Alderaan

People still thinking in binary political terms. How cute.

Feels like we need a comic-book / superhero movie thread and a non-comic book / non-superhero movie thread.

Down with Kushner!

Heh. I recently read an article about Bloomkamp and the Halo movie that never was.

Would have loved to see that one.

Life is Beautiful:

I hadn’t seen this in a long time and watched it again tonight. Very good movie, if not necessarily perfect. Roberto Benigni and his real life wife Nicoletta Braschi are a very loving and memorable on-screen couple. The first half of the movie is as romantic as films get. The comedy – at times full of wit, and at other times a mix of gags and even the bizarre – is the kind that provokes constant warm smiles, mixed in with occasional chuckles and laughs. Above all, this is an uplifting and endearing film, carried by the presence of Benigni, its lead actor and director, who commands the screen in a unique way that few others have ever achieved.

The only problem with this movie, I’m afraid, is the lack of levity when it comes to Guido’s character, particularly in the concentration camp scenes during the last half of the movie. Every time there is a down note in this film, the camera is always on someone else…usually his wife. The film really needed a moment here or there where the spirit of the main character was tested to the limit. I think the film would have been far greater had there been a scene or two where Guido nearly breaks down, shows some doubt or psychological strain, something. Benigni’s idol, Charlie Chaplin, was capable of eliciting those heartbreaking tears at the same time he filled his movies with fun and joy, but here Benigni’s character Guido just doesn’t have that same dynamic range.

I really do like and enjoy this movie though, and I give it 3.5 / 4 stars. It just seems like the film could have been more. What if there had been one more scene near the beginning that more strongly established the fascist setting and background tone? What if Guido and his friend had discussed something more philosophical, like fate, when they were lying in bed and talking about willpower? Emphasizing fate a little more strongly could have quashed any stalker vibes given off during a couple of the romantic scenes. And what if there had been an intermission after the greenhouse scene? I think it would have benefited the film to have been broken into two halves, as the first half and the second half of the movie are so starkly different. The concentration camp scenes then could have allowed for a little more screentime, and a chance to briefly glimpse our hero’s psychological despair.

A little more pride and emphasis on Guido and his son’s Jewish identity were sorely missing as well.

I realize an epic is not the kind of film Benigni wanted to make, but I can’t help but see the potential there. Still, this is a unique and memorable film, and one that I enjoy watching very much.

Alderaan said:

TV’s Frink said:

The worst part is at the end when Schindler has to reveal to his son that it’s not all just a game.

Um, that one is Life is Beautiful. Also a great movie.

Actually, darthrush, you should watch this one too. I haven’t seen it in a long time. I will probably watch it this weekend.

digitalfreaknyc said:

It’s odd because, in the beginning, they seemed to have the best of intentions to just cleaning it up, according to the article. And then…it just became Frankenstein.

Right. Some of the stuff they did was needed. Mattes, lightsaber colors, more realistic shots of the X-wings during the battle of Yavin. Those things are not just cool but were actually needed to make the film better (not that it wasn’t extraordinarily good already).

But then you got all of the nonsense of a guy playing in his playground without regard for the film and the story as a whole. Characters were changed. Exposition was unnecessarily repeated. Tonal inconsistencies. And all kinds of distracting bullshit clutters the screen.

Priebus is probably the leaker but it would be fantastic if it turned out to be Kushner.

The special editions also required gross professional incompetence on behalf of the new editor. I mean George.

Jetrell Fo said:

I am happy being an omnist. It doesn’t require that I worship in a specific place or that I must or only do this thing for me to be saved or destroyed.

Fixed it for you. I don’t worship any deity but if I did I don’t think it should be necessary to do it in a particular place especially if said being is supposed to be everywhere.

😉

One can worship God anywhere at anytime. In Mark 12:33 the scribe said to Jesus that to love one’s neighbor and treat them as he or she would want to be treated themselves, is worth more than any act of sacrifice or worship; to which Jesus replied in the affirmative.

TV’s Frink said:

The worst part is at the end when Schindler has to reveal to his son that it’s not all just a game.

Um, that one is Life is Beautiful. Also a great movie.

Jeebus said:

Just watched Tropic Thunder and I enjoyed it very much.

That was the worst movie I’ve ever seen.

The Fate and the Furious:

This was the most ridiculous movie I have ever seen. I saw the original one, and it was good. The second one was garbage. I never watched any of the others, but they looked like garbage too. This one?

I guess 1 star instead of zero, because it seemed to be made so bad on purpose.

darthrush said:

I’ll be watching The Godfather for the first time tonight.

That is shocking. I hope you enjoy it. The Godfather is one of the greatest films of all time.

