Asha

User Group: Members
Join date: 24-Sep-2004
Last activity: 12-Dec-2009
Posts: 116

Post History

Post: #387126
Topic: The EU, and why I hate it
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/387126/action/topic#387126
Time: 28-Nov-2009 10:05 PM

... but the SUCK TO ENJOYABLE ratio within the EU gives SUCK the advantage.

At least two decades of EU works were packaged with an implicit promise that they were pieces of a larger story/work of fiction. In the end they weren't, and since few entries stand on their own without the Star Wars universe, they were a waste of time and brain space. That's how I see most of the EU entries that I followed... and that's why I stopped following EU.

The legacy of EU disappointments also contribute to my larger resentment of the prequels and everything related to them. It convinces me that the magic of the first two films was an utter fluke.

Post: #387097
Topic: The EU, and why I hate it
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/387097/action/topic#387097
Time: 28-Nov-2009 3:29 PM

Yeah, at least half of the EU makes for pretty bad fiction (Palpatine clones etc.).

The thing that pisses me off is that a huge chunk of the EU that I followed from the 70s up until the prequels was rendered non-canon. So following it was a big, fat waste of time and brain space.

Right from the start, Splinter of the Mind's Eye was a moot point the moment ESB came out. Same goes for the Marvel comics.

Jaster Mereel was no longer Boba Fett. Owen Lars was no longer Ben's brother.

Really, who in his/her right mind would pay any attention to the EU after getting burned for over 20 years?

I like some of the Clone Wars stuff (particularly Ventress and the original cartoon), but when I'm in the mood for new science fiction or fantasy, the EU is the last place I'd look.

Post: #387094
Topic: Worst of Wookiepedia
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/387094/action/topic#387094
Time: 28-Nov-2009 2:57 PM

Silly rabbit, EU is for kids!

Post: #117214
Topic: So why Define STAR WARS as OT OR PT?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/117214/action/topic#117214
Time: 21-Jun-2005 11:26 AM

Quote
Originally posted by: greencapt
Well Shim it all depends on your definition.

The American Heritage Dictionary defines 'fan' as:
Quote
NOUN: An ardent devotee; an enthusiast.

ETYMOLOGY: Short for fanatic

While those definitions reflect the popular consensus of the word's origins, the first known use of the word "fan" was as a short-form of "fancier" and "fancy." As in, "I fancy those R2D2 underoos." The short form was used to decribe pet fanciers. re: "I like Star Wars, so I'm a Star Wars FANcier."

To address the topic: as far as I'm concerned there's the Prequel Movies ... and then there's Star Wars. No need to call it the original trilogy ... those films are Star Wars. The prequels are their own thing ... an awful thing that I hope I can forget soon.

Post: #114392
Topic: Why Kill Padme?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/114392/action/topic#114392
Time: 12-Jun-2005 9:21 AM

Quote
Originally posted by: MeBeJedi
"I hate the way it was ultimately executed."

Ba-dum-crash!

Otherwise agreed with your points, Asha.

I'm sorry ... I realize now I should have said that in all caps with bold type:

I HATE THE WAY PADME'S DEATH WAS EXECUTED!

Better?

Seriously ... Padme's death is one of the worst onscreen deaths I've ever seen, if not THE cheesiest movie death I've ever seen. Good idea ... awful execution.

Post: #114297
Topic: Why Kill Padme?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/114297/action/topic#114297
Time: 11-Jun-2005 7:21 PM

I have no problem with Anakin killing Padme ...in fact, I like that idea. I hate the way it was ultimately executed.

The problem is that Lucas made Anakin shift to the dark side too fast. Remember: according to the original RotJ novel, Padme had grown to fear Anakin so much that she hid her pregnancy from him. In Sith, she experiences fear of Anakin for approximately two conscious minutes.

In the Phantom Menace novelization, little Anakin dreams of Padme leading an army against him. I would have rather seen that play out as the death of Padme than what transpired in Sith.

Post: #113913
Topic: Kevin Smith interview in Rolling Stone on fans - Couldn't have said it better myself...
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/113913/action/topic#113913
Time: 10-Jun-2005 3:21 PM

I've met Kevin Smith three times ... and he's a serial suck-up. His Luc-ass licking is the same behavior that he's demonstrated when courting projects with other entities.

Call it an informed opinion.

Speaking of opinions, Dogma is his least sucky movie as far as I'm concerned. But even though it blows less than his other films, it still blows. I'm quite sure I'll fall into the minority here .... but I honestly can't stand anything he's ever made.

