American Graffiti
Where were you in '62? This week on the Force Material podcast, we're celebrating the film that first brought together Ron Howard and Lucasfilm! When George Lucas was challenged by his mentor Francis Ford Coppola and wife Marcia Lucas to make something more warm and commercial after the failure of THX-1138, he delivered in spades with American Graffiti — his most human, and perhaps most atypical, film. On this week's episode, we discuss George Lucas' fast and furious teenage years; Ron Howard's initiation into the Lucasfilm family; the unsung heroes who helped make American Graffiti great; and the connections between American Graffiti and Lucas' even bigger hit, Star Wars. We also explain how a film released in 1973 and set in 1962 sparked a full-blown 1950s revival, and why American Graffiti isn't just a 'nostalgia' film! We'll be back next week with More American Graffiti!
