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Anchorhead

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12-Jun-2005
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8-Jun-2025
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Post
#283836
Topic
Splinter Of The Mind's Eye - review and thoughts.
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/283836/action/topic#283836
Time
Originally posted by: Gaffer Tape
I didn't read the spoiler section, but reading the opening really makes me want to read this book. According to your previous thread, this book is no longer in current publication, right? (probably because, like you said, it devalues all of Lucas's comments now, therefore he has no desire to see its existence) That means I'll have to go to somewhere like eBay to track it down, like you did. But it might be worth looking into.


I'm not sure when it went out of print originally, but I have seen some newer copies. It has a slightly different cover and says Star Wars now, but I think it's back in print.

I got my copy, in good condition, on ebay for 2.50 + 2.00 shipping. Very cheap.

Post
#283800
Topic
Splinter Of The Mind's Eye - review and thoughts.
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/283800/action/topic#283800
Time
As promised, my review of Splinter Of The Mind's Eye, read while I was on vacation.

I liked it. It’s certainly from the original Star Wars universe. It feels like Star Wars. By that I mean it feels in line with Star Wars. The characters we already knew from the movie are directly continued in the book. No surprises, and some of their dialogue and responses are comfortably familiar. It differs, however, in that it’s not a deep, vast, outer space adventure. It’s a smaller, more intimate story and it takes place in one location. I can see where fans of Star Wars EU wouldn’t dig it if they were expecting an action-based, space battle adventure. It’s not like that at all. In fact, there’s almost no space travel. Just enough to start the story.

It was published in early 78, written in 77, before Star Wars became a summer blockbuster. Because it was written as the sequel to Star Wars, it should hold a position of importance in the Star Wars entity for at least one very important fact - it is proof there was never any grand vision or story beyond Star Wars. If Lucas really had 12\9\6 stories in the form of 1\2\3\4 trilogies, he would have certainly used one of them as the sequel and not commissioned someone else to come up with a story. He wrote A script and made a movie out of it. Period. No grand vision, no starting in the middle of the second trilogy, no saga, no 12 movie quadruple trilogy, nothing.

Splinter works because it’s written by someone other than Lucas – someone with imagination and the ability to move a story along without having to needlessly and poorly explain the back-story of every character involved just to come up with some sort of substance. It’s a second story about the characters we already knew – a farm boy who has matured somewhat, a beautiful princess he’s smitten with, and a bad guy that ranks fairly high in the military. They aren’t related to each other, nor were they ever (only when Lucas had writer’s block, did he sink to that level). If they had been, Lucas wouldn’t have Ok’d the story. Foster didn’t need that sort of cheesiness to create tension or suspense. He used story instead. I’m sorry it wasn’t used as the second film. It could have been done really well.

Anyway, it’s a good story, albeit a small one, and it’s worth reading if you dig Star Wars of the 70s and are interested in seeing what it could have been before Lucas started trying to get creative. There’s some interesting twists, tense moments, and a little expanding on the characters we already knew. It’s a Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia story only. You get a deeper look into her character too. I particularly liked the Temple of Pomojema portion of the book. It would have made for great stuff in a movie. I’ll read it again. Probably wait until my vacation next year – make it my annual summer adventure novel.

*Spoilers below*

I found it very interesting how many things from Splinter made it into future Lucas films. Some vague and some blatant.

The crash landing onto the swamp planet of Mimban was almost completely duplicated as the crash landing onto the swamp planet of Degobah in Empire.

The Wandrella, a giant worm with several rows of teeth all around its circular mouth, makes an appearance in Return.

Vader falling backwards, out of sight, in a light-saber battle – Empire.

Luke in a jail cell with giant aliens – Return.

The princess as a servant girl – used as a cover in Splinter, becomes reality in Return.

The primitive Coway tribe surprising\ambushing the Imperial stormtroopers with crude weapons and nets is very similar to the Ewoks doing the same in Return.

The overall story of the book – good guys (man and woman with sexual tension) racing to get thing with special power before bad guys get it and use the power for evil – is Raiders Of The Lost Ark. The ark taking the place of the crystal, the Nazis taking the place of the Empire, and Indy & Marion taking the place of Luke and Leia.

