George Lucas

Made films the shows talk about.

Wikidata Q38222: matched by corpus:resolve, told apart by Wikidata joins them to Raiders of the Lost Ark, which Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis credits them on.

Counted as writer. The films the hosts said they wrote, which the two lists below run through too: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977); Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981); Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983). Count them as director (8 films), producer (3 films), studio (1 film) instead.

Draws on

What the speakers say they, or a film of theirs, drew on. Each is a speaker's account: “the maker said so” when they report the maker's own words, “the host's read” when the read is theirs.

James Bond films (the franchise): 3 lines

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), which they wrote: James Bond films (the franchise) ⇒ Raiders of the Lost Ark (the maker said so: Spielberg's account of the Hawaii conversation with Lucas). Lucas pitched Raiders to Spielberg as a better, American take on the Bond idea Spielberg had been wanting to do.
    “I have the I have the same basic idea, but better, and it's this Raiders of the Lost Ark idea.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis · 0:49:39 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  2. craft (craft) · through Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), which they wrote: James Bond films (the franchise) ⇒ Raiders of the Lost Ark (the host's read). The Cairo plane fight with the burly Nazi is called a straight James Bond henchman scene.
    “that's that's a flat out James Bond jaw scene.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis · 1:50:56 · Brian Michael Bendis (0.50 sure it was them)
  3. craft (craft) · through Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), which they wrote: James Bond films (the franchise) ⇒ Raiders of the Lost Ark (the host's read). Raiders borrowed the Bond villain structure: a refined man in a lair with separate gimmicky henchmen to fight.
    “that's a clear thing they lifted from James Bond very wisely, right?”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis · 1:50:59 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Chuck Jones: 2 lines

  1. craft (craft) · through Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), which they wrote: Chuck Jones ⇒ Raiders of the Lost Ark (the host's read). Spielberg's staging has a Chuck Jones element, going back to Chuck Jones as a cartoon influence.
    “how important Chuck Jones was to Steven Spielberg at the time”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis · 1:36:15 · Brian Michael Bendis (0.60 sure it was them)
  2. craft (craft) · through Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), which they wrote: Chuck Jones ⇒ Raiders of the Lost Ark (the host's read). The wordless anticipation and subversion of Wile E. Coyote shows up in Indy's silent action beats.
    “the importance of anticipation, and how to visually, uh, sort of indicate to the audience, what the character thinks is going to happen”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis · 1:39:05 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Dune (1984): 2 lines

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they wrote: Dune ⇒ Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (the host's read). The Dune book's messaging is credited as one of the things that inspired Star Wars.
    “And not only that, the messaging of this is one of the things that inspired Star Wars.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 0:22:22 · John Hodgman (0.70 sure it was them)
  2. theme (theme) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they wrote: Dune ⇒ Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (the host's read). Dune's Fremen/revolution material is the denser source that Star Wars abstracts; the Force is Dune without the drugs.
    “the Force in Star Wars is like doom without the drugs.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:17:01 · David Sims (0.30 sure it was them)

Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977): 2 lines, within their own work

  1. industry (industry) · them, directly: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ George Lucas (the host's read). Lucas's Star Wars deal (giving up salary for merch and control) enabled the Raiders deal of owning the negative.
    “he gives up his salary and his points as a director on Star Wars to retain the control and the merch.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis · 1:01:43 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  2. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983), which they wrote: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (the host's read). A second, bigger Death Star is called a lateral remake of the first.
    “We're kind of, it's like a lateral remake.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:04:32 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

The Fabelmans (2022): 2 lines

  1. theme (theme) · through Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), which they wrote: The Fabelmans ⇒ Raiders of the Lost Ark (the host's read). Marion's monkey scenes mirror Spielberg's mother's relationship with the monkey shown in The Fabelmans.
    “the relationship Marion has with the monkey, in that brief amount of screen time, feels so mirrored to his mother's relationship with the monkey”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis · 2:28:09 · unknown (0.50 sure it was them)
  2. theme (theme) · through Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), which they wrote: The Fabelmans ⇒ Raiders of the Lost Ark (the host's read). Marion is partly Spielberg's mother, which keeps her from being an idealized tough-girl fantasy.
    “it does feel like to some degree she's like his mom.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis · 2:28:40 · unknown (0.50 sure it was them)

