Customer Reviews

George Lucas in Love

5 star:		(79)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Several reviewers around here really seem to want a lot from a 9 minute film.

'George Lucas In Love' was a very fun short. From Lucas' roommate Benji talking about an 'all powerful force' to his friends Hal & Chuck working on Hal's 'fastest thing on campus' to a professor whose speech patterns resembled a well known Jedi Master, this film has a heck of a lot crammed into it's 9 minutes. If anything, the filmmakers should have done a 15-20 minute film! The film was very clever and enjoyable. Maybe just a tad bit funnier than 'Hardware Wars'.

The music, cinematography, and acting are all very good, indeed. Anyone who didn't enjoy this at least a little really needs to get a sense of humor. Of course, it's a bit cheesy, but it's meant to be that way. It's presented in the slightly corny, overblown way that 'Hardware Wars' or the 'Naked Gun' films were. The same people who didn't understand those films probably won't understand 'George Lucas In Love'. It's not a 'great' film, but who cares? It's a fun little short by a guy who really loves 'Star Wars'. Some have condemned the filmmakers doing this just for the money. I seriously doubt that Mr. Nussbaum will make a huge fortune from this film and if he does, big deal. Nothing wrong with making money from doing what you love or making money at all. Surely, none of the people who reviewed this film would go and work at their jobs for free and live in a cardboard box under a bridge somewhere! Anyway, GLIL is great fun and a great to watch before your next screening of 'Phantom Menace' or the original trilogy.

Reading many of these reviews after having seen the movie myself, I've come to the conclusion MANY seem to agree with: This was an amazing film, and those who criticize it are upset that they didn't think of the idea first! It was a 9-minute independent film, and yet wove through Star Wars, George Lucas, and Shakespeare in Love so slyly, that you must applaud Mr. Nussbaum, Mr. Dowling, and Mr. Levy for an amazing piece of cinema.

To those who criticize, go ahead and nag! The people, however, have spoken, making it the most downloaded movie ever on the Internet, and I understand that Mr. Nussbaum is the talk of Hollywood as the next big director out of USC. Don't take my word for it - Read the Wall Street Journal, People Magazine, and the New York Times! If the biggest complaint is that 'Lucas' isn't long enough, it's a testament to the genius and skill of those involved. Bravo!

I've been a Star Wars fan since May 1977 and this is certainly the finest homage to the trilogy and to Lucas that I've seen.

Who knows what really inspired George Lucas to create the Star Wars universe, but this is some very funny conjecture. Lots of quicky sight gags, some oddly familiar characters, and music that you swear you've heard somewhere before come together to tell a sweet and clever little story. I would think that any fan of Star Wars (and we are legion) would get a kick out of this short film.

I'm just sorry I didn't think to make it first. Nice work, Joe Nussbaum! END

GEORGE LUCAS IN LOVE is a parody of "Shakespeare in Love" featuring the life of a 1967 George Lucas in USC film school. This film is less than 10 minutes long, but manages to cram joke after joke in, alluding to many of the characters George Lucas has created for his films (not limited to the STAR WARS films).

The filming, acting, and score is superb. My complaint is similar to others: it wasn't long enough. I also feel like the script could have used a little more polish. However, this short film is a fun and diverting fantasy, adding another dimension of folklore to the layered theories surrounding the STAR WARS series and its much-revered creator.

I remember clearly when Hardware Wars came out, with my sister and me howling with laughter at the clever parody. We loved Spaceballs, with its jabs, too. Being a great fan of both the Star Wars trilogy and of Shakespeare in Love, I was laughing out loud at this deft combination of the two done in a mere 9 minutes. It's like the super-fast-Shakespeare spoof which is making the theater rounds - a blast to catch all the subtle innuendos!

What's the cost for the video - about the price of a Big Mac these days? I'd gladly pay double for the fun this has been at parties and when friends come over. I don't have this much fun with a lot of commercial sludge that's out on the big screen, that's for sure! Well worth it ... but see for yourself!

