STAR WARS [Archive] - No Chick Trix Forum

Amaurote

12-29-01, 05:01AM

Mine would be

(1) The ta-ta-tacka droid. I can't even remember which film he's in, but the cameo was a wonderful moment of heartwarming humour, I felt.

(2) The Imperial Probe Droid on Sith. I'm not a Star Wars fan, but the opening scenes of The Empire Strikes Back are terrifyingly effective, even Lovecraftian. They used the same principle for the Maul probes in The Phantom Menace, but the technique, while effective, didn't work half so well.

http://www.nochicktrix.com/fun/oth/vb/am/probot.jpg

Diva

12-29-01, 05:18AM

Still can't find that picture, eh? You disappoint me, Am. I'll give you a little hint... It's in the second movie.

Amaurote

12-29-01, 05:50AM

I've checked the script with Edit->Search, and there's no reference. Then again, I'm not exactly sure what name to search for - after all, it's only a squeaking square box on wheels in a 3-second sequence, so maybe it was inserted into the film spontaneously, at the behest of the Special Effects Department.

hollowearth

12-29-01, 02:12PM

(2) The Imperial Probe Droid on Sith. I'm not a Star Wars fan, but the opening scenes of The Empire Strikes Back are terrifyingly effective, even Lovecraftian. They used the same principle for the Maul probes in The Phantom Menace, but the technique, while effective, didn't work half so well. I agree, it's brilliant, even the noise it makes, but then, I like everything in The Empire Strikes Back much more than any of the other films. I even think that the final scenes between Han and Leia rival Casablanca.

Mine? : Chewie and Han, though not till I saw The Phantom Menace, where characters like these are lacking amongst all of the jediness going on. I was hoping for more along these lines from the pilot of the queens ship.

aussie

12-29-01, 02:40PM

By George hollow old boy you`ve got it!! At times Ive felt there was something missing from the Phantom Menace and never quite understood what, but your right there is no one like Han and Chewie. How can you have a movie with out a lovable rogue or two. I think they tried with Jar Jar but came up with a total idiot instead. Good thinking mate even the millenium falcon had roguish qualities in that it always chose to break down at a crucial time and there was none of that in Phantom Menace

Amaurote

12-29-01, 03:32PM

MSE-6, Mouse Droid, Star Wars scene cut from the pilot, and I rule.

http://index.echostation.com/trilogy/mouse.jpg

Amaurote exhales

I wasn't as disappointed as Hollow by The Phantom Menace, insofar as my expectations weren't dramatically high anyway. I genuinely admire Lucas' vision, when he has faith enough in his own characters. My only real criticism of the cycle, in fact, is that it occasionally forgets its own strength - in principle there's no vast difference between the alleged classicism of The Lord of the Rings, which is wonderful at times and embarrassingly archaic/ludicrous at others, and the self-confident modernity of Star Wars. It just so happens that one is literature, and the other is screenplay. Distinctions are meaningless when you're dealing with primal myth.

hollowearth

12-29-01, 03:51PM

Originally posted by Amaurote
I wasn't as disappointed as Hollow by The Phantom Menace, insofar as my expectations weren't dramatically high anyway. I genuinely admire Lucas' vision, when he has faith enough in his own characters. My only real criticism of the cycle, in fact, is that it occasionally forgets its own strength - in principle there's no vast difference between the alleged classicism of The Lord of the Rings, which is wonderful at times and embarrassingly archaic/ludicrous at others, and the self-confident modernity of Star Wars. It just so happens that one is literature, and the other is screenplay. Distinctions are meaningless when you're dealing with primal myth. [/B]

I wasn't disappointed by The Phantom Menace: it was pretty much what I expected. As you say Lucas has vision, but he's not a great director. 'The Empire Strikes Back' is in my mind the superior film, which Lucas stated had been ruined: Irvin Kershner slowed it down too much... Look to the Indiana Jones films for further evidence of this.

Diva

12-29-01, 03:56PM

I knew you could do it! You are the KING (http://www.nochicktrix.com/fun/aud/applause.wav)!!!

http://www.nochicktrix.com/fun/oth/vb/me/applause.gif

The_Roach

12-29-01, 06:53PM

Originally posted by hollowearth

I wasn't disappointed by The Phantom Menace: it was pretty much what I expected. As you say Lucas has vision, but he's not a great director. 'The Empire Strikes Back' is in my mind the superior film, which Lucas stated had been ruined: Irvin Kershner slowed it down too much... Look to the Indiana Jones films for further evidence of this.
I'm also going to agree that "Empire" is by far the best of the Star Wars films.

