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

by Mark Cotta Vaz, Shinji Hata

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

Genres: Star Wars, Nonfiction, Art, Media Tie In, Reference, History, Film

208 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1995

About the author

Mark Cotta Vaz is the author of over twenty-one books, including four New York Times bestsellers. His recent works include Mythic Vision: The Making of Eragon, The Spirit: The Movie Visual Companion, and the biography Living Dangerously: The Adventures of Merian C. Cooper, Creator of King Kong, which was a Los Angeles Times bestseller.

Reviews

[Parka · Rating 4 out of 5]

(More pictures at parkablogs.com)

Here's a book for all those Star Wars and Indiana Jones fans. This book showcases the models, creatures, props, costumes, matte paintings and art used for the movies, the Star Wars prequels and the three Indiana Jones.

There's not a lot of writeup but they are always interesting to read. It's a great look behind the scenes are all the props used during filming. Sometimes the models are miniatures, sometimes they are life size, like Jabba the Hutt. There are a lot of close up shots on the miniature spaceships which shows details (or in-jokes) like tiny Star Wars and Playboy posters hanging on the cockpit. The book really features too many items to mention.

The matte paintings for backgrounds are pretty spectacular. It will definitely make you see the movies differently on re-runs, wondering what's real and what's not.

This is a nice archive that will sure to delight the fans. However for the comprehensive definitive guides, check out Star Wars Chronicles, Star Wars Chronicles: The Prequels and The Complete Making of Indiana Jones.

[Davide · Rating 5 out of 5]

E' una raccolta commentata di schizzi preparatori, storyboard, mock-up, giornaliere di regia, fondali, armi, oggetti di scena e tanto altro della trilogia "classica" di Star Wars (episodi IV-VI) e dei tre film di Indiana Jones. Tanto per fare un esempio, ancora non c'era la computer grafica all'epoca, e tutti i fondali da utilizzare in bluescreen erano rigorosamente dipinti a mano... Vere opere d'arte! Il volume è in lingua inglese.

[Dennis Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Released in 1994, this covers SW IV-V-VI and IJ I-II-III. Beautifully illustrated with storyboards, production art, matte paintings and photos of props, miniatures and sets. Many detailed images that were new to me.

[Andrew Shapter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great souvenir from a place I’ve never been…but would certainly like to go to…

[Pedro Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

A jewel for the hardcore fans of the original trilogies of Star Wars and Indiana Jones.

[Andrew Ives · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a game of two halves - Star Wars + Indiana Jones. The first half, as one might expect is the interesting half, with a brief story of how George Lucas started out, details of what were state-of-the-art cinema techniques and out-of-this-world props/models. There isn't much text, but the pictures are very good.

The second half is similar in style, only I've never much liked Indiana Jones, haven't seen any of the films fully, so props like a whip, a pocket watch, an old diary, are not in the same league as TIE fighters and AT-ATs. Spielberg's sketches and crude maquettes are extremely underwhelming too.

N.B. The assumption is that the reader has seen all the films mentioned herein, and is consequently full of spoilers, so if you haven't, you either won't understand what they're talking about or you'll have the films ruined for you. An enjoyable quick read, but I'd prefer a Star Wars-only version of this book. 4/5

[RumBelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an amazing look inside one of the most prolific, and imaginative, movie companies of all time. The book detailed many of the artifacts we know and love that have been preserved from George Lucas's most loved movies.

[Sean Chick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Books like this make it clear why the prequels suck.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the Art Work and all of the info about both franchises.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

[Willkindrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book that inspired me to be a filmmaker when I was a kid.