Humankind has Heavy Metal on Blu-ray…
…And we’ve recreated its opening scene and blasted an actual convertible automobile into outer space…
…but we STILL don’t have Star Wars '77 on Blu-ray yet!?
We do have Carnival Magic on Blu-ray, but we still don’t have Star Wars '77!
I HATE the SE
+1
It’s coarse and rough AND irritating…and it fucking gets everywhere!
I guess I’d say:
- ESB & SW
- ROTJ & R1
Also, welcome L.P. Hovercraft! I like your list and little notes. Hope you stick around.
Thanks! I may chime in now and again.
Good list. I would only switch TFA and RO. I feel like TFA has the potential to climb (or fall) in people’s rankings quite precipitously with the release of TLJ, just as TPM fell in my estimation after the release of AOTC. And we won’t even mention Episode IX…
Trevorrow: “It’s just us now. Rian Johnson can’t save you.”
Agreed, it’s still really too early to judge TFA until the next two are finished. Though if good ol’ Luke Skywalker ends up as the big twist villain in this ST I think I may just be done with SW!
I just kind of hate how Han went out in VII without a scene with the three OT principals together and now VIII will probably be Leia’s final appearance (pending a recast). I’m really curious to see how Luke is portrayed in TLJ and if he even lives to IX.
still not really for me or my post 18-35 year old age demographic.
So it’s not for anyone over 35…
Sounds reasonable.
Ok, 18-35 may be an exaggeration on my part.
Though I do think TFA was made as a reboot for younger casual viewers who were either burnt out on SW from the prequel trilogy and those who haven’t seen a big event non-prequel Star Wars flick in a theater since 1997 (or ever). I reckon it was really meant more to hook younger people and the OT call backs were thrown in just to satisfy us old OT fogies still remaining. Fans over 35 who were alive during the original runs would probably be happy to just see a re-release of the OT in theaters but with the whole SE/GOUT schism it may have been easier to shuffle some plot elements around, create new characters and reboot the series. I may change my mind on all of this depending on whether or not Luke rides around on Rey’s back during a training montage in the next one though.
For me Star Wars was always about the Rebellion vs. the Empire.
True dat!
Unlurking for this very special 5/4, here’s one old SW fan’s ranking:
If G-Lu had a heart attack and died in '77 and no sequels were ever made after the first film, I think SW would still be considered a classic today. A fun crowd pleasing popcorn adventure film with some actual ideas percolating just underneath the surface.
Essential viewing. A very, VERY close second edged out only by being a darker, more mature sequel to the original self contained film. Best puppet acting performance in history.
Almost as good as the first two but just not quite there due to some shaky, half baked concepts and execution (Death Star II, return to Tatooine, semi-exotic California planetscapes, Lando and Han both get to live?!). I’m ok with the Ewoks but I think this one really loses a lot from the lack of wisdom and insght Gary Kurtz would have provided as one of Lucas’ main creative partners to bounce story ideas off of and veto his worst impulses–a no-man role obviously sorely missing in the prequels.
Big space here…
From here on out none of the following movies are in the same league as the OT. RO is more how I sort of imagined the prequels could have gone–a return to the used, run down SW universe featuring brand new characters, albeit in stories not necessarily so tied to OT continuity. I don’t love it like I do the OT, but I don’t actively loathe it either. For me it’s the best of the post Jedi flicks so far, and I wish the story of Anakin’s downfall, if it HAD to be told at all, was told in a similar one and done standalone film rather than stretched out over a pointless trilogy.
