JadedSkywalker

The dark nest trilogy was awful. So was the Caedus storyline. I hate Mara’s death. I hate the Abeloth and Mortis story. Though it might be interesting the Jedi and Sith joining forces, if they had done something interesting with that concept they didn’t.

I hate how they killed Anakin Solo. The Vong story is probably one of the worst things ever. But the publishing people didn’t care because NJO sold a lot of copies.

Basically for me the EU ends with the Thrawn Duology. I like Ben Skywalker, and Luke and Mara getting together but everything else i pretty much hate. Was the Bantam era perfect far from it. Still prefer it over Del Rey, Superweapon of the week and all.

Legacy of the Force and Fate of the Jedi arcs were garbage. The worst novel i’ve ever read was Crucible.

I like Cade Skywalker and Deliah Blue, i don’t like how much of a mary sue Darth Krayt was.

I hooked up my laserdisc player and watched some of Tenchi Muyo in Love 2. And Return of the Jedi. Tenchi is only in Japanese, the other was the HK THX disc for ROTJ. Pan and Scan. Interesting watching the old X-files previews at the beginning and the Leonard Maltin Interview with George Lucas. Tenchi in love 2 has a near DVD quality picture and is very good, the Hong Kong Disc for JEDI is very washed out and not so good. I honestly think the VHS has better resolution, the only thing that excels is the PCM sound its loud and wonderfully robust.

The skin tones are very red on the actors faces, i thought at first it was my tv but its properly calibrated so its the THX remastering.

So from what i have read the new 4K has atrocious DNR, and the Blu is the same disc as before. I guess i shouldn’t be surprised. The digital mockery of what once was a film is right up George Lucas’s alley.

fmalover said:

Superweapon VII said:

coasting on '80s nostalgia

This is my problem with pretty much all pop culture these days. It’s all about the 1980s.

Most of it is but Star Wars prequel nostalgia, lord of the rings and Matrix, or Jurassic Park aren’t 1980s.

I don’t care about Star Wars canon anymore. I just enjoy what i like from the films, tv shows or expanded universe. None of it fits together to tell a larger narrative but that is okay.

I have friends who are legends or die types, OT only, prequel stans. I honestly don’t care.

Even Disney Star Wars i like the animated and the comics and i like Ahsoka. I even like the sequel trilogy, even if i hate how they dealt with the legacy characters. I mean its just a movie, enjoy it or don’t. I moved on from my love/hate relationship with the sequel to now bargaining on hating or loving Dial of Destiny.

I think Lucas probably based some of his characteristics on Ming minus the racism. And on the Wizard of OZ. Probably also the Emperor from Dune and a slimy politician controlled by the bootlickers. The reference to Nixon probably was about Vietnam and Watergate. Lucas using a public corruption to describe to Kasdan who the Emperor was. Then again Lucas saw the time before Kennedy’s assassination as a sort of golden time we can’t return to. Watch American Graffiti. Kennedy’s death the end of democracy, Buddy Holly dying and the British invasion the death of rock and roll.

Curt you can’t stay 17 forever, the death of innocence. Hangs over that movie.

I’m not really focused on the EU, but i think Yoda and Palpatine should never have had a lightsaber in the prequel. Lucas should have stuck with his original prequel outline. Vader hunts down the Jedi no order 66. Ben and Vader duel over a volcano. Leia’s mom goes to Alderaan and died when she was very young. Somewhere in there Ben tries to sway Anakin back to the good side and fails leading to their duel and Anakin finally needing the suit to survive.

The only thing i’m not sold on was the original love triangle between Ani, Luke’s mom and Ben. I don’t think Lucas could pull it off.

Things i wonder about Anakin being portrayed as an adventurous man who didn’t care about farming but wanted to solve things with his lightsaber. He wanted Luke to have his lightsaber when he was old enough. Those idealistic crusades Ben spoke of. What were they?

Were the Clone Wars about Mandalorians fighting the Jedi like Revan in Kotor? Where did the Clones fit in.

Luke, he realized the arrogance of the Prequel Jedi. Too bad he repeated their mistakes. Only Luke could have said Its time for the Jedi to end.

Wasn’t Naboo originally Aquilae the world annexed by the Galactic Emperor, not the Trade Federation. And the purge of the Jedi was the end of the Jedi rebellion. Valorum the Knight of the Sith, right hand man of the Emperor was involved in both. No order 66, no Space taxes.

I remember the 1990s like it was yesterday. The music, the clothes. The movies. Video games. Sometimes i feel like it was another lifetime. Same for the 80s.

Camp David Accords. Jimmy Carter is President. An era of worldwide political instability and terrorism. Era in aftermath of Nixon and Watergate.

Superman and Grease are the top movies.

I found the first episode to be quite enjoyable. Despite finding the music lacking and the fact most of the characters had no warmth or levity. Were too stoic. I wonder if it just gets worse as time goes on , or is my opinion going to be out of the mainstream. I mean it felt Star Wars to me, unlike a lot of Disney Star Wars. I could picture this actually happening in the GFFA Lucas created. Was it perfect no. Visually interesting if some of the cgi was fake looking and in very obvious cgi sets and greenscreen.

Just bought Flash Gordon in the Ice World of Mongo. With a introduction by Al Williamson. Black and White reprint of Alex Raymond. 1967 Nostalgia Press. I also just got in the black and white printing of Into the Water World of Mongo from 1971. Which is supposed to be proofs supplied by Williamson, though the reproduction is quite lacking.

