InfoDroid

Sorry, but Boon is right.  Nobody wants to download something heralded as an "Enhanced Special Edition" only to find out it's got a squeezed AR.  Not trying to discourage Vengeance from fanediting, but when you've been given the same constructive criticism ten or twelve times...  Why not do something about it?  I don't think it's asking too much as a viewer who wants to enjoy your work to suggest you take a moment to fix the AR.  It's an easy fix any editor can do, and it would immediately increase the quality and credibility of your edits.

And if you're SELLING these...then people are getting completely ripped off.

The shame of it is that it's a really good idea for an edit.  But, thanks for the warning, Boon.  Glad I didn't waste my time.

Maybe in the climax, the aliens show her a future where she marries Brad Pitt, only to realize that he ages backwards.  Maybe that would make her head explode?

Okay, Heks!  Sounds great!  As soon as you get the shots completed, let me know.  ;)

TheBoost said:

Imagine if CostCo suddenly invaded Oregon and claimed it. It would be shocking, out of character, and hint that perhaps there's a real menace, a PHANTOM menace, going on.

Hahaha!  Good point!  The whole trade franchise/treaty thing never really made sense to me either, no matter how many times I've watched it.

Yes! ROTJ desperately needs a "ticking timebomb" at the end like ANH had!

Let's analyze this for a second.  All the villains in these Indy movies always finally get what they've been chasing the entire movie.  Belloq wanted the Ark, Mola Ram wanted the stones, and Donovan wanted the Grail.  Their problem is, they see these things as objects that they can use to their own ends.  Their moral character is their ultimate downfall.  Indy always outsmarts them because he has respect for Archaeology.  He's a skeptic, but he learns his lesson by the end, just in time to avoid disaster.  The villains don't.

In every case, the gifts themselves these artifacts bestow are not bad or evil.  After all, the Grail restored life to Henry.  The Sankara stones brought life back to the village.  The Ark...well...the Ark was too holy to even behold.  But when they fell into the wrong hands, their "gifts" had disastrous consequences. 

The question we should be asking is, how can we continue that pattern with KOTCS?  Was it ever mentioned that Spalko was looking for "knowledge"?  What is her motivation?  What does she want?  And how can her ultimate pay off be turned against her?  AND how can we communicate all that on-screen in a creative way with the existing material? 

Well, it's one of those "do the best with what you've got" type things.  It's just one solution to a very big problem.  Maybe not the best, I dunno.  Any better suggestions would certainly be appreciated and entertained.

The way I understand it is, the Sith are kind of like a secret society.  They officially "don't exist".  No one knows the Emperor or Darth Vader are Dark Lords of the Sith by the time we get to ANH.  And any suggestion of that is probably passed off as ridculous, politically-motivated rumor.  It's not public knowledge, and probably not something they want to advertise given the Sith's long dubious history.

Well, if you're willing to pay....

LOL!  Kidding.  If you decide that's the only way to go, I'll be happy to take a crack at it and if you like it I'll send it to you (for free!  Haha...) to incorporate into your edit.  No big deal.

I haven't seen The Abyss in years and years.  Anything usable for this concept?

I might give it a try in my edit.  Mine is more non-conventional Indy, so it might work better there...but I'm not a hundred percent sure it's the way to go just yet.  I'm interested to see what Imp proposes. 

Oh, come ON!  LOL! 

Cool, Imp.  We're waiting patiently to SEE it!  :D

m.s said:

Weird question, considering the source material, but why would Spalko see all these human atrocities? Isn't "knowledge" the "gift"?

I dunno...maybe it's what they've learned from their observations of the Human race...about what we're capable of...and they don't like it.  So, they decide to "repay" us wretched Human Beings in kind.

I think the newsreel footage is an excellent idea.  One I hadn't thought of. 

I'm thinking concentration camp footage, people getting shot in the head, Tibetan monks setting themselves on fire in protest, etc...wouldn't necessarily have to be Soviet brutality.  It could be murder, violence, horror throughout all of Human history...and if these aliens are interdimensional beings or whatever, you could even include "future" events like 9/11, Iraq and so forth...ALL of the worst Human atrocities throughout thousands of years pouring into her head at once maybe building up to visions of a complete future nuclear holocaust.  We're talking a lot of quick, shocking cuts from a lot of different sources creating a whirlwind of negativity that seems to swallow her and finally destoys her.