Post: #113898
Topic: Kevin Smith interview in Rolling Stone on fans - Couldn't have said it better myself...
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/113898/action/topic#113898
Time: 10-Jun-2005 2:03 PM

Ha ha ha. Figures. I can't stand Kevin Smith. He's easily my least favorite director working today. Not only do I dislike all of his films, but I hold him responsible for single-handedly ruining everything which was previously neat about making Star Wars references in other creative works.

I've never taken his opinions on ANYTHING seriously before, and this is no exception.

He's been sucking up to Lucas since Phantom Menace ... and make no mistake: Smith is a huge suck-up. He's definitely courting work.

At one point I did wonder if my disliking the prequels had to do with me being older now ... then Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films came out, and they filled me with the same awe and wonder that Star Wars did back in the 70's.

Yeah, Mr. Smith ... the prequels are just three movies. Three BAD movies. Not unlike your films. No wonder you're so oversensitive.

Post: #111763
Topic: why do people like boba fett?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/111763/action/topic#111763
Time: 3-Jun-2005 8:37 PM

Quote
Originally posted by: greencapt
Asha-

Good theories on the Boba phenom!

And happy belated birthday!!! Score any more SW swag?

Aw, thanks. I also received the latest Aalaya Secura figure to fight with Asajj. But the blue twilek girl won't stand up ...her joints are too loose to support the figure. So I have her posed DEAD at Asajj's feet. Grrr ... they just don't make Star Wars figures like they used to (but on the other hand, there were NO female action figures aside from Leia released from the original trilogy -- not counting the Droids cartoon and maybe Sy Snootles).

Anyway, Lucas stripped Boba Fett of any intrigue by depicting him as a completely uninteresting bratty kid. The backstory and further adventures of Boba Fett as seen in the expanded universe in the mid-90's were a lot more interesting ... and I'm not a big fan of the expanded stuff.

Post: #111756
Topic: "Hoooow is that possible..."
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/111756/action/topic#111756
Time: 3-Jun-2005 8:19 PM

Quote
In the end, they're the ones bitter about it, not me.

I kept hitting "refresh" on my browser after I first read those posts ... I thought that maybe a server error was displaying messages from TheForce.net instead of from this site.

Oh well.

Seriously: lighten up. I'm allowed to dislike the prequels and the new Star Wars DVDs. I'm allowed to ignore them. I'm allowed not to buy them. I'm allowed to dismiss them as not part of the Star Wars canon. My life will be no less fullfilling for it. If I couldn't turn a blind eye to the prequels/new DVDs, my appreciation of the original films would be diminished, and then I really WOULD be bitter. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this site IS about appreciating the original films, yes?

Anyhow ... skyjedi2005: although I think the new Palpatine dialogue clashes with the opening of Empire Strikes Back, I don't think it affects the way the end plays out. The only thing that detracts from the ending is the fact it now includes discarded footage from Return of the Jedi.

(oh and future reference, folks: I'm a 'she,' not a 'he.')

Post: #111335
Topic: FOX issuing takedown notices to Sith downloaders
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/111335/action/topic#111335
Time: 2-Jun-2005 9:42 PM

Quote
So now those people may be heroes? I hope you aren't referring to me, as my intentions were nowhere near that selfless, and I doubt any of the other downloaders' were either.

I recently researched a film for BET that only exists today because someone illegally transferred the film to video in the 1980's. Not even the director has a copy ... the one or two surviving prints (which are unwatchable for the most part due to age) are incomplete. The bootlegger copied the film for profit but the end result was that he produced the only archived version of the movie. The film, by the way, is hung up in a copyright oroborus in which a studio ( a studio that has been re-aquired a dozen times since 1978) filed a copyright in 1978 but has no version of the film filed in the Library of Congress to accompany the copyright, and as such the film cannot be released by anyone ... including the current studio that technically owns the film ... until the copyright expires in like 75 years.

Point is: you can end up being a hero even though your motives are selfish. Happens all the time, in fact.

The business of mass media is rotting from within right now, and this FBI crackdown is another symptom of the disease. If you choose not to see it, that's your right. But it's not the first time that mass media has fallen ill .. the main difference between then and now is that the prognosis is looking pretty chilling.

Post: #111312
Topic: "Hoooow is that possible..."
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/111312/action/topic#111312
Time: 2-Jun-2005 9:17 PM

Quote
those DVDs just don't exist and neither do the PTs

Amen. I don't own any of the prequels, either. I'll rent Sith to see if it holds up enough on a small screen to be worth buying, but I think the theatrical release of Sith marks the earnest beginning of my Star Wars healing process ... and I can slowly forget that the prequels ever happened.

