"in September 1998, and once more as a double feature with ""More American Graffiti"" (1979) in January 2004. Aside from the four minutes originally deleted from Lucas' original cut retained, the only major change in the DVD version is the main title sequence, particularly the sky background to Mel's Drive-In, which was redone by ILM. Universal released the film on Blu-ray with a new digitally remastered picture supervised by George Lucas on May 31, 2011. ""American Graffiti"" received widespread critical acclaim. Based on 43 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, 95% of the critics enjoyed the film with an average score"
"""Easy Rider"" (1969), ""American Graffiti"" was one of the first films to eschew a traditional film score and successfully rely instead on synchronizing a series of popular hit songs with individual scenes. ""THX 1138"" was released in March 1971, and Lucas was offered opportunities to direct ""Lady Ice"", ""Tommy"", or ""Hair"". He turned down those offers, determined to pursue his own projects despite his urgent desire to find another film to direct. During this time, Lucas conceived the idea for a space opera (as yet untitled) which later became the basis for his ""Star Wars"" franchise. At the 1971 Cannes"
"THX 1138 THX 1138 is a 1971 American science fiction film set in a dystopian future in which the populace is controlled through android police and mandatory use of drugs that suppress emotions. It was directed by George Lucas in his feature film directorial debut in 1971. Produced by Francis Ford Coppola and written by Lucas and Walter Murch, it stars Robert Duvall and Donald Pleasence. ""THX 1138"" was developed from Lucas's student film """", which he made in 1967 while attending the USC School of Cinematic Arts. The feature film was produced in a joint venture between Warner Bros."
"Rafael. After the arrival of George Lucas in San Rafael in 1970 to film the movie ""THX 1138"", the city became a center for the entertainment industry, particularly the high-tech elements of the business. Lucasfilm was founded by George Lucas in 1971, and is best known for the global hit movie series ""Star Wars"" and also for ""Indiana Jones"". Some of the company's operations were moved to San Francisco in 2005. Portions of the Universal movie production ""American Graffiti"" were filmed in downtown San Rafael under George Lucas's direction, and portions of ""THX 1138"" were shot at the Marin County"
"the post-production of ""THX 1138""), the filmmaker decided to continue developing ""Another Quiet Night in Modesto"", eventually changing its title to ""American Graffiti"". To co-write a 15-page film treatment, Lucas hired Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, who also added semiautobiographical material to the story. Lucas and producer Gary Kurtz began pitching the ""American Graffiti"" treatment to various Hollywood studios and production companies in an attempt to secure the financing needed to expand it into a screenplay, but they were unsuccessful. The potential financiers were concerned that music licensing costs would cause the film to go way over budget. Along with"
"was seen and admired by Steven Spielberg, who had not previously met Lucas. It also came to notice of parts of the mainstream film industry, such as Los Angeles Times film critic Charles Champlin, and Ned Tanen, then a Universal Studios production executive, who was later involved with Lucas' ""American Graffiti"". In 1971, Lucas re-worked the short as a theatrical feature, ""THX 1138"". The last act of the feature-length ""THX 1138"" roughly corresponds with the events in this film. In the final scene, people are warned not to exit the underground city through the door, which allegedly leads to death."
"the time as a cinema graduate who had ""made it"" in Hollywood. In 1969, Lucas was one of the camera operators on the classic Rolling Stones concert film ""Gimme Shelter"". In 1969, Lucas co-founded the studio American Zoetrope with Coppola—whom he met during his internship at Warner Bros.—hoping to create a liberating environment for filmmakers to direct outside the perceived oppressive control of the Hollywood studio system. His first full-length feature film produced by the studio, ""THX 1138"", was not a success. Lucas then created his own company, Lucasfilm, Ltd., and directed the successful ""American Graffiti"" (1973). Lucas then set"
"idea. Instead, he elected to shoot ""American Graffiti"" using two cinematographers (as he had done in ""THX 1138"") and no formal director of photography. Two cameras were used simultaneously in scenes involving conversations between actors in different cars, which resulted in significant production time savings. After CinemaScope proved to be too expensive, Lucas decided ""American Graffiti"" should have a documentary-like feel, so he shot the film using Techniscope cameras. He believed that Techniscope, an inexpensive way of shooting on 35mm film and utilizing only half of the film's frame, would give a perfect widescreen format resembling 16mm. Adding to the"
