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McCallum, let me get this straight... You won't put out a DVD but Japan gets a LASERDISC'
Some mornings I just loathe Lucasfilm, Lucas, McCallum and their whole manipulative money grubbing plan to screw over the little people. This 'advertisement that just popped into my EMAIL BOX just got me steaming... At least this'll make it EASIER for the DVD pirates to make GREAT FAKE DVDs. Though I think every film fan on the friggin planet would rather have an honest to goodness DVD put out by Sir George and his Ewoks of Marin County!
The Laserdisc Division/SendMeMovies.com
12115 Magnolia Boulevard, Suite 139
Valley Village, California 91607
PHONE (818) 766-2334 / (800) 320-8650 / FAX (818) 766-6799
http://www.laserdiscdivision.com
http://www.SendMeMovies.com
January 31, 2000
Just announced from Japan:
“Star Wars: Episode 1 The Phantom Menace” (1999) (LBX) on Laserdisc.
This disc will be coming out on April 7th in Japan and we should be the first in the U.S. to get it.
The price is $ 110.00 plus shipping.
Presented on three sides in CLV on two discs.
The disc will be THX certified and letterboxed to Cinemascope (2.35:1) width.
Pre-orders should be in by February 15th.
Orders will be filled on a first come first served basis.
Please place your orders as soon as possible so you don't miss out on this important disc.
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to tell you Iron Giant RULES!
(sorry Todd) -
At least I know that my bootleg DVD that I'll be getting will be of decent quality now. Yes I will buy the VHS, so that my possesion of said DVD will be legal. Lucas, you are an ass. If you wanted to keep the title VHS only, then you have just shot yourself in the foot. I suggest you solicit the DVD immediately, you still have plenty of time to ship it on 4/4.
Anyone else up for a peaceful demonstration at Skywalker ranch?
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What the HELL! Is Lucas intentionally trying to piss us off! I'm a huge fan of the films, and a proud DVD owner. It's bad enough I have to go without a dvd copy of PM, but now I hear this news...Laserdisc?? "The horror...The horror."
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Every time I hope that the man may really be genuinely concerned about the legions of fans that have filled his pockets to the bursting point, he goes out of his way to prove that his only real concern is the bottom line. Unfortunately, Episodes II and III could be scenes from the Lucas toilet bowl and he knows we'd all still wait in line to fill his coffers to another record level.
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Yes! The bootlegs will be pretty sweet, and it'll be nice not to have to give money to Lucas, who apparentley dosen't need it.
Anyone know if the laser has 5:1 sound? -
Yes, bootleg the puppy! At this point, I'd rather pay some guy off the street than those manipulative bastards at Lucasfilm, who will only be content if they can stick me with the cost of an entire $200 box set.
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I've heard that the reason there will be no DVD is that the movie is so bad it won't stick to a DVD.
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We continue to be insulted as a DVD community that time is the factor in producing a "quality" set of the Trilogy on DVD. We are told that the delay is a result of Lucas wanting to fill the discs to the brim with behind the scenes action, commentary, etc..., ad nauseum. Then explain to me, Mr. Lucas, why it is that The Matrix was released on DVD less than one year from its release in the theaters and was loaded with extras? I recently purchased The Star Wars Trilogy on three DVDs from Hong Kong, legal, as I own the VHS and Laserdisc versions. The DVDs are Laserdisc transfers, but I am very pleased with the video and sound quality...Anamorphic and 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. Will I buy Lucas' version if and when it is ever released? Not only no, but hell no. And my Phantom Menace DVD should be arriving next week. You lose George...if you do not provide what we want and what the rest of the movie industry already provides us, then consumers will be forced to get it some other way.
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I have this major feeling that the main menu of the TPM DVD will be of Jar Jar Binks guiding us through the different cities. Each city/area will have certain "extras" in it, but we will find out the "extras" are only some making of specials (like the one that aired on MTV), some costume sketches and pictures and the lost scenes of Jar Jar Binks making the moves on Queen Amidala.
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... that this movie, which most of you have been whining and crying about since last May, is in such demand. "We hate the fucking movie" "Fuck Jar-Jar" "Lucas sucks" Lucas Raped my ferret", whatever, and now you're all screaming and yelling for a DVD release. It seems that if everybody really hates this movie as much as they say they do, they wouldn't give a rat's ass whether or not it ever came out at all. Hmm... Just musing....
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So what's the URL where you can place an order for SW/TPM DVDs???
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Feb 01, 2000 12:35:02 PM CST
Where to buy the Star Wars Trilogy on DVD and pre-order The Phan
by imageman
I am being inundated with email requests on where to buy Star Wars Special Edition on DVD and the Phantom Menace also on DVD. Aim your browsers, my fellow DVD afficianados, to http://ccnowdvd.cjb.net/
Enjoy.
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I know we are all angry about no DVD, but this really isn't that surprising (especially since it was announced around the same time as the VHS). Laserdisc is still a very viable format in Japan. It never took on the technophile only status that it did in the US, hence there are a heck of a lot of regular people in Japan with Laser players, and they aren't as likely to give them up for DVD players as the american tech heads who have to have the newest, biggest thing. These people abandoning Laserdisc is really the only reason that we won't see one here. There is really no market at all anymore thanks to them. It's not like that in Japan yet so it is obvious that they are going to get one, just like it is obvious that Asia will see a legit VCD release of TPM, another format that isn't big here, but still is there. All this, of course, doesn't excuse the releasing of no DVD for anywhere. Also I just have to say that anyone who complains that Japan gets all of the good video games before us is a total dolt (like the above poster). Those games are made in Japan, for the JAPANESE!! Just feel lucky that they even release them so quickly here! It used to take a few years (only one, if you were extremely lucky) to get them here if you got them at all, but you didn't even know they existed for that long because you didn't have the internet to tell you about them. Now it just takes six months, OR LESS! We had Resident Evil 2 a few days BEFORE Japan! So shut up with your "Japan gets everything before memememememe!!!!!" whinning bullshit, and play the freain' games you got.
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I can only speak for myself but I LOVED the Phantom Menace. I have not onbe word of complaint about the movie. It was not the best STar Wars film (Empire still is) but it was damn good. I will buy the DVD when it becomes available and until then I will buy the widescreen video.
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I don't wanna get my DVD of Episode I and find out it's dubbed or some shit like that. Or I don't want to be half-way through and all of a sudden some asian chick is getting fucked by a couple of sumo wrestlers. So is this site legit or not????
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did anyone else see the sneak preview of Dinosaur on the Tarzan DVD. My God, there is no way it is all CGI. This is the most beautiful movie I have ever seen, and that was only about 5 minutes or so. Whatever the production costs, it is definitely worth it. No doubt, Dinosaur is the movie to see this Summer.
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I can see why this is happening ... as someone said, laserdiscs are a viable market in Japan ... but more importantly, videocassettes aren't. All they have in Japan now are basically laserdiscs and DVDs, and the occasional VCD. In other words, if it wasn't for this laserdisc, the Japanese wouldn't be able to watch the movie at home AT ALL. It's the equivalent to the home video release over here in North America.
Also, of course Japan gets the best cars and video games first, they're making them. Decades have passed without any country ever beating Japan in these areas. Are there good non-Japanese cars? Sure, but they don't last as long.
If it's any comfort, the Japanese didn't get the theatrical release of The Phantom Menace as soon as we North Americans did! -
I think I need help. I seethe every time I think about the changes to the Greedo scene. It is so awful. Before Episode I came out, I was visited repeatedly by nightmares that the movie would be an utter disappointment. In one nightmare, Episode I was nothing more than varied footage from the old films with scenes from the Nintendo 64 game Shadows of the Empire spliced into it. I woke up sweating and unable to breathe after that one. The other night I had a nightmare about Episode II. It was unimaginably boring and uneventful. I remember thinking to myself that an hour and a half had already gone by in the movie and that all hope was lost. The only scene I remember was Anakin's wandering around some planet trying to find Yoda. For some reason Anakin was still being played by Jake Lloyd. Nothing in the final thirty minutes could have possibly salvaged the film. Am I alone in this world? Are others visited by these terrible visions? Should my psychology and emotional well-being be so dependent on this? Once I had a dream that I went to the movie theater via Santa Claus' sleigh (such a kind old chap) and was pleasantly surprised to find the fourth Indiana Jones movie. The beginning was awesome. Then the terrorists arrived, and I was forced to evacuate the building and miss most of the film. I was very irked. Fortunately, I hit it off with a very attractive woman in the parking lot. We had amazing chemistry. We traded quips worthy of the world's best screenwriter as we fled from the gunfire. In another dream the Borg invaded the earth. I was assimilated. Let me tell you, being assimilated is a strange feeling, and seeing the Borg in Wichita Falls, Texas, is even stranger. The twist about the dream was that I still had a degree of individuality or personal consciousness that the Borg had failed to eliminate. My objective in the dream was to hide this from the Borg. It was very scary. In another nightmare, the earth's orbit deteriorated. It was very unsettling to see the sun rise and then abruptly fall in the sky. Pandemonium ensued. I don't know why people bothered with the looting. I tried to get home to rescue my dog, but she was already dead. I woke up from that one crying.