Casablanca (1942): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983), which they wrote: Casablanca ⇒ Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (the host's read). Jabba's court is conceived as Sydney Greenstreet crossed with Casablanca.
    “The concept is he's sort of like Sidney Green Street and then Casablanca, yeah.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:13:00 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Dave Toschi: 1 line

  1. unmapped (namesake) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they wrote: Dave Toschi ⇒ Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (the host's read). Star Wars has a Tosche station, named after Dave Toschi.
    “It does. named after Dave Kosk.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Zodiac with Leslye Headland (Ad-Free) · 1:39:12 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Flash Gordon (Republic serial): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), which they wrote: Flash Gordon (Republic serial) ⇒ Raiders of the Lost Ark (the host's read). Lucas conceived Indiana Jones as a B-picture at A-picture scale, like the old Republic serials.
    “let's make a sort of B picture at an A picture scale, right?”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis · 0:46:47 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Irvin Kershner: 1 line

  1. unmapped (teacher) · them, directly: Irvin Kershner ⇒ George Lucas (the host's read). Kershner (Zebedee here) taught Lucas at USC and is cited as good with actors.
    “He was George Lucas's, yes, like teacher at USC.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · The Last Temptation of Christ with Jamelle Bouie · 1:18:10 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)

Revenge of the Sith: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983), which they wrote: Revenge of the Sith ⇒ Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (the host's read). Lucas added a 'No' to Vader's turn in Jedi that matches Revenge of the Sith.
    “same fucking no from the end of Avenge of the Sith.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Podcast (Ad-Free) · 1:13:31 · unknown (0.00 sure it was them)

Seven Samurai (1954): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they wrote: Seven Samurai ⇒ Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (the host's read). Mallory notes Lucas drew on Joseph Campbell, Seven Samurai, and Hidden Fortress, and the cycle of influence is now returning in Mulan.
    “Obviously, Joseph Campbell, as mentioned a moment ago. 7 Samurai, Hidden Fortress.”
    The Big Picture · Did Disney’s ‘Mulan’ Experiment Work? A Binge Mode Investigation · 0:46:32 · Mallory Rubin (0.85 sure it was them)

Star Wars (A New Hope): 1 line

  1. craft (craft) · through Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983), which they wrote: Star Wars (A New Hope) ⇒ Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (the host's read). Leia pulls the Chewbacca-in-manacles disguise trick from A New Hope when infiltrating Jabba's palace.
    “pulling the same trick that they pulled in New Hope, that like Chewbacca in Manacles trick.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Podcast (Ad-Free) · 0:39:43 · unknown (0.00 sure it was them)

Sydney Greenstreet: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983), which they wrote: Sydney Greenstreet ⇒ Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (the host's read). Jabba is said to be visually based on Sydney Greenstreet.
    “He's based on Sydney Green Street, right?”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:12:57 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

The Hidden Fortress (1958): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they wrote: The Hidden Fortress ⇒ Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (the host's read). Mallory lists Hidden Fortress among Lucas's influences.
    “7 Samurai, Hidden Fortress.”
    The Big Picture · Did Disney’s ‘Mulan’ Experiment Work? A Binge Mode Investigation · 0:46:32 · Mallory Rubin (0.85 sure it was them)

Drawn on by

What the speakers say drew on them or a film of theirs, marked the same way.

