Solothores
05-01-2005, 08:05 AM
Interesting read.
Please consider a link to my new Wired magazine cover story on George Lucas:
Life After Darth
Click here for Report (http://wired-vig.wired.com/wired/archive/13.05/lucas.html)
Please take note:
1) I had lots of access to Lucas and other folks (like Peter Jackson), but this is *not* the typical Lucas story. The article focuses on a previously unknown part of Lucas' life that played a crucial role in his decision to become a filmmaker. Lucas has always claimed that he was "not interested in movies" before he went to film school, but that's not true. In fact, he fell in love with filmmaking by sneaking off to see the edgiest first-wave independent cinema in San Francisco while he was still in highschool. Then once he got to USC, he became obsessed with a bunch of experimental shorts and documentaries produced by the National Film Board of Canada. It turns out that it was the films of great obscure weird pioneers like Stan Brakhage, Jordan Belson, and Arthur Lipsett (as well as Kurosawa and Godard) that inspired him to start making films -- not Flash Gordon serials, as has been universally reported.
2) I also discovered the source of the phrase "the Force"! Obviously, the idea of the Force comes from Buddhism, Joseph Campbell, etc. but until now, no one knew where he got the phrase.
3) My article offers a glimpse of Lucas without his usual stonewall of safe PR-vetted statements around him. Director Peter Jackson also says some wonderful things about how seeing Star Wars as a teenager inspired him, and critic Roger Ebert gives me his wish-list of future Lucas projects.
Also note: Along with the main article is a exceptionally frank online-only question-and-answer session with Lucas in which he talks about his feelings about the response to the new trilogy, Fahrenheit 9/11, and other matters of interest. It is very unusual to get him off his Star Wars talking points and address current events, particularly other people's films!
Thank you so much, guys. Keep up the great work.
Steve
Please consider a link to my new Wired magazine cover story on George Lucas:
Life After Darth
Click here for Report (http://wired-vig.wired.com/wired/archive/13.05/lucas.html)
Please take note:
1) I had lots of access to Lucas and other folks (like Peter Jackson), but this is *not* the typical Lucas story. The article focuses on a previously unknown part of Lucas' life that played a crucial role in his decision to become a filmmaker. Lucas has always claimed that he was "not interested in movies" before he went to film school, but that's not true. In fact, he fell in love with filmmaking by sneaking off to see the edgiest first-wave independent cinema in San Francisco while he was still in highschool. Then once he got to USC, he became obsessed with a bunch of experimental shorts and documentaries produced by the National Film Board of Canada. It turns out that it was the films of great obscure weird pioneers like Stan Brakhage, Jordan Belson, and Arthur Lipsett (as well as Kurosawa and Godard) that inspired him to start making films -- not Flash Gordon serials, as has been universally reported.
2) I also discovered the source of the phrase "the Force"! Obviously, the idea of the Force comes from Buddhism, Joseph Campbell, etc. but until now, no one knew where he got the phrase.
3) My article offers a glimpse of Lucas without his usual stonewall of safe PR-vetted statements around him. Director Peter Jackson also says some wonderful things about how seeing Star Wars as a teenager inspired him, and critic Roger Ebert gives me his wish-list of future Lucas projects.
Also note: Along with the main article is a exceptionally frank online-only question-and-answer session with Lucas in which he talks about his feelings about the response to the new trilogy, Fahrenheit 9/11, and other matters of interest. It is very unusual to get him off his Star Wars talking points and address current events, particularly other people's films!
Thank you so much, guys. Keep up the great work.
Steve