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What was your letter from last week, just some bullshit to be friend-friend with McCallum ? You are just a bunch of pathetic losers. So you dont get Star Wars on dvd. Hey guys open your minds, there are thousands of dvds on the market you can certainly do without the classic trilogy and the episode 1. This is a debate which make me sick and certainly shouldnt happen here, you push the insult by attacking personnaly a filmmaker. This is low Harry, very low. You really need it to feel the power into your hands of master of the net..?
Frankly thats sad...
John Peur -
Apparently, as I thought, it is not common knowledge as to where and how to buy the Star Wars Trilogy on DVD from Asia. My previous post tells you where to go to buy the DVDs and to preorder the Phantom Menace on DVD. Now, as to the quality of the three DVDs I received. I paid $69, including the shipping, for the Special Edition Trilogy on DVD. They came without boxes, but included the liners for blank DVD boxes. You can see what the liners look like at the site I mention in the above post. These DVDs are transfers from the Special Edition Laserdisc versions. They are fully menu driven, just like a normal DVD, have 2 Channel Dolby Digital or 5.1 Dolby Digital, toggled just like any normal DVD. They are Anamorphic Widescreen. I have watched all three completely, toggled all menus and they all ran perfectly. The ONLY gripe I have, and I knew this going into it, is that there are English subtitles at TOP, and Asian subtitles at the BOTTOM (within the black area of the letterboxing)which cannot be toggled, as they are hardcoded into the DVD. Other than that minor irritation, the discs are great, albeit for discs not produced by God Lucas (there is a brief pausing when the laserdiscs would switch sides, maybe a millisecond). Also included at the end of the movies on all three discs is the Behind the Scenes with Lucas interviews. All-in-All, I got my money's worth, and then some, considering we still have no release date or anything from Lucasfilms. As to the legality of this, since I own the original and Special Editions on Laserdisc, these DVDs are considered "Archival Backups", and thus, are completely legal to buy and to own. It takes about Nine Days to receive the order from Asia, and my distributor friend who sells these is now being inundated, and has been for two months, with orders and preorders, so prices may vary upwards as supply is outweighed by demand. Get them while you can.
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I've been wanting to know just who the HELL is this Rick McCallum guy? He's obviously simply a Yes-Man. Why do I know this? Because ever since he's had GL's ear, everything from Lucasfilm has been disappointing. Yound Indy. Special Editions. Radioland Murders. TPM. All of these projects should have blown us away, but they didn't. Episodes II and III will disappoint as well because I don't see anyway that this trend will reverse itself. Maybe I shouldn't hate ole Rick but just be envious of his jumping on the greatest Gravy Train of all time. Keep saying "Yes, George," Rick. I'm sure we'll all keep buying the crap you put out.
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Ai, a sad state of affairs this is...
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I have to say, Of course DVD is a better system but LaserDisc is really great too. I'm really happy that I have both. Ok, I know Phantom Menace isn't the greatest movie ever made but I'll buy it anyway. I'm happy to have the Star Wars trilogy on LD and almost all the Disney movies. Something you can't have on DVD. Ok, Disney are starting to release their classics now. But I guess my point is that both LD and DVD are great for the movie buffs. And I really hate the discussion because DVD is better. It's very simple. But I wouldn't sell my LD collection for the world. I have so many great things you can't get on DVD yet (like the Indiana Jones trilogy!) and it looks like I'll add one more to it soon. So you people who don't have a LD. Go out and by a used one (God knows why so many people sold their LD when DVD came out?), and dive into the wonderful world of old, classics and rare laserdics. It's worth it.
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Ah, you poor naive saps with your dvd players and vcrs. Have you forgotten the format that has been around for nearly a quarter century? As a proud owner of an LD player, I'm glad to see this (if it is true, I have my convictions) happen. Sure, dvd may be better, but who can't see the charm and character in the silver disc the size of a dinner plate?
And yes, as "antiquated" as Laserdiscs may be, a large number of them are in DD 5.1, or as we referred to it back in the day, AC-3. -
"JUST 1.5 MILLION UNITS OF THE SPECIAL WIDESCREEN VHS VIDEO
COLLECTOR'S EDITION ARE BEING PRODUCED!" Yes, as if they weren't screwing us enough, they are only making 1.5 million widescreen versions of TPM VHS release! All the rest will be PAN&SCAN!!!! You would think, with 5 million DVD players in U.S. homes that more than 1.5 million people would want the widescreen version! We'll see if they run out. In the meantime, I'm ordering the TPM Laserdisc, digitzing the whole thing, and converting it to DVD video. Then I'll do up some chapter menus with my authoring software, and send it all out to my buddy who works in a DVD factory, so he can run of a couple copies for me. Should be a fun weekend project. I might even throw on some extras, like the Fox Special, screenplay and production art! Fuck! I should get Harry & Moriarty to do a commentary!!! BAAAHHAAAAHAHAAA!! -
Gee, I know it costs a lot to ship things over from Japan, but $110 seems a bit steep. I just got back from there and was able to pre-order a copy on laserdisc for 3,980 yen which comes out to about $37.00 at the current exchange rate. That price includes the LD and four limited edition collector cards as well. My wife's so eager to get the disc, she's planning to arrange her flight schedule so she'll be there on April 7. That's my girl! As far as the soundtrack is concerned, I asked the salesperson at the video store whether it was Dolby Digital 5.1 and she said it was, although she didn't sound 100% certain. The laserdisc market there is still pretty strong, although DVD is slowly catching up after a rough start. The Japanese didn't embrace the format as quickly as we Americans did, but now they're making up for lost time. The best part is that since widescreen TVs are so popular there, anamorphic DVDs are in great demand. Several Fox titles DVD like the Die Hard series and X-Files the movie are anamorphically enhanced unlike their U.S. counterparts. Disney DVDs still suck though.
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...Lucas and company have become the Empire. It is said that in mythology, the theme of a story reveals itself when the hero recognizes the negative qualities he shares with the villain -- and then overcomes those qualities. Luke contemplating his mechanical hand in JEDI is a prime example. I wonder what former rebel Lucas sees when he looks in the mirror. Does he realize that the machine of commerce has comprimised his soul? We can only hope that something will reignite his storytelling spark so that we can all share a tale well told, rather than settle for Taco Bell collectors' cups.
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just wanted to say, LDs are the dominint form of media in japan, that and VCDs, DVDS are more comment, but not overwhelming so. In north america, LDs are a nitch market, and so if only a few thousand LDs are sold in the US of a big Hit like TPM in a market projection, then they're not really going to bother with it.
I don't even have a DVD player yet (mostly because i'm waiting for PSX2), so i'm happy with tapes.
Plus, $110 isn't bad for an import LD from japan...a friend of mine Bough 45 min long Lds of El-hazard TV at tower records in Toronto for nearly $100 each.. -
Boy I tell you. I need some time off from any sort of Star Wars (anything).
I am willing to wait a very long time for all the movies to come out in their respective Special Editions, even if it takes decades. I think I can understand why Japan gets the best Star Wars stuff. They are very respectful of the whole Star Wars thing. Not unlike here in the states where we are all spoiled brats. -
Now we can only hope that someone from Lucasfilm sees what you wrote and passes it on to George.