The Phantom Menace (1999): 3 lines

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983), which they wrote: Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi ⇒ The Phantom Menace (the host's read). Sees seeds planted in Jedi that bloom in the prequels.
    “you see the things, the mechanations starting to come into place a little bit.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Podcast (Ad-Free) · 0:08:34 · unknown (0.00 sure it was them)
  2. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983), which they wrote: Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi ⇒ The Phantom Menace (the host's read). The Obi-Wan log scene starts the over-explanation that typifies the prequels.
    “tiptoe towards the problems of the Phantom Madness trilogy, whereas, like, where it's all explained out loud.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Podcast (Ad-Free) · 0:58:53 · unknown (0.00 sure it was them)
  3. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983), which they wrote: Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi ⇒ The Phantom Menace (the host's read). Ewok guerrilla tactics echo the Gungan thing in Phantom Menace, though that one is far worse.
    “And it just sort of reminds you of the Gungen thing, which is way worse, but is in the same, like, ballpark.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Podcast (Ad-Free) · 1:08:02 · unknown (0.00 sure it was them)

Dune (1984): 2 lines

  1. programming (programming) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they wrote: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Dune (the host's read). Dune was positioned and released as the studio's answer to Star Wars, the next big space epic.
    “Uh, this movie is released with the energy of, here you go, here's the new Star Wars.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 0:22:17 · John Hodgman (0.85 sure it was them)
  2. unmapped (tentpole hope) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they wrote: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Dune (the host's read). Dune was meant to be the new Star Wars franchise, Lynch writing the sequel, coloring books on shelves.
    “I thought it was going to be the Star Wars.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Starman with Katey Rich · 2:18:09 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984): 2 lines

  1. contrast (contrast) · through Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), which they wrote: Raiders of the Lost Ark ⇒ Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (the host's read). Willie Scott was built as the anti-Marion, which means doing the opposite of what works.
    “the anti-Marian means you're doing the opposite of what works.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis · 1:53:35 · Brian Michael Bendis (0.50 sure it was them)
  2. craft (craft) · through Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), which they wrote: Raiders of the Lost Ark ⇒ Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (the host's read). Temple of Doom was a prequel partly to avoid doing the Nazis again.
    “part of the calculation of making a Temple of Doom, a prequel was that he didn't want to just do the Nazis again.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis · 2:59:23 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens: 2 lines

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they wrote: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (the host's read). The Force Awakens maps almost exactly onto A New Hope.
    “Force Awakens, which will maybe come up later on this podcast is in almost every respect.”
    The Big Picture · ‘Gladiator II’ Is Here. Are We Not Entertained? · 0:24:06 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
  2. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they wrote: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (the host's read). It ports over Death Star, Tatooine and R2-D2 as Starkiller Base, Jakku and BB-8.
    “in place of the Death Star, you have star killer base.”
    The Big Picture · ‘Gladiator II’ Is Here. Are We Not Entertained? · 1:24:09 · Mallory Rubin (0.50 sure it was them)

Alien (1979): 1 line

  1. industry (industry) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they wrote: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Alien (the host's read). In Star Wars' wake came Alien and Blade Runner rather than more 4-color space operas.
    “the Star Wars Halo effect are like alien.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:13:21 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Arthur C. Clarke: 1 line

  1. lineage (why the sequel got written) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they wrote: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Arthur C. Clarke (the host's read). The speaker thinks the post-Star Wars sci-fi rush is what kickstarted Clarke finally writing the follow-up.
    “I mean, I'm realizing the other thing that probably kickstarted Arthur C. Clark finally writing the follow-up novel is the mad post-Star Wars sci-fi brush of like, oh, now Star Trek, the motion picture is getting made.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · 2010: The Year We Make Contact · 0:22:43 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Battlestar Galactica: 1 line

  1. industry (industry) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they wrote: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Battlestar Galactica (the host's read). Star Wars' direct influence landed more on television, e.g. Battlestar Galactica.
    “And of course, on television, you had Battlestar Galactic.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:14:15 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Chris Pratt: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), which they wrote: Raiders of the Lost Ark ⇒ Chris Pratt (the host's read). The wrong lessons from Indiana Jones were taken by later action heroes like Pratt.
    “the lessons that we took from that character that like Chris Pratt took maybe from that character are not the ones that I think we should have been taking”
    The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan | The Big Picture (Ep. 57) · 0:09:40 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)

