Cool News
Must-Read Of The Day: The 1978 RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK Story Conference Transcript!!!
Beaks here...
Kudos to Mystery Man on Film for fucking with my productivity. A moment ago, I was tearing through my review for THE HANGOVER (and this is a big deal because I've been blocked up worse than Hollis P. Wood). Now, I'm poring over 126 pages of the five-day 1978 conversation between George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Lawrence Kasdan that resulted in the birth of an archaeologist adventurer named Indiana Jones. And since that's going to delay the delivery of my review by several hours, I figured I'd completely derail your workday as well!
As Slashfilm's Peter Sciretta reminds us, scraps of this monumental story conference were included in last year's innocuously dishy THE COMPLETE MAKING OF INDIANA JONES. Flipping through that book back then, it didn't occur to me that someone would eventually make available the entire transcript because... well, transparency isn't exactly Lucas's or Spielberg's thing. Sure, they'll let slip a few tantalizing details to Laurent Bouzereau for those two-hour making-of documentaries, but, for the most part, they prefer to keep the kitchen doors welded shut.
The sudden appearance of this transcript is uncharacteristic, which suggests that a) it's an unofficial leak, b) it'll piss off Lucas and Spielberg, and c) it'll disappear soon. So head over to Mystery Man on Film immediately and download this sucker before it (likely) gets C&D'd off the internet. And if you flat-out do not have the time to read this today, then at least scroll down to the excerpts posted to Mystery Man's blog, where, among other revelations, you'll find that Lucas literally had the art of storytelling down to a science. Where was that guy ten years ago?
Just in case you're wavering, here's the opening page of the transcript to seal the deal. Enjoy. And thank you Mystery Man - and Peter - for wrecking my day!
G -- We'll just talk general ideas, what the concept of it was. Then I'll get down to going specifically through the story. Then we will actually get to where we can start talking down scenes, in the end I want to end up with a list of scenes. And the way 1 work generally is, I figure a code, a general measuring stick perameter. I can either come up with thirty scenes or sixty scenes depending on which scale you, want to work on. A thirty scene thing means that each scene is going to be around four pages long. A sixty one means that every scene is going to run twenty pages long. (?) It depends on, part of it is the... (short gap in the tape) knock some of these out, and this doesn't work out the way we thought it would. You can move things around, but it generally gives you an idea, assuming that what we really want at the end of all this is a hundred and twenty page script, or less. But that's where we really want to go. Then we figure out vaguely what the pace of, how fast it's going to move and how we're going to do it. I have a tendency to work rather mathematically about all this stuff. I found it easier and it does lay things out. Especially a thing like this. The basic premise is that it's sort of a serialesque kind of movie. Meaning that there are certain things that have to continue to happen. It's also basically an action piece, for the most part. We want to keep things interspaced and at the same time build it. As I build this up, you'll see it's done vaguely by the numbers.
Generally, the concept is a serial idea. Done like the Republic serials. As a thirties serial. Which is where a lot of stuff comes from anyway. One of the main ideas was to have, depending on whether it would be every ten minutes or every twenty minutes, a sort of a cliffhanger situation that we get our hero into. If it's every ten minutes we do it twelve times. I think that may be a little much. Six times is plenty.
S -- And each cliffhanger is better than the one before.
G -- (Pause) Actually, Steve, I thought we'd try a diminishing returns thing because I really hate making money.
What, Larry?
L -- You guys ever been to the Grand Canyon?
Generally, the concept is a serial idea. Done like the Republic serials. As a thirties serial. Which is where a lot of stuff comes from anyway. One of the main ideas was to have, depending on whether it would be every ten minutes or every twenty minutes, a sort of a cliffhanger situation that we get our hero into. If it's every ten minutes we do it twelve times. I think that may be a little much. Six times is plenty.
S -- And each cliffhanger is better than the one before.
G -- (Pause) Actually, Steve, I thought we'd try a diminishing returns thing because I really hate making money.
What, Larry?
L -- You guys ever been to the Grand Canyon?
-
+ Expand All
-
And yes, I'm in a grumpy mood today. Fool.
-
and what about the squid!
-
If you're not a cocksucker like Lord Fuckington.
-
As in "go forth and read."
-
I remember seeing Raiders as a kid and thinking, they can't possibly ruin a premise this great. Apparently Santa doesn't exist either...
-
This is awesome! Aaaaannnnd nothing else will get done for the next little while!
-
It's quite ironic to discover that Chariots of the Gods (along with Erich Von Daniken) was a major influence on Raiders as well. I'm actually beginning to think both the transcript and Darabont script were released by Lucas himself. Why? Because he comes off looking pretty good after reading both. The most startling revelation here is that Raiders was almost entirely Lucas' baby. He was the one that kept it grounded in believability, while Spielberg's main contributions were silly gags and over-the-top stunts. It definitely turns the "Lucas was responsible for everything bad in Indy 4" theory on its head.
-
Fake!
-
But it's cool to see it anyway!
-
Is that Spielberg and Lucas seem to be sitting around, talking like a couple of uber film geeks.
-
Mar 09, 2009 3:48:53 PM CDT
"not a supported file format or error in attachment"
by arcadian del sol
and Im using the latest adobe acrobat reader. need alt site.
-
You da man.
-
They're present- in the form of flying saucers and Daniken's theory that the Ark was of extraterrestrial origin. In fact, you can already see the genesis of all four Indy films in the transcript. Lucas clearly envisioned the character as someone who could cross over into other genres. He spends a great deal of time discussing Indy's potential for dealing with the supernatural and occult.
-
Mar 09, 2009 3:50:20 PM CDT
"Too bad the Hovitos don't know you the way I do, Belloq."
by finding forrestal
"Yes, too bad. You could warn them... if only you spoke Hovitos!"
-
To trick them into changing my name into a witty slur. Well done sir. And now that I've been cheered up, and therefore feeling grumpy, this story seems a little cooler now. Thanks Klytus_You_Cunt!
-
The story behind Temple of Doom and the darker angle added.
-
There's a Kasdan/Philip Kaufman/Debbie Fine conference tacked on at the bottom!
