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Mike O

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20-Jun-2006
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17-Apr-2024
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Post
#225922
Topic
Fox France confirms the French OOT release >NOT< to be anamorphic
Time
Originally posted by: andy_k_250
Originally posted by: Mike O
Why is it that a little green muppet from 1980 looks more realistic and lifelike than the best CGI that the 21st century has to offer? What does this say about the state of modern "special" effects?


Look at Robocop. The ED-209 stop motion may look dated, but the practical effects by Rob Bottin on Robocop himself are as impressive as ever. An American Werewolf in London is still arguably the best werewolf transformation ever filmed (CGI can seem to get werewolves right), Alien is as breathtaking and terrifying as it ever was, and the full-body shot of the queen in James Cameron's Aliens is more impressive than anything in the prequel trilogy. CGI, when used carefully, is an interesting tool. But that doesn't mean that older effects techniques have no merit. One one hand, filmakers can now create anything that they can imagine. On the other, this means that they might not stop to think outside the box. An excellent review for The Road Warrior that I once read put it best. There is a certain visceral thrill that one can only get by banging two objects together, and CG can't replace that.


That's basically the point I was trying to make with my signature. Except I don't know if you get a visceral thrill seeing Yoda bumping around his little house, but at least he looks like he is actually filling that physical space.

I love The Road Warrior too - can you imagine how crappy it would be done with CGI?


Yes, but Yoda is a fully-fledged character. He exists for the purpose of moving the narrative forward. He has a complete backstory and he develops. Jar-Jar doesn't actually do much, good bad, or indifferent. He's just sort of there. And I'm still waiting for the SE DVD of The Road Warrior. It is unquestionably one of the best action films ever made. That final car chase thrills me no matter how many times I see it, which has been quite a few now.
Post
#225908
Topic
SUPERMAN RETURNS REVIEW
Time
Originally posted by: greencapt
Originally posted by: oojason
^ Bright Eyes... burning like FIRE...

can't believe that scary ass cartoon got past the censors - gave me nightmares for years...


LOL- good movie and great book.. but WAY mis-marketed in the States at least. I think many of us probably saw it and were like "awww bunni... D'OH!"


Aw, rabbits. How cute. And they're tearing each other's throats out. Adorable.
Post
#225894
Topic
Fox France confirms the French OOT release >NOT< to be anamorphic
Time
Originally posted by: Darth_Evil
Originally posted by: Krycek87
I could care less about a 5.1 track, 2.0 sounds good enough for me! There is no need for that, as for just an anamorphic treatment, good! I could care less for a remaster, as long as it anamorphic, I can live in nostalgia. This is to be the way we remember them! The only thing that bugged me was the anamorphic thing. If this is all true, for me atleast, my bitching is over! I am getting what I want!


Exactly. Stereo sounds great, and I really could care less about a remastering. Just the DVD upgrade sounds good. After all, my bootlegs look very good, and feel very nostalgic, so the september release will be good enough for me. Anamorphic and stereo is all I need. The mono track would be good too.


LFL could always just go the extra mile and include all three to satisfy everybody.
Post
#225883
Topic
SUPERMAN RETURNS REVIEW
Time
Originally posted by: mverta
Just a little informal poll, but I'm curious about how old those of you who "loved" Superman Returns (or even thought it was good) are? It's not a loaded question, it's a straight one. What was the first movie you saw in a theater?

_Mike



Why do you ask? I'm going to go way out on a limb here and guess that you disliked Superman Returns rather intensely. Just out of curiosity, what are some of your favorite movies?
Post
#225882
Topic
Fox France confirms the French OOT release >NOT< to be anamorphic
Time
Originally posted by: Gaffer Tape
If it's anamorphic and a good-looking transfer, I will be content with these releases, and they'll be my final SW movie purchases (although maybe I shouldn't say that, as it will give Lucas an incentive to screw it up just so I'll repurchase over and over again). I don't care about a 5.1 mix. Stereo's good enough for me. Besides, like others have mentioned, the mixes done for the '04 set suck. Please don't let him just slap that mix on there, cutting out the SE stuff. I'd better be able to hear the damned Force theme during the Yavin battle, or there will be hell to pay. Creative decisions, my ass! And I'd rather they didn't mess with the picture. The less they touch, the less they can screw up. So yeah, I just want anamorphic with good picture and a not 2004 sound mix, and I'll be happy. Let's see if they can do something that simple.

