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The Last STAR WARS EPISODE ONE Review before I see the film...
I've been waiting twiddling my thumbs for Roger Ebert's review of STAR WARS EPISODE ONE. Why? Because he 'GOT' the other three films, because I respect his opinion, and because.... Well... I grew up reading his STAR WARS, EMPIRE and JEDI reviews.
Today, we have his latest look at the STAR WARS universe. He gives it three and a half stars (same rating he gave EMPIRE btw. He gave STAR WARS and JEDI four a piece though).
I'm still in line, taking a break to come home, update the page and take a much needed shower. You know... I can't remember a time that I have been.... so relaxed. This week, with my fellow fans, has been a joy. Playing games, sharing food and drink and merriment. It's like some sort of Summer Camp for the grown film geek in me.
To me, it's fascinating to come home and see all the chaos online about this film, because... quite frankly, I'm glad I'm missing it. The negativity that some boards and folks are spewing seems.... Odd to me. Right now, the predominant emotions I'm feeling towards this film are... Fear (fear that I've grown past Star Wars, or that Star Wars has grown too young for me), Joy (joy at the knowledge that, I get to spend 2 hours in a galaxy far far away in less than 2 days), Satisfaction (satisfaction with my fellow line people at the Metropolitan.)
Tomorrow, Rylan Bosher... my best friend from Elementary school joins me in line. I haven't seen a movie with him in 17 years. 17 years. But tomorrow night... I will. I saw all three films with him. We shared our toys, and after my parents divorced I haven't seen him since.
Will we find our friendship again? Will our eyes open wide and our mouths turn into the widest of grins? Will I feel Joy at 2:30am Wednesday morning?
I don't know. I hope to. I'm seeing this film on my own terms, the way I've always dreamed of. When Rylan contacted me about a week ago... I realized. Ahhhhh.... All the pieces in their proper place. Goooood. Gooood.
But enough of me. Go read Ebert's review by clicking on this link, and relax. Be calm. Let the movie do... whatever it is it does to you. Don't force it.
Wow... I'm seeing Star Wars.... at last
I'm still in line, taking a break to come home, update the page and take a much needed shower. You know... I can't remember a time that I have been.... so relaxed. This week, with my fellow fans, has been a joy. Playing games, sharing food and drink and merriment. It's like some sort of Summer Camp for the grown film geek in me.
To me, it's fascinating to come home and see all the chaos online about this film, because... quite frankly, I'm glad I'm missing it. The negativity that some boards and folks are spewing seems.... Odd to me. Right now, the predominant emotions I'm feeling towards this film are... Fear (fear that I've grown past Star Wars, or that Star Wars has grown too young for me), Joy (joy at the knowledge that, I get to spend 2 hours in a galaxy far far away in less than 2 days), Satisfaction (satisfaction with my fellow line people at the Metropolitan.)
Tomorrow, Rylan Bosher... my best friend from Elementary school joins me in line. I haven't seen a movie with him in 17 years. 17 years. But tomorrow night... I will. I saw all three films with him. We shared our toys, and after my parents divorced I haven't seen him since.
Will we find our friendship again? Will our eyes open wide and our mouths turn into the widest of grins? Will I feel Joy at 2:30am Wednesday morning?
I don't know. I hope to. I'm seeing this film on my own terms, the way I've always dreamed of. When Rylan contacted me about a week ago... I realized. Ahhhhh.... All the pieces in their proper place. Goooood. Gooood.
But enough of me. Go read Ebert's review by clicking on this link, and relax. Be calm. Let the movie do... whatever it is it does to you. Don't force it.
Wow... I'm seeing Star Wars.... at last
Tomorrow, Rylan Bosher... my best friend from Elementary school joins me in line. I haven't seen a movie with him in 17 years. 17 years. But tomorrow night... I will. I saw all three films with him. We shared our toys, and after my parents divorced I haven't seen him since.
Will we find our friendship again? Will our eyes open wide and our mouths turn into the widest of grins? Will I feel Joy at 2:30am Wednesday morning?
I don't know. I hope to. I'm seeing this film on my own terms, the way I've always dreamed of. When Rylan contacted me about a week ago... I realized. Ahhhhh.... All the pieces in their proper place. Goooood. Gooood.
But enough of me. Go read Ebert's review by clicking on this link, and relax. Be calm. Let the movie do... whatever it is it does to you. Don't force it.
Wow... I'm seeing Star Wars.... at last
I don't know. I hope to. I'm seeing this film on my own terms, the way I've always dreamed of. When Rylan contacted me about a week ago... I realized. Ahhhhh.... All the pieces in their proper place. Goooood. Gooood.
But enough of me. Go read Ebert's review by clicking on this link, and relax. Be calm. Let the movie do... whatever it is it does to you. Don't force it.
Wow... I'm seeing Star Wars.... at last
Wow... I'm seeing Star Wars.... at last
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Ebert's just a big kid it seems. I like his review and see myself agreeing on it a lot once I see the film (though I like the mythological aspects too -- can't put an Anthro major down)
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May 17, 1999 12:21:12 PM CDT
Ebert also liked "The Mummy", "Romy & Michelle's High School Reu
by janedoe33
A studio spends a hundred million dollars on a movie, then another twenty million on marketing...
You think they're gonna think twice about throwing a couple mil. to what is arguably America's most influential critic? And if you're Roger Ebert, and somebody hands you a briefcase full of cash...are you gonna turn it down? I doubt it. -
May 17, 1999 12:22:53 PM CDT
Remember kids: only two days left to judge this movie, before yo
by prankster
I think Harry has been saying some incorrect stuff about this movie...apologizing for it too much and whatnot...but I agree completely with him. In retrospect, I wish I had not read so many Talkbacks about this movie. Every person in the universe who thinks TPM is gonna suck is either here, or writing for a major film magazine. Ultimately, there's not much any of us can say--it's clear we've either made up our minds to hate it, or else we are thinking it'll be good. Frankly it sounds to me as good as ANH, and all the criticisms I've heard are stale, old things that were leveled at the first movies. The Time magazine review is particularly hilarious. "Why is there an opening scroll?" Oh yeah, and get ready for a revelation: *the acting isn't that good*. Well, clearly this movie is going to suck, we should just give up right now. Of course, I know most of the negative vibers are just lowering their expectations so as not to be dissappointed, so I don't blame them...
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That is so insulting and ridiculous. One of the things I have always loved about Ebert is that the man loooooves movies. I did appreciate Siskel's more artsy taste because it was more in line with my own, but anyone who truly loves film will treasure some movies that are just for fun. Personally, I thought that BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA was a piece of shit (Keanu ruins any period piece for me), but I absolutely loved CONGO (Ernie Hudson doing Gable and Tim Curry in anything plus a talking monkey - what's not to love) and I can't think of a more fun way to start off the summer than THE MUMMY (Mummies aren't scary; they are for rollicking Allen Quartermainesque adventure). So, accuse Ebert of accepting bribes because he's enjoyed some mainstream crap. All true movie lovers know the feeling.
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"Get a life" was Lucas' remark concerning the crowds of people who have lined up a month in advance to see the much ballyhooed Episode I. If anyone on this board is a bona fide TPM line person, does Lucas' contentions anger you? Would you expect he of all people to sympathize with your plight? Will this statement deter the viewing process? I don't know, but I think George has been irritated because of the intense hype that has surrounded the film, the incessant coverage of the line dwellers adds more speculation about the authenticity. Harry! I manage a movie theater, and I saw it today at 8:00 am. It's cool, not great, but cool. Comparable to Jedi, but not nearly as significant as A New Hope and Empire. I'll spare everyone the spoiler filled details, and just say that chances are you won't be disappointed. Once you get past the fairly dull taxation plot, Jar Jar, and the relatively brief Darth Maul screen time, it's a fun ride. Kids are gonna love it to death, and adult kids like us will have minor qualms, but that was inevitable with all the goddamn hoopla! The reaction from my coworkers was mixed, but overall positive. It doesn't quite rank with the best films of 99 so far (The Matrix, Election, Cookies Fortune) but it's a shoe in for most memorable theatrical experience. Roger Ebert will have my respect forever for praising offbeat triumphs like Anaconda. I love this movie to death, it's got priceless deadpan humor (as opposed to groan inducing one liners in The Mummy), a great cast (Jon Voight did a great Brando impersonation), and cool snake action scenes (regurgitation!). I can't say anything remotely positive about Congo or Speed 2, but Anaconda is definitly one of my favorite swashbuckling adventures (and leaves crap like The Mummy pale in comparison).
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Does anyone remember the last installment in the Chronicles of Narnia, entitled "The Last Battle"? The negative backlash surrounding TPM reminds me of the scene where the Dwarves were thrown into the stable, only to emerge in the Narnia of the afterlife. Even though they were surrounded by paradise, they refused to see anything other than what they expected - a dark, dirty stable. Maybe Harry's fears will be realized and we will have outgrown the Star Wars saga. Somehow I doubt it (judging from the sucessful "original trilogy" party that I had this weekend). But no matter how many good reviews there are, and no matter how many people express their interest in seeing the film for whatever reason, the naysayers out there will refuse to be taken in. They've already staked out their spot in the stable, and it won't matte if the rest of us see paradise or not. The dwarves are for the dwarves.
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I'm glad that Mr. Knowles is now quite sanely telling us to see the film on our own terms instead of deluding ourselves to think like half-wit children.... I just read Ebert's review, and I must say, although the tone is generally quite positive, was there a touch of restraint -- a willingness to admit that the proceedings were a bit ... hollow? His point about how we ignore the riches of the starry sky is well-taken, however. I hope I enjoy the film more on a second viewing.