-
I'm reading this right now. THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS BEAKS.
-
Mar 09, 2009 3:55:42 PM CDT
Any chance we'll see the INDY 4 Story Conference Transcript?
by mr. nice gaius
You know, the one where George is high and Spielberg is asleep?
-
Raiders really is the best move ever made. No room for discussion.
-
Anyone else getting this?
-
I, too was pouring away at some writing and came out of the room to grab a drink and see if there was anything new. This is definitely very cool. Thanks so much!
-
"A friend of yours?""Competitor. He was good, he was very, very good."
-
Fuck it, I'm watching "Raiders."
-
I got it once Evil75, but then after the countdown I was able to download it my second try.
-
it coulda happened.
-
Where Battlestar Galactica sucked but Lucas could do no wrong? Who'da thought we'd live in a world where Lucas can't stop sucking and Battlestar Galactica is one of the best things on TV?
-
Got it to, mirror time boys!
-
Got it on my tenth try, give or take. Funnily enough it started working right after I read your post. The Force is strong with this one... :)
-
Right up at the top Lucas talks about how it has to be serious... like the Man with No Name movies... he even thinks James Bond is maybe too goofy for tone. That's one of the biggest flaws in Crystal Skull... they completely neglected this part of the formula.
-
revisionist internet-fueled Lucashate.
Thanks for the link Beaks. -
"Never compromise. Not even in the face of diminishing returns."
-
Give credit where credit is due people. I'm a HUGE fan of the Republic serials too. Amazing stuff!
-
You're right about how well Lucas comes off in this transcript. Spielberg could hardly get a word in edgewise!
-
the one linked here... it's George Luca$ blog.
-
Jar Jar Binks ends up back on Naboo after the clone wars.. and goes underground (underwater?) as an archaeologist seeking ancient jedi artifacts to sell to the empire..
-
Mar 09, 2009 4:24:46 PM CDT
Scriptgirl just announced Ford to star in Apocalypse Now.
by brock landers baby
She said it'll be some Vietnam film or something.
-
For on this day in history, being the golden god of screenwriters everywhere ! Nuthin but Luv for YA !
-
that's going to put the cat among the pigeons...
-
I just watched The Dark Crystal for the first time since I was a kid & (apart from it being a lot more shithouse than I remember)the ending with the aliens & the crystal gathered round in a circle was spookily similar to the ending of Indy4. Apart from the FX, they were better in DC.
-
I haven't even read the transcript yet. I just got through reading the 10 points that MM came up with. That was pretty brilliant on its own! I think if anything will help an aspiring writer, reading this transcript and truly digesting it is going to help a lot.
-
The second page:
G- First of all, who gives a fuck about the Grand Canyon? and second, either say something constructive or shut the fuck up Steve. -
That man wanted the movie to be all camp. I can't believe how rational Lucas sounds in this. It really makes me wander as to what the fuck happened with Indy 4.
-
19 years is too long to come up with a decent story.
-
then this is a cool piece of movie history...if it is some kind of hoax, then I'm an idiot for reading for the last hour.
Raiders of the Lost Ark is still, in my opinion, Lucas' best idea. -
Now that is some print-worthy content!
-
creativity and angst being lost and replaced with the fluff of old age. Just read his words in this and you can clearly see he was a storytelling genius. Years later, he has conferences of Episode 1, now I'd like to read THOSE transcripts, and see how much of his bravado he lost in those 20 something years. What a waste.
-
the end to that was a bit similar to KOTCS
btw i havent seen Dark Crystal since 1982 and cant remember too much about it but dont recall any aliens at the end?...then again i was probably sat there watching it in the cinema not giving it my full attention as id have been still in awe or in anticipation of seeing WRATH OF KHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAN!! FUCK YEAH!!...sittin there..thinkin bout 'Admiral' Kirk kicking KHHHHHHAAAANs BOO-TAY all over the cosmos!...Wondering if Spock was gonna make it or still in shock at his death....
i know there was stuff like Blade Runner, Thing out that year but who knew theyd be classics in yeras to come - besides i was too young to see them...82 was all bout KHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAN and fuckin E fuckin T...fuck dat shit! E fuckin' T!! PAH LOL...KHHHHHHHHAAAAN shat all over that walking turd
man all mighty the new Treks got some way to go to beat KHHHHHHHAN...but that trailer looked F U C K I N G awesome and whats more, everyone fuckin knows it!
-
..had any problems with their computer after they click the link on the website? I want to read it, but I don't want to risk getting a virus!!
-
it would be pretty interesting to read a indy 4 comparison
-
Is some cool shit. I'm going to read this right now. Awesome, Beaks - thanks.
-
but again...i was too fuckin young to see dat...
anyway regarding this Raiders thing...it shows taht Indy was really Lucas' creation...
-
but still stranger things have happened
-
They weren't actual aliens just an amalgam of the scary vulture dudes & the stoned sloth dudes once the androgynous fairy dudes shined them with a crystal... (or something like that after 2 beers, a glass of red wine & about 3 joints).
-
That 'Raiders' was intended to be a comeback vehicle for Elvis, and that it was discussed by Speilberg and Lucas before Elvis' death? I dimly remember something about an Elvis comeback that Speilberg had in mind, but I lost track of that in the late 80s.
-
...Link is overloaded, as to be expected. Hope I can get it before it dissapears or I forget. The above excerpt is funny too. Spielberg: "I like Snow Cones. I think it would be good if the movie has an ending and maybe something happens for 120 minutes before that. What do you think George?"
-
The dude GOT THE ROLE!...he was Spielberg and Lucas' choice for Indy!...they CAST him as Indy!!....Ford was SECOND choice when Selleck wasnt allowed to film Raiders as Magnum had been picked up and he decided it was best to honour his contract!! (It turned out that the shooting of the pilot for Magnum, P.I was delayed for over 6 months, which would have enabled Selleck to complete the role of Indiana Jones. Ironically, while waiting in Hawaii for Magnum to commence filming, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas were also in Hawaii to shoot scenes for Raiders)....
i do think SELLECK would have been just as good as Ford though...its possible that if Selleck had been Indy then hed have had Fords career and been in Blade Runner and Fugitive and stuff like that and maybe Ford would be like Mark Hammil..
