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What Does An Out-Of-Shape Dog Have In Common With The STAR WARS Franchise (Ahem)?? Find Out In Volkswagen's New Super Bowl Spot!!
Merrick here...
Volkswagen has released its STAR WARS themed spot for this Sunday's Super Bowl. While I enjoyed the silly goffballity of The Imperial Dogs teaser a bit more, the EPISODE IV recreation stuff here is admittedly impressive.
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Oh look lots of people like SW, lets use it to sell them cars.....
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The one last year with the kid was retarded too.
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Feb 01, 2012 9:56:31 AM CST
The best Starwars that has existed since the closing credits of Jedi is in videogame and commercial form.
by ultratron
I would even put Richard Pryor's work in the Starwars Christmas special above anything in the prequels. More memorable certainly
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I read that fawning fluff piece on Lucas that was posted up a week or so ago...the one where he laments everything from corporatism in film, selling out, fickle fanboys, hints at rampant racism in Hollywood, etc...In short selling himself as some sort of fair minded, good willed, socially responsible Idealist who just wants to make small, intimate art films with meaning.
Yeah... -
Seriously, I might be endangering my nerd cred, but what does that dog have to do with star wars? Is it just that the cantina guys saw both commercials? Or is the dog exercising some reference I'm not getting? I don't remember the part where Luke gets fat and chases speeder bikes around...
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Cute dog though...
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Cantina at least looked good. And I never thought I'd get to see more of the existence of melty face guy. Was it the same actor?
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Ram it down our throats why dont ya? Dicks.
The dog thing was fun. The SW thing. HUH?
Hey Kelly, Tish, Shantel, Barbie, Babs and all the rest of you marketing/sorority dipshits. FAIL! -
Feb 01, 2012 10:02:02 AM CST
BETTER THAN PREQUELS - UNDERSTAND YOU CUNT GEORGE LUCAS!?!
by creepythinmanlivez
1 MINUTE BETTER THAN ALL THE PREQUELS!!!
USE MORE CGI GEORGE!
TDKR > AVENGERS
SCARJO STILL A TOILET FUCK-FACT! -
I love how people hate the commercial, but love the production value on the cantina part, and then say it's better than the prequels. I hate the prequels, too, but that's because of the story and the acting. They still had ILM doing some great stuff in there.
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Its like to separate adverts stuck together. The Vodafone Yoda advert is better. Just.
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It's a friggin' commercial. Just like the Superbowl iteself, it's utterly meaningless to everyone except those involved (despite delusions to the contrary).
Get a grip. -
Feb 01, 2012 10:12:43 AM CST
@crow3711 No they are referring to the 2011 VW commercial with that kid as Darth Vader
by killik
here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R55e-uHQna0
The ad with the dog posted here is the new 2012 VW commercial.
The guys from the cantina have supposedly seen both ads.
The ugly alien says that he prefers the new one with the dog than the old one with the kid-Vader and then Vader force-chokes him in order to change his mind.
As i said: AWFUL. -
Is it possible to even mention Star Wars on this site and not have incessant bitching?
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Feb 01, 2012 10:14:27 AM CST
Make Watchmen Prequels,use Star Wars to sell cars,make a Death Wish,I LOVE CAPITALISM.
by killik
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It happened right before Luke walked into the cantina, Vader actually went down to the planet for a quick debriefing.
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Feb 01, 2012 10:25:46 AM CST
I didn't really mind the one where the kid was dressed as Vader running around
by kevin_costners_recycled_piss
It wasn't so much "Star Wars selling out" as it was "kids love to play Star Wars"
The vodafone ad with Yoda on the other hand is fucking awful on so many levels. -
I could see Lucas finding the idea amusing and allowing VW to use the property free just for the fun of it ... and for publicity towards the 3D releases. In which case, how is it a 'sellout' if no money is involved?
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I both chuckled and threw up in my mouth a little...at the same time
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Please define what this means. A movie is made to make money, it's on everything from lunch boxes to T-shirts, to Happy Meals. So what's a sell-out?
