# Should George Lucas be allowed to direct or produce films every again? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 10, 2012, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-george-lucas-be-allowed-to-direct-or-produce-films-every-again/627813 "2012-07-10T18:02:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2012, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-george-lucas-be-allowed-to-direct-or-produce-films-every-again/627813/21 "2012-07-10T20:23:00Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I suspect that **gaffa** was including all four Star Wars movies which he directed within the “a space opera” heading. Exactly. Six films with the same story and the same characters counts as a single project. > [@](#): > > If you look at that listing of his directing credits, 12 of the 19 were shorts he made before, during, or shortly after his time at the USC Film School in the late 1960s. One was a documentary of the making of a Francis Ford Coppola film (made in 1969). Two were video shorts he’s made in the past 12 years. > > Subtracting those, he’s directed only six feature-length films: _THX 1138_, _American Graffiti_, the original _Star Wars_, and the three Prequels. Which is the list that **gaffa** gave. 🙂 Thank you. One of my pet peeves is those people who claim that Lucas can’t direct actors. Look at _American Graffiti_. He cast an immensely talented group of young actors, got wonderful, naturalistic performances from them and even got [deeply moving work from a non-actor](http://youtu.be/99z-H_NEccU). The acting in the Star Wars films was deliberately stiff as an homage to the cheesy serials of his own youth. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2012, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-george-lucas-be-allowed-to-direct-or-produce-films-every-again/627813/22 "2012-07-10T20:50:20Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Exactly. Six films with the same story and the same characters counts as a single project. That’s utterly absurd, particularly considering that he only directed four of them, and there was a twenty-two year gap between the first one and the last three. He’s directed six films: one of them was great, one of them was good, one of them was okay, and three of them were incredibly bad. That’s not a good track record. Certainly, if you look at the beginning of his career, it shows a clear arc of steady improvement. If he’d stayed in the director’s chair for the next two decades, instead of letting his skills atrophy while he focused on the business and technical aspects of the industry, he might have turned into a great director. As it is, he’s going to be justly remembered as a shrewd business man, a technical innovator, and a third rate director who got lucky once. Which is, all in all, a pretty good legacy. > [@](#): > > One of my pet peeves is those people who claim that Lucas can’t direct actors. Look at _American Graffiti_. He cast an immensely talented group of young actors, got wonderful, naturalistic performances from them and even got [deeply moving work from a non-actor](http://youtu.be/99z-H_NEccU). The acting in the Star Wars films was deliberately stiff as an homage to the cheesy serials of his own youth. I call bullshit on that. He did get some excellent performances in that film, but in comparison to _every other thing he ever did_, it was clear that that was a fluke. And while the old sci-fi serials were an unambiguous influence on _Star Wars_, I don’t buy for a minute that he deliberately tried to get crappy performances out of his actors. His stated goal, at the time, was to make a film like those old serials that was actually good. I don’t buy that he’s improve the fx, improve the story, improve everything _except_ the acting. I’m also curious about this claim: > [@gaffa](#): > > I love the Star Wars series and accept it for what it is. But it is not, and never was, the pinnacle of what George Lucas is capable of producing. He has all the money he’d ever need to produce more deeply personal films and I think that will still happen. He’s had all the money he needs to produce deeply personal films for almost as long as I’ve been alive. He had twenty-two years to make them after _Star Wars_. He’s had six years to make them since _Revenge of the Sith_. What makes you think he’s going to suddenly start making them now? ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2012, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-george-lucas-be-allowed-to-direct-or-produce-films-every-again/627813/23 "2012-07-10T20:56:30Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > He’s had all the money he needs to produce deeply personal films for almost as long as I’ve been alive. He had twenty-two years to make them after _Star Wars_. He’s had six years to make them since _Revenge of the Sith_. What makes you think he’s going to suddenly start making them now? > **[George Lucas Ready To Retire From Blockbuster Filmmaking - SlashFilm](https://www.slashfilm.com/516916/george-lucas-ready-focus-personal-movies/)** > > For years, George Lucas has flirted with the idea of returning to the sort of small, so-called personal movies that he toyed with at the outset of his career, before Star Wars diverted him off the path of the iconoclastic New Hollywood directors and... ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2012, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-george-lucas-be-allowed-to-direct-or-produce-films-every-again/627813/24 "2012-07-10T21:02:34Z")
> [@Rubixcube](#): > > Hey, I didn’t say Lucas was a great filmmaker, only that I think the hatred of him and his recent films is overreacting at best. Lucas isn’t a genius, or even that talented anymore. He made some films that where disappointing especially compared to the original trilogy, but people are acting like he personally raped them and their puppies, it’s honestly ridiculous. I was addressing the OP. I agree with you about Lucas and his detractors. ---