Post: #111295
Topic: FOX issuing takedown notices to Sith downloaders
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/111295/action/topic#111295
Time: 2-Jun-2005 8:35 PM

But no one downloading these movies is committing a crime worth wasting US resources over. In that, the companies here are the bigger bad guys. It's the equivalent of Palpatine ordering the Jedi Knights to assemble on Tatooine to battle Jawas while robot armies destroy Coursant.

Personally, I have a much bigger bone to pick with the recording industry for going after downloaders ... music was once freely shared via radio and tapes at a time when the industry was at its height. Such practices helped the industry when the industry was healthy. The music companies have tried to pin slumping sales on mp3's when the real problems are the price and quality of music ... and the fact that concerts are so expensive that people are rarely introduced to signed music acts via a live format.

The film industry was doing OK in my book by keeping the prices of DVDs within a reasonable range, so that's why I don't download ... I prefer having a legit DVD in my hand whenever possible. But I actually research old "lost" films for a host of sources ... and there are hundreds of films which are floating in limbo as a result of counterproductive copyright laws, incompetence, selfishness, and bad management within these film companies. If it weren't for bootleggers, many of these "lost" films wouldn't even exist anymore.

The people bootlegging Sith right now very well might be capturing a moment in history that we'll never see again ... the workprint/theatrical release. Who knows what Lucas will do to Sith on DVD?

Bootleggers have been a part of the film food chain for decades, and the practice is nowhere near as destructive as the MPAA is making it out to be. To pull such big guns on jawas is far more criminal than the crimes the jawas are guilty of.

Post: #111288
Topic: FOX issuing takedown notices to Sith downloaders
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/111288/action/topic#111288
Time: 2-Jun-2005 8:03 PM

Quote
I don't know if that's true or not, but certainly this release didn't filter down through the usual route.

There are also persisting rumors that the print was leaked on purpose to snare peer-to-peer networks and their users. I wouldn't put it past Sheriff Murdoch.

Yeah, using the FBI to police a freakin' movie is what you get when you allow two or three companies to control the vast majority of all communications media. We're talking about companies that double-dip consumers by not only charging for dvds and ticket prices, but many of these companies are running or aiming to run the very high-speed internet services with which people download movies.

If the people who are downloading these films can chip away or force change upon the dysfunctional state of mass media/entertainment ... so be it. The companies aren't the "good guys." It's not going to be me doing the chipping in this manner ... but if the FBI is dragged into such frivolous matters, then the current media system definitely needs to be re-worked.

Post: #111274
Topic: why do people like boba fett?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/111274/action/topic#111274
Time: 2-Jun-2005 7:07 PM

Quote
Originally posted by: ChainsawAsh
Referring to Fett being so built-up, then entirely inconsequential to the film:

A) Darth Maul
B) Count Dooku (meh)
C) General Grievous

Yeah. Same thing, ESPECIALLY Grievous.

But Fett was done right, and the only one of these 3 even remotely so is Maul.

Asajj Ventress = cooler than all of the above.

Just kidding. Sort of.

Anyway, yeah ... all of the aforementioned characters were built up for one thing ... MARKETING!! But Boba wasn't really done "right." He dies a pathetic death in Return of the Jedi. He speaks ... what? Two lines in Empire? The coolest thing is when Vader says, "No disintegrations."

That's it ... his onscreen coolness and kickass-ness is entirely based on one line uttered by Vader.

The character is lame as hell in Attack of the Clones ... almost as lame as Maul. Actually, baby Boba might be lamer than Darth Maul.

Post: #111272
Topic: "Hoooow is that possible..."
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/111272/action/topic#111272
Time: 2-Jun-2005 6:59 PM

The "death of Padme" is the absolute worst thing in Revenge of the Sith ... even worse than "nooooo." It's such an unnecessary cop-out.

Vader killed Padme.

Bang!

Simple. Easy. Classically tragic. And unbelievably, Lucas was too much of a wimp to pull it off. I have no idea why except that he still wanted the audience to like Vader/Anakin (even though he killed Jedi kids). Or maybe Lucas didn't want to depict violent acts inflicted on a pregnant woman more than he did.

When's the last time you knew someone who passively died of a broken heart? I've known a few people who kinda gave up on things after they lost loved ones. They *kinda* died of broken hearts ... after months of living bad lifestyles and being mildly self-destructive.

Right ... point is: it doesn't happen. And since Padme says she still believes that there is good in Anakin, I find it hard to swallow that she's given up all hope ... including all the hopes associated with raising and protecting her children.

