I started reading Brandon Sanderson’s Wheel of Time trilogy, and it immediately dawned on me he doesn’t use the same word style as Robert Jordan I was taken right out of the book.
Not sure if i’ll be able to finish them. He admits in the introduction he wasn’t going to be writing in Jordan’s style.
I think it started with the retcon of Obi Wan being a liar. When he told Luke the truth in Star Wars, because at the time Darth Vader was just Tarkin’s henchmen and not Luke’s father.
Then you had the whole point of view speech in Return of the Jedi. And in the novelization the revelation Anakin’s fall was Obi Wan’s fault and hubris.
As for the Jedi having flaws the only flaw Annikin Starkiller had in the rough draft screenplay was that he lacked discipline for his lack of celibacy. Its truly bizarre, he isn’t called out for punching out Leia Aquilae.
I have the Pyramid shaped French Laserdisc set i never knew there was a VHS version. You learn something new on here all the time.
The 2000 box set is significant because they dropped the Special Edition label. Ever since every new version of the Special Edition has been labeled as if it is the original trilogy. Culminating with the 2020 Special Edition 4.0 in 4k.
I’m sure there have been multiple generations of people who haven’t actually seen the real movies. I mean even i grew up with an altered version of Star Wars which i thought was the original cut and it wasn’t. the A New Hope subtitle, new roll up and starfield and new audio mix it wasn’t the theatrical cut. The real Star Wars has never been on home video.
Luke’s scene where he exits the Rebel Base to face Kylo Ren, even if its just a force vision was the coolest scene in the entire sequel trilogy. Rian brought this mythic scope i feel was lacking in the JJ films, and i love JJ’s movies but he didn’t nail that.
Rogue One does have that lived in look. That quintessential star wars look that hasn’t been seen since Star Wars and Empire.
In terms of production design its the most Star Wars anything in looks since Empire.
It looks and feels like Star Wars, which the prequels never did.
The sequels also are of the same flavor, but not the same design of the OT, or at least close enough. They also feel like Star Wars even if they are too shiny and modern looking movies.
I feel like the prequels were from a rusty creator who came back 16 years later to not add to but recreate Star Wars. And i feel the same about the Special Edition, its like spray painting over a masterwork.
I did like Qui Gon though, and i like the idea of the living force and that there might be something more than the narrow view of the Jedi, its also kind of a Zen like idea, and i liked that aspect about Last Jedi, where Luke explains how wide the force is and how it touches all life. And how the Jedi are not its masters.
They kind of have to to compete, since Marvel is doing their own thing, and Paramount is doing their thing with multiple Star Trek shows.
And DC i’m sure will get into doing some new DC comics shows at some point. For HBO max.
I cannot complain about the streaming wars because it means everyone is trying to do their best material and one up each other, and their is a abundance of entertainment choices.
I’m hoping for a Luke Skywalker show, though it isn’t likely. So far all the shows have been very high in quality from a production standpoint, Lucasfilm has been excellent.
ILM has been in top form.
Ebay. It was a over a hundred dollars as you said astronomically high. I feel like a fool but i i’ve wanted them since the 1990s and i never bought them when i could find them for cheaper.
Still not as much as buying Star Wars number 1 and all of Marvel Star Wars before online sales, i had to go all over to many comic shops to find first printings.
addendum:
I’m really disappointed in the Marvel Epic Collection Dark Empire, the paper is terrible the thickness of the book won’t allow it to lie flat, looks like they printed a digital comic or file and its horribly over bright.
I should’ve stuck to collecting the printings of Dark Horse first editions. Now its too late to cancel the Boba Fett reprinting i also purchased, and i’m sure it will have the same horrible magazine paper. Which isn’t right for a trade edition of a book, nor is the lack of a decent cardstock for the cover. If Marvel thinks this is acceptable they’ve truly gone done hill. It looks like a bargain edition except at 40 dollars msrp for volume its anything but.
