The Star Wars Saga

[WritinMan]

17 minutes ago, Perfect Xero said:

He clarifies that he's talking about the script being written before TFA was released, which has been said before.

Yeah, I didn't really need clarification on what he was clarifying. Seems pretty clear. But it was news to me.

[cambridgeguy]

On 12/17/2018 at 1:10 AM, Ravenya003 said:

There was stuff I genuinely liked, such as the removal of Snoke and Kylo Ren coming out worse than when he started, and other things I'm neutral on (I wasn't mortally offended by Luke's characterization as many others were) but I've always been more invested in the heroes rather than the villains of this franchise, and felt that they were shortchanged here. The movie just wasn't what I wanted, though I accept that's MY problem, and not Johnson's (that there are six hour YouTube videos whining about this movie just makes me cringe, not to mention all the backlash the cast and crew had to endure).

For better or worse TLJ has probably convinced Disney to never try anything different again.  After TFA came out I'm pretty sure everyone Disney was looking forward to following the MCU and having every single movie be a financial and critical hit.  However, now it seems like the enthusiasm isn't nearly as strong as predicted.  If Episode IX doesn't do well then I'm not sure what Disney will do.  They didn't spend all that money just to make a bunch of TV series.

[Joe]

So I was rereading The Wildlife of Star Wars: A Field Guide. Great book if you like that kind of thing, which I do. The entry on the Colo claw fish. It was one of the monsters in the bigger fish sequence. And I realised, is the theme of the movie that there's always a bigger fish? It happens there, there's Palpatine behind Maul and Padme behind Amidala. You could argue that there's Windu and Yoda behind Obi Wan and Qui Gonn and Vader behind Anakin. Is this one of those things that everyone else realised 20 years ago?

[VCRTracking]

7 hours ago, Joe said:

So I was rereading The Wildlife of Star Wars: A Field Guide. Great book if you like that kind of thing, which I do. The entry on the Colo claw fish. It was one of the monsters in the bigger fish sequence. And I realised, is the theme of the movie that there's always a bigger fish? It happens there, there's Palpatine behind Maul and Padme behind Amidala. You could argue that there's Windu and Yoda behind Obi Wan and Qui Gonn and Vader behind Anakin. Is this one of those things that everyone else realised 20 years ago?

I assumed it meant Palpatine/Sidious being behind everything.

[Joe]

5 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

I assumed it meant Palpatine/Sidious being behind everything.

Yes, but it's not just him. There are several other examples.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

I forgot that it was two years ago yesterday. #RememberingCarrie

[Joe]

So here's something amazing I discovered. There are two different Star Wars burlesque groups. First I discovered an Aussie group, the Empire Strips Back. While they're touring my way soon, I won't be able to see them. But hopefully next time. Also, they're heading over to America. Give them a look if that's your thing.

Second, and possibly more elaborate and impressive, the Vancouver-based Geekenders. It's clearly low budget, but it's the way they do things that impresses me. For instance, R2 is a woman on rollerskates with corset and helmet in the right colours. She whistles into her microphone. The Force is a person dressed entirely in black, with a sign around their neck proclaiming them as The Force. This group has done performances of the OT, ep 7 and 8. Yes, they're in the pro TLJ camp. No, watching their videos won't solve any arguments. But IMO, they're fun.

That said, I don't agree with their portrayal of Poe as a sexist bozo. I see him as annoyed with anyone upstaging what he thought would be his big moment. OTOH, Leia's resurrection song is I Will Survive, which is just perfect.

Also, their Vader is a drag queen, while Kylo Ren is a drag king. BB-8 is a woman who rides a unicyle in some scenes. I'm always in awe of unicycle riders.

[VCRTracking]

Two things I wanted to post today:

Someone on Reddit posted a link to every draft online of a screenplay from a Star Wars from 1977 A New Hope to The Force Awakens and even includes the 1978 Holiday Special:

And:

[Zuleikha]

There are two different Star Wars burlesque groups.

I'm pretty sure there are more than two. At the very least, it is not an unusual theme for burlesque shows. 

The Geekender one sounds amazing, though! I love cleverness like that.

[Joe]

That's a good find, VCRTracking. Once I would have gone through them all. I'm content with letting other people dig for treasure. There's only so much Star Wars intake I can handle these days, and I don't want to burn out. For me, Star Wars is a snack food, not all you can eat. :)

[VCRTracking]

I skimmed through them all and in the "Attack of the Clones" script I noticeed the picnic scene originally came AFTER the fireplace scene! So after Padme told Anakin they can't ever be together, the next day they go on a nice romantic picnic and frolicked in the grass! Padme went from being Queen of Naboo to "Queen of mixed signals".

