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General Star Wars Random Thoughts Thread — Page 440

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Star Crash is endearingly goofy in a way only an Italian made knockoff of Star Wars can be. I was disappointed Guardians Of The Galaxy 2 didn’t refer to it. 😛

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Where were you in '77?

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canofhumdingers said:

Shopping Maul said:

ZkinandBonez said:

Shopping Maul said:

I remember when ANH was perceived as a SPFX milestone with breakneck pacing. Of course these days, especially to kids, it seems cheap and slow paced.

Really? It didn’t bother me or any of my friends when we were kids during the release of the PT movies. There were plenty of modern films to compete with, yet as far as we were concerned the OT was as good as it gets. (Ditto on the orig. Indy movies.)

I’m not saying everyone was/is bothered by it, but the perception obviously changed as the films and the technology evolved. In its day Star Wars felt the way something like Infinity War might feel today - just huge and fast and mind blowing. Now of course it seems so much simpler.

My two boys (ages 3 and 5) thought Star Wars was pretty huge and fast and mind blowing when I showed them 4K77 in February. Certainly quite far from simple.

When I was 5, I took Adam West completely seriously as Batman! No, I was referring to people in general who are now experiencing the likes of Guardians of the Galaxy. In its day Star Wars felt somewhat like GOTG does now, but obviously back to back they are very different thanks to the 40 year gap between them. All I was saying is that, in comparing say TESB to TLJ, we should factor in the different eras in which they were made. Obviously things that worked for TESB in 1980 might not work for a movie made in 2017.

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ray_afraid said:

ZkinandBonez said:

Its almost like they don’t know how to respond to something “real”. They’ve always had CG so in a sense that fake digital look is just what unreal things (like aliens or spaceships) are supposed to look like in their minds.

It’s not just aliens n’ spaceships. People really think that revised Obi-Wan/Vader duel making the rounds looks “real”.
Crazy.

Right. Even as a kid I found it weird that no one seemed to find the SE CG out of place. At the time it didn’t necessarily bother me, it just was what it was, but I still thought it was really weird when one of my friends couldn’t tell what was added. Sure some of it’s pretty subtle, but even as a kid CG Jabba stood out like a sore thumb. But, then again, I guess most people (even more so kids) don’t think too much about how movies are made. And the fact that I loved BTS stuff as a kid and even made my own amateur movies probably gave me a very different perspective.

Star Wars is Surrealism, not Science Fiction (essay)
Original Trilogy Documentaries/Making-Ofs (YouTube, Vimeo, etc. finds)
Beyond the OT Documentaries/Making-Ofs (YouTube, Vimeo, etc. finds)
Amazon link to my novel; Dawn of the Karabu.

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Valheru_84 said:

SilverWook said:

20 years ago today!

I feel old…

Damn, me to! It seems time marches on so quick the older you get.

You have no idea, man.

To the anniversary post; Here’s something you all may not expect from me. I’ve never made any secret of my dislike for the only prequel I’ve ever seen and all the Lucas BS surrounding it (then and still). However, the year of advertising and marketing tie-ins when it was released is a time I remember somewhat fondly.

It was a very big deal to this original fan to have a Star Wars film coming out so many years after I’d become disenchanted with anything post-1977. I was skeptical for sure but went in with an open mind. I would soon be wildly let down but the buildup and anticipation was fun. For some reason, I have emotionally separated it from the film itself.

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 (Edited)

Shopping Maul said:

canofhumdingers said:

Shopping Maul said:

ZkinandBonez said:

Shopping Maul said:

I remember when ANH was perceived as a SPFX milestone with breakneck pacing. Of course these days, especially to kids, it seems cheap and slow paced.

Really? It didn’t bother me or any of my friends when we were kids during the release of the PT movies. There were plenty of modern films to compete with, yet as far as we were concerned the OT was as good as it gets. (Ditto on the orig. Indy movies.)

I’m not saying everyone was/is bothered by it, but the perception obviously changed as the films and the technology evolved. In its day Star Wars felt the way something like Infinity War might feel today - just huge and fast and mind blowing. Now of course it seems so much simpler.

My two boys (ages 3 and 5) thought Star Wars was pretty huge and fast and mind blowing when I showed them 4K77 in February. Certainly quite far from simple.

When I was 5, I took Adam West completely seriously as Batman! No, I was referring to people in general who are now experiencing the likes of Guardians of the Galaxy. In its day Star Wars felt somewhat like GOTG does now, but obviously back to back they are very different thanks to the 40 year gap between them. All I was saying is that, in comparing say TESB to TLJ, we should factor in the different eras in which they were made. Obviously things that worked for TESB in 1980 might not work for a movie made in 2017.

Haha, I have the entire series boxed-set of Adam West Batman and watch it regularly with my kids!

