It didn’t feel out of character of the Vader we see in Revenge of the Sith who cut down younglings. It doesn’t fit Vader in the original film though.
I mean its a sequel to Revenge of the Sith. It even has Jimmy Smits and prequel Mon Mothma Genevieve O’Reilly.
JJ really only liked the original film. He remade it as Force Awakens and swapped Luke out for Rey. Except she doesn’t destroy Starkiller base while flying an X-wing down its trench, and her Obi Wan is Han Solo and she isn’t mentored in the ways of the Jedi. She only sort of by pure grit, will and determination survives being captured. Is lucky she isn’t killed by Kylo in that duel because he was unbalanced by the killing of his father, and shot by Chewie’s bowcaster. Rey was lucky in being able to do the mind trick to escape. It takes Finn and Poe along with Rey to win the day. Not just like Han and Luke to destroy the Death Star.
Instead of the plans of the Death Star Beach Ball 8 has the map to Luke Skywalker or a part of it. Finn who just wants to escape the first order somehow gets caught up in all of this, and he has his selfish Han Solo moment when he wants to run away at Maz’s castle. But later offers to help with Starkiller base.
Last Jedi is just Luke being Yoda like but subverted he doesn’t even train Rey. Unlike Yoda who was a bit of a jerk to test Luke’s patience Luke really is the curmudgeon. Rey really teaches him.
I won’t even touch rise of skywalker its a disjointed incoherent mess.
I liked the Star Wars Manga. Even if it is sort of based on the 97 edit.
I never did finish collecting the volumes for Star Wars, but i have all of Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. And i have half of Phantom Menace i’m missing a volume.
Is it true nothing is new beyond the cast reunion discussions at the Alamo Drafthouse? The box just includes the 4k of extended and of theatrical, blu ray copies and digital codes and a booklet. And the same old DVD bonus feature discs in standard def and Costa Botes documentary.
Oh and the original 4K was a good value because it had the theatrical and extended even if it didn’t have a bonus material and it had a digital code. The stand alone blu ray they want you to buy the extended and theatrical separately and as far as i can tell no digital codes is included. I’m still upset my Hobbit movies didn’t come with digital codes for the extended when they were advertised to have them.
Added Star Trek 1-10 Blu-Ray box. Its the old transfers but it was under 40 dollars. Also came with digital copies so i was able to get Treks V-X digitally to supplement my digital copies of remastered Treks 1-4.
I’m probably going to get the Kelvin Timeline 4K box next. That also comes with digital copies so i’ll be able to watch all 13 Star Trek films on my Vudu.
Edit: Added Kelvin Timeline trilogy 4K. And El Hazard OVA Blu-Ray HD remaster.
Added The Suicide Squad digital.
I’ve seen these upscales on Starz and they are very good. At least for the first season.
They could easily scan the same film masters and fill in the errors with the original broadcast tape and use the original audio to create a blu-ray release.
Rhino used original 35mm negative and some low contrast prints. They telecined them. Used DVNR to removed dirt and scratches. They backed them up to Digital Betacam. The resolution is obviously standard definition.
It is worth reading. It isn’t the best work nor the worst. And it isn’t KJA’s worst. I think the consensus is that is Darksaber. As for Dark Empire i also recommend Dark Empire II, and completely don’t recommend Empire’s End. Its only important to know how the Dark Empire Saga ends, but its terrible.
The don’t tell the same story. I, Jedi is a first person narrative about Corran Horn. Its sort of connected to both the X-Wing series and The Jedi Academy trilogy but can be read independently of them.
The Jedi Academy Trilogy is about Kyp Durron.
I wonder how it deals with Picard being a robot or is that glossed over.
Star Trek First Contact. the 2005 DVD release with what is reported to be the theatrical DTS mix in stereo.
This looks to be a pretty straight forward release only marred by being in standard def. There is no revisionism and no dnr.
Edit: watched the Mortal Kombat remake. It was a mess the only thing going for it was the R rating. There isn’t even a tournament, the soundtrack stinks. And you don’t have Christopher Lambert to elevate the material. Also the new Shang Tsung isn’t even as close to as good as the original. Scorpion is a good guy for some reason and the main lead is his made up descendant. Also no Kitana. I didn’t think it would be possible but the characters have even less depth than in the original movie. I know its based on a video game but come on.
The only part i liked was Scorpion’s finishing move but he didn’t say Toasty.
Added Star Trek first contact DVD with DTS surround mix.
Added Goldfinger remastered pan and scan US laserdisc.
Added Thunderball Letterboxed US release laserdisc.
Added Thunderball Evergreen Japanese laserdisc.
Added Star Wars First Issue Japanese Laserdisc with triangle OBI. Pan and Scan, analog audio only. Not time compressed.
The blue in that scene matches the Willets Designs 70mm film cel series. Whether or not it is theatrically accurate depends on how they derived those cels.