Selleck ended up doing Indy knock off High Road to China and Blade Runner wannabe Runaway...
would be funny if it was revealed ford had grown that tashe he had a few months ago for a big budget Magnum movie...i guess thatd be the final straw and Selleck would probably call round Fords house WITH a magnum if that happened...'"YO FORD..YOU AT HOME?! I GOT SOMETHIN FOR YA MOTHERFUCKER!!" *BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!! BLAM!!* *click* *click* *click*....*reloads*..."MOTHERFUCCCCCCCCCCCKERRRR!! *BLAM! BLAM!* etcetc"
-
If this is a hoax I'll be very upset
-
but maybe its true~??
They opened Crystal Skull with a nice Elvis number right -
That is all.
-
Mar 09, 2009 5:34:00 PM CDT
"What we're just doing here, really, is designing a ride at Disn
by zacdilone
And so they did. Best ride at Disneyland, in fact.
-
Ah. I see your point...
-
nice beaks... nice.
-
Jeez, I didn't know she was literally a child in love!
-
Lmao, I got to page 9 and came across Lucas saying he tried to keep the movie on "a very modest scale". I wish they would have gone back to this transcript when they were coming up with ideas for Indy IV.
-
Mar 09, 2009 5:47:19 PM CDT
Fucking awesome! Sometimes the story behind the idea...
by iamjack'suserid
...is just as interesting as the ideas. As one of the biggest Indy fans on the planet, this will be a great read!
-
Can't wait to read this.
-
Downloaded and will print it out at work tomorrow.
-
...most watched Blu-Ray in the house....and the other 3 are coming out on BR by Christmas!
-
you are priniting out a 126 page document on Raiders of the Lost Ark..im sure hell understand...:
'hey alfred...hows it going...listen..ahh ive just been ahh notified you printed out a 126 page doc on Indiana Jones....yeeeah ah I'm gonna have to go ahead and give you a warning for that...yeeeeeah...ok buddy oh and i almost forgot...ah..im gonna have to ask you to come in on sunday too...yeeeeah' -
But he'll probably kindle it or something...
-
You know I'm an Indy 4 apologist when I think the worst thing in the movie is Mutt saying the snake is slimy. Screw the snake...Ox, take that serape off and throw me one end of it before I go all Bert Lahr again..."Maybe I can touch the bootttomm"
-
Holy Jesus Christ do I hate that kid. I watched Eagle Eye last weekend and not only does that little shit do nothing but bitch the whole time, but he's got a very punchable face and an annoying voice. And the movie sucked too. The only good parts were Rosario Dawson and Michelle Monaghan
-
He's a decent actor.
-
And the Fonzie chimps? Gotta have them there Fonzie chimps-
-
G- Alright, so I tend to take a very mathmatical and precise approach to setting up my narratives. So I think first and foremost for these prequels to be relevant we need a plunky Jamaican side-kick with a reptilian complexion and floppy ears.
-
S - "...But the Ark has to be an all-powerful connection to the lord. Like...uh..."
G - "...Like a radio for talking to god?"
S - "Yes, George! That's it! You're a genius."
L - "Uh, guys. Maybe we should make that a telephone, considering that a radio can only communicate one way."
G - "Uh, yeah Larry. That's great. Look, can you go get us some coffee?" -
Truly fascinating. Concept explosion. Interesting how many of the more wacky ideas are Spielbergs and Lucas grounds it in reality. Also interesting, how many ideas crop up in Temple and Crusade. If only the same Lucas who was in this meeting showed up for the sequels.
-
No mention of CGI gophers?I Am greatly disappointed.This movie needs to be remastered with Ewoks.
-
Can we get the VHS tape?
-
it's almost like a lucas propaganda piece. why was he so eager to collaborate when he had so many ideas, yet so closed off when he was creatively bankrupt?
-
Mar 09, 2009 6:52:59 PM CDT
i didnt think shia was terrible in indy 4
by supercowbell4therequestformorecowbell
but i thought the monkeys, aliens, ants, continuous falling off waterfalls, gophers, villian, bad awful cg and climax were terrible. oh and the fridge scene.
-
movie.Spielberg and Lucas should be ashamed of it.that is,if they had a heart,instead of a wallet in its place..
-
More like Must-Read of the year!!
-
that part of Raiders always bugged me as a kid. They never explained how Indy was able to survive on the Nazi U-boat to the Greek Isle. Apparently, he hangs on to the periscope and the sub never fully submerges.
-
ok the submarine,never goes deep into the see,but it doesnt do this.
at that time,the mediteranean sea wasnt a very safe place,to just travel in the open see like that. -
but it doesnt do this.= why does it do this?
-
Whats wrong with you guys. It was a great movie captured the period very well and did everything that could be expected of it. Ford showed he will always be Indy. Some of Ford's acting could have been filmed with Indy3 if he had dyed his hair (Spielberg asked Ford to dye his hair but he refused!). Most of the things people bitch about in Indy4 were Spielberg's ideas not Lucas's!! The monkeys, shia & the fridge were all pure Spielberg not Lucas at all. Indy4 was also the biggest worldwide movie last year outside the US it was no1 and bigger than TDK as international audiences are less critical.
-
BUGS!
-
So the original idea for the Arc was that it's power came from or was a 'radio antenna' to one of "Eric Von Danken's Flying Saucers". Heh... heh... heh...
-
was that the story wasnt told right.personally i didnt have problem with the aliens,the ants,even shia.after all indy is a pulp fiction hero.
the problem with the movie,was that it didnt tell the story well.it had good ideas but they werent incorporated very well into the story.too many characters,too many unnessecary scenes,the plot was nonexistent,etc etc
i wish lucas had chosen daramonts script,instead of his own.it was way better. -
The better it gets. Seen it 3 times now and each time I've enjoyed it a little more. I'll concede the fridge and monkey swing orgy were lame and Mac's character sould have been fleshed out more, but the rest is pure Indy. And by "pure Indy," I mean a giant fuckload of adventurous fun.