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Sure he gave The Mummy and Anaconda high marks, but he also qualified his reviews with "Hey, I admit I'm a sucker silly escapism movies" that don't pretend to be something they're not. The reason I like Ebert as a reviewer is that he judges a film purely on what he sees on the screen. I get so sick of reviewers who say "I wanted to see this" and "I was expecting that". Right away, that reviewer loses credibility with me because a critic is supposed to criticize, not fantasize. For example, our local critic, "The Hat Lady" (KRON 4 in the SF Bay Area), blasted the fact that the Anakin character didn't show any inkling of his future persona. It sounds to me like she expected Darth Jr., but Lucas is giving us a boy who becomes a hero before he falls, thus deepening the tragedy. Ebert never says "I expected..." UNLESS the story suffers a breakdown in structure or a character behaves differently that previously established. I guess that's why Ebert has a nationaly syndicated show, the Hat Lady is left to her gimmicks, and JMS is always on call to strike at Talk Backers.
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Since somebody brought up BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA in an earlier post, I might as well add my dos pesos. First off, the title is misleading. Sure, it's a rather faithful adaptation of the book, but it does deviate, most notably in the character of Dracula himself. In the Stoker novel, Count Dracula first appears as an extremely tall figure clad entirely in black, with white hair and a long white mustache. Why Coppola cast Gary Oldman (who'd make a much better Renfield I think) is one of those great cinematic mysteries. And the way Coppola chose to introduce Oldman: what's with that beehive 'do, anyway? From the first time we see Oldman's Dracula we know he's an otherworldly creature. Victorian readers had no idea what kind of monster this rather handsome nobleman was when they were first introduced to him in the book. Other problems: the script. It goes back and forth from Stoker to new ideas, such as melding the real-life Vlad the Impaler with the fictional Count Dracula. True, the movie, like the book, has Dracula getting younger as he feeds on fresh victims, but I don't recall Stoker describing him as a throwback to the Woodstock generation. Other problems: the casting. Keanu Reeves as Jonathan Harker? Why couldn't Coppola cast a British actor (such as Cary Elwes, who's excellent, by the way, as Arthur Holmwood). Ditto Winona Ryder. Reeves and Ryder are too American for their roles (although I think Ryder was cast because she had to drop out of Coppola's THE GODFATHER PART III due to ill health). Still, I prefer BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA over MARY SHELLEY'S FRANKENSTEIN any day of the week. I know this gripe is about seven years too late, and I know that this is a STAR WARS talkback, but hey. Somebody brought it up, I just wanted to spew a little about it. No harm done, right? We now return you to your regularly scheduled program already in progress ...
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Family entertainment bollocks!! What they want is filth: people doing things to each other with chainsaws during tupperware parties, babysitters being stabbed with knitting needles by gay presidential candidates, vigilante groups strangling chickens, armed bands of theatre critics exterminating mutant goats...
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Take it away George...
The Money Song
*** I've got ninety thousand pounds in my pyjamas, I've got forty thousand french francs in my fridge.
*** I've got lots of lovely lire,
Now the Deutschemark's getting dearer, And my dollar bills would buy the Brooklyn Bridge.
*** Chorus: There is nothing quite as wonderful as money, There is nothing quite as beautiful as cash.
*** Some people say it's folly,
But I'd rather have the lolly,
With money you can ma-ake a splash.
***
Finale: There is nothing quite wonderful as money,
*** (money,money,money,money)
*** There is nothing like a newly minted pound,
*** (money,money,money,money)
***
All: Everyone must hanker for the butchness of a banker,
*** It's accountancy that makes the world go round.
*** (round,round,round)
*** You can keep your Marxist ways For it's only just a phase.
For it's money money money makes the world go round.
*** (money,money,money,money
*** money,money,money,money
*** moneeeeeeeeeeeyyyy)
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Now I understand where Ebert's coming from.
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Ebert gave "A Walk in the Clouds" with Keanu 4 stars. a WRETCHED film. and we all thought Gene Siskel had the brain tumor. I miss Gene :(
PS...Return of the Jedi is the worst movie of all time! i saw it when i was 19 in 1983 and i haven't watched since! worse than Godzilla and Lost World JP2 combined.
PSS...finally seeing TPM on Thursday 5/20. -
I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive Ebert (or Siskel, for that matter) for positive reviews of THE RELIC and THE THREE MUSKETEERS ('90s version). I wasted six bucks renting that crap! Ebert's intentions are good, and he writes fantastically well, but the fact that he gave EPISODE I a fairly positive review actually makes me nervous.
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I rarely post on the TalkBacks, but I thought I'd like to say that Harry's right in saying that Ebert is one of the few critics who 'gets' STAR WARS. I think TPM will be 2 hours of glorious fun. We're all in for a great time at the movies. And as for JMS, tired of beating that dead horse yet? ;)
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Been out of town for a while so this is a bit late. I owe the Movie Guy a big apology. I'm sure that someone had said that his website that he kept hawking was porn. Well I should know better than to trust a strange computer. I violated a major tenet of impiricism and paid for it. So now I do the honorable thing and offer my apologies to him and accept responsibility for my error.
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YAAAAWWWWN!
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Try reading his reviews for a change, maybe then you
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Alexandra DuPont - After the scathing review you gave it, I don't see any hope for you getting it any more after the second viewing than you did after the first.
JMS - are you going to continue this lame bashing when the general public has a chance to see the film? Are you going to take the approach that anyone who sees the film and likes it is just brainwashed? I guess it's easy (and wimpish) to post rubble when no one can really argue against it. -
When I first disocvered Ebert, he pissed me off, and I hated him. I said, "this guy is crap." These were his written reviews. However as I became used to him, I realized some things. He's different from every other reviewer out there, and so is his rating system. He writes very, very well. He has his own opinions, and he's not afraid to tell people them. I often disagree with him, but I respect him and also often agree with him to some extent. He always personally justifies his rating, which may be odd, and I appreciate that. His review gives me more faith.
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Ebert has remarked many times that he has a weakness for cheesy movies that are pointless and entertaining to watch...Anaconda and The Mummy included. So don't attack him for his likes...Besides whether you admit it or not I don't think any of you are hardcore enough to say you don't enjoy cheese occasionally. And the Mummy rocked. One more day to go! Yahoo! Then another three years for the next one...hopefully it will be worth it!
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First of all, I don't trust the New York Post to inform me of very much. The NYP is shit journalism. If you've read the actual article only a couple of words are in real quotes. And I get the impression that Lucas may be a bit disturbed by a small portion of the fans. I sort of agree with him too. I went last Wednesday a couple of hours early to get tickets. My friend and I sat and talked about all sorts of stuff. The couple in front of me, a brother and sister, sat and spent the whole time arguing about the most insane minutia from Star Wars (movies, books, comics, games, yadda yadda yadda). It was kind of scary. Now anyone who's read my posts knows that I love Star Wars. I loved it as a kid and I still enjoy it as an adult. Star Wars is an old friend. But it is a MOVIE. A great and enjoyable movie but still just a movie. I'm sure that most of the people whom the ever cynical and smarmy media are illuminating with their "geek searchlight" are just having fun and fully realize that Star Wars, while great fun, is a movie. But there are a few people out there who give me the heebie jeebies and I'm sure many of you have felt it too. But before everyone starts giving Lucas shit lets hear what he really had to say from his own mouth instead of swallowing whatever crap the self satisfied New York Post writers spoon out.
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Actually, I'm not here to agree with much of anything JMS has to say (except possibly that Ebert has made some questionable calls, if these ratings are correct). I haven't seen TPM yet - I have 30 hours and 6 minutes to go - but I do think the guy is no longer rational when it comes to discussing George Lucas. But my point is that these Talk Backs would be a hell of a lot more boring if we didn't have JMS to play off of. Half the time I wonder if he doesn't just post to troll and piss some of us off. Know what? It worked...So here's to JMS for keeping the discussion lively.
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There's a new Star Wars coming out?
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May 17, 1999 3:23:20 PM CDT
JMS' entire life seems to be spent online bashing a movie. BIZAR
by cooker
'Nuff said!!!!!
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I cannot STAND what has become of you Star Wars fans. You have "lowered your sheilds!" First, you thought that Phantom Menace would change filmmaking, usher in a new era of excellence. Now, you're happy with it being, and I quote, "A FUN RIDE" GIMME A BREAK! Is that all you ASK from a movie? Don't you want more? Well, those of us that want more won't GET more because everyone keeps going to 'fun ride' movies. Now, don't say I should lighten up, or that I don't know anything. I mean, I enjoyed Twister, Mummy was kinda fun, but WE NEED BETTER! I'd bet 12 bucks that Lucas did re-shoots in '98 because he realized how much better TITANIC was than Phantom Menace, JMS, HELP ME OUT WITH THIS THEORY! Think of it, Phantom was filmed before Titanic came out, Titanic comes out, Lucas thinks "CRAP! THE BAR HAS BEEN RAISED, AND NOT BY ME!" so he puts 'more' into Star Wars during the Summer '98 reshoots. At any rate, you all should expect more. If you want fun rides, go to Disneyworld. Or Universal Studios, or Great America. If you love these movies, you'd want them to be good. Not just love them out of sympathy. AND JMS, HELP ME WITH MY THEORY! IT'S RIGHT UP YOUR ALLEY!
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Ebert critiques films different. He compares the films in genres. So if he gives "Cop and a half" three and a half stars, he's only comparing it with comedies in that genre. Giving "Lovers in the Arctic Circle" 3 stars doesn't mean that he thought Cop and a half was better. It just means that for an art film "Lovers in the Arctic Circle" only deserves 3 stars compared to other art films. That's what makes Ebert unique than other critics. Other critics will bash Hollywood mindless films because it is mindless. Ebert will critique a Hollywood mindless film and compare it to other Hollywood mindless films.