4.5. The Star Wars Holiday Special
Although I have a few non-theatrical SW titles in my collection (Ewok movies, Droids/Ewoks cartoons, Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars shorts) I don’t really consider them a part of the theatrical saga canon and don’t really rewatch them very often. However I feel like the Holiday Special needs to be included if only for the fact that it was released during the golden years of SW ('77-'83), features the original cast and a Boba Fett cartoon, and is something I try to watch annually around Life Day each year. Misguided for sure and obviously a product of its time, but damn if I don’t love this thing, unsubtitled wookiee dialogue, virtual reality softcore porn, and all. IMO, really not the worst SW spin off ever, and a harbinger of how the quality of SW could have nose dived twenty years earlier than it actually did if Empire Strikes Back wasn’t such a god damn masterpiece.
Ouch, you really can’t go home again. The beginning of undead zombie Star Wars or SWINO as far as I’m concerned. Should have only been bankrolled by and with a story by Lucas and directed by someone else with a little more hunger and piss and vinegar in 'em. The “best” of the three prequels but still all unnecessary back story better left untold. An absolute waste of Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan, and CPY shits on the real Yoda, but still the least offensive to OT characters/plot–except for demystifying the Force of course.
Arguably a better made reboot/sequel than all three prequels but still not really meant for me or my post 18-35 year old age demographic I think. Still nice seeing some old familiar faces again, though probably should have been made 30 years ago if OT characters were to be included. New characters mildly interesting so far, though plot a bit of a reheated souffle. Basically, meh…fair to middling entry IMO, though in light of recent political events in the US, possesses the timely theme that old evils never truly disappear, they just rebrand. My ranking for this one may change depending on if and how VIII and IX either stick the landing or screw the pooch.
The whole damn point of the entire prequel trilogy, but after the first two episodes I couldn’t really find the energy to give a shit too much anymore. Could have been brilliant (and has a few flashes here and there) but due to the shaky foundations of TPM, the tragedy of 'lil orphan Ani ended up mostly wasted potential. Again the whole turn to the dark side and lava fight was probably better left untold. And again shits on Yoda. I really like The Blackened Mantle 3 in 1 subtitled cut myself if I ever feel the need to revisit the PT, though I rarely do.
The worst. Unnecessary filler to pad out an unnecessary trilogy that actually makes me hate OT characters Obi-Wan, Boba Fett, C-3PO, R2-D2, the Emperor… and myself for wasting my life watching and obsessing over this shit. Once again, Yoda is shat upon–he really never should have appeared in these films at all.
Still after all the CGI disappointment and greenscreen abuse, like a battered and bruised junkie spouse I remain a SW fan and look forward with (a new) hope to The Last Jedi.
Hovercraft out. May the Fourth be with you all!
Crap… I thought at first it was part of the interchange between the meat vendor and that thief Jar-Jar, whom immediately got karma-slapped by Sebulba… My bad for not checking (and for not writing this at home where it would be easier to corroborate such things); you’re right, carry on with your valid reference.
Edit: Maybe I really do need to work on my sleep habits, I’m really slipping lately.
That sonovabitch Jar-Jar ruins everything!
Wish people used proper grammar and punctuation
I just wanna download this at a fast rate!
Better, but wanna is not a proper word.
Die wanna wanga!?
eldusto84 said:
Ok, I thought I might jump back in this thread after watching "Tolkieneditor's" fanedit of the Hobbit. It looks like we made several similar editing choices along with several dissimilar ones. However the biggest drawback to his version is the poor video quality. Perhaps the 6GB will look nicer but he's still working off a DVD rip of the first two films and a bootleg copy of the third.
That being said, I've gone and made a page on my website dedicated to my fanedit version: JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit. The idea is the same- cut all three films into one long epic that is more faithful to the book. My source media are the 1080p Blurays, so I won't be able to edit the third film until it is released (legitimately) this spring.
Here is the link to my fanedit info page:
http://www.maple-films.com/the-hobbit-fanedit
I'm also going to start a new thread on the topic here.
http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/JRR-Tolkiens-The-Hobbit-turning-a-mediocre-trilogy-into-one-really-good-film/topic/17418/
I like the way you cut the intro; I was never a huge fan of seeing LOTR era old Bilbo and Frodo in the PJ version but I have to admit I REALLY missed hearing the famous words: "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit..." in the four hour Tolkien edit. That's the way the Hobbit really needs to begin IMO so I think your cut is a really good way to work it in without an overly long prologue. Looking forward to more!