-
Mar 09, 2009 7:32:51 PM CDT
Lucas= Great Set Pieces, Spielberg=Comic relief, Kasdan=Characte
by cenobite
That's what I'm getting out of this. These 3 guys help balance out each other perfectly. Lucas has some of the amazing set pieces and ideas, however he isn't always on the money with character development. Kasdan always pulls out some great character ideas. And Spielberg? Wow, he's just "out there" with some goofy ideas. Now I can see why SW:EP 1-3 were just a series of brilliant set pieces w/o any good character development, or how Indy 4 had so many goofy elements.
-
The problem is the purists and fanboys who pull a story out of their ass.
-
i dont think so...
-
Things were different back last century!
-
"See guys! I had ideas! It wasn't always about Jar Jar Binks and Little Annie!"
-
"Look guys! It wasn't always about Jar Jar Binks and Little Annie! You see!"
-
I think they must have received a 'seize and desist' from Lucasfilm.
-
I dont understand the hate for whats easily the best of the indy sequels (imo)...so much so it gets ignored by the oscars (shouldnt it have been been at least nomiated for FX? - the saucer coming out the ground looked amazing) and gets a razzie for worst sequel!
As a total SF/indy/50s/movie geek i consider it the 2nd best indy film after Raiders (nothing can top Raiders as its a classic..but id put Skull before Crusade then Doom) loved that it was sci fi and set in the 50s as a throw back to all those great alien 'b' movies of the time...plus all the 50s stuff as i love that era - Elvis opening, Brando Wild One homage, the diner, red/commie paranoia, the bomb, Soviet villians etc etc....plus all the homages to the previous Indys - The Ark, Michaelson, Connery pic, etc...as well as homages to previous movies in the cast/crew resume - Fords white T shirt interrogation, 'knife to a gunfight' (ok thats connery but he was sorta in this spiritually), the diner fight and chase in the streets (maybe the fridge escape was another BTTF 'homage' for the ubergeeks), aliens with elongated heads messing up John Hurt again...
The Area 51/Doom Town opening was great (the way indy and the Pat Roach replacement crash onto that jet engine and the red digital countdown starts before blasting out really brought home that Indy was being blasted into the 'modern' age - this is not the 30s anymore....plus in the house with all the mannaquins was really eerie - like something out of Twilight Zone) and the last 20 minutes or so from the nicely gruesome ant attack when they get into the caves was classic Indy and had me on the edge of my seat - it was totally mysterious and near Twilight Zonesque (on a massive epic scale)..i know other films have done the whole chariot of the gods stuff (AvP for one) but the way they did it with this was just flawless - the paintings on the walls 'someone came...', the massive hidden 'landing site' with the strange looking obelisk (revealed at the end to be the center of the saucer), the weird otherworldly way the doors to 'the room' opened, the williams music in those scenes (was that the WOTW tripod music when they are figuring out the obelisk?), the sinister look and feel of the skeletons, indys fear (nice star wars line), the way the room broke away to reveal the metallic underneath, the soviets being sucked into the other dimention along with Blancetts disintergration (they may have helped the mayans with knowledge but they were not ET/CE3K friendly!!) .....and then the final reveal of the 1950s style Flying Saucer thats been buried underground for THOUSANDS of years ('Thing From Another World' homage?)...coming up from under all that luscious green in the middle of the uncharted jungle (another iconic Indy image along with the mushroom cloud at the start)...then the boulders crashing down with bombastic Williams score 'like a broom to their footsteps' (the score when it starts to break out was like something out of 2001).... it was all pretty unnerving and tapped into the imagination like the last 20 mins or so of Raiders.
If i have any criticisms of it its only this - maybe the fact it was aliens (yeah yeah I know 'inter dimensional beings'…theyre still aliens) should have remained a little more ambiguous until the last scenes in 'the room' (like they did with the ark in Raiders - we werent sure it was totally genuine until the end lid lift)…what with the Roswell charred remains revealed in the campsite....but then again it could be argued that Indys scepticism of it being aliens remained until right at the end and that rubbed off on the audience…and it wasn't exactly 100% clear that it was aliens until the end.
IMO people that hate on indy 4 due to the CG gophers/monkeys, nuked fridge etc are sort of missing the bigger picture - it managed to tap into the imagination, building up to an awesome exposition filled finale in a similar way to Raiders and Crusade (Doom with its fairly uninteresting Shankara Stones was always abit more of an action movie finale)......and in a way i kinda like that the majority consider it a major disappointment and worship TDK instead...it makes Skull feel abit more special for those who really liked it...
ok coherent rant over...back to the mothfocking good times -
they should have made that into a movie.great story,and surely it has influenced some story elements like the aliens in the indy 4 movie.
-
Yeah that was a frickin great game! It really captured everything about the Indy movies...if they do make another movie I'd like to see them adapt Fate of Atlantis...
-
Thing that happened on this site EVAR! this tops BALE!!! omg omg omg! okay calm down man, calm the hell down. THIS IS AWESOME STUFF!!! NOW I CAN DIE HAPPY!
-
The History Channel had another fun documentary riffing on Chariots of the Gods over the weekend. Däniken's crazy-eyed enthusiasm paired with the subject matter seems readymade for biopic territory, maybe with a plumped-up Tarantino or Randy Quaid/Cousin Eddie doing the Swiss accent bit...uh, anyway- thanks for the transcript!!!