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We live in an age so highly specialized that no factors of our lives are ignored when major film studios decide to bring a major title to market. One of those factors is your desire and demand for STAR WARS products. It is in the interest of producers, the studio, and any profit participants that demand for STAR WARS product be maximized so as to maximize profit for any and all future Star Wars releases. Why would Fox produce a VHS of the PHANTOM MENACE and release it day-and-date with the VHS, when this would only guarantee that at least 5 million of you (the number of Americans with DVD players) wouldn't buy that VHS? Far far better to delay the DVD, and make you buy the VHS, and then later, make you buy the DVD as well. It keeps STAR WARS fresh in your mind, it keeps the issue of cashflow low at Accounts Receivable at Lucasfilm, and it keeps you hungry for more STAR WARS products. It is as safe a business model to follow as any. It is, in fact, the old Bunea Vista VHS/Laserdisc model. Disney policy was to never release VHS and Laserdisc offerings together day and date, because they said it encouraged piracy. Nonsense. It encouraged you to buy the VHS and then later the laserdisc is what it did. Making you wait for what you really wanted was also part of the equation. This is all part of a long thought-out marketing plan - how to maintain demand and consumer interest and excitement over an eight-nine-year span. The Plan is designed to maximize the profits of the STAR WARS franchise. The Plan has nothing to do with quality exhibition of these films, because there is no bottom-line price tag associated with doing the right thing or exhaustively celebrating these films. As a matter of fact, exhaustive special editions are probably the last thing anyone at LucasFilm accounting or 20th Century Fox Home Video wants to do, because it precludes them from being able to sell future "special editions". Like the woman who follows a plan of how much affection and love she will dole out in order to make you desire her more and finally propose to her, so is Lucasfilm following a plan of ordered, fake synthetic relations with its fans in an effort to manipulate little pieces of green paper out of their wallets. LucasFilm is "Rules"-ing you. Dishonesity and manipulation. The American Way.
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That DVD does. Lucas doesn't have to supervise the Laserdisc copying process, since it doesn't need compression, the quality is already high enough for Lucas standards and There's little chance that much will change about laserdisc in the next five years.
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DVD as expensive as a car? really? I mean how much does a DVD player cost in Brazil? But what you say about this is not entirely true. I'm not american nor japanese. DVD is pretty big in Europe too but as I made clear in my previous post I don't really care about what the movies is released on since I have both DVD and LD. I guess some of us should consider us self lucky to be able to buy these things. So people. Stop bitching and be happy! (:])
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I know many people who have been able to purchase the Ep 4-6 DVD's which were bootlegs from the LD....
The transfers are great, the DD 5.1 audio is amazing... I cannot wait to get my Ep. 1 bootleg transfer...
Stupid, stupid Lucas... He just doesn't understand the market that he is alienating by not releasing a DVD. -
The Phantom Menace was a misguided movie filled with that annoying jar jar and lacked the "magic" of true star wars. I cant wait to get my widescreen version of it on vhs and watch it over and over... the funny thing is, im serious on both accounts...
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The Matrix has you.
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Damn you Luca$. Damn you to hell!! There is only so much money in the world, and you can't have it all. So stop fucking trying!!!
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Why does this not surprise me? What's REALLY hilarious is to see what kind of roundabout justification that the self-appointed "True Fans" (read: Sniveling Lucas Toadies) will come up with to defend THIS latest development. To make one thing clear, I hated TPM. I think it was a waste of celluloid and ought to be tossed into the incinerator along with all those unsold copies of "Robot Holocaust". So I'm rather amused watching the Lucas sycophants flail about, finding even more ridiculous ways to convince themselves that they LIKE being raped up the ass by George Lucas - from the True Fans' self-deprecating "we're too spoiled to deserve a DVD release" to the Brazilian guy's "if I can't have it, NOBODY should have it" argument. The whole "Star Wars" saga has become a fascinating, slow-motion train-wreck, and I'm getting far more entertainment watching that train buck the rails and slowly plunge, along with its sycophantic passengers, into the Ravine of Creative Hackdom than I did from any part of TPM. Dance, fools, dance.
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Everything in Japan comes out on laserdisc, because people in Japan have laserdisc players. That's the reason they're getting a laserdisc. Duh!
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exporting dvd players to brazil.....anyone want to partner up? i'll go buy DBA forms for partnership tomorrow!!!!!
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Does anyone else think that A) Episode I was sub par, and that B) it's not worth buying...especially after the way the money grubbing pricks hold back on the dvd? What's their problem...they don't have to create demand for it...everyone wants one...they don't have to go the Disney moritorium route.
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A dvd player ranges from (tehe equivalente to) US$350 to 500, and a disc from US$15 (Warner) to 20 (super-duper Taxi Driver edition), whilst a popular car would costs about US$6000. Plus, you maay opt for a DVD-Rom kit, about US$250, maybe even less.
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Feb 01, 2000 7:22:35 PM CST
And, of course, my keyboard sucks. Screw you, Microsoft
by human tornado
Forgot to say, I
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All you jackasses still bitching that DVD players are too expensive, SHUT THE FUCK UP! You can get a home DVD player for $150 now!! Goto CircuitCity or look on the web! The players even play MP3 filled CDRs!!!
Lucas, if you are makign the laserdisc anyway, why aren't you selling it in the U.S. you bloated neck bastard!!!???! -
Those of you pretending that DVD isn't a common factor in today's movie watching society need to wake up and smell the freakin coffee. And, like Darth Siskel said, I've had enough of this "DVDs are too expensive." I saw a player for 150 bucks the other day, and DVD roms are only 80-100 bucks! Gimme a break! Oh, and a note to Lucasfilm: I am so fed up with getting mad at you people that I dunno if I even care about Star Wars anymore! And I run a goddamn Star Wars fansite!! Remember, Lucas, you've got a lot riding on this DVD thing... more than you can possibly imagine...
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All of you shut the hell up with your "I'm too spoiled" crap! That's BS! If they can find time for a goddamn Deep Rising DVD, they can find time for a goddamn Episode I DVD! Jesus CHRIST!
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let me first say i will report that web site selling ILLEGAL sw dvd's and promptly have it eradicated from the web.
what? you seem to think that since you own other sw formats it's ok to buy ILLEGAL dvd's? um no, doesn't work like that. this is NOT like taping something from tv or making a copy for your own personal use. this is ROBBERY! THEFT!
you pathetic children! "WAAAAAA! i want sw dvd's and i want them now! WAAAAAA!"
harry, you should be ashamed for even allowing someone to post url's to sites that sell ILLEGAL dvd's. -
Lucas is ASKING for the market to be flooded with bootleg discs. He's BEGGING for it. And considering the way he treats his loyal fans, he DESERVES to have the potential profits from a DVD release yanked out from under him. The bootleggers are gonna get RICH off of Lucas's arrogance and ingratitude, in spite of rat bastards like you. I wish them all the best of luck.
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You're going to report the sites selling bootleg DVDs? Why shouldn't they!? They not even bootlegs! They're selling Starwars DVDs!! Something that doesn't even exist yet! If anything, they're providing a valuable service that Lucasfilm isn't providing. Ahh what the hell. Just keep surfing on your webtv.
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Evil Baby apparently wants to have a taste of power or something. "I'm going to report you all, BWAHAHAHAHA." Thanks bitch. Great post.
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Yes I do hope the bootleggers win. Since Lucas will leave a vacuum, let the vacuum be filled. I seriously don't think Lucas gives a damn tho. Bootleggers will never really hurt him or his evil empire. It will only be drops in a bucket in the ocean. As for the guy who says it isn't a limited run ... hit AMAZON.COM for the official announcement. Only 1.5 million copies of the LIMITED WIDE SCREEN COLLECTOR's EDITION. Why ? It's a good deal. You get the WS film, a book on TPM art work, and a film cell. At Best Buy, you might even get the Insiders TPM CD Rom.
Personally I'd rather have the DVD... But succumbing to Lucas's evil ways and being the fanboy I am I will get the collector's VHS. I figure a bootleg DVD probably equals a legit VHS w/ collector's stuff. -
George is not the head of an "evil empire". Let's get that out of the way. People throw that word around the minute they hear that a man has a lot of bucks. Lucas does as much as he can to entertain... I mean look at the freaking Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (lotta sweat goes into those things). But in the case of DVD, he's just being clueless. I'm not saying it's right, but it doesn't make him evil, so maybe we should stop tossing that word around. It's reserved for Bill Gates. Now HE is evil.
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Don't bother with any online petitions. True, it's quick and simple, but don't expect your voice to be heard. It's too easy for one person to forge multiple "signatures" to these things. The best thing to do is write a NICE letter to Lucasfilm indicating your support for TPM or the SW Trilogy on DVD, Laserdiscs, Beta, Viewmaster, or whatever. But don't take my word for it: This is the gospel according to theforce.net. They address the issue of online polling and state that studio heads just ignore them for this reason.
