[As George Lucas] Well, I mean, I told you guys you know
daddy was right.
You know, this whole idea of the prequels were crap
So many people tell me they were shit, you know.
It's like listen, give it some time you know all good art is like cooking,
you know, cookies in the oven you wait a little while and then "oh look at that."
Like you got the raw dough, yeah, it's not ready yet.
>>This is actor, comedian and impressionist Josh Robert Thompson
[As George Lucas] Look at these, the porgs... it was ridiculous .
They're just little baby seals with chicken feet it's ridiculous.
You guys are gonna give me crap about Jar Jar? Really?
[laughs]
By the way innovator of cinema, right? Motion capture, we had a guy in a suit
walking around. Now it's like, you know, oh everybody's doing it.
Uh, uncle George here, I was the one,
you know,
So you guys can go ahead and you can pretend now that
you're my friends...
I'm gonna go over here and lie down on my pile of cash.
[laughing]
George, out...
[music playing]
>>Josh is best known in the Star Wars community for his impersonation of
George Lucas I stumbled upon his satire years ago,
but what I didn't know was that he was also a huge prequels fan.
Our conversation mostly revolved around his
love for Attack of the Clones, but first I wanted to know what it was
like to play George Lucas and how people responded to his portrayal
>>[normal voice] George is just sort of a larger-than-life character.
It's a lot of fun to play him,
especially at this point because George... he won.
I mean he got all the money he's
got all the accolades he can just go retire now him let this thing play out
however it will and I love the idea of George Lucas sitting in his estate his
palatial estate and just laughing at everyone now.
[imitating George's Laugh]
>>Am I worried? Listen, I don't give a shit.
I mean I got 4.5 billion dollars...
Put a little bit in the charity,
bought a few, you know, zoo animals...
Here's a little baby, there's a little baby zebra kind of adorable, right?
>> That is adorable. I have to admit I've never seen a zebra
this close before what a gorgeous, gorgeous creature.
>>Yeah it's a shame I'm gonna eat it later.
When I play George Lucas on my TV pilot
we actually did the sound mix at Skywalker Sound and so I got to spend
several nights at Skywalker Ranch which was a dream come true and I do remember
screening that sketch at the THX theater at Skywalker Sound and Ben Burtt himself
the legendary sound editor said:
[imitating Burtt] George, George would really love this this is
very funny, very very good.
[normal voice] That was that was really all I needed.
>>But not everyone responded positively to his Lucas impersonation,
and Josh was confused to find that some saw
his performance as a sign of disrespect.
>>I get a lot of flack for my George Lucas impression which is so ironic because
there are so many other people that are so...
nasty and mean-spirited in their
portrayal of George Lucas or with the memes that they post or whatever is out
there that's criticizing George Lucas.
I felt clearly that the videos that I've done,
where I'm fully dressed as George Lucas with the
latex appliance and amazing wig.
[as George] Uhh, how you doing there I'm George Lucas...
[normal voice] It's a tribute to George it's just funny it's not it's
not supposed to be tearing him down
[laughing]
Mee-sa happy!
When I satirize George Lucas it's out of deep respect and admiration.
Also, as a filmmaker as a storyteller myself, you know, George Lucas is one of
my my idols one of my heroes.
George Lucas is really the ultimate independence filmmaker,
the ultimate maverick. I really admire the fact that
George Lucas told these stories the way that he wanted to exactly the way that
he wanted to and whether people agree with that or not is irrelevant because
it's not up to you it's up to him these are his movies.
>>But more than loving Lucas,
I discovered Josh was a huge fan of the prequels too.
>>For me, the Star Wars prequels are the experimental films
that George Lucas has been talking about making forever.
This is the thing I always bring up because he's always
talking about you know "well one of these days I'm gonna get my little camera and
make some interesting films" and I think George you already did it these are the
to me these are the biggest budgeted, experimental, independent films I've ever seen.
I don't think the prequels are bad at all I think they're very weird
[Jar Jar Binks] Ah... moy moy.