That said, I think they're all crap. Trite is the word I normally use to describe Star Wars. Not only is Lucas a poor director, but he can't write dialogue to save his life. Han Solo is the best character in the films and has all the best dialogue only because of Harrison Ford's immense talent for acting and ad libbing.

Redallnite

12-29-01, 09:56PM

Ok I'm a trekie fan!! This is the phantom?

http://www.nochicktrix.com/fun/oth/vb/red/left_character.jpg

The_Roach

12-29-01, 10:56PM

Ahh yes. Trek. There was a series that bucked the status quo, that presented social and politcal issues in our society in an entertaining format. Next Gen was decent, but I never got into DS9, and Voyager was Gilligan's Island in space (Ensign Kim! How many times do we have to tell you not to play with the warp core?!).

I hear that Enterprise is pretty good, but I just can't take it seriously. Not after that scene with the detox gel in the first episode.

aussie

12-30-01, 12:13AM

Originally posted by TheRoach

I'm also going to agree that "Empire" is by far the best of the Star Wars films.

That said, I think they're all crap. Trite is the word I normally use to describe Star Wars. Not only is Lucas a poor director, but he can't write dialogue to save his life. Han Solo is the best character in the films and has all the best dialogue only because of Harrison Ford's immense talent for acting and ad libbing.

It would seem most of the movie going world chooses not to agree with you roach. Its hard to imagine something so trite or any thing that could be considered crap could spawn so much interest or for that matter pull so much money at the box office. If for instance you were to type star wars as a google serch you would come up with the figure of 1,780,000 that mate is a fucking lot of interest in something that could be considered crap or trite. Its a hell of a lot of sites devoted to only one movie theme wouldnt you agree? even without Harrison ford episode one made a lot of money and had people waiting days for tickets. Perhaps you could enlighten us all as to what movie provides the entertainment of the empire strikes back with out being crap or trite. As for your career as a movie critic all I can say is dont stop selling games your probably better at it :)

http://www.nochicktrix.com/fun/oth/vb/xmisc/bug008.jpg

The_Roach

12-30-01, 12:34AM

I will be the first person to concede that I am something of a snob when it comes to films (my roomate, celluloid fanatic that he is, would be the second). In order for me to enjoy a film, it has to make me think about myself or the world that I live in. Preferably in a way that I hadn't before. The only thoughts I've ever had after watching a Star Wars film have been things like:

"I've just wasted two hours of my life"
"God, I hope they don't make another one of these abominations"
"I wonder if I can get my money back."

And I'm sorry, I've always been of the opinion that Hollywood produces crap. Star Wars is just further evidence. If I want to see a good sci-fi flick, I'll watch the director's cut of "Blade Runner", or "The City of Lost Children", or "The Man Who Fell To Earth".

As far as the popularity of Star Wars goes, the buying public rallies around mindless and inane things all the time. Most people who go to see movies don't necessarily want to think, which is fine. Star Wars caters to that (very broad) audience.

Britney Spears is insanely popular too, aussie. Does that make her good? I think not.

aussie

12-30-01, 03:06AM

I find you to be a sad case roach star wars was only ever meant to be escapism. Im sorry you wasted your time looking for a meaning there never was one. I do how ever agree that blade runner was a great movie in its day and was thought provoking without being entertaining. (as entertaining) Just as egypt was great in its day both have had theirs and are now considered third rate. I find you a pittiful fellow roach in that you appear to be stuck mid point between discovery chanel and national geographic One day you really should watch something just for the entertainment Im sure you would enjoy it. Who knows you might have made a great imperial trooper they were quite conservative as well as lacking in imagination. oh well perhaps one day you`ll take a fresh look at it.

ozblonde

12-30-01, 04:46AM

You guys get this in depth over star wars? I know aussie likes to argue but this is crazy :( If its such an escape why the seriousness

Diva

12-30-01, 05:08AM

These guys aren't serious, oz... This is just a discussion. Trust me. three fourths of the time these guys are typing with a smile on their face. The other one forth is of course Amaurote smirking.

aussie

12-30-01, 12:44PM

well you have to admit that any one who hates star wars seriously lacks class. However the world needs people like roach it allows the rest of us a target for our pity. Thus anything said previously was no more than an outpouring of human kindness on my part in attempt to show this pittiable creature the error of his ways :p

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU ROACH

berly

12-31-01, 02:13PM

Originally posted by aussie
However the world needs people like roach it allows the rest of us a target for our pity. MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU ROACH

