The Godfather and The Skywalker

Hey everyone! I’m starting a weekly newsletter dedicated to film. I will be providing updates on upcoming releases and trailers, with a short article on an interesting piece of film history.

This Weekend’s Releases

Anticipated films releasing this weekend. Click the poster to view the trailer.

Dream Scenario (Limited Release)

Nicholas Cage stars in A24’s bizarre black comedy directed by Kristoffer Borgli with production credits to Ari Aster (enough to make me see it). Limited release this weekend with a wider release on Dec 1st.

The Killer (Netflix Release)

David Fincher + Michael Fassbender + I don’t need to leave my house.

Trailer Watch

Ryan Gosling continues to prove we may be in a recession by starring in another movie that might actually make money. I miss his movies that bomb.

Another promising addition to one of the most successful franchise reboots in history.

The Godfather and the Skywalker

Film history was forever changed when fate brought two wide-eyed, aspiring filmmakers together on the set of the musical “Finian’s Rainbow” in 1968.

Francis Ford Coppola, at that time a 30-year-old, up-and-coming director, was filming his newest production when he noticed an unimpressed young man on his set. George Lucas had won a scholarship at USC that allowed him to visit the production of one of the USC alumni’s films, which (to all our good fortune) happened to be Coppola’s. Coppola approached Lucas and asked, “Like anything you see?” to which Lucas replied, “Not really”. They immediately became friends; a master, and an apprentice.

Soon after the fateful meeting, Lucas and Coppola co-founded their first production company “American Zoetrope”, where Lucas made his university project into his first full-fledge film in 1971; THX-1138. Although it is hard to imagine George Lucas broke, American Zoetrope was a financial failure. And it may be the best thing to ever happen to them (and film-lovers everywhere).

It was then that Coppola was approached to direct a film based on Mario Puzo’s The Godfather. Coppola initially shrugged off the offer until Lucas told him “Francis we are broke! Take the offer”. While Francis went on to make one of the most highly regarded films of all time, Lucas directed his first feature film “American Graffiti” which was produced by Lucas’ newest production company, “Lucasfilm”, along with Francis.

The film was poorly received by the Universal executives, who wanted to cut large portions. Following the success of The Godfather, Coppola now held a bit more clout in these discussions and stood up for Lucas, telling the executives at Universal, “You should get on your knees and thank this young man for what he’s done for your career”. American Graffiti was released with minimal scenes cut and was both a critical and financial success, which paved the way for Lucas to create his magnum opus, “Star Wars”.

The early encounters between these legendary directors demonstrate the fundamental difference between the two; Lucas was calculated and always strived to make smart business decisions to finance his creative endeavours. While Francis, in his own words, “Would jump off a mountain without knowing what was down there to land on and that [he] would end up with no money”. Through Lucas’ business sense and drive for creative freedom, he helped created and sold numerous companies including Pixar, THX and Lucasfilm (which famously sold for $4B in 2012). Despite having one of the greatest filmographies of all time, Francis filed for bankruptcy three times in nine years…

This friendship catalyzed some of the greatest and most revolutionary films of all time. But I can’t help but wonder what Francis thought when he first saw Jar-Jar Binks.

Spotlight Film: First Reformed (2019)

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