Michael Heilemann

George Lucas on Comics (1975)

A very rare interview snippet with George Lucas recorded in 1975 in which he talks about his relationship with comics.

Michael Heilemann
George Lucas on Comics (1975)
Michael Heilemann

Views From a Ridge

Far from a hive of scum and villany, 2001: A Space Odyssey's Clavius Base might well have been the first visual reference for Mos Eisley

Michael Heilemann
Views From a Ridge
Michael Heilemann

The Birth of R2-D2

How Douglas Trumbull's 1972 low-budget, bleeding heart science fiction classic yielded not just the basic look of, but the humanity of R2-D2 and robots everywhere.

Michael Heilemann
The Birth of R2-D2
Michael Heilemann

Edward Summer

Ed was best known for his comic book store and its association with George Lucas. He passed away in 2014.

Michael Heilemann
Edward Summer
Michael Heilemann

The Origins and Inspirations of John William's Star Wars Score

John Williams' throwback to romantic adventure films, the most financially successful score of all time, also borrowed from the past.

Michael Heilemann
The Origins and Inspirations of John William's Star Wars Score
Michael Heilemann

Openings

Short, but sweet mashup video that looks at the opening of Star Wars and its bevy of influences.

Michael Heilemann
Openings
Michael Heilemann

The Searchers

When it was first released in 1956, John Ford's latest western The Searchers didn't set the world on fire. But it wasn't long before it started its long crawl back into the limelight. And by the late 60s a new generation of film makers, including George Lucas, found renewed inspiration in it.

Michael Heilemann
The Searchers
Michael Heilemann

Valérian and Laureline

Following the adventures of spatio-temporal agents Valérian and Laureline as they hurdle through time and space, righting wrongs and getting out of tight jams, Mézières and Christin's trend-setting comic series was lightyears ahead of its time.

Michael Heilemann
Valérian and Laureline
Michael Heilemann

Kurosawa

With a career stretching almost 60 years, Akira Kurosawa remains one of the most influential directors in the history of the medium. The pinnacle of his popularity however was perfectly timed with a batch of impressionable USC students ready to take on the world, and his impact on George Lucas in particular is the stuff of legends.

Michael Heilemann
Kurosawa
Michael Heilemann

Scum and Villainy

A hive of scum and villainy, and nexus of western, middle-eastern and eastern influences.

Michael Heilemann
Scum and Villainy
Michael Heilemann

Casablanca

One of the greatest stories of tragic love ever cast onto the silver screen, Casablanca stood model for Mos Eisley and its scum and villany.

Michael Heilemann
Casablanca
Michael Heilemann

Dark Star

John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon’s USC short turned feature was a predecessor to Alien and an inspiration to both Star Wars and Star Trek.

Michael Heilemann
Dark Star
Michael Heilemann

B for Berkey

We know that one of John Berkey's paintings became the foundation for The Deathstar, but his influence might have gone beyond that, into the aptly named B-Wing.

Michael Heilemann
B for Berkey
Michael Heilemann

Kaluta's Landspeeder

Luke's speeder is another distinct design in a world filled with them. As it turns out, Flash Gordon flew, and 'died' in one very similar to it half a decade before Luke. Perhaps they both shop at Wioslea?

Michael Heilemann
Kaluta's Landspeeder