What would be a good McGuffin?

Anyone posting pics of a breakfast food will be banned.

So it took Lucas 20 years to come up with the Crystal Skull. What are some McGuffins that Indy could look for in upcoming adventures?

In the films they've used the Ark of the Covenant, the Holy Grail and Sankara Stones (is that a real thing?). In other media they've used: Atlantis, Spear of Destiny, and some other stuff.

What would be a cool thing for Indy to look for? How would it play into the time period of the film - late 50s or early 60s?

Indy and the Grassy Knoll?

Indy and Marilyn?

But seriously - Bermuda Triangle might be cool - as long as it wasn't aliens.

Great thread D. Curious to see responses here...

Hard to beat the Ark or the Grail though, those are the grails...

Just a nit, but the proper spelling is actually "MacGuffin".

That said, I'm not into the ideas where it is a place (Atlantis, Shangri La, Bermuda Triangle, etc). I prefer him looking for actual single artifacts and relics. Still lots of those out there.

From Wiki - "A MacGuffin (sometimes McGuffin) " and since Hitchcock never wrote it himself, but it has just been reported by others from interviews and lectures I don't think we can say which is the definitive spelling.

So the next film - "Mutt Jones and the Search for the Good MacGuffin"

Yes indeed, an "Object we seek" as Harrison puts it. Simply said.

Darklord Dave said:

From Wiki - "A MacGuffin (sometimes McGuffin) " and since Hitchcock never wrote it himself, but it has just been reported by others from interviews and lectures I don't think we can say which is the definitive spelling.

So the next film - "Mutt Jones and the Search for the Good MacGuffin"

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Well, it's spelled "MacGuffin" in the official Lucasfilm publications that mention it, so there.

Something like the Spear of Destiny would have fit with the theme of the others.

BlindVoyeur said:

Something like the Spear of Destiny would have fit with the theme of the others.

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They used it (badly, of course) in the comics already.

This is probably the best place to ask this.

Who is MacGuffin, is that like a real life Indiana Jones?

Marilyn's Diary.

Seriously, a relic steeped in Religious meaning and Power may be the best way to go. Something that if found would create havoc in the world today.

Something Indy has been seeking his entire life... that is the only general thing I can think of which could serve as a MG for an Indy5.

Much as the grail did for Connery...

But what could that be? I'm sure Lucas is asking the same question today and has a few things he is considering...

That is easy. The next one should be on Mars. Indy can travel to Cydonia to uncover an alien race.

He could be the first person to make contact with an alien life form. Then he can F it.

Clerks 2

MaulFan said:

This is probably the best place to ask this.

Who is MacGuffin, is that like a real life Indiana Jones?

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"The MacGuffin" is not a person. It was a term coined by Hitchcock that is the object/thing that drives the plot of a movie that the audience is aware of and the main characters are all searching for.

He could search for King Solomons Mines then bump into Richard Chamberlain and beat him up for for cramping his style

IrishJedi said:

"The MacGuffin" is not a person. It was a term coined by Hitchcock that is the object/thing that drives the plot of a movie that the audience is aware of and the main characters are all searching for.

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Oh ok, I'm admittedly an uncultured movie watcher that doesn't know a lot of those things.

Maybe it's not appropriate for Indy, but what if it was more a search to prove something rather than find something, like Loch Ness.

That is what I was getting at, a relic which uncovered that would create havoc in the world.

I'm thinking some artifact, treasure or evidence which may be hidden under the Temple Mount. That could trigger a war though, pretty potent stuff.

Kind of brings it all back to Raiders.

So my take is, let's say new Dead Sea scrolls were found in cave 3 or something, indicating where something may be buried. Evidence which could disprove the foundation of a competing Religious belief...

pjam said:

I'm thinking some artifact or evidence which may be hidden under the Temple Mount. That could trigger a war though, pretty potent stuff.

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Incidentally, a lot of historians believe that's where the actual Ark of The Covenant may be if it still exists.

Even more interesting, the actual "Well of Souls" is not in Tanis but underneath the Dome of The Rock.

I don't think it should be something that's already been found. If you want it to be a Judeo-Christian relic, how about The True Cross (which was lost in battle during the Crusades with only small shards supposedly recovered)? Or Noah's Ark (which some believe to be in modern day Turkey)?

RAIDERS OF THE OTHER LOST ARK?

Tanis was based on fiction, no evidence there, just a Story point.

In actual fact, in the Book of Deuteronomy (sp?) the Ark was described by Moses as a Wooden box. Plcae tablets in a wooden box. No gold was referenced until later but yes, it could actually still be under the Mount.

The reason I like this element is because Archeological digs are banned under the Mount... for obvious reasons.

Excalibur...

Although a fictional item it could be revealed that the legends that Sir Thomas Mallory collected for his work on the knights of the round table in Le Morte D'Arthur were in fact based on earlier factual events. The sword could be an artifact with the ability to shift power to the one who controls it--- thus it becomes the ultimate weapon for the US- USSR arms race. As the sword in essence represents Christianity and the power of Christ (turn it upside down-- whoa, it's a cross-- whod' a thunk it?) perhaps it was an actual Roman sword that was held and used by a Roman soldier at the crucifiction... In some theological way it was used and became imbibed with a great power to both heal but to also destroy-- a sword of invulnerability if you will... It's somehow works its way into the fall of Rome-- finds its way to Anglo-Saxon England and is lost at the time of the Norman conquest (1066)-- or maybe Stonehenge plays a role.

Anyway it's the Yanks versus the Commies to find this powerful item whose actual existence has suddenly been uncovered... Mutt's ability with a sword could come into play...

Just an idea... But Excalibur (although-- and I have to stress this again-- a FICTIONAL ITEM) is easily recognizeable by the masses and therefor it'd make for a good MacGuffin.

One thing that hurts is not being able to use hitle and the nazis as that bad guys searching for power. They were the perfect fit.