Joss Whedon says the ending to The Empire Strikes Back was a "terrible idea"

[Brian in Mesa]

Joss Whedon says the ending to The Empire Strikes Back was a "terrible idea"

http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/jos...back-was-a-terrible-idea#sthash.xsOJqOQI.dpuf

In the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly, Whedon was asked questions ranging from Buffy to The Avengers and Star Wars, but it was his strong comments about the ending of The Empire Strikes Back that caught me off guard. Whedon calls the ending "appalling" and a "terrible idea". Why does the filmmaker feel so strongly?

“Well, it’s not an ending,” Whedon explained about the 1980 film, which had a cliffhanger leading into the next entry of the series, Return of the Jedi. “It’s a Come Back Next Week, or in three years. And that upsets me. I go to movies expecting to have a whole experience. If I want a movie that doesn’t end I’ll go to a French movie. That’s a betrayal of trust to me. A movie has to be complete within itself, it can’t just build off the first one or play variations.”

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Man, he just doesn't get it.

The way Empire ended was perfect because it didn't wrap everything up with a pretty bow on it.

"A movie has to be complete within itself" ?? Since when?

It was part of a known trilogy. It was also heavily influenced by the Flash Gordon movie serials that George Lucas grew up watching.

 

[Cardinals.Ken]

Joss Whedon says the ending to The Empire Strikes Back was a "terrible idea"

http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/jos...back-was-a-terrible-idea#sthash.xsOJqOQI.dpuf

In the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly, Whedon was asked questions ranging from Buffy to The Avengers and Star Wars, but it was his strong comments about the ending of The Empire Strikes Back that caught me off guard. Whedon calls the ending "appalling" and a "terrible idea". Why does the filmmaker feel so strongly?

“Well, it’s not an ending,” Whedon explained about the 1980 film, which had a cliffhanger leading into the next entry of the series, Return of the Jedi. “It’s a Come Back Next Week, or in three years. And that upsets me. I go to movies expecting to have a whole experience. If I want a movie that doesn’t end I’ll go to a French movie. That’s a betrayal of trust to me. A movie has to be complete within itself, it can’t just build off the first one or play variations.”

-------------------------------------------------------

Man, he just doesn't get it.

The way Empire ended was perfect because it didn't wrap everything up with a pretty bow on it.

"A movie has to be complete within itself" ?? Since when?

It was part of a known trilogy. It was also heavily influenced by the Flash Gordon movie serials that George Lucas grew up watching.

Whoa, easy there tiger...Star Wars is just...THE MOST AWESOME THING EVER!

I can see Joss' point. Movies should typically follow the tenet that it has a beginning, middle, and an end. Some films break the mold. In this case, it works IMHO.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Whoa, easy there tiger...Star Wars is just...THE MOST AWESOME THING EVER!

I can see Joss' point. Movies should typically follow the tenet that it has a beginning, middle, and an end. Some films break the mold. In this case, it works IMHO.

Shouldn't that be: Beginning, middle, end, and a couple of scenes after the credits...

 

[Cardinals.Ken]

Shouldn't that be: Beginning, middle, end, and a couple of scenes after the credits...

Dude, this isn't Marvel...its real life!

 

[Stout]

It's normally IJWT--In Joss We Trust--but not on this one. You are wrong, Mr. Whedon.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I'm going to side with Whedon on this. You expect a movie to be a completely finished project, one that stands fully on it's own (especially back then). Yes, they used to make cliffhangers and show them in theaters but they were clearly labelled as serials. I don't find it as big of a deal as Joss apparently did but it did bother me at the time. And maybe most people knew it was a trilogy from the get-go but I certainly didn't nor did anyone else in my circle of friends. I thought it was going to go on forever.

Steve

 

[PDXChris]

He must have hated the Back to the Future trilogy even more.

 

[Mulli]

Joss Whedon was a terrible idea.

 

[Chaplin]

I'm going to side with Whedon on this. You expect a movie to be a completely finished project, one that stands fully on it's own (especially back then). Yes, they used to make cliffhangers and show them in theaters but they were clearly labelled as serials. I don't find it as big of a deal as Joss apparently did but it did bother me at the time. And maybe most people knew it was a trilogy from the get-go but I certainly didn't nor did anyone else in my circle of friends. I thought it was going to go on forever.