So JMS. Shut the fuck up already. -
Ebert critiques films different. He compares the films in genres. So if he gives "Cop and a half" three and a half stars, he's only comparing it with comedies in that genre. Giving "Lovers in the Arctic Circle" 3 stars doesn't mean that he thought Cop and a half was better. It just means that for an art film "Lovers in the Arctic Circle" only deserves 3 stars compared to other art films. That's what makes Ebert unique than other critics. Other critics will bash Hollywood mindless films because it is mindless. Ebert will critique a Hollywood mindless film and compare it to other Hollywood mindless films.
So JMS. Shut the fuck up already. -
Listen, JMS, I dare you to say something that isn't bitter and spiteful. Just one thing; surely that can't be too hard? Or are you somehow...incapable...of saying anything worth hearing? I await with interest what will probably be an echoing silence.
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After awarding Dark City Best Film of 1998, it should be obvious that Ebert is overly impressed with any movie featuring heavy doses of CGI. You must understand that this is a man who actually compared the hell scenes in Spawn to Hieronymous Bosch ( Siskel was rightly appalled. ) I think the problem is he's out of touch with pop culture. He's never read a graphic novel and he's never seen a music video. Therefore he thinks all that city-of-the-future B.S. is "visionary." A real visionary film is something like Blue Velvet -- which, incidentally, Ebert gave one star.
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Just for the sake of accuracy it should be noted the the Postman Ebert gave 3.5 stars was the Massimo Troisi movie, not the Kevin Costner one (1.5 stars). As for the other movies JMS lists, I've got to admit that most of the ones I've seen are movies I enjoyed. I doubt I'll ever see Cop and a Half, so I'll just have Ebert's word for it, or I'd be happy to read JMS's review if he wants to post it.
Anyway, I guess it just goes to show we all like different stuff (as if that wasn't obvious already). -
JMS is being misleading... he says that Ebert gave "The Postman" 3.5 stars.. that is correct BUT its not the one your thinking of.. he gave "The Postman" with Keven Costner 1.5 stars. I also couldnt find any Ebert review for "The Phantom"... and those are the only ones I checked!... so take anything he says with a grain of salt.
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I saw the movie yesterday at the Charity Premier in Dallas. I thought the movie was amazing and thoroughly enjoyed it! I don't think it's useful to compare this new movie to the old ones from so many years ago. I really feel that it is similar to the difference between Star Trek and the next generation series. They are both cool in their own way, although looking back on them which do you prefer? I would just like to state that I think people should wait to make their judgements after they've seen the movie and not even bother with the critic's reviews. I don't know about you but I for one never agree with the critics about the movies I've seen in the past. TPM is an awesome movie!
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100 Unforgivable Things About
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Living in Southern Kansas may seem like sucksville for most people just by the thought, but last night it sucked soooo hard. S&E doesn't come on until 12:30ish in the a.m. around here. Well there was some bad weather so there were the interfering chirons of info lining the screen. Just as S&E was scheduled to come on, the local KSAS weatherman cut in a talked for about 15 minutes on the weather. He showed his dopplar 4.569 system and his 3-D maps of all his nether-regions. Then he REPEATED himself!!! I couldn't believe what this dumbass was doing. I really think someone called the station and bitched him out because he said, "well let us get you back to your 'precious programming'". I hope someone cussed him out royally....but it didn't work. I saw about 5 mins of the show until dipshit popped back on and elaborated on what he just said. When he got done, the next show--"George Michael's Sports Machine"--was playing. I was extremely pissed. There should be letters written....but I'm too lazy.
jz -
Finally a critic has written a right review... NOT based on whether he/she liked the movie or not, but because of the purpose of the way the Phantom Menace is written. I saw Siskel & Ebert last night and Ebert is right, SO RIGHT. Many critics have complained the development of the characters isn't as good. Well, this is a GODDAMN TRILOGY! Do you expect precise, perfect character development to come in one installment of a trilogy saga? It needs others to broaden the characters, so we can gradually know their origin and who they are. Phantom Menace is a lot like a New Hope, in that it's more of a fun adventure than a character piece. The character development will be most emphasized in Episodes 2 and 3, just like Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi did for A New Hope, in making us know more about Luke, Han, Leia, and the rest. Roger Ebert may be wrong in his reviews sometimes (Cop and a Half is no exception), but he does know what he's talking about. He's one of the last great critics we have (with the exception of you, Harry... :) ) and nevertheless, one of the most three-dimensional ones we've got. Who would you trust? An annoying brat like Kan Wahl or Joel Siegel (that damn moustache!) or a experienced and well-praised veteran like Roger Ebert? I know there are people who don't believe what Roger Ebert says, well, at least he's honest in his reviews.
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So in JMS's mindless attempt to find fault with everything and everyone who has a single positive word to say about The Phantom Menace, he brings up Ebert's 3.5-star review of Altman's Short Cuts. Pardon me? I may take issue with his high ratings of some of the movies listed (esp. since he gave _no_ stars to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead), but Short Cuts was a marvelous film -- better than Altman's overhyped The Player, IMO. For that matter, I thought Strange Days was good too -- maybe not as good as Ebert did, but good.
As for TPM, I'm less forgiving than Ebert -- I'd give it two and a half stars, and the sad admission that I don't see myself ever excitedly doing the 12-hour, six-films-straight viewing I'd once hoped I'd be able to do. But you know something? I still respect Ebert, and his review -- _way_ more, certainly, than I'll ever respect JMS and the bottomless well of negativity he calls a personality. -
I am kind of sick of people bashing Star Wars for the sake of acting differently. I am convinced that there are certain circles of people in this country (in particular) that thrive on going against the grain; thrashing out at whats popular with the majority of people; love to rain on peoples parades; like to "rage against the machine," even if they REALLY like what they see. The reason why people bash Lucas or Star Wars or both is the same reason why people bash the New York Yankees and the Dallas Cowboys or Microsoft: many people resent others who are successful, and will do what they can to minimize the others accomplishments. I think this is the high-brow/holier than thou/elitist attitude that idiot critics (like the bozos at Time and Newsweek)and average people (like JMS Power) employ in order to "stand out" from the crowds of people who LIKE or LOVE Star Wars. People like their 15 minutes of fame, and if bashing a cultural phenomenon like Star Wars brings the spotlight unto themselves, they will bash away and soak up the comments and feedback, negative or positive. The old saying goes "There is no such thing as bad PR, just different levels of good PR." Its a distict way standing out; people have been doing it for centuries - standing up against the popular element so that they get part of the headline. Well, I bet half the people who bashed Star Wars (or will be bashing it) really do like it, but wouldn't admit that to save their lives. Because they must be different. And that is their choice. But don't rain on others' parades by imposing your transparent opinions upon others who like it.
We are not impressed by the people who bash Star Wars because the story isn't "deep enough" for their genius minds. We are not impressed by people who bash Jake Lloyd because he isn't a Shakespearian actor at age 9. We aren't impressed by people who claim see hidden racial stereotypes in ficticous, alien characters created by a computer (hmmm.. who is the one playing the race card more, Lucas with his aliens, or the critics who are grasping for straws looking for something that isnt there?)Star Wars naysayers: you can have your opinion, but you know what they say about opinions... I don't have to spell it out. Anyway, Ebert can have his opinion, I can have mine, JMS can have his, but none are the "right" opinion; so see the film, don't go in with pre-convieved notions about what "should" be in Star Wars, and just watch it for what it is, and what its always been about: a fun, action-fantasy film. The story is simple: good vs evil and the choices you make in your life determine what kind of person you can be. Star Wars isn't made for Princeton students or film critics to disect scientifically; its for fun. Thats the way it should be viewed. So people, just SHUT UP and enjoy it. -
... and critics just aren't influential out here. Most of the lousy movies on JMS' lists didn't even make half their original budgets back (Speed 2? Hooboy...). Ebert touting a movie has as much influence on a moviegoer as an ordinary trailer. And as for the thumbs up review, what did you expect? Didn't Ebert give a sycophantic interview to his bud Lucas yesterday on TV? So much for objectivity. Speaking of which, if Ebert had given TPM a thumb down, everyone'd be saying how full of shit he was... and JMS would be praising his keen eye for quality. Waiter, grain of salt, please.
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Having read the Phantom Menace novel, I can understand where the critical rampage against this film is coming from, but I don't necessarily think it has any validity. This story is a setup of the new Star Wars movies, nothing more. From reading the book, I have to say there was nothing in the story that I didn't predict would come about or that really surprised me. But this doesn't matter at all.
Why?
THIS STORY IS FUN! With all the controversy and the worry, people seem to be forgetting that, of all the new movies, this is the one that has the most of the original Star Wars in it. We meet the characters, they go on an adventure. I'm happy to wait three years for the real payoff, when Epidsode 2 and whatever 'Luke I am your father' plot twists George is saving are revealed. For now, I just want to see actors that I like (lots of them in this movie) play Star Wars characters, stunning eye candy, and acrobatic lightsaber duels. SPOILER ALERT SKIP IF YOU DON'T WANT A MAJOR PLOT POINT REVEALED (having to do with the titles of the tracks on TPM soundtrack).
I have to say, light as this movie may be, its not often you see a sci-fi film for the entire family where the main character dies at the end. -
I saw the film on Sunday, my reviews are on www.Stepto.com.
