Cuchulainn

Savoy Cinema, Dublin. 

This is where I saw Star Wars. The cinema is still there (this pic is from 2006)

Classic Cinema, Harolds Cross, Dublin.

This is where I saw The Empire Strikes Back. It no longer exists.

Ambassador Cinema, Dublin.

This is where I saw Return Of The Jedi. The building still remains but it is no longer a cinema. And no, I didn't see TPM there.

For any forum members who happen to live in Dublin, the Irish Film Institute's Spielberg season kicks off today with a screening of Raiders Of The Lost Ark at 2.10. Other films being shown over the next few weeks include Jaws, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List, War Horse and a 70mm print of Empire Of The Sun. Sorry for leaving it so late to post this but my PC has been playing up over the last few weeks.

More info here...

http://www.ifi.ie/whatson/season/

While Williams isn't as much of a blatant self-plagiarist as James Horner, he does re-use certain cues. There's one in The Empire Strikes Back that appears in Raiders...I'll have to watch the films again to be able to elaborate but it's there...

Wexter said:

Monolithium said:

How did the film that has the most Jar Jar and all of the Jake Lloyd become the good one of the prequels?

Something tells me Lucas and Christensen have something to do with it :)

Has anyone seen Jake Lloyd lately?

Serial killer in the making...

Cuchulainn said:

Jacobss said:

Yes, it is connected with our chilhood (therefore these can be seen more than just movies), but now, in 2011, it's time to let go. I accept that I can't have everything in my life, and that my childhood is long gone. Many of our childhood memories are connected to this movies, but we won't regain it, if SW will become, what it once was.

I will never agree with this. The point seems to be totally lost on you. I adored Star Wars as a child and I love it as an adult, but to just go 'ok it's shit but at least it's something' is ludicrous. The point isn't the fact that he has fucked around with it so much that it's making less sense than ever before, it's the fact that he's dismissed the original, awesome movie (remember, the cool one with the ace sound) to the point where he's actually physically destroying any remains of it. Anyone with a brain within their head can see there's something seriously wrong here (despite the many, and potentially illegal aspects of his actions).

This, and only this, (the EU and Prequels can fuck off, IMO)is why I'm feeling in anyway 'down' about Star Wars.

What you said here does not contradict anything I said.

I am not a member of this site since yesterday. I was a reader already in 2004 and joined here two years ago. I totally understand anything about preservation of SW and knowing some things, I will not cry if OUT is not released by Lucas ;).

 

I misread you, my apologies...

Jacobss said:

Yes, it is connected with our chilhood (therefore these can be seen more than just movies), but now, in 2011, it's time to let go. I accept that I can't have everything in my life, and that my childhood is long gone. Many of our childhood memories are connected to this movies, but we won't regain it, if SW will become, what it once was.

I will never agree with this. The point seems to be totally lost on you. I adored Star Wars as a child and I love it as an adult, but to just go 'ok it's shit but at least it's something' is ludicrous. The point isn't the fact that he has fucked around with it so much that it's making less sense than ever before, it's the fact that he's dismissed the original, awesome movie (remember, the cool one with the ace sound) to the point where he's actually physically destroying any remains of it. Anyone with a brain within their head can see there's something seriously wrong here (despite the many, and potentially illegal aspects of his actions).

This, and only this, (the EU and Prequels can fuck off, IMO)is why I'm feeling in anyway 'down' about Star Wars.

none said:

^ link please!

http://www.empireonline.com/forum/tm.asp?m=1353278&mpage=77&key=

Post#2285

IMO, the only thing the prequels have contributed to popular culture is Jar Jar now being referenced as a by-word for bullshit...

Poster is grotesque. I have zero interest in seeing this affront to cinema again, let alone in dumb-ass 3D.

I must admit I'm feeling rather jaded these days. Not just with Lucas' unrelenting contempt for the OOT but in part because of the very obvious 'us and them' situation in which we find ourselves. I had a mooch around on the Empire magazine forums earlier and in the Star Wars thread one 'fan' was moaning about some guys YouTube account and suggested that it was 'probably full of screen-grab comparisons, SW fan-edits and other Lucas-related vitriol'.

How can you argue with that shit?

The scene where Qui-Gon force-strangles the boy Anakin and then throws him into the Sarlacc pit. Oh, wishful thinking. Sorry...