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a sell-out is an artist who accepts money for his works
more specifically, for commercial purposes -
Let's face it - it has always been about merchandising and Lucas pretty much managed to make Empire and Return of the Jedi off the strength and money of Star Wars merchandising
This however seems ridiculous - oh, here's an advert about a fat dog - oooooh and here's a Star Wars bit tacked on. No context or relevance at all. -
by a CGI VW Beetle...
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Feb 01, 2012 10:40:19 AM CST
Spot was funny with the dog--didn't need the Star Wars riff
by killdeer1
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Personally, I thought it was great! Very funny and touching (Call me a fag if u want, dont really care) Really exhausted from all the negativity on this talkback. My advice, do something positive, it will effect everything you do. I know I sound like a hippy, but man its true. I know, cause I use to be a d-bag just like most of you
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Than the shit Lucas has been putting out since 1999.
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No sign of the prequels. These VW ad people probably go to Lucas for his blessing, and then specifically tell Lucas no prequel references, because mainstream America hates the prequels.
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just kidding
also, positivity won't effect shit, it may affect though
used to be? you don't give yourself enough credit :P -
To the aliens in the intergalactic sports bar in Attack of the clones. I mean come on, one dude looked like Pretty in Pink era Jon Cryer with a couple of little antenni glued to his head.
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Feb 01, 2012 11:05:37 AM CST
People Who Say "Mainstream America" hates The Prequels Are Dumb
by crow3711
I'm sorry, but we live in a very isolated little corner of nerd-dom. I know so many normal people, not geeks or film lovers or nerds at all, just normal fucking people (who I mostly hate, but still, I know them) and most of them love the prequels, ok? Kids LOVE the prequels. The average person at least liked them. Most people do not have this irrational hatred that we do. Samuel Fulmer statement about the ad people insisting on no prequel references is fucking retarded.
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Lucas read what others had done, and took the next step. He didn't earn the knowledge for himself, so he can't take any responsibility for it. He stood on the shoulders of geniuses to accomplish something as fast and cheaply as he could, and before he even knew what he had, he patented it, and packaged it, and slapped it on a plastic lunchbox.
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That same description could be used in regard to STEVE JOBS.
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Feb 01, 2012 11:22:52 AM CST
That was a great ad until they added all the unnecessary Star Wars stuff.
by jet_jaguar
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Feb 01, 2012 11:25:00 AM CST
that was terrible, thats like the worst possible family guy cut away, the dog had nothing to do with anything, and the star wars scene was just thrown together shit
by daniccus
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Feb 01, 2012 11:26:20 AM CST
I just wish Lucas would put a moratorium on all things STAR WARS
by jet_jaguar
It just seems like there's SO MUCH ancillary STAR WARS merch and media being pimped out to us, that it's diluting the brand. When I was a kid in the early '90s, it would be really special every time any new STAR WARS item came out. Most kids at my school didn't even know what a STAR WARS was until the Special Editions came out. I'm getting old.
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Where's the Jar Jar dog in the barking imperial march commercial. Where's the dog chasing a pod racer in homage to the upcoming re-release of the beloved classic Phantom Meance. Sorry, not sure what planet you live on, but everyone I know who is not a Star Wars fan basically have forgotten about the prequels. When they think of Star Wars, they think of Han, Luke, Leia, Chewie, Vader etc. Mainstream America only remembers the prequels as bad films. The originals are remembered on par with The Wizard of Oz and have a deep cultural impact. If you deny this, you deny reality.
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Feb 01, 2012 11:26:30 AM CST
People who complain about SW being "commercialized..."
by ccchhhrrriiisssmredux
...because of a VW ad during the Super Bowl are probably the same old guys who hoarded (err, "collected") STAR WARS action figures when they were kids.
Hopefully, those who did collect such things aren't going to be hypocrites about it.
If it sells a few Volkswagon Beetles...more power to them. I don't think that it is any different from using a particular popular song to sell something. -
Someone who makes money for his work is a "sellout?"
