From Star Wars to Indiana Jones: The Best of the Lucasfilm Archives (Paperback)

~ Mark Cotta (Author), Shinji Hata (Author) "Lucas's goal for Star Wars was to create a new mythology for the space age..." (more)
Key Phrases: costume headgear, matte painting, production painting, Star Wars, Death Star, Star Destroyer (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The director of the Lucasfilm Archives says that before Return of the Jedi, it just never occurred to anyone to formally store and catalog the accumulated "stuff" associated with the Star Wars films. Stormtrooper helmets and lightsabers were crammed next to models of tauntauns and sandcrawlers in closets and cubbyholes. Only when George Lucas was surrounded by all this junk for a Jedi publicity shot did the Lucasfilm folks realize what an amazing collection they had.

That collection only grew when Lucas scored with the popular Indiana Jones trilogy, which added all manner of whips, swords, and idols to the archive. This photo-packed book chronologically surveys the collection's highlights: props, models, storyboards, backdrops, and sketches, spanning all six films. Fans of either (or both) series will be gratified by a glimpse at these oh-so-cool artifacts. Unfortunately, the text isn't quite as edifying as the pictures. Behind-the-scenes insights, such as the fact that Imperial Walkers were a late substitution for Norwegian army tanks and that Indy's shooting of the swordmaster in the market was a fatigue-induced ad lib, often take a back seat to unnecessary plot recaps and equally superfluous explanations (for example, that the Force is sort of like chi). Of course, the artifacts from the archive are the real attraction, and they don't disappoint. --Paul Hughes

Product Description

George Lucas has produced some of the most popular movies ever, including the classic Star Wars and Indiana Jones trilogies. Thanks to Lucas's foresight and the dedication of Lucasfilm archivists, the artifacts used in the making of his films have been painstakingly preserved. From Star Wars to Indiana Jones presents some of the best of Lucasfilm's enduring creations, from Yoda and R2-D2 to the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail. Now readers everywhere can take a tour of the marvelous world of the Lucasfilm Archives, with its incredible collection of costumes, props, puppets, models, and matte paintings used in the making of both the Star Wars and Indiana Jones movies. Veterans of the legendary first Industrial Light & Magic effects team that created Star Wars share their secrets, along with an astonishing array of behind-the-scenes production illustrations, storyboards, and prototypes—many appearing for the first time in book form—all accompanied by a lively text that tells the fascinating stories behind the art of movie-making. Lavishly illustrated with hundreds of full-color photographs and illustrations, this treasury captures the remarkable imagery, as well as the wonder, of the Lucasfilm universe in an essential acquisition for countless fans the world over.?

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Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; 1st Ed. edition (January 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811809722
• ISBN-13: 978-0811809726
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 8.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #338,325 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is why the franchises are so solid and popular, May 17, 2000

By	Mark Hills "Nobody gets me, I'm the wind, baby!" (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book provides the reader with a rare glimpse of a lot of concept art and even model making that ILM produced for the 3 Star Wars and 3 Indiana Jones movies. And unlike, the Art of Star Wars Episode 1 for example, there is more text than simple art credits, and includes descriptions on how the different tools (say, matte paintings), are used for effects in the films. The book also provides an excellent look at ILM's story boards, which are usually so well drawn that they would make ideal comic books. It has a beautiful series of pictures of props-from Colt pistols to blasters, from scimitars to lightsabers, all held together with great informative text by Mark Gotta Vaz and Shinji Hata. This is one of my favorites.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for every fan of Star Wars or Indiana Jones movies, April 25, 1997

By A Customer

Great close ups of most of the models and props used in all the Star Wars and Indiana Jones movies. Every fan will love to get a look at the detail of many objects (Especially love the detail of Darth Vaders mask when Luke took it off Darth's face).

Includes models, props, costumes, masks and mattes. A fan's dream. I'm taking off a point because I want more! more! more!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Films, Good Book, June 16, 2005

By	A. Ross "indy31" (New Zealand) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: From Star Wars to Indiana Jones (Hardcover)

I love archival books like the "From Star Wars to Indiana Jones: The Best of the Lucasfilm Archives" and this is one of my favourites, it's got tons of images from all the Star Wars and Indy movies. The text is somewhat unsubstantial, however the layout and design make up for any flaws. All this and quality you can expect from the best "Making Of" guy in the buisness, Mark Cotta Vaz. This makes for perfect coffee table reading for any film buff and a great price too. A great addition to any film fan's bookshelf.