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EddyMerkxs

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26-Dec-2019
Last activity
19-Feb-2024
Posts
20

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Post
#1326457
Topic
Return of the Jedi: A Gentle Pruning (* unfinished project *)
Time

Jamesleaf said:

EddyMerkxs said:

Obviously you aren’t too busy right now restructuring the whole ST, but if you ever get around to this, I have kk260’s ROTJ V2.6 (I think) if you get around to it. Also, Disney 4k ROTJ Blu Ray might be out by the time you get around to this. Right now kk260 is close but this would be the ideal version for me, subscribed.

Is there a link for this? (I have A kk650 semi-specialized edition - is this what you were referring to?). Not sure which version.

That’s what I was referring to.

Post
#1320849
Topic
Idea: ‘Heir To The Jedi’ Duology (A TFA / TLJ spitball idea thread)
Time

TLJ certainly has the emotional/narrative heart of the trilogy, but it’s worth considering that ESB has a similar role in the OT - ROTJ “only” adds the throne room scene as far as character development.

The hardest thing about adding anything to TLJ is that it is already overstuffed with worthwhile character development and story; ideally you’d be adding a 5th act to a 4 act movie.

These are the two ideas that came to mind, might be too much though.

-There is a conference room scene about the state of the galaxy in TROS that I wish was in TFA, like the one in ANH. It has a different kylo mask and the exegol fleet, so it likely wouldn’t have anything left once you cut that out.

-What if the fleet arriving at exegol could be used? What if they actually answered Leias call in the end? It would be hard to work it with the millennium falcon front and center…

Regardless, broom boy is the ending to the trilogy for me.

Post
#1318032
Topic
TFA: A Gentle Restructure (Released)
Time

Hal 9000 said:

Fair points, especially that last one; hadn’t considered that. I’ll have to consider that as I mock it up.

Eddy, do you have any specific ideas about the crawl? I like what we have now, but would hear you out.

Ah sorry, this hidden in an earlier post, my changes in bold:

The sinister FIRST ORDER plots its return to power, hidden in the ashes of the fallen Empire.

Failing to convince the NEW REPUBLIC to investigate this emerging threat, General Leia Organa mobilizes a covert RESISTANCE while the First Order completes a devastating new weapon.

Your crawl is far far better than theatrical, but I still felt it could be tweaked a bit to set the stage. Po is surprised to see the First Order ships, but we don’t know that should be surprising.

As you know, we don’t get any conference table scene describing the state of the galaxy till TROS, so I thought stronger language could make it clearer. But also your crawl is close enough, either way thankful for the edit.

Post
#1317249
Topic
The Rise of Skywalker: Ascendant (Released)
Time

Octorox said:

Hal 9000 said:

“What she has to do now will take all the rest of her strength” or whatever she says hardly clarifies much. It just says “Carrie Fischer’s character is about to go die.”

At least it clarifies that she’s making an active decision to do “something” vis a vis Ben, and that whatever it is requires the last of her power, similar to Luke’s final actions in The Last Jedi. Honestly, I’m not sure the visual storytelling here is strong enough to convey even that, as clunky as the line is.

Yeah I thought that line was also a soft explanation of the end of tlj in response to that criticism

Post
#1317113
Topic
Name Something You Unreservedly Love About The Rise Of Skywalker
Time

I think the purest, most classic narrative of the story is Rey’s descent to the dark side, perhaps the best improvement on the past two ST episodes, both since she had room in her arc after VIII (unlike the other characters) and since she hadn’t had much struggle. She tries to take more and more responsibility on herself, and I got more and more frustrated (in a good way) with her failures the more she tried to take on herself. Her force lightning was such a powerful moment (despite the cheap reveal after). Then her darkest moment comes at the death star, where she throws Finn away and gets more and more angry at Ren, and as she goes in a downward spiral to the dark side she gets weaker. Ren is in total control besides a miraculous intervention with Leia, and Rey kills Ren at her darkest.

The best thing about is how those moments are all felt, not heard, and earned, not stolen, unlike most of the movie. That kind of characterization is what Star Wars is built on.

