Chariots of the Gods?

Moedred

Administrator
Staff member
TheFedoraGuy said:
he already complained in an interview that Spielberg "stole" his ideas
Exhibit A?
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Moedred

Administrator
Staff member
I rewatched Raiders on the big screen with Chariots of the Gods in mind, and feel even more certain the ghosts were tacked on in post production. I've mentioned the similarities to Crystal Skull before.

So is Lucas still reading von Däniken? A few months after the release of his latest book, Seth Rogen encountered him talking about 2012, the topic of his 2010 book. Also tectonic plates which might be in it... haven't checked.
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Moedred said:
I rewatched Raiders on the big screen with Chariots of the Gods in mind, and feel even more certain the ghosts were tacked on in post production.

You mean first conceived of after principle shooting?

First thing that comes to mind is Belloq's: "It's beautiful..."
 

Montana Smith

Active member
TheFedoraGuy said:
Personally, I don't think that Spielberg/Lucas would ever come up with stuff like that.

GEORGE LUCAS : The real theory about the Ark is that if you take this Ark and put it in this conformation with these tents, you could talk to God in it. It's like a radio transmitter. That's the real legend. That's what they used to do. The Israelis used to set up these tents and they would talk to God and God would tell them what to do. And then they would march with it in front of their army. The other Armies would be destroyed. Our idea was that there must actually be some kind of super high-powered radio from one of Erick Von Daniken's flying saucers. The fact that it's electrical charges makes it vaguely believable.

GEORGE LUCAS : One of the things of his character is that he is very skeptical, very cynical. In the beginning he is reluctant. "The Germans haven't found it, for Christ?s sake. Those guys are running all over the world being crazy. That's a real myth." He sort of doesn't believe it. It's like a wild goose chase. He isn't even sure it exists. The thing of it is that in the end they convince him to do it because they say this Professor Erich Von Daniken, or whatever, this German version of himself is the one who found it.

GEORGE LUCAS : In Leviticus it describes it. How they built it and here it came from. He thinks Von Daniken's first book, "Chariots of the Gods" has some stuff in it about the Ark. The theory I'd heard is the one about being able to speak to God when you set up all the silk cubicles and that stuff.

ROTLA Story Conference Transcript, 1978.
 

Moedred

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Staff member
Thanks Montana, I forgot this thread predated the transcript.

No ghosties here. Knowledge was their treasure...
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Moedred

Administrator
Staff member
Erich von Daniken

This book was referenced in John Carpenter's The Thing, but also briefly considered for Star Trek 1? From Stephen King's Danse Macabre:
Harlan Ellison: Mark Trabulus siad, 'You know, I was reading this book by this guy named Von Daniken and he proved that the Mayan calendar was exactly like ours, so it must have come from aliens. Could you put in some Mayans?' I looked at Gene; Gene looked at me; he said nothing. I looked at Trabulus and said, 'There weren't any Mayans at the dawn of time.' And he said, 'Well, who's to know the difference?' And I said, 'I'm to know the difference. It's a dumb suggestion.' So Trabulus got very uptight and said he liked Mayans a lot and why didn't I do it if I wanted to write this picture. So I said, 'I'm a writer. I don't know what the **** you are!' And I got up and walked out. And that was the end of my association with the Star Trek movie.
 
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