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http://www.fortunecity.com/tinpan/tigerlilies/125/philez.htm
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'Nuff said, bitch. By the way, if you think that I have no logical arguments in my post, you'd be right. Bitches like JMS shouldn't be argued with, only neutered so they won't spread their defective gene pool to the populace (although with JMS's rampant leprosy and third nostril I doubt that would be a problem). I have no interest in discussing this logically. Just please fucking die. TPM is an awesome experience, and I don't need any fucking mutant to tell me otherwise. I know what I like. Do the rest of you?
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'Nuff said, bitch. By the way, if you think that I have no logical arguments in my post, you'd be right. Bitches like JMS shouldn't be argued with, only neutered so they won't spread their defective gene pool to the populace (although with JMS's rampant leprosy and third nostril I doubt that would be a problem). I have no interest in discussing this logically. Just please fucking die. TPM is an awesome experience, and I don't need any fucking mutant to tell me otherwise. I know what I like. Do the rest of you?
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For those of you who are about to see Phantom Menace for the first time, I offer you this: remember that you can only see this film for the first time once. Savor every second.
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Harry's mistaken about Ebert's review of ESB. Ebert gave all THREE movies four stars. In fact, Ebert calls ESB the best of the trilogy. Check it out for yourself at http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/ebert_reviews/1997/02/022102.html . So, I think 3 1/2 out of 4 stars is very encouraging - but it would nevertheless appear that Ebert is deeming TPM the worst of the SW flicks.
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You're entitled to your opinion, but spewing venom for the sake of doing so doesn't earn you many bonus points. Remember that science fiction is all about embracing possibilities, whatever they may be. There's plenty of room in the collective consciousness for SW, ST in all its flavors, B5 and everything else to co-exist. If you don't like any of those alternatives, fine. But you invalidate all your namesake stands for by disallowing their existence and belittling the people who do have an appreciation for diversity. 'Sides you make all the rest of us B5/Crusade fanboys look bad.....
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I cant belive what I am hearing here! You mean that ep.1 is devoid of any potential academy award winning dialogue?Nor do you forsee any oscars for its' deplorable acting?Well....NO SHIT!!Since when did these attributes become deciding factors on whether or not anyone liked the originals?Bad dialogue and wooden acting PLAGUED A New Hope.From princess Leias faux english accent(that mysteriously dissapeared for EMPIRE) to the very melodramatic scene in a ANH where as Luke Mourns the loss of Ben-Kenobi:"I can't belive he is gone".C'mon!! He knew the guy for like a day!Yet he found some restrain from tearing up whilst gazing upon the meaty,bar-b-qued carcasses of his aunt and uncle who raised his sorry ass.I will probably love EPISODE 1, but then again, I liked WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY.
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OK... T minus 26 hours and counting! I'm sitting here with ANH(special ed) popped in the VCR playing a couple of decibles too loud and listening to OB-1 telling the troopers that "These aren't the droids you're looking for."
Gawd! I can't wait! All of you naysayers can go jump in a Sarlak pit. Tomorrow night, I'm gonna be 7 years old again and love every minute of TPM. I mean, come on! This ain't gonna ever be Casablanca. It's not supposed to be. It's supposed to be a cheesy space-opera! Great SX and great fun! And I'm confodent that Uncle George will have lots of both for me!
I'm really starting to get pumped! In just a few seconds, OB-1 will be chopping off an arm... Oops... there he goes! Mmmm! When I was a kid, that was my 1st dismemberment.
Y'all have fun tomorrow night. And if anyone in Dallas doesn't have tickets, they're still available at the Lowes City Place on Haskell & 75. Good luck, and may the force be with you!
Robb -
First off, what would be the point of banning JMS? It's been tried before... And to the guy who said he COULD debate every single one of DIDISAURUSes 100 problems with TPM, but instead went with the eminent "why bother?" argument... Wow, you sure showed him... DIDISAURUS, I like your list, but you repeat yourself somewhat in places. Edit it down to 50, and expand on your points and you'll have an article up to par with "50 reasons why he *hate* RotJ... (and LOVE Star Wars)".
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.. I miss Gene Siskel...
Roger spoke about how ep.4 was so advanced in it's day in the use of special effects on his show.. then he mentions that Lucas waited for the computer tech to "catch up" to his visions fro PM.
In the same show, Ebert then says that the Fx in PM can not compare to how groundbreaking the stuff looked in Ep.4
Why NOT?
The fx is ep. 4 wasn't about how advanced the tech was... it was how COOL the concepts were. The Fx folks used alot of the common fx of that day- BUT in the context that they were used it reminded me of A. Raymond's Flash Gordon and HIGH adventure in space.
COOL!!!
RoTJ did not remind of being a kid watching something coollike A New Hope did - it reminded me of being a kid watching something that would've been cool if done correctly. Instead of upping the ante, they took the easy way out. Instead of Harryhausen we get Land of the Lost.
Btw, with all the aliens in these Star Wars films.. I ask one question- where the fuck are the Asians? LOL. The Lucas team have definitely assimilated asian culture in their designs- just no asians in the film.
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>
Btw, that should be worded as a question.
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Why someone would spend so much time and energy blasting a movie is beyond me,lol. I mean, true it is YOUR opinion and I try to respect that. But when you feel you have to give 100 hundred reasons why you don't like a movie. It makes you sound arrogant, rebellious(no pun), and above all, like a major party poop. hehe. I mean the least YOU PEOPLE could do is let us see the movie for ourselves first (this goes for everyone not just nay-sayers). Who knows? We may even agree on some things(there were some good points regarding someones comparison to Titanic). But what good does that do me? I've only seen one of the two. I personally think it's simply become fashionable to dislike Titanic. America loves to root against something (or someone) that becomes TOO successful. Why that is I don't know. And anyone who thinks only teenage girls saw this movie and liked it are sadly mistaken(i'm sure it didn't hurt though,hehe). But I liked Titanic and I would appreciate being given the chance to like TPM.
DOOMZDAY -
I'm noticing there are alot of...how should i say...colorful things being said about this guy. So he said some bad things about the movie. He won't be the last(that doesn't mean I agree. just being realistic). My problem is that I havn't seen it for myself yet. But I will!! Yes!! DOOMZDAY
P.S.
And I have yet to hear him dis anyones mom. haha So chill-out. -
my ass, and it needs a good eatin'. You must have been eatin' someone's ass with all the shit you've been spewin' out of your mouths. First off I shelled out $500 to see the film and donated an extra $500 just to say thanks for an awesome experience. As I read these reviews I wonder if you people are even Star Wars fans at all. I can't believe that you would turn you backs on Star Wars just because this movie had a few MINOR weaknesses. Sure Jake Lloyd's performance wasn't all that believable, but are you tellin' me that Mark Hamill gave a dazzling performance in ANH. Then there's people bitchin' that there's not enough lightsaber battles. How many Jedi vs. Jedi lightsaber battles were there in the original movies? In ANH you had ONE, Obi-Wan vs. Vader. In ESB you had ONE, Luke vs. Vader. And in RotJ you had ONE, Luke vs. Vader. Now, how many are in TPM? TWO, Qui-Gon vs. Maul and Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan vs. Maul. That's double what you got in any of the other movies, so quit complaining. On a side note, for those of you who continually say you hate RotJ, just admit that ya love it. The only reason you say you hate it is because every other Star Wars fan says they hate it. It's like you think that to be a real Star Wars nerd you have to dislike RotJ. Bullshit, a real fan would realize that RotJ oozes with coolness and has non-stop, kick-ass action scenes. Just come out of the closet and admit it, RotJ rocks. Now the same thing that happens to RotJ is happening with TPM. Just shut the fuck up and enjoy the movie. Don't go into this movie thinking that your gonna see another ESB or the greatest movie in history. All this film is supposed to be is a faithful, kick-ass chapter to the Star Wars saga, and it is. And to MonsterVision, I'll bet your an unemployed, 35-year male, who lives in his grandma's spare bedroom, beats off to Princess Leia 24/7, and when your not beatin' off your in the backyard swinging around a golf club thinkin' your Luke Skywalker battlin' Darth Vader. I'll bet the last time you were laid was never. Maybe I'm being too harsh, but if you agree with me e-mail at my "Help MonsterVison Get a Life Foundation":
flexpeterson@yahoo.com -
The worst Star Wars movie is still infinitley better than the best Star Trek movie.
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I think mister JMS loves all this attention. Maybe if we ignore him he will go away...Aw who am I kidding. He will always be here spewing forth his rancid venom about anything and all this Star Warsy. And not to mention Mister Lucas, and his utterly silly devotion to Mister James "King of the Ego" Cameron. I would like to see more posts from ABking though, his posts are often hilarious, unlike JMS
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I think mister JMS loves all this attention. Maybe if we ignore him he will go away...Aw who am I kidding. He will always be here spewing forth his rancid venom about anything and all this Star Warsy. And not to mention Mister Lucas, and his utterly silly devotion to Mister James "King of the Ego" Cameron. I would like to see more posts from ABking though, his posts are often hilarious, unlike JMS
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sorry Kinda getting use to this new format
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For Christ sake, JMS, if you don't want to see this film, then don't.
Oh, and by the way - you're a cunt. -
I saw the movie at the charity screening last Sunday. I am not a drop dead fan, my husband is, but we both enjoyed it. I think that bashing the film will be the "hip" thing to do because some people don't wat to admit that a film made them feel seven again and full of wonder and excitement. I think Ebert had it right when he wrote that the energy is what draws us to the movie. If we nit pick over every little thing, i.e. this scene looked fake, blah, blah, blah...we are really doing ourselves a disservice.
See it, enjoy it and take it for what it is. it was never intended to be a Schindler's List!
