'THE BEGINNING', now THAT'S what I call a behind the scenes documentary! (1 Viewer)

[Charles Bunnag]

MickeS-
What George meant by $50 million was only for the effects, which is actually massive, Usually and effects budget for a big movie is around $20 million at ILM. The full budget for Episode I was $120 milion, but they were able to come in at $115 million.

 

[Brad_W]

Lucas replies "A penny saved is a penny earned"... and his budget was $50 millon?? For a movie that no doubt would gross at least $300 million domestically. He's a cheap bastard, isn't he?

Hopefully, you were being sarcastic and my apology for my response. If not, here it goes:
I think he actually said, "a million saved is a million earned." immaterial to actual quote. But, I believe he has a budget for effects provided by the studio and investors and he doesn't want to spend most of it for one thing because he's making a big effects movie, hence: he's not really a cheap bastard. Just in case you didn't understand what he meant, if you did... sorry.

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[Jaime m]

Well ,TPM cost 115 million dollars.All of that came out of Lucas's pocket, no investors or studio money involved at all. Even though GL is a gazillionare i can't imagine spending that kind of money without worrying about the budget of things. No one else in the entire film industry is willing to spend that kind of money doing a film project, not that they are in position to.
Anyway the Documentery was great, i just wished it was an hour longer.

 

[Michael Dueppen]

Next to Hamster Factor (12 Monkeys), Magnolia and Jaws this is one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. I realized this all the more when I watched the promotional fluff on Mummy Returns the next day.
I'll definitely rewatch "The Beginning" and that's a lot tom say for a documentary.
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- Michael
My DVD collection

 

[Matthew_S]

Next to Hamster Factor (12 Monkeys), Magnolia and Jaws this is one of the best documentaries I've ever seen

After seeing the Ep. 1 documentary, I have to say that i still like the Magnolia doc better. I just felt like i got more of an insight into the director and the production on the magnolia one. "The beginning" is really good, don't get me wrong. One of the most suprising things for me was how Lucas came across. He seemed very laid back and almost not sure of himself. Very different from the "evil genius" reputation I hear about on these forums all the time.

 

[MickeS]

Charles and Brad, thanks for the clarification! I misunderstood what he said (or I wasn't paying attention

), and the numbers didn't make sense to me...
I also corrected the quote in my first message, he did indeed say "million" not "penny".
/Mike

 

[Philip Hamm]

This documentary reminded me of what I used to love about LaserDisc Special Editions "back in the day". A job well done by Lucasfilms.
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Philip Hamm
AIM: PhilBiker

 

[Robyn Young]

I, too, think this was a very good doc--Another that plays kind of the same way is the documentary on the Titus Discs. Also goes in depth about the making of.
Ultimately, well done.
robyn

 

[Jeff Savage]

I agree with Eric Taylor. There is nothing I don't like about the DVD/Movie/Documentary. I like like Jar-Jar so there
I think that the most enlightening aspect of the documentary for me was the amount of time that he put into the movies. Just these 3 movies will have taken over 6 years of his life. That is a long long time. I am sure the orginals took as long too. Simply amazing. This DVD was the best $18 I have spent in a long long time.
Laters,

 

[Seth T]

Loved the documentary...wished it would have been way longer...like 3 hours. It WAS kind of awesome to see the destruction in Tunisia after the storm. I almost felt like I was there and beyond words.
Seeing all the behind the scenes stuff adds so much more to the movie. The inside look at ILM and John Williams directing was eye opening.
Hopefully GL will do the same thing (but longer) for the rest of the DVD releases.
As far as someone's comment about SW/Greedo...I agree whole heartedly. GL should have left that alone. That was my second favorite scene in the whole movie. The total sarcasm in Ford's voice when he says the word "Yes" in "Yes, I'll bet you have" just before he preemptively blasts Greedo makes the scene for me. And he cut it.

Anyway, great set all around. Have to wait another 3 months for the cash for my new receiver with EX so I can hook up the rear surrounds and listen to it all over again.
-Seth

 

[Steve Owen]

"...No one could afford to do it at these prices."
--Lucas to ILM in the budget meeting.

To put that in some context, I think they were talking about selling those special effects services to other film makers. The point, I think, wasn't that they couldn't afford to use that particular technology they were talking about on TPM... just that if they developed that technology they wouldn't be able to get other filmmakers to pay to use it.
Lucas uses his movies to develop technology that ILM can sell to other film makers.
It's stuff like this that made this documentary so incredibly interesting to me. In a hour it was just packed with tidbits of stuff like this.
-Steve

 

[CharlesD]

Definitely one of the best documentaries on DVD! It gave me some good insight into the film making process, and the mega-huge complexity of this particular film and also a greater appreciation for Lucas and TPM.
I was very disappointed with TPM when it came out (impossibly high expectations might be part of it) but enjoyed it much more on the DVD. I still think the movie could have been better and is fundamentally flawed.
The documentary shows how some of these (IMO) flaws were built in from the start: jar-jar as comic relief (comedy is in all the SW movies but jar jar was too much too often) and Anakin, an older kid would make more sense than an 8 year old IMO and Jake Lloyd just wasn't very good.
I'd agree that based on the documentary Lloyd was probably the best of the 3 finalists. The documentary shows that Lucas had misgivings about him right from the start, but by the time he tested the finalists it was already too late.
All-in-all its a great insight into the movie and no puff piece. Highly recommended.
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-- Will Work for Five Million Dollars

 

[Christine Warren]

George Lucas's comment "I'm afraid I've gone too far this time" reminded me of the comment John Lennon passed on hearing Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band for the first time - he said "I think we've gone too far this time". The source of that is the person he was speaking to.
Just thought it gives the comment a different perspective.
And yes, it is a wonderful documentary.
Christine

 

[Sam Davatchi]

For 21/2 years, first-time filmmaker Jon Shenk followed one of Hollywood's most enigmatic and influential figures during the making of Star Wars, Episode I: The Phantom Menace. The result, a one-hour documentary called ''The Beginning,'' about George Lucas and the making of his blockbuster prequel, is arguably more entertaining than the auteur's $50 million epic.

Interesting article. Read here:
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/32...equel+.shtm l

 

[Niko Nykanen]

I too am a docu-fanatic and Wished that this one would´ve been longer.. (Atleast 2 hours!!) As for the Best scene was when McCallum talked to the audience at the end.. That sent chills down my spine I tell ya!!

 

[Sam Davatchi]

Yah, but interesting that they didn’t show the afterward! It just ended there!

 

[Dan Hitchman]

Too much back slapping for my tastes. It's by far the worst Star Wars film IMHO and even people I know who liked the film admit they have a hard time explaining why they do.

Heart of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse is a much better, more honest documentary.

Thank God I got it on LD during all those blow out sales.

Dan

 

[Brett_B]

I actually enjoyed the documentary for "The Terminator" more.