canofhumdingers

User Group: Members
Join date: 7-May-2005
Last activity: 25-Sep-2023
Posts: 1,285

Post History

Post: #249907
Topic: 2004 DVD crap-o-la
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/249907/action/topic#249907
Time: 5-Oct-2006 11:00 PM

hmmm... I still prefer my original interpretation of the scene, which deals with the original (superior!) version of the scene. Vader has half the freaking fleet searching for Skywalker. He hasn't been hiding that from the emperor.... The Emperor calls him up to say, "hey, that Skywalker kid you're hunting? He's our new greatest enemy. Kill him." That's when we see the first streak of the "good still left in [Vader]." Vader has compassion on the son he never knew (or perhaps second thoughts about being so evil?), and , on the spur of the moment, essentially says, "uh...kill him?....hmm.......HEY! we could turn him to the dark side! That'd be better than killing him, right?" So, he's able to evade the Emperor's order by swaying him, using his own greed for a new, potentially more powerful apprentice. It's only then that Vader comes up with the idea of getting Luke to join him and take over the galaxy from his master. It was NOT his plan all along. In my mind, before the PT, Vader turned because he was seduced by the dark side. He believed in the Emperor and trusted him blindly once he turned. It was when the emperor ordered him to kill his own son that Vader doubted his master & that flicker of good left deep, deep down inside him sparked for a short moment. And once it sparked, it slowly smoldered, without Vader even realizing it most of the time, until by the time Luke turns himself in at Endor, it has become a tiny flame. & of course, watching his son die at the hands of the emperor ignites that flame into a raging fire where Anakin finally defeats Vader once & for all, destroying his evil master in the process. To me THAT is the story arc of Darth Vader, not what we were presented with in the PT. The whiny "Mannakin" who's always planned on turning against his master from the get go just doesn't compare to the dramatic impact of the story of someone who totally falls for & believes in something that is basically evil incarnate, only to realize once it's too late that they've been mistaken, & then over come that power in one final act of ultimate bravery & self sacrfice.

Post: #249819
Topic: "..secret to the future is quantity," Lucas said
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/249819/action/topic#249819
Time: 5-Oct-2006 5:14 PM

@ Mike: Eh, i don't really know. But it sure sounded good when i was all fired up!

Post: #249809
Topic: "..secret to the future is quantity," Lucas said
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/249809/action/topic#249809
Time: 5-Oct-2006 4:21 PM

Originally posted by: Go-Mer-Tonic
He never said anything about quantity over quality....

Oh really?

"I think the secret to the future is quantity," Lucas said.

Sounds like he said something about it to me. It's quite apparent that quality isn't what he's been after for quite a while given his various film projects over the last few decades. Just because you enjoy the prequel films Go-Mer, doesn't mean they are GOOD films. I thoroughly enjoy giant monster movies. While some of them actually do have some great talent behind them (esp. some of the TOHO films from the 50's & 60's) , my enjoyment & rose colored lenses doesn't once cajole me into believing that most of these are QUALITY films. I'm so tired of seeing people defending the prequels and lucas' actions in his more recent film projects as if they are quality, or (dare i eve use the word in reference to them..?) art. They are not. I mildly enjoy TPM & ROTS, but for goodness' sake, they are not art. they are not FILMS. they are cheap hollywood junk. They might be entertaining, but unlike thier forefathers (the original STAR WARS, and ESB) they are not good movies & are certainly not FILMS. Casablanca is a film, the original King Kong is a film, The Seven Samurai is a film, STAR WARS is a film. The PT are not. Whew! Needed to get that out.

Back on topic, this article only solidifies my opinion that Lucas, who i really believe was once a visionary film maker, has become nothing more than a corporate boob. He's interested in nothing but making money. Art? what's that? Quality? who cares!! if we make enough crap, someone will buy it & make us richer!! yaaaayy! To paraphrase a scene in the School of Rock... Mr. Lucas, you are the MAN! & i feel a case of schtickittodemandeitus coming on....

Post: #247998
Topic: The Merits of the Prequel Trilogy and the "Saga"
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/247998/action/topic#247998
Time: 26-Sep-2006 6:25 AM

That's a good point. Whether Luke used telekinetic powers to guide the torpedoes, or simply used the force to increase his senses and reflex timing to make a spectacular shot is debatable, but Vader clearly uses a form of telekinesis to choke General Motti (isn't that the guy's name?) in the death star. So, I'd argue that telekinesis was not added in ESB, merely expanded.

