canofhumdingers

That new AT-AT is so cool.  I'd love to get it, but have no idea where I could fit it in my collection display room.  Of course, I said that about the awesome new Millennium Falcon from a couple years ago & my wife still surprised me with it for my birthday last year! (Un)surprisingly enough, I was miraculously able to find a place for it...

Also, the new basic action figures on the vintage repro cards are awesome.  They've really upped the ante on the detail & paint aps.  I've got Dengar, Hoth Leia, & Boba Fett & they are easily some of the best figures Hasbro has made.  I did do a little custom work on Boba though.  His cape was a little long so I trimmed that & then he has a removable helmet with a clone face underneath.  The nose & face make the helmet fit a little funky (& I hate the "official" Fett origin anyway) so I shaved the face off & now the helmet fits perfect & looks great.

I also think the new mail away figure is so awesome.  I haven't sent off for it yet, but it's a repro of the vintage 80's Boba Fett figure, only this time it really DOES come with a firing rocket pack!

Here's some pics of my fett after my tweaks.  I didn't take any before pics, but maybe I can find some from someone else...

And here's a pic from rebelscum where you can sorta see the "nose bump" in the helmet.  It was much more obvious in person.  (this pic is actually a previous release, but it's the same figure and the current version suffers the same nose bump in the helmet)

wow, they should totally revamp this for a U.S. tour or Vegas show...  That looked like so much fun!  And I like the idea of using familiar characters & situations but telling a unique story that's loosely based on the universe(s).

And watching the IJ segments was a blast.  It reminded me of my trip to Japan not too long ago where we went to Tokyo Disney Sea.  My absolute favorite ride was the Indiana Jones ride, but it cracked us up the whole time b/c it was a Japanese talking Indy!

Heh, that was funny.  What was the music they were playing though?  It sounded very familiar & keeps making me think of some nintendo game from my childhood, but i can't quite place it...

AH! I just had an epiphany while typing.   It's the music for the boss ship thing levels in Mario 3! yep!

It's also possible that they have a quick-don oxygen mask system that snaps into they're helmet with one motion.  This is how airline oxygen masks work.  They don't have a helmet to snap into, but the oxygen mask hangs within easy reach of each pilot & can be grabbed & put on with one hand in about a second.  That way, you don't have to wear the uncomforatable mask all the time, but in a sudden decompression, you can have oxygen on almost immediately.

putting on a quick don mask:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABZHNbP6dwo

So I called qwest again & found out more about the modems.  Basically, they have two types of DSL, A & V.  "A" is older & only works with the $70 modem, but costs $5 a month less (after the 6 month promo period where I can get any of the choices for $30 a month).  "V" is newer, will work with the $10 modem but costs $5 a month more after the 1st 6 months.  The $70 modem has wifi built  in, the $10 modem doesn't but I can connect my own wireless router to it (according to the c/s rep, I shouldn't have a problem.  He knew what I was talking about when I asked about people having trouble connecting routers to dsl modems & said this one should be fine.... dunno if I trust him though...).  "A" DSL has the 896k upstream & "V" has 5Mbps upstream but I really don't think the upstream will matter to me much.

So (based on one year of service) I'm looking at either spending $70 for the wifi modem & slower upstream & knowing it'll all work or qwest will make it work OR spending $40 ($10 for the modem & an extra $5 a month for the second 6 months for faster upstream) and using my own router which could potentially cause problems that qwest wont help me fix.  Why does this crap always wind up being so complicated?? grrr.

Oh, & if you like my small package, you should see my big package.  I could get 40Mbps downstream & 20Mbps upstream if I wanted (for only $30 a month for the first 6 months!  Then it jumps up to well over $100... ugh!)

Thanks for the help guys.  I posted this on another board I frequent just to get as much input as I could & one guy mentioned having problems connecting a DSL modem to his wireless router.  They offer routers that have wireless capability built in, but they also have a basic DSL modem without wireless for only $10 to buy.  Since I have my own wireless router already, that's what I was going to get.   But he said that even basic DSL modems act like routers & he had a lot of trouble connecting his own router to a basic DSL modem.  Does anyone know anything about this?  When I talked to the customer service rep to get more info about their services, I asked if I could use my own wireless router with the basic modem & they said yes, but that wasn't a tech support person...  Maybe I should call the tech support & ask them.