I’m sure there are others I may have missed. These are not criticisms, by the way. I just found it interesting that Splinter Of The Mind’s Eye ended up scattered all over Lucas’ world for years afterward.

Anyway, like I said before, I enjoyed it and will read it again.

Next up – my review of the Star Wars radio drama. I’m one chapter into it and really liking it so far. Maybe a week from now.


Post
#283615
Topic
My first step into a larger world.... Splinter Of The Mind's Eye
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/283615/action/topic#283615
Time
I walked in the door less than two hours ago, after just over 14 hours on the road. Man, I'm exhausted. Just surfing to unwind from the drive. I'll post my Splinter review sometime tomorrow or the next day. I liked it. Haven't listened to the radio show yet. I'll start on Monday or maybe tomorrow. Might get one of the chapters in before the Yankee game.

Later, fellas. I have to hit the sack. I swear I can still feel the car moving. May have to have a glass of whiskey - as a sleep aid.
Post
#282699
Topic
Anyone else totally disregard Leia being Luke's sister?
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/282699/action/topic#282699
Time
Originally posted by: Wesyeed
and i don't understand how you say you weren't discussing them in terms of the story when you typed these words "It's not only cheap - it serves absolutely no purpose in the story. "


"Dude", I was referencing how it didn't fit in either - the 1977 time frame of the original movie - or - the story that was written in the 70s. His ham-fisted attempt at creating story where there was none didn't work on any level. Not only did it not fit what we'd seen and been told, it had been done so haphazardly, that it just couldn't be made believable. Not only are none of the characters related - an alteration, backed by documented lies, doesn't work. It's crap writing. My whole point was that because the original story was comprised of non-related characters, that all the revisionist history there is, created or believed by whomever, doesn't make it true, nor does it make it believable.

Luke Darth, and Leia aren't related. No amount of revisionist history, lying, covering up or ignoring of 1977 interviews, DVD extra features, etc, etc, are ever going to change that for me.

When you're my age and someone tries to tell you how things were when you were a kid, and you know what you saw and read that proves otherwise, you aren't going to suddenly forget the truth and see someone else's memories and visions.


Post
#282592
Topic
Anyone else totally disregard Leia being Luke's sister?
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/282592/action/topic#282592
Time
Originally posted by: Wesyeed
I was a kid when tpm was released.


That's why revisionist history and years-later-changes-on-the-fly to the main story work on you.

No matter how hard you try, how thorough your research, how open-minded your discussions, no matter how broad your imagination - one thing you can never be, or truly understand, is someone who was there in 1977. You just weren't.

That's also why you misunderstood the point of my statement about revisionist history not working. You automatically assumed I meant story-wise because that's the only point of reference you can have when speaking of 1977-era Star Wars.

For me, the changes don't work because they can't. I was there.

Now, if you guys will excuse me, I'm two days into my vacation and reading Splinter Of The Mind's Eye. And digging it, by the way.
Post
#281783
Topic
Star Wars DVD Covers
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/281783/action/topic#281783
Time
Originally posted by: Coov
The nasty smells that a sandwich, chips and an apple could create would never be reason enough to sink to the level of a brown paper sack. It is all about going back... not "art".

And eating that lunch in the Cafetorium, sitting at the big folding tables, with the lunch box sitting upright - door opened toward you, so no one could see inside. Oh yeah, and trying to come up with trades so you could get rid of the apple and get someone's chocolate milk instead.

Great idea and execution. Glad I could be of assistance. I got a kick out of bringing my lunchbox to work so I could scan it.
Post
#281693
Topic
Star Wars Fans Are Cool Regardless Of Age...
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/281693/action/topic#281693
Time
Originally posted by: C3PX
I very much agree with anchorhead about the current state of TV and entertainment, but I don't see it relevent to people complaining about George Lucas.


I was just pointing out that we're in a meaner society in general, these days, and I think it bleeds over into several areas of our culture, including public forums. People are more apt to be mean in their comments than they used to be (about most any subject).



Post
#281646
Topic
Help With My Graphcis CW
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/281646/action/topic#281646
Time
Originally posted by: Ell the Ewok
Please be kind so i can get a good mark.


