In that case, I must say that I feel sorry for the children, as when considered objectively in terms of storytelling, The Phantom Menace is vastly inferior to A New Hope. The universe you speak of has no clear-cut dramatic form in the later film, simply a world which I can certainly commend him for creating. A fine car without an engine, going in circles in attempt to cover the groundwork laid down two decades prior. I find it hard to imagine TPM as an great individual film as ANH, even if it should be - not least because we are to bear witness to the opening of a rather grand and ambitious saga.

Moreover, the argument on toys as part of the decision-making in the creative process is a dangerous one. While undeniable, it could be said that Batman & Robin was built upon the same aspect. Happy Meals and action figures. While children often enjoy films with lesser dramatic surge than adults, the magic of the original trilogy (or at least the first two films) was that they appealed to all age groups. Why? Because there was a good story behind it, based on the source materials mentioned. When such an element is lacking, we end up with a dodgy recreation of the cinematic Michael Jackson's Neverland.

I cannot decipher Lucas' message anymore, and remain rather cautious regarding his intentions. This is because I acknowledge the influence he has over a great many viewers and when he starts investing too much attention to matters beyond the basic narrative, it gets unsettling. Should children on a by far and large embrace his cinematic vision, the problem which'd arise is that they'd be accustomed into a noticeably different narrative tradition than that of the original trilogy. The original films were highly influential to a whole generation of moviegoers, giving them their initial homework on text-book dramaturgy as films like Seven Samurai and The Magnificient Seven had done before.

That is my main concern regarding the new trilogy. At worst, it'll set up a pretext to the cinematic language of the next generation, which will be one diminished when regarded next to the original films. Should the film as an artwork be considered a short run for the toys and various accessories, I begin to feel very unconfortamble with the direction things are heading. The Matrix sequels tried that, tying up the video game and the animations into the plotline, which didn't gain an all-out favorable response.

While this may be the future of entertainment, I fear it downplays the value of cinema. I do admit such an approach would fit in to Lucas' apparent desire to create an all-encompassing SW universe [for a pioneer in cross-medium works, see Peter Greenaway's Tulsa Luper Suitcase], but should it would be used as an excuse to discard dramaturgical backlashes and plot holes, the impression gotten is that the artist doesn't have as much respect towards his audience as he once did.

Moreover, the minute you begin to reach out to the children via any method additional to the silver screen, you find your hand reaching for the daddys wallet - no matter what your intentions are. Obviously, this allows a very nasty economical flavor spill over to the original artwork itself, as mass appeal via children is an excellent way to neuter any project from potentially harmful elements. Greedo pulling a gun on Han Solo springs to mind.

I'm not altogether sure whether we're debating on the exact same issue here, but I hope this'll help you understand where I'm coming from with my concerns over Lucas' more recent body of work.

As far as Geffen is concerned, CD sold 1,3 million copies in the US. Money in the bank.

The album's selling as well as it does due to the name. One'd think at least Best Buy would be interested in promotion, which makes their lackluster approach rather interesting to say the least.

Anybody noticed GNR were planning to return to China this year?

GN'R promoters in China dropped plans for two shows this year, says Ms. Lebeis. - Wall Street Journal

In order to gain better understanding of the situation, I thought I'd post an article speculating on the would-be sales of CD.

"Will anyone be buying albums by the time GN'R releases CD?
Chicago Tribune
June 9,  2008

Elvis Costello and the Imposters recorded and mixed an album, "Momofuku," in a week earlier this year and released it on vinyl (old school!) in April and on CD in early May.

Guns N' Roses, despite Dr. Pepper's best efforts, still hasn't released its 14-years-in-the-making "Chinese Democracy." I love how Amazon.com has added this listing with the note: "Sign up to be notified when this item becomes available."

Here's something for GN'R frontman Axl Rose to keep in mind: The longer he waits, the fewer copies he's likely to sell.

Let's look at Soundscan figures of some recent releases of veteran acts:

Madonna: Her new "Hard Candy" has sold 374,000 copies over its first two weeks. "Confessions on a Dance Floor" (2005) sold 560,000 copies over its first two weeks on the way to 1.7 million total.

Bruce Springsteen: Last fall's "Magic" has sold 1 million copies (CDs plus downloads). "The Rising" (2002) sold 2.1 million.

The B-52's: The surprisingly spritely "Funplex"has sold 76,000 copies in its first seven weeks out, compared to 134,000 over that same time frame for their last album, "Good Stuff" (1992, and that one lacked singer Cindy Wilson).

The Eagles: "Long Road Out of Eden,"the band's first studio album in 28 years, was 2007's third biggest seller thanks in large part to the exclusive Wal-Mart push. Still, its 3 million copies sold falls well short of its '70s megasellers "Hotel California" (more than 16 million in pre-SoundScan numbers) and "The Long Run" (more than 7 million).

Sheryl Crow: Her well-reviewed "Detours" has sold 315,000 copies since its Feb. 5 release. Her more downbeat "Wildflower" (2005) sold 954,000 over the same period.

R.E.M.: Their return to actual rock and their best reviews since the mid-â 90s--"already have propelled "Accelerate" past 2004's leaden "Around the Sun," which sold a total of 234,000 copies. Although "Accelerate" has moved 242,000 copies in its first six weeks out, it's still lagging behind 2001's unenthusiastically received "Reveal," which sold 289,000 over the same period on the way to a disappointing total of 416,000.

Elvis Costello: "Momofuku" has sold fewer combined LP/CD/digital copies so far than "The Delivery Man" did in its first week out in 2004--and hardly anyone bought the underappreciated "The Delivery Man."

What's the problem here? Is it primarily...

a. Illegal downloading is killing music sales.
b. These acts' fans buy less music as they've gotten older.
c. These acts have produced so much music already that no one feels the need for much more.
d. Their music used to be undeniable. Now it isn't.

Do tell."

Source: Chicago Tribune

CD sold a total of 318,000 copies during its initial two-week run in the US, which is Madonna territory.