Lawrence Kasdan

Made films the shows talk about.

Wikidata Q240872: matched by corpus:resolve, told apart by the only person by that name on Wikidata.

Counted as writer, the making department they hold the most credits in. The films the hosts said they wrote, which the two lists below run through too: Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980); Body Heat (1981); Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981); Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983); The Big Chill (1983); Continental Divide; Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back; The Bodyguard (Kasdan's script). Count them as director (6 films), actor (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)

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)

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)

Return of the Secaucus 7: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through The Big Chill (1983), which they wrote: Return of the Secaucus 7 ⇒ The Big Chill (the host's read). Called a precursor to The Big Chill.
    “precursor to this movie, Socaucus 7 is like this.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:05:04 · unknown (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)

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)

Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977): 1 line

  1. 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)

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)

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)

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)

10 Years: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through The Big Chill (1983), which they wrote: The Big Chill ⇒ 10 Years (the host's read). Another reunion-with-a-great-cast attempt that did not match The Big Chill.
    “I kind of like 10 years.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:05:20 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (unmade Fincher project): 1 line

  1. unmapped (model for the unmade film) · through Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980), which they wrote: Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back ⇒ 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (unmade Fincher project) (the maker said so: in interviews). In interviews Fincher says he wanted 20,000 Leagues to be his Empire Strikes Back, a dark film that still works for children.
    “I wanted to make my Empire Strikes Back in that I have always found it astonishing how dark Empire Strikes Back is while working as a movie for children.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Gone Girl with Esther Zuckerman (Ad-Free) · 0:22:52 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Beautiful Girls (1996): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through The Big Chill (1983), which they wrote: The Big Chill ⇒ Beautiful Girls (the host's read). Named among the later films that tried and failed to be the Big Chill for a new generation, along with About Alex.
    “I remember beautiful girls tried in the mid 90s and there's a movie called About Alex and the mid 2010s.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:04:50 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Bill Clinton: 1 line

  1. theme (theme) · through The Big Chill (1983), which they wrote: The Big Chill ⇒ Bill Clinton (the host's read). EW's 15th anniversary review blamed The Big Chill for soundtrack albums, 30-something, and Bill Clinton.
    “Hell, blame the big show for Bill Quinton.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:29:42 · 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)

Hometown (TV series): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through The Big Chill (1983), which they wrote: The Big Chill ⇒ Hometown (TV series) (the host's read). The Big Chill was adapted as a short-lived 16-episode TV series called Hometown in 1986.
    “As the short-lived series hometown?”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:11:06 · unknown (0.30 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)

Reality Bites (1994): 1 line

  1. theme (theme) · through The Big Chill (1983), which they wrote: The Big Chill ⇒ Reality Bites (the host's read). Reality Bites is the young-person reaction to the sold-out generation The Big Chill depicts.
    “And then that's why like reality bites hits and you see reality bites and you're like, oh, that's why Troy is like, fuck everything.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:12:44 · unknown (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: 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)

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)

The Intervention: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through The Big Chill (1983), which they wrote: The Big Chill ⇒ The Intervention (the host's read). Another indie friends-weekend film in the same vortex.
    “There was a movie called The Intervention.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:05:24 · unknown (0.40 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

Writing (13) everyone in writing

Directing (6) everyone in directing

Acting (1) everyone in acting

What was said about them, by kind

career (6)

  1. career (career): Lawrence Kasdan → Body Heat. Surprise that the Raiders writer also did the sexy Body Heat.
    “Raiders was written by the guy who did Mumford.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis · 0:52:49 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  2. career (career): Lawrence Kasdan → Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Kasdan, a cameo in As Good as It Gets, is introduced as the screenwriter of Empire Strikes Back.
    “as the screenwriter of Empire Strikes Back.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · As Good as It Gets with Chris Gethard · 1:36:11 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  3. career (career): Lawrence Kasdan → Raiders of the Lost Ark. Kasdan's run: Empire, Raiders, Body Heat, Continental Divide, Jedi, Big Chill.
    “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:22:10 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  4. career (career): Lawrence Kasdan → Continental Divide. He sold Continental Divide to Spielberg; not a good movie but a good script.
    “He sells Continental Divide to Steven Spielberg, which becomes not a very good movie, but apparently was a good script.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:22:12 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  5. career (career): Lawrence Kasdan → John Hughes. Kasdan's first five years beat Hughes in a screenwriting final.
    “So it's John Hughes versus him in the finals and cast and wins.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:22:26 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  6. career (career): Geena Davis → Lawrence Kasdan. She later won an Oscar in a Kasdan movie.
    “Who won an Oscar in a Lawrence Castan movie?”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:23:54 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

contrast (1)

  1. contrast (contrast): Lawrence Kasdan → Michael Mann. Kasdan never released the cut Costner scene; Mann is doing recuts of Black Hat.
    “who's doing recuts of Michael Mann?”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:40:01 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)

industry (1)

  1. industry (industry): Robert Zemeckis → Lawrence Kasdan. Grouped with Ron Howard as post-Lucas/Spielberg directors whose later movies became optimistic as they got wealthy; Kasdan fits the arc.
    “Robert Zamechis comes to mind.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:15:03 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

lineage (1)

  1. lineage (lineage): Lawrence Kasdan → Howard Hawks. Lucas and Spielberg hired Kasdan because they thought he had a Hawksian sensibility, based on his earlier scripts.
    “they think he has a Howard Hoxian sensibility, very fun.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raiders of the Lost Ark with Brian Michael Bendis · 0:52:13 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

people (2)

  1. people (people): John Bailey → Lawrence Kasdan. Bailey said in an interview that Kasdan largely turned over some of the filmmaking to him.
    “he gave this really great interview where he talked about, like, you know, Kazen largely like turned over some of the filmmaking stuff to him.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:05:41 · Chris Ryan (0.55 sure it was them)
  2. people (people): Lawrence Kasdan → Wyatt Earp. Costner teamed with Kasdan for the rival Earp picture.
    “Bowed out, left the project, teamed up with Lawrence Kazden, who was then still pretty red hot.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Tombstone’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:04:31 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)

Fun items about them

  1. fun, about Lawrence Kasdan: Hot take: the first five years of Kasdan's career are the greatest screenwriting run in movie history.
    “the 1st 5 years of Kazden's career is the greatest screenwriting run in movie history.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Big Chill’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:22:00 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)