Episode I: The Ridiculous Menace (FULL MOVIE IS AVAILABLE TO STREAM, SEE FIRST POST) — Page 72

I watched it with my mother tonight. She thinks you're nuts...in a good way. I didn't take physical notes, but I made mental ones. I'm gonna rewatch it and write stuff down with a writing implement, cuz I saw some stuff that should be addressed. Heh.

TV's Frink said:

Battle droids - one of the things I thought I fixed in my first two workprint viewings was the battle droid noises.  They would sound fine in my headphones, but then listening on my 5.1 system they would be too loud.  First, are you on 2.0 or 5.1.  And second, are there specific ones you remember, or was it all of them in general?  Just an FYI, I've got notes back from two other reviewers so far and neither mentioned it.

I can see Mrs. [REDACTED]'s point on the Valorum bit, but I'll probably keep it the way it is.  Interested to hear if anyone else mentions it, however.

The graphics might be partly related to overscan on your TV.  On my main tv, which is pretty old, it cuts off even more.  But on my newer, smaller tv it only cuts off half the O and the L.  I also just checked on my PC and it's all there.  Ideally I would have it redone so that any overscan wouldn't be a problem, but a lot of VFX work went into that clip (none by me, btw), and I don't want to push it (or wait for it).

And the clip was done quite a while before I came up with Darth Darth.  Someone else mentioned that previously, incidentally.  I guess it will be one of the errors that adywan will have to fix when he does TRM:R ;-)

Spock is one of the clips I was trying to get integrated into the workprint, but it got delayed and I didn't want to hold the workprint up.  I'm planning on it being in the final cut.

doubleofive said:

And the clip was done quite a while before I came up with Darth Darth.  Someone else mentioned that previously, incidentally.  I guess it will be one of the errors that adywan will have to fix when he does TRM:R ;-)

No one else will notice. Just teasing.

I care noticed.

Okay, what are the rules here?  Do I need to be spoiler cautious as I review?  Am I meant to offer constructive criticism or unabashed praise?

xhonzi said:

Okay, what are the rules here?  Do I need to be spoiler cautious as I review?  Am I meant to offer constructive criticism or unabashed praise?

You want unabashed praise? I'm going to say its one of my favorite joke-a-minute comedies, right up there with Airplane!

Another criticism, I noticed how long the movie is while watching, even without the podrace. I think maybe the going through the planet core stuff could go. Either have the Jedi leave Boss Nass and next time you see them have them attacking the droids around the Queen, or have the Bongo leave the city (either having the first sequence or not) then pop up in the middle of the city. A lot of the reversed shots and "Ignore the things happening out the window" parts are in this one sequence. I think it might work alright without it.

TV's Frink said:

Honestly the underwater bits are cut down as well too (no sea life attacks) and so the two segments combined are what, like two minutes?

TV's Frink said:

There are a few little bits that could be cut out because they do nothing either for jokes or for keeping any sense of continuity.  In fact, that quick shot of Anakin's intro at the podrace ("a local boy") is one that I could easily lose.  A couple of ship landing shots also fall into this category.  Not sure if it's worth the bother, however.  Again, it really doesn't amount to much time at all.

And I like that Qui-Gon looks paranoid during the underwater scenes, always looking for the giant fish which never shows up.

Okay, here-a-goes,

I watched the first 10 minutes with my wife... who then decided she had better things to do. 

Chalk this up to: She was very distracted by some scrapbooking she had started.  Also, she has no love of Star Wars in the first place.  She especially dislikes the prequels.  She's only seen TPM once, maybe.  She doesn't like spoofs.  And Frink didn't like her cooking, so she' still sort of mad at him.  Okay, I made that last part up, but the rest is all true.  She did ask me to show her the highlates later, and then she took off.

