Hi
I really don't know many sci-fi authors at all except for the classics. I'm looking for some novelists to check up the next time I'm at the library. Light on the science and big on scale and action. Pure escapism and maybe a little cheese on the side.
I'm sure you guys can recommend some to me.
doubleofive said:
Yeah, the Glove of Darth Vader was some of the first EU and written for kids. And was awful. It never ceases to amaze me that they try to fit it into the canon.
I feel kind of pompous for making fun of it if it's a kids story...but kids deserve better! I mean, I fell in love with Star Wars as a kid.
But if they are trying to make it canon, as in part of the sprawling EU that includes things like Mara Jade killing off a clone of her husband just so she could scratch that itch...to hell with it!
Indeed, I would have had no problem with just extra tentacles. Tentacles are freaky, just look at octupi, squid, jellyfish, cthulhu...etc.
Granted squids and such have beaks, but they always had them, I grew up with them, God did not add them later with shoddy CGI.
I just discovered this now:
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Trioculus
A three eyed mutant named Trioculus who is trying to take over the empire? I wonder who his main enforcer is going to be...Captain Boomerang maybe?
This is probably old news for you guys, but it was a laughable shocker for me. I had to keep making sure I was not being taken in by some kind of spoof, even now I'm not 100% sure that this is not a joke.
Oh and the spikes on the shoulders are SO EVIL!!! The corner of my eye keeps seeing a little smiley face hanging above his shoulder, but it's actually a 3 prong plug socket or drain or something.
EDIT: Oooh ok. so he tried to take the throne from ANOTHER guy with 3 eyes called Triclops.
lol, expanded universe.
FINAL EDIT: He retrieved the glove of Darth Vader from the Valley of the Giant Oysters.
...
I'm a big fan of the Marvel comics as well. :) But I grew up with them in the house. Not owning the movies, it was nice to pick up and read the comics when I wanted a Star Wars fix. The most interesting thing about the Marvel new hope adaption is that it includes all the scenes missing from the films cinematic release. Including Lukes dialogue with Biggs and Jabbas extortion attempt with Solo in the hanger. (Although Jabba is portrayed as an alien seen in the background in New Hope, forget what it's supposed to be called, looked like a pugdog with a mustache.)
Thanks xhonzi.
Mielr, indeed, I have no doubt he was serious, but what I enjoyed was instead of plainly reminded Piett about the fate of Ozzel, he turned the title of Admiral from a word of prestige to a death threat. I just thought it was pretty clever and dependent upon having him having at least some wit. It comes across far more menacing than an outright reminder would. For me at least. :)
And yes, the line he gives Needa is really macabre and a reminder of his more sadistic nature, I especially like the casual hand raise he gives the troopers to remove his corpse, like it was little more than garbage.
I was always fascinated with Vader. I have to really give credit to the design of his mask and armour, the mask is quite intricate but is such a recognisable shape that you can spot it even in a simple drawing.
I also have to give credit to Prowse, being the body he brought across character in Vader to accompany the famous voice.
One of things I first remember noticing about him was his "relaxed" pose of hooking his thumbs into his belt. It's detail like that, that I enjoyed.
Also I'm sorry if this has been asked before, but were there alterations to Vaders design (slightly) between the original movies? Apart from behaviour and voice changes (calmer, deeper voice, less frantic body movements) Vader seems bigger as the movies go on, was it just the placement of his cloak or am I imagining things?
Other things I liked:
Vader was a hard taskmaster to be sure, but he was also quick to recognise potential and reward it. He seemed to bestow favour upon Piett. (Seeing as how he lived to the next film, but I think Vader had too much on his mind to bother killing him at the time) and Veers. I have no idea how Ozzel landed up on his ship, unless he had connections somewhere.
A grim sense of humour. I always enjoy the part where Vader reminds Piett of how he reached his station. "Dont fail me again...admiral." The emphasis on the word "admiral" really hits home with Piett and of course there is his conversation with Jerjerrod in the beginning of Jedi. "You will find that the emperor is not as forgiving as I."
Smacking down Bobas rifle in Empire. I saw a blog entry on this the other day, I was surprised that this scene did not receive more discussion. I always took it that Vader had no interest in turning his experiment into some kind of martyr filled scene of sorrow. I'm sure he realised the greater value of keeping the other prisoners alive, if nothing more than to help lure Luke closer to him.
