Mark's Down On Your Syntax

The subscriber’s cover for that issue of Empire is awesomer in every way.

Oh I’d hug that Harmy! He deserves a big hug from every one of us here. Can we organise that somehow?

Seriously.

DuracellEnergizer said:

Mark’s Down reminds me of a cat — a svelte Abyssinian.

I’m a ginger, so maybe a svelte Garfield?

Also, I do like that DuracellEnergizer chap, I’ve missed reading his posts and I appreciate his maturity in how he returned to the forums.

And whilst I’m praising other members - I also like Paja, mad as a box of frogs but he’s one of the good guys.

I tend to agree with Ender - it’s best to keep an open mind about how all these stories fit together. It’s a lot less stressful isn’t it?

The Halloween series just doesn’t work as a cohesive story (and the new one is going to mess things up even further!) but I enjoy watching them - so I just watch them, and enjoy them.

I find information in the new Star Wars canon informs and strengthens continuity and smooths over some dodgy plot points but even the story group reckon there’s a hierarchy of “official” canon - Films>Tv>Books etc.

In my life I’ve gone from not noticing or caring about canon because I wasn’t paying enough attention to obsessively making numbered lists and categories to make sense of certain Tv show timelines (I’m looking at you, Chris Carter and Rick Berman) to mellowing out upon realising faneditors could “fix” things to accepting the whole darn thing is a huge, flawed mess and enjoying things on a more individual level.

But then something like Better Call Saul comes along and frustrates me hugely by demonstrating a perfectly written and internally coherent canon.

Am I actually even answering the question any more? Shut up, me 😕

I predict that in five years time the PM Special Edition threads created by Bruce will outnumber the total threads of the rest of this site (and possibly the rest of the surface web too.)

It’s okay, Possessed, we’ve actually all known for quite a while now. Honestly, we just didn’t want to embarrass you by talking about it.

You can rest assured that absolutely nobody here is judging you for it. We’re not like that here.

This is pretty nifty - To celebrate 10 years of Breaking Bad, the entire thing in one animated minute.

Huge spoilers if you haven’t seen it though!!!

greenpenguino said:

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

I liked it a lot 😛

Yes. Yes to you liking it and yes to you returning to the forum.

And by that token, are the accounts made by serial offenders (JMOW et al) called shoes?

Mike O said:

But it’s so cold out there 😉. What’d you disagree with, just out of curiosity?

Your sentiments on The Last Jedi. I’ve seen it four times and I really, thoroughly, completely adore that movie! (I do appreciate that my opinion is not one that’s shared by many though!)

Go outside Mike O, get some fresh air, you can’t watch movies all day long! Seriously though, I love reading your reviews (even if some of them are VERY, VERY WRONG!) Keep them coming.

I just watched “Better Watch Out” (2016/17)? and it was great. 8 out of 10. Starts off like a bog-standard home invasion thriller but has one delicious twist after another. I can’t say too much without spoiling it… It’s got those two kids from “The Visit” in it. It’s set at Christmas. Awesome acting, inventive storytelling and after all these years finally an example on film of what would really happen if somebody implemented one of Kevin from Home Alone’s traps.

Let’s just say the Wet Bandits got off easy.

So, a few people complained about the absence of sound in a certain scene in TLJ and a couple of signs were put up as result - I know this is the spoiler thread but this article here contains a spoiler so be warned! -

I can understand some people being confused by an artistic use of silence but to actually go and complain and then for the cinema to put a sign up to “warn” viewers about how it’s a deliberate artistic choice and not a technical error? Baffling, and actually makes me feel a wee bit angry!

“Remove as much of the Porgs including the Chewbacca scene”

…Booooo! 😉

As cool as that extended duel is (and IT IS COOL!) I don’t feel like it would fit in very well within the original trilogy from a philosophical standpoint.

Leaving aside both their ages and states of health and whilst Darth Vader would indeed be very interested and (judging by Rogue One) still quite capable of an intense Lightsaber battle Obi Wan has been off on Tatooine meditating on the nature of the Force for nearly two decades. He’s moved past having Mustafar style swordfights (see the Rebels episode Twin Suns for an official canon example or just watch how he handles Evazian and Ponda Baba in the Cantina - efficient, concise defence is the technique he now uses) and although it might be emotionally and visually satisfying to see Vader and he face off again the point, to me, is that while Vader has been stuck in a “brute force” state of mind and actually mocks Obi Wan for being old and weak he has completely missed the fact that there is more to learn about the power of the Force.