I'm cancelling my tv & internet service with Comcast in July (good riddance!!). My wife & I have decided to forgo cable/satellite tv altogether in favor of upgrading our netflix.

However, we still need internet service. Our only other real option is Qwest DSL. I'm fine with that as they're cheaper & have more options than Comcast.

My dilemma arises from deciding which option to choose. I currently have downstream rates of 15Mbps and upstream of 5Mbps from comcast. I use the internet for surfing (work & fun) and streaming Netflix. I have a PS3, but only use the internet connection to download updates, game demos, & netflix. I've never played online multiplayer on it & don't see myself starting anytime soon.

So, I'm trying to decide which speed internet to get. I'm thinking about the 7Mbps downstream with the 896K upstream. Based on my usage (the biggest thing I ever try to upload to the internet is pictures from my digital camera) will I see a significant degredation in internet performance? Is it worth the extra $5 a month (after the 6 month promotional period) to get the 12Mbps downstream? Is it worth the $5 a month to get the 5Mbps upstream? Based on my internet usage, I don't really see it making much difference, but maybe somebody here who knows more can tell me for sure?

Thanks.

yeah, it has been done before.  Over in Japan, the Godzilla & other Toho fx films on DVD (& now bluray) were released with the original mono, stereo, or "perspecta" surround audio tracks along with new 5.1 surround remixes.  Some of them just had one original audio plus the new 5.1 track, but many had multiple options because the original theatrical releases had both mono & either stereo or perspecta releases, much like Star Wars.

To take it one step further, during the mid to late 70's, the original film-makers recut their own Godzilla movies from the 60's to make shortened versions for the "Champion Matsuri" children's film festivals.  These re-edits were also released on laserdisc, dvd, and now are being included on the blurays when available.  So even halfway across the world people are given the choice of which film edit & audio track to watch on home video....   C'mon, George!

your spelling error is "Millenium". It should be "MillenNium".  two "L"s AND two "N"s.  Common mistake.

Just finished my letter, will drop it in the mail next time i'm out.

Dear Mr. Lucas,

 

It was recently announced by Steve Sansweet that Lucasfilm was hard at work on a Bluray boxed set of the Star Wars film series.  As a fan of these films for many years, I found this very exciting.  My excitement was tempered, however, by my knowledge of the recent history of Star Wars home video releases.  While I enjoy and support your efforts to create a director’s cut of each film that is precisely your vision, I find it alarming that this would be done at the cost of destroying the original, ground-breaking versions of these films. 

The theatrical versions of the original Star Wars trilogy are historical landmarks that changed the film industry forever.  They also touched the lives of countless thousands of fans and movie-goers worldwide.  These original cuts deserve to be restored and preserved in the highest possible quality with today’s technology.

I would like to see this new Bluray boxed set contain the original theatrical versions of all six films alongside the final, definitive cut of each film.  Spielberg gave us both original & director’s cuts of E.T. The Extraterrestrial on DVD and three different versions of Close Encounters of the Third Kind on Bluray.   Ridley Scott put five different cuts of the cult classic Blade Runner in a fantastic Bluray set.  These days it is quite common for studios to release both the theatrical cuts and director’s cuts of popular movies.

While I could go on indefinitely with reasons that the groundbreaking original cuts of the Star Wars films should be restored and preserved, I will conclude with this.  The only way I will ever purchase another copy of Star Wars on home video is if it includes the original theatrical cuts of the original Star Wars trilogy fully restored and presented in the highest possible quality available.

 

Thank you,

I wanted to add something about the various theatrical soundmixes as different audio options, but I felt it would've gotten too wordy/demanding.

Ah! bad movie science!

My recent favorite comes from last year's 2012.  One of the scientists says that the neutrinos from the sun "have mutated into a new kind of subatomic particles" that are heating the earth's core & causing all the problems.  Last I checked, nonliving particles aren't exactly capable of mutation...

It doesn't matter to me what else is included.   If the OOT is on there, fully restored in HD, I WILL buy it.  Not only because I want it, but also to show Lucasfilm that I support their efforts to restore & release the OOT in high quality.