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I don't know where you people get your ideas about Japan. Okay, it's obvious that SOME of you have been there and I apologize in advance to you. I lived in Japan for 2 years. I made a lot of Japanese friends and lived with 3 host families. I have many Japanese friends here in the states, OUT OF ALL THE JAPANESE I HAVE EVER KNOWN I KNEW 1 GUY THAT HAD AN LD PLAYER IN JAPAN!!! I also knew a family that recorded exclusively on 8mm tape, does that make it a common household item in Japan?! To say that VHS is not a viable format in Japan shows that you know NOTHING about Japan. You probably don't even know that most of the LD rental shops in Tokyo had to close for lack of business. VHS rental shops on the other hand are doing quite well, and are all over the place. In Akihabara you can now buy used LDs for about 1000 yen each (about $9). My favorite LD store "Discat" in Takadanobaba in Tokyo no longer carries LDs. They have gone DVD only. IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT KEEP IT TO YOURSELF!!
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He is evil, and he did act like a baby. That URL that was posted has been shut down...or at least, I can't reach it. Now my only chance to get a copy of that horrible shitty movie that I nevertheless feel I should own is gone...sigh. I guess I'll just have to have my brother pick up a VCD of it where he lives in Singapore. And no, I don't think I'm being contradictory. It took me two viewings of TPM for the geekfever to wear off enough for me to realize that this movie wasn't all that good...and three viewings to realize that the few cool parts were vastly outweighed by the parts that sucked. So I'm not going to rent the movie...I didn't go to see it in the theaters when it was rereleased on it's "charity" binge to soften us up for more toys, and I'm not going to put any more money into their coffers...but if a VCD or an copied DVD comes my way through my sources, I will keep it. But I stopped buying VHS 6 months ago, and I haven't looked back, and nothing...NOTHING (not even Ray Park) will get me to go back, especially not a subpar movie that makes ID4 look like Shakespeare. -Loki
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Ugh...it kills me that Lucasfilm cares nothing about the fans and only about money. Lucas, you're helping to destroy Hollywood. I don't intend to buy any copy of The Phantom Menace on video because he and all his evil cronies take advantage of the fan base they helped create. I can't stand Star Trek nor its fans, but at least that series has respect for it's fans and could care less about making tons of money. Grow up, Lucas. Star Wars nor The Phantom Menace isn't the entire world. The Phantom Menace wasn't even the best movie that came out last year. Fight Club was better. Sleepy Hollow was better. Stop treating us all like you're doing us a favor by releasing these films because you're not. WE'RE the ones who go to see your movies. WE'RE doing you the favor, and I think it's time you gave us a little more respect.
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As long as you all are reading this I may as well let you in on the secret that I have been posting here to all your dismay yet again;Denise Richards is in EP2 and this whole DVD thing is just a front to distact you all hardcore fans from believing this fact!And another thing,to make you all green with envy,the newest additon to my laserdisc collection: Tammy & the T-Rex.
Full widscreen to boot.Ahh,the hidden jewels just waiting to be found. -
I have heard several stories about the release (VHS & DVD) of EPISODE I, and I have become confused. All I will say is that if Lucas wants to hold off releasing the films to the home markets until the other two are made...well I guess it his right. However if he is going to pick and choose which markets to release the film...well that simply is not right. America is the country who first flocked to see it and it is America who spends the most money when it comes to the box office. With all due respect to Japan.
I understand it takes time to fade in new technology, but the distributors have had long enough. Reason why I will not purchase a DVD player yet is simply because the picking are slim. Perhaps they are out there and I just can't find them, but I see no Edward Scissorhands, I see no Dick Tracy, or any other film I loved to watch durring the late 80's early 90's. I see a re-released version of the Indiana Jones films on VHS but not DVD.
The only company who I have noticed to be doing well with its distribution of DVD titles is Warner Brothers, but thats it. But hey I'm not saying I'm all knowing about this subject. Yet until I see better stock on shelves my choice remains VHS. And Mr Lucas, if you are reading, some how I doubt it, but in case you are. Please sir, I think Star Wars is the greatest, and if what I read is true, I would feel as other fans would shunned. Do not pass up you biggest fans, here in the States, for others overseas. -
...I was just wondering if your friends in Japan are casual movie watchers or rabid A/V hobbyists. It always seemed to me that laserdiscs in Japan were aimed at a slightly higher end market than the average consumer, although it's not as much of a niche item as it was in the U.S. Did any of your friends have a MUSE HDTV set? If they did, the only non-broadcast source for pre-recorded hi-def programming was the HD-LD format. And since the HD-LD players are backward compatible with conventional LD, owners usually collected both. My personal experience is the opposite of yours. A lot of my friends in Japan do or did have LD players (many of them Karaoke combos, which explains a lot) which they reluctantly gave up for DVD. The early shortage of available American DVD titles may have had something to do with it. Now that studios are releasing region 2 discs at a faster pace, things are really picking up, hastening the demise of LD. I do agree with you that VHS is far from dead in Japan. Go into any video store and you'll see lots of pre-recorded VHS tapes. As I posted a few weeks ago, you can get all of Miyazaki's animated titles on VHS or LD, but none yet on DVD. You're also right about the smaller shops closing out their LD inventories, but if you go into bigger chain stores like Yamagiwa-Soft in Akihabara or Disc Pier in Osaka's Den-Den town, you'll still find a pretty good selection of LDs (including some anamorphic and DTS titles that aren't even available in the U.S.) With the cost of commercial real estate in Japan, I don't think they'd dedicate that much display space to LDs unless they were actually selling. Now that I think about it, maximizing floor space may have more to do with declining availability of LD than the popularity of the format itself.
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You are right, they do sell more LDs in Japan than they do here, I don't dispute that. What I do dispute is the post that said (not an exact quote but very close), if it weren't for the LD release Japanese couldn't even watch the movie at home. You obviously know a lot about Japan, and my post was not aimed at you. Please don't take offense. I do agree that LDs do sell in Japan, but LD rentals are few and far between (similar to the U.S.). I had a few friends who were movie fanatics, and 1 of them had an LD player (and so do I). Most families do not from my experience though. When I lived in Shizuoka (a mid sized city) they had one LD shop and no rental stores. Again, please don't get me wrong.
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I think there were only about 10 titles on HDLD. I vividly remember Discat trying to close out copy upon copy of "Chaplin" and "Universal Soldier" on HDLD.
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To the guy who requested an online petition (and everybody else that wants this dvd)
http://www.dvdfile.com/interactive/guestbook/addguest.html -
HA, (sorry), Edward Scissorhands is available on a Widescreen DVD from Japan (holding it right here). Was that EVER released widescreen on LD?
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Griffin3, I'll bet you don't even appreciate the irony - you berate us all for being "angry", and then you proceed to write one of the angriest posts in this TalkBack. Hypocrisy, folks. It's the stock-in-trade of these people. It's one reason they love George Lucas so; they feel a certain kinship to a man who is such an arrogant hypocrite. Do anti-TPMers make you angry, Griffin3? Good. I'm glad we do. Because as long as "The Phantom Menace" remains the most overrated movie of all time - as long as its supporters shout its praises; as long as they keep apologizing for Lucas's arrogance and proclaim that he is the greatest filmmaker of all time - we'll be here. We'll be here to remind everyone of what they know in their hearts, namely, that none of that is TRUE. We'll be here to remind everyone that this was actually one of the WORST movies of 1999. We'll be here to point out the woeful inadequacy of George Lucas as a filmmaker. We will, in short, be here to provide that crucial counterbalance of TRUTH. And despite what you say, you'd better BELIEVE we have every right to do it. Some people don't like the truth. For many people, the truth challenges their long-held beliefs and perceptions. But, in the end, the truth will set you free...... I must admit, this is getting FUN. I never expected TPM to provide me with such enjoyment, albeit in a way it was never intended to.
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bitch an moan all u want. lucas is a rich, stubborn jew, u'r crazy if u think he'll listen to you all. no of us fans stad a snowballs chance in hell at changing his mind, he could careless about us all, no matter how much we bitch. he knows damn well that every1 damn 1 of us will still go see his movies. that is why he knows he can do whatever his stubborn old ass wants.
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You're right Edward Scissorhands isn't released in WS on NTSC but it is in PAL *showing it to you*. As I said earlier. DVD is the best, but LD is really amazing. I still haven't had the experience to wan't a LD I couldn't get. I have that several times with DVD though. And I guess that's because Lucas isn't the only on out there behaving a bit weird!