ReallyPuggo - Jar Jar's Yoda said:

Cuchulainn said:

I'm not sure that it's such a big deal as the prequels are intended to be watched after the OT. Either that or Lucas is an even shittier writer than I thought.

I believe that Lucas has indicated that his intent is for PT movies to be viewed before the OT.  So as to your second sentence, QED.

Really? Jesus, he hasn't a clue, has he?

I'm not sure that it's such a big deal as the prequels are intended to be watched after the OT. Either that or Lucas is an even shittier writer than I thought. It would be interesting to see fan edits of the prequels which edit out any spoilers but then again, that would mean having to watch the damn things again and I'm not sure I ever want to do that.

I saw TESB on it's initial release and to be honest, I can't remember if the reveal was known to me before I saw the movie or not. I definitely remember buying an Empire Strikes Back movie magazine before I saw the film but I don't recall if it was mentioned in that...

georgec said:

You have to give Lucas credit for sticking to his guns amidst all the demand from SW fans, critics, and even the NFR/LoC. That man has conviction.

That man is nuts...

Master Sifo-Dyas said:

I agree that the situation certainly does suffer from continous aggravation through the piles of insults and disdain for the preferences of the other.

To me the central argument is - as you said - not about preference, it is about completeness. At the end, every fan (even if some may not admit it openly) would love to have a boxed set of the entire saga with all the bells and whistles and every version of the films that has been in existence (Blade Runner comes to mind).

There ya go. Sort it out George you mentalist...

SilverWook said:

Cuchulainn said:

SilverWook said:

A lot of those early DVD's were warmed over Laserdisc masters approved by Kubrick back in the day before widescreen tv sets were common. It would have been different had he not passed away before DVD really took off.

Yeah, he would have loved the format, I think. Particularly with the new TVs that are out these days, and BD of course...

Going wildly off-topic here (and I promise I won't make a habit of this) but has anyone got the BD of Excalibur? The DVD was woefully mis-framed and I was wondering had this been corrected?

I have it on HD-DVD, and the framing looked all right to me. Some people have issues with the grain, but that's simply the way it was made. Not sure if Warner's used the same master for the Blu Ray or not.

I may take a risk on it. I had the widescreen VHS and it looked marvellous, but both the R1 and R2 DVDs were overmatted or something and there were tops of heads chopped off and just shitty framing issues whatever they did with it...It's a movie that deserves better, IMO...

TheBoost said:

1. Chewie. This character does absolutely NOTHING of note the entire film. You could totally edit him out without altering the plot. I hope some fan-editor gets rid of this annoying action figure tie-in!

2. Setting. The desert!?! I see the desert all the time. How am I supposed to believe this is some exotic alien locale. The sand isn't even purple! And a jungle planet? Way to think outside the box there Lucass. There are tons of jungles... on Earth! Lame!

3. Masks. In another cheap ploy for action figures, they fill the wacky bar on Tattoine with all sorts of rubber-masked aliens. What, was Lucash to cheap to hire Ray Harryhausen?

4. Garidian. The only really fascinating character gets the short stick. Instead of mobbing up on the heroes and single handedly taking them out before they get on their spaceship, he goes and inexplicably tells the Stormtroopers where they are! It's totally out of character!

5. Ridiculous fight choreography. Why does Obi-Wan spin around 360 just to return facing forward BARELY in time to block Vader's lightsaber? To look 'cool' is why, because Lucas feels the need to try and appeal to kids these day who like spinning!

6. Wacky comedy. The uselesss wookiee growls at a silly little (and utterly useless) rolling droid that runs away?! Stupid C-3P0 thinks everyone got crushed. Did Lucas think the kids in the audience would run away without slapstick?

7. Why is there a grate that you have to shoot open to the garbage chute? How do the Imperials throw away their garbage? And wouldn't the stink constantly come up? Didn't anyone on this movie ever THINK?!?!

8. Terrible editing. The sandperson knocks Luke down and we get a bizarre loop/reverse shot of it shaking its stick. Did Lazy Lucas (was lazy) really think no one would notice?

9. Missed oppurtunites. Luke never kills anyone with his lightsaber. Han doesn't die in a heroic sacrifice. Leia doesn't get revenge on Tarkin. Chewbaca never tears anyone's arms off. And how come the Death Star, the size of a planet, only has like, 6 TIE fighters defending it? Why didn't Vader use the Force to choke Luke out in the Death Star trench?