Empire of the Sun (1987): 1 line

  1. craft (shot design) · through Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), which they wrote: Raiders of the Lost Ark ⇒ Empire of the Sun (the host's read). Same slow reveal as Indiana Jones in pieces before the hero shot.
    “which similarly has the like Spielberg taking 5 minutes to show you Indiana Jones in pieces before you really get the hero shot”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Empire of the Sun with Bilge Ebiri · 1:38:17 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)

Flash Gordon (1980): 1 line

  1. industry (industry) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they wrote: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Flash Gordon (the host's read). Flash Gordon and The Last Starfighter are a grounded-in-reality category of post-Star Wars space movies.
    “Flash Gordon, I want to put as this category of things like Last Starfighter, like the Masters.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:13:54 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

George Lucas: 1 line, within their own work

  1. industry (industry) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they wrote: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ George Lucas (the host's read). Lucas's Star Wars deal (giving up salary for merch and control) enabled the Raiders deal of owning the negative.
    “he gives up his salary and his points as a director on Star Wars to retain the control and the merch.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis · 1:01:43 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

James Bond films (the franchise): 1 line

  1. industry (industry) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they wrote: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ James Bond films (the franchise) (the host's read). Star Wars pushed Bond into outer space.
    “James Bond went to went to the moon because of Star Wars.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis · 0:55:07 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Lego Star Wars: 1 line

  1. lineage (adaptation) · through Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983), which they wrote: Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi ⇒ Lego Star Wars (the host's read). Lego game levels from Jedi are always fun; the prequels' plot-heavy levels play less well.
    “weirdly, like Return of the Jedi levels are always really fun to play.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:31:02 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Masters of the Universe (2026): 1 line

  1. lineage (origin) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they wrote: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Masters of the Universe (the host's read). He-Man (and the 80s toy boom) was a response to every company having passed on Star Wars merchandising.
    “so much of He-Man and the 80s for toys is a response to every major company passing on Star Wars that Star Wars is the whiff that no one can live down.”
    The Big Picture · The Top 10 Fantasy Films, The Toy Movie Hall of Fame, and ‘Masters of the Universe,’ with Griffin Newman! · 0:23:25 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)

Revenge of the Sith: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983), which they wrote: Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi ⇒ Revenge of the Sith (the host's read). The Emperor in Jedi sits in a chair saying roughly the same things as in the identical-chair scene in Revenge of the Sith.
    “he's basically saying most of the same thing.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Podcast (Ad-Free) · 1:11:34 · unknown (0.00 sure it was them)

Soderbergh's silent Raiders remix: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), which they wrote: Raiders of the Lost Ark ⇒ Soderbergh's silent Raiders remix (the host's read). Soderbergh re-cut Raiders silent, black and white, over The Social Network score.
    “It's basically his silent film remix of Raiders, black and white film with the social network score playing over it”
    The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan | The Big Picture (Ep. 57) · 0:10:25 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979): 1 line

  1. industry (industry) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they wrote: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Star Trek: The Motion Picture (the host's read). Star Trek the Motion Picture happened because Star Wars scooped the studio.
    “Like Star Wars scooped our ass.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:12:22 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983): 1 line, within their own work

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), which they wrote: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (the host's read). A second, bigger Death Star is called a lateral remake of the first.
    “We're kind of, it's like a lateral remake.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:04:32 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

The Color of Money (1986): 1 line

  1. craft (camera-movement coverage) · through Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), which they wrote: Raiders of the Lost Ark ⇒ The Color of Money (the host's read). Scorsese covers scenes with morphing moving master shots, like Spielberg's quick efficient coverage, to stay under schedule.
    “But he's doing like all this Spielberg, like coverage with camera movement.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · The Color of Money with Chris Ryan · 1:21:44 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