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What is WRONG with this man? First, he gives us a children's movie in Phantom Menace. Then he attacks his fans in the media for their clear dissappointment, stubbornlingly refusing to remove the insufferable Jar Jar Binks from the mythos. Then, we find out there is no DVD coming. Now THIS? An LD in Japan? Why slap us in the face? We don't even have the original Star Wars trilogy on DVD! Give us SOMETHING! Geez...
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This is hysterical...has anyone counted how many times lucas says the word "monster" in the interview at the beginning of TESB special edition? he makes the wampa sound so scary. "We wanted people to see the "monster" so we filmed more of the "monster"...Well, at least when my phantom menace video arrives or my dvd bootleg, ill be able to watch my own version of it, fast forwarding through the jar jar parts that are annoying, thats good though, itll only take fifteen minutes to watch the movie. the first ten minutes before jar jar was on the screen when the movie was kicking ass, with destroyer droids and qui gon shoving his sword through the door and the republic ship getting blasted etc, and maul.
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Look, TPM wasn't the best movie I've ever seen, I admit, but because it's "Star Wars," I have a nostalgic place for it in my heart. I would like to own it, but I have a DVD player and I can see no reason why I should buy a VHS copy now that will degrade in quality until George et al. deign to release a DVD.
I don't understand Lucasfilm's argument for waiting, either. If the Laserdisc version is good enough for Japanese citizens, then shouldn't it be good enough for Americans as a DVD release? If not, isn't that awfully provincial?
As I've said before, this just doesn't make good business sense to me.
True, I understand market penetration for DVDs isn't nearly as high as it is for VHS, but DVD is a fairly new technology and last year's sale figures for DVD-ROM drive and home DVD players were tremendous.
And how will DVD market penetration grow even faster if the big movies folks want (i.e. "The Godfather Trilogy," "The Star Wars Trilogy," "E.T.", etc.) are never released?
The way I see it, put out the "Star Wars" DVDs and lots of folks will buy DVD players. Plenty of people will still buy the VHS version, and more money can be made from the DVD versions because the mark-up is higher. So there's no sales loss and in fact, you'd sell more, because the holdouts who refuse to buy the VHS version (such as myself) would then be able to purchase the movie. -
Has anyone noticed a strange correlation between Mr. Lucas and Michael Jackson? Not that Lucas is a sick pedophile, but that both men are so ridiculously rich that they're cut off from the real world and are unable to correctly gauge the likes and possible reactions of their audience. Lucas is holed up, sans wife, with his several (adopted?) children, utterly clueless as to what makes the typical warm-blooded American tick. The conflicts he creates in TPM, despite his earlier obsession with Joseph Campbell, are overwhelmingly superficial, save for those instances in which the background (foreground?) story laid down in Eps 4-6 create depth in the knowledgeable viewer's mind. I personally have little hope for serious, mature exploration of trauma, betrayal and redemption in the next two films: Lucas has become too CGI for that (he looks like a bizarre avatar himself). I'll just go to see the neat effects and lightsabre fights.
memedeme.com -
So first you are upset that George has made HIS film apealing to children (Just like the rest of the Star Wars saga) and to some of you this is George "Hating his fans". Then, when you say you didn't like Jar-Jar, and George said, no we can't just take him out, he is needed for the story, this is also George hating his fans? Now becuase he can't serve ups this hateful movie fast enough, he hates you even more? You people sound so stupid it just amazes me. Have you people ever been happy about anything? Here is the thing: George can do whatever the hell he wants with this stuff. He originated it, he designed it, he has made it into the most amazingly popular film saga in history. If he wanted to, episode 2 could just be a 2 hour zoom into the seat pf his pants. Now I would not like that either, but that is his call. Why? Because he built it. Because he built it all. And don't give me this bull about how much you have personally invested in making Lucas wealthy, cause you did that all on your own. If you buy a collectible, then you bought that collectible, end of transaction. It's not stock in Lucasfilm. It seems as if some of the people who think they are SW fans still have learned nothing from the classic trilogy. Patients, for the Jedi it is time to eat as well. Anger, Fear, Agression, the dark side are they. You know, I would love to see TPM on DVD as much as the next guy, but I am not going to accuse Lucas of hating us over it. Some of you people are just a bunch of whiney spiteful malcontents. If I were Lucas, I wouldn't change my mind about the DVD release. You are all like a bunch of spoiled children who got a brand new car from dad on your 16th birthday, who start whining that it isn't a convertible. I just want to slap you guys across the face.
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Coolness! That's the great thing about LD, no region codes. I love DVD too, but you won't pry my LD player away from me until all of my LDs are out on DVD somewhere in the world (and there are still quite a few titles left). I'm glad that I have a multi-region player though, makes things easier. I'm calling my friend in Japan to order my PM LD, 3900yen is a steal! $110 is a ripoff!
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Im whining because i wanted a five speed and i have this cheese automatic. Heres an argument, and i dont really care that much, but in the argument for the release of dvds, a release like the star wars trilogy and tpm would probably be the saprk to MAKE alot of peoplem BUY dvd players. star wars is powerful enough to have people say, shit, star wars is on dvd, i guess ill check it out. being that starwars is done so high quality and cutting edge, its just the movies people would want to get a dvd player for. but thats just an opinion and im not whining, id like the dvds, but im not losing sleep over it. "now you get to see more of the monster"
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Plain and simple'It's lucas toys and if you want to with his toys,you must follow his rules.
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http://www.dvdfile.com/interactive/guestbook/addguest.html
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BRUNDLEDAN; so because lucas doesn't want to release HIS property right now to appease fanatics like you, he *deserves* to be ripped off? wonderful morals you have there.
DARTH SISKEL; so your best retort is i'm a "silly webtv using loser"? bzzztt! try again later.
MATTMAN; if you want to quote someone, do it right. i said i was reporting that horrible web site. if YOU were getting ripped off, wouldn't YOU want it stopped? -
Gomer,
So first you are upset that George has made HIS film apealing to children (Just like the rest of the Star Wars saga)
Thats bull!
Lucas changed the direction of Star Wars from a movie that everyone loved to a cartoon, Face it!
My grandparents loved Episode 4 but hated Episode 1! -
Hey, everyone here should get online with quake 3 in an "aicn" server so we can blow each other to shitty, bloody smitherenes, would that make eveyone feel better? you dont like someones post, they making fun of tpm? hit em with a rocket launcher, or blow their fracking head off with a shotgun! ill call my character jar jar and just run around the levels as a mindless target. willing to die so that aicn'ers can purge their dvd woes.(theres actually a character model in quake3 that kinda looks like jar jar from afar, its hysterical)
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Well, in defense of what i said, i've only been to japan once, to Hakodate. Most people i met who lived in the city had LD players, some had VHS too. In the dorms, there was a TV with an ld player attatched, and a VHS could be hooked up if someone wanted it.
I never visted any LD only rental stores, most seemed to have LDs, VHS, VCD and DVD in varying amounts.
There were VHS machines around thought, but the impression i got is for copying.
You were,talking about toyko, which has alot more people than Hakodate, so there is a differance in the demographics. Though what was said about the japnaese Being a consummer culture is quiet true. i've known a very good number of people who've outfitted their appartments with second hand Electrionics from their neighbours, who were throwing them out because they were outdated. -
...in his last trouncing of Japan so the average consumer decided they might as well replace their broken shattered old vhs players with sparkling new dvd players. The irony in this is that everyone bought the godzilla dvd, making it the best selling dvd in the far-east, with phantom menace bootlegs a close second.
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I was just at the force.net forum and some guy posted a JAR JAR SUPPORTER ONLY or whatever message thread where about a dozen people expressed their affection for the floppy eared nightmare, being hardened by my aicn talkback experience, i immediately logged on as ripreaver and typed in a essay long diatribe ripping the piece of crap jar jar to pieces and expressing things like how "stupid" and or "dumb" my binks was. I didnt think, i didnt consider my action, i just instictively knew i had to get on and let everyone who peacefully believed in something have to read something totally negative and piss them off. i didnt even know i was doing it until it was too late....i love this aicn...its evil..im finished
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If we organize now, we can stop the money deranged Lucas in his tracks!
Who's with me?!?!? -
1)Just order the Japanese Disc from "SendMeMovies.COM," and enjoy the film. The movie is property of LUCAS film. They are in business to make more business and lots of money.
