How Star Wars Changed the World

[theGreatSot[501st]]

Check out this chart, or if it doesn't display properly, go to: this site.

 

This was originally published in Wired.

[ThayNerd[TK]]

That pretty sweet! Thanks for sharing.

[TK8776 jgarrettg]

Yeah, thanks for sharing. That is pretty cool.

[Gypsyboy]

That's interesting... but, I think some of the connections are a bit forced, or maybe not entirely represented as they should be. Just as a for-instance, Tom Hanks did not become known as an actor only after Forrest Gump. He was already quite well known from before that... from a number of movies, actually. And, who is to say that Dykstra wouldn't have started his company regardless of whether there was a Star Wars in his CV? Speilburg would have done his own thing regardless of the influence of SW, and he would have undoubtedly been every bit as successful. There might not have been a Raiders of the Lost Ark, but hey. Don't get me wrong, I too feel that SW had a great impact on the history of movies, games and entertainment technology, but I just don't think this chart really paints an accurate picture.

[Murray1134[501st]]

Raiders did rejuvenate Spielberg's career. He had several missteps after Jaws and Close Encounters. 1941 anyone?

 

Yeah, some of the connections are a little sketchy, but it's a fun picture anyways.

[Gypsyboy]

I gotta admit, 1941 was possibly one of the least memorable movies ever made. On the other hand, Jaws was prior to SW, and Close Encounters was released the same year, so regardless of the success of SW, Speilberg had already made a significant mark. Who's to say what he might have done after that if Raiders had not come along? Besides, some of the "important events" highlighted in that chart are subjective... I won't point out which ones, but I am a bit hesitant to accept some of the stuff on there as particularly significant, or worthy of mention. Nor do I see a lot of it as being as directly linear as the chart implies.

 

But, I'm a bit of a doubting thomas anyway.