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George Lucas is a hack just like Terrence Mallick. Both direct a movie every 20 years, act like their some film genius, make pictures that look great but the stories suck and are poorly directed and then their masturbating fan base instead of admitting or acknowledging the fault of the film say "Well you just don't get it..It's above you." No we get it, you fucking don't. Lucas did this as a marketing campaign, knowing he had a exploitable customer base to rape. The marketers know this too. That's why Pepsi gave Lucasfilm $1 BILLION DOLLARS for their merchandising rights. CNN showed how Lucas has sold over $2 Billion in merchandising rights already before the film opens. No company is going to invest that much money without doubling it and they know they will because of drooling idiots like the ones on this board. I hope the film is good. I want it to be, but if it sucks I'll at least admit it. Eberts review means nothing because all he reviewed was the visuals, nothing about the chracters or story. He was just bowed over by the scenery. Anybody who gave that over rated hunk of donkey shit Dark City the best picture nod has got something wrong upstairs. He kissed Lucas ass because he wanted an interview.
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Oh I see, that's what you need. you need to be told that you're right. Awwww, poor widda guy. Nobody will tell you you're great. Well that's OK, YOU know that you're the greatest. It might help to repeat to yourself "FOOLS, I'LL DESTROY THEM ALL!!! HAHAHAHA!!!" Merry was only about a thousand times more right than you are. P.S. Have you made that videotape yet?
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Ebert made a slight error in his review. He claims Lucas doesn't share other filmakers' stark and disturbing views of the future
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Is it carved in stone that someone can ONLY be a fan of one universe? That he can ONLY like "Star Trek", ONLY like "Babylon 5", ONLY like "Star Wars", etc? I love all three!And I don't feel the need to constantly compare them. Do you constantly compare your friends to see which you like the best?
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Hey JMS dood. I just thought that I'd take the opportunity to point out that you have achieved a new *legendary* status on my internet-waste-of-skin list. Your opinion is now as meaningless as those of Ford Thaxton and Theron Fuller from back in the the good old alt.rec.arts.sf.tv.Babylon5 days.
If you could get any more wound up in your frustrated-self-flagellating-jimbo-cameron-worshipping-george-lucas-hating-uber-weenie froth it would be truly frightening! Seek professional help, your case of OCD is getting outta hand.
Also: Try reading the reviews folks! I get the impression that reading is low on the priority scale. That way you can actually get a *sense* of what the stupid *rating* means. But wait! That might mean actually paying *attention* to something for more than 30 seconds....Yeesh! -
Well here's something for YOU to masturbate over: You're the smartest guy that ever posted here. Boy, you've really got our number. I'll tell you what I "fucking get". Most Star Wars fans are everyday Joes who like a movie. They probably fell in love with it as kids and still enjoy it as adults because it's fun. They lead regular lives just like anyone else and are no more "obsessed" with Star Wars than other people are "obsessed" with baseball or basketball (gee, how much marketing goes on there?). And another thing that I "fucking get" is that guys who are obsessed with what other people think are just as sad as the people who use Star Wars or Star Trek or whatever as an escape from their unhappy lives. But you certainly did succeed in getting across the point that you're smarter than everyone else. I'm very impressed.
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'Nuff said!
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I swear to god, I've heard Roger Ebert say the exact words: "The Empire Strikes Back" is the best of the Star Wars movies. I swear that Ebert said Empire was the best. Why would he give it 3 1/2 stars and Jedi 4 stars??? Jedi was NOT as good as Empire. Empire was THE best in my opinion. And in my opinion, TPM will be the BEST of the Star Wars movies.
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On this subject, Lucas said he purposely made them clumsy and less-efficient, which prompts the Empire to use "human" Stormtroopers...not that they were all that much more efficient. Nevertheless, this is just another reminder that this is the BEGINNING of a series. I tend to believe that when all three are done, Ep. 1 will be seen in a better light, just as early eps of B5 were fun to watch again after seeing the whole arc...seemingly meaningless lines took on a whole new meaning.
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May 18, 1999 10:10:42 AM CDT
JMS says *skkrk* JMS says *skkrk* JMS says *skkrk* JMS says *skk
by foster zygote
The JMS says "MOOOOOOOOOO". So... no videotape?
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BWAAHAHAHAHA! Of all the positively GEEKY things to say. What are you about eight? And to think you make fun of other people. And don't shit on Harry's rug. At least he gives you a place to make an ass of yourself.
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I've been an avid fan of this site for years now, and I have never taken the time to actually respond to any debates which have been started. Until now. I feel that we all have to put this film into perspective, and then we can enjoy it for what it's worth. Consider the following:
1) Most of us were young and unjaded when we first saw this film. It moved & thrilled us, and more often than not, formed our love for sci-fi fantasy films to come. ANH became the touchstone from which we judeged all other sci-fi films. "Well, it was no Star Wars!" How, many time did we say that through our movie going lives (esp. when we watched dreck like Buck Rogers and Battle Beyond the Stars) ?
Because of this, we have tended to make it a "precious" thing. An untarnished childhood love that can never be tarnished, no matter what people say. With this in mind, how can TPM possibly measure up? As a collective, we have almost deified the whole Star Wars universe to the point where anything less than perfection is now being looked upon as blasphemy!
Know this truth: Lucas is a human being, and like everybody else, he shits, he sleeps, he eats. And as a member of the human race, he can make errors. The only difference he has is that he's got a whck load of cash to give his dreams flesh, blood, and CGI. If you prick him, does he not...leak? The sooner we accept that, the easier it will be to embrace this movie.
2) Star Wars is like a familiar relative that you know is obnoxious, but you can't help loving them in spite of it. ANH, as everyone knows and has posted, had some of the most wooden perfomances ever recorded on film. Did we care? NO, we were 7-9 years old! ESB, Star Wars grew up with us, getting grittier! ROTJ, the finale! Winced at the ewoks, thrilled at Leia's metal bikini! All done, and wrapped up in a neat little package. What could possibly top that?
NOTHING.
To complete the analogy, it's like having that relative leave, and having their brother/sister show up to take their place. They are similar, but we have to get used to them all over again.
3) Incongruities and lapses in logic in the film.....WHO CARES? In the imaginary world in all of our minds, how often do we ensure that our fantasies are LOGICAL? Given the breadth and scope that Lucas' vision has, I'm damned surprised that he has managed to keep the story progression solid, let alone dwell on all of the details too! No creative effort can ever withstand a determined critical mind. Someone somewhere will always find a flaw. The question is, do we accept it and enjoy it for what it is, or do we attempt to surgically remove all the FUN?
4) The outcry of the fans. I pity them if they feel that they have been hard done by. I'm an Uber fan, and I feel that I am lucky to be able to share in someones grand imaginary landscape. Geez, wouldn't it be great to get Liam Neeson to come to your house and act out your dreams of being a young Padawan? Lucas has spent years developing the tools, the know how and the skills to bring this world to life, and has devoted himself to the expression of this sweeping tale, and people are bitching about the sub title THE PHANTOM MENACE? I feel (and take it for what it's worth) that the only responsibility Lucas has is to himself and his vision. I respect that he has funneled all of his own money into financing this film, and by keeping the geniuses of the studios out of it he has kept his ideal vision pure. If the fans feel hard done by or upset, DON'T GO SEE THE OTHER FILMS! Face it, it's Lucas' world, we just share in it.
Now, chances are I'm probably going to get lambasted, but who cares? There's a new Star Wars flick out, and when those titles crawl across the screen, you can be damned sure I'm going to see them with the eyes of a 7 year old.
May the Force be with you. -
So you did chicken out on that video thing eh? Pussy. Now everyone knows just how full of shit you are. Heehee.
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Here here, Vin. You've eloquently stated what many of us feel. Maybe some are so pissed off because to them it really has become a religion. I can't help but feel that if Jesus or whoever inspired the character of Jesus came back today people would run him out of town. Some have spent so much time and energy imagining what it should be like in their own eyes that when the real thing comes along they shout "No George, you got it all WRONG!" Star Wars helped make me a happy kid. Maybe I still enjoy it because I'm a happy adult.
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Wouldn't it be ironic on opening day,if everyone waiting in line for weeks were suprised to see the movie reel break right after the opening "saga" line. I think that would be funny.
Personaly I am going to see it Sunday on in the afternoon because i think that $7 for a lousy movie ticket is way to high, and if you waited until it came to video you could buy it for $20 anyway. Oh well. -
Ummmmm... Foster.... are you sure you're
a) happy
b) an adult
just wondering, I was hoping you could clear this up for me. Thanks! -
If TPM stinks because it's for kids and doesn't have engaging characters and is all expository and stuff, it doesn't matter. The next one HAS to rock. But if that one is in fact a steaming pile of $#!+, we've always got episode III. Which ABSOLUTELY MUST BE GOOD, right? Because after the expository stuff in the first two, that's gonna be the cool one! Right? IT HAS TO BE! But if that one sucks, then what? Wait a minute, we've had that fourth episode all along! That's the one that WILL NEVER SUCK NO MATTER WHAT! You can bet on it. The circle is now complete.
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What's with this place? I love the verbal battles, but instead of using random bad words pointlessly strung together, say something witty. Every once in awhile someone says something pretty damn funny so I know it's possible. If you're gonna disparage someone do it with style and wit. Half the fun is watching you guys goof on each other. But maybe I'm asking too much of the fanboys. Reading Foster, JMS et al bash each other is about as exciting as watching two flies fuck! There was some cat near the beginning who was bashing Lucas for capitalizing on a large fan base that would foolishly spend their money on anything WARS. Well, hey dipshit, nobody forced them to buy. Don't finger point because you don't have any self control, numbnut! I only wish I came up with something to sell to you suckers. Maybe a fake plastic pile of steaming shit on a bloody platter will sell. It should since that's what The Menace is! I've seen it! I'd rather suck the sweat off a dead guys balls before watching that shit again!