**Author:** ![zoog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7ea924/32.png) [@zoog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoog)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2012, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-george-lucas-be-allowed-to-direct-or-produce-films-every-again/627813/25 "2012-07-10T21:13:31Z")
IMO, with the exception of ESB, all six of the Star Wars movies were so-so flicks with some really cool moments. ESB was pretty freaking awesome, and it holds up very well 30+ years later. And even though it doesn’t hold up well for me now, 14 year old zoog thought that Star Wars was the coolest fucking thing he would ever see, period. If Lucas wanted to make another trilogy of movies, more power to him. I might go see them, I might wait for them on video. And seriously, if we’re going to start banning people from making films, can we please start with Michael Bay? ---
**Author:** ![Rubixcube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Rubixcube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubixcube)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2012, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-george-lucas-be-allowed-to-direct-or-produce-films-every-again/627813/26 "2012-07-10T21:20:47Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > I was addressing the OP. I agree with you about Lucas and his detractors. Ah, apologies then. It was hard to tell and I took a guess. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2012, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-george-lucas-be-allowed-to-direct-or-produce-films-every-again/627813/27 "2012-07-10T21:39:51Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > [http://www.slashfilm.com/george-lucas-ready-focus-personal-movies/](http://www.slashfilm.com/george-lucas-ready-focus-personal-movies/) Fair enough, but the conversation is mostly focused on his work as a director, and I don’t see anything in that link about him directing anything. Then again, I might have misread **gaffa** ’s post: I thought he was referring to Lucas taking the director’s chair again, and not continuing to work as a producer (which role I think he’s much better suited for). I would not be surprised if Lucas worked on smaller films in that capacity. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2012, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-george-lucas-be-allowed-to-direct-or-produce-films-every-again/627813/28 "2012-07-10T22:26:55Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Fair enough, but the conversation is mostly focused on his work as a director, and I don’t see anything in that link about him directing anything. Then again, I might have misread **gaffa** ’s post: I thought he was referring to Lucas taking the director’s chair again, and not continuing to work as a producer (which role I think he’s much better suited for). I would not be surprised if Lucas worked on smaller films in that capacity. Perhaps not **gaffa** , but certainly the original poster seems to want Lucas to work as a director. > [@JMH125](#): > > My wholehearted opinion is God NOOOOOOO. > > do not let that man anywhere near decision making. Take his IDEAS, take his BILLIONS, and then let people with actual talent take care of the details. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2012, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-george-lucas-be-allowed-to-direct-or-produce-films-every-again/627813/29 "2012-07-10T22:49:57Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > That’s utterly absurd, particularly considering that he only directed four of them, and there was a twenty-two year gap between the first one and the last three. He’s directed six films: one of them was great, one of them was good, one of them was okay, and three of them were incredibly bad. That’s not a good track record. “Star Wars” refers to six films that everyone acknowledges as a single story arc. > [@](#): > > I call bullshit on that. He did get some excellent performances in that film, but in comparison to _every other thing he ever did_, it was clear that that was a fluke. Again, he has done three projects. What possible basis do you have for claiming that he could not make another _American Graffiti_ type movie? He has the money, power and tools to accomplish what his friend Francis Ford Coppola tried and failed to do with American Zoetrope. Your dislike of the latter parts of his space opera project have blinded you to a fair evaluation of the potential of a once and future great filmmaker. > [@](#): > > And while the old sci-fi serials were an unambiguous influence on _Star Wars_, I don’t buy for a minute that he deliberately tried to get crappy performances out of his actors. His stated goal, at the time, was to make a film like those old serials that was actually good. I don’t buy that he’s improve the fx, improve the story, improve everything _except_ the acting. He deliberately did few takes. His leads were talented actors, directed to give mediocre performances. I don’t think that anyone who saw _[Leon: The Professional](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110413/)_ doubts Natalie Portman’s acting talent. And while Hayden Christensen is not in her class as an actor, he did solid work in _[Shattered Glass](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0323944/)_. > [@](#): > > He’s had all the money he needs to produce deeply personal films for almost as long as I’ve been alive. He had twenty-two years to make them after _Star Wars_. He’s had six years to make them since _Revenge of the Sith_. What makes you think he’s going to suddenly start making them now? Because two of the three projects he has done were deeply personal projects. And he says in [this New York Times interview](http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/magazine/george-lucas-red-tails.