Post: #247935
Topic: First Impressions of the OOT ...
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/247935/action/topic#247935
Time: 25-Sep-2006 10:06 PM

EXACTLY. Much like the original 1933 King Kong, the original Battle of Yavin is a technological marvel that never should have been messed with. People would never stand for someone going back & updating King Kong with CGI while destroying the original shots in the process & i'm amazed how many people are willing & even like this to happen to Star Wars!

Post: #247845
Topic: 2007 Star Wars calendar - with DVD (?)
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/247845/action/topic#247845
Time: 25-Sep-2006 3:50 PM

it's a reference to MST3K the movie. I've had someone argue with me that it's actulaly supposed to be can of HAMdingers, which very well may be the actual line in the movie. But HUMdinger is an actual word, so i still think i'm probably correct. Haven't seen the movie in years, so i can't really say for sure.

Post: #247698
Topic: Your first reaction to Hayden is ROTJ
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/247698/action/topic#247698
Time: 24-Sep-2006 8:47 PM

yeah, but it doesn't really matter how old the actor is, it's how old he looks/is portrayed for the character. In that final shot in ROTJ, i would never know that Sebastian Shaw was older than Alec Guinness just by looking, so why does it matter? by that point Anakin would've been an older gray man just like Obi-wan anyway, so it looked fine to me & i'm willing to accept that Obi-wan was the older of the two in the movie.

Post: #247520
Topic: Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader - The Wookie Conundrum
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/247520/action/topic#247520
Time: 23-Sep-2006 6:08 PM

perhaps they weren't used in actually putting together the final product, but in mining the needed raw materials and working in factories making various components? Having that kind of brute force as slave labor in an ore mining facility would make sense.

Post: #247416
Topic: YIYF's Long Bridge Club
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/247416/action/topic#247416
Time: 23-Sep-2006 4:04 AM

just found this thread & read the first page. i'm sure the discussion has LONG since shyed away from this, but.....

Pizza stones are made to be put in the oven while it's preheating. The extra mass retains a LOT of heat, making for a more regulated oven temperature which equals more even baking. In addition, placing a pizza on the hot stone will directly transfer oodles of heat to the bottom for a nice crispy crust. If, however, you preheat the oven & then slap a frozen pizza on the room temp. stone & throw it in the oven; the stone acts as a big fat insulator. so the top of the pie gets blasted by hot air, while the bottom is completely shielded by the cool mass it rests on. This, of course, results in a pizza with a toasty bubbley top, and a soggy bottom.

Post: #247404
Topic: 2007 Star Wars calendar - with DVD (?)
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/247404/action/topic#247404
Time: 23-Sep-2006 2:17 AM

yes? (i'm sure that was a joke too, or something, but it went right over my head.... maybe i'm just tired)

Post: #247324
Topic: Your first reaction to Hayden is ROTJ
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/247324/action/topic#247324
Time: 22-Sep-2006 8:00 PM

My reaction to finding out about this and the other changes (& more importantly, the complete lack of the OOT) was to hop on ebay, purchase a double-sided laserdisc player & the Definitive Collection, and boycott all DVD releases of the "special" editions. (I must confess, i do own the prequels on dvd, & i just may pick up this newest release for the bonus discs, but i haven't made up my mind yet).

Post: #247278
Topic: 2007 Star Wars calendar - with DVD (?)
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/247278/action/topic#247278
Time: 22-Sep-2006 5:16 PM

i was making a joke. I would hardly call that photoshop garbage "art". Now if they'd put out a classic poster calendar with work from the likes of the Hildebrant Bros., Ralph McQuarrie, or even Dave Dorman to name a few, I would consider it art.

Post: #247240
Topic: 2007 Star Wars calendar - with DVD (?)
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/247240/action/topic#247240
Time: 22-Sep-2006 1:57 PM

Originally posted by: Harlock415
Oh screw that. Most of that artwork is bad. My current calender is of haunted castles of Great Britain. Much more interesting.

Artwork? Where? Is it behind the calendar?

Post: #247142
Topic: obi wans name in ANH
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/247142/action/topic#247142
Time: 22-Sep-2006 12:07 AM

skimmed the thread & didn't see anyone mention this:

It would make a lot of sense behind-the-scenes-wise (back in '76, when this was being concieved) for "Obi-wan" to be his Jedi name, possibly being taken once he attained the rank of jedi knight. I say this because the jedi are clearly heavily based on samurai, & it was common practice for samurai to take on a new name any time they were promoted in rank, or had a major life-changing event. In fact, they'd often have gone by 4 or 5 different names by the time they died, though close friends & relatives would often continue calling them by their old "first" name. (i put "first" in parenthesis b/c japanese use the surname first, followed by the personal name; i.e. John Smith would be Smith John in Japanese). So, it's logical to assume that his birth name was Ben Kenobi, but at some point in his training, he was renamed Obi-wan, & this is how most people knew him b/c that's the name he went by when he became famous int he clone wars. Perhaps when he went into hiding on tatooine, he decided to use his birth name for whatever reason. Maybe he figured the few locals he came into contact with would know who Ben Kenobi was, but there might be a stronger chance they'd heard of Obi-wan Kenobi due to his high status in history.

