logo Sign In

What do you think of the Prequel Trilogy? a general discussion thread — Page 7

Author
Time
Originally posted by: Jumpman
Mike,

You didn't get snippy. I understand your position and many others like you. I'm just cut from a different cloth because, while I grew up with Star Wars, it didn't hold the significants to me until around '96. I didn't see A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back during their intial release(s). I did see Return of the Jedi in the theatre. I grew up with the Original Trilogy on VHS but I didn't know the ends and outs of the entire process until I got to college and majored in film...

It's just my philosophy on film has been shaped mainly by him and a few others of his generation. And for me, his thought processes on his Original Trilogy just make alot of sense to me. I try to see both sides when it comes to criticism of film.


Yeah, I kind of did. And shouldn't have. You're entitled to prefer the SEs. Just understand the not everyone does, and that Lucas is denying a high-quality release of it to those of us who don't. As I said, you have made many good points and I respect your beliefs. I just want a high-quality OOT DVD release. If you're with us in the campaign, then you're more than welcome.

“What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.”

Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death

Author
Time
Originally posted by: Jumpman
It's just my philosophy on film has been shaped mainly by him and a few others of his generation. May I ask who else? I'm genuinely interested, by the way... Originally posted by: Jumpman
I try to see both sides when it comes to criticism of film.
Good. Good for you.
Don't you call me a mindless philosopher...!
Author
Time
aural,

You know, the usuals...De Palma, Coppola, Scorsese, The 'Berg, John Milus, and Walter Murch. In film school, we obviously studied many directors and writers but I just took a keen interest in Lucas more than the rest of them. Alot of that comes from Episode IV, but most of it comes from seeing THX 1138 for the first time while in college. Took two days to pull my jaw off the floor after watching that film.

And since then, I've just almost read every interview and insight that he's ever given ('98 to the present) when it comes to what he feel film is....

I'm no expert at all in his thought processes but alot of what he says about film (being a visual medium and how filmmakers have gotten away from that) and his films just makes alot of sense. Now, of course, you have to weed through alot of it because Lucas has a habit (and I don't think it's one purpose) of contridicting himself. But, I can sort of understand why. He's been talking Star Wars for 30 years and essentially repeated the same phrases over and over again, so I can see how, in interviews, there are "WTF?" moments in some of his comments.

I'm one of those guys, like him, that feels that dialogue is way overrated and way overused today. As much as there are alot of dialogue in the Prequels, you can easily turn the volume down on those films and easily get what's going on just based on composition, lighting, costumes, color, and body language. Not saying all of them but most directors in today's Hollywood don't do that....or they don't think in those terms as much as they should. There are a few that do...Michael Mann being one of them (Best working director today if you ask me....)

But if you were to take the isolated score from the films and no dialogue, every Star Wars film works because of the visuals. And it's rare today to see that. I'm not saying it's in every scene, in every frame, but it's there alot in his films.

Twisted by the Dark Side, young Skywalker has become. The boy you trained, gone he is. Consumed by Darth Vader.

-Yoda; Episode III Revenge of the Sith.
Author
Time
Originally posted by: Jumpman
Michael Mann being one of them (Best working director today if you ask me....)
I also love the Mann! Heat has been one of my favourite movies since I saw it in the cinema in 1995.

I certainly appreciate what you're saying about visual filmmaking. I have developed a great love for silent movies. I have a growing collection of pre-sound films on DVD. I love Sunrise, Nosferatu and, particularly, Faust by Murnau and never fail to be astonished by Lang's Metropolis. The Cabinet Of Doctor Caligari is still one of the scariest films I've seen. And I saw a brilliant British silent called Hindle Wakes on telly not so long back which was absolutely spellbinding. I bought DVDs of three silent Hitchcock films, including The Lodger, but they were real budget affairs with awful soundtracks - absolutely ruins the experience! Do you watch any silents yourself?
Don't you call me a mindless philosopher...!
Author
Time
aural,

In college, I was forced to watch them, obviously but I do appreciate them for what they are and how pure, cinematically, they are. But, I'll admit that I haven't watched one since I left school. But Caligari and Nosferatu are pretty fucking spectacular films, even on today's standards....


Twisted by the Dark Side, young Skywalker has become. The boy you trained, gone he is. Consumed by Darth Vader.

-Yoda; Episode III Revenge of the Sith.
Author
Time
Oh, you should! Sunrise is still rated as one of the greatest masterpieces of the cinema EVER!! by many critics and directors. And I forgot all about Eisenstein!! How could I??!!!!! Battleship Potemkin is just superlative. Also try Strike and October.
Don't you call me a mindless philosopher...!
Author
Time
That's to say nothing of Keaton, Chaplin and Lloyd!
Don't you call me a mindless philosopher...!
Author
Time
aural,

Yeah, we covered Potemkin for at least two weeks in one of my classes. We did the same for Joan of Arc as well. Difficult days in class, but totally understand why we did.

