NeverarGreat

Hal 9000 said:

I know you’re alluding to something, but I can’t remember where I got that exact phrase.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeRyfOtpc8Y

Hal 9000 said:

I agree in principle. It would also fit in with Snoke-as-Palpatine-wearing-VR-headset, as he ordered the same thing before.

I see you are a man of culture as well.

PM sent!

RogueLeader said:

Thanks Idir!! I was wondering where that photo came from.

The Exegol set looks quiet different without it being so blue. I would love to see someone that has a knack with color grading do something more interesting color-wise with Exegol.

I prefer the neutral lighting of the sets to the grading in the film almost without exception. They look almost like real places before the unnatural colors are applied.

NotFreeman’D said:

If its not too big of an annoyance could i get a link to the workprint? Thank you in advance!

PM Sent!

Sorry, I couldn’t help it 😉

I think the reason people don’t like this discussion is because it’s happening again. And while some people will say that it’s just rehashing or undoing previous discussion, it’s actually expanding on it.

Maybe that’s why so many people found his character distasteful - he was the only one refusing to be part of the 'memberberries pantomime parade.

idir_hh said:

After watching this a second time I’d like to give my overall thoughts and some input.

I think you are close to achieving your primary goal for this edit - bringing out the films subtext - and specifically for me, the undertones of Rey’s character, her loneliness, vulnerability and longing are very well demonstrated through the various dialogue cuts, reaction shots, sounds and visions.

NeverarGreat said:
Rey’s Daydream (version 5)

Man do I love this, its such a striking visual. I assume you cut this for fear of revealing her powers too early in the film, the feeling I got from it was that Rey was imagining far and different places perhaps as a past time, as the film progresses though it slowly unravels that there is something more to it as the same island pops up again and again.

• Integrate Leia’s deleted scene with Kor Sella directly after Finn disembarks from the Falcon.

It felt a little odd cutting from Finn disembarking to leia and korr sela than back to Finn and Poe.
I think it would flow better if it played out with Finn disembarking - He finds Poe - their scene play out than cut to the deleted with leia and kora with finn and poe coming down to speak with her right after.

• Preface interrogation with Rey fitfully dreaming of her recent vision of Luke and R2 as well as visions of the island and the interior of the Jedi tree.

Maybe simplifying to an establishing shot of achto with the jedi texts would suffice.

• The second Snoke scene has Hux sent to prepare the weapon to destroy the Republic with no mention of a reconnaissance ship and no knowledge of the location of the Resistance, and ends with Snoke taunting Ben by calling him ‘Solo’.

I liked how Kylo’s heritage was not revealed in the first Snoke scene and I think throughout the course of the film his heritage reveals itself so for me the Solo taunt kinda takes away from that.

• Leia’s ‘…again. Our system is the next target’ is replaced with Snap asking if Leia has had word from the Republic, to which she answers ‘No’.
  Generally I think the stakes need to be emphasised a more concerning the imminent attack on Republic.

• Insert deleted scene of Kylo on the Falcon, altered to include new music and sound effects indicating his happy memories on the ship.

Could probably do better without the over-dramatic head turn, flows better without it.

• New sequence on the bridge where Kylo offers the lightsaber to Han in one final test. Once Han touches the saber,
  Kylo can access his memories and hears both Leia’s faith in him and Han’s pessimism, and it is this which hardens Kylo’s resolve.

The voices could be lowered just a tad

• Move Leia’s reaction to Han’s death to right after the explosive detonation.

This felt a little off for me, seeing leia’s reaction in the direct aftermath of her husbands death in resonated with me more.

• Remove indications that the planet is collapsing around Rey and Kylo, including all shots showing the cliffhanger. The lines about Rey needing a teacher remain, however, augmented with the final instance of the sinister whispers and echoes of her many traumas. She uses this to tap into the Dark Side and overcome Kylo.

I think the many voices can be a little distracting and its a little hard to make out what they are saying, I think less is more would be the best option in this case .

