Janskeet

Damnit, I want to see more posts.

There, I changed it.

okay I'll change it...

JarHead413 said:

It's soda.....not pop.=)

 

And IMO it's not so much the line itself but the delivery. I hate Hayden Christensen.

It's funny because of what Anakin becomes, a man who needs a breathing resperator to keep him alive. I don't know if GL deliberatly put that line in because of its irony (I doubt he was that clever) or if he just happened to put it in the script without realizing the irony of it, I don't think he had humor in mind with that line.

Mielr said:

It has been very slow here lately, and I think that's because there's nothing down the pipeline to look forward to. I think we're in another period like the "dark years" of the mid-1980s thru the early-1990s.

There was so much wrong with the PT, it's hard to know where to begin. The writing, casting, acting, directing, editing, music (from what I understand, John Williams' heart wasn't in it, especially after TPM), and the FX (no, I didn't care for much of the FX). There were too many sequences when I felt like I was watching a cartoon. I also think that he WAY overused the bluescreen/greenscreen for creating cg environments. Sorry, George, nothing beats shooting on real sets/locations. You saved a ton of money, and it shows.

One of the few things that they got right with the PT was costume design and some of the art direction (especially in TPM).

BTW, I like your signature, Janskeet. I feel the same way. I love ROTJ (the OT version, that is).

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention using real locations and REAL physical sets instead of blue and green screen. That was another thing they obviously overused, and it wasn't good for the actors. It's too difficult to pull off natraul peformances in such alienated enviornments.

That has to be one of the funniest lines in the PT. Everytime I think about it I have a good laugh. I just thought about it a minuet ago and I was drinking pop at the time and I almost bursted the pop out of my mouth and all over my keyboard and monitor when I thought about it. What other lines in the PT make you laugh?

Wow, these forums are not as active as they used to be, when I used to come here like 2 years ago pages would get posts like at least every hour.

originally posted by adywan:

The main problem with the PT was that they were badly done. Acting, directing, editing, sound design and most of all the screenplays. If those were on par with the OT then the CGI wouldn't have been such a big issue as it is now. I personally like the visuals. You have to remember that we live in a new age since the OT. Technology advances. If they had used models and had FX techniques that the OT used the movies would have been a lot worse than they are now and the casual audience would have laughed at it.

I'm going to have to disagree with you on if they used FX techniques that the OT used the movies would have been a lot worse and the casual audience would have laughed at it. Sure if they were poorly done, then yes, they would be laughable. But continuing the quality standard the OT and using advancements in technology to subtly improve the models while still staying true to the tone of the OT I would prefer physical models over CGI and I think most people here would agree with me. When I read negative reviews at imdb.com of the prequels most people said that they prefered the FX techniques of the OT over the new stuff. Yes, they said they used a lot of models for the PT, but it all looked like CGI to me. I really couldn't tell it apart. I think the digital cameras are what give the movie that slightly animated look. But most, if not, all movies are now recorded with digital cameras these days and they all certaintly don't look animated like the PT so I'm not sure.

Thirdly, about the fact that the jedi are very acrobatic then ever since ESB we saw a taster of what a jedi can do. luke jumping out of the carbon chamber at lightening speed and then in ROTJ doing a back flip up onto a balcony. And he wasn't a fully trained jedi. so having them doing the kind of stunts they do in the PT wasn't a bad thing. Although there is no way i would have had Yoda dong all the stuff he did.

Yes, I know we saw Luke do some back flip jumps in training on degobah, jumping out of the carbon chamber, and do the few big jumps and flips in ROTJ, but I don't think it should've gone beyond that. I thought they were already pushing it a bit. I guess I just wanted the movies to remain within reasonable boundries just because it gets rediculous with Yoda like you mentioned.

As for the look of the PT then i would say that i can see what Lucas was aiming for. The OT was set after the Empire has taken power.  The gritty look portrayed the hardship that the Galaxy had to endure since it took over. But in the PT there was no Empire and times were better. So cleaner visuals depicted a better time in the galaxy.  Having a gritty look wouldn't have worked. there wouldn't ahve been that noticeable difference in living conditions between the pre & post empire periods.

