LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Film company Imax Corp. and director George Lucas unveiled a deal on Monday to show blockbuster "Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones" in Imax theaters, boosting Imax's push to show Hollywood films on its giant screens that can rise eight stories high. Mon Sept 9th, 2002
What's this? George Lucas is going to be transferring Star Wars episode 2 to Imax format? The Imax FILM format? Could it be that Lucas is coming back to the fold? No, I don't think so. I feel this is just another way for him to make a buck and if that way happens to be in a film format, I'm sure Lucas can live with it.
Now, people might wonder if I have a beef with Lucas, why do I ride the digital thing so hard. Well a few reasons. I love the film format, that is the biggest reason. Why bust on George so much? Here is a format (Film) that has been so good to him, made him a millionaire. Companies like Kodak, Panavision and all the other little companies out there making all this wonderful equipment for directors him to bring their vision to life. What does George do? As soon as something cooler (digital, HD) comes into town, he is ready to throw film away and start fresh. What kind of loyalty is this to companies and people who have been so good to him? Yes, times change and tech marches on. Digital will get there I'm sure but the way he shoved film aside, like a husband dumping the old wife, for the new trophy wife. It's shameful.
So SW2 will have to be converted from HD to Imax. I can't really imagine how nasty it will look blown up to that size. I believe they will have to do some digital magic so it doesn't look like pixel vision. It doesn't really matter anyway; Lucas has shown that he has no qualms about going back in and changing things. Maybe this time around he can digitally fix the acting and the dialog. Maybe he can make it feel less like a computer game and more like a movie. I'm shocked that Lucas didn't ask DPL to try and build him an Imax projector so the integrity of his film could be upheld. Well, I guess we will have to wait for digital Imax, sorry George.
