The God of Flannel ventured down from on high to pay humble respects to an actor receieving the American Cinematheque’s 23rd annual award to Samuel L Jackson.
Coming Soon got a few words with George Lucas about what keeps him busy:
CS: You’re here in L.A. to pay tribute to Samuel L. Jackson. Of all the actors in Hollywood who would’ve killed to lobby you for a part in the “Star Wars” prequels, why was Sam an actor that you felt fit your plans enough to bring into “Star Wars”?
Lucas: To be honest, he’s the only one who asked, actually. He didn’t really lobby for it. He was on a talk show and someone asked him what movie he would’ve liked to be in or that he would like to be in that he hadn’t been in and he said “Star Wars.” So I called him up and said “Is that true? Do you really want to be in ‘Star Wars’?” He said “Yeah – as long as I’m a Jedi,” and I said “Well, I have a little tiny role, but it grows if you’re willing to do the three movies.” He said “I’m in.” It was just like that. He didn’t look at it like “This is a chance to make a whole bunch of money, a chance to do a big thing.” He just did what was asked of him and tried to make it as good as he possibly could.
In the interview they also hit on his hopes to translate the six Star Wars movies into the new hip 3D style, and in true Lucas style he says he will, but they are trying to find a better way to do it.
He also admits to not directing any more features (to a collective sigh of relief from the fandom), his plans to do some independant films (everyone needs a hobby) and his plans for another Indiana Jones movie. Nothing solid yet about what he will be chasing or who would be in the film.
I liked seeing an older Indy still trying to do his old action stuff and falling a little short. It showed character. It is also a testiment that he still could do all those things and survived long enough to even try.
He was still badass at 60, and I would welcome another chapter.
Wait so he’s willing to make the star wars movies into 3D but not into Blu Ray?? that’s gay!
The epic let down that was the last Indy movie should be the last. Plus, Harrison Ford is well into his 60’s, he’s old as dirt by action hero standards.. anyway the last thing the world needs is “Indiana Jones and the Geriatric Journey to the Early Bird Breakfast at Denny’s”
lol
no.
it sucked balls. i remember vividly leaving the theatre and saying to myself “this was BAD” because i simply DID NOT like it, and its okay to have this opinion…because TO ME it sucked. im not “determined to hate it”
and yes, indy did have fake scifi things in the recent movies..liek the voodoo doll thing…but dude….the aliens were SO LAME
and rodney, it wasnt just a fridge thing. it was a fridge being blown up by a NUCLER EXPLOSION
and i see you also ONLY said “swinging on vines” which was convinient for your argument but we all saw the movie and remember the monkeys with shia leboufs hair do
the recent ones also had their superstition, but this one was NOT indy, and yes, it did go over the top.
so everyone above me, if you didnt liek the movie. its FINE. its your opinion and you have your reasons not to like it. and i wholeheartedly agree.
also if you disagree its fine, if you liekd the movie then youre better off then me, i mean at least you dont feel ROBBED, at least you had a good time
but its not fair to say that people who didnt liek it are “determined to hate it before seeing it so they have to stick to their story”
i saw it and did not like it period
We also saw Indy have a chase fight on mining coal cars on tracks that belonged in an amusement park and survive leaping from a plane with a woman and a boy with nothing but an inflatable raft to keep him safe.
But people think a falling fridge or swinging on vines was “over the top”
The movie fit in nicely with all the others. but it seems people were determined to hate it before seeing it so they have to stick to their story.
We saw a trunk open and spirits melting germans and we saw a man pull a beating heart out of someone’s chest while he was still alive…I mean was aliens really that far fetched? I don’t think 4 was as bad as people say it is. I’m not a star wars fan and I’ve never been (even the older ones). I do however think THX-1138 is a great film by him and think he’s capable of doing so much more. I think Lucas is either spent on ideas and he’s a hack now….or he’s afraid to do something different. Don’t start yelling at me for not liking star wars, I understand it’s impact; just never really thought they were good movies personally.
I saw Indy 4 and I like it, but the ending wasn’t the greatest ever concieved. I feel that way, and I’m NOT an Indy fan
today i was donating blood at my school and sinse i have a AB positive blood type and its rare..i did the loong 50 minute plasma donation, and they were playing indy 4 and i told him to just change it because the movie fucking sucked…
the dude put up ironman and everyone was happy
….no way am i sitting still for 50 minutes watching aliens and fridge escapes from nukes and cg monkeys
although kate blanchet is delicious (not as much as gwyneth paltrow though!!!)
Hope this one is good like!!!
I for one am glad lucas is looking for a “better way” to do the 3D Star Wars. I’ve seen a few new 3D movies, most recently Bolt. The technology is great, but I usually walk away thinking I could take or leave 3D as a must have movie experience.
Animated movies look very 3D already, so the step up to real 3D illusion isn’t very dramatic. The novelty usually wears off during the movie.
There seems to be a limit as to how far out of the screen the images can project without drawing the viewer out of the experience. At disneyland I’ve seen some crazy 3D effects but it is usually a lone object on a blank background moving slowly. It seems harder to make fast moving objects on a busy background pop out of the screen. I wonder if they keep the depth very tame to limit confusion/headaches for the viewers.