Post
#1317111
Topic
The Rise of Skywalker: Ascendant (Released)
Time

Schmendrick said:

On the question of Finn not following Rey in a skimmer, I couldn’t agree more with the desire to cut it entirely. The only question that immediately jumps to mind is some way to work in the story that’s told at the conclusion of the fight scene. Rey runs to steal Kylo’s Tie, and she flies away in a single panning shot that includes Finn and then the entrance of the Falcon to pick him up. The shot could be trimmed before Finn enters frame, but it’s sole value lies in Finn watching Rey leave, so they know they don’t need to pursue her/take them with her. At the very least, I think there’s value in simply using the shot of Finn in the death star interior and hearing the sounds of the saber fight, but cutting any subsequent interference with or even observing the fight itself until he pops into frame to watch Rey fly away. Of course, one might then desire some way of him knowing it was Rey who flew away in the Tie, unless that’s chalked up to his still budding force sensitivity. Ugh…what a mess.

All the other ideas you’re throwing around sound great, but I think Finn being there has a major purpose in the movie. Finn has been almost senselessly trusting and chasing Rey for 3 movies, and being thrown back by Rey is a turning point, where he realizes it isn’t his job to help her.

Even more so, Rey throwing Finn back is a sign of how desperate she is, how much she has (unwisely) taken all the responsibility on herself, and how close she is getting to the dark side, culminating in killing Ben.

Rey’s struggle is perhaps the clearest narrative thread, it’s worth enjoying!

Post
#1316780
Topic
Star Wars: <strong>The Rise Of Skywalker</strong> Redux Ideas thread
Time

RogueLeader said:

Interesting thoughts. Here is one interpretation to chew on: When Palpatine “died”, the persona of Sheev Palpatine sort of died on the Death Star, but the spirit survived. It is almost like the shell of Palpatine was shed, and what we had left was this Sith incarnate. Technically it is the same entity we knew from the PT and OT, but it no longer tries to hide its true persona. It definitely would make his return creepier than this one dude just still being alive somehow.

I’m kind of curious if this Sith incarnate is the spirit of Darth Bane passed down from vessel to vessel, or with each new host the Sith spirit becomes a collective consciousness.

My take was the latter; I understood the hooded figures in citadel to be spectating Sith spirits who dwelt within Palp, though apparently I am wrong. According to wookiepiedia those were the Sith cultists? I thought the contrast was the show of arrogant flaunting of power of the sith vs the minimal but more powerful incarnation of the Jedi to Rey.

Post
#1316743
Topic
Star Wars: <strong>The Rise Of Skywalker</strong> Redux Ideas thread
Time

Something I’ve been thinking about is Rey’s parents already chose to be “good” counter to their bloodline, minimizing the big deal of Rey doing the same. It would be interesting if you were able to change the flashback/exposition of her parents to portray them as junk traders or low life people; this would maintain the reveal of TLJ and make Rey’s choice a bigger deal.

Post
#1316739
Topic
Star Wars: <strong>The Rise Of Skywalker</strong> Redux Ideas thread
Time

RogueLeader said:

EddyMerkxs said:

I posted this on Hal’s thread, should have put it here:

A big picture fix that is improbable but not impossible would be tweaking a few lines about Palp’s resurrection to reframe him as Sith Incarnate, rather than Palp Alive again. In other words, the reason he was brought back was not his own power (he still dies in ROTJ), but the power of the Sith/Dark Side and he operates now as little more than a puppet of the Sith spirits. It is implied enough in the movie (that he was a corpse not a person); I wish he spoke more in terms of “we” like Gollum to hit that home.

The weird thing is, isn’t this the implication from the film? That there is one Sith spirit that possesses one host after the other? I think it is kind of muddied by making Rey a Palpatine and focusing on his bloodline, and trying to say the saga is about the Skywalkers vs the Palpatines. Sheev Palpatine is merely one stepping stone for the past millennia of Sith Lords.

I actually think the idea of replacing instances of “I” with “we” is a simple idea that would help remind the audience of that concept. You just would have to find a good sample of him saying we. I think Palpatine calls Rey “weak” at one point. Maybe that could fit, not sure.