The Horizon Experiment (comic): 1 line

  1. contrast (contrast) · through Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), which they wrote: Raiders of the Lost Ark ⇒ The Horizon Experiment (comic) (the host's read). A current comic flips Indiana Jones into someone taking things out of museums back to adventure.
    “a comic book out right now called the Horizon experiment by the guys that did the good Asian”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis · 2:24:12 · Brian Michael Bendis (0.80 sure it was them)

The Incredibles (2004): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983), which they wrote: Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi ⇒ The Incredibles (the host's read). The speeder bike forest chase is a clear inspiration for the Incredibles chase.
    “This is such a big inspiration too, clearly, on the Incredibles chase sequence.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:02:11 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (2024): 1 line

  1. craft (plot structure) · through Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), which they wrote: Raiders of the Lost Ark ⇒ Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (the host's read). The film fails to tie its Indiana-Jones-style MacGuffin to the Wallace-Gromit relationship.
    “They fail to make the, um, the plot, the sort of like Indiana Jones-S McGuffin of what they're up against directly relate to Wallace and Gromit's relationship.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Empire of the Sun with Bilge Ebiri · 2:11:21 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)

What the speakers said they did

Directing (16) everyone in directing

Writing (5) everyone in writing

Producing (3) everyone in producing

Other (2) everyone in other

Studio (1) everyone in studio

What was said about them, by kind

career (3)

  1. career (career): James Cameron → George Lucas. Blank Check got started trying to make sense of Lucas and what success did to him.
    “we realized what was really interesting to us was trying to make sense of George Lucas”
    The Big Picture · The Great ‘Avatar’ Debate with Blank Check’s Griffin Newman and David Sims · 0:03:56 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  2. career (career): Warwick Davis → George Lucas. Davis's Ewok performance made Lucas say he would write him a movie.
    “Yeah, I mean, there's a reason that Lucas comes out of this and is like, I'm writing a movie for you.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:05:38 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  3. career (career): Kathleen Kennedy → George Lucas. Kennedy asked Lucas where he was emotionally when he made A New Hope, and his hardware-store-family answer revealed it was about escape.
    “And she was like, oh, that's Star Wars.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Podcast (Ad-Free) · 1:19:48 · unknown (0.00 sure it was them)

contrast (3)

  1. contrast (contrast in pace): George Lucas → 2001: A Space Odyssey. Lucas's pioneering move in Star Wars was to make space move fast, against 2001's floaty slowness.
    “the single most pioneering element of Star Wars was Lucas being like, we can move fucking fast here.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · 2001: A Space Odyssey with Jordan Hoffman (Ad-Free) · 0:40:43 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  2. contrast (contrast): J.J. Abrams → George Lucas. Abrams quoted wanting something worth people's time and not a commercial for toys, a jab at Lucas.
    “I want to make something worth people's time and not a commercial for toys.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Podcast (Ad-Free) · 0:06:05 · unknown (0.00 sure it was them)
  3. contrast (contrast): George Lucas → Steven Spielberg. Spielberg tweaked E.T. and realized he hated having done that, unlike Lucas.
    “you hear about like Spielberg tweaking ET and immediately realizing like, I hated that I ever did that.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Podcast (Ad-Free) · 0:53:57 · unknown (0.00 sure it was them)

craft (9)

