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Post #392416

Author
Monroville
Parent topic
TMBTM's "The War of the Stars"; a Star Wars "grindhouse" cut (Released)
Link to post in topic
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/392416/action/topic#392416
Date created
14-Jan-2010, 6:09 PM

Just watched it last night... I have to say TMBTM, you are quite talented.  Very entertaining with some really nice surprises.

Here is a short review (here there be spoilers):








THINGS I LOVED:
(1) The opening with the Tomita music and the editing around it was fantastic!  It would be nice to replace at least a bit more JW music with something more Tomita-esque or italian, but even then there are no complaints.  Very well done.

(2) how you edited the Owen and Beru death scene.  The song fit fairly well (though it would be interesting to find a similarly themed sad italian song, say from goblin or the like to see how it fits)

(3) Darth Vader's altered character... he really seems to enjoy being evil in this one (nice comeuppance in the end too)

(4) the Benny Hill-ish italian music when they're on the run in the Death Star.  What was interesting was how the beat of the music matched the rhythm of the movement of the actors.

(5) the overall editing changes: Han and Greedo's exchange (Han: "I don't think they would appreciate another body"  Greedo: "I think they wouldn't mind".. BLAM!  just barely finishes his sentence!); Luke's practice on the Falcon (didn't see that one coming); the Vader "force" effects... almost too much to list!


THINGS I WOULD CHANGE/ADD/ALTER:
(1) I think the only thing I would slightly change in the beginning would be to make the title more 70's/80's italian, with the words looking like the old STAR WARS logo (maybe have 2 blue laser beams - to contrast with the red - come from the middle right and left, hit together and form WAR OF THE STARS like below, pulse with brightness and disappear).



(2) maybe replace Obi Wan's wail with the Sasquatch scream.

(3) probably the biggest (and only real) problem with the edit: I wold at least edit out all of the TROOPS and the fan film Death Star stuff. While you did grain it up, it still stood out as fan-made.

(4) add the blurring FX when Obi Wan throws the noise to distract the troopers... maybe even see how it looks when he's doing the mind control on the trooper on tatooine.

(5) add a bit more blood:
(A) - when the first guy in the overlooking security station gets lasered, maybe instead of blood you show the laser go through him and hit the wall behind him.
(B) - definitely could use a bit during the detention block rescue attack
(C) - maybe add some guts coming out of the upper part of Obi wan's cloak when Vader chops him in half.

(6) speaking of which, the italian chase music should have ended and changed to something more dramatic and/or sad during and right after Obi Wan gets killed in front of Luke.

(7) don't know how it could be done, but maybe slip the SCANNERS head explode into one of the cockpits during the last battle (would have to add a helmet and one of the orange suits over his regular suit and tie) and/or add one of the quick bug eye edits from MAD MAX (right before Toe Cutter gets hit by the 18 wheeler at the end) when Porkins or one of the other pilots die.

(8) maybe change up the laser sound effects with sounds from FLASH GORDON or any number of italian STAR WARS rip-offs.

(9) maybe add a few more subtitled lines from R2.  There were times where he would beep away with no subtitles and then out of the blue there is a line or two.  I would probably change the font to something more general as well as make it yellow and smaller per a previous suggestion.

(10) maybe during the scene where Leia says "and you call yourselves humans" add a slower (not completely slow motion, but at say 60% to 70% speed) shot of the Alderaan explosion on the viewscreen (taken from the previous scene).

Even so, this was an excellent view and very fun to watch.  All of the suggestions above I consider minor and would add to the fun, but aren't necessary other than number 3 (if there was only one change you would make, I would take out the TROOPS and the other DS scene - those were the only things that really took me out of the movie).  Otherwise, keep up the good work!

PS: LOVED the extra bits, especially the videos, not to mention the extra "bonk" sound effect when the stormtrooper hits his head on the door. >:)