However I do think the length of the crawl (that's the only comment I will make on the crawl publicly) was a bit of a bad first foot to put forward.  (Second foot, rather, she loved the flutey opening).  I've forgotten a lot of the crawl, but I didn't forget that it was too long.  If the joke is that "it's long" more than the actual content... then try this: after it's gone on long enough, "VHS fast forward" it to the end.  You still get the effect that it's long, but the audience isn't sitting uncomfotably anymore.  And by "VHS fast forward" I mean with the chipmunk music and the bad scan lines in the middle of the frame.

My next "too long" complaint is actually part of my "highest praise" segment.  The "Where's Ani" and the musical segment that follows caught me completely off guard and was probably the hardest/longest I laughed while watching it.  But then it kept going.  I think it would be funnier if it was either shorter, or if you could cut away from it and then cut back to it later.  I think after Quigonn drops off the parts and then heads back for Mos Espa whould be a good place to maybe play some more of it.  It would probably make me laugh again, as opposed to just feeling like it had overstayed its welcome.

Also the "Do a little dance for me", "<Ani's response>" line was very funny.  Good job on that one.  It almost made me like Stupid Kid Anakin a little more.

My wife, who loves GOB's chicken dance for some reason, thought that was very funny.  But maybe you can animate 3PO a little more (more reverse footage) to get a little more "chicken" out of him?

Also, I agree with the 005 and [REDACTED] that the senate (un/)recognize scene was played too many times.

I was really hoping that the "NTATOT!" line would appear after Yoda and Sam Jackson talk.  It was even better than I'd hoped.

The battle droids didn't sound overly loud to me.  (I was listening in 7.1)  But the soundtrack was nice and loud.  I was able to listen to it at a nice volume without having to crank my amp.

Which brings me to my next topic- the rear surrounds.  I only noticed the rear surrounds a couple of times, and it was always pleasant.  Animal/forest noises, explosions, etc..  However, during Obiwan's epic slo-no...  There was a repeating "whumping" sound that I think was coming from the surrounds.  It might be there in stereo as well.  Nothing too noticeable or dealbreaking... but if there's anyway you can get rid of it, I'd say do it.

Let's see... what's next.

I really like the "walking on sunshine" gag, and I'm wondering if it would spoil it if Darth Darth was listening to music more of the time- like when he's approaching Tatooine in the first place.  Maybe it would still work if he was listening to something hardcore then, only to have the poppy music later on.

I was amazed at how well the Bender worked.

What's the policy on all of the non-TPM sources?  Frink, I think I recall that you think YOU had to own the music or movies you sourced... are you thinking that the viewers have to own them all as well in addition to TPM?  Or just TPM?  Depending on your answer, I still think the Ewan MacDonald line from The Ghost Writer "This is getting ridiculous!" could be used to great effect-

Next random thought: I'm amazed that it's this done!  I kind of thought this would never actually be done.  Either an abandoned project, a joke that didn't work in execution as well as in design, or some kind of endless project that you just tweak and tweak for years but never release.

Another random thought: I appreciate that people will want to see their names in the credits... but the fan credits are too long.  Either put people in larger groups than three, scroll them, or just reduce the screen time.  You're giving everybody the same font/time as George Lucas.  Also, I don't think you really properly credited yourself.  It says it's a TV's Frink edit, but I don't think I saw another credit for yourself.  Not that you should have 50 credits, like some fan films/edits I've seen.  But perhaps a "Based on the Humor of TV's Frink" would be appropriate in addition to whatever other credits you have truly earned.

And finally- when the DTS logo rolls at the end... something along the lines of  "Suck it, JT 34!" would be appropriate.  ;)

I probably have more... I just need them to come to me.

I really liked the absolute last credit. For some reason it brought a tear to my eye, but I'm a strange one.

Oh, and that's the most of the Friday song I've ever heard.  That's the real thing and not a spoof- right?  MAN it is terrible.  I especially liked the bit about the order of the days in the weekend.  Now when I forget the order, I can just sing myself the song.  It's like a pneumatic device.

TV's Frink said:

doubleofive said:

I really liked the absolute last credit. For some reason it brought a tear to my eye, but I'm a strange one.

I thought you'd like it.