Review:

This is another older book that came on the scene in 1996. It's chronicles style but without the depth. It does however offer a different look at some of the featured props and definately worth having. Some may say it could've been better in which I agree, it should of granted better and more indepth access from the archives. From pages 123-208 people are treated to the Indiana Jones collections. While slightly frustrating for Star Wars fans it's both a welcomed addition and a curse. Star Wars enthusiasts may find those dedicated pages could of been spent better on their subject because the Star Wars subjects are a little too confined in those 122 pages. The book is glossy in terms of design and well put together on a visual basis and while it lacks the standards of newer releases since it still holds up in it's own right. Some fantastic shots of the props mixed in with some art that make this a book worth adding to your collection, what does feature is very nice.

Verdict:

This book can be obtained for great value which makes it a must buy. The photography and layout while not quite at the level of the chronicles is very similar and it's a nice guide into the props if a little brief. I've referred back to it at times as it's very useful and not as clunky or as cumbersome as the Chronicles.

Rating: 4 out of 5 - Recommended

Brief Description:

George Lucas has produced some of the most popular movies ever, including the "Star Wars" and Indiana Jones trilogies. The "Star Wars" phenomenon has grown into an international, multi-million dollar business, with bestselling licensed novels and computer games. This book features a tour of Lucasfilm Archives' collection of costumes, props, puppets, models and matte paintings used in the making of these films. The reader can see for themselves how the science fiction classic that spawned a world-wide industry was created. The book presents some of the best of Lucasfilm's enduring creations, from Yoda and R2-D2 to the Ark of the Convenant and the Holy Grail. It includes an array of behind-the-scenes production illustrations, storyboards and prototypes. Also featured are the secrets of the veterans of the first industrial Light and Magic effects team that created "Stars Wars".


Price £5-15 Amazon, Ebay
by Mark Cotta Vaz (Author), Shinji Hata (Author)
Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Virgin Books (Sep 1996)
Language English

Yeah this is a great book, definantly up there with Chronicles.

I got it years ago, and my copies getting quite tatty as I still flick through it from time to time. There's a very nice shot of the Return of the Jedi Vader Reveal face section too which was one of the first decent photos I'd seen of this prop.

I have this one, (the original version "from SW to Indy") but I found alot of mistakes... mostly mislabelled items, etc. Interesting book, overall, and there are some photos that are truly excellent, but as a reference book, not up to par with the Chronicles, for instance. IMO...

3 out of 5 stars...

I had thought about getting this at one point....apart from the reveal, any good Vader prop photos?

There's some good saber shots... but not the MPP, but rather, that funky stunt thing that has become "the" Vader saber in fandom... some good model shots (ships etc.) and a good tusken raider head and a Boba... stuff like that.

I too, got it as SW to Indy and though it is quite inaccurate in it's labeling at times, I still give it a 5/5 for the Propster. I think it is second only to the Chronicles books. Again, there are a few, not all but a few huge photos of certain props that make it worth it's cost. The addition of the Indy stuff is just a huge bonus in my opinion. It's far less comprehensive than the chronicles, yet it's very nice in the detail that it does include. A few photos are smaller than I would obviously like, but hey, for the price, it's pretty spiffy.