The Empire Strikes Buck

A few years back I got The Making Of Star Wars, an excellent hardcover book that dealt with all aspects of the film, as it starts as merely a notion in George Lucas's mind and goes on to be the biggest hit of all time.  Now I see in bookstores, at a startling $85, The Making Of  Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.  I can't see buying it. Not only is it too expensive (just as the second film cost so much more to make than the first), the story isn't nearly so thrilling.

Sure, it's a fine film, and I'm sure there's a great tale behind its creation.  But it's the first one that has the amazing story.  No one thought that much of Lucas's idea.  Sci-fi films rarely made big money, and he was turned down at first.  He also struggled to get his ungainly concept on paper.  Then he had to recreate the whole idea of special effects, and there were times, especially with his tight budget, that it looked like he'd fail.  Even knowing how it'll end doesn't take away from the excitement and tension as the familiar characters and scenes fall in place.

Empire, on the other hand, was a different deal altogether.  Sure, the spending got out of control, and no one was sure how big a sequel could  be.  They also knew if they failed, that was the end of the franchise.  But you can't go back.  The magic of the first only happens once.  The second one is a case of everyone being very self-aware. The film is going to get made, it'll have a big budget, the cast is all set and there's a built-in audience.

Still, if anyone wants to give me the book as a present, I'd happily accept.