Damn. You have a weird definition for that term.
Using your definition, EVERY person who has ever sold or marketed something that they designed, painted, wrote or composed is a "sellout."
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They actually mean to say kids love The Clone Wars cartoon, because that is what todays kids like that is Star Wars. So other than selling VW's, Star Wars has become this generations Jayce and The Wheeled Warriors, Gobots, or Pokemon.
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Feb 01, 2012 11:35:30 AM CST
I always thought "selling out" referred to selling out your own ideals.
by kevin_costners_recycled_piss
Like that Episode of The Simpsons where Krusty gets himself a new, edgy standup routine where he rallies against corporate America only to then sellout and endorse a car.
It's basically being a hypocrite. -
yeah dude, that's the punchline
sorry if I *wooosh*ed you -
Feb 01, 2012 11:39:49 AM CST
You think this is bad? We've had Uk ads..
by chronicallydepressedlemming
with Vader and C3P0 apparently working for Currys (electronics boutique) and Yoda working for Vodafone.
It makes your skin crawl. -
... it's two commercials crammed together.
The dog commercial is cute and should stand alone.
The Star Wars one seems out of place and really isn't funny. Though the set and characters look good.
I think these should have been separate commercials altogether. -
I don't like you either! You just watch yourself. We're wanted men. I have the death sentence on twelve systems!
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/respect
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If you saw this on TV, the Star Wars bit at the end would be a surprise out of left field.
Watching it here, with the headline and setup, there is no "wtf??" moment as I guess was intended.
It is lame though. Along with the Ferris Bueller clip, all this nostalgia exploitation is getting really old. And I feel dirty for falling for it every time. I just sat through two stupid commercials for cars I would never buy.
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Feb 01, 2012 12:12:21 PM CST
Would be better with the Geiko Geeko walking through
by domi'sinnerchild
That way you'd have two lazy thrown together comercials at once.
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I would even put Richard Pryor's work in the Starwars Christmas special above anything in the prequels. More memorable certainly
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Feb 01, 2012 12:36:20 PM CST
CHILDREN, AN IMPOSTER HAS AROSE, creepythinmanforever IS FAKE, HIS ASS BLOWN OPEN, DO NOT LISTEN TO HIM-FACT!
by creepythinmanlivez
creepythinmanforever BLEW GEORGE LUCAS FOR A DOLLAR!
I AM THE REAl creepythinmanlivez-FACT!
DIE FANBOY BUTTHOLES! -
I had quoted your post, and explained that Pryor wasn't in the Star Wars Christmas Special, but this site in its infinite wisdom decided to butcher my post to only include your quote...without the fucking quotation marks. Wonderful. Anyhoo, he's not in it, and you're probably confusing it with this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kJkhEcQ44k
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Are fine. Episode I comes out in a couple of weeks. Want to make a wager of whether or not it does 100 million?
For a film that is "despised" and is readily available on home video (your format of choice) and has a current product on cable, the ability to make more money speaks to the fact that it's not universally despised as you think.
Unless you say people who hate it will go because it's in 3-D, which would just mean that they're stupid. -
So, Vader was at the cantina directly before or after Luke....right?
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Feb 01, 2012 12:51:48 PM CST
so now the famous cantina scene has been whored out for addidas and a fucking car
by fat_rancor_keeper
Oh well.
Gee I wonder why they don't take a famous scene from the PT and sell stuff?????? -
or charming, or anything. Just bollocks.
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Instead, this ad is fucking AWFUL.
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It won't cost $10 million per episode like a CGI vomitorium, and people in interesting alien suits feels more like Star Wars anyway.
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I guess we'll see, it's coming out in few weeks.
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Feb 01, 2012 1:10:58 PM CST
I guess people are just used to complaining about anything Star Wars.
by son of a butch
Seriously, this is worth bitching about? THIS??
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how about if we not pay any attention to either of you?
