George Lucas shuts down Star Wars Marathon

George Lucas shuts down Star Wars Marathon

A special fan screening of all the "Star Wars" films which was to be held in New York was canceled after creator George Lucas threatened legal action over the event.

News
By redsoxdude - Jul 08, 2011 10:07 AM EST
Filed Under: Star Wars

Found this article on MSN. What is your guys thoughts on it?


A special fan screening of all the "Star Wars" films which was to be held in New York was canceled after creator George Lucas threatened legal action over the event.


A group of sci-fi devotees had organized a 13-hour "Star Wars" movie marathon for 200 fans in a bar in Brooklyn last Sunday, but the screening was called off after organizers received a cease-and-desist letter from Lucas' lawyers. The letter cited copyright infringements and added that there was a moratorium on public "Star Wars" screenings.

Organizer Mike DeVito tells the New York Post, "I've seen the Star Wars movies about 150 times but never in one long run together, and I thought it would be great to put something like this together for like-minded people. ... What bothers me most is that they waited until the last minute to notify us, so we couldn't get a chance to try working something out. ... It wasn't as if we were making money off it."

DeVito added that Lucas "has crossed over" and now gives Darth Vader "a run for his money." Lucasfilm did not reply to the New York Post's requests for comment.

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PaulRom
PaulRom - 7/8/2011, 10:52 AM
that sucks.
StrangerX
StrangerX - 7/8/2011, 10:54 AM
The only thing Lucas really has is Star Wars.

He thinks he's Speilberg but he aint.

JamesHowlett
JamesHowlett - 7/8/2011, 10:56 AM
Whether he legally has the right to do it or not doesn't matter. If a bunch of people who are fans of your movies are getting together to watch them because they *surprise, surprise* LIKE THEM?! Wtf is the big deal. Lucas is a douche.
RunDTC
RunDTC - 7/8/2011, 10:59 AM
I'm actually torn on this.
redsoxdude
redsoxdude - 7/8/2011, 11:01 AM
It's not like Spike TV isn't going to run a marathon anyway. I didn't see any harm in people watching...we've all seen them.
But I guess your right Xenix.
megabatfan
megabatfan - 7/8/2011, 11:07 AM
I don't understand the legality of it. Cause it wasn't even being done for profit, so can sm1 please enlighten me?
This has cost Lucas sm points in my eyes & I'm a HUGE Stare Wars fan...Yup, I even liked the prequel trilogy. That's how much
kingmonkeyman
kingmonkeyman - 7/8/2011, 11:08 AM
I am surprised Lucas doesn't hand out cease and desist orders at the Comic-Cons to fanboys dressed as Jedi and Stormtroopers for copyright infringement. George Lucas is mean, greedy, and uses too much hairspray.
redsoxdude
redsoxdude - 7/8/2011, 11:23 AM
@ Megabatfan. Sorry i cant, i don't really know all the laws for it. But i agree with the loss of cool points towards Lucas.

@kingmonkeyman. lmao. He has had the same hairdo forever.
Tevii
Tevii - 7/8/2011, 11:34 AM
George Lucas is in the right entirely. Any public viewing like that legally requires permission.
They have no idea his current plans with the Star Wars series and a public viewing may or may not endanger that. The planners shouldve planned better and gotten permission first.
ComicsCommando
ComicsCommando - 7/8/2011, 11:37 AM
He should have allowed them to do it.
niknik
niknik - 7/8/2011, 11:42 AM
While the organizers share some blame here as they should have gotten permission first (or at least attempted to) Lucas could have been the "bigger man" and been gracious seeing as it was not for profit but rather for FANS of his films. All it would have taken was one 30 second phone call to his lawyers and he would have come out smelling like roses instead of dog$hit.

I concur. Douche.
StrangerX
StrangerX - 7/8/2011, 11:53 AM
This is how I prefer Lucas
George Lucas carbonite Pictures, Images and Photos
redsoxdude
redsoxdude - 7/8/2011, 12:00 PM
^^ Awesome :)
Deadshot
Deadshot - 7/8/2011, 12:07 PM
Its probably for the best anyway, the first 6 hours of this event would have been hell.
luckylu
luckylu - 7/8/2011, 12:33 PM
lucas is a bitch. this just made me lose more respect for him.
nickfury
nickfury - 7/8/2011, 4:41 PM
if they own the movies they can play them. the bar just can't charge admission to the event. bs mister lucas. bad form!
megabatfan
megabatfan - 7/8/2011, 7:06 PM
^^^ Remake Star Wars? ...
BLASPHEMY!!!
BeeMo
BeeMo - 7/8/2011, 8:34 PM
Its situations like this that makes me believe in that old William Shakespeare line of "Kill all the lawyers". This is yet another example of bigshot, bigwig media barons taking advantage of their property and of their fans.
The one thing that is REALLY sad in all of this is that We, the people, forget how much power we DO have over bloodsuckers like George Lucas, the RIAA, and etc.
DON'T buy their movies.
DON'T see their films.
DON'T buy their music.
Hit them where it hurts the most, their wallet.
It should be an honor and a priviledge to have scores of people love your work to such an extent, that it becomes a part of their lives.

You don't callously throw them to the wind because they aren't filling your already overflowing coffers, trying to enjoy your work.
Its a shame that us fans and the rest of the populace don't take a stand to show these moguls that it is US who have made them great, not the stars!

I, for one, refuse to honor George Lucas with any viewing of his creations again. Such a man doesn't deserve such fandom.
BatmanIsBaddest
BatmanIsBaddest - 7/9/2011, 1:32 AM
This is what you're starting to sound like, George...

redsoxdude
redsoxdude - 7/9/2011, 7:07 PM
Thanks Xenix. I guess i understand that. I just figured maybe one of these guys owned all the movies. Figured if you bought the DVD's or Blueray you could do what you want with them. Oh well i'll still love Star Wars.
preacher
preacher - 7/9/2011, 9:45 PM
@redsoxdude-you can. You are absolutely in your right to show your movies to anyone..provided you're not making a profit off of it. What's the difference..besides the amount of people...between that and having twenty of your friends over to your house to watch them? The law cannot stop you from doing that. Unless, in a way, he IS making a profit by making money from the beer he is selling while the marathon is going on. Using the marathon as a way to sell more booze. If that's the case, then yeah, it's against the law.
JediMastr02
JediMastr02 - 7/10/2011, 7:01 AM
At first, I thought Lucas was a douche for stopping it, but after some thinking I realized that someone IS making a profit off his movies. The movies are bringing in 200 customers to that bar. The organizer may not be making money off the screening, but the bar definitely is. Lucas has every right to stop it in my opinion.
eleven59
eleven59 - 7/10/2011, 12:27 PM
How do they know 200 people don't regularly attend that bar!!

The irony is if not for fans like these when these movies first came out, mr Lucas would be living in a diff skywalker ranch- the cardboard box in an ally between some buildings
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