ratpack1961

That Vader clip is pretty great.  However I think it sounds odd because of the way it's written.  Vader doesn't talk in long run on sentences "..if you find them train them" etc.  He's talking abit fast also.  I think it comes down to how the performance by JEJ was directed.  Vader talks in a slow and methodical way which doesn't come across here.

In the latest episode did anyone catch Anthony Daniels in a cameo as the guy who tells them to find Luminara?  Also the character who tells the crew to find her looks like Daniels.

I really enjoyed the 1st episode.  I remember not liking the previews very much but the actual show was pretty entertaining. 

Sure the main characters, the main kid who is just a combo of Luke and Han, and the dull jedi are not that great but the supporting characters are very good. Filoni and his team really know how to tell a good Star Wars story and all the design work and music is impressive.  It was just a lot of fun.

i honestly wished they had given Filoni the directors chair on episode 7 and I thought that as far back as the Clone Wars cancellation. I have a feeling this Rebels show will be the one everyone enjoys with the upcoming movie causing the usual anger and disappointment.

What I don't understand is that if episode 7 is based on Lucas' synopsis, that the empire and alliance are in a cold war with both sides having equal power, why didn't he allow this idea to be used in the EU back in 1987 when he let Zahn do Heir to the Empire?

Was Lucas' original intention to have a New Republic with the Empire defeated (as in Zahn's trilogy) and now after all these years he decided to change that for episode 7?  Or did he never approve of the EU and just let it go on since he knew he would erase it with whatever sequel trilogy he ended up doing?

Even taking the prequels into account, it still makes sense that Obi Wan has cashed all his chips on Luke as opposed to Leia, even if that wasn't the original intention.

Luke has already had training in the force with Obi Wan and then Yoda.  Was Obi Wan going to suddenly appear to Leia and go "Hey time to learn the force"  Also Leia had some military training in that she could handle a blaster, but she wasn't much of a pilot or showed jedi skills like Luke.

Mind you that explanation is completely retcon stuff since Empire was written without Leia being the Other at all.  But with the prequels taken into account it still makes sense that Obi Wan doesn't consider Leia to be a credible choice to suddenly become a master Jedi.

SilverWook said:

http://propstore.auctionserver.net/view-auctions/info/id/10/

Star Wars and other neat movie stuff for auction. If you ever wanted Nute Gunray's head, now is your chance. ;)

 Great stuff in that auction.  To be honest the battle droid head would be nice to have and of course the OT items.

It depends also on the artist who is in charge of the animation.  Jabba was done by Mark Dippe (who was later Banned from the Ranch).  His work on the SE was pretty much redone in the later versions on DVD. 

As for the Dewbacks, they are walking slowly across the screen in bright daylight and its a completely fictional creature  The level of realism that is required for such a shot just wasn't possible in 97.  If you compare that to CG shots in Jurassic Park, you have either running shots (the gallamimus) where your looking at a blur basically and a Brontosaurus who is just standing there and eating.  So the shots in SE were more difficult creature wise.

SilverWook said:

Another interesting bit of ILM film up for auction. The original ESB emperor, with a bit of camera slate apparently showing the tv monitor the footage was rephotographed off of to get the hologram look.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Empire-Strikes-Back-EMPEROR-FILM-ELEMENTS-Lucas-Director-Slate-1980-Film-Clips-/171395850849?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27e7fd2261

 I bought one of the vista vision film frames he had up for auction and I'm a watching a few more.  I think there are a few buyers who are sniping (buying at the last second) his stuff so if theres something you want you'll have to spend some money on a high early bid. You could go broke on all his stuff though its so tempting.

I have a feeling that in order to not dishonor Lucas that a fully restored OUT will not happen at least not soon.  This is probably on part of both Fox respecting an old deal and Kathleen Kennedy at Lucasfilm who is a personal friend of Lucas.  The other threads on this subject mention that Fox has distribution rights anyway and Disney owns the property so they'd have to come to some sort of deal to even get that ball rolling. 

All of the attention will be on the new films anyway so they want everyone thinking about that new timeline and era with Rebels and not so concentrated on the OT.

Is there a thread or link that talks about the differences between the 70mm and 35 mm audio mixes?  I've never heard that there were any. 

I've seen the film in 35 mm a few times and had the widescreen laserdisc release and DVD.  Nothing was readily apparent, maybe I wasn't listening closely enough.

To get back on track...

What do you all think of them filming in multiple formats (unless its all IMAX)

I'm not sure if I like the idea of the eventual Blu Ray releases going full screen for the IMAX and then 2:35:1 for the rest of the film like with the Nolan Batmans.  A Star Wars film not in 2:35:1 just aint right to me.

Maybe this belongs in the JJ thread but the multiple formats could be a spoiler?