-
its a shame Indy 4 wasnt made 10 years ago in 1997/98 (Lucas couldve still worked on it as well as his SW prequels like he did with Indy and SW in the early 80s)...as although he both pulled it off no problem, if it had been around then Ford wouldve looked good in his mid 50s with the brown hair (Air Force One, Devils Own)
plus if it had come out then, maybe it would set them off on making more (like there is talk of Indy 5 now...but imo its very unlikly due to Fords age) and wed all have the 2 Indy trilogies on our dvd shelves by now.....e.g. Indy 4 in 98...Indy 5 in 2003 (Atlantis?)...Indy 6 = 2008 (hell hole of siberia? spear of destiny?)...in fact maybe they wouldnt have had to do 'Skull' in 98 as there was alot of alien films out around then - ID4, X Files, Mars Attacks, MiB etc...but then again maybe that wouldve been an ideal time to release it...
im sure Ford wouldve much prefered to do some Indys over duds like Devils Own in 97 (an IRA thriller..yeeeeah always a sure fire thing) ...and K19/Hollywood Homicide in 2002/03....plus i bet Spielberg wouldve prefered doing some extra Indy instead of misfires like Lost World/Amistad (1997/98)...and AI (2001)
also Perhaps doing Indys throughout the late 90s/early 00s wouldve prevented Lucas from being too hands on/having too much control on the SW prequels as well...so maybe he wouldnt have directed Episodes 2 and 3 (or even Ep 1) like what happened with the original trilogy..and as a result maybe the likes of Fincher or Scott or Cameron or Jackson could have directed...even Spielberg if he could have managed doing SW and Indys back to back (hes done the one/two punch a few times - JP/Schindlers..Lost World/Amistad...WOTW/Munich)...im fairly certain any big name director would jumped at the chance to direct one of the films thats a prequel to the film that they pretty much owe their careers too (just watch the doc on the SW boxset where the likes of Cameron and Jackson state that it was watching the 1977 SW that made them want to get into film making) -
any mention of atlantis from now on must only refer to the Atlantis in the stargate franchise, which still is floating somewhere in san fransisco as we speak.
-
a young Michael Bay pops in every 5-6 pages to say: 'Booooring!"
-
...making a 120 minute script is obviously whoever transcribed it miss-hearing 'six' scenes.
-
u are right damn i double posted.
-
...Snake As Rope. But this transcript is solid gold!
-
A young Michael Bay was workin on the first indiana movie,dont remember what exactly,but in an interview Bay said that when he read the story for the first time,he thought that it was boring and the movie woulbe be a failure. !!
-
When I tried to download PDF it deployed malware on my computer and now I have to take the time to wipe all the crap out. Thanks AICN!!!!
-
=dont remember what exactly he was doing,maybe making storyboards or something..
-
are u stupid? malware?
-
you guys just dont know it yet,
-
Who the hell thought that was a good idea?
-
um, I don't think so, diox. I followed the link in the article above, went to download the pdf, and whaddayaknow, SpywareProtect 2009 deployed on my computer, and shut down my firewall. stupid, no, pissed, yes.
-
Submarines in that era didn't just travel around under water. I couldn't say exactly what the ratio was, but they spent most of the time on the surface.
-
your computer is still on George W Bush mode. go to My Computer and go to control Panel then go to Administration tools...then type Barack Obama and press enter then reboot. your computer now will be adjusted to Obama mode.
-
Mar 09, 2009 9:40:53 PM CDT
dioxholster - your head needs to be removed from your ....
by vladvampire
go to the garage, find a powersaw and apply it to 1) your computer and then 2) to your head...it shall expel the demons...unless you are using the computers at the public library to access this site.
-
This transcript confirms that they work well together because Lucas is a strategist, Spielberg the tactician. Lucas is more of an ideas man, Spielberg more of an execution man. For instance, Spielberg chiming in about more tarantulas appearing after the guy walks through another set of shadows - he's visualizing very specifically, whereas Lucas is almost theoretical in his conceptualizing. It's interesting stuff. It seems like Lucas was a real visionary, an imaginative genius of sorts. He's so FOCUSED here. Spielberg on the other hand doesn't show his genius till he's actually behind the camera or storyboarding, engaged in the actual act of telling the story to the audience.
-
nice analysis there
-
if thats the thanks i get for trying to help then i rather not have helped at all. good day sir. oh and i fucked ur mom yesterday and she likey.
-
Probably the ripping out of hearts was inspired by Marcia Lucas.
-
dang, you necrophiliac! I wondered who dug up her grave!
-
Mar 09, 2009 10:03:21 PM CDT
love this... it's easy to see how Temple of doom got made too
by murdermostfowl
there are so many parts of temple of doom in here too that they cut out for obvious reasons but still wanted them in there somewhere. Weird that growing up I always thought Spielberg was the one with the cinematic genius here, and reading these notes it's clearly Lucas and Kasdan
-
Whatever you might think about George Lucas nowdays, he was a genius in that transcript. Some people think he was always a hack, only good at one thing: surrounding himself with talented people.
I always thought it was stupid to say that... -
Mar 09, 2009 10:30:07 PM CDT
If GL likes sarcasm, he'd loved some of his recent press ...
by chris wood
... but it's great to see the thinking (some of it) behind such a great film. I'd give him a Nobel Prize for Awesomeness if I could.
Chris Wood
Author, "Sherlock Holmes and the Underpants of Death" -
but then he became a businessman to sell technology and toys.damn.
remember lucasarts? monkey island? full throttle? now we only get star wars games and nothing else.thats what changed. -
He created ILM, Skywalker Sound, etc. Other people use his shit. Why don't they do their own shit?
-
We're still talking about Raiders of the Lost Ark?
-
Is how all of the 'screenwriting lessons' would be completely IGNORED by Lucas in fashioning EP1, particularly that bit about the 'approach to exposition'. Seriously, point-by-point, you can see everything Lucas DIDN'T do on the prequel trilogy.
-
Yeah, I'll definitely be studying this as Raiders is my number one. Ah, the good old days when GL and SS were still hungry and at the top of their game.
-
Yet, you all saw each one of them and probably own all of the DVDs, so who cares?
-
And didn't see the last two via torrents. So STFU.
-
Fuck it, I'm drunk.