2)My 7 year old Nephew really enjoyed Jar Jar, so do many childern. Try to remember for whom and why the film's chracters are developed. Don't be so selfish. -
I agree with this whole DVD issue. Enough complaining!! I suggest using your purchasing power as an adult, not whining like a child. DON'T BUY the VHS version. Simple. I'm not going to. DON'T BUY IT. If you must have a Star Wars fix, then rent the fucker at Blockbuster. But DON'T BUY IT. Wait until it comes out on DVD. It won't be FOREVER. Just a few years. Maybe sooner.
I did the same thing with INDIANA JONES. Don't you think I am dying to see it on DVD???!!! But I refuse to put more money in Lucasfilm's coffers by spending my hard earned money on different versions of a stupid movie. It will make its way to DVD eventually. I'll buy it then.
I agree that it is stupid of Lucasfilm not to jump on the technology bandwagon of DVD. Kind of weird. But, what can ya do, huh???
STOP COMPLAINING!!! -
So, Griffin3, people that did not like TPM do not have the "right" to complain about it or even the "right" to buy it? That's an interesting concept. Exactly how would you suggest that stores filter out these people? Perhaps if all anti-TPMers were rounded up, flown in to Marin County, and forced to have a huge picture of a goofily smiling Jar-Jar encased in a red circle with a slash through it tattoed to their foreheads, and then released back into the world? That would certainly make things easier. Those completists out there that hated the movie but would still like to own a copy (in the interests of a complete collection, or whatever) could be instantly identified by store clerks and turned away. I can see it now. "You have no RIGHT to buy this movie!!!" screams the clerk as he spies the "Ghostbusters"-like anti-Jar-Jar tattoo (which helpfully carries the LUCASFILM TM. identifier in smaller letters below) and snatches the tape away from the hapless customer, who runs out of the store. Maybe the clerk could even call mall security to bar the guy from the store. Yeah. Meanwhile the next guy in line, the guy wearing Jedi Robes and desperately trying to grow facial hair to approximate a Qui-Gon beard (with little success) proudly sets HIS copy of TPM down on the counter. The clerk passes his scanner over the fingerprints on the case; on his computer screen appears the UPC code, the price, and the flashing words "TRUE FAN". With a wink and a "thumbs up", the clerk hands ol' True Fan his purchase. Or maybe this would all be too impractical; I dunno. Griffin3, how would YOU suggest your idea be enforced?
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I have to agree with Zerocorpse. It seems as though all the people who are posting negative comments are people who hated the film. Now if you hated it then why should you care. Do we need to hear from spiteful people who spend their days in front of a computer screen and who's idea of a good time is to complain about every single little thing they might read on the net? There is so much potential for internet forums but it's bitter people who are pissed of about their shitty lives that just waste everybody's time with long and repetitive posts. Some of you have even decided to boycott Episode 2 and stuff like that makes me laugh, because nobody cares. I'm sure that writing your angry little post makes you so proud, but how are we supposed to respect your opinions when they lack maturity and intelligence. I've seen Star Wars Episode 1, and sure Jar Jar was annoying and sure I have my complaints, but I still had a great time and it was probably the most fun I had at the movies this year. So in that respect, the film was a success. I'm sorry it didn't change your life like you expected. Am I disappointed that there are no plans to release the film on DVD? Of course, but I'm sure that when it will come out it will be a quality product, like all other Lucasfilm products. In the meantime I can watch it on VHS. So lets everybody take a deep breath and take a step back from this situation. I think you will all see that this really isn't a big deal.
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It is just a movie, OK even a good movie. The previous three were just OK as-well. Get a grip, if you like the film than order it. You have a way to do that now. It really does not matter if it comes out on DVD now or not. The television standard is changing and then you all will want to change your collections to the new HDTV format. So, just rent it on what ever format you can get it on. Then in 2006, get the HI-DEF Digital Version. DUH!
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One of the main reasons we DVD fans want The Phantom Menace on DVD is the sound! Let's face it, those of us who own a sound system can't wait to get this movie on DVD! DVD is the best way to experience the sound of the movie in Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. The Phantom Menace had some of the best sound effects ever created for a movie. The lightsaber sounds, the pod race scene, etc....VHS just doesn't do it for us because we have to listen to it through the small tv speakers, boring! So put it on DVD Luca$!!!!
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Obviously you didn't say "BWAHAHAHAHHA" in your quote. But you might as well have. Good job on reporting the website, you're a real savior to humanity. Who the hell do you think you are? What's the deal, anyway? You liked Mulder and Skully's badges and wanted to join the FBI but they wouldn't let you in?
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Laser discs have better sound and picture than VHS, everyone knows that. However, what some of you may not know is that the sound on a Laser disc is better than a DVD (in general, of course). DVDs are smaller and therefore the information is compressed, most people know this. Now, Laserdiscs are not compressed or made in the same way. Why is this important, because the manufactures and the studios have figured that if the picture is as good as a Laser disc (debatable), then the sound can be less then great and not too many people will catch it untill it's too late. This is how it works, the sound on a DVD is compressed at such a rate that, when played back, can't reproduce the quality of your adverage Laserdisc. I hope you all have held on to your Laser disc players and Laser disc collections. DVD is a disposiable format anyway. What you should be doing is holding out for a HDTV DVD.
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I actually lived in Tokyo, Shizuoka, and Hiroshima. I don't dispute that there are more people in Japan that have LD players than here. I DO dispute anyone who says it's the dominant form of home video. In 1994-95 I saw a few LD rental stores (which also carried VHS), but they have since gotten rid of them. In Shizuoka and Hiroshima I saw many stores that said they sold LDs on the outside. When I would go in to look, they would say they hadn't carried them for years. A few still remained, and in Tokyo there were plenty, but they were becoming very cheap. The demographics in these cities may be different from Hokkaido, but I think people in Tokyo buy a lot of new electronics (thus Akihabara exists). The point of all my ramblings is both VHS and LD are viable markets in Japan , but VHS is more viable, no matter how you slice it. Even if I were to say that everybody in Hokkaido has an LD player, there are many, many other people that live in Japan that don't have one. I respect the fact that you have been there, but I can't deny what I have seen.
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I'm surprised no one has thought of starting a hate e-mail campaign against Lucas. Not normal "You suck" or "I hope you die" hate mail, but something far more inflammatory.
And I'm not talking about "I'm going to kill you" stuff either. I mean a long, rambling statement of not only intent to kill, but explicit explanations of how, why, and when. And don't stop at just Lucas, if you want to get a reaction from the Lucasfilm camp REALLY quickly, threaten his immediate and extended family. His friends and neighbors. His employees, his dentist, and his barber.
Threaten to blow up his favorite restaurant. There's plenty of geeks around here who must know his favorite restaurant, they know everything else. If you're really twisted, threaten to torture one small animal every day until TPM comes out on DVD.
Naturally, I'M not going to do this, especially since prosecution would be fairly simple, as I live in the US, but I'm sure there's plenty of visitors here who live in countries with which the United States has no extradition policy, or who have bigger balls than Dumbo. And a comparable intellect.
Oh, BTW, anyone else seen the paparazzi pics of Natalie Portman that hit the web this morning? Try checking out the newsgroups or, if you have AdultCheck, http://www.johnny-web.com/ You have to do a little navigating around, but it's worth it. -
You know, even at this late stage of the game I'm still pretty surprised that there are folks who actually enjoyed the movie. No, I don't consider myself a "fanboy". I don't own any SW comic books or action figures. I don't read the novels. I own the original films on VHS and I saw Episode 4 in the theaters when it came out in '77. When I first heard the whole "But it's a children's film!" argument being made in support of Episode 1 after my initial disappointment, I actually gave it some credence. But after seeing it again I'd have to disagree strongly with that assessment (and with pretty much every other excuse I've heard in its defence since then). It just isn't a very good film (despite the thrill of the pod-race and the duel at the end). It lacks so much of what makes a decent film, I'm not even going to waste time going into it. Although the original films also contained clunky dialogue and annoying characters (Luke wasn't remotely tolerable until Jedi), there was an integral difference: The originals were universally enjoyed by both children AND adults. As for PM, most of the adults I know thought ill of it, while their children liked it. Lucas seems more interestd these days in appealing solely to children and in getting commercial product tie-ins than in a coherent, well-structured plot. That, to me, seems the key difference.
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Testing, Testing, 1-2-3. TPM sucks. Brr-hrrr-hrrrmm. Okay.
