thenihilest

thunderclap said:

Wow. What a terrific review. Thank you for your thoughts Hal.

I want to only address one comment you made as I think your review speaks for itself.

Hal 9000 said:

My only other complaint, and unfortunately both HD sets of prequel trilogy fan edits retain these, surrounds the bound up issues of Anakin's virgin birth and the chosen one prophecy. I don't really need to say much about these.

 

I'm in the minority, I know, but I love the conversation and insinuation between Palpatine and Anakin during the opera scene. The idea that Darth Plagous (sic?) or Palpatine himself "created" Anakin works for me, and makes him much more manipulative and a much greater threat than anyone guessed. I knew I wanted this conversation left untouched in edit, so that is why I left the "virgin birth" alone in Ep 1.

 

I haven't watched your edit yet but I'm glad you feel that way about that issue.  Palpatine's my favourite character and the implication that he and Plagueis created Anakin is just awesome to me.

BTW if anyone else is a big Palpatine fan, the book Darth Plagueis is a good read.

Metal and Star Wars...I like it.  I like it alot.

I hated the trailer for this and will deinitely not be watching the show.  This makes Phantom Menace look legitimate and intelligent.

Leia's definitely destined to turn to the dark side.  She snaps at people constantly throughout the trilogy, has no patience at all, and she's got an insult for every character she meets, every time.  If anybody could piece together an edit where she turns dark it could be great.

Bingowings said:

She wasn't have a go at his species but his character.

Chewie is a Han's doormat and she's trying to get him to stand up for himself and not get dragged further into any of his schemes (see I'm better at this than Lucas).

Are you familiar with this hypothesis?

A New Sith, or Revenge of the Hope

I've only just recently come across it, but I'm thinking about maybe hinting at this kind of scenario when I do my edit.

I've always had a problem with Leia's line about getting that "walking carpet" out of her way.

This is a woman who is a/the leader of thousands of worlds and thousands of species fighting the Empire.  She grew up in galactic politics and knows to have more tact than that even if she is as speciesist as the Emperor.  Plus, she'd be fully aware of the Empire's enslavement and brutal treatment of the Wookiees and their role in the rebellion.  PLUS Chewbacca was there to rescue her from the god damned DEATH STAR.

That line will be removed in my fan edit, when I get around to it...late planning stages right now.

Any updates?  The time has come to begin my own fan edit, and sound is going to play a major role in what I have in mind. 

Sorry, I had formed the impression that fan editors wanted their films watched.  I'm not installing software just to download one movie , when apparently it's supposed to be kept from people.  If you don't want me to see it fine.  It's just a movie.  Moving on...

So how do you really get hold of this?  Why not torrents, they actually work.  I've spent longer trying to get hold of this film than it would take to watch it.

Looks alot like Banff.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/829/img1611x.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/213/img0369uf.jpg/

Sorry for the hijacking.

Erikstormtrooper said:

"I must obey my master."

I've always liked the idea that it was Palpatine, not Vader's suit, keeping Vader alive.

I always assumed that it was Palpatine keeping Vader alive for a few reasons.  For one, it's why Vader never even tried to usurp the Emperor.  For another, it makes sense of things Palps said to Anakin/Vader in turning him - "to cheat death is a power only one has achieved, but if we work together I know we can discover the secret" - well, they cheated Anakin's death all right.  That's how I've always watched the movies, with the assumption Palpatine was keeping Vader alive as much as the suit was.

"On a point, lying and hiding the facts all-throughout the OT puts ObiWan in a not-very-heroic position, and rather far from what (I think) he deserves as a character."

Obi-Wan is no hero, he was a total failure.  Both as Anakin's  master, and then as Vader's killer.  He didn't kill Vader when he had the chance, and then sat on his ass on Tattooine for 20 years waiting for some kid to do his job.  Total failure.

Also, where is that pic in TavorX's sig from?  Looks like my holiday pics but with the Empire.