• After the shot of Chewie mourning for Han, there is an extended sequence of BB-8 returning to a comatose R2 in an effort to awaken him. Rey sees this attempt and the scene cuts to night at the base with R2 hooked up to a computer terminal which is helping search his backup data. As this happens, Rey has a dream/vision of waking up on Luke’s island and finding Luke himself. She holds out the lightsaber. R2 awakens and the map to Luke is revealed.

To be honest I’m really torn on this sequence. On one hand I feel like the original ending with Luke is the perfect payoff for this Isolated adventure yet on the other hand the dream Sequence is better in the context of the Last Jedi.
Would be great if you released two versions to satisfy both sentiments as I’m many would like to watch this back to back with all TLJ edits.

Thank you for the detailed critiques.

Despite how much I like the Reydream sequence it feels too soon for her to have any odd behavior with regards to the Force. Although now with TROS and her heritage, maybe it’s worth reevaluating this.

The Leia deleted scene is definitely in its final form. Several attempts by several editors were made to do just what you suggested, but I think we each came to the conclusion that in practice the linkage between ‘I need your help’ and then going to Leia is too strong to break.

The preinterrogation dream is still a work in progress for sure, and you’re right that less is more.

Would you suggest that the deleted Kylo scene would work better without the last few shots of the scene, or just the head turn? Because it might feel weird to go from his reminiscing to outside the Falcon with no buffer.

The voices in the lightsaber fight is something I was actually planning to change. I agree that less is more, so I might try a version where it’s just the darker music and ambient sounds.

I could definitely release two versions with regard to the ending, you’re right about that.

nevertellmetheodds said:

Could I please get a link to the workprint?

PM sent!

And how would this change be accomplished, practically speaking?

The whole Snoke/Palpatine connection could really be more interesting.

For example, we could have Snoke be inhabited by the spirit of Palps, created specifically as a sacrificial vessel for Kylo to destroy. Under the TROS rules, if Kylo were to kill Snoke/Palps in anger, the Sith would possess Kylo and Palps would win. Snoke’s desire to turn Kylo fully dark is a necessary component of this plan. Since Snoke is killed by Kylo before he is dark, the spirit of Palps must return to Exegol and his ruined body once more, but through the Snoke plan he learns firsthand of Rey’s power.

To make this idea explicit in TFA/TLJ would go a long way to making the trilogy feel connected by a central villainous plan - the plan of Palpatine attempting to gain immortality first through the Skywalker line, then through that of his own granddaughter. It probably wouldn’t even be that hard. Snoke has a lot of mannerisms that mimic Palpatine already, so all that would be needed would be some explicit lines or words from Palpatine layered under Snoke’s lines like Gandalf/Sauruman from the Two Towers, and a burst of blue spirit energy when Snoke dies. TROS wouldn’t necessarily need to be changed in this regard, though it would be neat to have some confirmation that Snoke was Palps all along.

That is a change I could get behind.

Have the Blu-ray branch at this point so that each time she says a different last name.

‘Rey’
‘Rey who?’
‘Rey…Binks’

Improvements all around, I’d say!

The first flashback is better integrated now. I would only suggest working on the music transition, it still feels a bit rough.

In the second flashback, I wonder if the nightmare even needs to be shown or if the flashback alone would be enough to sell the idea of his guilt at not freeing his mother.

Nice vignettes! Again the music transition from Naboo to the vignettes could be improved, but I like the use of the imagery from the end of AOTC, it really helps bridge the gap.

For the Anakin/Obi-wan pre-fight, I wonder if cutting it down more would be better, if you are intent on placing the focus firmly on Anakin’s desire to save Padme. Maybe have something like:
‘Don’t lecture me, Obi-wan. I see through the lies of the Jedi. I do not fear the Dark Side as you do.’
(closeup on Obi-wan checking Padme)
(Anakin softly, to himself, starting with the Padme shot and ending with Anakin back to camera) ‘I will save Padme’s life’
Then it might be possible to combine the part of the shot where Obi-wan gets up with Anakin looking grim and not saying anything for a silent Obi-wan reaction shot to preserve continuity (Anakin originally said ‘my new empire’ at this point).
(Anakin back to camera) ‘Don’t make me destroy you.’
‘I will do what I must.’