Edited January 15, 2019 by VCRTracking

[WritinMan]

8 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

I skimmed through them all and in the "Attack of the Clones" script I noticeed the picnic scene originally came AFTER the fireplace scene! So after Padme told Anakin they can't ever be together, the next day they go on a nice romantic picnic and frolicked in the grass! Padme went from being Queen of Naboo to "Queen of mixed signals".

Well, that happened when she wore the skin-tight black leather dress. Pretty sure that was a factor in Anakin turning to the dark side.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

The Empire Strikes Back:

https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/star-wars-theory-youtube-copyright-claim-disney/

[Joe]

2 hours ago, Cobalt Stargazer said:

The Empire Strikes Back:

https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/star-wars-theory-youtube-copyright-claim-disney/

He's one of those anti TLJ idiots, I think. His movie is probably shit anyway.

[VCRTracking]

The 25 Most Influential Movie Scenes of the Last 25 Years: Revenge of the Sith "You Were The Chosen One".

Y'know I'd much rather VF not include it if they were going to qualify their choice with a caveat and dunk on the movie like:
 

Quote

Not all the films on this list have influenced Hollywood in a positive way. Take the third of George Lucas’s seriously misguided Star Wars prequels, which contains the climactic scene in which a young Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) confronts and permanently maims his onetime protégé Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), pushing that wayward Jedi even closer toward becoming Darth Vader. Finally, the circle was completing; this grand space-opera tragedy was getting its full realization. But the scene arrived at the end of so much disappointment, a creative nadir that, even more disappointingly, inspired imitators instead of scaring them off. All of Lucas’s aggressive blue/green-screen technique became frustratingly de rigueur for big-budget spectaculars, even though that cold C.G.I. gleam was something that turned many people off from the franchise. Seven years after Revenge of the Sith’s release, Disney acquired Lucasfilm, and thus the Star Wars universe, setting about course-correcting the film series. That led to 2015’s The Force Awakens, which grossed over $2 billion worldwide. Which isn’t to say that Lucas’s prequels weren’t financially successful in their own right. They absolutely were—fan-loathed messes that nevertheless introduced a new malleability to time and continuity’s function in franchise filmmaking—a creative license that studios take more and more each sequelizing and prequelizing year. —R.L.

But I do like the Ewan McGregor quote:

Quote

“Episode III was all green screen: they had us on green disks on a green floor with a green background, and a guy on the floor rotating us like chickens, as we lunged at each other with lightsabers. What keeps you emotionally grounded is the other actor. Episode II, I was on my own, speaking to thin air. But this scene was harrowing for Obi-Wan. I lose Anakin, and we see the danger of what it might lead to in Episodes IV, V, and VI. For all my moaning about green screen, I did enjoy playing Obi-Wan and this link to Alec Guinness. George Lucas wanted to do something very different with the prequels. That’s why people felt cheated. It was upsetting when people would laugh and joke about it. Now, many years later, the prequels meant a lot to the generation that were kids then. So from smirking, cynical opinions, now I’m getting feedback from the kids they were made for. I’m really happy about that.” —As told to Joanna Robinson

[VCRTracking]

Aww! Rey's got her old hairstyle but slightly altered. Finn's hair though!

Is the desert planet Tatooine or Jakku? If the latter I hope they have Finn say "BACK TO JAKKU?!!"

Edited February 15, 2019 by VCRTracking

[Ravenya003]

You know, I've always been aware that Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Oscar Isaac were attractive, but this is the first time I've seen them all together and been: "DAMN those are beautiful people." (Which is saying something since you can't even see Daisy's face. 

And if these characters are an indication of what JJ's priorities are in Episode 9, then I'll tentatively start looking forward to it.

Edited February 16, 2019 by Ravenya003

[VCRTracking]

I didn't realize it until someone on Twitter mentioned Rey's leather arm band must be covering a scar from when she got cut during the Praetorian guard fight last movie.

[Joe]

57 minutes ago, VCRTracking said:

I didn't realize it until someone on Twitter mentioned Rey's leather arm band must be covering a scar from when she got cut during the Praetorian guard fight last movie.

