Steve Silberman writes to point me to his Wired cover story on a post-Star Wars George Lucas (Steve probably found me while researching Lucas’s connection to obscure Canadian filmmaker Arthur Lipsett). It features quotes from the world’s greatest living editor, Walter Murch:
“For me, those films pummel you into submission,” Murch says. “You say, OK, OK, there are 20,000 robots walking across the field. If you told me a 14-year-old had done them on his home computer, I would get very excited, but if you tell me it’s George Lucas – with all of the resources available to him – I know it’s amazing, but I don’t feel it’s amazing. I think if George were here and we could wrestle him onto the carpet, he’d say, ‘Yeah, I’ve gotten into that box, and now I want to get out of that box.'”
I really hope Lucas branches out, now that he’s spent twenty-five years in the limelight.
If you’re interested in the profession of film editor, read The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film. It’s a great series of interviews with Murch conducted by Michael Ondaatje. Reading it changed the way I watch movies.
DarrenBarefoot.com 
also recommended with other Murch-worthy info is a book called ‘In the Blink of an Eye’ which looks into the phenomenon of blinking and how it helps us take in an edit point. Has some great insight on a few things and taught me a lot as well.
side note: we’re going to Istanbul!
With all the hullabaloo of the newest episode, I’ve been trying to gauge Luca’s contribution to the film industry and, well, as a director, he’s pretty much a dud.
As a producer – wow, great stuff.
As a special effects and movie technologist – wow, great stuff.
As a director? Let’s see – THX – a brainy film, as I remember it; American Grafitti – a basic 50s adulation film; Star Wars – 6 films in 30 years – ok, so they are fine movies, but really, only the first one was a landmark, the others were derivative, way too derivative.
(no flames please)
For comparison, look at Speilberg, a colleage and contemporary. Stevie kicks ass.