1917

I liked this movie more than Parasite, and I really liked Parasite. One of the best films of the year.

Are you still considering adding some subtle audio malfunction sounds to Kylo/Rey’s previous Force skypes to set up the final radio contact?

Darth Lucas said:

What if everybody’s a clone? What if you’re all clones? WHAT IF IM A CLONE?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3YzDEQuN6I

Once he finds the magic (Sith) runes it will be possible.

Rey would have been the first lead with no baggage with regard to lineage or prophecy, and that was so refreshing.

Welcome! Don’t worry, many here are also big fans of Rian and TLJ (I’m mixed on it, but more positive than not). I hope you do stay a while, despite the name we welcome fans of all things Star Wars. Well except the Holiday Special. 😉

DuracellEnergizer said:

FreezingTNT2 said:

liamnotneeson said:

The more I sit on it, the more I really hate Rey Palpatine. I really hate it- I wouldn’t even use hate to describe how I feel about what Johnson did to Luke in TLJ but I hate Rey Palpatine. The force dyad properly elaborated on would have been fully sufficient to explain Rey’s OP-ness, in my opinion. Rey being from nowhere was in retrospect completely in line with the Star Wars ethos and if episode XI had kept with it, and I think it would have allowed that fact to sit well with audiences.

Rey Palpatine never really sat right with me, even the first time I watched it. Once fan edits start coming out of TROS, whatever edit I chose will need to have Rey Palpatine scrapped, no exceptions, but that’s just my taste and my preference. Rey Palpatine will never be canon to me.

This is coming from someone who overall enjoyed the sequels, so don’t accuse me of being a Disney hater or whatever. I understand why JJ did it, and I strongly disagree

I hate the concept of Darth Sidious having progeny in general, it completely goes against his nature.

To objectify women, sleep around, and sire as may offspring as possible, propogating his genes and proving what a stud he is?

Totally.

More of a ‘build a cloned army and recruit to your side the product of your sexless telepathic Force conception attempt’. It kinda feels like he was doing everything he could to avoid sex.

pleasehello said:

nowt said:

I agree. It humanizes the character way too much. He should be monstrous and untouchable, not canoodling behind the reactor with some floozy.

His child would have been conceived after he became emperor, so I can only imagine that women are brought to him and made to caress his bloated monster face etc. Then they both have a smoke before his guards pay the woman and kindly escort her out, after which they ask Palps if he wants to keep her number on file.

I miss ten seconds ago when I hadn’t read this.

Indeed!

Creox said:

DominicCobb said:

My thought is it’s someone in the casino remotely. Sort of like Palpatine’s full size hologram having a walking platform in TPM.

That was my thought as well…or someone who cannot breath or live in the atmosphere…same thing either way. Strange thing to hang your thoughts on the entire movie on imo.

Sarcasm yet again fails to travel through the internet’s tubes.

OutboundFlight said:

I saw a good video suggesting Finn should have died at the cannon. Hear me out:
–His character arc for the trilogy is done, even if it should have been improved in TROS, all he does is scream “REY”.
–His main antagonist, Phasma, is done.
–It would give the ending of TLJ a more tragic undertone, losing a major likable character.
–It would give Rose a chance to be part of the “big three” in TROS.

That was this video right?

I agree conditionally. Ideally Finn’s character has plenty of potential, it was just squandered.

But regardless, the big question I have after watching the video is this:

Why does this person have a hologram head? Are they an alien or a robot that just pretends to be humanoid, or are they a human who lost their head and this is a replacement? Furthermore, why isn’t Finn questioning this after the fact? So many questions.