jedioffsidetrap’s Reviews > The World According to Star Wars > Status Update
jedioffsidetrap
is on page 2 of 223
Harrison Ford: “There was a giant guy walking around in a dog suit—it was ridiculous.”
A New Hope was expected by studio to be a huge flop, actors agreed— no one predicted its commercial & critical success
There was some kind of cultural resonance that led to its success, but such success for a film is hard to predict: could be luck, or timing, social resonance
— Feb 14, 2026 12:33PM
A New Hope was expected by studio to be a huge flop, actors agreed— no one predicted its commercial & critical success
There was some kind of cultural resonance that led to its success, but such success for a film is hard to predict: could be luck, or timing, social resonance
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jedioffsidetrap’s Previous Updates
jedioffsidetrap
is on page 7 of 223
Relates Jedi mind tricks to psych: how info is presented influences how it’s received; magicians use misdirection & our innate limited attention to deceive; also the “invisible gorilla” experiment— it was there but subjects were primed to not even see it
— 23 hours, 32 min ago
jedioffsidetrap
is on page 6 of 223
Must understand Lucas never looked b/y first movie— destined to be flop it seemed— but had lots of material
Joseph Campbell was Lucas’ Yoda
L interested in religion, studied anthropology(?)— drew from many sources/traditions— mono-myth; he self-consciously set out to capture mythical motifs in New Hope
Much talk of Destiny throughout all movies but insists on freedom of choice
— 23 hours, 36 min ago
Joseph Campbell was Lucas’ Yoda
L interested in religion, studied anthropology(?)— drew from many sources/traditions— mono-myth; he self-consciously set out to capture mythical motifs in New Hope
Much talk of Destiny throughout all movies but insists on freedom of choice
jedioffsidetrap
is on page 5 of 223
Echo chambers lead to more extreme views, can lead to an Empire or a Rebellion too
The cascade effect is powerful in politics, rebellions & cultural impact like Star Wars — key is to spark favorable cascades
Author makes a point about all the movies & law: both begin with a foundational text (New Hope & constitution) & what follows must relate back to it (sequels & case law)
— 23 hours, 46 min ago
The cascade effect is powerful in politics, rebellions & cultural impact like Star Wars — key is to spark favorable cascades
Author makes a point about all the movies & law: both begin with a foundational text (New Hope & constitution) & what follows must relate back to it (sequels & case law)
jedioffsidetrap
is on page 4 of 223
Lucas was making a point about freedom of personal choice in New Hope, but destiny & prophecy comes up often too
The force heavily influenced by Buddhism
In prequels Lucas explored how democracy turns to autocracy
What is the threshold for rebellion— need to reach social cascade where idea is exponentially accepted (like pop of Star Wars turned into mega phenomenon)
— 23 hours, 52 min ago
The force heavily influenced by Buddhism
In prequels Lucas explored how democracy turns to autocracy
What is the threshold for rebellion— need to reach social cascade where idea is exponentially accepted (like pop of Star Wars turned into mega phenomenon)
jedioffsidetrap
is on page 3 of 223
Author leans toward luck but there has to be some level of quality
Initial reviews of New Hope were positive; Spielberg said it was the greatest movie ever made
Won 7 Oscars out of 10 nominations
— 23 hours, 58 min ago
Initial reviews of New Hope were positive; Spielberg said it was the greatest movie ever made
Won 7 Oscars out of 10 nominations
jedioffsidetrap
is starting
Lawrence Kasdan wanted to kill off Luke in Return but Lucas said no
Phantom Menace is better than you think, says author— no, no it’s not.
20th C Fox stock went from $6/share to $27 after Star Wars
— Feb 09, 2026 01:24PM
Phantom Menace is better than you think, says author— no, no it’s not.
20th C Fox stock went from $6/share to $27 after Star Wars