Edit: was finally able to get volume 1 of the ridiculously priced and out of print Rip Kirby Volume one from IDW for under a hundred dollars. Now i just have to find the Definitive Flash Gordon and Jungle Jim for a non insane price from the library of comics from IDW, or Titan Books UK version of Flash. Going for over a hundred each now since both Titan and IDW lost the license to Mad Cave.

It isn’t just Alex Raymond either they let the Al Williamson Star Wars books and Secret Agent Corrigan go out of print as well. I don’t like paying collectors prices. I’d rather pay the 40 dollar cover price.

Addendum:The reproduction on Rip Kirby volume 1 is rather poor. Now i know why it got so many negative/mixed reviews. Volume 2 and on have very good reproduction and the art is better.

Added Discotek Urusei Yatsura collection 3. It cost me 25 more thanks to the death of Rightstuf. Had to get it from Anime Corner store.

Added Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part 1 Steelbook 4k.

Added Star Trek IV: The Voyage home sealed with OBI evergreen Japanese Laserdisc. Gatefold.

Edit: my copy of Star Trek IV arrived and its a beauty looks brand new. Just opened it can’t wait to watch it.

Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part 1. Incredible action movie. Only the train scene looked fake. One of the best Mission Impossible films. Why this film bombed at the boxoffice i have no idea. It was better than No Time to Die. And also better than the newest John Wick.

Disney wanted all one canon. Just so you had to buy every comic, book, video game and watch every show. Its cross merchandising. Its like when Lucas didn’t show the clone wars on the movies and expected you to buy into all the other ancillary material to know about them. Its cynical and driven by profit. Not so good for story, but great for corporate driven interests.

A consistent canon is only possible through editing and retcons. Like in Tolkien for instance.

There is another kind of internal consistency though like the rules of the universe can’t be broken like you can’t Hyperspace skip, can’t lightpeed a ship into another, and can’t lightspeed through shields or go to lightspeed in a planets gravity well. You can’t teleport objects, force heal like a videogame. You can be a Jedi if you have the aptitude and apply yourself and you don’t need midichlorians.

It isn’t really lost 70mm Empire, Lucas considered it a rough cut, ironic he views the entire theatrical OT as rough drafts.

Have 3 different directors but have a general outline for all 3 that each director agrees on. Or at least have them be all of a piece and not stand alones, or a duology and one standalone. I’m not gonna single out Rian, the trilogy would have been better if Duel of the Fates was made. Because you would have had 3 distinct visions. They course corrected too hard on 9 and if that Rey movie is made they have to deal with the consequences of that.

The Mini Death Star canon was a neat idea like a mini nuke and totally believable. Starkiller base was just another death star, and Star Destroyer death stars was ridiculous maybe one Super Destroyer or two might have one but a whole fleet, not believable.

I’d love to see the cut with them escaping with the plans on the beach and the Imperial Walkers. The scene where Vader was supposed to show up in the battle.

Or you could just watch the Blu-ray from the new master. If your region includes it with the 4K.

1. OT
2. Prequel Trilogy
3. Sequel trilogy

OT is fundamental, prequel is supplemental and sequel is live action Expanded Universe.

The only one in my mind that is essential is the OT. I don’t love the sequel but force awakens if goofy fun in places, and i like aspects and not the whole of the last jedi. Rise of Skywalker is an acquired taste and i’ve seen it a few times on cable tv, i mean its watchable. Its a better experience with the novelization and Shadow of the Sith, but supplemental material shouldn’t be necessary.

I’m rating them as whole trilogies as stand alone films Empire would always come out on top. And Last Jedi is easily the best of the sequel movies. The prequel is tough i have real nostalgia and love for the good parts on Phantom Menace and its being the closest to Return of the Jedi in quality. I’d have to pick that as my favorite but Sith is always going to be the top rated just for the last third of the film. Attack of the Clones was the worst in the Saga until Rise of Skywalker. I’d personally probably still rate it dead last.

I prefer the animated shows.

1. Droids just for pure nostalgia
2. Clone Wars Micro Series
3. Filoni Clone Wars seasons 1-5 were great. 6 was so disappointing, and i never saw seven since its only on plus.
4. Rebels

Not gonna rate the others until i rewatch or see them all which probably will be never with how Disney keeps refusing physical releases of their content, i mean i’m only getting to see Mando finally in good quality because they had the sense to release the first 2 seasons in time for Christmas.

People holding out for the originals are gonna be disappointed they haven’t been touched since the laserdisc master in 1992. The restoration was the 1997 edit. No restored OT exists.

The best you can hope for is team blu. I can’t fathom the mind of George Lucas on this nor will i try to psychoanalyze it, its just so bizarre.

Added Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning part 1 digital.

Added Neon Genesis Evangelion rebuild 3.0+1.11 Thrice Upon A Time Gkids Blu-ray

I also added the last of the SAO sets because Righstuf is dead and closed.

Added Maoyu Archenemy and Hero Sentai blu ray. English Subs only no Dub. Its enjoyable but it never really develops, the mild fanservice and harem element is standard and overdone. Its like a not as good Spice and Wolf. With politics and economics. The backgrounds and animation are quite good for a show that came out a decade ago.

I saw live action Aladdin on tv, which i had been avoiding seeing for years because of all the negative reviews, and i was surprised how much i enjoyed it. So while i didn’t like Beauty and the Beast, i did enjoy Cinderella and Aladdin. And i haven’t seen any of the others.