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SilverWook

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Join date
9-Dec-2004
Last activity
6-Apr-2023
Posts
22,080

Post History

Post
#328712
Topic
Info Wanted: What are the original sources of the movies that we want DVD transfers from?
Time

The scans that one website used to have, (taken from the collectible 70mm frames) looked awfully good.

It would be a miracle for a complete 70mm Star Wars print to show up that wasn't turning pink though.

I don't think there are a lot of transfer houses out there that can even handle 70mm. It wasn't even until the early 90's that big format films like 2001 got a decent video transfer, because apparently the proper gear had not been around before that!

Post
#328302
Topic
Info: Pottery Barn goes OT!
Time

I followed a link about Star Wars linens posted at Rebelscum, and much to my surprise, not one Prequel item in the bunch! And the design is a lot like the bed sheets some of us grew up with. πŸ˜ƒ

The Luke Skywalker poster looks like a reprint of the posters Burger King gave away with the glasses back in the day.

Only downside is there isn’t a Pottery Barn Kids store anywhere near me.

http://www.potterybarnkids.com/cust/starwars

http://www.potterybarnkids.com/room/rom/romboy/romboystw/index.cfm

Post
#327993
Topic
The 2008 '<strong>The Clone Wars</strong>' animated theatrical movie - a general discussion thread
Time

Actually, the South Park guys wanted to make a Thunderbirds movie, but the rights were already snapped up to make that live action film.

Anyway, just wanted to put my two cents out there since I actually saw the movie. We now return you to our regular programming, already in progress. ;)

Post
#327991
Topic
The 2008 '<strong>The Clone Wars</strong>' animated theatrical movie - a general discussion thread
Time

I finally saw it tonight.

 

Not as bad as all the vented spleenage I've read on the net made it out to be. Dare I say it was more fun than most of the prequels? The animation style is very different, and I like that it doesn't look like a Pixar film. The character design is highly stylized and gave me a bit of a Supermarionation vibe. (Which apparently is what Lucas was after.) Palpatine reminds me of one of those dried apple head figures! I noted they didn't try to conceal his visage in one Sidious hologram.

Anakin is actually likeable for a change. Ashoka takes a bit getting used to, but she does pay off in the finale. (I look on the whole Padawan issue being a wartime condition, much like battlefield promotions.) She will probably be neatly tucked out of the way before the events of Episode III, so why lose sleep over it? The old Marvel comic unintentionally dug itself into deeper holes than this, and managed to set things straight before Empire and Jedi came out. ;)

The battle scenes are fun, and easy to follow what's going on. I liked the wall climbing assault on the Bomarr(?) monastery, which was easy to mistake for Jabba's palace in the trailer. No major continuity busters, and less time on Tattooine than what was dreaded.

As in ROTS, the things that evolve into the Empire's hardware and uniforms are in evidence.

I couldn't help but smile at Jawas drooling over a wrecked spaceship before the engines are even cold. Beats the heck out of falling off a ronto antics.

I'm glad Dooku gets some onscreen villian time. He was dispatched much too soon it ROTS.

Ziro the Hutt was interesting. Hutts are the sell your own mom up the river back-stabbers I've imagined them to be. Some people are reading way too much into the Truman Capote voice though. I liked that he had IG-88 type droids for his muscle, as I long thought they should have been the design for the battledroids, which unfortunately, are back as bad comedy relief.  Even the bad guys get fed up with them! If I hear "roger roger" one more time!

The cute baby Hutt stuff threatens to go over the line at times, but as the McGuffin, the little spudboy serves his purpose.

It's amazing that a simple look between Padme and Anakin speaks more eloquently than most of the dialog they had in the prequels.

Strangely enough, no JarJar. Have to give them points for that. ;)

So I laughed, I cried, I kissed $9.50 goodbye. I will give the series a shot. And hey, it's better than those Ewok movies!

 

 

Post
#327238
Topic
The 2008 '<strong>The Clone Wars</strong>' animated theatrical movie - a general discussion thread
Time

I don't recall Empire being banned, but several countries did cut that shot out, which probably confused the hell out of people!

There is probably a bit of a double standard with the MPAA when it comes to people being shot by scifi weapons vs. real guns.

Note how a movie like Star Trek 6 gets away with oodles of Klingon blood in a PG film by making it look like pepto bismol. ;)

The original Star Wars movie novelization is actually pretty graphic in some of it's descriptions of stormtroopers getting shot.

Post
#327166
Topic
The 2008 '<strong>The Clone Wars</strong>' animated theatrical movie - a general discussion thread
Time
zombie84 said:
SilverWook said:

I don't know what serials you've been watching, zombie84, but the Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers serials were well made

Uh, when you can see the strings holding up the models I don't count that as well made. The serials were twenty minute Ed Wood films. Terrible acting and writing, most of the sets were cheap, bad special effect cutaway and formulaic plotting. The Flash Gordon series had a few cool sets because they re-used the stages from The Mummy and Phantom of the Opera, so that series has some acceptable production design there, but theres really little well-made about them. They were crude and cheap, especially the typical ones.

 

One might as well complain about all the visible matte lines and other FX byproducts in the original versions of the films this site is devoted to preserving. ;)

Many of the Republic Pictures serials feature superlative model work done by the Lydecker Brothers. Those shots hold up very well today.

http://www.vttbots.com/page20.html

One of the highlights of my first visit to Universal Studios in the early 80's was seeing a recreation of the Flash Gordon rocketship effects rig. It was way more sophisticated than anything Ed Wood was using.

I'm not above chuckling at the poorer quality serials MST3K poked fun at. And J-Men Forever! is one of my favorite comedy movies. But to lump them all in the same basket seems a bit unfair.

If not for many of these matinee serials, enjoyed by young and old alike, we would have no Star Wars and no Indy! And then what would we complain about?