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What's with this place? I love the verbal battles, but instead of using random bad words pointlessly strung together, say something witty. Every once in awhile someone says something pretty damn funny so I know it's possible. If you're gonna disparage someone do it with style and wit. Half the fun is watching you guys goof on each other. But maybe I'm asking too much of the fanboys. Reading Foster, JMS et al bash each other is about as exciting as watching two flies fuck! There was some cat near the beginning who was bashing Lucas for capitalizing on a large fan base that would foolishly spend their money on anything WARS. Well, hey dipshit, nobody forced them to buy. Don't finger point because you don't have any self control, numbnut! I only wish I came up with something to sell to you suckers. Maybe a fake plastic pile of steaming shit on a bloody platter will sell. It should since that's what The Menace is! I've seen it! I'd rather suck the sweat off a dead guys balls before watching that shit again!
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I have seen Phantom Menace. I have conflicted feelings about it. On one hand, it was totally gratifying and exciting to see the first chapter of the saga that defined my childhood. On the other, many aspects of the film were a disappointment. But let me tell you all something ... The problems I had with the movie have nothing to do with unrealized expectations or any lack of ability/desire to witness it from the innocent perspective from which I watched the original trilogy. The problems I had are contained within this film itself, no strings attached. The story line was not very exciting. The plot moved along, but not much was happening in the mean time. The central action sequence was the pod race, and it had no tension because there was basically nothing at stake. That, and it was two laps too long. The main villain, Darth Maul, could have (and most definitely should have) played a more prominent role in the central chunk of the film. Instead of creating much needed tension and going after our heroes, he hung around the outskirts of town and didn
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...OR WHY I GET EMBARRASSED WHEN I ADMIT I THOROUGHLY ENJOY SCIENCE FICTION
Does the depiction of the comic book store owner in The Simpson's ring a bell? How about the abusive/derisive humor of Letterman and Leno the last few weeks? What about the NY POST's fabricated quote where Lucas Shatneresqely tells the cash cows to acquire something other than his merchandise? What about the backlash of the so-called film critic community, which like the Pharisees, created the hype around a enigmatic person, then horrified at the perceived monstrosity they in fact created, crucify that figure? What about the incessant bickering and odd behavior of fans which feed all the forementioned flames? How dare Neeson say he wont ever grace the presences of the rabid and disenfranchised souls who mark the courses of their lives with fan gatherings? How dare Lucas! How dare Shatner! How dare Neeson! How dare Berman! WE BUY THEIR STUFF!
That is the problem. We are the Johns to their Pimps. It's not just SF/Fantasy. BTW...they are the same, there is no SCIENCE FICTION...it is a contradiction in terms, an oxymoron...science is about truth and facts, not fiction. Look at sports and its rabid following. Look at how the money has twisted the values of its participants. Rose, Strawberry, Tyson, Simpson. Yet, we as fans blindly tow the respective party lines where our fan allegiences lie.
Many are calling The Phantom Menace the cultural event of the nineties, namely the media whores, their fan johns and the corporate pimps. I cringe when I hear that.
The single most defining moment in humanity was in 1969. More than a million persons in a thousand industries built machines which allowed us to walk on the moon. Would you line up for weeks on end to see a movie about that? Would you pay hundreds of dollars to attend a convention dedicated to those men? Would you pay for their autographs?
In 1976 I remember being so bored in my fifth grade class, that I figured out how old I would be in 1999. This year I turn 34. I definately wont be celebrating my birthday on Luna like I thought. I blame myself, not for getting older, but for reading too much into the television programs and the films I watched. I blame myself for not having the imagination to see a realistic outlet for my passions. We all should. Star Wars and Star Trek are fun...BUT. A very big one.
I have to admire those persons who pursued medicine because of De Kelley, engineering because of Doohan, physics because of Nimoy, or military service because of Shatner. Those who emulated their objects of admiration got it right. The end all, be all isn't about a fixation on a genre and has nothing to do with ownership of a product or products with no practical value. It isn't about righteous indignation over the remarks of the creaters of the distraction or the reporters of the distraction. It is about what you do with the precious resource of your time. We should have the same indignation over our abuse of our time as we do have with those for whom we work.
20 billion dollars. That is, according to Forbes, one of the elite media escort services. That is from you and me, for the next three movies and piles of plastic Jar Jars. Imagine what we could do if we TUNED OUT, like our sellout parents did in the Seventies. What if we spent our money on high tech retraining. Hit the weight machines at the gym. Read wonderful pieces of literature. Participated in the political process and demanded the best from our elected representatives. What if we stopped buying junk we dont need and started building things, things like automatons that do our present, petty, insipid jobs for us? Build machines that will take us to Mars? Build machines that will bring life to Mars? Devote science to prolonging life, so that we might someday see our great great grandchildren walk on planets with a differently colored sun?
Nah, that would interfere with us watching the series finale of DS9, watching TPM 25 times, writing letters to Paramount demanding they send Voyager home and writing letters begging Lucas to do episodes 7,8,9.
So what am I going to do? Hell, I think I will use the marvel of this age which is sitting on my desk to download some porn...
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You know,amidst all the turmoil and contraversy surrounding THE PHANTOM MEANACE,it became clear to me on what I had to do.I had to go to the man who could really shed light and bring order to the chaos, I talked to GOD.The following is what i remember from my little "interview" with his holiness:
ZF:So, you a big SW fan?
God:Well, its like this..
i created the universe
so I know quiet alot
about whats REALLY out
there.No big suprises
for me you know.
ZF:so I take that as a NO
God:I wouldnt say that
ZF:So you are a fan.
God: sure.
ZF: Have you seen THE
PHANTOM MEANACE?
God:I already have it on
DVD, but to answer
your question...NO
ZF:Youre kidding!! WHY
not?
God:I am usually building
galaxies and the like
so,I had to put it on
hold.Besides, George
told me it was better
in a theatre.
ZF:Have the negative
reviews made you a
bit apprehensive to
see it?
God: Not at all.
ZF:Have any of your
favorite movies gotten
bad reviews?
GOD:Sure
ZF:Which ones?
GOD:(laughs)Well, I think
WEEKEND AT BERNIES rec-
ived some unjust daunts
..That bernie...he was
REAL dead.
ZF: well GOD, it was
cool talking to you
GOD: same here, OH, BY
the way, cut back on
the drinking.And I
know what you do with
those"girly" magazines
Anyway, I hope this dosent add to the confusion to the film.
ZF -
or how I stopped worrying and loved the movies. OK that was really bad and I'll admit but I really felt I should respond to one of the earlier posters(just a few below me) who said he was ashamed to be a SF fan and that while he admired those who went into medice or military or physics becasue of Star Trek/Wars. I'll admit that I'm not a doctor an engineer, a scientist or a general. I'm a 22 year old "fan-boy" who will be waiting in line to see Star Wars(with his 9 year old little brother). You said that we should read a good piece of literature. What was the last piece of literture you read. You're 34 now, was it Grisham or Clancy? I just got done reading the classic abusdist play "The Dumb Waiter" and then watched the Robert Altman version of it on tape. I've just finished The Tempest for the umpteenth time. Since the middle of Jan I've read every Shakespearn comedy written and I've read a large bulk of work from Antigone to The Odd Couple. I've read "The Goblin Market"(which would make a brillent short film) and "An Outpost of Progress" I've devoted the past 5 monthes to nothing but short stories, poems, and plays from around the world along with reading all the Shakesparn comedies and a few of the romances(afomentioned Tempest, Measure for Measure and Winters Tale). But i haven't just locked myself in a room and read and watched movies. I've written a one-man one act play based on the life of Doc Holliday. I've acted in The Odd Couple as Oscar Madison, and I've worked at 2 other jobs(becasue it's hard to support yourself as a working actor) but that's not all, I've already been camping twice this year at an actual lake and not just in a Star Wars line. I think a lot of us fans are like this, not exactly like this but similar. We do devote ourselves to other things beyond SF. I can't speak for others but I know from personal expirence that I've learned a lot from SF, not science facts but about people. I watch 2001 and I see human nature, I watch Star Trek and Star Wars and we see teamwork at it's greatest. Star Wars teaches us that there is no gray in life it's either black or white, good or evil, not in between. Star Trek can give us hope for the future that despite what mankind does to each other we are basically good and we will improve. There is more to SF then just rambling fan boys and long lines and I think we need to remember this when we see posts like the one I mentioned.
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I'm a little confused here, folks. Please, help me out! Is this JMS guy you all keep talking about just a guy who goes by the name JMS or is it the creator of Babylon 5? I guess some people might be laughing aloud after they read that question, but dammit I wanna know! Thanks in advance.
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Wouldn't it suck to die before you get to see The Phantom Menace? I won't be able to see Phantom Menace till Friday, since that is my day off from work. It's Tuesday now...I got three whole days to try to stay alive.
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Coppola's dracula was pure drivel, for one reason... he had the gall to call it "Bram Stokers" dracula.