Post: #246248
Topic: Seriously, what is so special about PAL? I mean I can only understand if that's the standard where you live, but..
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/246248/action/topic#246248
Time: 20-Sep-2006 6:35 AM

i think this is the most retared thing i've ever read on the internet.

marioxb, i will not be reading anything else you post online. ever.

goodnight

Post: #246213
Topic: LEC games: X-Wing, TIE Fighter...
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/246213/action/topic#246213
Time: 20-Sep-2006 2:08 AM

i haven't played the original X wing or TIE Fighter in so long that i can't remember what the controls were like, but i've been replaying through x wing alliance recently. That is such a fun game! i love the story arc. regardless of the fact that it wouldn't necessarily fit the movie cannon, it's dang fun! As for the control system, while i can't comment on the older one, i think this version is decent. As a pilot myself, i think it makes perfect sense for the maneuverability to be based on speed because that's how it works in the real world (ok, it's much more complicated, but the basic concept is there). One think i would've liked is to have a more noticable delay from the time you change the throttle setting to the time your speed actually decreases. But, i can always chalk that up to the scifi technology. One thing i really did like was how they used the rudder control on the joystick to roll & what would typically be the ailerons to yaw (this is backwards from a real plane). It gives it enough of a difference to feel like something other than an airplane (which it should, seeing as they are spaceships), yet remains a very intuitive control system.

Post: #245296
Topic: Greedo subtitles outside the 16:9 frame
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/245296/action/topic#245296
Time: 17-Sep-2006 7:41 PM

check out tokyomonsters.com. They have a whole section about how to make your own backups of a dvd with your own subtitles. It's a Godzilla/Japanese giant monsters & robots fansite that has directions on how to make your own backup copies the japanese R2 godzilla dvds (which have no english subtitles) with english subtitles, which are downloadable from the site. This, of course, assumes you already own the official disc. While i doubt he has any premade star wars subs for download, i'm sure it would at least get you going...

Post: #244772
Topic: POLL: So Who Bought Them & Who Didn't? (the 2006 GOUT DVD release)
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/244772/action/topic#244772
Time: 15-Sep-2006 7:46 PM

I'm still on the fence. I don't have any version of the OOT on dvd, just the DC lasers. I've never even seen the 2004 version (nor do i plan to). If i do decide to get them, it'll be for my birthday in the latter part of October. So what is the general consensus? Are these any better than the actual laserdiscs (swapping disc issues aside)?

Post: #244185
Topic: Vader on 1977 Saturday Morning preview
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/244185/action/topic#244185
Time: 14-Sep-2006 2:10 PM

http://www.bothanstation.com/images/wacko.jpg

Post: #242611
Topic: In defence of the 2004 DVDs
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/242611/action/topic#242611
Time: 10-Sep-2006 6:50 AM

Originally posted by: Mielr
Tube TVs have the best picture, without a doubt. However, the problem is they're limited in their size, and everybody seems to want a bigger TV these days. Personally, I'd prefer a smaller tube set with a better picture than a larger plasma or lcd TV with a lesser picture.

AMEN!! I recently bought an HD tv. What'd i get? a 30 inch phillips with a REAL picture tube!! & the salesman (a teenage kid) couldn't comprehend when i stated that i absolutely do not want an LCD, and preferably not a plasma. he began to explain to me that the reports of them burning out quickly/ dead pixels etc were blown out of proportion. While tose things were a concern of mine (& still are, he didn't convince me), i also brought up the issue of picture quality. Standing right infront of the tvs, plasma, LCD, & a good tube, he looked at me straight faced & said, "the LCD looks really nice to me..." It pained me to hear it, as, staring at the same tv's, i could plainly see NO black on the LCD display anywhere, while the Plasma was totally crushed & the tube looked great! At any rate, the picture on my new tv is amazing with REAL blacks & great color/ etc. I've calibrated it with the only instrument i have (my trusty eyeball - dont hate me!) but i think i did a respectable job. Of course, all the factory setting options have everything set way too high (especially color & sharpness, ugh!) All adjustments are on a scale of 100 & i have everything set in the 30's & 40s.