I would agree that they shouldn't both have the exact same gritty tone, but just subtly give the PT a cleaner tone. The way the PT and the OT are now, they both have very different tones and it is hard for me to connect the two together (not that I want to). I just have a hard time seeing how they go from having sleek, round, shiny, smooth, spaceships to boxy, dirty, mechanical, spaceships in a 32 year change. It seems to me like the PT is taking place later than the OT because the designs and technology of the PT seem so much more advance than the OT.

Yeah I aree with you totally on the editing, that is what makes a movie, you look at the rough draft footage shown on the Empire of Dreams Documentry of ANH and they're terrible. They're not just prequel bad, they're just plain bad bad. I don't know how the movie would've turned out if GL was in full control of editing, but I think it is better that we don't know. As for the music, I never really liked any of the work in the PT. In the OT, I think most of us would agree the music was perfect, but in the PT it never hit the spot for me. I think it was usually adequate, over the top often, it didn't seem like John Williams heart was into it like the OT.

First, I would've used film cameras instead of digital cameras. Digtal cameras don't capture the image with the aesthetic beauty you get with film. Digital camera technology is improving, capturing image quality closer to film all the time, but it is still not good enough, so if making them today, I would choose film over digital media. Working with digital media is a hell of a lot easier than working with film because there is no developing time, the video is recorded and ready to work with immediatly. But I would be willing to go through the hassle of dealing with film to get the same look as the OT.

Second, I would've used models, physical gags, for special effects, little or no CGI. I would use CGI subtly if I could make it fit in with the film, But if I couldn't, I wouldn't use it at all. Why spend $300 million for CGI work when I can get infinatly superior work done for a fraction of the budget with artists seasoned in the work of physical gags and models. People didn't like the CGI in the prequels because it reflected the maturity of the work. In the OT they had model and physical gag artists working on the movie. These people were seasoned artists who had a mature eduacation on what looks good on film. They were pasionate about the films. With the prequels I don't get that impression. To me, it seemed like the people who worked on the prequels were a bunch of video game nerds. These are people who are good with video software and not the art of filmaking. They didn't have knowledge of good filmaking, their practice is still in its infancy and the CGI reflected the maturity of their work.

Third, I would've picked the best writers and directors to help me with these films. I would've kept the script and directing as far away from Lucas as possible. I'm not sure who I would pick if I could pick anyone, but I would be sure to stay far far away from Hayden Christiensen when it comes to casting.

Forth, I would've kept the dark, gritty, realistic tone the OT in the prequels. The prequels have this disney feel to them, I would've gone completely in the other direction. I would've had the force remain a subtle metaphorical kind of thing like it was in the OT. Not have it escalade to this rediculous thing were it enables you to jump around like Mickey mouse on crack. Oh and no midiclorians bullshit.

How would you have made the prequels if you had the resources of GL, if you in fact, think they should've been made at all?

Well Duhhhhhhhhhhh! Thing is, George Lucas seems to want us to think the story of Star Wars was always about anakin. But before the prequels it was always a story that centered around Luke. I would type more but I'm too lazy right now.

You can see information about the Exhibit here: http://www.smm.org/starwars/

I live about 20 minuets away from the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul. I was thinking of going, but then I thought, I really don't care anymore. As a kid I loved Star Wars, through my teenage years I continued to, but recently I really don't care about the franchise any way anymore. It's not even about the orginal versions, I just feel indifferent about the franchise. As a kid I always wanted to go to star wars exibits that I heard about going on around the country, but I never did, so finally there is another star wars exibit going on in my area, but it's too late. I almost feel obligated to go just incase I regret not going after it's gone. I was thinking of bringing my digital camera along and posting videos and photos of it on a website. To any of you who have gone to the exibit or know more websites or information about it, post it here, I would like to know.

Here is a hilarious interview of George Lucas with Leonard Maltin sometime in the 90's.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRhGZ27cYIQ

But seriously speaking, I really can't take anything George Lucas has said seriously about the story of Star Wars since '97 because it really seems to me that he has been making things up as he goes along.  I don't mind what he says in interviews outside of star wars, but when it comes to star wars, it seems like he pulls ideas out of his rear on the spot and tries to make it sound like he has always had the story of Star Wars planned since he started it back in the early '70s. He's like a politician in an open question debate, he'll say whatever you want to hear to get you to buy whatever it is, he is trying to sell.