I wonder if he actually read the book. there was no silly love through the ages crap in the novel. the ending was changed from the novel, and the whole character of dracula was turned into a sappy -hip-sunglass-wearing wus. nothing like stokers demigod. The changes are fine as long as you dont claim to be honest to the source material, its really inapropriate in my mind. -
Guys all worrying aside. I just came back from the 12:01 showing and this movie was truly a Star Wars movie, it was awsome. Neeson and McGregor give great performances in their respective parts while Portman and Lloyd give pretty good ones. Everyone who said Lloyd was very, very bad in the movie must have been watching something totaly differnt than me. He played a KID...how do you think kids act in situations like that(if it were possible)? Almost everything about EP1 was amazing, from the cities to the battles. Sure the in between scenes were a little slow but they are just as long as they were in EP4. I have one complaint, and one complaint only JAR JAR!! What in the hell was Lucas thinking with this guy? I wanted to jump through the screen and just strangle this mumbling pile of garbage after he uttered his first few lines...but Jar Jar aside this was a great movie and I don't think any Star Wars fan will be dissapointed.....unless of course you expected the second coming while watching this.
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16 years of waiting is over for this fanboy. Fair Titania and I caught the midnight showing with our loyal cohort, and I have tickets for 2 more showings today, which I can barely wait for. In a word: WOW. The critics clearly saw a different movie than my audience did. Admittedly, we WERE the fanatics, and that of course was half the fun. The movie was a stunning visual and auditory FEAST, with more humor and humanity - and surprises - than expected. One surprise not apparent from the released soundtrack - just how stunning John Williams' complete soundtrack is. If he doesn't get an Oscar, highway robbery has taken place. FLAWS? Sure. But not remotely what I expected from the reviews. The pacing and editing in the first third is a little choppy; the culprit is how much Lucas is trying to work in, which is a lot, perhaps too much. And Jar Jar...yes, he may annoy some; he's clearly here for the kids. I think, however, that he may be a "grower," especially with repeated viewings. And even here...Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's interactions with Jar Jar, humorous at several points, make him more bearable (classic line: Obi Wan to Qui-Gon: "Don't tell me we've picked up ANOTHER pathetic creature.") The movie slows down by the arrival on Tatooine, however, and Jar Jar's presence scales back, and the movie really hits its pace, with 2 or 3 moving scenes in Anakin''s home - the David Ansens clearly missed something here, and it's here that you realize how much Neeson's performance carries this movie. The final third of the movie is simply mindblowing, worth full admission just for the light sabre battle alone (one complaint: it was too short!). A lot of people have commented how closely TPM parallels ANH, yet it was the arc parallels to ROTJ that struck me, especially in the final third of the film. The effects were stunning. One friend felt that the CGI looked "fake" in spots, but I didn't see that at all. The soundtrack, again...well, my God, it's fantastic. Preliminary summary: A few flaws, vastly overstated by critics, but a wonderful addition to the Star Wars pantheon. A movie which will grow with repeated viewings. And my audience agreed: raucous applause at several points, and a few well received laugh lines. DON"T DENY YOURSELF THIS MOVIE. And remember: Hate leads to the Dark Side, Padawan.
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You know, I had resigned myself to not seeing this until three or four weeks into its run. We're broke, we have a big family so we didn't have time to go wait for tickets....no big deal. I consoled myself with the fact that, unlike 2/3 of the people who were going opening "night" (more like "opening morning"), I had at least been alive and aware when Star Trek first came out, and saw THAT first-run. Ok, no big deal. Then, at 7:00 last night, a friend I haven't seen in two months shows up at my doorstep. He pulls me into the back room of my house, in complete seclusion, to "show me something cool." I felt like he was about to pull an ounce of premium Bolivian blow out of his wallet. Instead I see...brightly colored bits of thin cardboard. Phantom Menace tickets. I start to call him names and tell him how much he sucks....until he reveals that two of those tickets are for MY HUSBAND AND ME. Holy gods. If I'd've been male, I would have gone for clean trousers. So, all of a sudden we have two tickets for the 12:01 showing of THE PHANTOM MENACE. Arguably, we will be two (of the thousands) of the first people in the United States to see this movie, since we're on the east coast. YAY! (Copious spaces due to this editor not supporting carriage returns, and me trying to make paragraphs.) We file out to go to the theater at about 9:45. Now, Richmond, Virginia is really the armpit of the movie-viewing world. Crappy theater town. It's depressing. I figure maybe a couple of people will be in line in front of us, since we're there two hours early, but I also figure it'll be worth it. WRONG...they're already seating for all three screens, and the theater in which we're seeing it is already about 1/4 full. YEAH! WOO! We're not the only huge geeks in Richmond! We get in the theater and while away the time playing the Ipsy-Pipsy game, trying to come up with as many Star Wars-related clues as possible ("All right, a low ipsy-pipsy for a wager made by a bounty hunter....a FETT BET!!") People keep filing in. The energy level gets more intense. I can't believe it...there are people in Richmond who care this much about a movie. ROCK! Finally, the stupid pepsi slides end ("Low ipsy-pipsy for the morons who come up with these ads? a CRACK HACK!") The people in the theater APPLAUD THE END OF THE SLIDES. I'm in heaven. Applause for a couple of the trailers...most notable "Big Daddy" and "Austin Powers"....that's how the stupid studios should be able to tell how their movies are going to do, what trailers to the Phantom Menace people clap for?...and then, the magical words appear on the screen..."A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..." The crowd goes wild. I feel like I'm at the superbowl. If you think this should be commonplace, you've never gone to an opening day in Richmond. They usually sound and feel like the opening speech at the 14th Annual Mortician's Symposium. Some people are going to blast this movie, and I know exactly why. "It's too slow!" "It's CHEESY!" My answer is: GET A GRIP. Cheese? you want CHEESE? Ok, how about Leia handing out the big-ass Wizard of Oz medals at the end of ANH? How about the fucking "yub-nub" song with holographic microwaveable pathos at the end of ROTJ? "Luke, I am your father." Yeah, all right, dramatic I suppose, but if you look at it objectively...CHEESY AS CHEDDAR. The thing is....there's nothing wrong with that! This isn't supposed to be a dramatic commentary on the socio-political ramifications of opression by the imperialist war-mongers...this is supposed to be a mad huge costumed fantasy with lots of cool critters and stuff. And it IS, oh my, it is. I thought the CGI was seamless. I do wish the battle scenes (especially the saber-play, my god, what amazing choreopgraphy) had gone on a bit longer, but hey...if I come up with $150 million, I'll make my own movie. In response to other reviews, people have said, "If all you want is a fun, wild ride, this is what you should see," and others have responded, "I want more than that...it's STAR WARS!" Uhm....the other three movies were...hold your breaths....FUN, WILD RIDES! This is no exception. I only wish the stupid theater we'd been in had had THX. Dolby sucks rancid goat cock. To those who will either say that: anyone who loves this is an idiot or, conversely, that anyone who DOESN'T love this is an idiot....fold it 'til it's all sharp corners and put it where it'll do your anal-retentive self the most good. Movies are about enjoying what YOU enjoy. I loved it. If you didn't, I'm sorry. If you did, I have another compatriot. I had an absolutely fab time and I hope everyone else who's seen it did as well.
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May 19, 1999 9:27:23 PM CDT
I saw it . Don't read this unless you saw it too, partial spoil
by madmonkmd
Ok I liked the movie overall and will see it plenty of times(if for nothing else so that it can beat out gay titanic). The effects were stunning and never looked fake. As a sci-fi fan, I was amazed. As a star wars fan, i was somewhat let down. Maybe it was just too much hype and watching the movie a few more time will make it all better. Ignoring Jar-Jar, there were some parts that just don't seem right to me. For instance, Anakin BUILT c-3po? Ok, so when he and R2 arrive in Tatooine in Episode 4, where is the "Hey I remember this place." Or when 3po says "Thank the maker" is he really talking about Darth Vader here? Obviously Lucas didn't plan this when he made ANH so you can blame that, he shouldn't have made something so preposterous in TPM. 3po was just thrown in anyhow, it was a cameo.
I always figured the Anakin/Amidala relationship wouldn't be this developed during this movie. He is supposed to be 10 years old. Girls are gross at this age. However, I did like the angle where he was father by the force microogranisms(I won't try to spell their real name, begins with midi). When I first heard there was a Jesus angle, I was worried but at least this had an explanation.
Ok, my final problem was with the final battle. I can't believe I am forced to compare a star wars movie with this movie I am about to mention. The good guys are fighting a no-win battle, the hero flies to the "mother ship" and blows it up causing a total shutdown of forces on the planet. From there the good guys are just able to push over the baddies and win. How can Lucas rip of Independance Day like that? Maybe Will Smith should have played Jar Jar.
I'll end it with some good stuff. Darth Maul was a spectacular villian. He even dies cool. That silver ship is pretty neat. The build up to the pod race was really well done but the pod race itself was disappointing at parts. Lucas goes out of his way to create another universe and then places those dumb commentators in it. Can anyone think of something like this done in the other SW films? No.