"he met and became friends with George Lucas. Along with other film students such as Walter Murch, John Milius, and Howard Kazanjian, the group, known as The Dirty Dozen, went on to degrees of success in the film industry. In 1970, Barwood directed, wrote and produced the short film ""The Great Walled City of Xan"". His first film work was when he worked as animator in George Lucas' first theatrical feature film, the social science fiction film ""THX 1138"" starring Donald Pleasence and Robert Duvall. ""'THX 1138"" was released in 1971, but it received mixed reviews from critics and became"
"Film Festival, ""THX"" was chosen for the Directors' Fortnight competition. There, Lucas met David Picker, then president of United Artists, who was intrigued by ""American Graffiti"" and Lucas' space opera. Picker decided to give Lucas $10,000 to develop ""Graffiti"" as a screenplay. Lucas planned to spend another five weeks in Europe, and hoped that Huyck and Katz would agree to finish the screenplay by the time he returned, but they were about to start on their own film, ""Messiah of Evil"", so Lucas hired Richard Walter, a colleague from the USC School of Cinematic Arts for the job. Walter was"
"Jan D'Alquen and Ron Eveslage Jan D'Alquen and Ron Eveslage are American cinematographers best known for their work with film director George Lucas on the sleeper hit film, 1973's ""American Graffiti"". ""American Graffiti"" is a nostalgic portrait of teenage life in 1962 which spawned numerous imitations such as the TV series, ""Happy Days"", and films like ""The Lords of Flatbush"". The budget of ""American Graffiti"" was a mere $750,000 dollars, on a tight 28-day shooting schedule. Nonetheless, the film went on to gross more than $55 million, making it a blockbuster of its day. ""American Graffiti"" was shot entirely on"
"editor. Reflecting on the film's commercial failure, Marcia stated, ""I never cared for ""THX"" because it left me cold. When the studio didn't like the film, I wasn't surprised. But George just said to me, I was stupid and knew nothing. Because I was just a Valley Girl. He was the intellectual."" When principal photography had wrapped on ""American Graffiti"" (1973), George had wanted Marcia to edit the film, but Universal Pictures executive Ned Tanen insisted on hiring Verna Fields, who had just finished editing Steven Spielberg's ""The Sugarland Express"" (1974). However, Fields worked on the first rough cut of"
"of a single night. The genesis of ""American Graffiti"" was in Lucas' own teenage years in early 1960s Modesto. He was unsuccessful in pitching the concept to financiers and distributors, but found favor at Universal Pictures after United Artists, 20th Century Fox, Columbia Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Warner Bros., and Paramount Pictures turned him down. Filming was initially set to take place in San Rafael, California, but the production crew was denied permission to shoot beyond a second day. ""American Graffiti"" premiered August 2, 1973, at the Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland, and was released August 11, 1973 in the United"
"run over by one of the cars and then the crew would have to put out a five-alarm fire. Jan D'Alquen and Ron Eveslage Jan D'Alquen and Ron Eveslage are American cinematographers best known for their work with film director George Lucas on the sleeper hit film, 1973's ""American Graffiti"". ""American Graffiti"" is a nostalgic portrait of teenage life in 1962 which spawned numerous imitations such as the TV series, ""Happy Days"", and films like ""The Lords of Flatbush"". The budget of ""American Graffiti"" was a mere $750,000 dollars, on a tight 28-day shooting schedule. Nonetheless, the film went on"
"Lucas Director's Cut"" of ""THX 1138"" and later the Blu-ray release. Bald: The Making of THX 1138 Bald: The Making of THX 1138 is a short film directed by George Lucas and released in 1971 to promote his first feature-length film, ""THX 1138"", released the same year. The film features a conversation between Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola, producer of ""THX 1138"". They discuss Lucas' vision for the film, including his ideas about science fiction in general and in particular his concept of the ""used future"" which would famously feature in his film ""Star Wars"". Intercut with this discussion is"
"More American Graffiti More American Graffiti is a 1979 American coming-of-age comedy film written and directed by Bill L. Norton. It is the sequel to the 1973 film ""American Graffiti"". Whereas the first film followed a group of friends during the summer evening before they set off for college, this film shows where they end up a few years later. Most of the main cast members from the first film returned for the sequel, including Candy Clark, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Cindy Williams, Mackenzie Phillips, Charles Martin Smith, Bo Hopkins, and Harrison Ford. Richard Dreyfuss was the only principal"
"Lucas stating that it was ""the kind of movie I wanted to make — a very off the wall, abstract kind of film"". The cinematic-film strongly influenced Lucas in the aesthetic and style for the ""Star Wars"" movies, as well as a number of his other works, including ""American Graffiti"" and his pure cinema short 16mm movies ""6-18-67"", """", ""Look at Life"", his short motion picture """", and the feature movie it inspired, ""THX 1138"". Although Lucas never met Arthur Lipsett, who committed suicide in 1986, tributes to ""21-87"" appear throughout his work. For example, ""Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB"""