I flicked through, and I think you're right. Also, now I want to watch the whole of TLJ again. I had plans for today, you git!

[Morrigan2575]

I don't know why but, I looked at the picture and screamed SPOILER! Bad JJ, Bad! 😁

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Fifty Shades Of Sith.

[Luckylyn]

I don’t ship Rey/Kylo but I so enjoyed this parody

[Shannon L.]

Hi everyone.  I've never ventured in here before, but I thought you would enjoy this:

Lightsaber duelling registered as official sport in France

Emulating Star Wars combatants will encourage young people to engage in regular exercise, says French Fencing Federation

[Anduin]

I've always been pretty neutral on the French. But this may be their best idea since they invented champagne. Good work!

[WritinMan]

10 hours ago, Shannon L. said:

Hi everyone.  I've never ventured in here before, but I thought you would enjoy this:

Lightsaber duelling registered as official sport in France

Emulating Star Wars combatants will encourage young people to engage in regular exercise, says French Fencing Federation

The article says they're trying to get young people more active. Hell, I'm middle-aged and I'd do this if classes were offered near me.

[andromeda331]

8 hours ago, WritinMan said:

The article says they're trying to get young people more active. Hell, I'm middle-aged and I'd do this if classes were offered near me.

Me too.

[VCRTracking]

Topher Grace Has Edited All 10 ‘Star Wars’ Movies Into One Super-Trailer

[Ravenya003]

The reporters at i09 were given BTS access to Galaxy's Edge (the new Star Wars portion of Disneyland in California) and - WOW. Their write-up is incredible. 

[Anduin]

More news! I read the food section while eating a bowl of cold and rather unappealing cereal. Particularly rough. But the whole thing sounds incredible.

My predictions on Disney's next moves. Team up with NASA to not just build the Falcon, but make it fly. All the brightest minds in the robotics and AI fields. Want your own astromech? Whatever you call people who work in the field of genetic manipulation. We'll start with the humanoid aliens. Devaronians, Chiss, etc. But one day, Wookiees and Hutts!

On a slightly more serious note, I wonder how kids exposed to this will grow up. When I was a kid, I always had trouble discerning fact from fiction. I think I got it sorted eventually. Mostly. No hammers turned me into Thor. No wardrobes led to Narnia. But when you actually physically visit Star Wars, that's going to mess with your head.

[Dandesun]

29 minutes ago, Anduin said:

More news! I read the food section while eating a bowl of cold and rather unappealing cereal. Particularly rough. But the whole thing sounds incredible.

My predictions on Disney's next moves. Team up with NASA to not just build the Falcon, but make it fly. All the brightest minds in the robotics and AI fields. Want your own astromech? Whatever you call people who work in the field of genetic manipulation. We'll start with the humanoid aliens. Devaronians, Chiss, etc. But one day, Wookiees and Hutts!

On a slightly more serious note, I wonder how kids exposed to this will grow up. When I was a kid, I always had trouble discerning fact from fiction. I think I got it sorted eventually. Mostly. No hammers turned me into Thor. No wardrobes led to Narnia. But when you actually physically visit Star Wars, that's going to mess with your head.

Yeah, I totally thought the Chipmunks were real. And I admit I like to live in my fantasy worlds to counter the real world. At the same time, there are plenty of face characters in Disney parks that kids see and interact with. There's also the Turtle Talk with Crush where the CGI Crush interacts with kids during the show. Galaxy's Edge looks AMAZING (and therein lies the rub because that section of Disneyland is going to be a fucking MADHOUSE when it opens and I want to be on the otherside of the parks... at California Adventure where I can drink alcohol. I know we'll be able to do that at the Cantina but I can't even begin to process what that line is going to be like) and the immersive hotel at DisneyWorld remains... a mystery to me as to how they'll pull it off.

I guess it's going to be up the parents to do their part when the magic is over.

[VCRTracking]

They even copied the choreography!

[Anduin]

Wow. That really is clever. Star Wars fans are amazing sometimes.

[VCRTracking]

I'm both surprised and happy Nixon learned that the Ewok vs Empire battle at the end of Return of the Jedi was a deliberate metaphor by Lucas for the Vietnam War:

[Anduin]

Anyone listen to SW podcasts? I find I'm getting sick of Full of Sith, and want something else to take its place. I also listen to Star Wars Minute and Steele Wars, but they do different things.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

#MashUp

[Anduin]

Celebration starts in a few hours.  The ep IX panel will be 11 am - 12 noon Chicago time. The trailer will probably be in there somewhere. But that's midnight for me, and I'm not a night owl. So you'll all have a head start discussing it. On the bright side, I'll probably get to see the actual movie before the northern hemisphere. The dateline taketh away, the dateline giveth.