  1. craft (craft): Stan Lee → George Lucas. Lucas and Spielberg not talking down to young audiences echoes Stan Lee's magic.
    “that was kind of Stan Lee's magic too.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis · 1:30:57 · Brian Michael Bendis (0.80 sure it was them)
  2. craft (craft): George Lucas → Raiders of the Lost Ark. Lucas directed much of the second unit, taking over a lot of the stunt-heavy truck chase work to get the movie finished.
    “George Lucas also did a lot of the 2nd unit.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis · 2:46:12 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  3. craft (re-edit): Star Wars (original trilogy / special editions) → George Lucas. Lucas re-edited and added CGI; a fan's de-specialized version feels better and was burned to Blu-ray.
    “put them in the original color corrections and I like, it feels better.”
    The Big Picture · Physical Media Strikes Back With Tim Simons · 0:36:02 · Tim Simons (0.50 sure it was them)
  4. craft (craft): Wong Kar-wai → George Lucas. Wong's recolorizing of his own films is compared to George Lucas special editions.
    “He's going George Lucas, maybe.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · March Madness 2021 Recap - Round 2 · 0:16:33 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  5. craft (craft): Richard Marquand → George Lucas. Marquand supposedly said directing Jedi was like directing King Lear with Shakespeare in the next room.
    “trying to direct King Lear with Shakespeare in the next room”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Podcast (Ad-Free) · 0:07:00 · unknown (0.00 sure it was them)
  6. craft (craft): George Lucas → Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. The 1990s special-edition CGI changes touch Jedi more than the other two originals.
    “I would argue more than the other 2 in this trilogy.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Podcast (Ad-Free) · 0:23:09 · unknown (0.00 sure it was them)
  7. craft (craft): George Lucas → Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. Lucas's puppet Jabba works because it was a real puppet and shouldn't have been replaced.
    “It's really good that Lucas did not replace that puppet.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Podcast (Ad-Free) · 0:38:50 · unknown (0.00 sure it was them)
  8. craft (craft): George Lucas → Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. Jedi's Yoda deathbed scene is added at Lucas's request after a child psychologist doubted kids believed Vader was Luke's father.
    “the kids might think that Vader was just lying when he said he was his Luke's father.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Podcast (Ad-Free) · 0:56:20 · unknown (0.00 sure it was them)
  9. craft (craft): George Lucas → Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. Lucas did Blu-ray insertion of Hayden Christensen as ghost Anakin so viewers must watch the prequels.
    “he basically makes it impossible for you to not watch the prequels in one final little visual like gag.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Podcast (Ad-Free) · 1:16:51 · unknown (0.00 sure it was them)

industry (4)

  1. industry (dealmaker): Tom Pollock → George Lucas. Pollock as lawyer got Lucas the Star Wars sequel and merchandising rights.
    “he is the one who got George Lucas the Star Wars deal.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · The Last Temptation of Christ with Jamelle Bouie · 0:54:22 · Jamelle Bouie (0.40 sure it was them)
  2. industry (industry): Body Heat → George Lucas. Lucas is said to have produced Body Heat and removed his name so his brand would not undercut its sexiness.
    “Lucas produced body heat, but had his name removed from it because he thought that people would be turned off of the movie being sexy with his name attached.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis · 0:53:13 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  3. industry (industry): George Lucas → The Elephant Man. Compared to Mel Brooks hiding his name on The Elephant Man so audiences would not expect a comedy.
    “It's like the Mel Brooks elephant man thing, where it's like they'll think it's a comedy.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis · 0:53:24 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  4. industry (industry): George Lucas → Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. Lucas's Star Wars deal (giving up salary for merch and control) enabled the Raiders deal of owning the negative.
    “he gives up his salary and his points as a director on Star Wars to retain the control and the merch.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis · 1:01:43 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

lineage (2)

  1. lineage (lineage): James Cameron → George Lucas. Cameron, like Lucas, conceived a new way to make movies and took years doing it.
    “and not unlike Lucas, another lodestar for your show.”
    The Big Picture · The Great ‘Avatar’ Debate with Blank Check’s Griffin Newman and David Sims · 0:27:18 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
  2. lineage (lineage): Raiders of the Lost Ark → George Lucas. Raiders fuses Spielberg's and Lucas's love of 30s-50s serialized hero comic strips.
    “it is a neat fusion of his point of view and George Lucas's point of view and their fascination with the serialized hero comic strip stories of the 30s and 40s and 50s”
    The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan | The Big Picture (Ep. 57) · 0:09:02 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)

people (5)

