Whether you are familiar with the NYC comedy scene or consider yourself a Blankie, you’re likely familiar with “The George Lucas Talk Show,” in which comedian Connor Ratliff performs as the Star Wars creator alongside co-host Watto (played by Griffin Newman) and quite the roster of special guests. Ratliff’s journey is now getting a documentary portrait with Ryan Jacobi’s I’m “George Lucas”: A Connor Ratliff Story, executive produced by D’Arcy Carden and Bobby Moynihan, and featuring appearances by Zach Cherry, J.D. Amato, Alan Scherstuhl, Mo Rocca, John Hodgman, and more. Ahead of a Slamdance Film Festival world premiere this Saturday, we’re delighted to exclusively premiere the first trailer.
Here’s the synopsis: “For five years, comedian Connor Ratliff has performed as filmmaker George Lucas in his monthly UCB NY cult comedy show, “The George Lucas Talk Show”. Co-hosted by actor Griffin Newman and featuring A-list guests booked by producer Patrick Cotnoir, the show allows Connor to both exalt and poke fun at the vast world of Lucas, including Star Wars. However, Connor begins to question if the show should continue due to its ongoing stress with little financial and career gain. By following the live performances and behind the scenes for one year, the mysteries of Connor’s inner self are explored in this portrait of an artist, and his own feelings on his history, value, and legacy are revealed.”
“Years into post-production on a documentary about intergenerational trauma among Alaska Natives, the difficult subject began to weigh on me. Feeling a need for some levity, I stumbled across a midnight UCB show in the East Village called The George Lucas Talk Show, which felt like it was made specifically for me,” noted director Ryan Jacobi. “Seeing that creator/host Connor Ratliff had done the same nerdy deep dive and knew all the intricate details of George Lucas’s life, while not taking any of it too seriously, connected me to this performer immediately. I asked for a meeting and in the spirit of improv, Connor “yes-and-ed” my ideas, until we landed on a short film about the show.”
He continued, “Soon enough, this little side project became a feature length portrait of an artist, who uses the show as his creative outlet. This mirrored my own desire to create, not for the sake of any end goal, but to simply have fun expressing myself. I learned so much through Connor about the value of play for the sake of play, being present in the moment, and not judging my own creativity—that the profound can be found even in foolish things. I sincerely hope this film helps even one person tap into the child-like part of themselves, and experience the joy that unabashed silliness can bring to one’s life.”
See the exclusive trailer below.
I’m “George Lucas”: A Connor Ratliff Story premieres this Saturday, January 20 at Slamdance Film Festival.