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Signature Classic |
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Star Wars Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Film Editing, Costume Design 1977 1977 | PG | Sci-Fi, Adventure | d. George Lucas Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher aka Episode IV: A New Hope (Special Edition) |
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| After being turned down by several major studios, the project was taken by newcomer director George Lucas to Alan Ladd Jr. at Fox who green-lighted it and put it on their production schedule. With a small budget for a special effects extravaganza ($8 million), which grew to $11 million due to delays, but armed with the youngest, brightest and most resourceful modelmakers and technicians in the business, the creative team revolutionized the film industry by creating new and startling technologies in bringing the saga of Luke Skywalker (originally called Luke Starkiller) to the screen. Lucas drew from his love of watching afternoon matinees on television as a child to incorporate themes of Good vs. Evil, spirituality, a damsel in distress, World War II dogfights, the Japanese Samurai pictures and cliff-hanging serials—and created something new which the world had never before seen. Borrowing liberally from Akira Kurasawa’s The Hidden Fortress, which will also be presented at the Plaza Classic Film Festival, it is recommended by this writer that you see the original 1958 Japanese film starring Toshiro Mifune and compare similarities in themes and cinematic devises. Star Wars, and the other five films (both sequels and prequels) that it spawned have created a cinematic folklore and complete Universe that will live on…and on…and on… - Jay Duncan FILM FACT: Following the boxoffice success and critical acclaim of American Graffiti in 1973, Lucas wanted to remake the first “Flash Gordon” serial (1936) with Nick Nolte, but couldn't clear the rights through King Features. Instead, he decided to write his own… “In a Galaxy Far, Far Away ...” …thus began the 1st installment in the STAR WARS saga. | ||