I get what you’re saying and agree there’s at least something to it. But I also don’t think old films should automatically be dismissed or glossed over so easily because the good ones can and do still pack a powerful punch on audiences. I remember showing some of my friends in college the original King Kong and Seven Samurai. Even friends who I never thought would be interested in such old (or subtitled!) movies were totally into both films and really enjoyed them!

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This has probably been covered before but was Natalie Portman’s voice pitch shifted to be lower in her scenes as the queen in TPM? I’ve always suspected that was the case but watching some trailers and featurettes (where her voice is noticeably higher) got me thinking it might actually be.

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DominicCobb said:

This has probably been covered before but was Natalie Portman’s voice pitch shifted to be lower in her scenes as the queen in TPM? I’ve always suspected that was the case but watching some trailers and featurettes (where her voice is noticeably higher) got me thinking it might actually be.

Only way to find out is to download a snipet of her speaking and pitch it up.

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DominicCobb said:

This has probably been covered before but was Natalie Portman’s voice pitch shifted to be lower in her scenes as the queen in TPM? I’ve always suspected that was the case but watching some trailers and featurettes (where her voice is noticeably higher) got me thinking it might actually be.

Yeah, I think both Queen-Natalie and Kiera Knightley’s voice were both deepened.

I do think a few edits have tried fixing this. This video is an example of an attempt at correcting her voice (I think they have another video for Kiera)

https://youtu.be/m3TQMHeF1Es

I was just thinking about this the other day when TPM was on TNT. I really think making her voice deeper made it harder to relate to Padmé. It just sounds so strange to me, I don’t know.

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RogueLeader said:

DominicCobb said:

This has probably been covered before but was Natalie Portman’s voice pitch shifted to be lower in her scenes as the queen in TPM? I’ve always suspected that was the case but watching some trailers and featurettes (where her voice is noticeably higher) got me thinking it might actually be.

Yeah, I think both Queen-Natalie and Kiera Knightley’s voice were both deepened.

This brings up another question I’ve always had, am I crazy or is Sabe’s voice just Natalie also, but with a slightly different accent?

I do think a few edits have tried fixing this. This video is an example of an attempt at correcting her voice (I think they have another video for Kiera)

https://youtu.be/m3TQMHeF1Es

Probably not far enough, look at this trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo--sWDK_nU

I was just thinking about this the other day when TPM was on TNT. I really think making her voice deeper made it harder to relate to Padmé. It just sounds so strange to me, I don’t know.

Between the voice deepening, the accent, and the fact that Amidala and Padme are treated as separate characters until the third act makes it really hard to follow the character in that movie honestly.

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Did they replace Kiera’s voice with Natalie’s? That is a good question. I’ll see if I can find any info on that.

And you’re right, it is even higher-pitched in the trailer. But see, I like that. It definitely makes Anakin and Padmé feel closer in age, and I think it makes her at least somewhat more sympathetic. I definitely would want to reimplement her actual voice pitch for any future fan edit I might do.

Honestly, I feel if you were to improve Padmé’s character arcs in 2 and 3, she would be a clear main character of the films, at least alongside Anakin. Maybe they both would be comparable to how Rey and Kylo Ren are dual main characters of the ST.

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RogueLeader said:

Did they replace Kiera’s voice with Natalie’s? That is a good question. I’ll see if I can find any info on that.

And you’re right, it is even higher-pitched in the trailer. But see, I like that. It definitely makes Anakin and Padmé feel closer in age, and I think it makes her at least somewhat more sympathetic. I definitely would want to reimplement her actual voice pitch for any future fan edit I might do.

Honestly, I feel if you were to improve Padmé’s character arcs in 2 and 3, she would be a clear main character of the films, at least alongside Anakin. Maybe they both would be comparable to how Rey and Kylo Ren are dual main characters of the ST.

It’s incredibly unfortunate how she’s handled (probably second only to Anakin in terms of PT character fuck ups). The entire plot of TPM revolves around her and she’s in the majority of the scenes, but there’s next to no interiority there. There’s a lot more understanding of who she is AOTC but we still miss out on fundamental aspects of her character (her opposition to the creation of the army) and her main arc in the film (coming to love Anakin) is downright terrible. Then obviously a lot has been said about her being little more than a plot device in ROTS.

It’s especially unfortunate considering how Portman has proven after these films to be one of the best actresses of her generation. At the beginning of the doc “The Beginning,” Lucas comments on how she’s making a decision to be in three films over the next half a decade or so without looking at a word of any script. Kinda makes me feel bad for her, I mean who wouldn’t have done that considering the quality and success of the OT, but who would have guessed that she’d be so shortchanged by the material.

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It would be awesome if that bread Rey made was one of the food items available in Galaxy’s Edge.