It could work. 

Wow...where did you dig up THAT old fossil?  LOL!  I haven't read that thread in ages. 

It's weird to go back and read stuff you wrote in 2005...  Haha...  I've learned so much since then.  :)

adywan said:

god this is just getting out of control now. I seriously think i need a break from all this crap for a long time.

This board'll do that to you.  ;)

He could fall into the Sarlaac with Boba.  ;)

Han could be killed when the charges blow at the bunker.  He could be swept up in the explosion that seems to level several city blocks.

Wow.  That was a GREAT review, Akwat Kbrana.  I faneditor usually only dreams of getting analysis that constructive and that in-depth.  For a person who has poured their heart and soul into making an edit, feedback like that is a true gift.

I can see your point, Boost.  It's a good defense.  He didn't even know who this Luke Skywalker was, it was just a name...he didn't care anything about him.  And while he considered Han a friend, he still probably didn't trust him completely.  Top it off with the fact he had a reputation for getting into trouble, like with Jabba for instance.  It's like, "What has Han gone and gotten himself into now?"  Sometimes, friends like that you have to let fight their own battles or they'll take you down along with them.

And I have to admit, he did get choked pretty good by Chewie.  But, I think BingoWings is also right when he says Lando probably felt a huge sense of personal responsibility when he saw how it all turned out. 

So, that was a good anaylsis. 

Seriously though, while I do think a Lando death would give ROTJ's ending more impact and if you take the psychology of the character into account, it would be justified to let him commit self-sacrifice to save his friends...I guess I'm forced to conclude based on the evidence that his guilt is called into question.  What he did was a bad thing, knowing what we know...but, it's reasonable to assume he didn't realize what he was getting into at the time.  If I was a jury member, you probably would have swayed me, Boost.  :)  You're like Lando's Johnny Cochran!  LOL!  "If the glove don't fit...you must acquit."

SAVE LANDO!  :-D  LOL!

Bingowings said:

She knew what the Empire and Vader were capable of more than anyone else (she was personally tortured by Vader and the Empire destroyed her homeworld while she watched on helplessly) but she had too much of her father in her (ergo the choking Lando by proxy scene).

It's interesting that she also chokes Jabba to death too (imagine this gal with Jedi powers).

 That IS interesting.  I never really noticed that connection before.

doubleofive said:

I agree that he should sacrifice himself, but how?  I mean, if he doesn't make it out of the Death Star in time, that's not really selflessness, it's bad luck.  Even having the Falcon's missiles jam and Lando ramming the Falcon into the power generator (like Independence Day, heaven forbid) would (a) be pretty much impossible to get across without extra dialog and (b) look more like a fault of the Falcon, since she counts as a character.

Hahaha!  Give him a Randy Quaid moment...

"All right you Imperial a**holes!  Up YOOOOUUUUUUURRRSSSS!"

If I had the special effects know-how, I'd save Lando's "Here goes nothing" for the end and have him plow that Falcon right into the main reactor at the last possible moment after everything else had failed.

Lando's "sin" was selfishness.  The only way to fully redeem himself for that is selflessness.  The points you mentioned demonstrate some selflessness, yes.  But keep in mind the magnitude of his betrayal.  Han would never have been frozen or taken to Jabba's "nasty palace" if Lando had made a stand...or even warned him in some way...C-3PO was blasted to pieces, Leia, Chewie, Han and Luke were all lucky they didn't get killed.  And if they HAD been killed, there'd be no Vader redemption and the galaxy would never have broken the Emperor's grip. 

What he did was baaaadddd.... 

If more emphasis was placed on Lando leading and orchestrating the rescue to try to right his wrong, maybe it could be justified.  But in the movie more emphasis was placed on Luke's part in that.  In my opinion, Lando didn't do enough on screen to balance out his misdeeds.  And of course self-sacrifice is the ultimate expression of selflessness.

VERY cool mock-ups, Bingo.  It could work.  :)

Maybe Boss Nass was at the Rebel base that day, filling in for the guy who usually doles out the medal ceremonies.  "Weesa make you bombad Generals..."