DominicCobb

Yep^. The “Jedi Steps” portion is FANTASTIC by the way and probably my favorite part of the whole score.

In terms of the new themes, I’m digging them all, but especially Rey’s theme (“The Scavenger” is a standout track).

How does everyone feel about the new version of the main title? It’s got quite a different feel to it. I wish I knew how to describe music better, because I can pinpoint it but I can’t put it into words. It took me a little off guard when the film started, but I think I like it as sort of a new version for this new generation in the franchise’s history.

Really the whole score as a whole feels like a whole new take. I’m glad that Williams is doing something new here and not simply treading old ground/cutting pasting like in the AOTC and ROTS (save “Burning Homestead”). I think I’ll appreciate the score much more on second viewing, now that I’m familiar with it.

I am curious, on repeat viewing, to find out what was recorded that didn’t make it onto the soundtrack (off the top of my head there was the hint of the “Imperial March” when we saw Vader’s helmet that as far as I know is not on the CD, also the cantina music and probably other stuff). Wonder if there’ll be an ultimate edition like TPM or if we’ll be stuck with the standard release like the other two prequels. Don’t know why they don’t just put out the standard release and then a double album with everything.

towne32 said:

hydrospanner said:

Was anyone else disappointed by the film’s score? None of the music really grabbed me like it did in the previous films.

I thought it was solid enough and better than the average movie score, certainly. The use of old themes was noticeable and appropriate. But nothing struck me as a new classic as was developed for SW77 (and, hell, even TPM and Clones had some incredible new pieces). On the other hand, I’m admittedly not someone who pays much attention to soundtracks. I only bothered to learn (many of) whose theme is whose in the SW films earlier this year.

It was hard to grasp on to the film’s score while watching it, but I chalk that mainly up to there being so much new (music and other stuff) that it was a lot to take in.

I’ve since listened to the soundtrack in its entirety a couple times, and it is fantastic. There’s nothing bombastic or “epic” like in the prequels, and nothing that’s immediately unforgettable, which is I think why people are mixed on the score so far, but I think once people start to orient themselves with it, everyone’ll appreciate it.

It’s really great and very swashbuckling, more so than even the original Star Wars score ever was (check out “Scherzo for X-Wings” if you want to hear the main theme as if it were in an Errol Flynn picture). I honestly wasn’t expecting that but it works very well and makes the film a lot of fun.

One thing that I’m mixed on was the fact that they used “Burning Homestead” when Rey grabs the lightsaber. Not sure if I’m okay with it because why did they feel the need to use a 38 year old piece instead of a new one and because I recognized it immediately and found it a little distracting. On the other hand, it was epic as f and made me pretty emotional, honestly. So I probably don’t mind it.

TV’s Frink said:

Not to be that guy, but this place used to be more fun.

Looking at this thread, then vs. now, you’re definitely right.

towne32 said:

You’re right. Someone who was present for all of the Freighter/Falcon stuff was a major leak.

The shot of Maz handing someone (previously presumed Leia) the lightsaber wasn’t in the film, was it? They used a different shot, and it was Rey. Makes sense as I’m sure they were no where near finished with Maz and needed something that obscured her. Still, why show it during ‘my sister has it’?

Why was the voice over used at all? “The force is strong in my family… you have that power too?” In the context of the film and what is explicitly stated, Kylo Ren’s the only one that fits the bill. But Rey’s the new hope. So that’s one of the main reasons (in addition to a few solid hints throughout the film) that I think Rey is most likely Luke’s daughter.

Alright

If you go in expecting an ANH rehash, as I did, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how original a lot of the film is, and how fresh and new everything seems.

It’s a lot less of a remake than some are saying. Some of the beats are the same sure, but with so many new characters and environments, having similar beats helped to establish that this is still Star Wars, that while the galaxy turns, the mythos stay the same.

Mavimao said:

I think the majority of the people on this board liked the film - most with some reservations.

Some are not going to like it and to be honest, I can understand why. This film has issues and some of us can overlook them and concentrate the stuff we loved and others just can’t.

It’s funny, though. SW and ESB are my top two all time favorite movies. I’m sure I’m not only one with that opinion here. But they have issues too. I can recognize them. Now, I’m not saying that TFA is on par with them (of course not), but it’s crazy that we can all look past the little flaws in SW and ESB and enjoy the films for what they are but we can’t with anything new (most of us can look past the many issues in ROTJ, so why not TFA, which is probably less problematic?). TFA is a heck of a lot of fun. I think you guys are missing that…

Haha of course you guys hate the movie. No Star Wars film will ever please ot.com.

It’s great. Thank god. More thoughts to come.

Popping in for a moment before I see The Force Awakens to just say a few things about my favorite movie.

For better or for worse, I have never know a life without Star Wars. It wasn’t the first movie I ever saw, but it might as well have been. I saw the entire original trilogy at age 2, so, yes, I don’t even remember the first time I saw Star Wars. But I don’t remember I time where I hadn’t seen Star Wars. From that moment on, Star Wars was my favorite thing. I used to watch it constantly and repeatedly. I had toys, games, shirts, etc. There’s a picture of me dressed up as Vader for Halloween at age 2 - I scared all the kids at my daycare apparently.

