Screening on Sunday, 20 December at 11:25, the one-hour documentary forms part of the popular A Night at the Movies series, the ongoing TCM series of one-hour “Film Studies 101” specials that examine the many different ways that writers and directors explore a particular genre. In this episode, director Laurent Bouzereau examines the limitless world of the imagination as portrayed in ‘Fantasy’ films.
Entitled George Lucas & the World of Fantasy Cinema, the programme features a new interview with the famed director, whose name has become synonymous with the Star Wars fantasy franchise that has become a worldwide phenomenon.
Visionary director and producer George Lucas discusses the origins and evolution of fantasy cinema, the influence of certain films on his own career and the differences between genres such as fantasy and science fiction. He also offers his personal insight into what the future holds for the fantasy genre in film.
Along the way, Lucas examines a variety of influential films including King Kong (1933), The Wizard of Oz (1939), Dr. Strangelove (1964), Planet of the Apes (1968), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Back to the Future (1985), Labyrinth (1986) and, as would be expected in a documentary featuring such a famed director, an in-depth discussion of his own iconic Star Wars series.
Packed with clips from fantasy films across the decades, TCM’s A Night at the Movies: George Lucas & the World of Fantasy Cinema provides a fascinating look at the fantasy genre in cinema, through the unique perspective of one of its contemporary masters.
As Star Wars fans prepare to be taken back to a galaxy far, far away, one programme that shouldn’t be missed is A Night at the Movies: George Lucas & the World of Fantasy Cinema – only on TCM (DStv Channel 137) on Sunday, 20 December at 11:25.