yeah let's not fight.. http://www.stomptokyo.com/sings/swholiday/images/hug2.jpg
― piscesx, Tuesday, 2 December 2014 20:18 (nine years ago) link
this is how i remember the prequels coming out -first one had so much hype coming in, was inevitably disappointing. darth maul and that song and that fight at the end were cool. the racism was weird. jar jar was always terrible. kid anakin was terrible.attack of the clones was more fun and marginally better, the romance was absolutely godawful. CG generally kinda sloppy looking. Yoda flipping around spastically was a rare high point.third was not great but much better than the first two, even with all the hamminess, still more entertaining/action-packed, less moments of talking and boredom
― Nhex, Tuesday, 2 December 2014 20:29 (nine years ago) link
The element from the prequels that most regularly springs to my mind is Elan Sleazebaggano and his death sticks.
― Rubies! And Emeralds! (Old Lunch), Tuesday, 2 December 2014 20:38 (nine years ago) link
How come every fucking scene in these movies involves someone standing in front of a window with a million fucking things happening in the background.
― Your heartbeat soun like sasquatch feet (polyphonic), Wednesday, 15 July 2009 18:22 (5 years ago) Permalink
― Doctor Casino, Tuesday, 2 December 2014 20:39 (nine years ago) link
Maybe just a lot of windows, things going to be moving around. No big deal.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 2 December 2014 20:40 (nine years ago) link
One of my fave (few) Gene Siskel stories was around the time of the SW re-releases, which happened to coincide with a brief re-release of The Godfather. Someone asked Siskel how the Godfather re-release print looked, and he said it was pretty much the same, except during the wedding scene they added a bunch of robots just walking around.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 2 December 2014 20:43 (nine years ago) link
i consider TPM the best of the prequels (it's still fucking awfulmediocre).
hyperbolic you shall not be
― things lose meaning over time (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 2 December 2014 20:45 (nine years ago) link
this kind of action meaningful in its contrast to the kind of action other movies might include: characters moving from place to place, for instance, or reacting physically to the information they receive, or interacting casually and spontaneously with others. you might have to cut all that but no matter how small the empty green box is you can def fit a window in there, and after that, well, it's imagination time.
― difficult listening hour, Tuesday, 2 December 2014 20:51 (nine years ago) link
lol siskel
xp
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 2 December 2014 20:54 (nine years ago) link
TPM had my favourite moment in the prequels, which was the final lightsaber battle being interrupted by forcefields going up, and Qui-Gon using the lull to get in some quick meditation.
― jmm, Tuesday, 2 December 2014 20:54 (nine years ago) link
^^^ this is definitely cool. that's the best prequel saber fight, right? don't really remember anything else except scissoring off christopher lee's head and the hysterical series nadir/apex when "general grievous" suddenly unfurls like 6 spinning lightsabers from panels in his shoulders or some shit.
― difficult listening hour, Tuesday, 2 December 2014 20:56 (nine years ago) link
I don't mind the effect. I thought it was effective in an Ep III scene in which this titanic battle of good vs evil rages while Coruscantians look for parking in rush hour traffic.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 2 December 2014 20:57 (nine years ago) link
i think one of the worst part of the prequels is the CGI. it just doesn't convice, puppets have always been better
― marcos, Tuesday, 2 December 2014 21:01 (nine years ago) link
And you can do it all in post! Good ol' one-take Lucas.
― polyphonic, Tuesday, 2 December 2014 21:01 (nine years ago) link
same thing goes for all the glossy machinery, whoever mentioned the dirtiness of outer planets and space junk in eps 4-6 upthread was otm
― marcos, Tuesday, 2 December 2014 21:02 (nine years ago) link
― marcos,
Always struck me as baffling that the Yoda puppet in ep I was so much shittier than the one in ep V.
― the joke should be over once the kid is eaten. (chap), Tuesday, 2 December 2014 21:03 (nine years ago) link
For all the hate piled onto Jar-Jar, I don't think Watto gets complained about nearly enough
― 18th Century Celebrity WS of Shame (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 2 December 2014 21:03 (nine years ago) link
Watto seems like the epitome of a labored but terribly conceived CGI character
― 18th Century Celebrity WS of Shame (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 2 December 2014 21:04 (nine years ago) link
watto is fucking hideous
― i blow goat farts, aka garts for a living (waterface), Tuesday, 2 December 2014 21:04 (nine years ago) link
I mentioned the trailer and concept of VII to my brother-in-law last weekend, and he wanted to know if the original star trio were in the cast. I am envious of such ignorance in this era.
― things lose meaning over time (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 2 December 2014 21:06 (nine years ago) link
Hey which one of you is this guy
http://www.clickhole.com/article/fanboy-loves-star-wars-so-much-he-plans-watch-forc-1514
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 2 December 2014 21:08 (nine years ago) link
xp Yeah, but it's not like they got him from Jim Henson and oh shit it's a racist-looking puppet, better write some lines for him.
(I mean, it's not like anything explains anything about Watto other than 'No-one says no to George')
― Andrew Farrell, Tuesday, 2 December 2014 21:11 (nine years ago) link
I sort of got a kick out of mentioning the trailer in the office breakroom and watching the faces of a handful of male 30-something law firm associates all light up at once
― 18th Century Celebrity WS of Shame (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 2 December 2014 21:11 (nine years ago) link
one of the reasons I don't want to watch TPM with my daughter is that I am not looking forward to explaining how every alien is a racist caricature
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 2 December 2014 21:12 (nine years ago) link
I'm trying to think what else I liked in the prequels, and the pod race sequence is basically it. CG Ben-Hur was the only real idea these movies had.
