Lucas was once an art film hopeful at the University of Southern
California. But after the sterile esoteric sci-fi of THX 1138 and the
cosy, wistful American Graffiti, he chose a different route. Star Wars
became a lasting cinematic phenomenon, yet Lucas has been unable to
move beyond. He became a producer and mogul, his Industrial Light and
Magic special effects company growing to be the most influential in the
industry. Seemingly inevitably, he has now returned to Star Wars for
another trilogy. Depending on your age, knowledge and cinematic
tastes, either a genius, a wasted talent or the antichrist. You decide.