And of course the interactions between him and Luke in Jedi. In particular the AT-AT docking station and my all time favourite scene in the end where Vader can't bear to see his son suffer anymore and throws the emperor to his death. There's a really quiet moment there where his breathing changes from a strangled hiss to a fulfilled sigh as Luke props him up.
I think I used to draw a lot of parallels between Vader and my old man (who got me into Star Wars in the first place.) My dad is a big guy, much bigger than me, well over 6 foot and has a temper from hell. He was in active service for a long time, as a kid I loved him and feared him. (I'm still scared of him and he's over 60 now.) He was not abusive, but we got a smack pretty quick if we were out of line. But in the end he was always there for us in many ways and made us feel really safe in this often dangerous country and is one of the reasons I'm a cop now.
Anyway: TL;DR Vader is cool, so is my dad, thanks for reading!
Gaffer Tape said:
Immediate revulsion and disbelief. I printed out the news story I first read it in (I think it was CNN), and I complained to anybody who would listen.
I can't say it much better than that. Revulsion and disbelief were my first feelings as well. It was like some kind of internet photoshop spoof. That's when I knew that Lucas' mind had wandered off somewhere far, far away.
Sluggo said:
Stampede said:
I was helluva disappointed by the freakish Jabba in IV and Greedo shooting first...I was perplexed by some of the changes, like the Sarlacc tongue. Funny, if I think what I hated the most about the SE, it would be the Sarlacc tongue. Made the Sarlacc less of a bloated dirty giant parasite and more into a generic alien. Well to me anyway.
Yeah, that Sarlaac change is messed up. I see the reason for the change: A big hole in the ground isn't very menacing. Still.. is a beak the answer? It just didn't work for me.
I see your point but the reasons I found it menacing or freakish to me is that it looked like some kind of giant sore on the face of the desert, a disgusting flesh covered hole lined with teeth. I mean, the look on Lukes face when he stares down at it, you could just imagine the smell of rot and death the probably wafted out of it. Plus the mystery regarding what it would look like if it was unearthed. I got the impression that it was fat and bloated under the sand from all the people Jabba had thrown to it, not to mention any unfortunate banthas or travellers that may have discovered this ant lion from hell.
The beak just ruined all of that for me...added too much of a sympathetic animal factor to it.
Thanks, I appreciate the welcome!
I have started collecting these. I bought the rulebook for a steal on a local auction site here and got the sourcebook from eBay.
I love them, I own the 2nd edition of the D20 Star Wars rpg by Wizards of the Coast and I much prefer the West End Games books. They are much more fun to read in comparison and even though I like to keep expanded universe stuff to a minimum, I think these were written very much in the spirit of the films.
And best of all? No prequel material! Looking to buy The Imperial Sourcebook next.
Anyone else a fan of these books?
I could not wait to see them as I had missed out on the originals in the cinemas here. I really wanted to experience the Star Destroyer flying over the audience in the beginning of New Hope. My dad used to go on about that. I watched the SE version of episode IV with him which was a nice experience.
I was helluva disappointed by the freakish Jabba in IV and Greedo shooting first...I was perplexed by some of the changes, like the Sarlacc tongue. Funny, if I think what I hated the most about the SE, it would be the Sarlacc tongue. Made the Sarlacc less of a bloated dirty giant parasite and more into a generic alien. Well to me anyway.
I remember being surprised that they could not edit out Lukes hand injury from being there before he actually gets shot.
doubleofive said:
Welcome to the forum. I'm always awed by how many people from how many different backgrounds were affected by Star Wars growing up. It truly is something universal.
Thanks for the welcome!
xhonzi said:
Oh yes... a new member to corrupt. Buwahahahahahhahahahahaha!
Awesome. :)
Hi there
Really glad I found these forums. Got my hands on the original trilogy on DVD this year. (The one that has the originals on the second disk.) Got them several months ago and I have still not watched any of the Disk 1's yet.
Star Wars was one of my first loves out of any love and one of the first movies I remember watching. I was lucky that my dad was a big fan of it. We never had much in way of the toys (my sister had a vader, missing his cloak and with his lightsabre replaced by a red matchstick.) but luckily the video stores always had copies of Star Wars which my old man did not mind letting me rent out over and over and over again.
He also had the old original marvel comics adaption, in the big format. Used to love those. It was the first movie divided into two big comics.
I'm just really happy to be amongst people who have the same mindset as I do, who loved the mystery and magic of the original trilogy before all those great questions were "answered" by the expanded universe and the prequels. Looking forward to discussing and debating all the great aspects about the original movies with you guys. Hope there are other South Africans on the boards as well.