-
Mar 10, 2009 12:24:06 AM CDT
Lawrence Kasdan is the true genius behind the Indiana Jones char
by the ghost of marcus brody
-
Beaks your level of awareness and the resulting hype is pretty bad. This is nothing new. I was aware of the existence of this transcrpt for a few years now, from when it was first mentioned on the SpielbergFilms messageboard (which is now, sadly gone). From what I recall, the site's moderator Steven Avalt was contacted by a very knowledgeble and connected insider who had a wealth of material some of which he shared with Steven and us. This was one of the things that were mentioned at least 4 years ago and I got to read a few pages. Yes, it is unnoficial and, too be honest no one, not even that person was really sure if it was 100% legit and untempered with (in fact it is mainly for those doubts that he was unwilling to share the whole thing - as I recall this was not something he gotten through his usual channels but in fact bought, which also implies that other people had it). Still, if in fact, real, what you see is a VERY, very, very early conversation as lots of ideas where bounced around and evaluated it the open. Keep that in mind before you get too judmental. The actual film wouldn't happen for many years and so there was plenty of time before them to compromise and decide what worked and what didn't. The result, of course was perfect.
-
Man, I had written the guy off, but reading this, he is so damn dead on with everything. In fact, Spielberg is the one who keeps throwing stupid goofy ideas into the thing.
You could almost swear the transcriber got the two names mixed up or something. Whatever you think of the guy now, this document is a revelation. -
S: "You know what it could be, I have a great idea. He hears the sand...when he goes into the cave, it's not straight. The whole thing is on an incline on the way in. He hears this, grabs the thing, comes to a corridor. There is a sixty-five foot boulder that's form-fitted to only roll down the corridor coming right at him. And it's a race. He gets to outrun the boulder. It then comes to rest and blocks the entrance to the cave. Nobody will ever come in again. This boulder is the size of a house.
-
That's just...weird, Speilberg actually had to talk UP the age to 15, the initial idea was for the affair to be when she was 11? That's just a big...huh?
-
episode 1 is awful. episode 2 has some terrible acting but good action. probably a turn your brain off movie. i liked it though. but one was just garbage.
-
"11 year olds, Dude."
Dreamwriter has it right, though. There are comments above about bad Spielberg ideas, but he came up with the fuckin' boulder, so suck it! And the problem with Indy IV? They didn't have a session like this! No bullshit detectors on full blast. -
Episode 3 has some great action, but its ruined by constantly cutting away (mid action-scene, so you can't build any fucking momentum) to horrible dialog scenes. It also completley botches vader's origin story, making him out to be a total pussy.
2 is actually a pretty damn solid movie, if you cut out the 20 minute bullshit romance. The plot is pretty focused, a good mystery storyline, and the last hour is non-stop battle. -
Seriously, how did this truly creative and talented director who made thx1138, American Graffiti, Star wars all back to back. And was hugely responsible for esb. How could this guy become such a misguided director, with no sense of passion or artistry anymore.
The lucas that existed is really no more, and I for one think its damn sad :(
OR at least it might be if Lucas had any real idea of just how far he has fallen. Even damaging his own legacy. But as everyone says, this proves just how great the man used to be....He may as well have died, becos that dude you see on the prequal triliogy dvd extra features aint him.. -
Uh, the last scene in the movie would disagree with you.
-
When she hit the bricks..everything Lucas was was destroyed. She killed his creativity, his sensibility, and in fact killed his passion for life. He crawled into a fetal position, locked himself away up in Marin with his kids, and just stopped giving a fuck about anything. THAT'S what happened..when the ex went she took his fucking soul...now he is a bitter, spiteful, half a man...who blames the success, the movies and the fans for driving her away. I truly believe he now intentionally makes bad movies as a way to hurt the very people, namely us, he ultimately blames for his failed marriage.
-
but the one we deserve.
-
might be a "Joke" at 11, but you have to remember...in the 1930s MANY women were married by 16. Indy being a young professor and having an affair with a young woman of 16 wouldn't raise many eyebrows, nor should it. Today Chris Hansen would make sure Indy would be doing 5-10...savior of the world or not.
-
Ew on that, Attack of the Clones in my opinion is far and wide the WORST Star Wars film. Even beating out The Clone Wars. Nothing happned in that movie worth mentioning, the plot was muddled and boring, anakin was terribly annoying, and the whole thing was just a massive snoozefest. The only good segment was Obi-Wan vs Jango, in fact Obi-wan is really the only character I cared about during the prequels. If ya ask me Episode 1 was the best of them, at least that movie had an identity and cohesive narrative. Attack of the Clones and RotS was just Lucas TRYING to do fanservice.
-
Now we'll get into their minds once and for all!
-
Bale in this transcript
-
Tomorrow I will delve.
-
"G — They're the third world local sleazos. Whether, they're
Mexicans or Arabs or whatever. " Too fuckin right, George. -
you are a fucking pedophile, this ain't the goddamn 30s, we got iPhones and they're selling sandwiches at Dominos now.
-
They could maybe get some crusty old dude for the part, like, say Harrison Ford or Tom Selleck. Sorry what fucking time have I just landed in???????????????????
-
that guy rules. i feel nostalgic now
-
go back to ur time you stupid hippie!
-
What the hell man? There's not much tolerance for racism on this talkback. So calm down with that bull shit.
-
Regardless of what some dumbasses think of him being racist. It's obvious he had a real passion for the story here. It's refreshing seeing a director (if only on paper) get so caught up in the whole writing process. I just wish more directors today spent so much effort and time on their movies.
-
I almost agree with you on Episode II. But I liked slightly more than one. I like Episode I more as time goes on, but it's still too childish for me. Kid Anakin is dumb and Jar Jar just bothers me. 3 may still have a pretty obnoxious Anakin and some especially shitty dialogue, but Obi Wan is at his best in that chapter. Finally seeing Mustafar and their penulitmate battle was a nuts moment for me. Just an amazing experience. The only part that made it cooler was the Yoda/Palpatine fight was going on at the same time. Also, the opening with the Gunship battle was our chance to see how good Lucas could do a really epic space battle. The opening shot with those two battleships and the war drums booming was just as good as any of the other opening shots. I'm just saying, give it another try. It has its moments.
-
Did have an awesome space battle. I'll give you that. It still pisses me off at the lack of space battles in the prequels. And Obi-Wan is at his best in EP3, but I preferred the lightsaber fight in EP1, in fact it's what makes me think EP1 has the edge over all the others. It was choreographed to fucking perfection, and its tension rivaled that of the mustafar fight. I know it wasn't the BIG BIG showdown, but building up Darth Maul as such a silent yet deadly assassin, than seeing him appear behind the doors ready to kick some ass. Just a perfect set-up. The lightsaber fight also didn't overstay its welcome, which is something EP2 and ESPECIALLY EP3 are guilty of.