I don't have a damn thing to add to this Star Wars hoo ha. I would like to point out that I need Roach as a target for my shameless flirtations. He needs the Force to keep me from stalking him...er....at leeast stalking him more so than I already do. Say no more. =)

Amaurote

01-02-02, 10:29AM

I occupy a dangerously exposed promontory somewhere between Roach and Hollowearth, in that I respect the effectiveness and originality of the films, but find myself in no great hurry to see them again. George Lucas is a fine ideas man, but the parallel I would make is with Dark City, an excellent science fiction dystopia: Dark City is a splendid visual experience and a clever variation on a gnostic myth-cycle (the Kiefer-Sutherland-as-Spiritual-Guide-in-a-Syringe scene is a special moment in celluloid history, I'm sure you'll agree...), but falls to the same basic problem: the film, while in many ways great, is essentially inferior to its sources. The Lord of the Rings affects me the same way: I admire Tolkien, but his Manichaean world-view makes me slightly uneasy. I prefer Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast, which depicts a rather more contingent, sceptical panorama of good and evil crushed beneath the imprint of aeon-old ritual.

Star Wars has always struck me the same way; you feel the tremendous power of its emotional pull in the cinema, but absolutely nothing afterwards. Compare that rather ersatz joy with that evoked by an entirely original, sui generis film like Blade Runner, or a highly creative adaptation of a classic text, like Olivier's 1955 Richard III, where you exit the theatre doors having learned something new about the nature of evil, and the value of your present-day, apparently humdrum existence.

And, having read The Roaches Have No King on Roach's advice, I'd now like to start a petition demanding a feature-length film adaptation post-haste, preferably with Kevin Spacey as the voice of Numbers, and Arnold Schwarzenegger as the voice of Clausewitz...

http://phylogeny.arizona.edu/tree/eukaryotes/animals/arthropoda/hexapoda/blattaria/cockroach.200.gif

aussie

01-03-02, 02:49AM

all I can say is the force is weaker in some than others. I find it absolutly amazing that two grown men of better than average inteligence went to see star wars looking for a deep and hidden meaning. Im sorry you were dissapointed guys but star wars was made for entertainment and thats something you both appear to have trouble dealing with. Im sitting here wondering at the devastation you both must have felt as children when you first seen disney. I can only hope you were never subjected to the frivolity of winnie the pooh or perhaps the absolute buffoonery of the jungle book. How the hell did you ever deal with Robert Louis Stevenson or Rudyard Kipling? tut tut tut

Amaurote

01-03-02, 10:45AM

I wasn't disappointed at all, Aussie: on the contrary, I was as affected as anyone by the emotive, technical brilliance, if not more. I just happen to think that there are far better films out there which exert a more telling influence on the individual, with far greater psychological depth: of those, I'd cite Nosferatu (1922), Simple Men, The Hitcher, Leon, The Usual Suspects, Blade Runner, JFK, Fargo and Olivier's Richard III as an example of just how powerful cinema can be. I don't frown at purely entertaining films: King of New York isn't exactly highbrow, but I love it dearly. The difference is that it works well on its own terms: in novel format it would have been a terrible failure. Can you say the same about Star Wars?

Robert Louis Stevenson didn't just write pure entertainment: Markheim is about as profound a work as you'd care to read, perhaps even more than the Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

aussie

01-03-02, 01:16PM

Point taken Amaurote I guess the thing about fiction is we can all read what we like into something. I just found it strange that someone would walk out of star wars expecting to feel something other than entertained. However I admit to watching blade runner on more than one occasion but have yet to find any thing profound in its story line perhaps you or roach could enlighten me. I equally found nothing profound in Dr Jekel and Mr hyde it was only ever pure fiction to me and closing the back cover left me feeling nothing more than it was a good read and time to get back to the collection of Authur Conan Doyle short stories I had been reading before hand. I dont think I ever read it again after that unlike treasure island, the hobbit , lord of the rings ......

NOW THIS IS WHAT A REAL ROACH LOOKS LIKE

http://www.nochicktrix.com/fun/oth/vb/xmisc/bug013.jpg

The_Roach

01-03-02, 01:21PM

As far as Blade Runner goes, it's that feeling that nobody really knows who they are, let alone whether or not they're real. That's what I took, at any rate.

