TM2YC

**A FEW SPOILERS**

Finished reading "The Star Wars". I'll start with the flaws...

Mike Mayhew's artwork is stunningly beautiful on first inspection but it doesn't read too well once you try and follow the action. IMHO I don't think he truly understands how to tell a graphic story, as the panels often felt disconnected and confused.

To be fair he's not helped out by Rinzler/Lucas' script though. Characters often just say things to each other, instead of having conversations. Many parts of the dialogue were also absurd or confusing. However, it's based on a draft-script, so that's to be expected.

Some parts of the plot were insane. The Sith are the sworn evil enemies of the Jedi... right up until they are suddenly best mates? General Skywalker trains a primitive Tribe of Wookiees(sic) to be ace Star-Pilots in an afternoon. Things like that. Again it's a draft so no foul. Lucas' influences (Dune, Kurosawa etc) are far more obvious here which is probably were the Wookiee-Pilots subplot comes from. Seven Samurai training a group of peasants to use spears over many days is fine, but this was just silly.

On the plus side...

It's fascinating reading this version of Star Wars that feels ripped from an alternate timeline. I love the old grizzled General Skywalker, who is in many ways similar to how I'd imagined Clone Wars Ben was like. The Anakin we see here is also more like I'd have imagined him to be. It feels so much bigger and stranger than the SW universe we are used to. The costume and prop design is fantastic, combining alternated versions of the stuff we know, early concepts and vert influences from other stuff like Flash Gordon.

Some have mentioned that it feels like the Prequels but not for me. If the prequels had this much action, excitement, scope and drama then they'd have been better films.

In conclusion... if you go in expecting imperfection, you'll be delighted with this interesting glimpse of what might have been. I reccomend this one for the Christmas list :-)

Is R2 going to be on that car in some way? Any idea what they are going to sound like yet?

DrCrowTStarwars said:

What are you talking about.

One example... This is a Bond Gadget...

This is not...

DrCrowTStarwars said:

It had the look and lighting of an art film

Exactly. Mendes should stick to making those kind of movies.

TK-949 said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hLRtchRPE0

Oh sweet nature! I thought it might be disapointing but wow that looks like an abomination. Thanks to the guys that made the trailer anyway, as it saves me having to spend anymore time wondering if I want to see it, plus saves me the cost of a cinema ticket.

'Spectre' starts shooting tomorrow. So there is still at least 30 minutes left for the Producers to sack Mendes and hire a decent Director. Here's hoping...

I've decided that the football Droid is called "Skippy" until further notice. Because from the brief shot we got in the teaser, I had the feeling he was rushing to warn of danger. Kind of a "Beep Boop Beep... What's that Skip? Uncle Luke has fallen down a well?!?" vibe.

xhonzi said:

xhonzi (Reason: *Force = Midichlorians * Anakin)

 Nice work.

darth_ender said:

I think these sites really are partners in crime

I'd have probably phrased that ^ differently x-D

Welcome to any stray FE.org members by the way. Lots of similar movie obsessed types here too. Check out the amazing stuff going on in the 'Fan Edits, Preservation Efforts, and Other Fan Projects' Forum while you are here.

http://tmbtm-fanedits.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/faneditorg-temporary-down.html

:-(

I was listening to the ROTS commentary (Again) and without the ability to hear the terrible dialogue, that opening sequence looks very exciting. Imagine if that had been the opening to TPM instead of a trade-conference. Dropping us straight into the middle of the Clone Wars with Anakin "Already a great pilot" just like he was supposed to be. Then we might have had a fun PT.

Heero Yuy said:

Lucas doesn't need to regain his prestige. What needs to happen is more people need to be educated on just how overrated Lucas has always been. How he's a hack who got lucky in 1977.

For goodness sake.

Ryan McAvoy said:

Alien - Original

Aliens - SE

I saw both Director's cuts in a double-bill at Halloween. The first time I'd seen both films on the silver screen (In any cut). The experience was somewhat different than it is at home.

