His life, his art, and the making of his cinematic empire.
GEORGE LUCAS by Brian Jay Jones is the first comprehensive telling of the story of the iconic filmmaker and the building of his film empire, as well as of his enormous impact on cinema. At once a biography, a business manual, and a film history, GEORGE LUCAS explores for the first time the life and work of a fiercely independent writer/director/producer who became one of the most influential filmmakers and cultural icons - a true game changer.
On May 25, 1977, a problem-plagued, budget-straining, independent science fiction film opened in a mere thirty-two American movie theatres. Its distributor - 20th Century Fox - were baffled by the film. The film's production had been a disaster from nearly day one, hampered by bad weather, malfunctioning props and ill-fitting costumes. But its release on a quiet Wednesday in May of 1977, changed cinema forever. The film was Star Wars.
The fiercely independent thirty-three year-old George Lucas was just getting going. Determined to control every element of the film-making process he had founded Lucasfilm ltd., in 1971. Among his hits, Lucas gave us six Star Wars films and four featuring the globetrotting archaeologist Indiana Jones. Together these ten films have earned more than $6 billion worldwide and won some of the largest and most devoted fan bases ever seen. In 2013 he sold Lucasfilm to Disney for $4.05 billion. Along the way the man who invented the Blockbuster also gave us computer generated imagery (CGI), created a small animation company called Pixar and reinvented the way movies were made, marketed and merchandised.
It's no secret that I'm a Star Wars fan and have been since the first moment I watched A New Hope on the big screen. Even as a very young girl, I fell in love with the characters and the story and followed all the other movies eagerly.
So checking out this book was a must!
Even with his faults and stubborn need to create his vision as he saw it no matter what, there's no denying that George Lucas is the genius who changed the path of SciFi movies and had millions of people--both young and old--fall in love with everything Star Wars. If it wasn't for him, we never would've met the wealth of ideas and images that shaped many of our childhoods. And without George Lucas wanting to take control of his own creation, the special effects industry wouldn't be what it is today.
But, in spite of all this, there's much more to this geeky and skinny kid with big ideas and a need to express them. And that's where this book comes in. We get to learn more about his childhood and teenage years, and well into his adulthood. Not just about his movies, but also his life.
George Lucas is a well-written and interesting biography that delves into his extraordinary life and really captures the essence of the man we all think we know, but really don't. Sure, he's the creator of one of the biggest cinematic franchises ever, but even more than that, he's a man with a vision that captivated millions and will go down in history that way.
This is a great addition for any Star Wars fan's collection, or if you're just curious about this iconic man.
George Lucas, December 2016, ISBN 9781472224330, Headline
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