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...Science fiction is enjoying something of a renaissance in recent years. Following in the footsteps of Star Wars and Star Trek are series and films such as Babylon 5, a remake of Lost in Space, Wing Commander, and numerous others. All have sought to profit from the lucrative sci-fi craze, but in the end, only the two original combatants deserve our attention...
Lucas had little going for him. When he started looking for a studio to back his Star Wars project, he was a fledgling director with only two other movies under his belt--a dismal and poorly received artsy sci-fi film called THX 1138 and American Graffiti, a well-made but less than awe-inspiring look at teenage life. Plus, the cast he was assembling for his latest project was made up largely of actors (mostly from TV) who had yet to make it big. And many more who never would. And then there was the story--a heroic epic...
...math on this one: Will Smith + Barry Sonnenfeld + special effects-laden summer event film = blockbuster. The combination of Smith and Sonnenfeld worked box office magic the last time around when the two collaborated on Men in Black. Smith seems to have cornered the market on huge, big budget summer sci-fi flicks, with his back to back summer money makers Men in Black and Independence Day (we'll forgive him for the latter). Advance looks at the production indicate that the special effects are incredible, and the interaction between Smith and Kline (both known for their own brands of humor...
What to Look For Michael Crichton fever at its most expensive--the film cost well over $100 million. Antonio Banderas stars as an emissary kidnapped by warriors. Banderas soon joins the tribe in their battle against these strange mysterious creatures (sci-fi anyone?) that consume everything in their paths. The still aristocratic Omar Sharif (of Funny Girl fame) also stars. Release has been delayed several months because of flaws in production. It's also been rumored that the original director John McTiernan was let go in the middle of filming with Dr. Crichton himself taking over directorial duties. The Buzz...
...hear the occasional renegade whisper below his palace balcony. "Critics say the problem with George and Steven [Spielberg] is that they've created these well-made megamovies that are basically B movies," Lucas observes. "Jaws, they say, was just a big horror movie. Star Wars is just a big sci-fi film. That our films are not like The Exorcist, The Godfather and the great films of the '70s. Well, they were B movies too. And Gone With the Wind was just a soap opera." Lucas thinks of himself as a Marin County rebel against the Hollywood empire...