"subsequently edited Bogdanovich's final golden period film, ""Paper Moon"" (1973), as well as his less successful film ""Daisy Miller"" (1974). In 1967, Fields had hired George Lucas to help edit ""Journey to the Pacific"" (1968), which was a documentary film that she'd directed for the USIA. She had also hired Marcia Griffin for the job, and introduced Griffin and George Lucas; they subsequently married. In 1972, Lucas was directing ""American Graffiti"". While Lucas had intended that his wife would edit the film, Universal Studios asked him to add Verna Fields to the editing team. Over the first ten weeks of"
"Fields and Marcia Lucas were nominated for an Academy Award for Film Editing in 1974 for their work on ""American Graffiti""; while the film won no Academy Awards, Marcia Lucas, Murch, and Fields all won Academy Awards for later work. The commercial success of the film gave George Lucas the opportunity to direct his next film, ""Star Wars"". Fields edited Steven Spielberg's first major film, ""The Sugarland Express"" (1974). She became widely celebrated for her work as the film editor on Spielberg's next film, ""Jaws"" (1975), for which she won both the Academy Award for Film Editing and the American"
"""Earthquake"" (1973), and ""The Towering Inferno"" (1974). Their disaster plots and dialogue were B-grade at best; from an industry perspective, however, these were pictures firmly rooted in the tradition of star-stuffed extravaganzas like ""The Ten Commandments"" (1956) and ""Around the World in Eighty Days"" (1956). ""The Exorcist"" (1973) and, though not effects-driven, George Lucas's ""American Graffiti"" (1973) were the first serious steps in Hollywood's transformation into an industry built around high-budget B-themed movies. But the tidal shift in the majors' focus owed largely to the enormous success of three films: Steven Spielberg's creature feature ""Jaws"" (1975) and Lucas's space opera"
"Logan. ""Un-American Graffiti"" was written by Robert Hull and directed by John T. Kretchmer, marking Hull's second and final writing credit (after ""Show Me the Monkey"") and Kretchmer's fourteenth and final directing credit for the series. ""Un-American Graffiti"" introduces a romantic storyline between Mac (Tina Majorino) and Max (Adam Rose). Max had appeared in two previous episodes—as a suspect in ""Hi, Infidelity"" and as the main client in ""Poughkeepsie, Tramps and Thieves"". From the very beginning of his appearances, Max was planned to begin a romantic relationship with Mac. Rose was roommates with the other main love interest for her,"
"road movie ""Two Lane Blacktop"" (1971). He then began his hugely successful collaboration with George Lucas by producing Lucas' commercial breakthrough, the low-budget ""American Graffiti"" (1973), which went on to become one of the most profitable films of all time. Kurtz then produced, worked as a second-unit director, and played a major creative role in the first two ""Star Wars"" films, but the partnership ended acrimoniously in the interval between ""Empire"" and the third instalment of the series, ""Return of the Jedi"", when Lucas and Kurtz fell out over the creative and commercial direction of the franchise. Following the acrimonious"
"Bald: The Making of THX 1138 Bald: The Making of THX 1138 is a short film directed by George Lucas and released in 1971 to promote his first feature-length film, ""THX 1138"", released the same year. The film features a conversation between Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola, producer of ""THX 1138"". They discuss Lucas' vision for the film, including his ideas about science fiction in general and in particular his concept of the ""used future"" which would famously feature in his film ""Star Wars"". Intercut with this discussion is footage shot prior to the start of production of ""THX 1138"""
"seen as a stage hand in ""Valley of the Dolls"" (1967), in which he had a few lines. In 1973 he starred in the CBS pilot ""Catch-22"". He appeared in the subsequent ""Dillinger"", and landed a role in the 1973 hit ""American Graffiti"", acting with other future stars such as Harrison Ford and Ron Howard. Dreyfuss played his first lead role in the Canadian film ""The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz"" (1974), receiving positive reviews, including praise from Pauline Kael. Dreyfuss went on to star in the box office blockbusters ""Jaws"" (1975) and ""Close Encounters of the Third Kind"" (1977), both"
"(1970), ""THX 1138"" (1971), ""Joe Kidd"" (1972), ""The Godfather"" (1972), ""The Godfather Part II"" (1974), ""The Conversation"" (1974), ""Network"" (1976), ""Apocalypse Now"" (1979), ""The Great Santini"" (1979), ""The Natural"" (1984), ""Lonesome Dove"" (1989), ""The Handmaid's Tale"" (1990), ""Days of Thunder"" (1990), ""Rambling Rose"" (1991), and ""Falling Down"" (1993). Duvall began appearing in theatre during the late 1950s, moving into television and film roles during the early 1960s, playing Boo Radley in ""To Kill a Mockingbird"" (1962) and appearing in ""Captain Newman, M.D."" (1963). (1970) and the lead role in ""THX 1138"" (1971), as well as Horton Foote's adaptation of William"