Yes, but with a little time and effort remixs like the ones on the Indiana Jones boxed set (which, by the way, should have and did not include the original tracks) or the 2001 or other excellent remixes of older films could be created. If Skywalker Sound and THX just spent a bit of time, they could create a superb 5.1 mix. That is providing, of course, that the original mixes and restored picture are included.

Why is it that a little green muppet from 1980 looks more realistic and lifelike than the best CGI that the 21st century has to offer? What does this say about the state of modern "special" effects?


Look at Robocop. The ED-209 stop motion may look dated, but the practical effects by Rob Bottin on Robocop himself are as impressive as ever. An American Werewolf in London is still arguably the best werewolf transformation ever filmed (CGI can seem to get werewolves right), Alien is as breathtaking and terrifying as it ever was, and the full-body shot of the queen in James Cameron's Aliens is more impressive than anything in the prequel trilogy. CGI, when used carefully, is an interesting tool. But that doesn't mean that older effects techniques have no merit. One one hand, filmakers can now create anything that they can imagine. On the other, this means that they might not stop to think outside the box. An excellent review for The Road Warrior that I once read put it best. There is a certain viscer thrill that one can only get by banging two object together, and CG can't replace that.
Post
#225814
Topic
Fox France confirms the French OOT release >NOT< to be anamorphic
Time
Originally posted by: Krycek87
I could care less about a 5.1 track, 2.0 sounds good enough for me! There is no need for that, as for just an anamorphic treatment, good! I could care less for a remaster, as long as it anamorphic, I can live in nostalgia. This is to be the way we remember them! The only thing that bugged me was the anamorphic thing. If this is all true, for me atleast, my bitching is over! I am getting what I want!


Perhaps, but I would like a 5.1 mix. If one can be created for the SEs, then one can be made to do justice to the OOT as well. The original mixes should be included, of course. Plus bear in mind, that none of this is confirmed yet and that even if the transfer is anmorphic, there are still other issues to consider.
Post
#225807
Topic
Fox France confirms the French OOT release >NOT< to be anamorphic
Time
Originally posted by: THX
The 70mm six track mix could not become 5.1 without remixing. It could become 4.1 (kind of). See the various audio threads for why.

Fair point, but look at Criterion's Spartucus DVD or Warner's 2001 disc. With a little work, the OOT could have a killer 5.1 mix befitting the thrilling films. I agree wholeheartedly that the original sound mixes should be included, however, so don't get me wrong! I'd just also like a 5.1 mix (and maybe DTS...).

Five buck DVD's at wal-mart are anamorphic. Lucasfilm would become a laughing stock if they did this, and it would just show the world how crazy Lucas is.


Yes, but remember, Lucas despises the OOT, and considers it a mere rough draft or deleted scene, in spite of the fact the films have deep meaning to billions of people, won several Academy Awards, and altered the face of cinema as we know it. Not to mention that the deleted scenes on most DVDs, including the Star Wars ones, are anamorphic. And the deleted Jar-Jar sequences are also cleaned up after they leave the cutting room floor. It is easy for us to say these things, but we must remember Lucas's attitude towards the OOT, even if we don't like it.

Having said that, though, I imagine they were taken a bit by surprise by the outcry over the non-anamorphic/LD-master situation. LOL


"THX. The best sound. The best picture." You reap what you sow. THX, ILM, SWS, and LFL have spent years and year puporting to be the best in AV. They can't have this both ways. Spend a little money, hire Robert A. Harris, and watch the profits flow. They created the giant "best in AV" dragon. Now they've poked it in the eye.
Post
#225792
Topic
Fox France confirms the French OOT release >NOT< to be anamorphic
Time
Originally posted by: Darth_Evil
I just saw the news on Digital Bits. Maybe they are changing it to anamorphic, but haven't announced it in the states yet.

And they might have changed it not because of fan protest. I think that if Lucasfilm wants to be remembered as a great companyo f special effects and modern technology, they can't have this mark on thier permanent record. They released a movie in non-anamorhpic. For god sakes, I've seen dvd's of not very well known comedians on DVD in anamorphic. Five buck DVD's at wal-mart are anamorphic. Lucasfilm would become a laughing stock if they did this, and it would just show the world how crazy Lucas is. So they made an anamorphic transfer.

If this pertains to the states as well, then I'm extatic. Some of you have just found new things to complain about--no remastering--but I'm content with an anamorphic transfer. My bootlegs look very good (in my book) as it is, so I don't neccesairly need a remastering, though it'd be darn cool to have one. (Though I'd like them to leave in some grain---it makes me remember that this is a film.) And I don't care about a 5.1 track at all. Stereo is fine by me. It'd also be cool for them to include the mono track. (Monty Python and the Holy Grail did it, so why can't Star Wars?)