As for Empire Strikes Back DVD stupidity, I've already ranted about how I think the new Palpatine scene totally conflicts with the beginning of the film and the scene is not improved by the release of Revenge of the Sith. But then, I refuse to buy these DVDs, so that scene doesn't exist in my world.

Post: #111270
Topic: why do people like boba fett?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/111270/action/topic#111270
Time: 2-Jun-2005 6:34 PM

I have my own theory on Boba Fett that applies to his original popularity ...

I've always thought that Boba was popular for two reasons: the first was the fact that the action figure was released as a teaser for Empire Strikes Back. Hey, I sent away for him! So did every other kid. And with no background to serve as reference, most kids developed their own gripping backstory for Boba. He was a major villain in action figure games ... far more important than he ever was in the films.

And then after the mail-away offer expired, Boba Fett hit the shelves in full-force months before Empire debuted. He was one of the most available action figures at that time ... easier to find than the major characters.

In fact, I remember feeling disappointed to see that Boba Fett and Bossk (another pre-Empire mail-away figure) were so inconsequential to the plot of Empire Strikes Back.

Anyhow, that same generation which concocted grand stories about Boba Fett without any source material is the one that perpetuated and handed-down the tradition of glorifying Boba Fett.

The second reason is the Holiday Special. I was only seven when that aired, yet I recognized how embarrassingly awful it was. I remember going to school after it aired, and all the kids hated it EXCEPT for the Nelvana/Boba Fett cartoon. The cartoon was the only thing that made the special worthwhile, and the Boba Fett character stuck in everyone's mind as a result of the awfulness of the rest of the show.

Boba Fett looks fairly cool as far as design goes, but I never thought he was the best-designed character. In fact I thought the AT-AT trooper uniforms looked cooler, as did the tie-fighter pilots.

I didn't dig Darth Maul a whole lot, either. He's not a bad looking demon-guy, but he's way too cheesed-up for my tastes so I cannot begin to fathom why that character inspired any loyalty.

On the other hand, I totally fell for Asajj Ventress as a result of the Clone Wars cartoon. Maybe it's because I'm a gal. I actually flipped through some expanded universe crap for the first time since the 90's just to get a little more backstory on her ... and I was a bit disappointed, but I still like the character and the cartoon design. I would have taken her over Darth Maul, General Grievous, and Count Dooku ... and Boba Fett.

My husband bought me the Asajj figure for my birthday this weekend, and I found myself making up stupid backstories for her like we did for Boba Fett when I was a kid. I imagined her hunting Jedi at Darth Vader's side after Revenge of the Sith ... still dreaming of becoming a Sith Lord. The two form a tenuous friendship as a result of their youth and their hatred for jedi. I pictured her gradually falling in love with Anakin/Vader ... in awe of his powers over the force and oblivious to his physical deformities. When she finally expressed her feelings for him, he made some comment about how Padme was the only person he'd ever loved, and he could never care about Asajj. Further, he believed that there was nothing left to love in him. Hurt and angry, Asajj attacks Vader and fights with him so violently that he's forced to kill her ... which is what she wanted in the face of rejection. At first Vader thinks that she was one more person who said she loved Anakin only to betray him ... but then the reality set in that she was one more person who cared about him which he killed/hurt. It propels him further into the lovelessness of the dark side.

Then I blinked and realized Lucas would NEVER be able to tell a story about Asajj that could match what I can imagine. If he did tell a story about Asajj, it would be something dreadful like what he did to Boba Fett in Clones. Or worse ... Lucas would have her step in Bantha shit while fighting some wheezing android.

Post: #109359
Topic: FOX issuing takedown notices to Sith downloaders
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/109359/action/topic#109359
Time: 26-May-2005 2:28 PM

Amen, Hal.

Look: I don't even download movies, but I find the FBI/Homeland Security's involvement in this both frightening and sickening. I mean ... it's only a movie, right? It's not as if these people were swapping the plans for the Death Star! So why are the feds involved?

I don't believe downloading a film is necessarily an exercise in sound ethics. But who are the victims here? A handful of millionaires who have the entertainment industry so rigged that a new filmmaker can't shoot a guy drinking a Pepsi unless Pepsi has paid for product placement? A handful of millionaires hellbent on making it impossible to release a film for under $5 million? A handful of multi-million dollar movie theater companies (the ones who squeezed out the local theatres in the 90's) who tack-on 20 minutes of extra trailers to Revenge of the Sith ... without informing the audience in advance how long they're going to be waiting to see the film?