I would highly reccomend the book by Philip K. Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? An absolutely fascinating novel with a story that bears similarity to the film (in terms of characters and such) but focuses on some of the other aspects of the futuristic society. The perspectives on religion and media are amazingly cool.

aussie

01-03-02, 01:37PM

Well I cant say I walked out of blade runner wondering if I was real or not. It was only ever entertaining to me

Amaurote

01-03-02, 01:38PM

Yeah - but I have to admit, I always felt that Blade Runner demonstrated its genius not so much through storyline, as through imagery: and cinema excels when image has to be conveyed. The feeling of general melancholy - weltschmerz - is what makes it such a great film; in plot terms this obviously reaches its finest distillation in Batty's extended search for an extension of his own life, and the ultimate realization that he is doomed. However, for me, it's the general feel - the confused look on Harrison Ford's face, the despairing glances of Sean Young, and Batty's nobility in the face of his own mortality. My favourite scene is the opening one with Leon, which contains his terrifying line, "Let me tell you about my mother..."

Spectacular.

http://www.tyrell-corporation.pp.se/img/roy/batty.jpg

aussie

01-03-02, 05:46PM

Ok I know we are getting dangerously off topic here and there will be howls from some quarters to split the thread so to those who reside in some quarters I say only this :finger:
did any one find any thing profound in Cheech and Chong? Or was that unentertaining as well or perhaps the life of brian? I hear python was quite profound

Scranton

01-04-02, 01:28AM

Here's something I read by a guy called Crispy_Fry at Gameon.co.uk which you may or may not find amusing!

The TRUE ending to "the Empire Strikes Back":
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
A furious lightsaber duel is underway. DARTH VADER is backing LUKE SKYWALKER towards the end of the gantry. A quick move by Vader, chops off Luke's hand! It goes spinning off into the ventilation shaft. Luke backs away. He looks around, but realizes there's nowhere to go but straight down.

Darth Vader: Obi Wan never told you what happened to your father.

Luke: He told me enough! He told me you killed him!

Darth Vader: No... I am your father!

Luke: No, it's not true! It's impossible.

Darth Vader: Search your feelings... you know it to be true...

Luke: NO!

Darth Vader: Yes, it is true.. and you know what else? You know that brass droid of yours?

Luke: Threepio?

Darth Vader: Yes... Threepio... I built him... when I was 7 years old...

Luke: No...

Darth Vader: Seven years old? And what have you done? Look at yourself, no hand, no job, and couldn't even levitate your own ship out of the swamp...

Luke: I destroyed your precious Death Star!

Darth Vader: When you were 20! When I was 10, I single-handedly destroyed a Trade Federation Droid Control ship!

Luke: Well, it's not my fault...

Darth Vader: Oh, here we go... "Poor me... my father never gave me what I wanted for my birthday... boo hoo, my daddy's the Dark Lord of the Sith... waahhh wahhh!"

Luke: Shut up...

Darth Vader: You're a slacker! By the time I was you're age, I had exterminated the Jedi knights!

Luke: I used to race my T-16 through Beggar's Canyon!

Darth Vader: Oh, for the love of the Emperor... 10 years old, winner of the Boonta Eve Open... Only human to ever fly a Pod Racer... right here baby!

Luke looks down the shaft. Takes a step towards it.

Darth Vader: I was wrong... You're not my kid... I don't know whose you are, but you sure ain't mine...

Luke takes a step off the platform, hesitates, then plunges down the shaft.

Darth Vader looks after him.

Darth Vader: Get a haircut!

ozblonde

01-04-02, 04:12AM

Does any one remember those little fluffy things? I think they were called ewoks? I had one whwen I was a kid and all my friends were so jelous.
Some of you guys really get into this dont you its like only a movie guys

aussie

01-04-02, 04:23AM

Originally posted by ozblonde
Some of you guys really get into this dont you its like only a movie guys

Let me be the first to tell you star wars is not just a movie. While it may be just a movie to you remember Meds are just a tampon to you as well but in the US and Canada they eat them. So remember someone always has another view of things.

ozblonde

01-04-02, 04:32AM

What? They eat meds? Yuk! your kidding arnt you? are we talking new or used here? This is a joke isnt it?

aussie

01-04-02, 04:49AM

Originally posted by ozblonde
What? They eat meds? Yuk! your kidding arnt you? are we talking new or used here? This is a joke isnt it?

Trust me I would never joke about something as serious as eating meds. I think they view them as some kind of folk cure or something. I remember one time toth had to go eat his meds when he had a migraine head ache. Then another time when diva was really sick she said she was having trouble swallowing her meds

Amaurote

01-04-02, 02:49PM

Originally posted by aussie
Ok I know we are getting dangerously off topic here and there will be howls from some quarters to split the thread so to those who reside in some quarters I say only this :finger:
did any one find any thing profound in Cheech and Chong? Or was that unentertaining as well or perhaps the life of brian? I hear python was quite profound

Cheech - I don't know. I keep thinking of Chachi from Happy Days, though God knows why.