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all) that he plans to. ---
**Author:** ![Stowed\_Bob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stowed_bob/32/3312_2.png) [@Stowed\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stowed_Bob)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2012, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-george-lucas-be-allowed-to-direct-or-produce-films-every-again/627813/30 "2012-07-10T23:34:25Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > **Labyrinth**. What was his involvement in making that movie? He didn’t write it. Did he direct it, edit it, or finance it? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2012, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-george-lucas-be-allowed-to-direct-or-produce-films-every-again/627813/31 "2012-07-10T23:45:29Z")
I think George Lucas should be kept away from actors and writing dialogue, but other than that, he should do whatever he pleases. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2012, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-george-lucas-be-allowed-to-direct-or-produce-films-every-again/627813/32 "2012-07-11T00:45:48Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > Since then, he’s only worked on the last Indy movie with his buddy Steve and the Clone Wars cartoons. Time to move on, people. And **Red Tails**. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2012, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-george-lucas-be-allowed-to-direct-or-produce-films-every-again/627813/33 "2012-07-11T00:48:53Z")
Red Tails, by the way, was quite good. A bit predictable, but very entertaining. My dad, a former USAF officer, loved it, and kept saying, ‘that’s the way it was!’ Sadly, this meant he had nightmares that night due to a memory of a guy landing on his missiles (as the landing gear did not lock) with his plane leaking fuel, but he still loved the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2012, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-george-lucas-be-allowed-to-direct-or-produce-films-every-again/627813/34 "2012-07-11T00:59:40Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > Red Tails, by the way, was quite good. A bit predictable, but very entertaining. My dad, a former USAF officer, loved it, and kept saying, ‘that’s the way it was!’ > > Sadly, this meant he had nightmares that night due to a memory of a guy landing on his missiles (as the landing gear did not lock) with his plane leaking fuel, but he still loved the movie. Lucas actually stepped in to help direct some reshoots when the original director was not available. I have not seen it, though, so I can’t comment on the quality. ---
**Author:** ![Carmady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@Carmady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carmady)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2012, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-george-lucas-be-allowed-to-direct-or-produce-films-every-again/627813/35 "2012-07-11T01:17:39Z")
> [@JMH125](#): > > NOOOOOOO. No fair, the OP already took the only true response. Lucas hates his fans, and they hate him. Just let it end. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2012, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-george-lucas-be-allowed-to-direct-or-produce-films-every-again/627813/36 "2012-07-11T01:23:04Z")
Lucas is a decent director, sure some parts of AotC and RoJ were a bit sucky and mechandise-driven(okay, very sucky), but he brought a dozen hours or more of happiness or happy distraction to millions of people. Besides, I note you haven’t made any threads criticising Friedburg and Seltzer, far far worse directors. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2012, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-george-lucas-be-allowed-to-direct-or-produce-films-every-again/627813/37 "2012-07-11T01:35:36Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > He’s responsible for the underappreciated **Labyrinth** Well not really. Lucas did barely anything on that one, Jim Henson was almost 100% responsible for _Labyrinth_’s story and production. However, he was very deeply involved in _Willow_, one of my favourite films. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2012, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-george-lucas-be-allowed-to-direct-or-produce-films-every-again/627813/38 "2012-07-11T01:47:17Z")
Anyone familiar with [Preston Sturges](http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/features/2010/05/sturges-201005)? He only directed about 15 films, and half of them ranged from “disappointing” to “bomb” and eventually couldn’t get work as director. But no one remembers that. What they remember is the other half of Sturges’ work, including Sullivan’s Travels, The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek and Hail the Conquering Hero. [QUOTE=Inigo Montoya] I have to assume there is a word for someone who goes for it a third time (Sith) and manages to be shocked to find Lucas failed to channel Stanley Kubrick. Whatever. Haters gonna hate. [/QUOTE] For that matter, consider [Kubrick’s last film.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120663/) Even that can’t make me forget Dr. Strangelove. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-george-lucas-be-allowed-to-direct-or-produce-films-every-again/627813/39 "2012-07-11T17:53:43Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > And **Red Tails**. > [@E-Sabbath](#): > > Red Tails, by the way, was quite good. A bit predictable, but very entertaining. My dad, a former USAF officer, loved it, and kept saying, ‘that’s the way it was!’ > > Sadly, this meant he had nightmares that night due to a memory of a guy landing on his missiles (as the landing gear did not lock) with his plane leaking fuel, but he still loved the movie. His contribution to Red Tails was all second unit stuff. I wouldn’t say it counts for anything. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-george-lucas-be-allowed-to-direct-or-produce-films-every-again/627813.md?page=1)