that also proves that in the corporate system of Hollywood, people learn the worst lessons. With that in mind, I’m going with the title “How Star Wars Fixed and Broke Hollywood“.
Here’s the poster lovingly created by my wife Livia:
- how Star Wars was a freak accident
- how it half-consciously disrupted Hollywood
- how people took the wrong lessons from the film
- how that resulted in the Hollywood of today
- and how that leaves today’s Star Wars creators to try and fix the system
As you know, I keep things light & non-academic, and you don’t need to be a superfan to follow along either. Even if you just have a vague idea of the 1977’s Star Wars and 1980’s Empire Strikes Back, you’re good to go. (I have put in one joke about the Star Wars Christmas Special for those poor souls who’ve seen that mess.)
So it’s Sunday, 10th of December, at 11 a.m., at the Duke of York’s Picturehouse in Brighton. Talk lasts an hour and there’s a Q&A and chat afterwards in the upstairs bar. Tickets only £5. You can book online or just show up at the door. 🙂
Hope to see you there, otherwise, have a Happy Christmas!
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