Steve

That's because back in your day, trilogies didn't exist. There were no sequels to Gone with the Wind and Casablanca.

 

[AzStevenCal]

That's because back in your day, trilogies didn't exist. There were no sequels to Gone with the Wind and Casablanca.

Ha. But that's because they knew how to make movies back then. Could you imagine if they showed Ilsa looking out of the plane window only to see Renault encasing Rick in Carbonite?

Steve

 

[crisper57]

I love Star Wars more than any other movie/trilogy, but I see his point. I didn't get to watch Empire in theaters, so I didn't have to wait 3 years to see the next installment. I could just pop in the next VHS and watch Jedi anytime I wanted.

It would have been painful to wait three years to see how the story ended.

(One the whole story was finished, the Empire ending retroactively worked out just fine)

 

[Mulli]

Screw you, Joss. Your first name was a bad idea by your parents, and I have never seen anything you have done, but I have seen Empire too many times to count, never not once minding the ending.

 

[crisper57]

Screw you, Joss. Your first name was a bad idea by your parents, and I have never seen anything you have done, but I have seen Empire too many times to count, never not once minding the ending.

You are missing out.

 

[Mulli]

You are missing out.

I checked the list a few times, and I doubt it. Looks like more battlestar galactica and teen vampire garbage.

 

[jf-08]

The ending of RoTJ was a terrible idea. Ewok party -

 

[Mulli]

The ending of RoTJ was a terrible idea. Ewok party -

Ya, maybe Joss had the movies mixed up do to the whole prequel New Hope is the 4th episode or 3rd or whatever thing.

 

[crisper57]

I checked the list a few times, and I doubt it. Looks like more battlestar galactica and teen vampire garbage.

If you still think Han shot first, I believe you'd like Serenity/Firefly.

 

[Mulli]

If you still think Han shot first, I believe you'd like Serenity/Firefly.

I am 42 years old, so I don't think I would. I rarely like any tv shows, especially if people on here like them.

 

[BigRedRage]

I understand his premise but I dont agree. You can end that story but most movies do dangle a carrot at the end and if the movie is awesome you leave wondering what will happen next for the rest of the day and eagerly wait the sequel.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I am 42 years old, so I don't think I would. I rarely like any tv shows, especially if people on here like them.

I'm not sure you'd like anything by Whedon either although it has nothing to do with your thinly veiled insult. Firefly is a great show and you certainly don't have to be a teenybopper to appreciate Whedon. But some people like chocolate and some don't.

Steve

 

[Mulli]

I'm not sure you'd like anything by Whedon either although it has nothing to do with your thinly veiled insult. Firefly is a great show and you certainly don't have to be a teenybopper to appreciate Whedon. But some people like chocolate and some don't.

Steve

Millions watch Honey Boo Boo. Hey-0!

 

[crisper57]

Millions watch Honey Boo Boo. Hey-0!

There probably isn't much crossover between those idiots and Whedon fans.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Millions watch Honey Boo Boo. Hey-0!

Yeah, that's a mystery beyond my ken. All I know from HBB is the commercials and even those were enough to make me fear for the future of humanity. But, trust me, if Whedon were writing that show Honey Boo Boo would be stepped on by a giant Winnie The Pooh monster in search of honey. Of course it wouldn't happen until after she loudly proclaimed herself the master of all.

Steve

 

[Covert Rain]

The dude is one of the best writers on the planet IMO. However, that doesn't mean all his opinions are right. Don't agree with him as I remember that year I went to a summer camp and that was all EVERYBODY talked about (cliff hanger to ESB). Everybody endlessly debated if Vader was telling the truth..etc.

Plus, Whedon's recent tweet said that Affleck'll will "crush it" as Batman. Writing and opinions are two different things.

 

[Bada0Bing]

Screw you, Joss. Your first name was a bad idea by your parents, and I have never seen anything you have done, but I have seen Empire too many times to count, never not once minding the ending.

Here here! I waited 32 years to sit down and watch the follow-up to Empire Strikes Back. I thought the ending was brilliant.