These people aren't victims ... they're criminals on a scale so large that they can make their own laws. Lucas certainly isn't a victim of downloading ... his movie is doing gangbusters! It's like feeling bad for the Sheriff of Nottingham while Little John gets slapped with a $5000 fine plus legal expenses.

The MPAA's obsessive quest to control all information exchanges is disturbing. I hope that the more they tighten their grasp, the more systems will slip through their fingers.

Post: #109337
Topic: This guy REALLY hates the prequels
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/109337/action/topic#109337
Time: 26-May-2005 12:53 PM

William Shatner called ... he wants his tired old "mom's basement" joke back.

George Lucas also called ... he wants to digitally re-master the tired old "mom's basement" joke. Hayden Christensen will now play the role of "mom," and the the whole joke will be shot against a green screen.

Post: #109295
Topic: This guy REALLY hates the prequels
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/109295/action/topic#109295
Time: 26-May-2005 11:02 AM

Quote
Just because most fans of the franchise have moved on, have a larger perspective and are not caught up in a feedback loop of hate and anger doesn't make our opinions any less credible. But I suppose taking potshots at people you think don't read this board is how you get off as being slightly superior.

Ha ha ha.

TheForce.net's motto: "Thank you, George. May I have another?"

Post: #109111
Topic: FOX issuing takedown notices to Sith downloaders
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/109111/action/topic#109111
Time: 25-May-2005 7:30 PM

Quote
The network signed up 133,000 members who collectively downloaded 2.1 million files, according to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement division of the Homeland Security Department.

Visitors to the Web site on Wednesday saw a notice that read, "This site has been permanently shut down by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement."

I'm so glad that HOMELAND SECURITY and the FBI are fighting to keep our movie studios safe from bootleggers. We can all sleep easy at night knowing no group of bootleggers will hijack a plane to ram it into the Paramount Studio lot. Ugh!

Post: #108900
Topic: The Emperor in ESB
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/108900/action/topic#108900
Time: 25-May-2005 10:59 AM

In the untainted version, Palps contacts Vader when Luke pursues Jedi training. Since Palps doesn't mention the Death Star, it was always pretty clear to me that Luke had just graduated from being a thorn in the Empire's side to being a genuine threat to Palp's power. Palps knew who the kid was, but didn't fear Luke until he started training as a Jedi.

Palpatine contacting Vader was his way of saying, "Step up the chase, Vader! This kid could destroy us." Vader makes an argument to convert Luke so the boy can live.

In the new version, it's firmly established that this is the first time Palpatine and Vader have ever spoken about Luke. That's why it's at odds with the rest of the movie (particularly the opening crawl).

Post: #108882
Topic: The Emperor in ESB
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/108882/action/topic#108882
Time: 25-May-2005 10:31 AM

Quote
A sith apprentice (Vader) wants to kill a Sith Master (Palpatine) so he can be the master.

Again, this is nothing new. Empire Strikes Back always established that Vader wanted Luke to join him so they could kill Palps (as Palps had foreseen) and then they could rule the galaxy as father and son.

Post: #108875
Topic: The Emperor in ESB
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/108875/action/topic#108875
Time: 25-May-2005 10:24 AM

Because when Empire Strikes Back opens, Luke Skywalker's identity is recognized by the Empire ... with THOUSANDS of probes looking for him, you can't tell me that the Emperor was unaware of what Vader was doing.

There's no way Vader could have hidden his pursuit from Palps ... and indeed, it was never suggested that Palps was unaware of Vader's obsession with Skywalker until these new DVDs (the previous suggestion was that Palps hadn't felt any serious disturbances in the force until Skywalker pursued Jedi training). So now you've got Vader saying, "How is that possible?"when told it's Anakin skywalker's son, even though the opening crawl establishes that he had thousands of probes and Lord-knows-how-many ships looking for Skywalker?

Either Vader is so stupid that he hasn't put two-and-two together, or Vader's so stupid he thinks the Emperor is too stupid to put two-and-two together. No one was this stupid before the DVDs.

Post: #108851
Topic: This guy REALLY hates the prequels
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/108851/action/topic#108851
Time: 25-May-2005 9:50 AM

Stuart Freeborn was the head designer of the Yoda team, and Wendy Froud (wife of Brian Fround -- a famous dollmaker who worked on The Dark Crystal) was the main fabricator. Oz and Gary Kurtz were also part of the Yoda team. Henson really didn't do anything except let the aforementioned parties tap the talents of his staff (most of whom were working on The Dark Crystal at the time, so Yoda was a test-run for their attempts at using realistic puppets to tell a fantasy story).