-
Darth Vader was a pussy.yeah he was
as cool as fuck and emitted scariness and evilness,but its the actions that define a person,and in this case the badness of a villain.
Lets get the vader of the original trilogy.
he didnt kill his former elderly master.instead the old guy let vader kill him.
most of the time he was using his powers on normal, defendless people.if i was superman,and kept killing normal people with my fists,would that made me badass? maybe a psychopath,but not badass.
he failed to protect the death star.
he fought an inexperienced,young boy,but even he managed to escape from vader at the end..
his father emerged,and became good.
the second time he fought luke,he got his ass owned by his ownson.ok luke might have been younger and healthier than him,and more experienced since their first encounter,but he still didnt have
and then we have the vader of the prequel trilogy.ok he is not yet the vader we know,but he is the person behind the mask who fell into the dark side of the force.
anakin killed a pregnat woman.
anakin killed kids,yeah kids.
anakin chopped the hand of the pimp jedi while the latter was facing the big bad future emperor.
he killed some average thugs using his jedi skills.
he got owned by an old guy,count dooku
he faced his master and his ass got burned for it.
if u sum up,u ll see that vader most of the time was killing average people who couldnt withstand in any way his force powers,but when his opponents were at least worthy,most of the time his ass got kicked.
yeah vader was veeeery badass.... -
S: Two-Face, Georgie. Two-Face.
-
a lifetimes experience and not yet part of the dark force.
-
it's right there in the fuckin thing and all!
-
We really do never see Vader kick the ass of an equal rival, save for a little whipping he gave Luke in ESB, and for the most part it seemed Obi-Wan was in steady control their whole showdown. Maybe that was the problem with Vader in the PT. We heard talk about how great and majestic a warrior he was, yet all we saw was sulking and him getting schooled by Renton.
-
S -- ...there is no way in hell that that would ever fly. I don't care if this thing goes for four or five films, we should never resort to that kind of tom-foolery...
-
Darth Maul vs. Qui Gon and Obi Wan at the end of Episode I is easily a tie with Empire's Darth. vs. Luke as best lightsaber batle. While Empire's is far more personal and dramatic, the Maul fight really is pretty perfect. It's one of the best examples I have ever seen of characterizations happening as the fight progresses. We learn more about those three in that fight than we do in the whole rest of the movie. All the little touches, like Maul using his force powers to open the doors, and of course the force field part, it's all just really well thought out and executed. And you're right too about 3. Those fights were a bit too numerous and overly long. And Sam ("Get these mothafuckin snakes off this mothafuckin plane") Jackson vs. Sneering Face Emperor was just goofy as all hell.
-
I knew that when I posted earlier. I just kinda doubt he meant it in a racist way. It's possible though. There are just a lot of stereotypical characters like that in old serials though. I seriously doubt he was talking about the current contemporary crisis. More like he was trying to consider the type of people that mostly appear in the two primary settings of Raiders. You were the one drawing racist connections. George was talking about the iconic opening scene of the movie and the several scenes that are in Cairo in Raiders.
-
she ruined the guy, he had to start from scratch after she took half hes stuff. women man they are a menace i tell you.
-
coz that conversation was private. plus hollywood at that time talked like that. and arabs like that shit anyway, they love indy.
-
I'd much rather pop that in the DVD player than the overlong and tedious Dark Knight. Swinging CGI monkeys aren't as cringe worthy as Maggie Gylenhall's face.
-
I swear that was in the original Raiders novelization, the same one that has the scene where the old Egyptian who reads the inscription on the amulet of Ra and then gives Indy a warning that if he looks at the ark when it is open, he will die.
-
I've been coming to AICN for just about ten years now... I've written a movie that was reviewed here, posted a million talkbacks, and I just gotta say, it's little nuggets like this that keep me coming back. Thanks man.
-
Appreciate you bringing this to us. This transcript is inspiring stuff.
-
I rememebr ebay selling this thing for uber amount of money. After reading this I can see why. These are the greatest minds of filmmakers of out time. To get a glimpse at how they think is a gem. My advice to writers who tackle writing chores for Indiana Jones material should read this. Very, very informative and educational. Thank you AICN and Mystery Man on film for this discovery. Thank you Thank you.
-
when was it on ebay? and i know where you live now asshole.
-
Raiders was not even that good of a movie...it was like a solid 8 out of 10.
-
and most others.
-
The past is a foreign country. Those kind of relationships were being explored in film at the time. It was pushing limits, seeing how far the sexual revolution would extend. Films weren't trying to condone abuse, they were trying (often naively) to suggest that youth are more competant in making these decisions than they are given credit for. The 1980s saw a backlash toward the other extreme.
-
that any true Raiders fan didn't already know.
What I'd like to see is a transcript of the meetings where they discussed KOTCS. Because I'd really like to know what the hell they were thinking on that. -
Really enjoy gems like this when they pop up.
-
thanks!
-
nonsense im a huge "TRUE" raiders fan since day one and there TONS of little things in here that NO ONE KNEW until this transcript. u so negative.
-
steven wanted indy to knock off some guys belt with the whip so his pants fell down? no you didnt!
-
maybe 12/10
-
As a drama it's laughable, but as an equally cheesey melodrama it's a laugh riot.
-
berg isn't the one with the goofy ideas. Lucas didn't have anything to do with Hook or the Lost World, and there are far worse things in those films than any of the prequels of KOTCS.
-
That's a bigger cinematic disgrace than Jar Jar.
-
KOTCS is underrated and TDK is overrated. Accept it.
-
He even tries to pretend Spielberg is down with the Flying Saucer angle, to get him to just go along with him on it ..
Lucas: We have one of these 'In Search of the Lost Ark' things. I think, also, you've been describing this to people as a science fiction film, which is good.