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Back in February I showed my kids (boys aged 3 & 5) Star Wars via 4K77 prior to taking them to Disney World. Of course they absolutely loved it and thoroughly enjoyed all the Star Wars stuff in the park (we decided to wait until they’re a bit older to commit to doing the whole Galaxy’s Edge attraction).

Well, this week I had the extreme pleasure of showing them the entire Original Trilogy. They had been asking to watch Star Wars again and my wife and I decided that if they could handle it, they could handle the other two as well. So we watched 4K77, ESB Despecialized 2.0, and 4K83 over the last week. It was such a pleasure re-living these films for the first time through my kids eyes. Their excitement during the action was palpable. Their awe and fascination were clearly visible on their faces. I often felt almost like I myself was seeing the movies for the first time. My 3 year old exclaimed “Whoa!” at every show stopping explosion or action stunt. My five year old’s nose and brow immediately crinkled into a frown of extreme disbelief at the father revelation (he was absolutely adamant that Vader was lying. It was so cute!).

To everyone who worked on or contributed to these projects in any way at all, I wish to express my deepest and most heartfelt thanks. This has been an experience I’ve been looking forward to for many years. It did not disappoint!

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canofhumdingers said:

Back in February I showed my kids (boys aged 3 & 5) Star Wars via 4K77 prior to taking them to Disney World. Of course they absolutely loved it and thoroughly enjoyed all the Star Wars stuff in the park (we decided to wait until they’re a bit older to commit to doing the whole Galaxy’s Edge attraction).

Well, this week I had the extreme pleasure of showing them the entire Original Trilogy. They had been asking to watch Star Wars again and my wife and I decided that if they could handle it, they could handle the other two as well. So we watched 4K77, ESB Despecialized 2.0, and 4K83 over the last week. It was such a pleasure re-living these films for the first time through my kids eyes. Their excitement during the action was palpable. Their awe and fascination were clearly visible on their faces. I often felt almost like I myself was seeing the movies for the first time. My 3 year old exclaimed “Whoa!” at every show stopping explosion or action stunt. My five year old’s nose and brow immediately crinkled into a frown of extreme disbelief at the father revelation (he was absolutely adamant that Vader was lying. It was so cute!).

To everyone who worked on or contributed to these projects in any way at all, I wish to express my deepest and most heartfelt thanks. This has been an experience I’ve been looking forward to for many years. It did not disappoint!

Beautiful post! How did they go with the more heavy visuals ie burnt corpses on Tatooine, severed limbs etc etc? Are you going to follow up with the PT/ST?

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They handled everything just fine. They’re smart kids and we’ve always been open and honest about life and death and whatnot. But we’ve also been very clear about reality vs tv and movie magic. They are very aware that what they’re seeing onscreen is not real no matter how convincing it looks. (In fact, my five year old was incredibly excited about the fact that what he was going to see was “all real and not pretend!” when I took them to see the Apollo 11 documentary at a local theater earlier this summer. I suppose that’s another important point; I’ve exposed them to a lot of stuff like that that many young kids might not sit through these days).

As for the PT, nah. I’m not interested in sitting through those any time soon. They can watch those on their own time in a few years if they want. Regarding the newest films, in short: not yet. I feel like there’s some things in those that are still too intense, scary, or otherwise just not appropriate for kids so young. I mean, all the Disney era films are PG-13 and I feel each warrants that rating for one reason or another.

Incidentally my five year old was asking me about the other Star Wars movies as I tucked him in tonight. I explained that some weren’t appropriate for children his age (something we’ve told them about many things before, not just movies). I also told him how when I was a kid, the three he’s now seen were the only Star Wars movies there were and that they are still the best ones (a little white lie since I actually like R1 and TFA a bit more than ROTJ). I’m not sure he’s totally convinced but that at least satiated him for bed time. I suspect he’ll keep asking about watching the other Star Wars movies…

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It does my heart good you took them to see Apollo 11. The screening I attended was definitely all the 50 and over crowd. I was fearing kids were missing out an amazing historical record.

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Where were you in '77?

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I appreciate that. If there is one thing my children will not be, it is ignorant. We take them to museums, and national parks, travel all over the country (and will begin traveling internationally as they get a bit older), read them history and science, grow a vegetable garden, and just generally teach them about anything and everything we possibly can. Of course, me being a huge nerd about aviation and space exploration means they get a LOT of exposure to that spectrum… living within an hour’s drive of NASA Mission Control at Johnson Space Center doesn’t hurt either haha!

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canofhumdingers said:
living within an hour’s drive of NASA Mission Control at Johnson Space Center doesn’t hurt either haha!

A fellow Texan. I had no idea, sir. As a native Houstonian, I also grew up with Mission Control being a very big part of my world.

Great documentary on Mission Control, if you haven’t seen it:
https://www.netflix.com/title/80175483

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I wonder if the Ewoks are waiting for C-3PO to return.

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That’s a good question! Do they still think he’s a god?

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Where were you in '77?