Fang Zei

User Group: Members
Join date: 14-Oct-2006
Last activity: 15-Aug-2025
Posts: 2,788

Post History

Post: #312582
Topic: Anyone else here have a love/hate relation with Revenge of the sith ?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/312582/action/topic#312582
Time: 5-Mar-2008 6:04 PM

Originally posted by: Erikstormtrooper
Guilty as charged. Even though I'm bitter, I won't let that stand in the way of my 5 year old's enjoyment of Star Wars.

The fact that you post here makes up for it and then some.

Post: #312580
Topic: New Indiana Jones DVD's - No Blu-Ray
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/312580/action/topic#312580
Time: 5-Mar-2008 5:46 PM

This is as good a time as any to ask:

Has anyone documented the rumored alterations/fixes that were made to the movies for the '03 dvd release? The reflection in the snake pit is the only one I know about.

Post: #312488
Topic: Anyone else here have a love/hate relation with Revenge of the sith ?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/312488/action/topic#312488
Time: 5-Mar-2008 2:07 AM

Originally posted by: Baronlando
But back to Revenge of the Sith, it's almost 3 years old now, and kids seem to still be buying the toys, they must have done something right.

Like I said recently, I had to witness this shit firsthand several days a week when I was working at the Lego store. The only conclusion I could come to is that their parents are probably in their 30's and they all probably grew up with the original movies and therefore showed it to their kids.

Post: #312302
Topic: Anyone else here have a love/hate relation with Revenge of the sith ?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/312302/action/topic#312302
Time: 4-Mar-2008 1:08 AM

Originally posted by: Baronlando
(If they ever release them, I wonder if many fans will buy them and then just fade away.)

Who says that isn't exactly what LFL is afraid of? Maybe I'm putting the OOT up on too high of a pedestal, but then again there was that quote from the Wired magazine guy back in September of '06, "they're not going to make the fan happy because the happy fan has everything he needs. They will kill the goose that laid the golden egg, they will cook it, they will eat it and they will sell the bones on Ebay."

I can't honestly say what I would or would not do, simply because I don't know the future. But when I take a huge step back and look at the big picture I would say that yes, I probably would fade away from Star Wars if the OOT were finally restored. I have other books to read and other movies to watch.

Like I said before, I'm becoming more and more convinced that Lucas has finally gotten the picture in regards to the place of the OOT. I'm being cautiously optimistic that we'll all finally get what we want for the next release, but I'm not holding my breath (as has often been said).

Post: #312276
Topic: Anyone else here have a love/hate relation with Revenge of the sith ?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/312276/action/topic#312276
Time: 3-Mar-2008 10:01 PM

Frevious might be referring to the large amount of positive reviews it received from critics. Hollywood is a different story, and I'd be curious to know what Johnston, Fincher, Darabont, etc have to say about the SE and the PT.

Post: #311872
Topic: Official: 'THE CLONE WARS' movie in Theaters 8/15/08
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/311872/action/topic#311872
Time: 29-Feb-2008 1:04 PM

MGM distributed Willow in theaters back in '88. Fox distributed the dvd in '01, but I'm not sure whether that's because of the deal Fox has with MGM or if it's simply because Fox has distributed just about every LFL-owned dvd I can think of that isn't Indiana Jones.

Post: #311588
Topic: How much longer will the format war last?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/311588/action/topic#311588
Time: 26-Feb-2008 10:04 PM

Here's what the real temptation will be:

Just take a look at what happened with the '04 box set. It had (at the time) the highest single day sales in the history of dvd. I don't think it's a stretch to say that the vast majority of those people never so much as bothered to pop disc 4 into their player, to say nothing of the audio commentaries. People that have enough time to listen to and watch all of that are labeled as, well, people with too much time on their hands. Most people are too busy adding 5 more titles to their 600+ collection to bother with taking several days to watch bonus material. They just wanted it so they could finally have the movies on everyone's favorite format.

LFL could just as easily pull the same shit with the next release. They could pad it out with documentaries that they know no one except we on these forums will watch. Then they could intentionally neglect the OOT once again.

Hey, whatya say we plan on this: As soon as the next release is even announced, if it doesn't have more or less exactly what we want (a 1080p24 transfer of the OOT with at least a couple of audio options), we immediately start the new petition.

good idea? yes? no?