Edit: the Boba Fett Enemy of the Empire reprinting is fantastic and on high quality paper, so i have no idea what happened to Dark Empire.
the McNeely score kinda sounds like Indiana Jones in places. Like something he might’ve scored for Young Indy. Except where he is quoting Williams scores.
It is supposed to be a soundtrack for a film that doesn’t exist.
I still wonder who originally came up with the idea for Shadows of the Empire. Its a pretty bold move. even more bold than the NJO publishing project, or anything dark horse comics ever did. Lets have a comic adaptation, a novelization, posters, toys a soundtrack, trading cards, a video game for a non-existing film. A making of book. They made a bigger deal out of the merchandising on this than Disney did with the sequel movies. Which never received making of books, had severely delayed publishing timelines for novels, and rise of Skywalker’s comic was never even released.
That is pretty cool. I do have the master replicas Force FX Luke and Vader sabers. ROTJ and Empire respectively, but never was able to be able to afford the hilts as props, or screen accurate ones for that matter. I bought them at borders books which no longer exists. In about 2005 when they had the DVD display up of the 2004 set.
I really like those Godzilla figures by the way. But the Fett Helmet is cool.
There is a pan and scan of the definitive collection master. What do you think they used for the 1995 vhs set. Although the only pan and scan version on Laserdisc happened in Hong Kong. And of course beyond Dark Jedi’s preservation of the VHS release there is no DVD, especially not official retail.
Yeah if they only continued Legends as a separate timeline and gave us the OOT, and reprinted all of the dark horse stuff at Marvel i’d have little to complain of about Lucasfilm and Star Wars. Indiana Jones is another thing entirely Disney hasn’t done anything with it. Beyond starting production on a new film the IP has been left abandoned for years. the comics were never reprinted at Marvel, no new series of comics were produced. No new video games. Novels not reprinted. No Television shows or specials produced, not even Young Indiana Jones on Blu-Ray.
If i’m not mistaken before Columbia house you could only rent the VHS tapes of Star Trek. My Science teacher bought the rental tapes, in a less than legal way. A lifetime rental.
We watched the rental tape of the Devil in the Dark in class. The shows were aired in syndication in reruns for years by this time, where i saw every single episode even the reruns of the animated series.
The only Columbia tape i bought and still have is Encounter at Farpoint with the collector’s pin.
Would be awesome to get Star Trek from one generation to the next without burned in subtitles, but i’d take either. I don’t have the Japanese Laserdisc i wish i did.
I don’t see the end as an end. I see it as the beginning of something, but whether they have the courage to continue the main Saga is another thing entirely.
Rey is now the Last Jedi the same as Luke. Rey, Finn and Poe have to restore justice to the galaxy and restore the Republic. Rey needs to take on students and not repeat Luke and the prequel Jedi mistakes.
Maybe her order will be less dogmatic and accept a wider view of the force. She isn’t alone her family is Poe and Finn.
The story potential is amazing and they could do almost anything. But it requires directors and writers with a vision.
They had to know that when they took the reigns of Star Wars that their would be people who would question everything they did because they were not George Lucas. Would see every new character, every new anything really as invalid. The amount of fans seeing the sequels as a desecration is rather amazing to be honest. I mean its just a bunch of movies, not a religion.
I have return of the jedi on Beta. I bought Star Wars and Empire but the tapes arrived in the mail broken.
So all i have is Return of the Jedi, and somehow i misplaced my Making of Star Wars and Empire Strikes back Beta tape. I also have no player. Like CED i bought them with the intention of doing so but never did.
My Jedi tape looks unused except for the sticker seal being broken, it was probably watched once. The box is in immaculate condition, in nicer shape for sure than my first issue VHS tape.
You really have to give credit to John Williams as well. Spielberg’s best are collaborations with Williams.
Jurassic Park or ET is nothing without his music, i would argue the same for Jaws. Raiders by far has the best score of the INDY films, LSO back then was in top form.