In the words of Benny Hill - "I'll be perfectly frank...I'll be honest if you'd rather"

All kidding aside - do you want honest answers or do you just want to be rewarded for participation instead of achievement?

In my opinion, it's an interesting idea in need of some tweaks. Nothing too major – and I’m aware you had limited resources. The one thing you could have easily made better is also the thing that needs the most work - the printed matter. A full bleed is ok as long as the copy isn’t too close to the edge. Yours is and that creates visual tension. Not a good thing. Also, the ghost trilogy is cut off. If you’re going to have the photo as a bleed, give it a border. Don’t make the customers’ eyes try to see beyond the edge of the sign. A border helps the eyes stop searching and refocus on the copy.

Speaking of which, your copy needs to be redone. It’s a mess. It’s inconsistent, repetitive, and some of it’s passing over your already severely cropped ghost trilogy.

I’d loose the giant red panels and put your sign (larger and reworked) behind the piece.

Also – get rid of the figures. It’s a collector’s edition DVD set, not a toy.

All that said, I do think the DVDs inside the Death Star is an interesting Idea. In fact, I'd probably loose the Vader head and go just with the Death Star. It's quintesential Star Wars - and - it's a complete entity - not just part of a character the way the mask is.
Post
#281611
Topic
Star Wars Fans Are Cool Regardless Of Age...
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/281611/action/topic#281611
Time
Originally posted by: TheCassidy
There is an entire generation of spoon-fed men and women under the age of 25 or 30 that is a cynical, negative, whining.....


You're right on the money. Our society is angry, spoiled, mean, and opinionated these days, but a thorough and proper discussion of how that's come to be, it's repercussions - current and future - is beyond the scope of this board.

Look at our popular culture these days. All of it is voyeuristic gang mentality. TV shows teach people how to gang up on their fellow citizens and insult them, defeat them, vote them off, eliminate them, and humiliate them. Then they laud the ones who do so. Meanness and anger are rewarded, civility and compassion are seen as weaknesses. people don't tune into to American Idol because they have an interest in the next recording contract - they want to see people make fools of themselves, or to see Simon insult someone until they leave the stage in tears - and it's all offered as entertainment.

Everything is about arrogance, entitlement, and attitude these days. The more - the better.

Yet when we turn on the nightly news and see our school children massacre each other - the nation stares in shock and disbelief, wondering what went wrong.

Post
#281607
Topic
Star Wars Fans Are Cool Regardless Of Age...
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/281607/action/topic#281607
Time
Originally posted by: CO
Cassidy, SW fandom has always been divided, there just wasn't any internet back in '83. If there were an internet back in '83, ROTJ would have gotten ripped to shreds. Ewoks? Darth Vaders a pussy? Luke/Leia are siblings? Kenobi POV?

Very true. There were plenty of discussions going on, they just weren’t public. You only really understood how people felt when you went to movie conventions or read an occasional article in a magazine. I bailed after ROTJ. I had started to loose faith with ESB, but when I saw ROTJ, I left the theater disgusted. Everything that came after that was of no concern to me. I had my movie\story picked out. It was Star Wars – no sequels, no franchise, no fluid saga.



I know so many people who are just SW'77 fans and that is it, but other then Anchorhead, I have yet to meet one on the internet, cause they just love the first film and don't really care about anything that happened after 1977.
I’m that way indeed, but this site has still been a great place for me. Because of this site, I’ve decided to read SOTME (written in 1977 and published in early 1978, while the movie was still in the theaters). I recently learned about the old NPR radio shows (also the 1977 story) and am now anxiously awaiting their arrival. I’ve also learned a lot about various software programs for ripping and editing film audio. That was a very tough and lengthy process before I joined this site.

All those great things – things that are very important to me - came about because of this site.

Trust me Cassidy, if there were an internet back in 1980, there would be a large section of fans saying……Lucas is ruining SW!"

Excellent point. Some of us definitely felt that way. We just had no way to communicate that en mass. We could either continue to follow the movies, or not. That was the only choice we had.

Lucas has been changing around the story of SW since 1978 as Zombie has shown, it is up to all of us to choose when we feel he ruined it, and just watch the movies we love.