Star Wars would be an awesome 5.1 experience. Plus, the 70 mm six-track could become 5.1. It would be an awesome experience. I agree that that the 2.0 and mono should be included, however.
Post
#225772
Topic
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE
Time
Originally posted by: Han Solo VS Indiana Jones
Originally posted by: Mike O
I agree; a Potter film by Terry Gilliam would rock. JK Rowling even recommended him to direct the first film, but Warner Brothers didn't have the balls to let Gilliam do it, they wanted a "family friendly" film, so they went with Columbus instead. I can only hope that they'll consider him for either "Half Blood Prince" or #7.


True, but bear in mind, Terry Gilliam is not Hollywood's favorite person, and feeling is mutual. He isn't exactly a "mainstream" director. He was in fact Rowling's first choice. I like Columbus's films to an extent, but they feel too "Disney Channel," if you get my meaning. Though many fans of the book despise it for its deviation, I loved the Gothic look and feel of the third, even if it did feel a bit too rushed in place. The fourth had a slightly baroque look to the castle, and Newell brought a distinctly British feel to it (and Ralph Fiennes was an inspired bit of casting). He captures the adolescence so well, as did Caruon, something that I though Coumbus missed. Well, I suppose I can put the Terry Gilliam Harry Potter film on the shelf of dream projects that I have along the David Fincher Batman movie and the James Cameron superhero film.


Speaking of which, James Cameron would have been a kickass choice to direct an X-Men venture.

Of the three directors so far, I liked Cuaron's style best, even though 3rd film continued the 2nd film's tradition of butchering Ron.


I thought that too, although I would have loved for Singer to have finished the trilogy and for Cameron to take on Superman, but what's done is done. There is talk of M. Night Shamalayn directing a Potter flick. I sincerely hope not. They could always get Frank Darbont to do Harry Potter and the Azkaban Redemption. Jean Pierre Juenet would be interesting too.
Post
#225771
Topic
Fox France confirms the French OOT release >NOT< to be anamorphic
Time
Originally posted by: Vigo
Originally posted by: zombie84
They've just created a fake-anamorphic transfer from the original non-anamorphic telecine. It can be argued that this is even harmful. Until they fix the problem of the 1993 Laserdisk telecine (yes, i know its not a straight transfer) nothing has changed. People get hungup on anamorphic but thats simply a by-product of a larger issue. Now they fix the anamorphic issue with a fake-anamorphic conversion and people forget about the larger problem. Manipulation at its best.


This may be a realistic scenario, BUT: would they be that stupid? They should know that everyone would find out about this, and this would create an even more negative backlash: react to the non-anamorphic issue by providing fake anamorphic transfers, trying to cheaply decieve the fans and the public on an anticipated DVD release.

Please, don´t let them be that stupid. Let this all be an ingenious marketing attempt to stir up interest in the OOT DVD release, and to make GL the winner, who has giving in to the will of he fans.


Lucas may be stubborn, but stupid he most certainly is not. Let's see how this pans out, like I said.

Post
#225769
Topic
Fox France confirms the French OOT release >NOT< to be anamorphic
Time
Originally posted by: zombie84
Who cares. Anamorphic schmanamorphic. Its still the 1993 Laserdisk telecine and until they correct this nothing at all has changed.


Optimist that I am, that thought has crossed my mind too. By the same token, it makes little sense at all. Even if the discs are anamorphic, there is still the matter of the master which they are sourced from and the 2.0 and 5.1 tracks. I have, as anyone who has followed my posts knows, been optimistic, but I am also skeptical. Don't get me wrong, if this is an anamorphic release with the proper sound mixes and good picture quality then I'll pay through the nose for it. But you never know. The announcements went from the happy May 4th statement of the release to the well-deserved non-anamorphic/5.1 controversy. This may mean nothing, and and it may pan out to be something very good or very bad. Let us wait and see.
Post
#225624
Topic
SW: R.I.P. - 9/12/06
Time
Originally posted by: Invader Jenny
Blah blah blah, Star Wars is dead.

Whatever.


Just wait a few years and we'll get our trilogy on Blue-Ray or HD. We may have to wait till Lucas dies, but most of us are young. We can wait him out.


As I said, be careful. He could put into his will that OOT can never come out after his death. And, unfortunately, it is not our trilogy, now matter how attached to it we feel. And I am not a patient man.
Post
#225623
Topic
Lucas is a businessman - Don't believe what he says
Time
Originally posted by: Patrick Russell
Look, this is nothing new at all.