Tyrphanax said:

darklordoftech said:

Tyrphanax said:

ratpack1961 said:

The question of "Is it Star Wars without Darth Vader or Luke" is a great one when it comes to the Episodic movies.  The first six movies have in some way been about Vader.  That may be Lucas retconning (it was always about Vader) but the truth is the Skywalker and Vader characters have always been a part of those movies.

If we watch all six films together, it sort of makes sense that its the rise and fall of Darth Vader because that's how Lucas structured them in the end.  The OT by itself is about Luke and Vader with the others as side characters.  With ep. 7, where does the series go?  Isn't the main character (according to Lucas) now gone?  Why even have an ep. 7 if the story is done? Both of the main bad guys are done.  If you're supposed to watch all the episodes together, won't 7-9 seemed tacked on without one of the villains from ep. 1-6 showing up?

The one thing I think that's missing from Ep. 1 is Vader.  I like that film but there is a definite absence there that I think caused people to not think of it as a Star Wars film and I don't think it has to do with Han or Luke missing either.  In ep. 2 Vader starts to show up in subtle ways and then in ep. 3 makes his full appearance.  I believe the reason people liked ep. 3 the most out of the prequels (meaning casual audiences) is because of Vader.  He's that huge of a character.  Think of it this way.  You can make a good Star Wars story without Vader (KOTR, some EU) but they will always pale to the ones that have Vader in them since he is so crucial to Star Wars itself.

And with this post, the thread goes full TFN.

What do you mean?

I mean that, come on, are people on on OT.com really considering the infamous TFN stance that without some Darth Vader connection, Star Wars isn't Star Wars? That just because the new trilogy may not fit with Lucas' "Tragedy of Darth Vader" retcon, it's not worthwhile?

Maybe the new film is about trying to live with the shadow of Vader's legacy hanging over them. Maybe Luke is a hermit now, ostracized because of his connection to Vader and the thought that if Jedi can go bad and do what Vader did, the galaxy would be better off without them.

darklordoftech said:

Correct, plus nobody besides hardcore fans knows or cares about characters like Boba and Revan.

At least the former is untrue. I would argue that Boba Fett has become almost as recognizable and popular as Darth Vader is, to the detriment of his character.

Aside from that, I know plenty of Star Wars fans who I wouldn't classify as "hardcore" who know plenty about Boba and Revan.

 Who said that if the episodes don't fit with the tragedy of Darth Vader that its not worthwhile?  I'm stating that factually every episode so far has involved that character in one way or another.  If ep.7 goes in an entirely new direction then any hopes that there is a coherent story going on is thrown out the window and its just random episodes where stuff happens like some comic book series.

Thats not a TFN opinion where we have to follow Lucas' dogma.  It's going off factually what we've seen in every episode so far.  And if you think that characters like Maul or (gasp) the night sisters hold a candle to Vader, then it is you who belong on TFN :)

The question of "Is it Star Wars without Darth Vader or Luke" is a great one when it comes to the Episodic movies.  The first six movies have in some way been about Vader.  That may be Lucas retconning (it was always about Vader) but the truth is the Skywalker and Vader characters have always been a part of those movies.

If we watch all six films together, it sort of makes sense that its the rise and fall of Darth Vader because that's how Lucas structured them in the end.  The OT by itself is about Luke and Vader with the others as side characters.  With ep. 7, where does the series go?  Isn't the main character (according to Lucas) now gone?  Why even have an ep. 7 if the story is done? Both of the main bad guys are done.  If you're supposed to watch all the episodes together, won't 7-9 seemed tacked on without one of the villains from ep. 1-6 showing up?

The one thing I think that's missing from Ep. 1 is Vader.  I like that film but there is a definite absence there that I think caused people to not think of it as a Star Wars film and I don't think it has to do with Han or Luke missing either.  In ep. 2 Vader starts to show up in subtle ways and then in ep. 3 makes his full appearance.  I believe the reason people liked ep. 3 the most out of the prequels (meaning casual audiences) is because of Vader.  He's that huge of a character.  Think of it this way.  You can make a good Star Wars story without Vader (KOTR, some EU) but they will always pale to the ones that have Vader in them since he is so crucial to Star Wars itself.

I like most of ep. 1 except for some of the Jar Jar gags like the farting Eopee. The opening 30 min of the film are absolutely amazing.

All of the production design is fantastic throughout all three films

I liked the overall seriousness of the characters.  I like the OT but the prequels were a different era and everything is much more heavier subject matter wise.

I liked the fact that Vader, even though his name was Anakin, was a huge presence in the last two films.  I'm pretty forgiving on Hayden and I like some of his scenes.  Ian McDiarmid agrees by the way according to his interviews :)

Ewan McGregor as Obi Wan Kenobi, nuff said.

I think some of the CG creature work like Sebulba is amazing.

The epic scale of the prequels, huge armies etc.  This was what Lucas always wanted Star Wars to be.

I'm glad this thread is here.  We all love the untouched OT but I think the prequels have some definite merit.  It may even be possible that if ep. 7 does not turn out well that these films will be even more highly regarded...we'll see.

Anchorhead said:

unamochilla2 said:

New Mark Hamill interview: http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-28475959

 He always comes across as a very humble and generous person.  That is my favorite part of him being involved again.  

 What do you all think of Mark's look and beard?  It seems more scraggily then Obi Wan's which was more kept.  I think it may lend to the story rumor that the movie is about trying to find him and he's off somewhere away from civilization.

Thank you for posting the videos from SDCC.  It's nice that they made their way online so fast.

Right now I can say that the Older Jedi and the young kid (padawan, apprentice whatever) are the worst things about this show from the clips they've shown.  They are bland and uninteresting.  Maybe they have some amazing backstory that will make us care but just from the clips they are blandly designed with no interesting personalities.

The inquisitor is bland also and uninteresting.  Maybe this show just isn't for my age group and is for kids.  Besides OT ships I don't see anything appealing about it so far.

Tobar said:

Star Wars Rebels: Extended Trailer

 Thanks for posting this link.  As someone who loved the Clone Wars cartoon and thought Filoni and his team were fantastic (and should have been behind ep. 7) I was very disappointed by this.

It''s such a step back visually from the last show.  It looks like a very child friendly, colorful yet average Star Wars show.  Its really a CG version of the old Droids cartoon just with human characters.

Also the whole plotline of the show, this kid learning to be a jedi during ANH time, is just ludicrous at least for me.  I guess Yoda forgot about this kid when he talked about there being another?  Unless the kid doesn't make it through the show which wouldn't fit the kid friendly tone they are going for.  This show does not bode well for Disney owning this franchise.

darklordoftech said:

ratpack1961 said:

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned yet that synopsis they have on badassdigest about the opening of the film.

A hand floating in space holding a lightsaber plummeting to a planet.  That's what we see after the title crawl?

No matter what you may think of the prequels, none of the rumors or even legit story points from those films were ever as bad as some hand falling in space after the title crawl.

The reason that nobody has mentioned it is because of how absurd it is.

haha, just edited my post because someone did mention it above.  I really really hope its absurd and completely false.....please?

A hand floating in space holding a lightsaber plummeting to a planet.  That's what we see after the title crawl?

No matter what you may think of the prequels, none of the rumors or even legit story points from those films were ever as bad as some hand falling in space after the title crawl.

SilverWook said:

I guess sucking up to the right people does pay off. ;)

 Kevin Smith has some kind of "in" with Lucasfilm.  He got to see ROTS at a preview screening also.

thekremlin said:

http://www.theimaginariumstudios.com

Thank you for the correction!  I've offically marked the animatronic hall of presidents as not appearing in Ep. 7.

Jaitea said:

Andy Serkis to play a Mo-Cap character:

http://www.scifinow.co.uk/news/star-wars-7-exclusive-andy-serkis-talks-script-jj-abrams-more/

“It’s extraordinary. I grew up with Star Wars and was a massive fan of the original films. I never imagined in a million years that I’d be engaging with this. It’s just come about so organically.

“JJ Abrams and I met, and we just had this incredible kind of vibe between us. He said, ‘You’d fit really well in this universe,’ and I said, ‘I think I probably could.’ We’re working very closely, as I say, in two ways: the Imaginarium is providing all of the performance characters, and I myself am playing a character in it.

“I’m thrilled, deeply excited,” he continued. “Sitting at that read-through the other day was just extraordinary. It was an amazing event; being with the original cast was just incredible. I just think the script is so wonderful, and both the old and the newbies in the cast are just so thrilled and excited to get together.”

Son of Jar-Jar?

J

 The Imaginarium?  As in Disney Imaginarium?  So his character may be a practical puppet? 

Is Episode 7 supposed to be just a big ad for that Jim Henson Creature shop show on syfy channel?

I think they raised the dark levels on the original VHS release because of the medium itself offering a lower quality experience.  However we don't know how the transfers were done with the Laserdisc (widescreen release) or DVD/BluRays.  What print they used and what levels?  Maybe someone can dig up some of Warner Bros publicity sheets on the movies about that or someone who projected the film may know (they have a few projectionists on Home Theater Forum).

That 1st trailer always looked very dark due to having been put together so quickly during production.  I don't think it can be an accurate depiction of what the final print looked like.

IGN just posted that the film release may be delayed due to the injury.  To be honest I never liked the December release date, Star Wars films should always be out in May.

These extended edits are amazing and very well done.  This is what the special editions should have been, extended versions of the OT.  Please keep these coming!

Here is your chance to own the rarest Star Wars action figure.  Its a bit pricey though.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1985-Kenner-Star-Wars-Droids-AFA-85-moc-Kleb-Zellock-salesmans-sample-1-of-1-/291167250870?pt=US_Action_Figures&hash=item43caeba9b6