I loved Star Wars for all the reasons everyone loves Star Wars: the characters, the action, the alien worlds, the adventure. Everyone who loves movies can pinpoint the the film that did it for them. For me, it’s Star Wars. Star Wars is a great movie not just because it’s a fantastically told story, but because it is a story that could only be told properly on film. It’s true cinema. More, it’s inexorably tied to film history. Not only did it go on to inspire and influence the next four decades of filmmaking, but it was itself inspired by four decades of filmmaking. It is the ultimate movie for movie lovers. So then it should be no surprise that someone who practically started life as a Star Wars fan would go on to become a big movie fan. Movies are everything for me. When I was a kid, I had a dream that I would become a filmmaker some day. For better or for worse, I can thank George Lucas and Star Wars for that. What would my life be like without Star Wars? Very different.

I think Star Wars has affected me in more ways than that. I value friendship, hard work highly- I think I have Star Wars to thank for that. I’m a steadfast optimist - have to thank Star Wars for that.

I also think I have Star Wars to thank for my patience. Not just because of Yoda’s teachings, but, as a kid, waiting for new Star Wars movies was quite an ordeal. When I was 3, I saw an advertisement for The Phantom Menace. I was confused. It said Star Wars, but I didn’t recognize any of the characters. My mom said it was a prequel (a concept she would have to explain for me). I wasn’t sure why they had decided to go backwards instead of forwards, but I said whatever, new Star Wars! I saw all the prequels and loved them (I was just a kid), but they were never quite the same as the originals for me. I had heard that Lucas was going to make a sequel trilogy after the prequels were done, and those were the ones I was really excited for. But then something terrible happened. Sometime before Revenge of the Sith, I heard that the prequels were going to be it. Only six films total. This broke my heart, but I rolled with it. For seven years I rolled with it. Star Wars was a six episode saga, and would only ever be six episodes.

Then, of course, the unimaginable happened in 2012. And I’ve been trying to convince myself that it’s really true ever since. Tonight, whether I can believe it or not, I’m finally seeing the sequel to Return of the Jedi. Will it live up to a life’s worth of expectations? Probably not. But, as long as the 2 year old inside of me can enjoy it, I’ll be happy. There might be some crying tonight.

May the force be with you all.

Haven’t posted since September! Wow, I’m really bad at this. Quick thoughts.

The Martian (2015) - Exciting, funny, and very well done. Missing some emotion, but a thrilling ride, nevertheless. B+

The Walk (2015) - Wonky and weird at the start, breathtaking at the end. Biggest issue is unnecessary voice over. Biggest strength is eye-popping visuals. Not quite as good as Man on Wire, but a different and worthwhile experience. B+

Sicario (2015) - Very intense. A sadly honest take on the war on drugs. B+

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) - Shockingly dull. Some fun moments, but not enough. What the hell happened? C+

Shadow of a Doubt (1943) - One of Hitchcock’s best. What took me so long to watch this? A

Steve Jobs (2015) - Finely crafted bit of cinematic clockwork. A-

Room (2015) - A total gut-punch of a film. Powerfully made. Worth seeing. A-

Bridge of Spies (2015) - Why don’t they make movies like this anymore? Thank god for Spielberg. A

Entertainment (2015) - Almost interesting. But not. D

Spectre (2015) - Don’t get the hate on this one. As entertaining as any other film in the series. Glad to see Craig finally do classic Bond. Very weak third act, however. B+

Spotlight (2015) - Surprisingly engrossing considering its potentially boring subject matter. Thankfully unsensationalized. Great work from all involved. A

Legend (2015) - Tom Hardy delivers (x2), but the story does not. Wished they focused more on the twins relationship instead of the cliche romantic interest. B-

Creed (2015) - The Rocky sequel you’ve been waiting 39 years for. Real and really emotional. Basically a retelling of the original, but told in such a compelling and new way that you don’t even remotely care. Try to watch this and not get pumped. A-

The Good Dinosaur (2015) - Huge disappointment by Pixar standards. Story is basic at best. Visuals are amazing. Tries to be a tearjerker but fails. I cried more during Creed. C+

The Big Short (2015) - Purposefully messy. Hard to get used to, but pretty smart when you think about it. Watch this and get angry. A-

In the Heart of the Sea (2015) - Sort of exciting, but not nearly as much as it should be. Ultimately, you never really care about any of the characters. C+

Marnie (1964) - A weird Hitch flick, but a good one. Kind of cheesy at times.B+

Final update on my readings before TFA:

Donald Glut’s The Empire Strikes Back was a pretty big letdown. It’s utterly devoid of any sort of interesting insight beyond what is on screen. It’s pretty much just a description of what happens in the film. I can’t hate it because it’s still an amazing story and he doesn’t ruin it by any means, but he adds exactly zero to it. Of all the adaptations of all the Star Wars books, this is easily least well done. Still, as I said, it’s Empire, so it’s a fun read.