Way back when, Lucas was adamant about the fact that the Star Wars movies would never be broadcast on television because they needed to be seen on the big screen to have the impact that they were supposed to have.

Then he broadcast Star Wars on... I think it may have been on ON-TV, the old pre-cable pay movie station. It was a big huge deal, they even broadcast the audio portion on the radio (which I taped, obviously) and as I recall it was supposed to be a one-shot deal. Then, of course, they ended up running the thing on network TV a couple years later with great pomp and fanfare, and thereafter Star Wars was in broadcast rotation on TV.

Lucas also was equally adamant, once upon a time, that the Star Wars movies would never be released on home video. Again... not the way he thought people ought to be watching them.

But of course, we all know that he didn't hold out forever on that one either.

How long did Lucas insist that he didn't want the original edits out on DVD? I mean, he was *thump!* serious about it this time. No original edit DVDs. Only the Endlessly-F***ed-With Editions were to be released, as they were his true vision du jour.

Now, suddenly, they're releasing what amounts to the bootleg DVDs of the O-OT as incentive to shift 10,000 or so more units of their 2004 EFWE DVDs, and they're now saying that they will never release the O-OT again, especially in any kind of DVD format that's at all useful to those of us with modern widescreen TVs.

Y'all know as well as I do... they'll eventually release the O-OT in the same crisp, anamorphic widescreen format in which we see the O-OT clips in the Empire Of Dreams documentary.

The trick, of course, is to not pony up for the jocky-ass versions of the O-OT that they're putting out in September. Why would any of us want to shell out money for something that's been available VERY inexpensively on Ebay for years?

I'm not sticking pins in the arse of a George Lucas voodoo doll or anything, mind you... I just think he's been incredibly lame to a lot of his fanbase for quite awhile now (I think it really started after the "Greedo shoots first" debacle back in '97, but certainly after the tepid fan reception that TPM so rightly got.) This current nonsense about the O-OT, though, is just beyond the pale. O-OT footage can be presented in anamorphic widescreen in a DVD documentary, but the full films end up being released like Chinese bootlegs. I know that we'll eventually get the O-OT in anamorphic widescreen with good sound and picture, despite LFL claims to the contrary, but at the moment I have no trouble at all seeing why so many people are pissed at Lucas over this.


I want that post framed and put on my wall.
Post
#225622
Topic
Pirates of the Caribbean Two
Time
Originally posted by: Invader Jenny
This movie has made so much money, but I don't understand what the big draw is. I mean, was there really that much anticipation to see this film, or were people going to the theater because they didn't really have anything else to do (and other than SR there wasn't anything worth while playing in the theater)?

I mean, I saw the first movie but I wasn't all that impressed. I was at a sleep over with a friend 2 years ago when I saw it, but there you go. And this movie just seems to be raking in the fans but again...I must just not be into pirate movies or Johnny Depp. Same thing with Lord of the Rings. I saw the movies in the theater but that was it. I don't own the DVDs nor do I really care about Orlando Bloom.

Pirates and Wizards. Whatever.


Watch it. You don't want a flame war over LOTR now, do you.?
Post
#225619
Topic
Lucas may have caved, here is a link to Barnes & Noble early review of the O-OT DVD's:
Time
think Mike O has the right approach with his Helm's Deep analogy.

That was a joke . And thanks very much. Call me Mike. I change my name, but it doesn't appear that the software would allow such a thing.

There weren't supposed to be Elves at Helm's Deep though. The movie version sucked in comparison to the book.


Do you want a flame war .?

Why do you keep posting your pity party on each thread? You wanna give up, fine, but I for one am willing to wait Lucas out. I'm 23 and healthy. He's 62 and fat. Once he's dead, we'll get our DVDs. Just wait.


Be careful. Lucas could put into his will that the OOT can never be released after his death. Who's to say that we'd have to wait that long anyway? He hasn't said "no with this release." He's said "maybe." Yes, "we have no plans now or in the future to restore the earlier versions." But, "Now we'll find whether people wanted these or wanted the improved versions. It will all come out in the end. And let's not forget "the original versions will never be released on DVD." Never was only a couple of years. Lucas is many things. Stubborn? Yes. Frustrating? Often. Incosistent? Extremely. But stupid? No, and you couldn't convince me for a second. The man has made nine hours of film into one of the most lucrative and profitable franchise in history. If he sees money in the OOT, do you think that he will be able to resist releasing it again? Especially with the 30th anniversary so near. Lucas isn't stupid. If he put a restored anamorrphic version of the OOT on the 30th annivesary boxed and then charged an exhorbitant price for it, he knows people like would pay just to get the OOT.
Post
#225618
Topic
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE
Time
I agree; a Potter film by Terry Gilliam would rock. JK Rowling even recommended him to direct the first film, but Warner Brothers didn't have the balls to let Gilliam do it, they wanted a "family friendly" film, so they went with Columbus instead. I can only hope that they'll consider him for either "Half Blood Prince" or #7.