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Feb 01, 2012 1:14:59 PM CST
Lucas even found a way of ruining a great TV spot. Muldoon i love you, perfect statement.
by lowdevil
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neither do i...
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I'm confused. Are you trying to make a Jurassic Park reference or did you just a steal line because you thought it sounded cool?
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Did Lucas add that scene to the bluray of A New Hope?
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Wait. What?
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I mean, Episode 1 is coming out soon in 3D, this is the perfect way to promote side characters from THOSE movies.....and instead we see the OT cantina cliched characters.
Just really shitty stuff all around. -
Feb 01, 2012 1:42:22 PM CST
johnathankana-Other than Darth Maul who Lucas is pimping to death
by samuel fulmer
Putting him front and center on the re-release poster ofr Phantom Menace 3-D, what prequel characters would offer any kind of viewer recogintion other than Jar Jar (who who all know nobody in theri right mind would get put in to sell a product? I don't see a commercial with Ric Ollie and Captain Panaka coming from VW anytime soon.
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Feb 01, 2012 1:43:18 PM CST
And to all those who will scream but Boba Fett was in the movies
by samuel fulmer
for 5 seconds and has been pimped to death, well yeah, but when thy re-released Empire back in 1997 I don't even think he was on the poster, and if he was, he was tiny.
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How does a commercial count as news? Oh yeah, when they pay you make a new story out of it.
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Let's not go that far. Let's wait until Harry gets a sneak peek at a new car and then hosts a car show for said car a few weeks later.
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Yes my friend, the JP reference was implied.
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is that they refer to the "Vader kid ad" as if we all remembered that was a VW commercial. Or even remembered it at all.
It's like those most recent Lexus Christmas commercials that acted like people would actually recognize the Lexus Christmas song... -
Or isn't that dicknose dude the one who lost his arm to Kenobi? Yeah, the guy who Vader forced choked who had the death mark in 12 systems?
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Feb 01, 2012 2:33:30 PM CST
So basically they had a cute commercial with a dog and tacked SW on to get more hype
by jobacca
That about sum it up?
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YODA MAN!
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...and with it will die Star Wars.
hooray. -
I liked the last one with dogs barking the imperial march. This was the opposite. They should pull the commercial now, before it airs during the super-bowl.
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The dog stuff was actually cute, and it showed the car! But how much of that commercial's budget was needlessly blown on the random star wars bit tacked on at the end? It's not clever, nostalgic, or worthwhile, just a waste of time and money that adds nothing, it almost makes you forget what they were advertising for just a few seconds ago.
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and you've got a cute little commercial about a dog and a car, that actually makes sense and tells a little story and doesn't make me want to jump off a cliff like just about every commercial shown on TV these days.
But noooooooo, we have to tack on some stupid Star Wars spoof on the end.
Shit like this actually makes me wonder if that time travel stuff will actually be reality in the Star Wars TV series.
You know Lucas is most likely going to be making this Star Wars TV series now? Right? Isn't it obvious? All these commercials, plus the 3D re-releases of the six films are all to build up some massive mountain of dough to help pay for this TV series he wants to make. -
Feb 01, 2012 4:30:42 PM CST
Will there be a scene with Jabba, Salacious Crumb, and slave girl-metal bikini Leia
by lv_426
trying to sell dildos and vibrators after one watches a porn vid online?
Hey, how about a dildo or vibrator that is shaped like a lightsaber? You can never have enough Star Wars merchandise. -
Feb 01, 2012 4:34:56 PM CST
I wonder how long until the first Star Wars themed restaurant franchises begin opening around the world
by lv_426
Probably will be something like a Chucky Cheese's type of thing with Star Wars themed games, toys, people in Star Wars character costumes, skits, and an arcade of some sort.
They can have a pub tacked on for the parents that is themed around the Indiana Jones movies.
In our lifetimes, I bet we'll also see a Star Wars theme park built out in California. It will be a Disneyland with Star Wars characters and rides.