One odd thing i have been confused by though is the sharpness settings. When watching digital cable (both SD & HD) the picture looks good with the sharpness around 40 to 50. but when watching dvds & laserdiscs, i have to turn it up to about 65. Below this, i get painfully visible halos, much like very bad edge enhancement or having the sharpness on a regular tv set too high. If you turn the sharpness way down, you get sort of a "double vision" looking crazy blurry image. if you crank it up into the high 80s or 90s, you get the results you'd typically expect with sharpness too high (loss of detail, psuedo-artifacting, halos, etc.) But in the lower midrange settings, you get a really nice picture with these infernal freaking halos!! It just doesn't make sense to me. Unless digital tvs use the sharpness filter differently than analogue ones... But, like i said, it does this on dvd's AND laserdiscs, so i'm fairly sure it's not really bad edge enhancement (not to mention it's consistent along every disc i've tried). But again, it doesn't do this when i'm watching cable (that i've been able to tell), just other input devices. Any ideas?

Just so i don't completely derail the thread: I hate the way the STAR WARS dvds look. I've actually found that with a minor amount of tweaking my standard settings on my new tv, and of course zooming in so the image isn't surrounded in a sea of black (like the new oot will be...), i can get my DC laserdiscs to look pretty darn good. Not as good as modern dvd standards mind you, but certainly good enough to not be distracted by picture quality while enjoying my favorite films ever.

Post: #240865
Topic: So, this is how the DVDs are going to look...
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/240865/action/topic#240865
Time: 3-Sep-2006 9:27 AM

I always zoom in on letterboxed images on my widescreen tv. In fact, i was just watching my DC ESB laserdisc on it last night. You'd be surprised at how good you can get those laserdiscs to look on a widescreen tv with just a little adjustment on the picture controls (sharpness, color, contrast, etc.) I know i was! I expected them to look like crap, but they are actually quite satisfying. They don't look as good as a nice new anamorphic dvd, but they certainly don't look bad.... They look good enough that i forget all about the format/quality i'm watching them on & get sucked into the story, just like i always have. In fact, i still haven't made up my mind on the dvds & my laserdiscs are playing a big part in that. They look so much better than i expected on my new tv, that the dvd's aren't nearly so tempting. Had they been new tranfsers with anamorphic enhancement i'd be first in line to get them, but since i really don't believe in supporting a product that is so insulting/lazy (they should be working hard to get me to spend my money on their product, dangit!!), I'm really not sure i care to purchase them at all now, regardless of what the reviews wind up saying. (if i just can't stand it, perhaps i'll enlist the help or rental stores & my friends DVD-R drive...)

Back on topic, the only time i don't zoom in on letterboxed material is if it does, indeed cut off so much of the subtitles that they are unreadable. (on the starwars laserdiscs, it cuts off the bottom portion of the letters, but enough is visible that you can still read it, even if you don't have the lines memorized by now...)

Post: #240729
Topic: Slideshow of ANH changes since 1977
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/240729/action/topic#240729
Time: 2-Sep-2006 6:38 PM

interesting that they conveniently didn't include ANY comparison shots from the lightsaber duel....

Post: #240161
Topic: Ducks in Star Wars?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/240161/action/topic#240161
Time: 31-Aug-2006 7:24 PM

Anakin, as i understand it, is derived from Anakim, a race of giants briefly mentioned in the old testament. I don't know that's the inspiration, i just assumed after i read about anakim in sunday school.

Post: #240156
Topic: Price Wars
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/240156/action/topic#240156
Time: 31-Aug-2006 7:18 PM

Well, i figured, for those who have not yet preordered, or are still on the fence until more reviews/screens/clips come out this might be a helpful thread. post the lowest prices you can find for the new OOT releases. I was surprised to find that Amazon has them for $17.87 each, which is better than dvdempire.com ($20.99 each), or deepdiscountdvd.com ($25.82 each). Kinda unusual for deepdiscountdvd to be beaten by either of the other two.

SO, has anyone found better deals?

Post: #239727
Topic: Episode IV: What Has Changed?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/239727/action/topic#239727
Time: 30-Aug-2006 4:16 PM

i originally posted this in the "good comparison website" thread. It addresses that slideshow on the official site:

"That official site slideshow is really funny as it makes the incorrect color-correction on the 2004 dvds painfully obvious. There are numerous shots that are clearly too blue, but i think number 113 is a wonderful example. notice that, in the 1977 shot, the schematic is white. In the 2004 version, it's blue as can be! I just can't understand the droves of people out there who either fail to see this problem or just don't care (i won't even speak of those who might *gasp* prefer it...!! ugh!) "

Honestly, i'm really surprised they got away with posting side by side comparisons. They also conveniently left out the screw ups (such as the green saber, music in the final battle, etc.) Speaking of lightsaber screw ups, i bet you'll never see side by side comparisons of the duels from ESB & ROTJ.... at least, not on the official site.