Interweb Wanderlust

Chris Petescia

Co-founder of Carrot Creative, design geek, practical hippie, music enthusiast and generally creative individual who finds inspiration through imagination.

Located in Park Slope & DUMBO, Brooklyn, NY.
Dreaming in a galaxy far, far away....

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Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor

 

I really wanted to like this movie, to believe that Lucas can still make compelling films… But alas, no. I think I could write a novel on why this movie was poorly done, but a few bullets will suffice: Awkward cuts and short scenes that start and end abruptly Horrendous acting and writing for (specifically) every white person in the film. The rest of the cast did a solid job, but I can almost guess who Lucas might have personally written dialogue for, himself. If you see it, just plug your ears when the bomber pilots speak. It’s worse than battle droids as “comic relief.” If you thought the Amidala/ Anakin love affair of the Star Wars Prequels was awkward, brace for another round. Awkward sub stories and side threads (awkward is a big theme in general) Unfinished threads in the story - the climactic mission ends anti-climatically… what happened with the mission? Did they succeed? Was the fuel concern actually a concern? CG paper airplane. Yes, really. One thing I did get a kick out of was the apparent homage to the Cantina scene in Star Wars: A New Hope. Black Pilot “Lightning” walks into a white pilots’ bar whose entrance way actually looks just like the Mos Eisley Cantina, and he is told “we don’t serve your kind here” essentially. Are directors allowed to nod to their own movies? Or was Lucas trying to explain the droid-prejudices (droidism?) that C3PO faced? It seems like a great story of American heroism against prejudice in war time, but I don’t think it was properly told in this instance.

I really wanted to like this movie, to believe that Lucas can still make compelling films…

But alas, no.

I think I could write a novel on why this movie was poorly done, but a few bullets will suffice:

  • Awkward cuts and short scenes that start and end abruptly
  • Horrendous acting and writing for (specifically) every white person in the film. The rest of the cast did a solid job, but I can almost guess who Lucas might have personally written dialogue for, himself. If you see it, just plug your ears when the bomber pilots speak. It’s worse than battle droids as “comic relief.”
  • If you thought the Amidala/ Anakin love affair of the Star Wars Prequels was awkward, brace for another round.
  • Awkward sub stories and side threads (awkward is a big theme in general)
  • Unfinished threads in the story - the climactic mission ends anti-climatically… what happened with the mission? Did they succeed? Was the fuel concern actually a concern?
  • CG paper airplane. Yes, really.

One thing I did get a kick out of was the apparent homage to the Cantina scene in Star Wars: A New Hope. Black Pilot “Lightning” walks into a white pilots’ bar whose entrance way actually looks just like the Mos Eisley Cantina, and he is told “we don’t serve your kind here” essentially. Are directors allowed to nod to their own movies? Or was Lucas trying to explain the droid-prejudices (droidism?) that C3PO faced?

It seems like a great story of American heroism against prejudice in war time, but I don’t think it was properly told in this instance.

My wish: for the Original, unaltered Star Wars trilogy to get an HD release with art like this… and not the slop they’re using for the bluray release

Why I’ve canceled my Star Wars on bluray pre-order

Or, The unnecessary tinkering of a beloved series and the last straw with Lucas’ edits.

I enjoyed the Special Edition for the simple fact that it was Star Wars back on the big screen. What could be better? I can even take a few painful CGI scenes for it… and Empire, my favorite of the trilogy, made out with relatively light edits (in fact, I appreciate the extra Cloud City scenery during the Bespin scenes). But, this is just absurd. Taking something that has become an internet meme for its ridiculousness and voluntarily ADDING it to the original series? The only reason I was down for this bluray release was to see my favorite scenes in brilliant HD, hoping it would overcompensate for the edits that are now “the official version.” The artwork for the full set is LAME. The Original Trilogy’s art is sloppy. The best looking is the Prequel Trilogy… and owning one copy is enough. I’m out.

From Collider: 

“Star Wars is finally coming to Blu-ray with the Star Wars: The Complete Saga boxed set, which means that there are more awesome digital alterations and changes that wholeheartedly improve every movie! (They don’t). We previously told you that George Lucas has replaced the puppet Yoda in The Phantom Menace with the CGI one seen in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, and now comes word that The Almighty Tinkerer has made two horrible, audio alterations to the films. Hit the jump to find out what they are and to watch them for yourself.

Apparently Lucas has added Darth Vader’s laughable “NOOOOOOO!!” from Revenge of the Sith to Return of the Jedi. I know, it sounds too ridiculous to believe, but Badass Digest has apparently received confirmation that this is true, proving that Lucas is indeed insane.

