What do you think of the level of hype surrounding the Star Wars movies?

I enjoy the movies, I am looking forward to Episodes 2 and 3. But the hype has GOT to go!

Right now, there's not much hype, but it'll happen. Once they actually announce Anakin and start filming, it'll kick in again.

And you know what the problem is? Not Lucasfilm; the entertainment media. They let LFL push their buttons, and create most of the hype themselves. I mean, last summer I was down at the Tower Records in Boston to pick up the Episode I soundtrack, and there was a TV crew there. Filming people buying an album. For the news. Not enough car crashes that day, I guess. It's a shame, really -- the media's fawning over, then slapping down of, TPM last year almost took all the joy out of Star Wars for me.

It's all just part of the parasitic nature of entertainment "journalism" today: put something up on a pedestal, then tear it down. It'll happen again with Episode II -- and, for that matter, with Lord of the Rings. Just wait.

None of these answers works for me. My opinion is this: I'm not really interested in all the hype (even though I like the movies) but it doesn't bother me. If there is a market for all that junk, manufacturers and retailers have every right to keep on pushing it.

I was thinking more of all the Star Wars junk you see in stores, but as far as actual publicity, I don't care about that one way or the other, either. I have no trouble ignoring it if it gets to be too much.

hype is useless and evil...it fuels consumerism and leads us away from our true path....

which is

uh...

um....

buying stuff?

Too much. They're fun as a cultural phenomenon, but they're not very good movies. If there had been no Star Wars movies previously, I'm convinced that The Phantom Menace would have been laughed out of the theaters as the Battlefield Earth of 1999. A truly awful movie.

ilj: while phantom menace wasn't great, battlefield earth is nothing but a vehicle by travolta to honour his fudgeed up religious beliefs by honouring l ron hubbard. travolta is a goober.

Have you read the book, Joe? I liked it. The movie was pretty lame, though (for us book readers) it started off on the right foot. It just got boring in the middle.

needles: yah, the book was dandy space opera. i'm purely commenting on the movie.

The question wasn't whether or not you cared about the hype, just whether or not you thought there was too much hype. There's a difference.

I've read most of the Star Wars books, including the new movie book. I liked it.

As with some other movie hypes, I get so sick of it I don't even want to see the movie. That is how this one affects me.

I hate Star Wars.

Your loss...

Actually I meant Battlefield Earth. Is your name Joe too?

Yes. I haven't seen Battlefield Earth yet. I bought the novel, used, and never read it, and I may eventually see the movie if I have nothing better to do. I guess I could always clean my oven...

Yes, my name is Joe.

Well nice to meet you Joe. If you have some spare time I would recommend reading the novel - it's a pretty quick read despite its size and I don't personally believe it'll turn you into a scientologist. As far as the movie is concerned... you'd probably be better off sticking your head in your oven than seeing it.