10. Lousy acting. Debbie Reynold's daughter couldn't even be bothered to work out what her accent was. And could Peter Cushing have phoned it in anymore? He was wearing bunny slippers under the table for Pete's sake! Ford just does a lame reprise of his iconic American Graffitti role, and don't get me started on Aunt Beru! Ug!

11. The title. Star WarS??? There's only ONE war going on, dumbasses!

12. Parsecs. Nuff said.

It's pretty cool otherwise, though, right?

I don't read, watch or play anything to do with the EU. I'm sure there are very talented people involved in some of the projects, but personally, I couldn't be arsed with it...

FunkyDays said:

canofhumdingers said:

Can't post it yet (it will actually probably wind up as a nice article on savestarwars.com), but there IS more info to come. And maybe even something positive/hopeful...

It'll likely be late next week at the earliest though.

 

"Positive/hopeful" sounds better than the alternative.  Can't wait to see what it is, as it looks pretty bleak right now.

Absolutely. I know I'm coming off as very naive here, but are most private collectors stuffy old reclusive millionaires like Charles Foster Kane, or might one be persuaded to make a personally-financed  scan of a Tech print, just so the damn thing doesn't disappear...?

ImperialFighter said:

Cuchulainn said:

Going wildly off-topic here (and I promise I won't make a habit of this) but has anyone got the BD of Excalibur? The DVD was woefully mis-framed and I was wondering had this been corrected?

I'll just mention the 2 informative sites below Cuchulainn, as they may be useful in future for anyone that doesn't know about them yet -

According to dvdcompare.net, it seems that the 'Excalibur' dvd was released in both a 1.85:1 aspect ratio and a 1.78:1 aspect ratio depending on what region you happened to be in, while the blu-ray has only been released in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio.

And here's what dvdbeaver.com says about that particular blu-ray title - http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film3/blu-ray_reviews53/excalibur_blu-ray.htm

Thanks, IF, I'll bookmark those for later use (no doubt). I actually own both the R1 and R2 of Excalibur and they're both dreadful...Hopefully the BD is an improvement. Anyway, enough of this crapola...

SilverWook said:

A lot of those early DVD's were warmed over Laserdisc masters approved by Kubrick back in the day before widescreen tv sets were common. It would have been different had he not passed away before DVD really took off.

Yeah, he would have loved the format, I think. Particularly with the new TVs that are out these days, and BD of course...

Going wildly off-topic here (and I promise I won't make a habit of this) but has anyone got the BD of Excalibur? The DVD was woefully mis-framed and I was wondering had this been corrected?

Mike O said:

Mr. Bungle said:

Cuchulainn said:

I've got 1 (count 'em) BD!!

Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon.

 

If you're to only have one, that ain't bad -- even though they fucked up the aspect ratio. ; )

 

How so?

The cinematic ratio was a matted 1.66:1, whereas, the BD is 1.85:1. I actually prefer it this way. I hated the way the DVDs of a lot of Kubrick films were presented full-screen...

TMBTM said:

As english is not my language I had some trouble to follow the article.

From what I understand:

The LoC have old 35mm prints of at least SW and ESB, but in very poor condition (scratches, faded colors). They asked for new prints to Lucasfilm, who proposed the 97 SE "instead". LoC would also like to preserv the 97 SE, indeed, but it was not what they were asking, so they declined the offer.

So the old, poor and unexploitable prints are all the LoC have.

Am I right?

That was my understanding of it. If this is the case, it's basically a win-win scenario for Lucas as the original prints would seem to not be available for public screening. I still find his behaviour baffling and, frankly, unacceptable. He's wheezed on about 'they're my movies' for so long the Lucas fanboys have accepted this as a mantra and refuse to acknowledge that he's fucking around with something that had a huge cultural impact simply because they're either too young to have seen the original versions in cinemas or, more probably, that they just want a 'quick fix' and be able to look at their SW BD box on their shelf and think 'right, that's that done...'

Unfortunately, the opinion here that the OOT should be preserved and released along with his subsequent atrocities would seem to be in the minority, which is a shame.

I really don't know what to say about this. Granted, the article is a little confusing but the underlying message is abundantly clear. There would seem to be no limits to Lucas' chicanery. He's a madman.

I've got 1 (count 'em) BD!!

Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon.

I literally don't have the cash to spare at the moment as my girlfriend lives in a different country and most of my disposable income is used visiting her.