George Lucas said it himself when he reviewed it, "this movie is the life story I wish i had." With it's references to all 3 of the star wars movies and the great acting, George Lucas in love is possibly one of the greatest short films ever made. I'm not the only one who thinks so. Apparently the people at the Texas Film Festival, the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival, and the Tahoe International Film Festival, who gave such awards the 2000 Audience Choice Award and the 2000 Best Short Film think's it's pretty funny too.

This is a very enjoyable 9-minute movie, and you don't have to be a diehard Star Wars fanatic to enjoy it. You just have to have seen the 3 initial movies. The price is a bit high ($12 including shipping), but worth it if you'll split the price with some friends. After all, Blockbuster doesn't have it.

BUT, don't look at the box or talk with people about it before watching it. Remember, it's only 9-minutes long. There are lots of scenes on the box that you'll find quite funny in the movie if you're NOT already anticipating them. Don't lose the fun of half the movie by seeing half the jokes beforehand.

This movie is a RIOT! It's without a doubt the most fun I've had in nine minutes since... well, in a very long time. Just like "Shakespeare in Love," it's funny on a number of levels. It works as a parody of SiL, and of the Star Wars franchise, and of George Lucas, and of the creative process in general. Needless to say, I LOVED it! I can't wait to watch it again!

George Lucas in Love may very well be the "Form" of a short film - what the perfect short film should be, in a higher realm of understanding. A low-budget, well-shot, beautifully scored, and endlessly engaging piece of work, Joe Nussbaum's clever little feature never falls into film-school pretentiousness or short-film stupidity. Although it is a one-joke premise, the directing and editing manage to keep things moving fast enough that it doesn't get old.

The 8-minute short opens with George Lucas, in his last semester at film school, unable to finish his final project, Space Wheat, which begins "Not Long Ago in a Nearby Galaxy." His teacher (a stubby guy who talks like a certain Jedi Master) is no real help, and it isn't until he meets a girl with hair wrapped tightly in donut-buns (a stunning Lisa Jakob, of Independence Day fame) that he finds a muse who encourages the young Lucas to "write what he knows." What he knows is the dozens of Star Wars references surrounding him, and the rest, as they say, is history.

As much an homage as it is a parody, Lucas in Love succeeds where so many others fail. A review of the three other shorts on the DVD - "Evil Hill" (Dr. Evil meets Notting Hill), Film Club (Fight Club in a film school), and Swing Blade (Sling Blade mixed with Swingers) easily demonstrates how this type of experiment can fall flat on its face, turning into a gigglefest by filmmakers and audiences with the kinds of noses that stick up in the air. Thankfully, Lucas in Love is never reduced to this insipid level of "didja get it? didja? aren't we CLEVER!!!) that the other films on the DVD do (and, unfortunately, so many other short films available on the Internet).

The DVD features a commentary track by the director and producer, which reveals little about the film (there isn't much time in an 8 minute session), but there is a "making of" that actually lasts longer than the film itself - perhaps a first in DVD history - that has all the major players and some great behind-the-scenes stuff. The real gem is a pop-up video version of the film that shows you all the Star Wars references - chances are, unless you are the most obsessed fan out there, you missed at least one. There is also a secret code area where you can enter a numeric code you get from mediatrip.com, makers of this DVD. Considering mediatrip.com is now defunct, I don't feel bad saying that the code is 1138 (as in THX-1138, one of Lucas' early films) and that the secret is a short clip of the director showing off his letter from George Lucas congratulating him on the film.

Is it worth the money for this DVD? Up to you. Basically, it's a question of how big of a Star Wars fan you are. You can download the film from several places on the net, and the SciFi channel runs it every now and then, but if you want the interviews and a crystal-clear transfer, then it's probably worth it. Besides, it's great to roll out for your friends and show them without boring them.

If you've seen the Trilogy, and are at least a semi-star wars fan, you'll LOVE this movie.. It covers so much in 8 minutes, that it doesn't seem that short. I don't think I've laughed so hard in years! One thing, tho.. Don't let anyone tell you anything about it. Just watch it. You'll love it!