From Library Journal
Producer/director/writer Lucas seems to have spent much of his career defending his work against the criticism that it is shallow and insubstantial. Famous for blockbusters, including American Graffiti and the "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" series, he is often thought to have helped bring the industry into a new and, some would say, regressive era in which megabudgets, megastars, and special effects are paramount. In this engrossing collection of 18 pieces (some are actual interviews, some are essays with quotations incorporated), he comes across as a thoughtful and dedicated filmmaker whose talents for action, editing, drama, and storytelling are often overlooked by those who see his films as "junk food for the mind." He maintains that the huge revenues his films generate create more opportunities for art-house and independent films. Though guarded and impatient with those who expect him to be Fellini, he provides insight into the motion picture business. This book nicely complements the entertaining, pictorial George Lucas: The Creative Impulse (LJ 10/1/92). Recommended for public and academic cinema collections.ARichard Grefrath, Univ. of Nevada Lib., Reno Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"I derive pleasure from storytelling. It is fun to sit around a fireplace and tell a story and have everyone go Oooh and Ahhh. That￯﾿ﾽs what I￯﾿ﾽm doing with Star Wars and American Graffiti."

A director, producer, and writer, George Lucas is the power behind "The Force." The son of a conservative small-town businessman, he grew up to become arguably the most identifiable and popular filmmaker in the history of the medium. Yet unlike his more publicly engaged contemporaries, Lucas rarely grants reporters an audience. This first book of Lucas￯﾿ﾽs interviews affords fans and students of film and science fiction a rare opportunity. Editor Sally Kline collects conversations from the reticent director spanning Lucas￯﾿ﾽs entire career, from the making of his first film, 1971￯﾿ﾽs THX-1138, through American Graffiti, the triumph of the Star Wars trilogy, and even a 1999 interview given while awaiting the release of Star Wars: Episode One—The Phantom Menace. In interviews from venues such as Rolling Stone, Playboy, and American Film, Lucas reveals his distrust of the Hollywood establishment, his love for making movies, and his unambiguous values and how those values translate into the epic clash between good and evil created when he explores characters like Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. Lucas revolutionized the movie industry and created the most successful film series of all time. Along with films of his close friend Steven Spielberg, Lucas￯﾿ﾽs releases invented the notion of blockbuster movies. Before the end of the millennium, he could count the loyal fans of the Star Wars trilogy in the millions.

6 x 9 in., 256 pages (approx.), 10 b&w photographs, introduction, chronology,filmography, index

SYNOPSIS

The collected interviews of the producer, writer, director of some of the most popular and successful movies of all time. Because George Lucas zealously guards his privacy and exercises stringent control over his properties, this substantive book offers an especially rare, up-close encounter with him. It is essential reading for those who wish to know more about him and his work. The interviews cover the period of his career and come from such publications as

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal