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lord3vil

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7-Aug-2006
Last activity
2-Dec-2007
Posts
97

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Post
#253557
Topic
Hyperspace: Yep, I Think that Something is DEFINITELY up for '07!
Time
Originally posted by: Gaffer Tape
But for the 30th, we just finished years of the prequel trilogy as well as ad infinitum releases of the original trilogy. It's not exactly the best time for a "revivial."

With what has been claimed by LFL to be the last ever release of the OOT (it most likely isn't) behind us, a funeral appears to be more appropriate.
Post
#253229
Topic
Here's my stance
Time
Originally posted by: Mike O
Well, in some cases, the changes made actually improve something (Blade Runner, pssoibly the Donner Cut, LOTR), to say nothing of the fact that those changes were made from already existing elements and not added later on.

This is way off topic, but I'd like to mention that I think Blade Runner is a good example of a movie which is better than the written story it is based on. (For those of you who don't know, Blade Runner is based on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, a story by Philip K. Dick.)
Post
#252869
Topic
Carrie Fisher is 50 today
Time
Originally posted by: Gaffer Tape
Honestly, I figured she was older. Not because of any physical traits. Just for some reason, I was surprised to hear that she's only 50. But logistically, it, of course, makes sense.

I don't think you're alone. To a lot of people who grew up with the OOT, Carrie Fisher has been Princess Leia's alter ego for a long time already.
Post
#252808
Topic
Here's my stance
Time
Originally posted by: Tiptup

Hmm, would that be an approach to Jackson's movies? If so, that sounds like a fun way to look at things. Still, I bet there can be better movies made someday even considering the fictional universe.

Actually, I think Jackson's take on the LotR trilogy is fairly good, though the movies didn't have quite the kind of magic and epic feel to them which is necessary to make a lasting impression on me beyond simply remembering them. The art of capturing emotions and impressions like these in the finished product in a way the audience can easily relate to has to be the most difficult art of cinema, and there just isn't a single director out there who's ever been able to do it consistently and at will. So even though I don't think the movies quite fulfill their true potential, I don't blame Jackson for it. I think his attempt was honest and commendable and even though it fell a little short of the mark, it's still quite good. Actually, I'm hard-pressed to think of any other medieval fantasy type of films out there even worth watching.
Post
#252679
Topic
Is Lucas Remaking The PT?
Time
Originally posted by: Scruffy
I imagine if monkeys flew out Lucas's butt while he was getting the sex change, that might endanger the vaginoplasty -- or whatever it's called. So he would be well-advised to discharge all his monkeys before getting on the operating table.

And if Lucas wants to, we might just get to see all of this, and more, in a new fully CGI-ed scene added to the next Whatever Edition of the Star Wars saga.
Post
#252564
Topic
What do you think of the <strong>Prequel Trilogy</strong>? a general discussion thread
Time
What I think of the PT? I don't care about it at all because I find the films dull and uninspiring. I have only ever watched each movie once, and I don't plan to watch them again in the foreseeable future.

However, there are a select few pieces of John Williams score for the PT which have come to grow on me, such as Duel of the Fates, Across the Stars and one or two more. One day I'll go through all the PT scores and pick out the tracks I like.

What's your favorite piece of music from the PT?
Post
#251848
Topic
The Executor VHS Set
Time
Ahhh, the Executor box set! The fond memories I have of those dark rainy nights in the fall when I was watching those tapes with some of my best friends. How easy and simple life was back then, when the moment I lived in was virtually the only thing I ever had to worry about. I still have that box somewhere, stuffed away in the attic of my house in another country, across the sea, far, far away...
Post
#249955
Topic
&quot;..secret to the future is quantity,&quot; Lucas said
Time
Originally posted by: Seiji

Q: Why not release both the originals and special editions on DVD?

LUCAS: The special edition, that's the one I wanted out there. The other movie, it's on VHS, if anybody wants it. ...
I'm not going to spend the, we're talking millions of dollars here, the money and the time to refurbish that, because to me, it doesn't really exist anymore. It's like this is the movie I wanted it to be, and I'm sorry you saw half a completed film and fell in love with it. But I want it to be the way I want it to be.

Thanks for posting this, Seiji! It's interesting to see a quote of Lucas stating his opinion on this matter as openly and explicitly as this. It's my opinion that we'll probably see the OOT again at some point, since the article illustrates pretty well that Lucas will change his mind and set plans if he can be convinced that doing so will make an investment worth it, or worth more, in terms of sales. I do wonder though, what is the source of this information?
Post
#249763
Topic
&quot;..secret to the future is quantity,&quot; Lucas said
Time
Originally posted by: lordjediA crappy movie is still a crappy movie with a digital presentation. The difference is, it doesn't get any crappier with time

HAHA! It's going to be interesting to see how the PT ages as compared to the OT though. Even from back when I was very young, I was puzzled at how well most of the OT appeared to withstand the tests of time. I doubt the PT will hold up as well after 30 years. Now, that's actually a decent argument for watching those movies in their entirety again at some point, at least if you're somewhat interested in movies for historical reasons!
Post
#249747
Topic
&quot;..secret to the future is quantity,&quot; Lucas said
Time
Originally posted by: Go-Mer-Tonic

The man just gave more money to USC than anyone else has in the past, and it equates to him selling his dead cat for $5

On behalf of Lucas

Go sit on it Potsti.

Right. So much for your talk about accepting that people disagree with you.

I don't agree with everything Lucas says, nor do I think everything he says qualifies as crap. Some of it is interesting and other parts are just exactly the kind of cynical money and biztalk we've unfortunately come to expect from him.

His donation to USC was indeed an admireable gesture, though it bears little relevance to this topic.
Post
#249251
Topic
Star Wars HD coming in November! All SIX movies!
Time
Originally posted by: CO
I just love the O-OT versions, not Greedo shooting first, not Hayden in ROTJ, and not some dumb song in Jabbas palace that should be on MTV. As for the PT movies, they are just another set of movies that came out from 99-05 that I will probably forget about in years to come, only to reminded that they are part of the saga now, so they will never die.

I agree with you for the most part. I'm somewhat excited about this though, because the fan community will now get their hands on most of the material needed to recreate the original films in HD. The OOT can't be recreated from this material of course, but with proper editing something reasonably close to it can be achieved. Maybe that last bit sounds a bit odd, it's just that I'm trying to be positive about the prospect of the fans finally getting hold of the OT films in HD, even though it's only the 2004 SE.

As for the PT, I've already forgotten much about them already. I doubt I'll ever watch them in their entirety again, at least not for a very, very long time.
Post
#249240
Topic
Star Wars HD coming in November! All SIX movies!
Time
Originally posted by: DarkGruson

All six Star Wars movies will be aired in HD on Cinemax this November.

Ah yes, this is what I've been hoping and waiting for! Thanks for the info, DarkGruson! As has been pointed out, this will most likely be the 2004 editions, but if it's good quality HD it will be high enough resolution and bitrate to be worth preserving for a lifetime. At least for me, or at least until we get something even better.

Let's just hope they won't be airing SD versions only for the sake of showing the Star Wars saga.
Post
#248134
Topic
First Impressions of the OOT ...
Time
Originally posted by: Obi Jeewhyen

On the other hand, there is that pesky bit of absent music that Marvolo pointed out above. Grrr, that makes it a toss-up for me. Seeing as how I worship and adore John Williams' score for Star Wars, I think I'd rather see the more clunky original than the better-communicating SE version of the Yavin Death Star Battle.

Clunky and all, but ORIGINAL '77 and not missing any music ... uh, the scales just tipped for me back to the original version.

Don't forget the way off color calibration in general and the pink explosions in particular. I agree with you here, since I too much prefer the 1977 original to the the 2004 SE. What I was getting at was that if I could have it my way (which, incidentally, it is becoming increasingly apparent that I can't) I would prefer the SE version of the battle of Yavin if it had a flawless soundtrack and a picture quality to match that of a properly remastered 1977 original. Again though, whenever I'd like to see the true face of the movie that became a phenomenon and changed the movie industry, it'd be the fully remastered and faithfully preserved 1977 version all the way.
Post
#248087
Topic
First Impressions of the OOT ...
Time
Originally posted by: Karyudo
For me, it's because the original represents a huge amount of groundbreaking, innovative, and very well-executed practical and optical effects work, and the SE represents ho-hum, garden variety digital hard surface modeling.
Looking at Star Wars in the context of motion picture history I think this perspective is very reasonable. There is little doubt that the original film represented a technological marvel at the time. I really want a fully restored version of the OT because, sometimes, I would like to sit down and watch faithful reproductions of some of the most groundbreaking and influental films in history. After Terminator 2, Jurassic Park and a slew of other films, doing some new CGI for the SE wasn't that hard.
The SE version may look better, but it definitely doesn't represent the way the film had to be put together back in 1976. To create that battle in 1976 was amazing, while re-creating it in 1996 seems a whole lot more pedestrian.

It was amazing indeed. On the other hand, when it's about nothing more than just enjoying the delightfully entertaining fairy-tale that is Star Wars for my own sake and according to my personal tastes, I much prefer the SE version of the battle of Yavin.
Post
#246951
Topic
Lucasfilm to sell Physical Effects Unit
Time
Originally posted by: zombie84
Thats why the PT gets so much criticism for being "fake" and "artificial" and "CGI-happy".
Actually, even though I prefer the OOT and by and large disregard the PT films, I don't think the effects work of the original films holds up that well when compared to the IMO reasonably good CGI of the PT. Both have their advantages and disadvantages for sure and both will at times give off some significant clues to the viewer that what is going on at the screen isn't actually real. I have to say though that I find CGI to be far superior at portraying photorealism most of the time (though not always).
A lot of the actual objects and environments are practical elements and models but it doesn't make a difference. The same with all the plates. Most of the BG's and textures are based off real photographed plates but it doesnt seem to have made a difference since there is still an artificiality to it.