That's all I can rememeber off 3 hours of sleep. -
Folks are going to say that the plot is too weak and/or inconsequential. "Trade disputes? How menacing are trade disputes?" Well, let me tell you what....World War I began because an unimportant figurehead was assasinated. Franz Ferdinand was not an important guy....but three years later all of Europe was embroiled in a huge war because of him. World War II technically started because Germany invaded Poland. Just little Germany invading little Poland. Six years later, we unloaded tons and tons of atomic death all over Hiroshima and Nagasaki....just because, years earlier, little Germany had invaded little Poland. Yes, I know, there were a lot of other factors at fault in both situations....as, indeed, there are in Phantom Menace. () The pod race which some people are tossing off as "Nascar in space" is important on three levels: first, Anakin winning is the only way the Jedi are going to get back off the planet in a timely enough fashion to matter. Second, Anakin winning is the only way he's going to get off of the planet with the Jedi. (This whole "the Jedi shouldn't have left the mother, they're all powerful, blah blah" completely misses the point of the Jedi working within the system, having to follow the rules.) This race is the KEY to his release from bondage as a slave, as well as attaining his future Jedi training. And yes, it's important...this freckled little sandy blond kid is DARTH VADER, fer chrissakes. Third, it demonstrates two of the things which make Anakin special...he has enough natural mechanical aptitude to have built this pod (and that cool neat-o droid) at the age of 9, and he is the only human to ever win a pod race...again, at the age of 9. He wins because he is just that naturally in tune with the Force. If he hadn't won, the Jedi would have taken too long to get off-planet to help (besides which the Sith would have found them within a couple of hours, and their ship wouldn't have been READY to make that cool save), Anakin would still be in slavery, etc., etc., etc. Also, the pod racers make really cool "whoosh"-ing sounds when they corner. :)
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Trying to compare George "Trying to Hide my Double Chin With This Ridiculous Beard" Lucas to Jim Cameron is absurd. The two cannot be placed on the same scale. Cameron works his ass off, Lucas hasn't worked since ANH. But enough about that. TPM was weak. The worst part, (which I've come to realize as an adult) is the whole altruistic "We've all got to help each other" philosophy which all these movies, and particularly this one, are drenched in. Lucas preaches against greed with all the subtlety of a crack-high Jehovah's Witness, and then he offers us the "KFC Darth Maul Bucket o' Extra Crispy". No wonder he targets young kids; They're the only ones innocent and dumb enough to fall for his self-sacrificing message. Thinking people realize that altruism is a dead end and that rational self interest is the principle that everything good, including this country, is founded upon.
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I'm going to step up to the plate for a defense of the film "Dark City". I realize this is talkback about "Star Wars, Ep. I" (which I will get to see Friday evening at 6:40pm Central Standard Time!!), but with all the attacks on "Dark City", I felt compelled to respond.
Everyone seems to think that it was nothing but a visual extravaganza -- they are obviously not watching this film closely enough. The plot -- and yes, there is one! -- is astounding and thought-provoking. The acting is brilliant: Rufus Sewell is wide-eyed and haunted, Keifer Sutherland gives one of his best performances as the sniveling and slightly manic, William Hurt brings a calm and quiet dignity to the film, Jennifer Connelly is baffled and hurt by her husband's bizarre acts, and the divine Ian Richardson is absolutely creepy. Now, I admit, I didn't catch the full plot when I first saw the film -- I was too busy being blown away by the stunning visuals and images! When I watched it a second time, I paid closer attention to the plot and the acting, and started to enjoy the film even more. And the score is tense and atmospheric, not all alternative rock music which I feared it would be -- there is actually a fully composed score. The fact that most of the film has underscoring only intensifies the creepiness of it all.
I think this is the mark of an *excellent* film: one that requires multiple viewings to fully savor and appreciate what the movie is all about. If I see a movie once and take it all in immediately, then I have been cheated of my $5.50 (it's cheap here in the Midwest to see movies!). I would prefer to view a film two or three times and only then start to get a complete appreciation of it. -
Lucas may not be the greatest director ever, but how you can worship James "king-of-the-world" Cameron and yet still have the intelligence to operate a computer is beyond me...
TPM may be the worst SW movie, but it will always be better than Titanic, a movie which is flawed in all the same ways but to a much greater extent. -
What an idiotic thing to say. Lucas hasn't done anything since ANH? Have you ever heard of a company called ILM or maybe...hmmmmm LucasFilm? Or maybe Lucas Arts? Or maybe the movie Willow or possibly the THOUSANDS of movies/commercials/projects/etc that ILM works on, not to mention Skywalker Sound. ILM and Skywalker sound are recongized as PREMIER studios and when you think of special effects, you think of ILM. When you think of sound effects, you think of Skywalker sound. Christ, I remember in highschool that my HISTORY TEXTBOOK had a chapter on the impact Lucas had on the movie making industry. Jesus, just because the man doesn't direct all that often doesn't mean he's just sitting on his ass watching the Flintstones. No smack on James Cameron, I think he's a fine movie maker/director and i love all of his films, but lets give credit where credit is due. Lucas had influenced the entire movie industry, both artistically and technically. Name someone else that can make such a claim. There are others, certainly, like Spielberg and Cameron, Hitchcock, Orson Wells, to name a few. Lets try not to piss on the man simply because he failed to have lunch with you and ask you exactly what you wanted to see in the movie. How dare he create something we don't approve of.
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I remember when Lucas re-released the original Star Wars a couple of years ago and I had the pleasure of seeing it with a full house of Star Wars fanatics. It was great how they cheered from the opening to the destruction of the Death Star. Last night they crowd was very similar and the howled when the Lucasfilms logo appeared on the screen. After over 2 hours of watching it not a single person applauded at the end of the movie like they did for Star Wars. Maybe it was because A New Hope has such a place in their heart that they got very excited seeing it on the BIG screen again. But I thought that they would care more about this. So I put my personal feelings aside and started asking people what they thought. The most common reaction was "what the hell was with that Jar-Jar guy. Lucas has sold out and he is trying to sell more toys to kiddies". They all went on to talk about how a New Hope was aimed for all ages but was special to that 18 year old who was full of dreams and aspirations. The Phantom Menace was aimed at selling toys to 6 year olds who thought that a annoying rasta-man with a lisp would be funny. I found myself feeling the same way the more they talked. But then I thought to myself, is this becuase I too hold that special place in my heart for the original Star Wars and don't realize that it was as cheesy as the Phantom Menace? I would like to hear some responses from some other people on this one. The people outside of the theater went on to talk about how: "Darth Maul was there for one second and then he got killed. We never even got to see him enough to really hate him and want Obi-Wan to slash him in half. It was like a mood point". Could this also be true of the A New Hope, but we have seen it so many times that we really care about the final dual between Obi-Wan and Darth? I know that there are a lot of people who are goin to or have already walked out of the theater and said to themselves "what the hell was that?" So I ask all of you Star Wars fans out there that have seen this to please respond to these allegations and philisophical discussions. What do you think, was it cheesy because it was selling out? Has Lucas lost his touch with the "lost generation", or is it that we have grown up so much since Jedi came out in '83, that we don't realize that The Phantom Menace hasn't changed much from the originals, but we have. I will look forward to your inquiries.
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Well at last I have seen it! And it was an asolute BLAST! This is truely a Star Wars movie. The Jedi are badasses! And for those who complain about Mauls lack of screen time: His major scene is fantastic! It ain't Schindler's List kids it's STAR WARS! And Darth Havblue: As a matter of fact I AM an adult so *THTHBTBTHTHBBT* (Sp.?)
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We had people cheer when the new film ended in our theater. Me? I clapped a bit, but mainly I just had a big shit-eating grin on my face. Ah, Star Wars.
Burning Bullwinkle -
I just had a flash of inspiration as I was driving into work today. Now this may simply be a flight of fancy, but take into speculation the following: Everyone seems to be bitching about the fact that Lucas has made the Midi-Chlorians in ones blood the reason for an individuals connection to the force. This removes the notion that the Force is a spritual strength rather than a physical one. People seem to be upset that the mysticism has been sucked out of the concept, but there may be a flipside!
Imagine if you dare----now that the Force has a tangible connection to ones physiology, it can be DUPLICATED! In other word...IT CAN BE CLONED!!!!!
Think about the possibilities! In ANH we were told that the Jedi were nearly wiped out, and that the CLONE WARS were a major factor in that. That's where OB1 states that he and Anakin fought together. Now, this may be speculation, but why would Lucas kill off his star bad guy in EP1?
He's on all of the merchandise and has become the mascot for the new series, and he's become a instantly recognizable icon now, why do him in? BECAUSE HE COULD COME BACK!! IMAGINE A WHOLE SQUADRON OF CLONED DARTH MAULS WIPING OUT THE JEDIS IN A LAST DITCH BATTLE TO SAVE THE UNIVERSE! The mind reels at the possibility, seeing Windu, OB1, a grown Anakin and the rest of the Jedi council (Great Scott! even Yoda...he could probably kick some Sith butt given the right CGI push!)in a feverish battle with scores of replicated Mauls! Jedis dying left right and center, as OB1 loses Anakin because he agrees to become a Dark Lord of the Sith in order to save the Jedis, Amidala, his kids and the lives of the people of Coruscant!
Let's hope that Lucas has this planned! WOOOOOHOOOOOOO! -
Lucas is like so many of those USC filmboys: spoiled trust fund babies. Comparing his work ethic to Jim Cameron is absurd. JC never stops. The man is a moviemaking factory and his resume kicks ass: Terminator, Aliens, T2, The Abyss, True Lies, Titanic. In Lucas' defense, you mention his work in other areas ancillary to directing. In this case, JC still has him beat. JC has forwarded CG more than any other man alive and was willing to put his sack on the table before anyone else was, but who cares about that crap if he didn't make movies? Directors direct. Lucas' body of work five years from now will consist of the SW films and nothing more. Don't talk to me about Producing when morons like Courtney Love et al are getting that credit. It's the biggest joke in Hollywood. Look, can you honestly defend the "Special" Editions? Talk about a whole lotta nothin'! Directors direct and all Lucas ever made and ever will make are sugary saturday morning movies for little kids. Don't believe me? As him yourself: Every time someone poses the question, "George, aren't your movies saying something on a deeper level?" The man admits, "Look, it's just a movie. Basically it's just a Saturday morning serial for kids." Amen to that, George. Just don't go trying to make a movie for an audience above the age of 13-- I don't think you're up to the challenge.
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I would think most spoiled trust fund babies would go to a more expensive private school in California like Stanford.
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T6000 creates less wormholes.
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Well, not a dead guy but a poster in a dead TB from 7 years prior? Wow, just wow.
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