Chinatown:

Script is a masterpiece. Film is good but a little overrated I think. Suffers from too many mis-en-scene distractions. The overly melodramatic ending–much debated–just wasn’t conceived and shot right. You can tell the ending doesn’t go with the rest of the movie…and I don’t mean that thematically. I mean it was hurried and rushed, compared to everything else in the movie, which was meticulously planned out and executed. Towne wrote the script but Polanski changed the ending, after all.

It’s a good movie, well acted by the principals, but perhaps not as excellent as its reputation would imply.

Pathetic. I’ve seen ex husbands and wives who have literally tried to kill each other in the past, suck it up and come together for things like their children’s weddings. That George can’t even be at the same event with people because of some long held grudge, speaks to how little of a man he is.

Actually I like the yes or no line. I think the message should be pointed without being confrontational. Our goal is to get a straight answer, not some PR nonsense.

I wouldn’t mention the SEs at all.

SilverWook said:

                                                                                  5-25-17

Dear Disney and Lucasfilm,

Today being the 40th anniversary of Star Wars, we just wanted to ask:

Will you ever release the original Star Wars trilogy in their original theatrical versions on Blu-ray?

Yes or no?

Please don’t leave us hanging. We would buy these over and over again if we could.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
The staff and members of Originaltrilogy.com

FTFY

Looks very effective, Wook!

Silverwook, I think you should include an opening line acknowledging the 40th anniversary, but otherwise I like the new letter. Also, maybe people will agree with me and maybe people will disagree with me, I’m not sure, but I’ve always considered “thanks!” to be flippant. I would prefer “thank you!” but that’s your call.

IsanRido said:

I think most fans would agree to any release of the OOT, even if they had to buy Jake Lloyd to get it.

Although I understand your point, this doesn’t sound reasonable. The SE is the official version as far as Disney and LFL are concerned. They are not going to release a box set with the OOT in place of the SE. It would either be a separate issue, or it would be bonus discs like the last time.

Of course, it’s extremely unlikely to happen at all, unless people pressure Disney to do so.

TV’s Frink said:

Yeah but Alderaan has stated it will never ever happen and he’s never ever wrong.

I haven’t posted on this forum in days. You should probably re-examine your life if you feel the need to include me in your posting as often as you do. I seem to be stuck in your head for some reason. It’s probably not healthy for you.

I also don’t agree that it could never happen. I’ve said that if it’s up to Lucas and Kennedy, it will never happen. Disney has the power to change it. They have deferred and not exercised that power. They should be held accountable, most especially by everyone here at OT.com.

SilverWook said:

SwissArmyTin did a quick mockup. This is still the un-revised text.

Dear Disney and Lucasfilm,

Today is the 40th anniversary of Star Wars, the film that started it all. Yet, where is that film? No, not the special edition, but the original 1977 film. The one we grew up with. The film that changed our lives and world cinema forever.

It’s not hyperbole to say that. Those of us who were there that incredible summer of '77, as well as those of us who watched the original, Academy Award winning version on television and home video in the decades that followed, had never seen anything like it. Watching Star Wars was a major event in our lives. Etc. Etc.

Two things:

1. I think the letter should be more inclusive and not specific towards people who watched Star Wars in theaters when it first came out. There are those among my generation who watched the OOT on television and home video in the 1980s and 1990s. There are also younger millenials who prefer the OOT or would simply love to watch it alongside the SEs.

2. I would try to edit down the text and make the point as concise as possible. I think it’s a bit long, but a few good opening paragraphs to establish who we are, what we want, and why we should get it, followed up by the important message that the OOT and the SEs can both exist together in the same universe, would be a powerful message.

All in all, I like the letter and the layout. Good job Wook and OOTers!

I saw the trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy 2.

I did not see the first one and I don’t know anything about those movies.

That said, the trailer was the single dumbest thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life. I think a person would have to be brain dead to enjoy that kind of movie.

But I am drunk right now. So don’t mind me.

Handman said:

I just found this ranking:

The Force Awakens - 3.5/5
Rogue One - 3.5/5
The Empire Strikes Back - 3/5
Star Wars - 2.5/5
Revenge of the Sith - 2.5/5
Return of the Jedi - 2/5
Attack of the Clones - 0.5/5
The Phantom Menace - 0.5/5

1. TFA: this is the Disney movie that made the most money, so it’s the best! go Disney!
2. R1: this is the Disney movie that made the second most money, so it’s the second best! go Disney!
3. ESB: everyone says this is the best Star Wars movies, so let’s put this next after the Disney movies.
4. SW: everyone says this is the second best Star Wars movie, so let’s put it #2 after the Disney movies.