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And just how are we supposed to get a Laserdisc player now!?! Right now, DVD is the best and only way to experience home theater at it's best, for sound and picture quality. And who ever said that the sound quality was better on Laserdisc! I've heard that Laserdiscs were manufactured with a higher volume setting than DVD's making them sound louder than DVDs, not necessarily better. Why should we have to keep holding out for better technology, forking over more hard earned cash for newer better hardware, when we've got the greatest advancement in home theater right now, it's called DVD, unless you actually prefer to wait for blue laser technology or HD-DVD, for when they do eventually come out we'll have to wait an additional 5 to 10 years for the prices to drop low enough for the average consumer to buy one. I don't feel like waiting that long just the darn Star Wars movies on a digital format!?!?!
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I must appologise for what i said earlier, i ment to say Lds were more dominient in japan than in North america, but weren't more than VHS, its something like 10% rather than 1% here in NA.
Sorry about that, i was typing that response quicky and i didn't have time to check it. But there are alot more LDs out in japan that never see the light of day in North america, Like that really odd Dune LD thats there...i can't explain what it is exactly, but its diffearnt than the widecreen one i bought at a local HMV.
About people having LD players, most of the people were movie geeks, would you belive one of the guys had pretty much every Troma film on LD? ouch...those damn killer condoms... -
Are these the same Talkback posters who have been screaming about how terrible TPM was?!?! Now they want a DVD of TPM??? Talk about having your cake and eating it too!!
I thought TPM was great! I saw it 5 times at the theaters. TPM is second only to 'Empire' of the Star Wars films. Jar Jar is much less annoying than the Ewoks are.
I have my copy of the Widescreen VHS already reserved...
As for all of you Lucas bashers...you are a loud, tantrum throwing minority of punks who I'm sure Lucas doesn't even blink an eye at.
The vast majority of moviegoers have placed every Star Wars picture in the top 10 all-time box office list.
I don't think Lucas worries too much about your silly rants... -
Awesome that there are some folks here that agree with me that Phantom wasn't as bad as some others here say it was...
I couldn't agree with you more. Just pisses me off because I didn -
Feb 03, 2000 9:17:42 AM CST
Lucas craps in his own pants and Rick McCallum is blamed...AGAIN
by sniper_x
I am very tired of hearing people blasting Rick Mccallum for ruining Star Wars. McCallum is a PRODUCER. It is his job to ensure the efficient production of Lucas' projects- NOT dictate creative terms- and I think he did a fine job with the Phantom Menace- Sure, the movie was complete fuckin barf, but it was WELL produced- the money was right up there on the screen and my hat is off to the guy. Don't blame him because it's his job to produce a puerile screenplay. You all have to come to terms with it sooner or later kids- Lucas fuckin LOST IT. He had UNPRECEDENTED freedom in the creation of TPM. The movie is his fault ALONE.
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jar jar stumbling around gives belly laughs? that was funny? I wish i could laugh that easily....Im just a sour aicn talkbacker though...
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Does anyone out there have any good reason as to why the Lucas empire is not releasing Episode One on DVD, as it seems absurd not to take advantage of such an awsome format!!!
Quickly losing respect for Mr. george. -
Just breifly, I would rather have TPM on LaserDisc ANY century than on DVD.
It is bad enough that everything is Digitally mastered nowadays with it's associated digital artifacting, and the unnatural looking edges that show up all over EVERYTHING in the video image as a result of the digitization process.
DVD goes even further, and does a combination of "frame rate reduction" and "video compression" both to REDUCE the actual video content to a point that the comparitively LOW DATA RATE DVD technology can be used to stream an actual video image. Then of course there is the compression of the audio data also... The results are a picture which is FAR less than the original. The imagaes may look sharp, but are "artifically" so, caused by how the computer(s) during the digitization, and compression phases converted the video and subsequently reduced the resulting data so it would be usable in the DVD format.
With LaserDisc, the video is shown UNCOMPRESSED, and as it was mastered. This makes it as good, (or bad), as the master source. The Digital Stereo audio also is UNCOMPRESSED and equivelent to that of the standard audio CD. In the AC-3(Dolby Digital)which is the same as DVD, and DTS, which is better(arguably), audio formats, the audio is again compressed to facilitate the ability of the multiple channels of audio in the wider frequency response allowed by the two formats.
If you are among the majority of consumers that either don't notice the digital video losses assoiciated with the digital video formats, or that have a TV that is SO out of focus, or has such a low resolution capability that the problems CAN NOT be seen, and you feel you need to buy DVD. Great, go ahead and wait till TPM comes out on DVD here if you want. Likewise, if you want to turn down the sharpness on your TV till the picture is fuzzy on the edges to hide the fact that the DVD (or other) digital source is being used, and resulting in a less than original viewing experience, you can wait for the DVD also.
If however, you are in the minority, and notice, or worse, are subject to headaches, or other symptoms from the effects of visual motion sickness caused by the reduced frame rate, and motion data reduction algorithms used during the digital data reduction/compression phase of digital video. You probably will want to buy the LaserDisc, or possibly the VHS tape version instead. -
According to OFFICIAL sources. Mr. Lucas want to do "Something special" with the DVD releases of Star Wars, to exploit the many features that are available in the format for multi-configurable viewing. He is currently far too busy with Episode II to put ANY time into the creation and implementaion of such an expanded video release version. As a result the DVD release in on INDEFINATE hold till he has time to work on it!
He is a perfectionist, and when he as an idea of what he wants, he won't settle for less.
Side note: The Phantom Menace was a bad show? If you think that it is bad, just look at his Lucas' early stuff. Many people thought, (and still do), that StarWars was a fluke, and that Lucas would NEVER be able to do anything above average again... (But he has somehow put out alot of good shows since then). Everyone can make something that people don't like, some people can make something some people will like. And than there is that RARE instance when there is a creation that it seems EVERYONE likes! George Lucas has had items in all three categories, and keeps on going! -
Feb 03, 2000 1:43:05 PM CST
Amen! Doolhoda. Laserdiscs are better than DVDs, thank you. TH
by big bob
OK, I will admit that DVD are better in one way, you don't have to turn them over like LDs. However, in almost all other ways LDs are better than DVDs (in general and when the mastering and pressing are done right).
Anyway, if you order the LD from LASERDICSDIVISION.COM or SENDMEMOVIES.COM you should place an order like normal. TPM will be on thier site Monday (2/7/00) to order, otherwise you have to call them. But, there is a better way... You should ask for it in the comments section of the ordering form. This method may be just alittle more easier and cheaper than placing a long distance phone call to them. "May the force be with you!" -
I had to log in to say to all DVD owners... Don't but the VHS. I think we can all agree this is about how much money LucasFilm can make, not about their limited resources for a cool DVD. Just Imagine how stupid all will feel 6 months from now, after you've laid down your hard earned cash for the VHS, they announce a COOL DVD. Just as sure as David Lee Roth will be touring with VH next year to pay for Valeries new Jag we will have a Episode I DVD. By the way I say my prayers for Episode II every night...No Jar Jar...No Jar Jar...No Jar Jar... Please God don't let this movie suck like Jedi or Episode I...
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Feb 03, 2000 6:12:01 PM CST
We, As The Consumer, May Be Able To Force Lucas To Put TPM On DV
by rightwing dude
Many of you have said that you are going to buy TPM on VHS even though you have DVD players. Well, just don't buy it unless it's on DVD-send Lucas a message. If you guys can stay strong, resist the urge to buy it, and spread the word everywhere-we can start our own little campaign to bring it to DVD. Sure, the film is gonna sell well regardless, but if we stick to our guns, we CAN have an impact. I'm NOT buying TPM at all until it is released on DVD-period. Please, let me know what you guys think.
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You Laserdisc fanatics are blind, I can't believe you actually prefer a format like laserdisc over DVD. Don't get me wrong, I've rented a Laserdisc player a while ago and watched Titanic, Independence Day, and the Star Wars Trilogy all on Laserdisc. But it, in no way, is better than DVD. The picture is fuzzy, the sound is louder, not better, the movies are put on 3 or more large discs, which aren't as durable and more likely to get damaged, and they don't come with any special features. Plus, the only way to get your hands on a Laserdisc player now, is either in a junk store, or Japan, long live DVD! P.S. - I loved the Phantom Menace!!!
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George [Mr. Lard-for-a-Neck] Lucas has done it again. First he makes the juvenile trash that is Episode I, hyping it to heaven and wasting millions of disappointed fans' money. Then he refuses to release the original trilogy on DVDs because of greed. Not to mention his evil plan to force digital film into the cinema houses the way he did with THX. Let's just say what he's doing with this Japan-only LD seems mild in comparison. I hope Episode II blows. The best Star Wars film remains Empire Strikes Back, and why would that be? Lucas didn't direct it.