Alien - I wasn't a fan of the DC anyway but the added Cocoon scene felt much worse with an audience. Even given it's probable misplacement, there were a lot of laughs from many in the packed cinema at how jarring the drop/increase in pacing and tension was when it was cut in. An oddly nervous "Well that was wierd" kind of laugh. 'Alien' is so perfectly paced in the original cut, it gets "faster and more intense" exponentionally as the movie progresses. The Cocoon scene slams on the breaks, wherever you put it the final act.

Aliens - I've got to change my opinion on the SE of this. When viewed at home (with the metaphorical ability to pause and make a cup of tea) the extra scenes feel welcome, emotional, well integrated and the pacing consistent. But wow, in the cinema when you're taking that 'Aliens' non-stop-rollercoaster ride, with the thundering score and ratcheting tension, it's like the ride has broken down during those added scenes.

Also as a side note...  I've always been a fan of A3, I probably saw it before Alien. But watching the two films back-to-back in rapid succession made me dislike 'Alien 3' for the first time and perhaps see why others were irked by it. Nevermind about killing off Hicks and Newt, the real problem is continuing the Alien franchise at all. Having the Alien race survive largely invalidates Ripley's character arc across the first two films to some degree.

It's like she journeys into the depths of hell (The atmosphere-processor) to face the devil and regain her soul. You can't have Ripley cast satan down, only for Satan to pop up again in the third film and say "Oops missed me". When she settles down to sleep at the end of Aliens, you know it's the peaceful sleep of knowing that she's removed the "real monsters" (That Newt speaks of) from the world. You know Ripley will never have a troubled dream as long as she lives. The ending has such finality... but oh oh, think again Ellen! This franchise is making too much money ;-)

Bingowings said:

It's no secret that CHOAM is meant to be OPEC.

It seems unlikely as OPEC was only formed in it's smallest incarnation, a couple of years after Herbert began writing Dune. But it's possible I guess.

Yep

^ Who you callin' a trop tard?!

Hey this gorge sure looks perilous. I wonder what's on the other side.

^ :-( & ?

Currently editing Star Trek:TMP whilst listening to the score for ROTJ. Yoda's death music is playing during the V'Ger reveal. It works so well. Mind you any film would be improved by adding ROTJ's score.

That article has a link to Boyega's Instagram account. Some interesting SW related stuff to see, plus he's a clearly a big Sci-Fi and comic fan. Shopping in London's 'Forbidden Planet'...

...spent many a happy hour in there myself. I like this guy. He also posted this...

...with the caption "On set reads". So maybe JJ gave everybody the set so they knew what the OT was all about?

Tobar said:

ROTJ was going to depict the Emperor having "advisors" following him everywhere, though they were cut from the final film:

 Erm... what?

How 'Star Wars Rebels' earns an A+ on the Bechdel test

Interesting.

BULLY
adjective - informal
"Very good; excellent"
Origin: late 16th century (originally used of a person, meaning 'admirable, gallant, jolly')

 So, YES.

DuracellEnergizer said:

I'm sick to death of all the bullshit ads on YouTube.

The adverts for pigshit are much better.

^ "Holy smoke, Luke Skywalker's a toon!"

ImperialFighter said:

The other day I actually paused the teaser at the very last moment of the shot showing the back of the legs of the new Stormtroopers as they are about to disembark down the ramp - turns out that it indeed seems that it's just the colour of the lighting inside the transport they're waiting in that is reflecting the hue on their armour...as the precise moment I paused the end of the shot shows the legs of the Stormtroopers turning to gleaming white after all at that point, as the ramp door opens wider.  It's just that the shot ends abruptly at this point, too quickly for our eyes to catch this last frame.  So I'm satisfied that the blueish/teal look of those particular shots is just due to the colour of the lighting reflecting off their armour after all, rather than due to deliberate colour-meddling.

 This frame...

...incase anybody was wondering. Nice spot, thanks.

Lego version of the teaser