I don't know what happened to him. He was one of the most innovative and creative directors I'd ever seen. I saw THX-1138 when I was still pretty young, and it really had an impact. Star Wars is still amazing to me. That same story could have been so mundane and pathetic, and yet it wasn't. I was expecting that the newer technology would enable him to be a better film-maker. Instead we got Greedo shooting first and Jar-Jar Binks. Don't get me wrong, the Phantom Menace was an good movie, but it wasn't an excellent film. Is it the pandering to children? I don't know. I think what I liked about Star Wars and THX-1138 was the maturity. When I was a kid, I didn't understand why Han Solo shot first, and I kind of thought he was a jerk. Now I realize that he's a much deeper character than that. I like that now. What do kids coming up on Phantome Menace get? Jar-jar? There isn't going to be a time when people realize that Jar-Jar is a deep character. I think that's what disappoints me the most. I see our culture trying to make life so easy for children, and they are becoming softer for it. Making an epic saga following the life of a troubled man endowed with awesome power capable of either good or evil against a the backdrop of a corrupt and vicious galaxy filled with slavery, greed and vice is NOT a common subject for a children's film. It should not be made easily digestible. It should challenge the audience. I think that's what impressed me most about Empire. It made you think about it. We have the storybook happy ending pull back shot, but Luke just got his hand cut off by the most sinister villian of all time (*'Best villian... ever.*) who we have learned is his father. It's still totally entertaining, but still thought-provoking. I didn't come away from TPM that way. I'm hoping attack of the clones will put the saga back on track.
-------------------- "Nah. The 9th chevron is for changing the ringtone from "grindy-grindy chonk-chonk" to the theme tune to dallas." -Reverend42
posted
*throws up after hearing Michael T's comment*
OK, yeah, yeah. Where's Aethelwer when you need him? Wasn't he like the resident SW expert or something?
And, can we have a debate about why Rick Berman is a dumbass, too? Oh wait, that's been settled, too. (I know a rib about me is coming up soon, presumably given by Mr. Snay)
Shik
Starship database: completed; History of Starfleet: done; website: probably never
Member # 343
posted
"Well...he's kind of an ASS..& he's sort of dumb..he's kinda like....(insert heavenly music & light) A DUMBass!" --Red Forman, 1954
-------------------- "The French have a saying: 'mise en place'—keep everything in its fucking place!"
Registered: Jun 2000
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Dani
Naboo Handmaiden Ex-Part-Time Admin
Member # 57
posted
Actually, if you click the small or medium bandwidth links, it does not require QT5 Pro. There's a notice on the site stating why this is happening, it's actually not a Star Wars or George Lucas thing at all, but an issue with Apple wanting to make some money off of the people who suck up all their bandwith watching the large version, as Apple is the host for all of the official SW trailers.
And yes, the SW site is really slow the last couple days. If you want to see the trailer, I'd suggest going straight to Apple.(Breathing @ starwars.apple.com)
Here's the deal:
quote:4. Do I need QuickTime Pro to see the trailer?
No. The "small" and "medium" versions of the trailer are available with the free QuickTime 5 plug-in.
5. Why make users upgrade to QuickTime Pro to see the largest version?
Apple, our long-time video partner and premiere movie trailer provider on the web, recently began this practice with new trailers hosted at its popular movie trailer site. The increasing bandwidth expense involved with the larger files and the growing number of broadband internet users, combined with the technological benefits of QuickTime Pro prompted this new practice.
Your one-time upgrade to QuickTime Pro 5 will allow you to see the largest versions of any upcoming Episode II trailers, the large versions of other Apple.com-hosted trailers and provides other worth-while feature enhancements.
"Breathing" is currently the only Apple-hosted trailer available in the full-screen 640 size that Star Wars fans want for maximum quality and careful inspection. We are pleased that Apple has been able to make such a large and clear version available and has set up an infrastructure capable of meeting its high demand.
posted
What I liked with the first movies was that they were, in a sense, NOT for kids. When I was about 6 I really wanted to watch it when my parents had rented it for my big brother and his friends, but I couldn't because my parents didn't want me to get scared. I think they did the right thing for two reasons; I probably would've gotten scared by Vader and all the killing, and this way I was even more hungry for Star Wars when I did get older and could see it. :-)
No, the bloody battle aboard Tantine IV, the smoking skeletons of Luke's foster parents and the death of Kenobi was stuff that happens in a cruel galaxy, and it showed how far the opposition was prepared to go. Those fucking battle-droids were just designed to be cute. Saying "Roger, roger!" with ET-esque voice and hobbling away in cartoon penguin fashion.
So, the Star Wars saga has gotten house-broken, as happens with most sequels with too many years between them and the originals... It wouldn't even surprise me if they intentionally waited with shooting Ep.II until Natalie Portman was "old" enough to do an adult scene with Anakin (although we won't get anything more than kissing and violins).
[ November 09, 2001: Message edited by: G.K Nimrod ]
-------------------- "I'm nigh-invulnerable when I'm blasting!" Mel Gibson, X-Men
Registered: Aug 1999
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There's a good point to be made about the differences in sophistication between the old films and the new one(s), but uh, wouldn't it be better served in the Star Wars forum? Why don't I ever think of these things when the issue is hot? Oh, why, why!?
posted
Hang on, surely you've got me and Simon backwards there?
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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