That’s exactly what I was talking about the other day when I said it’s up to each individual to decide what moves them and pick that film\story\etc to embrace and watch.

We live a wonderful time – each of us can easily have whatever film we want. That wasn’t always the case. In fact, that’s how I found this place. I had just acquired a laserdisc of Star Wars and wanted to see if there was some way to transfer it to DVD. I looked around the internet and found this site. Imagine my relief and excitement when I discovered that there were actually other fans of the original versions of the films. I had no idea. I knew as soon as I looked around here that I would forever be able to watch Star Wars without fear of breaking a VHS tape or trying to find a Laserdisc player.

I could have and watch the one film I wanted.

The anger is lost on me because I don't have to accept Lucas' lying. I was there in 1977, I know the truth, and I can watch the truth whenever I feel like it.


Post
#281325
Topic
Anyone else totally disregard Lumpy being Chewbaccas's son?
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/281325/action/topic#281325
Time
I also saw it when it first aired. As I've mentioned before - 29 years later and I'm still trying to unsee it. I swear to God I remember some sort of a scene with a female wookie washing dishes at a sink and honestly - I think she was wearing an apron.

Vile

All those years ago - one fucking viewing - and those images are still in there. I was that disgusted by it. Sick.
Post
#281282
Topic
My first step into a larger world.... Splinter Of The Mind's Eye
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/281282/action/topic#281282
Time
Originally posted by: C3PX
I checked amazon,

here is the adaption of Star Wars on seven CDs:

http://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Original-Radio-Drama/dp/1565110056/ref=pd_bbs_2/002-4286046-5276053?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1175993052&sr=8-2


Ordered.

Thanks, man. Really looking forward to it. More summer Star Wars adventure.

Plus - the cover matches my lunch box.
Post
#281236
Topic
My first step into a larger world.... Splinter Of The Mind's Eye
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/281236/action/topic#281236
Time
Originally posted by: C3PX
Another bit of "EU" I like is the NPR radio drama of A New Hope. Even though it has the name A New Hope, it is really done in a way to make it feel old fasion. And it has quite a bit more back story in it. It feels so far removed from the "Tradgedy of Anakin Skywalker Saga" we know today.


Is that something that can be purchased? Sounds interesting.

I rip the audio from films and put it on CDs so that I can listen to them on long motorcycle or driving trips. That radio show sounds like it would be great for that also.
Post
#281191
Topic
My first step into a larger world.... Splinter Of The Mind's Eye
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/281191/action/topic#281191
Time
Originally posted by: daveytod
as a huge EU fan with nearly every piece of literature ever published I can honestly say you couldn't have chosen a worse book to start on sorry


I'm reading it for a different reason than you probably read EU books. I have absolutely no interest in becoming an EU follower. I'm more interested in the historical aspect of this particular book. It was commissioned by Lucas as the sequel to Star Wars. Since it was written while Star Wars was still happening, it's from the Star Wars point of view - no one is related, Vader is just a bad person in the hierarchy of the empire - not some special Sith entity, etc.

On the grand scale of all that the EU has become, this book isn't even a blip on the radar. Which is exactly why I'm interested in it.

Post
#281157
Topic
should I get the GOUT?
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/281157/action/topic#281157
Time
Originally posted by: generalfrevious
Hey, I was wondering guys, that although the official release of the OOT is non-anamorphic.....


I have it on laserdisc and VHS. However, I bought it for ease of viewing. The picture is better than the other two versions, it's much smaller than a Laserdisc, more stable than a VHS, and I can watch it on the large TV\entertainment area, the smaller TV in a spare bedroom, or if I can't sleep and feel like watching it at 2:00 AM without waking up the whole house, I can watch it on my computer. I can also take it on really long flights and watch it on a laptop.

It's current technology media-wise, it will play nearly anywhere, and it's easy to take along (small, thin, weighs nothing, etc). In fact, I need to put those other copies on ebay. I'll never watch them again.

I wasn't going to take some sort of stand against a non-anamorphic release or send some sort of message to Lucas by not buying it. I'm not concerned with what Lucas thinks - I'm concerned with my ability to watch Star Wars. Now I can watch a better version than I had before and I can do it more easily.