Oh, and zombie, I don't know how it's even entering into your head that LFL would do the next release this year. I'm surprised enough that they're finding room after Indy IV and Force Unleashed to wedge in The Clone Wars. There's no way in hell we're seeing the next release until the end of next year at the earliest. I also don't see it happening until after the much-rumored 3D re-release. If the JoBlo rumor of a Spring '09 date for the 3D ends up being true, I would say it's a pretty safe bet we're seeing the blu-ray in fall of '09, which would - of course - also be perfect timing for the live action show.

Post: #311398
Topic: How much longer will the format war last?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/311398/action/topic#311398
Time: 25-Feb-2008 3:09 AM

In all seriousness, I'm becoming more and more convinced that we will finally see the OOT remastered for the next home video release (even if it's in the worse case scenario ADM described).

Maybe it's just delusions of grandeur (who am I kidding, that's exactly what it is), but that mention of wanting to put 100 hours of documentaries on the next release is making me think that they're going to give the movies the ultimate treatment, finally pull their heads out of the sand, and realize that people on the whole generally enjoy the OT significantly more than the prequels. This will translate to them giving each of the original films a five disc release while the prequels will only get two discs each at the most.

ps: yea, I'm really being delusional, but just let me dream for a moment.

Post: #311149
Topic: I'll give Episode One something...
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/311149/action/topic#311149
Time: 22-Feb-2008 12:36 AM

Originally posted by: Mielr
so maybe if I had been a child I would have more nostalgic feelings about the time period in which it was released, but I don't think I would have enjoyed the film any more.

Heh, you just described what my situation was. While I have memories from the hype and the actual screening of Episode I, part of the reason I remember that time so well is that May 19, 1999 was only a couple weeks before I finally got done with 8th grade and the nine years of schooling I was desperate to get done with. Getting another Star Wars movie was what made the light at the end of the tunnel all the brighter.

Also, it's funny you should use the word nostalgia, because I'm guessing you saw the originals during their original runs in the late 70's and early 80's, and I'm guessing you wouldn't describe that as nostalgia. This is where (and I'm sorry to bring it up for the ninth, no, tenth time) LFL completely missed the point of why we want the originals in good quality.

Post: #311147
Topic: Official: 'THE CLONE WARS' movie in Theaters 8/15/08
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/311147/action/topic#311147
Time: 21-Feb-2008 11:44 PM

Didn't Lucas say after being asked by a reporter at the King Kong premiere back in December of '05 that he doesn't miss Star Wars all that much? Apparently he still misses how much money it's made for LFL over the years, because he's still at it. Releasing the GOUT less than a year after being quoted as saying that, it's just a tad annoying.

I take it the live action series is (as of right now) the last Star Wars project he'll ever have a hand in. I hope that means everyone here will finally get what we want in 2009 (or whenever they get around to airing the new show), and even if LFL waits until after that to do the next release, I still hope it has what we want in it.

Here's how I see it: Lucas can either move on from Star Wars and finally make us happy, or he can keep being stubborn and make us move on. The rumors I'm hearing are making me more and more convinced that we will finally get the ultimate set for the next release, and as a result you will see less and less complaining from me.

Post: #311135
Topic: I'll give Episode One something...
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/311135/action/topic#311135
Time: 21-Feb-2008 9:49 PM

And an amazing soundtrack.

Will Ferrell and Ana Gasteyer had this routine on SNL where they'd play this weird couple who would do live music for whatever get-together they'd shown up to on each episode. One of them was in early May of '99. Anyway, part of the routine was that they'd say nice things between songs and will Ferrell would continue to play softly on the keyboard. When they were playing (both of them were on vocals), they would randomly switch from one new hit song to another. In the one I'm thinking of, they switch songs at one point and go "Duel of the Faaaaaaates!" and then start singing the fast tempo instrumental in doots. Even to this day, I think of that sketch and I crack up.

I'm not sure if the mtv premiere was the first time I ever heard DotF, but it probably was. I seem to recall seeing/hearing some of it in the end credits for either ET or Access Hollywood the night before (maybe it was the night after, it's been so long). It was cool to be able to hear some of the actual music from the movie before it came out, although even back then I understood the concept of a "single" and knew that what was in the movie wouldn't be in that exact form. I can still remember sitting in that theater (it's gone now!) back on the afternoon of May 19, 1999, and how I felt when those destroyer droids rolled out into the Naboo starfighter hangar to the tune of that music.