The only thing i’m even remotely interested in is how fleshed out his story for Luke was and how much of the sequel would have been an organic continuation and extension of Return of the Jedi.
Not so much fanservice but character development if what i’m interested in. not really all that interested in him being a superhero who cuts star destroyers in half or waves around a lightsaber and does flashy things.
Very interested in the Jedi teacher story and the more mysterious sort of quasi religious aspects of the force, not so much the midichlorians.
I can see the Darth Maul stuff only working if he is the contrast to everything Luke and the Jedi represent and becomes an imposing antagonist, but its very hard for me to picture Maul being that.
Luke and Leia both would have to become the symbol of the New Republic. Luke and the Jedi being the guarantors of galactic stability and peace, Leia being the face of the new republics government.
The comics sound interesting enough for me to check them out, thank you. It was helpful.
Probably just get both of the High Republic series, but i’m leaning toward the one with Yoda. Which interestingly enough isn’t Marvel it is IDW right?
Has pretty good art and the samples i’ve seen seem interesting enough.
Lucas is the consummate control freak and perfectionist. The idea he would write a story and hand it over to someone else to mangle is frankly ridiculous. He could have only done it if he had decided to move on. Because he could just as easily have not sold Lucasfilm and filmed episode 7 himself and handed off film 8 and 9 to other directors while producing them and co-plotting the screenplays.
Especially considering how shrewd he was to hold onto the sequel rights and the control of these films in the first place with FOX, i find it hard to believe he was tricked by Iger somehow. I just don’t think he was all that interested he wanted to open a museum and enjoy retirement.
Lucas had like 7 years in between episode III and the sale. He spent all this time on Clone Wars the cartoon and the unmade underworld tv series, time he could have spent at least writing and getting episode 7 out the door. I submit he was more interested in the prequel era, if he was so excited about continuing Luke’s story he had from 1984 to 2012 in which to resume it. He never did. The prequels robbed us of direct sequels as did general lack of interest on George’s part. If the prequel era interested him that much and consumed him, who is to tell him no. He created Star Wars.
And finally even when he handed off to Disney he knew the movie sequels he wanted to make were a continuation and extension of the prequels, and that the fans would have hated them. And Disney rightly or wrongly also made the same judgement on those treatments that they were sequels to the prequels and not the OT, and weren’t going to spend billions of dollars on some weird non commercial midichlorian movie.
I’m looking forward to watching the Criterion editions of a Hard Day’s Night, and The Wizard of Oz on laserdisc. Just have to find a good deal. I’m seeing tons of criterion titles for cheap on laserdisc. Yeah there are some that are way out of reach. Mostly rare titles, early titles or CAV editions. But a lot for 10 dollars or less or 12 bucks here or there. Some for 20 or 25. The ones fetching a hundred they can keep and i won’t pay 50 for anything. Except maybe Akira triple gatefold but i can’t find it in the condition i want it in.
I always figured Palpatine was the one pulling the strings when i saw Force Awakens and they had that ridiculous fade in of the hologram of Snoke being imposing and giant.
I said this is Wizard of Oz stuff that Palpatine was behind the curtain.
But then i didn’t think anything further of it when he was cut in half and discarded like the cast off knockoff darksider non Sith/ fake Palpatine he always was. So when he was just a stupid puppet clone in a vat in ROS i laughed.
I chuckled even harder when i realized Kylo’s vision of speaking to Vader were just visions given to him by the Emperor, so obvious Anakin was redeemed Vader doesn’t exist. But this kid held onto the concept of Vader and he wanted to finish what he started. And Luke is afraid he’ll become another Vader so he exiled himself and refuses to pick up a lightsaber again and takes the barash vow. And Ben lets himself be corrupted by anger and resentment over having imperfect but loving parents, when many of the galaxy’s children are orphans.
He is contemptible and evil for no reason. Only because the plot requires it. The worst part he killed his father over a lie. A trick of a Sith Lord. And somehow Leia and Luke never mentioned Anakin’s redemption and somehow Hayden Anakin never appeared to him as a force ghost to set him straight. Its plenty convenient.
Filoni was actually able to make Anakin likable and relatable though. And he got me to believe Ben and Anakin were really good friends. I agree when people say the Clone Wars redeemed the prequels. At least in the aspects of Anakin being a teacher, a leader and a good friend. The way he relates to the Clone Troopers and makes friendships with them and leads them into battle is good storytelling. He isn’t a sullen creep and loser.
While i can’t picture Hayden Anakin being a teacher to Ahsoka and a positive role model i can believe Matt Lanter’s Anakin is.
A bit off topic but someone said maybe someday the sequels will have some material to fill in the bad parts of the sequels and i thought about Clone Wars doing so for the prequels.