Sorry, late to reply; yeah, like I said the film implies it but fails to lean heavily on the imagery, when Star Wars usually makes it very clear - as usual, JJ tells you about everything you need to know, just tucked away in throwaway lines rather than meaningful themes. I think they could have saved a lot of confusion and anger when bringing Palp back, if they made it clear he still died in ROTJ but is here as a corpse based on the sheer will of the Sith, where ultimately Palp’s bloodline is the Sith and Rey’s is the Jedi, not actual bloodline.

Post
#1316123
Topic
Star Wars: <strong>The Rise Of Skywalker</strong> Redux Ideas thread
Time

I posted this on Hal’s thread, should have put it here:

A big picture fix that is improbable but not impossible would be tweaking a few lines about Palp’s resurrection to reframe him as Sith Incarnate, rather than Palp Alive again. In other words, the reason he was brought back was not his own power (he still dies in ROTJ), but the power of the Sith/Dark Side and he operates now as little more than a puppet of the Sith spirits. It is implied enough in the movie (that he was a corpse not a person); I wish he spoke more in terms of “we” like Gollum to hit that home.

Post
#1316017
Topic
The Rise of Skywalker: Ascendant (Released)
Time

Awesome, glad you agree! In some ways, a fan edit of TROS might have more leeway since the existing pacing and editing sets such a low standard.

A big picture fix that is improbable but not impossible would be tweaking a few lines about Palp’s resurrection to reframe him as Sith Incarnate, rather than Palp Alive again. In other words, the reason he was brought back was not his own power (he still dies in ROTJ), but the power of the Sith/Dark Side, like an opposite Gandalf, and he operates now as little more than a puppet of the Sith spirits. It is implied enough in the movie, but I find it much more reasonable to think in those terms; I wish he spoke more in terms of “we” like Gollum to hit that home.

Post
#1316014
Topic
TFA: A Gentle Restructure (Released)
Time

I watched this before TROS and it easily became my go to version. Makes so much more sense dramatically and actually lets the movie stand on its own vs ANH, with a far darker ending. I wouldn’t suggest changes except I know you are revisiting the sequel trilogy after TROS.

The only edit that was noticable to me was targeting the resistance base after it fires, especially since it is blown up a few minutes later. I haven’t read all the comments on this thread and I’m sure this has been mentioned before, but I’m curious how the movie would play without retargeting the base and the resistance just blows it up. It also might foreshadow Po’s desire to blow stuff up without considering losses. I also like the idea of the base being a one shot weapon. You likely already know which works better.

The only other consideration would be tweaking the (already much improved) crawl a bit more:

The sinister FIRST ORDER plots its return to power, hidden in the ashes of the fallen Empire.

Failing to convince the NEW REPUBLIC to investigate this emerging threat, General Leia Organa mobilizes a covert RESISTANCE while the First Order completes a devastating new weapon.

Post
#1315998
Topic
The Rise of Skywalker: Ascendant (Released)
Time

This probably has been covered elsewhere in the forum, but if you are able to removed the chewie’s alive scene, then the only reveal you need is when Rey realizes he is on the star destroyer; it is an emotional moment (music, tears, drama) that falls flat because you know he is alive. With that change we find out with the main characters and we might feel her relief more.

Post
#1314478
Topic
Hal’s Rogue One edit (a half-assed version of DigMod’s) (Released)
Time

Octorox said:

Check out TM2YC’s edit, he attempts a version of this. Truth be told a hybrid of Hal’s edit (in which he mainly took ideas from DigMod) and TM2YC’s would probably be my go-to for this movie.

Perfect I will! I agree, seems like a mix is ideal, especially since most of TM2YC changes and DigMods Seem to go too far to match the OT, and the movie overall only benefits a few scenes removed. The only crawl I’d use is the original teaser.

https://youtu.be/w9BuyiFvLJA

Post
#1314474
Topic
Hal’s Rogue One edit (a half-assed version of DigMod’s) (Released)
Time

I love this, it is my go to version of RO, as are all your other edits. Thank you!

This is a thought I’ve been toying with; I know this is just a side project of yours, so maybe I’ll try it on my own. However, I would be interested in how the movie works without showing vader until the final scene (only including the mention of him coming). It isn’t his story, and his mustafar scene detracts more than adds to his character, for a few reasons. I think only showing the hallway scene develops his mystique and character more.