I decided to get the epic collection for Dark Empire, and for Boba Fett Enemy of the Empire.
The reprint of the Zahn trilogy is out of stock at the original price, the same for Mara Jade by the Emperor’s hand.
Was hoping they reprinted Dark Lords of the Sith but Marvel hasn’t. I also don’t understand the deal with them, why do a limited amount of copies of a certain book, and wanting you to get the digital edition when it is sold out. I don’t do digital comics.
I also just got the 1993 Gold Variant set of Dark Empire i hope its worth it. I have no idea what the quality of the print or paper is.
Added
Children of the Sea
A Silent Voice
Your Name
Weathering with You
Blu Rays
I wasn’t aware Russ ever released them.
To quote russs15 “As I have stated more than once, I have been collecting UK PAL VHS Star Wars tapes with a view to capturing them up onto DVD for my own benefit”
He never had any intent of putting them out.
He created a page to discuss the differences between the releases. He also used to have a now defunct website Galactic Trade Federation. Which had all the known versions of preservations way back then.
The Nicholas Cage version of Gone in Sixty Seconds.
The Pierce Brosnan version of The Thomas Crown affair.
I guess i liked them more than the original i won’t actually argue they are better made.
I also liked Point of No Return more than La Femme Nikita.
I sent you ten dollars. But i had a hard time selecting a donation, so it came up as a purchase for some reason maybe i have no idea what i’m doing. I’m a noob with paypal haven’t used it regularly in years.
Just got my Tales of the Jedi. Almost mint accept for a minor blemish on the top of the front cover. First Dark Horse printing.Having a hard time finding The Freedon Nadd Uprising and Dark Lords of the Sith.
On the hunt for Boba Fett Enemy of the Empire, Mara Jade by the Emperor’s hand.
I’m trying to finish my shelf of first editions. I do have Heir to the Empire TPB, don’t have Dark Force Rising or the Last Command. But i do have the hardcover reprint of all 3. Which is not comic sized.
I’m very tempted to get the Magazine serialized version of Dark Empire. In the oversized format, or the Gold printings of 1-6 in the 5000 print run. But the content is the same.
The quality of the King Kong Colorized is quite good for Laserdisc, though it will never be quite as good as archival material on black and white in High Definition on a Blu-Ray.
Captain Blood was only released once Colorized on VHS. I tried to find the Laserdisc it doesn’t exist.
As for Casablanca i never heard that was on Laserdisc, i know someone taped it and wouldn’t share his copy. He also had Citizen Kane, the Sea Hawk. Treasure of the Sierra Madre etc.
The Super VCD of Clones was preserved i think by someone years ago. Was it on the Spleen, i’ve kind of forgotten to be honest.
It was the most common version. I think None talked about it in a thread somewhere. I think it was called the Centropy version. My copy is dead as i assume most physical copies are. CDR were never meant to have shelf life of 19 years. I wish i had the foresight to archive it to a Taiyo Yuden or even an archival gold disc.
It is true they made everything up on the fly just like Lucas. Except Disney Lucasfilm wasn’t able to get away with it, and Lucas was.
Star Wars under Lucas one retcon after retcon.
The Saga wasn’t always the Saga of Darth Vader, it wasn’t always about father’s and sons and grandfathers, or a family soap opera. Leia wasn’t the sister and Vader wasn’t Luke’s old man. Obi Wan wasn’t a liar and so on. It wasn’t about a chosen one prophecy, a virgin birth and other such nonsense about blah, blah balance of the force.
So Rey being related to someone, then a no one, then related to someone is not that big a stretch.
I laughed when Emperor Smeagol was cut in half and did not foresee it. He was a bargain basement replacement for Palpatine anyway. I always assumed he was just a puppet and Palpatine was really the person behind the curtain pulling the strings. I never assumed he was literally Palpatine’s creature created in a cloning tube on Exegol.