Yoda tries to teach Luke the futility of physical conflict in Ep.V and you can also infer that he might’ve been communicating similar teachings to Obi Wan during his time on Tatooine. When Obi Wan is facing Darth Vader on the Death Star he’s at once creating a diversion for the rest of the group and also letting the Force guide him on his path. He doesn’t know he’s going to die but he knows his destiny lies on a different path to the rest of them. You could also say that he might want Vader to underestimate him. He’s not there to beat his old friend again in a lightsaber duel, he’s been there, done that and learned his lessons. Vader hasn’t, and is approaching their reunion in a far less mature manner. Vader likely sees Obi Wan’s claim of becoming more powerful than he can possibly imagine as desperate posturing. All he’s seen of the Rebellion is a quick snatch and grab attack and lots of running away so when he sees his old master as a frail-looking old man he can’t imagine he’s anything other than weaker than when they last met. Having Obi Wan miraculously disappear in front of him through a gentle, focused and articulate use of the Force is a far more effective victory than simply putting up a physically good fight.

As regards the actual “fighting” in that scene - compare how Obi Wan faces Anakin on Mustafar or how Luke faces Vader in Cloud City - very different fighting techniques and mindsets. Vader is more “powerful” in each engagement but despite this every single time he gets beaten by his opponent’s emotional state rather than their ability to physically match him. On Mustafar he’s arrogant and showy and ultimately loses to Obi Wan’s calm and simple one-swipe move and on Cloud City he loses the confrontation with Luke because he misjudges his character - essentially putting him through what he himself was put through and expecting Luke to make the same choices he did, Luke chooses potential death instead. Even in Rogue One he doesn’t come out on top because the Rebels sacrifice their own lives to hand off the plans to the next person in line.

Every single time Vader has a fight in Star Wars he demonstrates a high degree of competence, skill and general Force strength but he never really actually “wins” any of them. To have a glossy lightsaber battle with Obi Wan where he ultimately bests him (albeit with Obi confusingly disappearing from Vader’s point of view) would betray that and create a contradiction that unbalances the philosophies of the story as I see it.

Apologies for posting an essay in your thread Ady, I just thought it was worth chipping in with my two penneth as nobody else seems to have brought it up.

I duck out of here for a few days and come back to find some serious stuff has gone down! Crumbs 😦

Anyway, sorry for literally being a girl but I just want to say that regardless of how much nonsense some of you type that I love you all. You’re the only people in my life that talk about the stuff I like to talk about and without this place I’d just be walking around the house discussing Star Wars with my soft toys. Yeah, maybe I’m getting a bit sentimental or maybe I’ve gone a bit daft after spending a couple of hours in a supermarket on the Saturday before Christmas but I thought it worth posting. Merry Christmas ot.com, and all who sail in her - don’t ever change.

Jedi Master Skywalker said:

That’s true and hopefully after the Fox Disney deal goes through the government they will most likely release the OUT in 4K and rerelease it in cinemas for like 2 weeks or something…

The SE’s and the OUT will do good together on the market

I totally misread that and for a second I thought you were writing something about the government releasing the OUT!

I really should wear my glasses more often.

Yeesh, I can’t stand it no more - I’m going away until the trolls have dispersed. There seems to be so many of them this season. I’ll definitely be back though, I love the “normal” members of this site! Do try and be nice to one another 😃

Thanks Matt, I had no idea that was on, I’d have missed it. Recorder set!

yhwx said:

DominicCobb said:

Mark’s Down On Your Syntax said:

And just so I don’t break the one rule that actually does apply to me… I predict that The Last Jedi’s opening weekend U.S. box office will be between $214M and $229M.

This is around what I’ve been thinking too.

Correct.

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=4354&p=.htm

Hey hey! My first accurate prediction of the thread and Dom’s second!

My rating of the movie is 9 out of 10. I’ve seen it twice and I had a big smile on my face both times. There’s a few things that I could stand to see removed but they were only minor niggles. From the way the crawl was worded right through to that gentle final shot this film gave me so much pleasure.

I loved the little dedication to “our princess” in the credits and the musical cue that accompanied it.

Did anybody hear if the traditional, “What the?”, “I have a bad feeling…” and the Wilhelm scream was used? I can’t say I remember but I was so caught up in both viewings I didn’t remind myself to keep an ear out!

I legitimately feel bad so many people found so much to dislike. It’s no excuse for some of the conduct in this thread though. Lighten up guys.

yhwx said:

Another one bites the dust.

Poor chap, all he wanted to do was review Star Wars for us and they banned him in less than an hour!

JEDIT: Oh my goodness, I just saw JMOW came back and got banned again!

How many people have sighed signed the petition? Where’s pat man when we need him?!

I’m a dentist… Search your fillings, you know it to be true.

DuracellEnergizer said:

Mark’s broke her own rules. Therefore I consider them no longer binding.

Re-read the rules my sweet, I wrote them for the rest of you to follow and very clearly used the word your and not our.

Basically, I can jolly well predict whatever I like in this thread!

And just so I don’t break the one rule that actually does apply to me… I predict that The Last Jedi’s opening weekend U.S. box office will be between $214M and $229M.

Did Luke really choke those guards in ROTJ, or did he move their arms up so they couldn’t use their weapons and push them back to the wall so he could walk through?