I can agree with this, but then again, I think the OOT is full of the same. Even the very opening shot of Star Wars has never quite fooled me, since the matte painting of Tatooine at the bottom of the screen has never looked like real view down on a real planet to my eyes. Does this bother me? It doesn't, because this scene, as well as the rest of the movies, is a medium where fantasy and reality blend to form art and great art at that. There are no sounds in the vacuum of space either, and even though the opening shot of Star Wars is full of just that, it doesn't pull me out of the picture - on the contrary!
The reason why all these methods are used instead of actually filming them is purely cost savings. Its a $250 million movie made for $115 million. The battle of Kashyyk looks like a freaking video game compared to Saving Private Ryan and there was nothing stopping Lucas from achieving the same realism as that film except the fact that it would cost another $5 million.

Personally, I happen to think that what's missing in this scene isn't really the extra touch that would make these CGI scenes to look utterly and convincingly real, but rather the context of a great and epic story with great characters and narrative involvement of the kind that would actually be able to make you feel something.
Post
#246945
Topic
Lucasfilm to sell Physical Effects Unit
Time
Originally posted by: Mielr
That final battle scene in TPM with the gungans and the robots made me feel like I was watching a cartoon, rather than a live-action film. I never got that feeling watching any of the OT films.

Some of the fully rendered scenes during the final battle in TPM did indeed look quite unconvincing when I saw the movie in the theater. It brought me out of the moment in the same way traditional effects work with poor compositing, thinck matte lines and poor matching in terms of lighting would have done. Other than that and a few other scenes, I think the CGI effects work for the PT was fine. It wasn't perfect by any means, but for me it got the job done reasonably convincingly. I only wish the rest of the production had done the same.
Post
#246825
Topic
First Impressions of the OOT ...
Time
Originally posted by: Go-Mer-Tonic
Thanks, I try to keep an open mind, and I try to be aware of the things I don't actually know as much as I can.

Now there's a statement I find commendable! This is sort of off topic, but years ago, after a bad breakup, I decided that even though I was reasonably satisfied about who I was, I would spend some time over the next few weeks to think and reflect over myself in order to improve and become a better person. That little project continues to this day.
Post
#246795
Topic
First Impressions of the OOT ...
Time
Originally posted by: Cable-X1
I think tolerance will only happen once the OOT gets the love it deserves and is made avaiable.

Well, I'm not so sure better home releases will cause the fighting to cease. Even though I never plan to purchase the PT there was certainly potential in those films, though I just happen to think it went to waste for the most part.

On the other hand, there are a lot of differences between the OT and the PT I don't mind at all. I don't mind the very different style of the PT as compared to the OT for example. Somebody pointed out that this could be seen as a way of illustrating that life in the days of the Republic was very different from that in the days of the Empire, and I actually quite like that take on it. As for the CGI, I actually don't mind that much either. It's not perfect by any means and could've been improved on for sure, but the OT has its share of poor compositing, garbage mattes and other imperfections resulting from the limited technology available to the SFX makers at the time. Personally I really don't prefer the artifacts of either kind of effects over the other.

To me it's ultimately all about how the movies make me feel, and to me the PT unfortunately just feels like a dull and turgid marketing ploy. The timeless qualities of the story of the OT which cause the movies by and large not to feel dated even after 30 years has puzzled and amazed me from when I was quite young, and to me this is gone in the PT. I was hoping to relish in a little more of that same timeless and epic fairy-tale experience with the PT films, but alas, I was wrong. Others found what they were looking for in the new films, and that's good for them. I just moved on, because in the end, life really is just a short blip, and it's too precious to be wasted by spending time and energy on fighting the artistic preferences of others (not to mention a lot of other things which can make for a very long list really quickly).

Speaking of artistic preferences, my personal ideal Star Wars reflect quite specific tastes in terms of art too I'd say. My preferred version of the OT would be a cross-breed between the OOT and the SE. The movies would have the updated SFX of the SE, but a few of the biggest changes would be removed plus there would be some quite minor tweaks, so as to make them feel and flow more like the ultimate epic fantasy in a way that works for me. If we ever get some great releases of the OOT and the SE, I'll certainly try to put together this version of one of the greatest stories ever told in moving pictures.
Post
#246748
Topic
First Impressions of the OOT ...
Time
Scruffy, Zombie,

Thanks for a couple of really informative posts! While I've gathered from various reasonably credible sources over the years that Lucasfilm certainly has the means to do a full restoration of the OOT, its very interesting to get to know some more details!

Originally posted by: Scruffy
So, in 1997, we have 90% of the O-neg intact in the SE and the remaining 10% in the digital domain.


When I followed the coverage of the restoration work for the SE on various fansites on the net back in 1996 and 1997, I remember that I picked up from somewhere that the original films were eventually scanned digitally in their entirety, not just the selected shots that were to be updated with new CGI. What's been said here appears to contradict this though. Do we know within reasonable doubt that the movies were fully digitized only quite recently, as in after the turn of the century, or could there be indeed be older fully digital sources from the original SE work as well?