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Hal 9000

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Join date
14-Oct-2003
Last activity
18-Sep-2025
Posts
11,348

Post History

Post
#731326
Topic
Help Wanted: Attack Of The Clones - How To Fix This Pooper
Time

For my edit of AOTC, I amalgamated other editor's ideas for the various plot threads, largely operating as a curator. 

I more or less mimicked Slumberland for the romance plot. He carved out a nice little bit of characterization early in the film for Padme. She refers to Anakin as a child when they meet, then points out that he's grown up before leaving together. He also converted the lakeside kiss scene into a day-for-night replacement for the fireside scene, though he inexplicably included Padme pulling away from it.

I retained a truncated version of the "forbidden love" angle. It is hinted at that Jedi aren't supposed to do that, but it's not expressed as being strictly forbidden necessarily. It's enough to get the audience to understand (and remember through to the next film) that the two of them need to keep it a secret. (And hopefully the sequel trilogy depict "New" Jedi who are free to marry and procreate, and retcon the PT such that only the latter Jedi were so conservative.)

I used part of Secior's idea for Count Dooku. Seciors moved his meeting with Sidious to the front of the film and made it much more clear that Dooku is working for Palpatine by trying to assassinate Padme. I did not reorder that particular scene, so Dooku does begin as a ""mystery"" in my edit as in the theatrical version, though we do find out that Palpatine's behind it all (rather than Nute Gunray demanding Padme's head out of pettiness).

I lovingly borrowed many ideas from the good 'ol Phantom Editor, including his method of removing some of the ""mystery"" plot thread about the toxic dart, and the general order of scenes during that part of the film.

Two small things: I changed the recurring mention of "ten thousand" Separatist systems to merely "one/a thousand," because I feel it alienates the audience a bit less. Incredibly minor, though. I also removed many of the Jedi's commands to Clonetroopers during the battle, implying that the Jedi are going to become dependent upon them during the war.

That's my take on Episode II, following in the textual tradition of fan editing and making use of what others have done. As always, I edit because I want the end product to exist.

Post
#730286
Topic
Episode VII: The Force Awakens - Discussion * <strong>SPOILER THREAD</strong> *
Time

Y'know, if they are following the germ of the (cursed) GL story treatments, I could picture the Luke-as-villain thing happening. George reportedly loved Dark Empire when it came out. For the record, I'd much prefer Luke to remain 'good,' though a gritty moral streak at the end (as rumored) would be okay.

When the Disney sale was news, I described a scene in my head of the final pieces being put in place. George is about to sign on the dotted line, and he hands Bob Iger the treatments. Iger is smiling and using his executive charm to politely send George out the door. As soon as he's gone, Iger tosses the treatments in the trash without looking at them.

Post
#730104
Topic
<strong>STAR WARS: REBELS</strong> (animated tv series) - a general discussion thread
Time

I got the chance to sit down and watch the premiere last night, and I was mildly surprised by how decent it was. 

That's not exactly a glowing review, but I think this show might actually be somewhat enjoyable for me. I can picture myself taking the things I don't like in stride, rather than giving up on the show as I did with Clone Wars. 

I will say that this premiere was enjoyable, whereas Clone Wars' was not at all. 

Post
#728137
Topic
Info Wanted: Your 'go to' versions of the PT
Time

If you want to do a prequel viewing with a different fan editor for each film, you could use Seciors' Ep1, L8wrtr's Ep2, and my Ep3. (Ep 2 and 3 could be swapped.)

Mixing and matching like this is always problematic for continuity, though. Someone should really make a compatibility spreadsheet. TV's Frink has been a lazybones the past several years. Lazybones!

Post
#727812
Topic
Should Jacen, Jaina, and Mara be in the newer films?
Time

I would have preferred the production team had respected the broad strokes of the EU fans have interacted with for decades, but that would be a very messy situation for everyone. I'm still mildly disappointed we haven't gotten a list of a few story-group-approved EU novels to form a bedrock for the new canon, even if all post-ROTJ material has to be let go. 

I do feel bad for fans who have digested and enjoyed the EU for years. I know, "It's all fiction anyway," but they are having to move all their knowledge from the EU into a different realm and brace themselves to accept new continuity that overrides the old.

I've said it before, but I cite the mini-episode of Doctor Who "Night Of The Doctor" as an example of the kind of care I like to see for a franchise's spinoff material. Part of the fun of a "subcreation" world like that of Star Wars is making it all fit together with in-universe explanations. Massive retcons like this can be frustrating. That being said, it's for good reason: a slew of Star Wars feature films.

Post
#727517
Topic
Star Wars Episode III: Labyrinth Of Evil (Released)
Time

Even as I'm continuing to encode and upload v2 of Labyrinth Of Evil, I'm preparing small changes for the eventual v3 release featuring Emanswfan's regraded video source.

Because my cut does away with the duel between Palpatine and Yoda, I revisited the scene where Obi-Wan and Yoda find the security footage of Anakin slaughtering Jedi. It plays out very similarly now to Kerr's edit, removing dialogue about killing the Emperor and Vader. The way it plays out now, we do not get any indication that Yoda intends to do anything proactive other than to bide time. Obi-Wan, rather than tracking Anakin on a hit assignment from Yoda, now finds Anakin in order to confront (though not necessarily to kill) him. This, along with the change described next, eases the discrepency a bit between ROTS and Vader's line in Return Of The Jedi, "Obi-Wan once thought as you do."

Another related change will be to reinstate the dialogue between Obi-Wan and ANakin during the latter part of their duel. Allow me to offer an apologetic for this. I think their exchange has value. Obi-Wan tells Anakin he has failed him, offering a small hint at the regret that Ben expressed to Luke in Return Of The Jedi. Anakin retorts with, "I should have known the Jedi were plotting to take over." In the theatrical ROTS this line was jarring because it didn't jive with Lucas' re-edit that played up Padme's impending doom as motivation for Anakin to turn to the dark side. In Labyrinth Of Evil, this line has context in which to function to cement the viewer's perception of Anakin's reasons for his turn. At least at this point in the story, Anakin seems to have forgotten about saving Padme and clung to the other reasons he had. Anakin's next line, "From my point of view the Jedi are evil," demonstrates that he has internalized Palpatine's teaching and is acting with a perverse sense of integrity. (Again, as opposed to the jarring way this dialogue played out in the theatrical cut.)