Ok after I post this, THEN I find a thread on the subject.  If anyone's got anything to add or improve upon what's stated in this thread, I'm all ears.

http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/Various-questions-How-to-add-additional-pictures-and-video-to-an-existing-video-and-how-to-separate-music-effects-and-dialogue/topic/14026/

I'm ready(in principle) to start work on a Star Wars fan edit.  I have an original idea that I think could be an awesome new take on the series.  I have minor video editing experience(enough for my needs for this project) and I have sound(music) editing experience, but here's my issue - I need to remove/change music from parts of the film while maintaining sound effects and dialog, and I don't know how that's done.  I know it can be done, I've seen it done in other fan edits.  What's the trick?

If someone can help me with this, and I ever get off my butt and get the project done, you can bet it'll be proudly displayed on this site.

BTW since I don't post much here, I'll take this time to thank all those who have made awesome fan edits.  There are so many great ones, and some that I've watched several times.

Cooking,eating,washing dishes, going to the grocery store...it can add up.

I'm glad to see at least one person likes the idea.  'Cause this doesn't really accomplish much unless several of us do it.  One or two hours isn't going to make much difference.  But a dozen is a different story.

You know, if everyone who's eagerly awaiting this edit were to buy Bob a gift card for one meal(from someplace that delivers, ideally), we could buy him an hour or two of time with each meal to work on the edit.  Plus we'd get to contribute something, since we're not able to buy dvds from him when it gets done.

darth_ender said:

I'll give a thumbs up as well.  I'm the kind of guy who likes changes, as long as they're interesting.

As for Vader folding his arms, you must remember, Vader never lies down, leans on a chair, sits on a table swinging his legs, covers his mouth when he sneezes, or anything.  He simply sits or stands (or on rare occasions, kneels) with arms at the side, looking as tough as possible.  It takes a physical toll, but it's the price ya pay to be cool.  Besides, he has all those robotic limbs.  No need to rest.

I see your point, but I have to think that when Vader was new to the suit and the complete set of fake limbs, he had to be a bit uncomfortable, and would stand/sit/walk in ways he might not otherwise until he gets used to it.  Also I see folded arms as a sign of impatience, one of the things that led him to the dark side, and almost did with his son.

brash_stryker said:

^Also makes it quite funny that both times Anakin tries to dual wield sabers, he's been dismembered. Clearly not his strength :-p

He managed to take off Dooku's head with two sabers, and Anakin's no match for him, he's a sith lord.

Actually, the final leap at Obi-Wan with two blades lit is the first idea here that I've considered at least equal to Palps giving his apprentice a new blade out of the drawer(which I've never had any problem with at all).  Every other idea seemed to me like grasping at straws to change something for the sake of change.  I would like to see this edit finished someday.

BTW what's wrong with Vader folding his arms?

I thought so.  So then I gotta side with MrInsaneA, though both sides are valid.

 

MrInsaneA said:

Yeah, but you can also argue that it adds even more so to the reveal that Vader is Luke's father. Luke's been following in the footsteps, and using the same blade as one of the galaxy's most notorious mass murderers. It adds to the mind **** of the whole "I am your father" thing.

And just the idea that Palaptine would feel that Vader ABSOLUTELY NEEDS to use a sith weapon when he already has a lightsaber of his own, is just kind of weird to me.  But I dunno, that's just my opinion. 

Does the release of the blu-ray alter the fan-edits-already-in-progress in any way?

Which saber is it that Obi-Wan picks up off the ground after their duel?

A couple of points I want to bring up. So much so that I actually signed in for once:

As far as the "retro-izing" the prequels, I would like to present my point of view, that I'm always arguing with my idiot brother(not to call anyone here an idiot), who doesn't like how the prequels look more modern than the original trilogy - I always tell him that that disparity shows the effect of the Empire on a previously peaceful, prosperous republic.  During the peaceful good times, technology and materialism could flourish.  People could afford nice things, and technology could advance without being war-related.  With the imposition of the Empire, people galaxy-wide had to do with less, technology stagnated, and society went backwards in many ways.  This can be seen in many societies throughout history on Earth, and even today.  So I want the prequels to look more modern and technologically adanced than the originals.  They have to.

And for the people who keep wanting to see suited Vader in the temple - by the time Vader is in the suit, why would anyone, let alone younglings, still be at the temple?  The jedi have been all but exterminated, but the kids are left unprotected a couple of blocks from the Emperor's place?  How could you possibly twist the story to have this make sense?  Never mind the fact that it's so important that the temple slaughter be Vader's first act after turning, it just doesn't make sense on so many levels to push the slaughter to later.