  1. people (people): George Lucas → Steven Spielberg. Their friendship is the mythology: two sides of the same coin, like the Beatles and Rolling Stones.
    “here's like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones inspiring each other.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis · 0:41:14 · Brian Michael Bendis (0.50 sure it was them)
  2. people (people): George Lucas → Disney. Spielberg compared Lucas to Disney for putting out a vision so attractive you would be a fool to deny it.
    “George is a bit like Disney.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis · 0:53:53 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  3. people (people): George Lucas → David Lynch. Lucas pitched Return of the Jedi to Lynch, who found Star Wars not his cup of tea.
    “Unfortunately, Star Wars wasn't my cup of tea.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:02:05 · unknown (0.50 sure it was them)
  4. people (people): Marcia Lucas → George Lucas. The speakers theorize Lucas's divorce, and loss of her reining-in, drives the special-edition tinkering and the end-credit editor change.
    “Like she was the one who was kind of keep reining him in?”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Podcast (Ad-Free) · 0:26:34 · unknown (0.00 sure it was them)
  5. people (people): Simon Pegg → George Lucas. Lucas told Pegg to promise he would not make the same movie 30 years from now, a haunted remark.
    “Just promise me right now you won't end up making the same movie 30 years from now.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Podcast (Ad-Free) · 0:55:02 · unknown (0.00 sure it was them)

unmapped (2)

  1. unmapped (teacher): Irvin Kershner → George Lucas. Kershner (Zebedee here) taught Lucas at USC and is cited as good with actors.
    “He was George Lucas's, yes, like teacher at USC.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · The Last Temptation of Christ with Jamelle Bouie · 1:18:10 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  2. unmapped (orbit): Willard Huyck → George Lucas. Huyck and Katz were in the Lucas orbit in the 70s with an American Graffiti credit.
    “They were in the Lucas orbit in the 70s.”
    The Big Picture · Physical Media Strikes Back With Tim Simons · 1:07:29 · Sean Fennessey (0.55 sure it was them)

what-if (5)

  1. what-if (what-if): George Lucas → Rocky. The hosts wish someone had done a George Lucas and paid to CGI fans into the empty arena for a re-release.
    “I just wish somebody had done a George Lucas and just paid the 50 grand to CGI some fans all over the place.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:13:20 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
  2. what-if (what-if): George Lucas → Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Lucas's planned sequel outline, midichlorian-heavy, sounds like the prequels: wacky ideas, possibly unwatchable, dramatically inert.
    “I mean, it sounds like the prequel trilogy and it would probably be at times completely unwatchable.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:49:05 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  3. what-if (what-if): George Lucas → Cars. Lucas's idea of living things as cars for biomatter makes it odd he did not direct the Cars movies, given he founded Pixar.
    “It's kind of weird that George Lucas didn't direct the cars movies.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:49:48 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  4. what-if (what-if): George Lucas → Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. If Lucas went back to these films, Leia would be training with a lightsaber by film three.
    “I think if Lucas went back to these movies, he would be like, Leia should by the 3rd movie Leia should be starting up with a lightsaber.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:22:34 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  5. what-if (what-if): George Lucas → The Godfather Part III. Speaker jokes that if people can fix Star Wars, someone should fix Godfather III, then Casablanca.
    “Godfather 3 is bad.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Podcast (Ad-Free) · 0:30:39 · unknown (0.00 sure it was them)

Fun items about them

  1. fun, about George Lucas: Simon Pegg story: Lucas asked him not to make the same movie 30 years from now.
    “Just promise me right now you won't end up making the same movie 30 years from now.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Podcast (Ad-Free) · 0:55:02 · unknown (0.00 sure it was them)