Charlie Rose and GL

At 11 tonight George Lucas was on PBS with Charlie Rose discussing everything from Francis Ford Copola to The Godfather to teaching to frescos to oil paintings to technology to Star Wars to everything in between. It was really a great, non Star Wars centered look at the changes made in the OT DVD and why they were deemed necesary. Anyone else catch this?

 

did he talk about SW at all?

 

Yeah, it was kind of the indirect topic of the entire interview. I guess this shouldn't be up if no one saw it, but what the hell? Charlie Rose suggested Lucas sponsor an event where instead of debating, the two Presidential candidates would sit down and watch Star Wars. The whole epic saga. And then talk. Interesting stuff I tell you. Anyone else see it? Who watches PBS anyway?

 

Yeah. Just finished watching it as we get it after midnight here. Man, is he good at keeping tight-lipped on stuff or what? There was really no information on the DVD's or ROTS, although it was mentioned at the beginning and he talked briefly about just returning from shooting the pick-ups. But I have to say, it was nice for once to hear from George Lucas, the man versus GL, creator of Star Wars. It was a very enlightening interview and I felt like I was in school and was listening to a very wise professor giving a lesson on not just filmmaking, but on life. I enjoyed it a lot and I was VERY suprised to hear about some of his upcoming projects, two of which really caught my attention being African American. He wants to do a project on the Tuskeegee Airmen which he says he's been trying to do for years and a project on slavery. I almost got up and clapped on that bit of info.
This is a man who is too progressive for his own time.
YOU DA MAN, GEORGE!!! Keep up the great work & hope to see those films one day.

Only one thing though....what was up with his outfit?
He looked like he was going out to do some serious pimping after the show!
Has he retired the days of flannel for silk? LOL

 

On the show when the guy asked GL what his plans were after Star Wars, he replied that he had some movies that he wanted to produce and that he wanted to do another TV series.

 

The interview was great and Lucas was on top of his game. I can watch that interview a thousand times and not get bored. The man is brilliant.

RB

 

I watched it and thought it was good. I even taped it so my brother and friend could watch it later.

 

Wise professor ?

Brilliant ?

You must be joking !

 

^ Oh deary me little man...must you always hijack topics to spout your bitterness ?

Move on...there's a life beyond Star Wars...forget about George.

As this topic is about reactions to the interview wouldn't it be better if you reserved your opinion to THAT instead of an opinion on someone elses opnion ?

You're quite sad really.

 

One thing Lucas was clear on was that Episode III is THE END of him doing Star Wars. He wants to do other things.

He said that he stopped directing after ROTJ to raise his kids and once they were old enough for him to go back to directing, he went back and forth in his mind about whether to do more Star Wars or do the other things, and he decided that more Star Wars was too big a (financial) opportunity to pass up. Lucas' attitude was that most films fail and so he would be crazy to not follow a good opportunity as far as it can go.

Lucas said he wants to do what he wants in his films and not have to answer to anybody. He does this by putting his own money in each film. He said he puts ALL his money in a movie and then hopes to get it back if it's successful. He said he put all his money into ESB, got his money back from it, then he put all his money in ROTJ, and then he got divorced, and that cost him a lot of money. He said it took 6 years after ROTJ to get back to where he had been financially. When it was time to make TPM he says put all his money into that, then into AOTC, and now all his money is in ROTS. When he makes his money back from ROTS, that will be his "nest egg" as he called it.

So basically his decision to do the PT rather than other projects was based on the return on investment he'd get from it. By doing the PT, he stood to have more money in 2005 than he would have otherwise, and he'll use the nest egg to finance the next projects he wants to do.

That's not to say he didn't want to do lots of Star Wars films. He also said in the interview that if ANH had failed, he still would have done everything he could to get ESB made, and if that failed, he'd still have done everything he could to get ROTJ made. He was committed to the OT. His attitude about the PT seemed more about money, but to be fair one has to remember that with total control of the films, he can recognize the business opportunity AND do whatever he wants artistically. He's not a sell-out because he doesn't lose anything (except time). But Star Wars is not the only thing he wants to do.

 

'Money'

A real artist craves not these things.

 

Ah, the old warm-and-fuzzy "starving artist" notion.

Damn Lucas for not starving. Ticks me off as I watch the stunningly brilliant DVDs and count the days to ROTS. The day he's starving will be the day I'll be truly happy. That's the kind of thing that makes me happy, after all.

 

*did he talk about SW at all?*

Are you kidding? I don't think a single interview exist with George, where he hasn't mentioned Star Wars.

 

"He said he puts ALL his money..."

Somehow, I doubt that... Maybe all the money in the bottom of his sock drawer...

 

Darth Boogurs (sexy name btw),you are SO wrong! If anything,artists probably crave money more than most people do,because IT TAKES A LOT OF MONEY TO CREATE COMPLEX ART! If George didn't crave money there NEVER would've been a THX-1138,American Graffiti,Star Wars Saga,Indy Jones series,Willow,etc.
He craves money partially because it grants him the freedom to create his art EXACTLY the way he wants it.If a studio was paying for SW,they'd've said,"NO WAY! having that cute kid turn evil and get burned in lava is too much of a downer for the public."
After Star Wars came out,GL put most of the money back in to finance the production of Empire Strikes Back.
And aside from that,are you saying that real "artists" wouldn't enjoy having a huge mansion,a giant theater in their home,a ranch,the best food money can buy,a comfortable bed,a swimming pool,etc. ?!?
Uh,sure they want that stuff,just like anyone would.And they DESERVE it...because they're artists,and artistic talent and vision is a rare and beautiful thing in this ugly world.

 

Excellent interview, and I agree, RB, it will hold up to countless viewings. It's always a pleasure to hear him speak for himself. I wish he sat down like this more often. The man has depth and a lot to say, for people who want to listen.

One thing I found interesting. The point was made several times that Lucas has directed FIVE feature films:

THX-1138
American Grafitti
Star Wars (A New Hope)
The Phantom Menace
Attack of the Clones

Yet he says he gave up directing after finishing Return of the Jedi.

Was this a slip of the tongue or is he giving himself partial credit for the direction on ROTJ?

 

Was this a slip of the tongue or is he giving himself partial credit for the direction on ROTJ?

Freudian slip maybe...not only due to his 'shadow directing' throughout, he also personally directed a few parts himself (such as Vader/Anakin's death scene).

 

I bet Leia looks great in a Freudian slip.

 

I heard on the commentaries of the DVDs or something that Kershner said that Lucas and the assistant director actually did most of the directing of ROTJ.

 

After all the disagreements with the ESB director,the new guy was hired because GL knew that he could control him more easily is what I read in an article recently.He probably did all the important artsy stuff and let the other guy do all the distasteful,unfun work.
Or,couldn't it simply mean that the experience of working on Jedi (in whatever capacity) aided in his decision to take a hiatus?

 

There still could be Episode 7,8 and 9. George might even have them written already. He told Charlie Rose he wants to do other projects. SW is over for him, well fine. He can do so, but that doesn't mean SW has to end. George could hire directors to make the next SW movies. He could have a little input here and there, check up on the progress, you know. We know there's gonna be a SW TV Show, so why not?

 

I thought it was pretty interesting. I always thought he was never married and had no biological children, that all of them were adopted.

What surprised me the most was he wasn't wearing flannel!

 

fyi all three of his children are adopted.

 

I bet Leia looks great in a Freudian slip.

Always with the Leia craziness, oy vey!

 

Charlie Rose interrupt GL the whole time, and I am like SCREAMING in front of the TV "God dammit, Let the man(GL) FINISH talking!!!"

No, I didn't actually do that, but I did it in my heart!