Vader didn't get sent to kill younglings because he's just some killing machine on a rampage, and he didn't kill them because they're some huge threat necessitating the chosen one's attention when order 66 has just been given.  The whole point is to force Anakin/Vader to do something from which there is absolutely no turning back whatsoever.  The killing of Windu could be covered up, but the slaughter of younglings could not be.  By sending Vader to do this, Palps knows he has Vader by the short hairs forever.  It HAS TO be this way.  Just think of how many times throughout the series that people have sensed some good still in Vader.  Well Palpatine's more powerful than any of them, so he can sense it more than anyone.  So he had to give Vader a point of no return - the killing of the younglings.

TV's Frink said:

thenihilest said:

Overall, I'm really enjoying what's been done so far, but there are too many spoilers!  Less youtube updates, I feel like I'll have seen the whole thing before it's done.  Less updates, more suspense.  IMO.

Um, who said you have to watch the youtube clips?

My love of all things Star Wars, that's "who."  If there's an update, I have to watch it.   It's an addiction.

Hey guys.  Long time reader, rare/occasional poster, so forgive me for trying to cover my opinions on the last 20 pages in this post:

Overall, I think Bob has excellent vision for what this movie should've been and still could be.  For the most part, I agree with his decision making.(Do we refer to Bob in the 2nd or 3rd person here?  Cause I'm kind of talking to everyone, but Bob mostly)

Order 66 - IMO, the only words Palps needs to say are, "Commander, execute order 66."  I don't see Palpatine knowing(or caring) about a clone's name, I don't see the "The time has come"(like Cody and Palp have been planning this together or something?), and I don't see a need to explain what order 66 is(kill the jedi).  A simple, "Commander, execute order 66" not only shows Palp's long, long-term plan coming to fruition, it shows that the order is  a manchurian-candidate type subconscious order, not something they've sat down and planned together, and it also makes the scene the opposite of one of Lucas's main ways of ruining things - overexplaining things that are best left unsaid.  Try it out in your head - "Commander, execute order 66."  Nothing else.

Lightsaber switch - again, less is more, do the opposite of what Lucas would do - the glowing red drawer on the desk is plenty.  Also, I see no reason to make any fuss out of the switch.  Besides the fact that there's no reason to throw out a perfectly good lightsaber, Vader kept the old one simply because he remains conflicted - throught the trilogies, how many people still "felt some good in him?"  The old saber being with him symbolizes that, and is surely what Obi would want to take from the duel, either as a memento of his lost friend, or with plans to give it to his son someday.

The killing of the younglings - the way I think of this scene is that it is Palpatine putting Anakin/Vader immediately into a situation from which there is absolutely no turning back.  Even Mace's death could've been whitewashed somehow, but slaughtering the kids?  No way, Anakin's now on the dark side for good.  A VERY necessary scene, as is.  If anything, take that closeup of the tear running down his cheek on Mustafar, and put it this scene instead.  But the scene has to stay, IMO.

Overall, I'm really enjoying what's been done so far, but there are too many spoilers!  Less youtube updates, I feel like I'll have seen the whole thing before it's done.  Less updates, more suspense.  IMO.

I too like the white over the red, and the loss of the dialogue in that scene definitely improves it.

I haven't posted in this thread much(if at all) so just let me add that everything looks awesome so far and I can hardly wait for the end result.

Darth Wagner said:

TV's Frink said:

Maybe I misunderstood your previous comment.  I thought you were saying that there was no reference to Anakin's virgin birth in TPM.  What were you really saying?

 

@bobgarcia : "stop people from dying" is refering to Anakin and Padme, but "using midiclorians to create life" refers to what else then Anakin? Why else would this sentence be there anyway then..

It refers to Sidious "creating life" to keep Vader alive!  Further to that, recall, "to cheat death is a power only one has achieved, but if we work together, I know we can discover the secret."  He was never referring to saving Padme, but saving Vader.

Technically, nothing Sidious ever said to Anakin was a lie.