Robert Muratore Movies

You'd be hard-pressed to find a filmmaker as loved and as hated as George Lucas. As the creator of the Star Wars franchise, Lucas created three of the most popular and profitable films of all time and a generation of film buffs grew up on his sweeping tales of sci-fi adventure. However, when Lucas re-edited Stars Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi and added new special effects for a 1997 re-release program, many fans were outraged, especially when Lucas announced that the original versions would be withdrawn from circulation. And his once-loyal followers weren't any happier when Lucas returned to directing after a twenty-two year layoff with the first Star Wars prequel, Star Wars: Episode One -- The Phantom Menace; the film severely disappointed many Star Wars enthusiasts, and the two films that followed fared only slightly better with audiences despite their box office success. Filmmaker Alexandre O. Philippe takes a long look at the world of Star Wars fandom and the quixotic relationship of George Lucas and his admirers/detractors (who are sometimes one in the same) in The People vs. George Lucas, in which filmmakers, critics, musicians, comedians and fanboys share their vehemently held opinions about Lucas, his body of work and his attitude about the fantasy world he created. The People vs. George Lucas was an official selection at the 2010 South by Southwest Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

This is an amiable little parody from director Trey Parker, best known as co-creator of the cult TV series South Park. Set in 1873, the film deals with Alfred Packer (Juan Schwartz, aka Trey Parker), who is accused of cannibalizing members of his six-man party on a trip West. There are comic songs, Japanese people pretending to be Indians, and a cyclops whose eye spurts pus. The film's highlight may be Alfred's saloon kung fu fight with a cocky fur trapper named Frenchy over his beloved horse Liane. Cannibal! is surprisingly light on gore for a Troma Team release (save for the prologue and finale), concentrating instead on goofy sight gags, sex jokes, and silly songs like "Shpadoinkle" and "Hang the Bastard." The cinematography is attractive, evoking all those frontier musicals of yore, and the overall quality is good, if obviously low budget. This film also features a cameo by underground film maven Stan Brakhage as the father of one of the pioneers. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi