Cinema of George Lucas FROM THE PUBLISHER
"A gifted storyteller in the epic tradition, a masterful director and editor, and a visionary leader in the field of visual effects and production techniques, George Lucas has made an enormous contribution to the art and culture of our time. The Cinema of George Lucas presents new insights into the work of this innovative and influential filmmaker, whose groundbreaking technical achievements and creation of enduring modern mythologies have forever changed both film and science fiction." "Drawing on exclusive new interviews, oral histories, and unprecedented access to the Lucasfilm archives, including documents such as shooting schedules and production notes, author Marcus Hearn analyzes Lucas's personal journey as a director over four decades - beginning with his student work - while also delving into his projects as a writer, an editor, and a producer. He also discusses Lucas's many other accomplishments in the film industry, including the formation of Industrial Light & Magic, Skywalker Sound, and LucasArts." The book is lavishly illustrated with many images that have never or rarely been seen, such as stills from Lucas's student films made at the University of Southern California, material from the director's cut of his early science-fiction film THX 1138, and production shots and behind-the-scenes photos from, among other films, the very first Star Wars film, the beloved classic American Graffiti, the Indiana Jones adventures - and the forthcoming Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith (to be released on May 19, 2005).
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
The life and career of the one-man cinematic revolution that is George Lucas gets a lush visual treatment in Hearn's frankly adoring and uncritical coffee-table book, though there's plenty of smart text underpinning the artwork as well. The first two of the book's eight chapters are best, covering Lucas's childhood and student filmmaking days at USC, which culminated in the 1971 masterpiece THX 1138 and 1973's iconic American Graffiti. Hearn deftly portrays this heady period in Lucas's life, in which the director was furiously experimenting with the form and working inside the short-lived San Francisco filmmaking collective American Zoetrope with pals Francis Ford Coppola, master editor Walter Murch and legendary cinematographer Haskell Wexler. This section is elaborately illustrated with photographs, publicity stills and script excerpts, and the photos of young Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss and Lucas himself will amuse fans. Once Hearn begins to delve into Lucas's rise into the cinematic stratosphere with Star Wars, and the creation of his mini Hollywood in the Bay Area, however, the book fails. Hearn's worshipful tone doesn't allow him to satisfyingly explain how this long-haired rebel turned into the mini-mogul that he is today. Still, this is a crucial addition to the libraries of not just Star Wars aficionados but all lovers of modern cinema. (Mar.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
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