I wasn't a big Keaton fan and I could barely stand Chaplin until I saw the Great Dictator...for me, one of the greatest films of all time and Chaplin's best performance....(I seriously need to get that on DVD soon.)
Twisted by the Dark Side, young Skywalker has become. The boy you trained, gone he is. Consumed by Darth Vader.

-Yoda; Episode III Revenge of the Sith.
Author
Time
Originally posted by: auraloffalwaffle
Originally posted by: Jumpman
Michael Mann being one of them (Best working director today if you ask me....) I also love the Mann! Heat has been one of my favourite movies since I saw it in the cinema in 1995.

I certainly appreciate what you're saying about visual filmmaking. I have developed a great love for silent movies. I have a growing collection of pre-sound films on DVD. I love Sunrise, Nosferatu and, particularly, Faust by Murnau and never fail to be astonished by Lang's Metropolis. The Cabinet Of Doctor Caligari is still one of the scariest films I've seen. And I saw a brilliant British silent called Hindle Wakes on telly not so long back which was absolutely spellbinding. I bought DVDs of three silent Hitchcock films, including The Lodger, but they were real budget affairs with awful soundtracks - absolutely ruins the experience! Do you watch any silents yourself?


See, I've always found Mann a bit too stylish. Lacks some substance to my mind. Still, no denying his skill.

Oh, you should! Sunrise is still rated as one of the greatest masterpieces of the cinema EVER!! by many critics and directors. And I forgot all about Eisenstein!! How could I??!!!!! Battleship Potemkin is just superlative. Also try Strike and October.



Ah, the clyncher? Just what is style over substance? Good questions, and I don't have an answer.

“What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.”

Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death

Author
Time
Originally posted by: Mike O
See, I've always found Mann a bit too stylish. Lacks some substance to my mind. Still, no denying his skill. I have to disagree with you there, Mike! Manhunter, Heat and The Insider have substance in spades!Originally posted by: Mike O
Ah, the clyncher? Just what is style over substance? Good questions, and I don't have an answer.
I'm not quite sure what prompted that, Mike, could you explain what made you think of that?

Jumpman, I saw a showing of The Passion Of Joan Of Arc a couple of years ago with live piano accompaniment - a very moving experience. Also just saw He Who Gets Slapped, a film from 1924 starring Lon Chaney, last week, also with live accompaniment - absolutely brilliant! If you get a chance to see a silent with live music, I heartily recommend you take it!
Don't you call me a mindless philosopher...!
Author
Time
I like the PT except for tPM. I consider AotC and RotS to be better than RotJ.
Author
Time
What I think of the PT? I don't care about it at all because I find the films dull and uninspiring. I have only ever watched each movie once, and I don't plan to watch them again in the foreseeable future.

However, there are a select few pieces of John Williams score for the PT which have come to grow on me, such as Duel of the Fates, Across the Stars and one or two more. One day I'll go through all the PT scores and pick out the tracks I like.

What's your favorite piece of music from the PT?
Author
Time
Originally posted by: Seiji
http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/images/ep3_tot1.gif

"Senator Palpatine seduces Anakin to the dark side in about as much time as it takes for you to finish reading this sentence."

Come on, not funny?


heh, on top of that, Palptine tells him he doesn't know how to do the life saving trick.

It's one thing that the PT turned out so retarded in the end. It's another thing to realize it easily could have been better if Lucas wasn't surrounded by yesmen.

Oh well. opening up old can of worms as they say. I'm all maxed out on the PT talk; I mean there's nothing to think further on about it for me. I know what it was, what it could have been, and what I feel about it all in the end. All you have to do is put in the TPM dvd and watch the scene where the film takes precious screen time that could be used to deliver character development or something that would be helpful in understanding the story, but instead we focus on an animal's large rear that is directed towards the camera, and we sit watching of course as its cgi rear-end shifts a bit and our sound system becomes filled with the booming sound of gas escaping that animal's rectum.

Thank you all, and have a good night. Edit: or day... it's night here.
He big in nothing important in good elephant.

"Miss you, I will, Original Trilogy..."

"Your midichlorians are weak, Old man." -Darth Vader 2007 super deluxe extra special dipped in chocolate sauce edition.

http://prequelsstink.ytmnd.com/
Author
Time
What I was saying about Mann was that I never felt as "into" his films, so speak. He's talented, no question. I've just always felt at arm's length. The characters develop, and it's not as if they are unsympathetic or anything. I just don't feel as excited or involved by one of his film as, say, a James Cameron or John Woo movie. I sort feel like I'm watching a movie. When I said style-over-substance, I was thnking of Collateral. You're right, he's very talented. I just find Mann a bit hard to approach. But there's not questioning his techincial skill. You're right, though, my calling him style-over-substance was rather ignorant on my part .

“What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.”

Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death