The lightsaber battle that followed really blew me away. Looking back on it today, a lot of that was probably more due to the sound than anything else, but it was still cool to see a new lightsaber battle up on the screen for the first time ever.

Post: #310632
Topic: Is George Lucas a fan of Star Wars?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/310632/action/topic#310632
Time: 17-Feb-2008 11:05 PM

Here's the funny thing:

-The original Star Wars was a medium budget movie where Lucas had to direct everything.
-Empire and Jedi were both big budget movies where Lucas basically handled the special effects himself and let someone else direct.
-The prequels were big budget movies where Lucas had to direct everything.

I think it would've been cooler if Star Wars '77 had been left as Lucas' final directorial work forever. Then, every 15 years or so, he would get three directors and a handful of writers to make another trilogy. In spite of how the prequels actually did turn out,* I'm still hoping that he (or whoever ends up in charge of Lucasfilm) follows that pattern if more movies ever do happen.

*and that the special editions even exist and we still don't have the originals in good quality

Post: #310558
Topic: Jim Ward steps down
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/310558/action/topic#310558
Time: 17-Feb-2008 4:25 AM

By the way, I'm actually starting to think now that if and when Star Wars eventually hits blu-ray it'll have each movie sold separately, especially if McCallum really is serious about putting all those documentaries on there .... and especially since he also said that fans were clamoring for them to be made available individually (hence the '06 release). The funny thing is that this would make what Josh Griffin said way back when on that GOUT-centric episode of G4's Loop actually accurate: "Oh, come on, that ultimate box set is going to cost 200 dollars when it comes out!"

As has been said before, it would make sense to release this around when the live action show premieres. The only potential conflict I see - aside from them maybe not getting done putting it together by then - is Lucas trying to totally break away from Fox and/or the live action show getting distributed on tv by a company besides Fox.

ps: sorry I'm sounding like a broken record, I just like putting the puzzle pieces together as they become evident while speculating at the same time.

Post: #310490
Topic: How much longer will the format war last?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/310490/action/topic#310490
Time: 16-Feb-2008 4:05 PM

All I really meant by "lesser of two evils" is that the format war is ending now, i.e. one format is loosing out now as opposed to the situation being dragged on indefinitely. Even then it's only just my opinion, that's why I asked if anyone thinks an indefinite dual-format situation would actually be better.

Post: #310325
Topic: Official: 'THE CLONE WARS' movie in Theaters 8/15/08
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/310325/action/topic#310325
Time: 15-Feb-2008 2:26 AM

I don't see Lucas severing all ties with 20th Century Fox, or at least I hope not since that would put our chances of seeing a restored OOT anytime soon even further out of the realm of possibility.... unless criterion came up with a shitload of money to dumptruck on Lucas' driveway.

Also, that video footage from C4 was in 2.35:1. Is that what they're actually composing it in?

questions, questions

Post: #310321
Topic: Indiana Jones IV
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/310321/action/topic#310321
Time: 15-Feb-2008 2:13 AM

Well, I have heard the argument that Spielberg was making a case for secular humanism with the ending of Last Crusade. Maybe he's trying to really drive the point home this time. Yea, I'd like to see this movie right here and now to find out what actually happens in it.

How do the puzzle pieces suddenly fit together so perfectly to suggest they're definitely going with that oft-rumored alien plotline? This story takes place after 1947. Are people just getting the idea that the big "unlocking" moment for Indy will be discovering that every mystical thing has been alien and that the Roswell ship will be the key? What if it takes the route that the story about little green men actually was just a story and that the actual truth is more along the lines of something fantastical/mythical like we saw in the other three movies?

Which draft of the script did the alien idea show up in anyway?

Oh, and I'm throwing in my opinion that space aliens in Indiana Jones would be just a tad bit more out of place than midichlorians in Star Wars.