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ImageMan, your website you keep giving out I'm sure used to work, but now since everyone went to it looking for the DVD's, it got fucked over for you. For the rest of you who are desperate for SW on DVD, you can head on over to e-Bay, search for Star Wars DVD, and you will see there are plenty of LD transferred DVD's among the lot of VCD's. Only problem is the built in subtitles. I do have one question though, why does frigg'n China already have the damn LD/VCD. I don't think they are all bootlegs either. Some I think are legit..Why is that? Same with a bunch of Studio Ghibli movies, they have them on DVD over there. Now I ask you, WHAT THE FUCK? Please if anyone knows, respond in the talkback or mail me. THanks!
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You actually thought that wretched Jar Jar Binks was FUNNY? My goodness. Has the bar for comedy sunken so low in recent years? I thought it would take more than stepping in crap and knocking things over to get a decent laugh these days, but maybe I'm wrong. Yeesh.
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Exactly! Who bloody cares! Since there are so many "Star Wars" fans that hate TPM, a lot don't intend nor will they buy TPM on DVD, LD, or VHS. Or do I sense that the TPM bashers will become hypocritical?
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Is not TPM. Lucas' best film is by far "American Graffiti"...I know I haven't seen THX 1138, but I've seen everything else that he's put together multiple times (too many multiple times, in some cases), and nothing comes close to the sentimental nostalgia trip that is "American Graffiti". -Loki
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Predictable bastards, aren't they?
I bumped heads with McCallum recently and he dished some shit
that Lucasfilm is no longer about making money (because they have enough) -- they're also about getting involved in stuff that NEEDS to be made.
What horse-droppings!
Once every carcass has ponied up the moola to snap the Rising Sun LD, expect a DVD announcement and a massive PR campaign to get those mini-platters marching out the door.
FR -
So Lucas is a perfectionist, eh?
Hey, if that dude is such a card-carrying perfectionist, why the heck-o couldn't he bring some perfectionist to TPM's suck-ass script?
Or does his perfectionism only extend -- like a steel dick -- to the special effects sequences? Me thinks so.
His best-forgotten TWICE UPON A TIME also suffered from a severe, incurable case script rash.
So when folks refer to Mucus as a perfectionist, they must be referring to his anal obsession with special effects because his screenplays suck the proverbial elephant wang. -
Star Wars is awesome, granted. The first film was released 22-23 years ago and people are STILL talking about it. Keeping in mind that it just a Movie, but an awesome one none the less...
Keeping that in mind, I have to defend my comment about Jar-Jar cracks me up. Phantom is just a movie! It isn't Church, it isn't scripture, it doesn't take itself too seriously.
Another moment that cracks me up? When Obi Wan suprises Darth Maul and jumps out of the pit and Force-Grabs Qui-Gon's lightsaber... cuts Maul in half! The exprsion on his face! That look of: "Oh, that stings" and "Oh, I fucked up!" That always brings a snicker! Ray Park deserves an Oscar! -
First of all, I perfectly see the logic in giving America only a videotape and giving Japan a laserdisc. If you remember, TPM was released in theaters first in America, and a week later, bootlegs were found in Hong Kong. So obviously, the bootleggers are here in America. Hence, if you were trying to control bootlegging, would you release a top notch quality product in America on DVD, especially if DVD encryption has recently been broken? That's just plain stupid! In fact, that's encouraging bootlegging. It's better to release videotapes and laserdisc, cause then if bootlegs are created they still won't have less than the quality of a DVD, and possibly less the the quality of the copy depending on the equipment available. When will you stop whining and get on with your life? Oh wait. You work on this website. You have no life. To tell you the truth, I think you guys are putting up any stories about SW that you can find so that you can generate more hits to your site. You guys ever notice that the stories that are SW related always get a crapload of Talkbacks? Those talkbacks equal hits. And since EVEN the talkbacks have ads at the top of them, those hits also equal DOLLARS. I'm sensing that these guys at AICN are just trying to get as many hits as possible, even if it means stabbing at a dead horse. I tell you, I smell a big rat here, and it stinks!
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You know what really sucks is that once Lucas releases all six films on DVD, with inflation it could be well over $200. As far as I'm concerned if the next two aren't any better than Episode I, I'm afriad it won't be worth it. No one in Hollywood (or technicniqly north of it) is as stingy and backwards as Lucas, well except maybe Speilberg,
(where is Raiders, Jaws, and Shindler's List?), or maybe Coppola,(where's the Godfather?). But anyways, Lucas is not the same man he was when he sat down at his typewriter in the mid-70s to write one of the best movies of all time. He's turned into something far worse than anyone can imagine....David O. Selznik's clone!!!--- or maybe Micheal Eisner's, either way he's sleeping with satan. -
You know what would be funny, if lucas released star wars ONLY on dvd, hence forcing millions of star wars fans to make the switch, and convincing millions of others that with the release of star wars, maybe it would be time to get a dvd player, thus beginning dvd's reign as our prime movie watching venue BECAUSE of star wars, as opposed to star wars waiting for it...and creating a whole other dimension for us to argue about..hehe
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...to hear Old Man Lucas in interviews. It's always "when I designed Darth Vader" or "when I designed all the ships." Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Ralph McQuarrie create the look of the entire trilogy? Lucas fancies himself the Creator, in more ways then one. Trust me folks, it takes a lot more than one person to create a universe as elaborate as "Star Wars."
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Sure, it off-topic. But dammit, I must vent!
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finaly, it took me a couple of nights of sleep but I've done it. I'm finally the last talkbacker (for now at least). I am just so happy and can now go on with my life. Thanks you guys, you are the best for letting me have this honor. You won't be forgotten. Cheers
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I'm sorry, but I don't buy all of that bullshit that Lucasfilm is passing out - "mr. lucas would like to have more time on the DVD" and all of that crap. Like Talk Backer #1 said before Lucas didn't even design most of the things we see in the films. And as we've heard in the countless TV shows about TPM - Lucas had little input for anyone - he expected everyone to know what they were doing and he just okayed with little scribbles on production drawings with "Fabuloso" if he liked it or something equally stupid. So - how long does it take to look at something some computer genius designed and to say "Fabuloso" to the DVD menu? I mean, what does he have to do that he doesnt have enough time? The documentaries have all been shot, the movie is finished, the trailers are there - what does Lucas need 6 years to do? N O T H I N G - he is milking us for all we've got because he is a money-grubbing freak who couldn't care less about the fans, now that we all worship him and his science fiction saga. Well, I no longer respect Lucas in any way. He is not a good filmmaker - as you can see with Episode I. Pass the directing reins on to someone who actually cares about making a good movie and not some vehicle for some toy that has an sticky elastic tongue.
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Hysterical how the force net reveals yet another "this is definitely anakin" guy, and suddenly the no bullshit beating around the bush thread for anakin just disappears. this insane concern for anakin is more entertaining then any movie lucasfilm could produce....
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Face it, all you Jar Jar apologists, TPM sucked. Even if you've brainwashed yourself into thinking the SEs were good despite the Greedo-shoots-first change in ANH and the addition of Luke's girlie scream in TESB, surely an entirely new movie full of such crap would have snapped you out of this delusion that Lucas is still capable of helming a decent Star Wars film. I can't even express how glad I am that he decided against doing episodes 7-9, because he'd ruin them too...
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I've always marvelled at how acceptable it seems in today's society to become conformists, providing that one's cause is cynical and hypercritical enough.
You folks seem to have taken over all the sites, cursing, accusing, insulting and generally posting stuff that just reeks of a hateful kind of elitism.
You're not satisfied to merely communicate your opinions. You feel the need to make it political, to make it a question of being on the right or the wrong side of the fence.
Grow the fuck up! I don't mind your dislike of the movie, but I find the caustic lack of regard for other people that has been demonstrated sickening.
That includes the people who made the film. That includes the people who merely liked the film. That includes the people who fell in love with the film, only to have to weather this kind of abuse for something they couldn't help: their own opinion.
Hate the movie seven ways from sunday, if you're so inclined, and say that you hated the film and as blunt and acidic terms as you wish. I just wish you wouldn't take such personal offense at people liking the film and defending it and the people who made it.
It's a movie, not a religion. -
please don't complain
here in france Star Wars Episode I
only come out on october 4th
have a nice day
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