Next, Steve Perry’s Shadows of the Empire, a story I’ve been meaning to read for awhile. It’s more or less exactly what I hoped, a Star Wars adventure between Empire and Jedi nicely shows the character changes between the two films and sets up everything that needs to be set up for the trilogy’s conclusion. I must say I’m not a huge fan of Xizor (he’s just a total d-bag in every way) but seeing him get his just desserts makes me very happy. I also question why Perry felt the need to create Dash Rendar. He’s nothing but a more cocky Han Solo, which just strikes me as completely unnecessary. Just because Han isn’t around doesn’t mean he needs to be around. Lando’s already a sort of Han replacement, but he works because he’s got some notable differences. If Perry wanted to add a character, I just wish he had done something new. Otherwise, I really love the book. Exactly what you want from a Star Wars story, and well written too.

Finally, I read James Kahn’s Return of the Jedi. After Glut’s Empire adaptation, I expected the worst (doesn’t help that Jedi is my least favorite of the trilogy). But Kahn’s interpretation blew me away. The book was quite honestly everything I hoped for and more. A fun retelling of the film, with added insight into character motivations and some real depth and emotion - more so than even in the film. Like the prequel adaptations, I’d actually say this novel was, in some ways, better than the film. Obviously the spectacle isn’t quite there in written form, but, as a story, I felt it lived up to Empire. Even though because it had to follow the film not much could be changed, the additions really helped to make it a fuller story and a more satisfying sequel and conclusion (with an unexpectedly beautiful ending). If you haven’t read this adaptation, please do yourself a favor and check it out.

Now, a sad admission. I started reading Star Wars books this spring to get me prepared for TFA and to introduce myself to the EU. Part of my goal was to read the best of what the EU had to offer, so obviously the Thrawn trilogy was high up on my list. But I made the decision to read chronologically, which meant the Thrawn books were to come at the end. But I became pretty busy within the last few months, and didn’t get to do as much reading as I wanted to. So, even though I read 13 full Star Wars novels this year (maybe more books in a single year than ever before in my life), none of them were the best that EU has to offer, the Thrawn trilogy. Sad face.

I am reading Heir to the Empire right now but am only about a quarter of the way through and and will certainly not be done before TFA. But it’s great so far and I’ll definitely have it done at some point!

I highly doubt it.

I highly doubt it.

I’ll notice more than you guys (cause I’m always reading but not always posting), but I’ll be off this site and the rest of the inter webs starting tomorrow. Back on Thursday.

Poorly placed spam. No one avoiding spoilers will have any interest in that.

It’s getting close. I still can’t feel it, but I know it’s coming, and so are the spoilers. I’ll probably say good bye to the internet tomorrow and return Thursday night.

hot like fire new how to use words gr8

im 20 this is how ppl talk all the time trst me

kt7000 said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WibfRyQK0kY&t=8m29s

Funny how they’re right about there being a costume goof in the carbonite scene, but totally wrong about what it is.

generalfrevious said:
Are there any fans of Jedi, that are not under the age of 12?

Yes, probably safe to say that the majority of the members on this site fit that description.

imperialscum said:

Bingowings said:

While remaining as close to the right side of the law as is arguably possible.
Not to mention on the right side of site policy.

But why not stay true to the cause by not buying altered releases at all and still stay on the right side of the law by not possessing fan edits?

Well you could boycott the altered releases and make precisely zero difference in the sales of those releases and cry to yourself that the best legal way to watch your favorite movies is a shitty LD transfer (GOUT), OR you could suck it up, buy the blu-rays, and then enjoy Harmy’s Despecialized all you want until LFL finally puts out the unaltered set.

It’s crazy that we’re so close. I’ll be leaving the internet pretty soon, once the film has premiered (Dec. 14 I think it is?). Not because of spoilers, but because I don’t even want to know what people think of the movie until I see it. The truth is, with a movie like this, with a franchise that so many hold so personally, the only opinion that really matters is your own.

Oddly enough, once I’ve seen the movie and I check reactions, the one I’m most interested to see is those for whom TFA will be their first Star Wars film.

I’ve heard of remove Jar Jar entirely* but add in more of him… well that’d be certainly interesting.

*by the way I’d love to see a Jar Jar-less TPM, though I can only imagine how much work that’d be. But I don’t think it’s entirely possible to remove Jar Jar only because, oddly enough, it’d be really tricky when it comes time for AOTC.

My friends and I were planning on watching them potentially this Friday but I don’t mind at all if you don’t have them done by then (even just one of them would be great but again don’t stress it, it’s no big deal).

^Hell yeah that’s the whole reason to do Faces.

Thanks so much for this, you’re going to make me and my friends (but mostly me) very happy.

I would have thought considering all the projects here there would have been one. I guess the 82 is good enough? (suppose I have to finally figure how to get an invite)

I’d really rather not risk it with my tapes.

Thanks guys.