Post: #310311
Topic: How much longer will the format war last?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/310311/action/topic#310311
Time: 15-Feb-2008 1:04 AM

The lesser of two evils in the long run

We can finally move beyond ntsc/pal limitations, although nothing will ever beat seeing something on film or in 4k. Prolonging the format war would probably have meant a lower price for a blu-ray player when I eventually end up wanting one, but we're only going from one type of optical disc (standard def dvd) to another type (hi-def optical disc). This couldn't have gone on for years and years like beta/vhs, and even after that you didn't see hybrid players being mass-produced. That worked for vinyls (I'm not sure what the history behind why that happened is), and there was the interesting argument that "some transfers only need 25 gigs, some only need 30, some need all 50," but it would seem economics is dictating that only one format can exist. At least it's the one with more space.

The "hddvd is cheaper to manufacture" argument would have been great if anyone could have definitively proven to me that the studios were passing the savings on to the customer. I mean, when WB released combo discs the same day as the blu-ray, shouldn't the combo disc have been the same price and not five dollars more?

Out of curiosity, I would like to hear anyone's arguments for an indefinite dual-format situation being better.

Post: #310053
Topic: Jim Ward steps down
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/310053/action/topic#310053
Time: 13-Feb-2008 3:46 AM

They're probably hoping people will be too distracted by the cartoon and the videogame to notice that the so called "limited editions" are still in print more than a year after December 31st, 2006.

Post: #310046
Topic: Official: 'THE CLONE WARS' movie in Theaters 8/15/08
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/310046/action/topic#310046
Time: 13-Feb-2008 2:57 AM

ST= sequel trilogy a.k.a. VII, VIII and IX

but yea, it didn't occur to me until you said it that Luke could still at least be alive when Episode VII starts and then get killed at some point and come back as a force ghost. The only reason I brought it up is that Luke still hasn't been killed off in the novels, and while I don't actually bother to read the novels I do keep up with them. Everything I've heard leads me to believe that the current authors are pretty much ignoring any huge impact from the New Jedi Order novels in terms of what happens to the galaxy in the years after the OT, and that series has been the main sticking point with people who argue that any possible sequels could never fit into the continuity established by the novels.

The only post-ROTJ stuff I've read is Heir to the Empire and a couple of the NJO novels. Those last two turned me off not only because I couldn't quite get past the idea of there being another galaxy besides the one in which the whole story takes place, but also because I'd skipped past just about everything between ROTJ and Vector Prime (with the sole exception of HTTE). Since then I've come to terms with it. I figure their intention was to tell a story that could only be told in the medium of novels. Not everything Star Wars gets the Shadows of the Empire treatment after all. Apparently Bantam would've done the story differently (for example, the invaders would not have been from outside the galaxy) and Dark Horse would have covered part of it also, but plans changed once Del Rey got the license.

My ultimate point is just that the NJO seems relatively inconsequential in the grand scheme of making VII, VIII and IX. Whether or not they'll ever actually get made is another matter.

Post: #310022
Topic: Official: 'THE CLONE WARS' movie in Theaters 8/15/08
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/310022/action/topic#310022
Time: 13-Feb-2008 12:52 AM

Originally posted by: Mielr

Originally posted by: FanFiltration

Did not enjoy the "Clone Wars" show at all. On the other hand, 3 movies set after the events of "Return of the Jedi" in a 100%CGI format to complete the original plan of 9 episodes {With the voices of the surviving original stars from Episodes IV - VI } would be total kick ass! That I would pay for.

Yes, I'd like that too. I still remember an interview that Mark Hamill gave when ROTJ was released, that he'd signed on to do episodes 7, 8 & 9 with Luke perhaps being on "another plane of existance". I still like the idea of that, preferably live-action, but CGI would be OK too, if he voiced the character.

You mean he was never supposed to still be alive in the ST?! Wow, I guess this theory I've had for a while about that 100 year gap in the legacy era might turn out to be true....

Post: #309628
Topic: Jim Ward steps down
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/309628/action/topic#309628
Time: 9-Feb-2008 8:08 PM

Originally posted by: Mike O
Obviously they're not going to release the OOT on BR

Why do you say so? Is it only because Ward is now leaving? Close Encounters and Blade Runner got their OV's released on bd. I would hope that forces Lucas to step up to the plate. McCallum mentioned lots of documentaries for the next release. Lucas mentioned on the Charlie Rose show way back in either '04 or '05 how LFL was putting documentaries together for each and every episode of Young Indy. Granted it took forever for those to finally hit the shelves, but it did happen, so I guess it's also a sure bet for the next Star Wars set. For crying out loud, I really do hope they finally get around to remastering it this time. I do see the chance of it not happenning, especially now when it's almost 2 years away at the very least. I just wouldn't say it's obvious that it won't happen.