Just like how I won't buy it if it doesn't contain a fully restored OOT.  Not only do I not want it, but I'm showing Lucasfilm (with my wallet, the only thing they seem to listen to) that I do NOT support the further suppression of the OOT.

If the bonus features sound interesting enough, I'll probably Netflix the OT discs.  But I won't be buying anything unless it contains a nicely restored OOT.

I always figured 3PO was lying about his knowledge (or lack thereof) about the princess in the same way R2 lied about the restraining bolt interfering with the message, followed by "what message?" after the bolt's removal...

Based on what's given in the original film I guess I always assumed that the droids belonged to the captain of the Tantive IV ("our last master was Capt. Antilles...") but that Leia had sent for them (well, R2 anyway.  That scene gives the impression that R2 knows exactly where he's going & 3PO is just tagging along).  Perhaps R2 had a reputation for being a feisty droid that could get the job done where others failed?

My wife gave me the Sideshow Collectibles Darth Vader 1/6 figure for Christmas.  It’s AWSOME!  But, the helmet was just…off.  It wasn’t nearly as bad in person as it is in pictures, but it was still noticable.

I finally got the guts (after buying a spare dome off the internet) to modify it & I’m so happy with the results!

First, a few pics of the original Darth Vader as he appeared in 1977(courtesy starwarshelmets.com):

And now for sideshows’s figure:

Before

After

I think it's important to distinguish between repecting a person vs. respecting his religion.  As a Christian, I agree with a lot of what DoubleOhFive is saying. 

I can treat a person of a different faith with respect, kindness, and love all while believing his faith is completely false.  Just because I don't agree with what he believes doesn't mean I hate him or treat him poorly (quite the opposite!), or even talk poorly about his religion to him or behind his back.  I can show both him and his religion "respect" without ever agreeing with it.

hmm, that's a good point.  Although, it does list the sources for each quotation and they come from a wide range of media including the Definitive Collection LD commentary, the dvd commentary, Star Wars Galaxies, and the annotated screenplays.  I hope the making of book isn't just sourced from things like that. 

Once in a blue moon the official site actually does something interesting.  They’ve started a new series of articles called “Empire Chronicles” that features spotlights on different aspects of The Empire Strikes Back.

Based on the first article, it looks like they’re just pulling quotes from various interviews and articles throughout the history of the film and putting them together in a new article with various interesting pictures.  So, while it’s not necessarily new info, it is interesting & presented in an appealing way I think.

It’s also interesting to note that it appears they’re not going to be totally revistionist…

George says this about the AT-AT:

“The walkers, if anything, were inspired by the original novel of War of the Worlds where the Martians walked on giant spiders that walked on legs.”

And immediately after George’s block, they have this from Joe Johnston:

“I did a bunch of sketches using the tanks as a basis. Then I ran across a xerox that a friend of mine had. It as a promotional brochure put out by U.S. Steel in the early Sixties and contained a whole slew of full-color paintings indicating ‘what steel will be used for in the future.’ The paintings were done by Syd Meade. Interestingly enough, one of the paintings showed a four-legged walking truck! That’s where the initial walker idea came from.”

Mod Edit: A working link to the article linked above can now be found via the Internet Archive, here:-

https://web.archive.org/web/20100420045135/http://www.starwars.com/movies/episode-v/chronicles20100310.html
 

More links for the Empire Strikes Back 30th Anniversary from StarWars•com from 2010 can be found here:-

https://web.archive.org/web/20100328073448/http://www.starwars.com/archives/index.html?k=t_0adcea81-f52c-495c-a8c7-2ed508fb7c34

flew one of these once:

I

Easily one of the most fun things I've ever done & hope to own one when I retire.

ooh I like aircraft.  like 'em so much, this is where i work:

I miss Kelloggs Bigg Mixx with raisins.  I was too young to realize it was just leftovers of other cereals mixed together.  I thought it was delicious.

touche!

Moon landing was real.

In fact, the mythbusters episode about this demonstrates some of these explanations quite well.

I've never seen a conspiracy theory about the moon landing that can't be debunked with a little research and science.

Now, who shot JFK? :)