My opinion is remaking the sequels is pointless. But they still have time to make a Luke Skywalker show. Look how great Mark Hamill looked in those behind the scenes Mando clips without the need of cgi or makeup. A Jedi Academy series set in between episodes VI and VII where Luke actually does something and isn’t at the end of his journey would be awesome. Of course now it would just be pointless fanservice unless there is a sufficient story to connect to the one in Last Jedi and feel a part of the whole.
Hell they could even get Rian back to write and direct for the series to show Luke’s fall. Doubt he is available though because of Knives out sequels.
How many High Republic comics are there. I think i’d enjoy a comic more than a novel because Star Wars is so visual.
I’m also looking forward to purchasing the collected editions of some of the newer Post Rise of Skywalker published comics. Sometimes i enjoy the serialized nature of Star Wars comics and sometimes i just buy the trade and read an entire book.
Is there anything you recommend i’m a big original Marvel Star Wars and Dark Horse comics legends person. I’ve read the Darth Vader book and original aphra run. I’ve read all the main star wars books up to the pre empire strikes back. But only 1 of the post empire books.
I was going to read the Han Solo comics but i wasn’t sure if i’d like them. I liked Shattered Empire. Haven’t read the new boba fett stuff i’m kind of afraid to i loved the old stuff.
The worst aspect of the prequels wasn’t just the unnatural and unbelievable dialog and acting, or the fact that II and III were shot on Video instead of on film. Or the incredible bad cgi in Episode II. The total lack of verisimilitude and a used universe which the OT had in spades made everything look like a cheap 1990s computer game. There was also the moving away from established canon of the OT just because as the creator Lucas could retcon whatever he wanted. Even if 4 different special editions later the prequels and originals don’t inhabit the same mentality or continuity.
On the other hand the Disney movies are bad for lack of imagination and originality but you can have original bad like the prequels, or original bad like a sequel about Darth Maul which thankfully wasn’t made.
Safe filmaking is when you rely on callbacks and nostalgia that’s when you hire JJ Abrams. Lucas was right on the money for saying they made a film for the fans, but he could have worded it fanfilm or pastiche because that is all JJ does. The great remaker/remixer. Who saved Star Trek when it didn’t need to be saved, Saved MI when it didn’t need to be saved, and saved Star Wars when it didn’t need to be saved.
As for the sequels i liked Rey, Poe and Finn but it could as easily have been set in the far future or had no connection to episodes 1-6 except for marketing reasons and drawing fans in to see the original actors for Star Wars, Empire and Jedi.
I also commend Rian on Last Jedi Luke was nuanced and interesting, not my take on the character and there’s a couple of things i’d change but love the Zen monk Buddist stuff. I like that Luke by this point has moved beyond lightsabers and is more powerful, even Yoda wouldn’t have been able to force project himself across the galaxy. Last Jedi has the best score of the lot and the best cinematography, Mark Hamill did a fantastic job. I think Daisy Ridley did her best acting in the three in this movie as well. There was an earnest realism to her portrayal.
I kind of liked the JJ movies but they are just fun comic book movies isolated from Star Wars, as Star Wars they kind of are near the bottom if slightly above Attack of the Clones or the Holiday Special. I did notice by my third watch the Rise of Skywalker doesn’t really make sense and it just a sloppy mess. But i still like elements of the movie but the execution is hamfisted and there is something false and flat about the whole film.
I sort of see these as the Disney edit of Legends. I don’t think the mesh at all with Lucas Star Wars canon. Last Jedi might fit if there was proper buildup on Luke’s fall more than a short flashback. And He trained Rey and didn’t die until the 9th movie. Force Awakens on the other hand is just a remake of Star Wars, and Rise of Skywalker is a remake of Return of the Jedi and Dark Empire.
Bought Lupin III series one laserdisc that starts with episode 50. In Japanese with no digital options. Beautiful dustjacket and OBI and cover art.
Pre Ordered the basic release of Neon Genesis Evangelion Blu Ray by Gkids, its missing fly me to the moon and the original ADV dub but i’ll just watch it in Japanese with Subtitles. And the Netflix Dub its going to be a new experience since i’ve never listened to it. I have my original platinum DVDs 175 bucks just to get the old Dub wasn’t worth it. So they can keep the collectors set.
Pre Ordered Urusei Yatsura Only you Blu Ray by Discotek
Pre Ordered Project A-ko Blu Ray by Discotek.
I see the PC version is available to purchase for under 10 dollars US and with no DRM. But i’m nostalgic for the Nintendo 64 version.
Added Kiki’s Delivery Service Region 2 Japanese DVD from 2001.Anamorphic widescreen 2 Channel Japanese audio and 2 channel original uncut English Dub from 1998. Dolby Digital.
Added Criterion Dr No Laserdisc CAV, Gatefold with banned commentary track. Absolutely beautiful condition except for one corner jam/bump.
Pre-ordered Star Trek 1-4 4K set.
Bought the Suicide Squad digital release with the theatrical and extended.
I already bought Black Widow digital release but i think i forget to mention it.