Post: #309565
Topic: Jim Ward steps down
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/309565/action/topic#309565
Time: 9-Feb-2008 1:06 AM

I'll probably send in a video to those guys making the "people vs. george lucas" documentary, after I get my thoughts on the matter properly organized.

In terms of predictions though, I would say it's a pretty sure thing that the next release is not happening this year. '09 is a huge maybe, and it's still too far away with too many variables. Avatar has been pushed back to the very end of that year the last time I checked, so maybe Lucas will wait until 2010 or later to do the 3D releases (which I'm still assuming are definitely going to happen at some point). On the other hand there was that report from joblo.com saying they'd be out around Spring of '09, which would make sense if they're going to use it to gear up for the live action series (although I'm also wondering how the animated show is going to pan out. Will it be a limited thing or an ongoing series?). In any event, It's a pretty sure thing we're not seeing the next home video release until after they've played in theaters again, so I guess we'll just have to make the best of the time we have until then.

Post: #309330
Topic: Jim Ward steps down
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/309330/action/topic#309330
Time: 6-Feb-2008 4:23 PM

Well then Ward is definitely not going to be Star Wars' CdL, as if he was ever going to if he'd stayed.

I'll patiently await the grand announcement, but seeing as how 2008 is Jedi's 25th anniversary I'd rather have it be sooner than later.

Post: #309230
Topic: Jim Ward steps down
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/309230/action/topic#309230
Time: 5-Feb-2008 7:12 PM

Originally posted by: Mike O

How substantiative are the Trek changes?

On the 2nd disc of Star Trek: The Motion Picture (which has only had one dvd release, and it's the director's edition), they actually included all of the deleted scenes from the original version and all of the scenes from the tv version, all in anamorphic widescreen I should add. Basically, with the exception of the original opening and closing credits, they included any material from the various versions that didn't make it into the director's edition.

The Wrath of Khan director's edition added some short scenes, such as Kirk meeting Scotty's nephew. There are also some alternate angles used. I remember seeing a youtube pointing out that there are a few additional differences between this version and the tv version. Whoever made it basically spliced in footage from an off-the-air videotape recording.

I'm not sure if there are any differences between the single and 2-disc releases of Undiscovered Country, aside from anamorphic widescreen of course. The version on the 2-disc definitely isn't the theatrical cut since it has the operation retrieve scene.

Spoiler warning if you haven't seen Star Trek VI:

One funny thing I should point out is that when I watched the 2-disc for the first time I remember actually noticing a difference in the edit. After Valeris has been exposed as a conspirator and she's standing on the bridge with everyone asking her questions, McCoy at one point says "and what do you think you've been doing" and Valeris replies "saving Starfleet." The reason I noticed the difference is that on the dvd there's actually a cut to the angle that's just on McCoy when he says that whereas I definitely remember watching the movie back in the day either on tv or on vhs and there was no cut to McCoy when he says that and it always seemed awkward to me because his voice seemed to be coming from nowhere. Then I read the text commentary on the dvd and sure enough there was a difference.

This is what makes me wonder if the cut on the single-disc version is different.

Beyond that, I can't really say what all the various differences are in the cuts of the Trek films. Of the old single-disc releases the only ones I've actually seen are Generations (rented it back in the spring of '02 because I felt like watching it again, yea, don't ask) and Nemesis (rented it in summer of '03 since I'd missed it in theaters).

Post: #309163
Topic: Jim Ward steps down
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/309163/action/topic#309163
Time: 5-Feb-2008 4:41 AM

I'm cutting anything from the special edition restoration onward out of the equation. I mean, there's what, several hundred differences between the SE and the OOT? Has any professional studio actually reconstructed an earlier version of one of their films in such a way instead of simply transferring an older print/IP? Whenever I talk about "those interpositives" I mean the most recently struck pre-SE IP, but for all I know that could be more than twenty years old at this point and beyond any hope of restoration. Going the route of private collectors (as suggested by Bill Hunt) and getting Criterion to spearhead it (as suggested by Jay) might be the only real option available.