Spielberg: I have not
Lucas: It's in Rolling Stone. Anyway .... -
I seem to remember in that, the Han / Greedo scene in Ep. IV originally saw Greedo pound down on Han with a big ass cyber-sword, cutting through the table and narrowly shaving his 70's sideburns. A fight ensues in which that dude with the hole in the top of his head from the Holiday Special gets caught in the fracas. Shit man, he gets pushed over and spills his head/drink all over Beatrice Arthur (I think thats why he gives her the flowers in Holiday Special). Anyway, turns out that on the day Ford was suffering from a hangover after a wild night on the town with Jefferson Starship. Lucas said "fuck it, just shoot him".
-
But, TDK was the better movie.
-
The reason Indy shot the swordsman was because Harrison Ford wasn't feeling well that day, and Ford told Speolberg Indy would just shoot the guy, so that's what they did. They even worked on a huge sword/whip fight, that is seen on an old Raiders special.
-
Fact.
-
Quote: "Crystal Skull had better reviews than TDK did."Uh...what planet are you living on?
-
..but didn't Lucas used to drive around in his 4x4 with his dog, Indiana, in the passengers seat? I think that's where he got the idea for Daggit the Muffit II.
-
stick to Lost talkbacks.
You're out of your element, Donnie! -
...that reading this was just about as good as eating a t-bone steak and getting a blow-job while driving a Ferarri away from a hoard of giant robots hellbent on TOTAL FUCKING DESTRUCTION!!!!!!
-
Fact
-
Yeah. That guy should be allowed to direct more movies.
-
Here is their TDK review and I have to say, it sounds like you're making shit up. But considering how easily rexborsky's post confused you, that's hardly surprising. http://tinyurl.com/bhmaj3
-
Can't believe he took the time to defend TDK. Ass kisser.
-
You really, really, really are a stupid, stupid, stupid person.Got anymore bullshit you want to post today?
-
Why do you do that? You don't even know who I am. Douche.
-
It's that simple really. Nothing more; nothing less. So, if you can't take the heat, get your ass out of the kitchen.
-
lucas- I think basically he's very cynical about the whole
thing. Maybe he thinks that most archeologists are just
full of shit, and that somebody's going to rip this stuff
off anyway. Better that he rips it off and gets it to
a museum where people, can study it, and rip it off right.
That's the key.also. He knows how to enter a tomb
without destroying it. He knows what's important. He
knows not to go in there like a bull in a china shop,
and destroy half the stuff that's valuable. -
ripping off other movies, and you can see that lucas is clearly talking about himself without even knowing it. thats fucking fascinating.
-
Give me a break.
-
that the moment you start seeing 14 year olds as poontang, you're finished, outta the game, license revoked. you just have no business being a teacher if you're going to be thinking about a 14 year old giving blowjobs. The nerve of George Fuckin Lucas, well I'm just glad to know that Howard the Duck didn't chase no 11 year old beaver.
-
Uhhh...not sure what that has to do with anything other than the fact that you're basically admitting that you posted some bullshit and then when someone calls you on it, you proclaim that they're picking a fight with you. WOW. Got ya. Dumbass.Aren't you glad you came back, skywalkerfamily?Ha!
-
Yawn.
-
I remember an interview with GL saying how many people objected to their being a man in the Vader suit at all. Like was supposed to be an evil robot or a alien monster or something. I think for a lot of people that's still the case and a big reason why the didn't like the prequels. Seeing the ultimate "badass" Vader stripped down to his impetuous, whiney HUMAN self is something people can't accept at a fundamental level (even if the script had been flawless). For me I thought Anakin's reason for ultimately turning was interesting and even surprising--he wants to do good at any cost and in turn becomes evil. Kinda brilliant if you ask me.
-
...that fucked up trainwreck. It wasn't as annoying as the other two, but still far away from being even remotely a good film. Fuck Luca$h. Seriously.
-
heh heh.
-
But Indiana Jones sure did statutory rape that Marion chick.
-
Have you noticed that they keep referencing not REAL LIFE people, but FICTIONAL characters. Well, that rings completely true, because there was always something a little META about Raiders. Now, in STAR WARS we all love Han Solo more than Luke, but Luke is an important heart of the film because he really fucking cares. He has a lot to win, and a lot to lose. Whereas Han (and Indy) are both loveable rogues; survivors. Look, I ADORE the Indy films, but they were never stories that took over my imagination - like the first Star Wars films undoubtedly were.
-
you win an internet
-
"S -- at some point in the movie he must use it to get a girl back who's walking out of the room. Wrap her up and she twirls as he pulls her back. she spins into his arms." Spielberg likey tha whip! he he
-
Spielberg's future wife ironically.
-
Orcus saw a draft for Raiders. That's not it is it?
-
that was pretty damn fucking cool, although I can't help but feel that I've just ridden a dark ride with the lights on if you know what I mean, also Spielberg does come off as a bit of a horndog (which means he was allot like me he he)
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- To Commemorate The 3D Release Of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, George Lucas Wants You To Know...Greedo Shoots First!! -- 339 total posts 339 posts
- SPACE 2099!! -- 141 total posts 141 posts
- Quint travels to Barsoom and visits the John Carter set!!! -- 116 total posts 116 posts
- Crom! Grant The Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day revenge! And if you do not listen, den to Hell witchu! -- 67 total posts 67 posts
- The Sensorties Revisit The Friday Docback (And Still Smell)!! DOCTOR WHO Story #7 Again, The Coming Of Season/Series 7, And More!! -- 51 total posts 51 posts
- Friday Brings SWEEPS DAY NINE!! Gab Here About Tonight’s FRINGE!! Plus Einstein on TIM, Wiig On PORTLANDIA, MAHER, CLONE, GIFTED, GRIMM, SPARTACUS, SUPERNATURAL, GOLD RUSH And More!! -- 65 total posts 50 posts
- Rest In Peace Bethesda’s Adam Adamowicz -- 45 total posts 45 posts
- SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD is something I'm very anxious to see! -- 43 total posts 43 posts
- Capone found nothing mysterious or good about JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND!!! -- 40 total posts 40 posts
- OK. So Harrison Ford Isn't In Talks For The New BLADE RUNNER. But... -- 145 total posts 39 posts