George Lucas in Love

     Just had to mention this little gem. It's a short film that premiered on the internet, but is now available on videotape. The title is a reference to Shakespeare in Love, which the movie parodies. In this case the great work of art that our hero labors to produce is not Romeo and Juliet but the screenplay for Star Wars. Lucas, still a student at USC, is surrounded by the elements he needs to write the film--a drugged-out roommate who says he can feel the Force; the guy that lives next door who dresses all in black and has really bad asthma--but he doesn't see it until he meets the beautiful leader of the student rebellion (who wears her hair curled in buns on either side of her head). She inspires him to write what he knows, and suddenly it all comes together. A hilarious film that will successfully amuse even those who have only a superficial knowledge of the original Star Wars trilogy (although this is yet another movie where it comes in handy to be a nerd--the more you know about George Lucas and his movies the funnier it is). Be sure to stay for the credits or you'll miss the last joke.

Jim Genzano