The Bark Side

I hate sounding like a cynic but sometimes I just can't help myself.

The crux of my cynicism is centered on the fact that the extremely private George Lucas, has been featured just about everywhere you go. Could it be that all of the Lucas revelations, coverage and Star Wars teasers are related to the release of his upcoming movie, Red Tails?

The first hint I knew something was up was a while back during the year, when the folks at Volkswagen came out with the wonderful commercial, featuring a young Darth Vader trying to conjure up the powers of the force. In the end, his father gives him a little help. Since then, an extremely in-depth analysis was written in The New York Times Magazine.  This past Friday, he was interviewed by Charlie Rose on CBS This Morning. He will also share his home and thoughts with Oprah on the Oprah Winfrey Network.

Again, what tickles me is how much we get to find out about someone who is notoriously private as Lucas. We learn how much he thinks Hollywood sucks, how tough a time he had financing his new movie about the Tuskegee Airmen, how much he wants to make "artsy" movies, his emergence as a behind the scenes political powerhouse and we even get to learn about his new girlfriend!

Regardless of how the publicity apparatus rolls, George Lucas seems like a good guy, just the same. I also hope that a movie like Red Tails does well and I do plan on seeing it some time in the near future.

Finally, one of the added benefits we get from the Lucas / Star Wars wave of publicity is another great Super Bowl commercial teaser from Volkswagen called the Bark Side! I'll enjoy the commercial even more if the Giants have a rematch with the Patriots....and with the same outcome!

Enjoy and be good!