Also, the fact that the screen has edges that limit the 3D illusion is a barrier as well.
Anyway, I still have high hopes for the tech, can’t wait to see Avatar.
Oh yeah, and keep Ratner, Cohen, McG, and Sommers away from Star Wars. Michael Bay too, You just know he’d try to have Pepsi in the Mos Eisley cantina?
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again…GL should License that money making machine that is Star Wars (a new film every two or three years), allowing Ridley Scott to make The Thrawn movies, Peter Jackson to make Bounty Hunter/Smuggler movies, Spielberg to make the NJO series, and Tony Scott to make the Rogue Squadron series. Space them out a bit and SW would put Bond to shame. Bring a real PG-13 atmosphere to them too please, a la Indiana Jones(RotLA, and ToD).
The tension is just not there without a bit of the scare. (Hey that rhymes!)
3d is for children? Sorry you have such a distaste for ANYTHING new and different, but then you admittedly call yourself the fool.
And Evan, I liked the prequels just fine. Yes they have some flaws, but I found them to be very enjoyable and like most of what has come of them since.
This was probably already answered…
But the reason for the ‘hate’ towards Lucas for Indy 4 is only because he basically bossed Spielberg (and others) around into submission for a terrible idea. First off, Spielberg never wanted to direct, second he never wanted to direct a film with aliens (ever again), and third…he never agreed to the script they used. He only did it because they were friends and he’d rather be the one making a piece-o-crap script awesome, rather than someone else. I think he did the best he could with the material he was given.
But actually the true hate should be out to Mr. Ford, for starting this whole thing. He was the one who started talking to George about a fourth film.
He’s an icon…and I love him for giving us all those terrific performances…but why the crap did he need to do a fourth film?!
I don’t like the prequels any more than any body else (the hate for them grows over time). But I think that Indy 4 was pretty good. We could have done with out the actual flying saucer at the end but other than that I think it was a decent installment in the franchise.
I find it interesting when all people want is to have him “pay homage” to the the first three films. I have a feeling that if he had done that people would be bitching that it didn’t advance the character at all.
We see what happens when a director/producer spends too much time “paying homage”, we get Superman Returns, which was terrible.
INDY 4 is for children, freakin’ kids, that’s why people hate it so much. I thought it was too friendly, the only harsh scene in the movie is when the ants are going down that dude’s throat.
Star wars 3D? Cut that shit out. 3D’s for children too, littles blokes. What about the other three movies? Star Wars VII, VIII, IX? Cut the bullshit and do ’em already, get over it so these fanatic bastards can stop complaining.
I liked Indy 4 so I am game for a new trilogy.
“EEEEEEEEEEE”
It wasn’t the fact that they included aliens in the plot of Indy IV that made it bad, rather it was the WAY over the top action (swinging from vines, and right into the car, falling from three waterfalls etc.) and downright unlikely and unbelievable scenarios (nuking the fridge, paved road through the jungle, giant man-dissolving red ants) that took me out of the movie.
Ignoring the huge problems of the movie does not make them go away. The overall plot and themes of the movie were pretty good, but the execution was absolutely terrible. Overall it was just a huge letdown.
One day, future generations will watch Star Wars sequentially.
I weep for the future.
theres always room for indiana jones and the search for the clone wars conclusion.
Oh the Humanity! Can he please just retire and leave all of us alone.
I thought they handled the aliens thing just fine. I was worried that it was going to feel sci-fi, but instead it focused more on the ancient lore of the area and how the natives perceived the aliens as gods.
The genre is pulp adventure serial, which I thought Indy4 did just fine. People just seemed to be looking for a reason to hate it, and aliens did it. It could have been far worse. Its not my fav Indy movie, but I think it was good.
Indiana Jones 4 was a letdown for me. I can deal with a mystic curse or two, but aliens were just too far for Indi.
If they’re going to make another one, they need to come up with something that will play homage to the first 3. Instead of dragging Indi into a science fiction genre where he just doesn’t belong!
I understand the hate, I just don’t understand why he gets all of it.
I don’t understand all the Indy 4 hate. Personally, I loved it.
I think Indy 4 started Act III of the Indiana Jones saga. Hopefully Indy 5 will provide us with an amazing film and closure to a beloved cinematic hero.
George, if by some chance you read this. Let the director direct.
Yes George go make some smaller independent flicks. Stop being so artistically timid.
I love the idea of George Lucas working on some independent films, but please: GO NO FURTHER WITH STAR WARS AND INDIANA JONES!!!
he ruined Indy by making number 4. hey, i actually liked kingdom of the crystal skull, but it’s not a true Indy flick. but i prefer no fifth
george please leave the star wars and indiana jones films alone, please for the sake of your fans
If he does another indy film I hope to god it’s better than the last one. I hope he’ll be open to constructive ideas this time…rather than blindly going after every stupid thing that happens to pop into his head.
I mean…when I found out Spielberg originally never wanted to do the fourth film, that he was against the whole idea of having ‘aliens’ in it…it really made me realize that George Lucas has ran out of material. He seriously has no more interesting stories to tell…it’s a shame but whatcha gonna do. Who yoU GONNA CALL? GHOSTBUSTERS! the video game (looks oisum).
:P
“and his plans for another Indiana Jones movie”
NOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooo……………………………..