>> Ey Ey [indescribable dialogue]
>> And that's why I love them.
If you understand the old serials like Buck Rogers and
Flash Gordon
then you've got it then you've already
figured it out it's it's almost an exact replica.
[Flash Gordon theme playing]
[Star Wars theme playing]
The acting the crazy costumes even the editing style it's all rooted in those
of those films these are not conventional movies people going to see
a Star Wars movie are expecting something very conventional.
Do I think that the plotting could have been tightened up, I do...
but that's not for me to say.
I mean, on the whole, I love these movies and I have to say this is my dark
secret I've probably watched the prequels more times
than I've watched the originals now.
Just as a storyteller, as a filmmaker, I'm fascinated by how
much was fit into each one of those movies and every time I watch those
movies there are more layers that I uncover and discover.
For example,
The Phantom Menace is so brightly colored in its colour palette it is clearly a movie
that is about childhood there is a child's point of view to that movie and
then you get to attack of the clones and that is the Raymond Chandler murder
mystery I mean everything about that movie is film noir everything about it
there's a fight in the rain... between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jango Fett which is
so badass but it's raining, raining all the time. All of the windows and in many
of the scenes have shades and there are, you know, slants of light behind people.
Obi-Wan Kenobi's doing his thing he's sneaking around just like he does in the
original film he's sneaking around trying to uncover a mystery just like he
does when he's sneaking around the Death Star
and my theory about the Padme
Anakin... I said bro if you were on a planet like that on a little island in
the middle of that lake with Natalie Portman...
I think you'd say pretty much
anything to get that going you're you're in my soul whatever it takes bro right
I'm like dude don't you know you can criticize...
She's hot in that scene I'll tell you what man...
...and then the third film is just the grand operatic tragedy.
[Obi-Wan] You were my brother, Anakin!
>>It's so unusual for Star Wars, so it's a PG-13 Star Wars film and
there's death and children being killed and people were like George you can't do
this you can't do this they're because they're thinking in terms of a franchise
and George is really thinking in terms of this is a story I have to tell and it
sounds funny but it's true that he yes he knows how to make money yes he's a
he's a businessman but he's also a filmmaker and I think the prequels are
weird imperfect but ultimately wonderful.
[sound from the film]
But I just really dig that George Lucas made these films as almost tributes to
old-fashioned cinema. I mean the character what's his name,
Dexter Jettster... this is this guy, I love this guy.
This scene with with that guy
in the diner is right out of you know even American Graffiti. There's so many
weird thing, we don't want to see a diner in the Star Wars universe...
"Hey that's not right." "Oh I don't like that..."
It doesn't matter.
It doesn't matter, it's weird.
[Dexter] Wow...
what do you know!
>>One of my favorite scenes is the arena battle
in Attack of the Clones.
I mean that's insane...
Think about what they were doing we're
gonna make all the clone troopers digital, What's that? Yeah, no we're not
gonna make any suits, fuck it.
It's like a Ray Harryhausen tribute, you've got all
those crazy creatures that come out.
I love that scene..
[as Obi-Wan] Well she seems to be on top of things.
[Obi-wan] She seems to be on top of things...
>>Ah really, really...
No that's a funny line it's stupid what's the other line
obi-wan says..
[as Obi-Wan] Well you were right the negotiations were short.
Ah, you see, cause... ahhh.
>>Our conversation was nearing its end,
but before I let him go, Josh had another
point to make and like most things he was pretty passionate about it.
I feel like the fan base for Star Wars is very, can be very entitled...
[Troll voice 1] "I'm just gonna tell you
this is what it should be all right thanks go ahead and fix that for me"
[Troll voice 2] That kid sucks a little kids terrible
[normal voice] Bro, you're, it's a kid. what are you doing to this poor kid.
There's no way that I would ever write to George Lucas be like:
[Troll voice 3]Dear George Lucas, your prequels are alright
but here's a couple things I think you should...
[normal voice] The balls on these people...
...anyway that's my rant.