You all know this shit is coming. -
merchandising is one thing..everybody can have fun with atoy and lunch boxes and the like..its cool to own a piece of the movies and use the toys to come up with your own little adventures, but come on...Pimping out your beloved masterpiece to sell a vw...the product has nothing to do with the film or its fans...im so jealous of star trek fans..at least there sci-fi franchise doent have a crazy dictator ruining everything they love about it
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because no kids like Star Wars. Dumbass.
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Feb 01, 2012 5:58:50 PM CST
I wonder what the merchandise for Battlestar Galactica would have been like if it was huge like Star Wars
by lv_426
We'd certainly be able to buy Felgercarb Toothpaste at the grocery store.
Triad would have become a real sport.
Pyramid would be played in casinos in Vegas.
Frak would actually have become a real swear word.
Edward James Olmos would be pimping underwear instead of Michael Jordan.
People would dress up as Baltar and Number Six for Halloween, instead of as Yoda and Darth Vader.
There would probably be a ride at Great America or Disneyland that simulated the launching of a Viper through the launch tubes of the Galactica.
Nerds everywhere would dress up as Cylon Centurions instead of Stormtroopers at geek-cons.
Caprica would have been a crappy CGI'd to the gills prequel trilogy instead of a messy but interesting TV series!
Glen Larson or Ron Moore (depending on which BSG was the mega-hit) would be billionaires!
Dirk Benedict might have become a huge fucking movie star and went on to play Indiana Jones! Or maybe Tom Selleck would have gotten the part after all?
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OR DO ONLY DEAD WHITE GUYS GET THAT KINDA TREATMENT?
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I may be wrong.
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No wonder all the TBers here are acting all protective like Travis in Taxi Driver about Jodie Foster
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This is not something new. The argument could be made that the commercial with the kid wasn't using the iconic character so it's not the same bastardization that this one is, but that argument fails, too. Why? This is not the first commercial to feature Darth Vader. There was at least one more (in 1994) so at best, the prequels would have been in early pre-production.
If you want to blame someone, blame the ad agency, because it's poor execution. There wasn't this kind of outcry when Vader was selling batteries nearly 20 years ago, this is no different (except that this commercial sucks). -
Feb 01, 2012 9:24:52 PM CST
This is the first of GL's personal and experimental films; smart and deeply symbolic.
by laserbrain
The Dog represents Lucas.
The VW represents merchandizing dollars.
The Coda represents simultaneously his own cynicism and self-loathing in the face of that knowledge.
It's a very honest and moving piece. -
Feb 02, 2012 12:07:18 AM CST
Helluva lot more love here than just throwing a Red Wings Jersey on screen.
by lao_che_air_freight
I saw the ad earlier today, and loved both the dog bit for what it was by itself, and the cantina part for it's faithfulness to the orginal costumes and set, and that one human looking actor who looked like he just walked out of the 1977 door. I thought it was very cool for that alone...
So I come here expecting to read at least a good percentage of folks prasing those aspects and the finer details of Hammerhead, was that actor from the orginal scene, etc etc...and that's not the case at all, you all hate it? Aw c'mon guys, lighten up...that bit was at least as good as anything in those last few Robot Chicken specials, and these even more so because it was live action.
Where's the Love? You guys can be such a drag sometimes... -
..hawking vodaphone contracts on a roadside poster the other day - deeply depressing.
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Fuck you Gorge Luckass you fucking twat.
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still not going to pay money to see those movies in 3d in the theater. i won't even stop to watch them while channelsurfing on a saturday afternoon at home. thanks for the childhood ass rape, george.
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And then Muldoon jumps into the fray to lend credibility to it all.
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I'm like HUH? I thought the VW Vader commercial was ridiculous. I'm sorry I don't get thrilled about rug rats acting out. This one kinda starts like a Budweiser commercial..but sticking Mos Eisley in there? Oh well I did enjoy seeing the characters again, but still don't get it...why was it necessary? The next best use of components of the Cantina scene was in PAUL...the integration on the music in the bar scene (which was filmed in Madrid, NM), was brilliant.
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