True, but bear in mind, Terry Gilliam is not Hollywood's favorite person, and feeling is mutual. He isn't exactly a "mainstream" director. He was in fact Rowling's first choice. I like Columbus's films to an extent, but they feel too "Disney Channel," if you get my meaning. Though many fans of the book despise it for its deviation, I loved the Gothic look and feel of the third, even if it did feel a bit too rushed in place. The fourth had a slightly baroque look to the castle, and Newell brought a distinctly British feel to it (and Ralph Fiennes was an inspired bit of casting). He captures the adolescence so well, as did Caruon, something that I though Coumbus missed. Well, I suppose I can put the Terry Gilliam Harry Potter film on the shelf of dream projects that I have along the David Fincher Batman movie and the James Cameron superhero film.
Post
#225453
Topic
What is meant by 'Special Edition'?
Time
I like Bladerunner, but I never liked it enough to pay $40 bucks for four different versions.

True, but you do have the choice.

To be fair, The Abyss and Brazil are both non-anamorphic LD transfers, like what we're getting with the new SW discs. Brazil will, however, be released in September with a new transfer. Fox has yet to get off their asses and put out a better edition of the Abyss though. They've been peddling and rereleasing the same non-anamorphic disc for the past few years. The only edition of Blade Runner available on DVD is the director's cut in a lousy LD transfer. This should be rectified next year though.


Cameron has not done what Lucas had done and tried to deny its existance, however. You are right. Thank you for correcting me. Hopefully, we'll see an anamorphic version of The Abyss (and the OOT) soon enough.
Post
#225452
Topic
**It has happened, Original films on DVD!!**
Time
Originally posted by: Mielr
Originally posted by: generalfrevious
-sigh- I hate to say this, but this is the best we will EVER get on DVD for the OOT.

I don't know about that..... I see this upcoming DVD release as a sign that Lucas is beginning to soften a bit. I really do think he's testing the waters, to see if those of us who've been screaming for the OOT, are willing to put our money where our mouths are. It could be that he's so insulated, that he really doesn't think that there are that many of us who actually want the OT, and thinks that most Star Wars fans feel the same way about the SE that he does.

If these DVDs sell big-time, I think it will be an eye-opener for him. He may decide to give the OOT a hi-def release in the future. Normally, I wouldn't be this optimistic- but the fact that the OOT is coming out on DVD at all is a BIG shocker for me- I never thought I'd see it happen, especially with the disdain that GL has shown for them.


Exactly. If these version "don't exist," why is Lucas finally releasing them? He can't have this both ways.
Post
#225451
Topic
Explaining the shoddy OOT treatment in public
Time
Originally posted by: Knightmessenger
If they were sold in a box set and anamorphic, they would be flying off the shelves. I think they will still sell like crazy because although they "won't be much better than what we have," there's many more people who don't have them at all.


In other words, people might prefer a low-quality copy of the OOT to a high-quality copy of the SEs. Interesting indeed.
Post
#225449
Topic
Lucas may have caved, here is a link to Barnes & Noble early review of the O-OT DVD's:
Time
The marketing that his company has done for the SE release has been nothing short of misrepresentation, if not outright lying. Anyone who goes into Best Buy to buy the currently available DVDs will find no indication that the DVDs are anything but the original versions. They are simply labeled as STAR WARS TRILOGY.


Yes, but we must remember that that is what Lucas wants. The originals "don't exist."
Post
#225276
Topic
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE
Time
Originally posted by: ADigitalMan
There is no set date when Book Seven is coming out, as it hasn't been finished yet. They'll set a date only after it goes to the publisher and gets edited.

7/7/07 was a WAY cool notion for releasing Book 7, but I don't think it'll ultimately happen. Movie 5 has officially been slated for 7/13/07 and I don't see JK pitting her products against each other like that.

I hope that it'll work out so they can film Book 6 and 7 back to back and get the release dates closer to each other.


See, I was thinking that she would need to get book seven out soon so that they could get the film into production. I really hope the cast stays for all seven. Am I the only one who thinks that Terry Gilliam would be so perfect to direct?