"Charles Martin Smith Charles Martin Smith (born October 30, 1953) is an American film actor, writer, and director. He is best known for his roles in ""American Graffiti"" (1973), ""The Buddy Holly Story"" (1978), ""Never Cry Wolf"" (1983), ""Starman"" (1984), ""The Untouchables"" (1987), ""Deep Cover"" (1992), ""Speechless"" (1994) and ""Deep Impact"" (1998). He is further known for directing the films ""The Snow Walker"" (2003), ""Dolphin Tale"" (2011) and ""Dolphin Tale 2"" (2014). He is the third cousin, twice removed of writer David LeGault. Smith was born in Van Nuys, California. His father, Frank Smith, was a film cartoonist and animator,"
"a writer-director was the film ""American Graffiti"" (1973), inspired by his youth in early 1960s Modesto, California, and produced through the newly founded Lucasfilm. The film was critically and commercially successful, and received five Academy Award nominations including Best Picture. Lucas' next film, the epic space opera ""Star Wars"" (1977), had a troubled production; however, it was a surprise hit, becoming the highest-grossing film at the time, winning six Academy Awards and becoming a cultural phenomenon. Lucas produced and cowrote the sequels ""The Empire Strikes Back"" (1980) and ""Return of the Jedi"" (1983). With director Steven Spielberg, he created the"
"or ""THX 1138"" appear throughout the ""Star Wars"" films. THX 138 is also the license number of John Milner's hot rod in Lucas' ""American Graffiti"". ""99"", a 1979 song by Toto, was written as a tribute to the film and the music video resembles a scene in it. In the music video, as in the film scene where the main character THX 1138 is imprisoned, the room is completely white and everyone wears a white jumpsuit. ""Toto Legend"", the former official International Toto Fan Club newsletter, reviewed the video: '99' was predominantly a performance video, though the set design was"
"George Lucas George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker and entrepreneur. Lucas is known for creating the ""Star Wars"" and ""Indiana Jones"" franchises and founding Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic. He was the chairman and CEO of Lucasfilm before selling it to The Walt Disney Company in 2012. After graduating from the University of Southern California in 1967, Lucas co-founded American Zoetrope with filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola. Lucas wrote and directed ""THX 1138"" (1971), based on his earlier student short """", which was a critical success but a financial failure. His next work as"
"expressed interest, but ultimately believed ""American Graffiti"" was not violent or sexual enough for the studio's standards. Lucas and Kurtz eventually found favor at Universal Pictures, who allowed Lucas total artistic control and the right of final cut privilege on the condition that he make ""American Graffiti"" on a strict low budget. This forced Lucas to drop the opening scene in which the Blonde Angel, Curt's image of the perfect woman, drives through an empty drive-in cinema in her Ford Thunderbird, her transparency revealing she does not exist. Universal initially projected a $600,000 budget, but added an additional $175,000 once"
"title has often created that interpretation. He instead aimed at showing both sides evenhandedly to explore to what extent the Star Wars franchise is controlled by Lucas versus something morally held by the public. Philippe feels that Lucas is a relatively talented director and an ""ideas man"" based on the original ""Star Wars"" trilogy, ""THX 1138"" (1971) and ""American Graffiti"" (1973). However, Philippe disliked the changes made by Lucas in re-releases of the original trilogy as well as the prequel trilogy. Philippe thought that fans deserved a complete re-mastering and re-release of the original series in current formats (DVD, Blu-ray,"
"States. The film received widespread critical acclaim and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Produced on a $777,000 budget, it has become one of the most profitable films of all time. Since its initial release, ""American Graffiti"" has garnered an estimated return of well over $200 million in box office gross and home video sales, not including merchandising. In 1995, the United States Library of Congress deemed the film ""culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant"" and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry. A sequel, ""More American Graffiti"", was released in 1979. In early September 1962"
"oversight of Paramount's ""The Godfather"" (1972) and Lucas had obtained studio funding for ""American Graffiti"" (1973) from Universal. In the mid-1970s, the major Hollywood studios continued to tap these new filmmakers for both ideas and personnel, producing films such as ""Paper Moon"" (1973) and ""Taxi Driver"" (1976), all of which met with critical and commercial success. These successes by the members of New Hollywood led each of them in turn to make more and more extravagant demands, both on the studio and eventually on the audience. While most members of the New Hollywood generation were, or started out as, independent"