― jmm, Tuesday, 2 December 2014 21:37 (nine years ago) link
The pod race was too goddamn long.
― Your Favorite Album in the Cutout Bin, Tuesday, 2 December 2014 21:38 (nine years ago) link
The Darth Maul fight was basically out of a HK Wuxia movie and that was my favorite part of the prequels, I think
― 龜, Tuesday, 2 December 2014 21:39 (nine years ago) link
My favorite Star Wars-related cultural products of late are the Uncut fan remakes and the grindhouse version of ANH.
― Rubies! And Emeralds! (Old Lunch), Tuesday, 2 December 2014 21:41 (nine years ago) link
― marcos, Tuesday, December 2, 2014 4:02 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark
Thank you my good man *dons flowing Jedi robe*
― 龜, Tuesday, 2 December 2014 21:42 (nine years ago) link
this is semi-intentional, isn't it? ie the "golden age" of the Republic giving way to the grimy oppressive nature of the Empire?
― the farakhan of gg (DJP), Tuesday, 2 December 2014 21:42 (nine years ago) link
man a lot of rust accumulates in 18 years
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 2 December 2014 21:47 (nine years ago) link
you should see what happens to Boston roads over the course of one winter
― the farakhan of gg (DJP), Tuesday, 2 December 2014 21:49 (nine years ago) link
It's a much-discussed aspect of the original trilogy, the "used future"
― 18th Century Celebrity WS of Shame (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 2 December 2014 21:50 (nine years ago) link
Maybe late-'90s CGI tech just wasn't refined enough to create believable rust and grime.
― Rubies! And Emeralds! (Old Lunch), Tuesday, 2 December 2014 21:50 (nine years ago) link
I don't think it was necessarily solely supposed to be a result of the Empire, although that reading certainly makes more sense after the shininess of the prequels. But it makes particular sense that a shitty backwater like tatooine would have gunked up droids and speeders, or that the rebels' ships and equipment wouldn't be pristine.
― 18th Century Celebrity WS of Shame (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 2 December 2014 21:51 (nine years ago) link
but Aunt Beru has the latest Tupperware!
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 2 December 2014 21:55 (nine years ago) link
Well she's a rep, hosts parties for her village and whatnot
― 18th Century Celebrity WS of Shame (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 2 December 2014 21:58 (nine years ago) link
ffs, I went the last 37 years thinking her name was Veru.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Tuesday, 2 December 2014 22:00 (nine years ago) link
Uncle Owen thought she was a Sand Person so don't worry.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 2 December 2014 22:02 (nine years ago) link
As a kid I thought he was Uncle Lowen
― 18th Century Celebrity WS of Shame (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 2 December 2014 22:05 (nine years ago) link
Liam Neeson did a modicum of acting in TPM compared to that vengeance shit he is now beloved for.
Who will do the most acting in The Force Wakes Up?
― things lose meaning over time (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 2 December 2014 22:07 (nine years ago) link
Neeson's hair did the acting. Neeson was elsewhere.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 2 December 2014 22:08 (nine years ago) link
― the farakhan of gg (DJP), Tuesday, December 2, 2014 3:42 PM (22 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, December 2, 2014 3:47 PM (17 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
yeah, I tried to make this point upthread -- the whole point of the Star Wars universe is that it's old and has this history, which Episodes I - III throw away by assuming the thousands of years of grit and grime and used spaceships actually were just an effect of the Empire happening
maybe dirt effects on computer animated characters were hard so Lucas was like "fuck it, make it all look brand new"
― valleys of your mind (mh), Tuesday, 2 December 2014 22:09 (nine years ago) link
Even that Darth Maul fight scene, while cool, is sort of dramatically flawed in pitting two good guys against one bad guy (a problem semi-solved by the neat forcefield door gimmick) and by overuse of the can't-reach-lightsaber/trying-not-to-fall-down-massive-spaceshaft devices from the first trilogy, like you can't have that shit more than once in a scene
― 18th Century Celebrity WS of Shame (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 2 December 2014 22:10 (nine years ago) link
like the goddamn death star was totally new construction and even it didn't seem pristine. more so in ROTJ -- it's not yet finished and you see the scaffolding and open construction. everything in Episodes I - III was in perfect condition, even on old worlds, as if no one is tearing down or building anything and the story happens in this static universe
― valleys of your mind (mh), Tuesday, 2 December 2014 22:11 (nine years ago) link
Hurting "Episode" 2, Jedi Fight Choreographer
― things lose meaning over time (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 2 December 2014 22:12 (nine years ago) link
I did chuckle when on the commentary track for the last prequel Lucas explained the 20-year construction of the Death Star w/a shrug: "Well, they had union trouble. Even an Empire has construction and union delays."
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 2 December 2014 22:15 (nine years ago) link
I mean it's going to take at least 20 years to complete the Second Ave Subway so it doesn't seem that outrageous for a Death Star
― 18th Century Celebrity WS of Shame (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 2 December 2014 22:18 (nine years ago) link
They barely even have an Empire yet and they're already thinking about Death Stars.
― jmm, Tuesday, 2 December 2014 22:18 (nine years ago) link
Really they couldn't do anything until they had more utility data.
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 2 December 2014 22:19 (nine years ago) link