VIDEO:  


Another change that’s a bit less likely and still unconfirmed is an alteration to Obi-Wan’s Krayt Dragon Call from A New Hope. This one’s still a rumor for now, so take it with a grain of salt.”

Just got this in the mail, so good. Thanks Kieran!

Just got this in the mail, so good. Thanks Kieran!

Star Wars (sub) Characters sculpted in plasticine via Mary

Star Wars (sub) Characters sculpted in plasticine

via Mary

A Star Wars Birthday Video made for me today by Cooper . Hilarious and fantastic! Enjoy :)

Posters by Szoki

Posters by Szoki

Snowy X-Wing trench run

(via @antonelli)

The debacle of modern Star Wars releases… I was really, really excited as a highschool kid for the release of the Special Edition… previously unreleased & some brand new or “enhanced” scenes, “enhanced” visuals, and best of all: back on the big screen. It was a great experience initially- partly for the novelty of it- but soon after, it just felt wrong. Fast forward to the prequel trilogy of CG overload and awkward acting / interactions on screen between human and animated characters… and the distaste for the unnecessary modifications grows. I won’t even get into the Han Shot First travesty… but with the announcement of the dual-trilogy on bluray slated for Fall 2011, it’s become apparent that this modified version is here to stay despite heavy fan protest. Do I really need to hang onto a VHS player to enjoy the original trilogy? If Lucas isn’t budging, and this is the trilogy to be available moving forward… I pray they do a better job with the visuals. This is coming from a complete spectator POV, but I think they can do a LOT better with both integrating the “enhancements” into the look/feel of the original films, as well as making the “enhancements” themselves less tragic eye-sores. Take the example above of Jabba. They reworked him between SW:SE releases… and he looks only slightly less terrible… but still doesn’t look like Return of the Jedi’s Jabba, nor does he fit in the aesthetic of the scene filmed in 1977. It almost hurts to watch this :/ Not to mention how different the Episode I  Jabba looks… Anyway, the overall question is: To buy or not to buy? The idea of Star Wars is beautiful, High-definition makes me so happy… but just as the “yippeee!” of Episode 1, The Majority of Episode 2, and the horrible joking battle droids and “NOOOOOOO!” of Episode 3 make me cringe enough to avoid watching the Prequel Trilogy… so do these adjustments to the originals. Who would have imagined someday CRINGING while watching such an Internationally-beloved set of films? The “enhancements” yank you out of your imagination and suspension-of-belief faster than lightspeed. They are visual tractor beams from the real world, reminding you that you’re not in that galaxy, far, far away… but instead experiencing human error ravaging what was a masterpiece. Sigh. Photos via dvdactive.com

The debacle of modern Star Wars releases…

I was really, really excited as a highschool kid for the release of the Special Edition… previously unreleased & some brand new or “enhanced” scenes, “enhanced” visuals, and best of all: back on the big screen. It was a great experience initially- partly for the novelty of it- but soon after, it just felt wrong. Fast forward to the prequel trilogy of CG overload and awkward acting / interactions on screen between human and animated characters… and the distaste for the unnecessary modifications grows. I won’t even get into the Han Shot First travesty… but with the announcement of the dual-trilogy on bluray slated for Fall 2011, it’s become apparent that this modified version is here to stay despite heavy fan protest. Do I really need to hang onto a VHS player to enjoy the original trilogy?

If Lucas isn’t budging, and this is the trilogy to be available moving forward… I pray they do a better job with the visuals. This is coming from a complete spectator POV, but I think they can do a LOT better with both integrating the “enhancements” into the look/feel of the original films, as well as making the “enhancements” themselves less tragic eye-sores. Take the example above of Jabba. They reworked him between SW:SE releases… and he looks only slightly less terrible… but still doesn’t look like Return of the Jedi’s Jabba, nor does he fit in the aesthetic of the scene filmed in 1977. It almost hurts to watch this :/ Not to mention how different the Episode I  Jabba looks…

Anyway, the overall question is: To buy or not to buy?

The idea of Star Wars is beautiful, High-definition makes me so happy… but just as the “yippeee!” of Episode 1, The Majority of Episode 2, and the horrible joking battle droids and “NOOOOOOO!” of Episode 3 make me cringe enough to avoid watching the Prequel Trilogy… so do these adjustments to the originals. Who would have imagined someday CRINGING while watching such an Internationally-beloved set of films?

The “enhancements” yank you out of your imagination and suspension-of-belief faster than lightspeed. They are visual tractor beams from the real world, reminding you that you’re not in that galaxy, far, far away… but instead experiencing human error ravaging what was a masterpiece.

Sigh.

Photos via dvdactive.com