Apparently Celebration is doing some kind of lottery for the biggest panels this time, which means people won't be camping out. Given the current Chicago weather is pretty cold, I ask, what's wrong with sleeping out? Someone doesn't want it to be a contest of endurance? Er, I mean, I approve. It's far more humane, especially to those who can no longer hack sleeping on cold concrete. Easy for me to say. I've never been a con goer, let alone a con camper.

Edit: damn, I got the day wrong! The panel is on Friday. I could have sworn it was Thursday.

Edited April 11, 2019 by Anduin

[VCRTracking]

Alan Tudyk to Return as K-2SO in Cassian Andor Live-Action Series

Edited April 13, 2019 by VCRTracking

[VCRTracking]

[Morrigan2575]

It took me a minute to realize that Matt Lanter was the Voice Actor for Anakin in the Clone Wars. I actually liked him better as Anakin then Hayden Christiansen.

I'm weirdly excited for the Cassian Spy series but, my biggest issue/complaint/concern about Disney Plus is the rollout of content. So far it seems The Mandalorian (which I'm excited for) is the only one ready for November 2019. The Cassian series won't premier until 2021.

[Wynterwolf]

(Because I'm planning, so I was looking for it...)  Some information on the reservation system Disney is going to use for Galaxy's Edge.

Quote

I'm weirdly excited for the Cassian Spy series but, my biggest issue/complaint/concern about Disney Plus is the rollout of content. So far it seems The Mandalorian (which I'm excited for) is the only one ready for November 2019. The Cassian series won't premier until 2021.

Yeah, I think they are trying to space out the Disney+ content, since it's going to be quite a while before we get any more movie content after December.  And I am ridiculously excited for both The Mandalorian and for the Cassian series!! (I know you're shocked)

Edited April 14, 2019 by Wynterwolf

[Anduin]

Kathleen Kennedy says that there's talk of something KOTOR in the works! Yes! I do love both the games and the comics. It's a fun time period.

I imagine they don't want to step too heavily on the toes of TOR, given that it's still running and making money. That's fair enough. There's always room for a couple of small retcons.

[Morrigan2575]

I've been hoping/waiting for a KOTOR project. I really think they could make a great trilogy out of it. 

[benteen]

On ‎4‎/‎16‎/‎2019 at 8:44 PM, Anduin said:

Kathleen Kennedy says that there's talk of something KOTOR in the works! Yes! I do love both the games and the comics. It's a fun time period.

I imagine they don't want to step too heavily on the toes of TOR, given that it's still running and making money. That's fair enough. There's always room for a couple of small retcons.

Since we were deprived of seeing Luke's Jedi Order, I'd be fine with KOTOR as we'll get to see an actual Jedi Order.

[VCRTracking]

4 hours ago, benteen said:

Since we were deprived of seeing Luke's Jedi Order, I'd be fine with KOTOR as we'll get to see an actual Jedi Order.

Well we've seen the Order but in the prequels it was like seeing samurai during the Tokugawa period(16th to mid 19th century) of peace and stability when they were basically bureaucrats and administrators. The samurai image that caught the public's imagination however, the interesting version and was romanticized in movies, TV, anime and manga is mostly from the "Sengoku"(warring states) period. Hopefully KOTOR will be as rich and dramatic as stories about that era.

Extra Credits did a great history series on the Warring States period

Edited April 18, 2019 by VCRTracking

[VCRTracking]

[AimingforYoko]

Mark Hamill says Luke did not die a virgin.

[Wynterwolf]

6 minutes ago, AimingforYoko said:

Mark Hamill says Luke did not die a virgin.

... in the fanfic he made up for the character.  

[Perfect Xero]

Obviously he didn't die a virgin, how else would he be Finn's father?

[Wynterwolf]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[VCRTracking]

I don't read Star Wars comics, not when it was the classic Marvel, Dark Horse in the 90s and 2000s or now. From the sound of it I definitely don't want to read Darth Vader: Dark Visions 3.

I don't know if it makes it better or worse that before he was fired the original story by Chuck Wendig it was a toxic fanboy obsessed with Vader and then they changed it to a woman:

Edited April 25, 2019 by VCRTracking