TheBoost said:
L.P. Hovercraft said:
lotrjw said:
doubleofive said:
Peter Jackson on the two-film edit:
The split was going to occur where Bard [Luke Evans] appears on the river bank as a silhouetted figure with a bow. So the whole barrel sequence was going to be the climax.
Just in case someone wants to re-create the alternate universe two-movie edit.that would be cool along with cutting some bits out that weren't in ether the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings books, it might make for two roughly 3 hour films!
The old 90 minute Rankin/Bass Hobbit moved along at a pretty brisk pace without leaving TOO much out or adding lots of extra padding so still remains my favorite adaptation so far, but I still think Del Toro (or PJ) could have made one or even two REALLY amazing movies from this story on par with the LOTR films IF the focus actually remained on the title character of Bilbo instead of on Alfrid, Legolas, Kili/Tauriel, the white Orc, the White Council, etc.
As it is, splitting this story into three bloated films has really killed this version as far as I'm concerned--a lot of the extra stuff in the films could have been added back in for the extended editions but should probably not have been left in for the more streamlined theatrical versions.
I'm really looking forward to watching a shorter one or two movie edit and think it will do wonders for my prequelesque feelings of mehness about the current PJ versions.
I'm contemplating doing a edit that matches as best I can the pacing and events of the cartoon version. I might even make it full-screen.
Nice--looking forward to checking it out if you do. I think if PJ even stuck to the cartoon's script and just added a few bits and bobs here and there to flesh it out to a single epic 2 & 1/2 or 3 hour film, The Hobbit really could have been a new fantasy classic.
By the by, looks like someone has already chopped the 3 films down into one 4 & 1/2 hour version (which is still pretty long to sit through in one sitting if you ask me!):
lotrjw said:
doubleofive said:
Peter Jackson on the two-film edit:
The split was going to occur where Bard [Luke Evans] appears on the river bank as a silhouetted figure with a bow. So the whole barrel sequence was going to be the climax.
Just in case someone wants to re-create the alternate universe two-movie edit.that would be cool along with cutting some bits out that weren't in ether the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings books, it might make for two roughly 3 hour films!
The old 90 minute Rankin/Bass Hobbit moved along at a pretty brisk pace without leaving TOO much out or adding lots of extra padding so still remains my favorite adaptation so far, but I still think Del Toro (or PJ) could have made one or even two REALLY amazing movies from this story on par with the LOTR films IF the focus actually remained on the title character of Bilbo instead of on Alfrid, Legolas, Kili/Tauriel, the white Orc, the White Council, etc.
As it is, splitting this story into three bloated films has really killed this version as far as I'm concerned--a lot of the extra stuff in the films could have been added back in for the extended editions but should probably not have been left in for the more streamlined theatrical versions.
I'm really looking forward to watching a shorter one or two movie edit and think it will do wonders for my prequelesque feelings of mehness about the current PJ versions.
Leoj said:
L.P. Hovercraft said:
This looks amazing.
Could some kind soul send me an invite to myspleen?
Many thanks in advance!
The registration is now open. You can sign up without being invited.
I'm in--thanks!
This looks amazing.
Could some kind soul send me an invite to myspleen?
Many thanks in advance!
I think it looks great!
And like actual film too (I kinda like the flicker).
Can't wait to watch the whole thing!
Seriously love it! My and my friends always wanted to do a stop motion film using our SW figures and toys but none of us knew anyone that owned an 8mm camera.
The best part is when R2 gets pissed and hulks out!
Nice! I actually wouldn't even mind watching the entire trilogy just like this as a raw scan without ANY color correction or stabilization. It really looks like film again.
Can't wait until it's finished--keep up the good work!