Good story, Not enough for a whole film

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

. . . of what MIGHT have happened had not Warner Bros. courageously nipped the "American Zoetrope" Madness of Francis Ford Coppola in the butt, reveals this LEGACY OF FILMMAKERS expose. Left to his own devices, Ford would have produced a low-budget version of APOCALYPSE NOW in the swamps of LOUISIANA instead of directing THE GODFATHER! Adding in salt to this injury, George Lucas would have deserted Luke Skywalker to search for Marlon Brando in that soggy Cajun Country. No doubt this would have left Peter Falk playing THE GODFATHER, with Robert Redford blowing up the Death Star!! Fortunately for Galactic Civilization, Warner Bros. stomped its foot down upon Ford's Worser Idea, cutting off a finger from Lucas' four-year-old daughter to send George an engraved Horse's Head he could not refuse. Otherwise, the Academy would have had no choice but to award "Best Picture" Oscars to HOWARD THE DUCK and HOWARD QUACKS AGAIN. Thanks, Warner!

This is the feature-length documentary found on the 2-Disc DVD of the George Lucas Director's Cut of THX 1138. Yikes, what a mouthful. It consists of interviews(with all the film-makers and a few studio people, too) and some clips of the films that are talked about(even used ironically here and there), with occasional narration tying it all together. This gives a history of, well, the early years of American Zoetrope, as the title of it gives away. It is very interesting and well-told; I knew a lot of what was said in this already, going into it, and yet I was engaged throughout. The story-telling is competent, the whole thing is rather well-edited(the cuts and footage do not attract attention to themselves) and keeps to a great pace. You learn about the career beginnings of them all, find out how different and mutually helpful to one another Lucas and Ford Coppola were, and no, they don't deny the liberated drug use and sexuality(come on, it was the 60's and 70's). The whole thing ends with a brief bit of each of the talents, followed by a list of their work. I recommend this to any fan of the people it is about. 8/10

American Zoetrope is undoubtedly one of the most influential film studios of the past century.It is truly sad that they had so many troubles in the early years starting out, but it helped to shape the careers of greats like George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, Walter Murch, and many more.The documentary includes a good balance of vintage footage, and interviews with just about everyone you'd care to hear from."A Leagacy of Filmmakers" is also included on the THX 1138 DVD, which is a great purchase.If you are interested in the history of film (and especially film of the '70s) watch this documentary... you'll love it.

Another documentary from Leva FilmWorks, and one of the best film documentaries I've ever seen. I give it 9.5 out of 10.Did you know that if it werren't for Francis Ford Coppola, there would probably be no Star Wars? Did you know that Apocalypse Now was originally intended for George Lucas to direct? Did you know that if it werren't for the financial failure of THX:1138, and the insistence of George Lucas, Coppola would not have made The Godfather? This is not just a documentary about a film. It tells the story of how some of the greatest films of the 70's (and possibly all time) came to be. But it also tells the story of a revolution or re-birth of the film industry. It's not just about George Lucas and Francis Coppola (who are the main focus of this documentary). It's the story of where the people that went on to craft The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, The Black Stallion, American Graffiti, Conan the Barbarian, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Godfather, and Apocalypse Now all came from.Plus you'll find out where the name American Zoetrope came from.If you are a fan of films of the 70's (or filmaking in general), I highly recommend this documentary. It's 60 very well spent minutes.