I like entertainment as much as anyone, don't get me wrong. I'm looking forward to seeing the next Star Wars film - in plot terms, Lucas appears to have saved the best for the prequels, and the new film looks to be more character-based, which is pleasing. Don't quote me on that, though.

Amaurote inserts an anti-quoting device into paragraph 2

In terms of pure entertainment, look no further than The Lost Boys. You can't justify it in philosophical terms, though we could advance a pretty spurious argument about it being a rites-of-passage film - it just uses imagery and visual/character-based comedy in a way that a novel could never hope to replicate. In much the same way, Watchmen by Alan Moore could never have been replicated in pure novel format, because it uses the genre of comic-book heroes to satirize 20th century America.

Redallnite

01-04-02, 07:14PM

Originally posted by ozblonde
Does any one remember those little fluffy things? I think they were called ewoks? I had one whwen I was a kid and all my friends were so jelous.

Were those from Star Trek??

aussie

01-04-02, 09:48PM

Marie I think the fluffy little guys your thinking of were tribbles. Do you remember them looking like this?

http://www.nochicktrix.com/fun/oth/vb/xmisc/ewok.jpg

Redallnite

01-04-02, 10:02PM

Tribbles, they are soooooo cute!!!

Diva

01-04-02, 10:39PM

Originally posted by Amaurote
In terms of pure entertainment, look no further than The Lost Boys. You can't justify it in philosophical terms, though we could advance a pretty spurious argument about it being a rites-of-passage film - it just uses imagery and visual/character-based comedy in a way that a novel could never hope to replicate.

I love this movie! i watched it 6 times... and then bought the video. It's got some of the greatest lines. Pure entertainment!

http://www.nochicktrix.com/fun/oth/vb/me/lostboys.jpg

Amaurote

01-05-02, 04:19AM

It's a great film, probably the best teen film there's ever been. My favourite line is Kiefer Sutherland's "Fun, huh?", although Sam's "My own brother, a goddamn, shitsucking vampire. Boy, you wait till mom finds out, buddy!" comes pretty close.

Linking the vampire myth to GM Barrie's Peter Pan was a clever touch, no doubt about it. Wierd, though: Corey Haim made only one other film of note that I can recall - Silver Bullet - and that was made before The Lost Boys.

http://www.hundland.com/posters/l/TheLostBoys-British.jpg

Amaurote

01-03-05, 01:46PM

It's been a while, and I know I'll get stick for this (I don't care, as a 24 fan I'm inured to ridicule from my mates), but am I the only person on earth who is not only looking forward to Episode III, but actually thinks it will be - wait for it - a good film? All of the spoilers suggest that the political plot (which is still markedly superior to the "Well, there was this evil Galactic Empire. It was evil. It was galactic. It was an empire. Here are some spaceships. Whee" of the first three) will be cleverly handled, that the Republic's degradation into Empire will be totally believable, that Palpatine and Sidious will be united expertly (and will actually use the Dark Side of the Force to great effect), that Anakin will fight at least three apocalyptic battles (Mace Windu, Obi-Wan, Count Dooku), and that the dialogue is supposedly a huge step up from AotC. They were apparently spontaneously applauding Ian MacDiarmid on the set last year after one of his speeches, something I can't remember happening since John Hurt played Caligula in I, Claudius. Sorry, I know it's unedifying seeing a thirty-year-old behaving like nine-year-old geek, but I'm excited now.

Evilpoptart

01-03-05, 03:38PM

AM.....

You arent the only one who is excited. I watch the teaser trailer at least once a week. I too am thinking it just might be GOOD. Maybe even the prequels version of Empire?

Did you see the look in Anakins eyes? I am now beginning to see why the casted Haden as him, he really does look like a not nice guy.

I've also peeked at a few behind the scenes thingys, and the lightsaber work also looks like it is going to blow away anything previous. I really cant stress enough how bad ass this fight between Anakin and Obi-Wan is going to be.

Though I wouldnt get your hopes up for Sam Jackson getting a crack at Anakin, I think Mr. Badass Mofo is going to clock out fighting Palpantine, but thats just me.

Epic space battles, EPIC lightsabre battles, Anakin with red eyes, Palpantine with a lightsabre, the end of the Jedi and the Republic, maybe a Grand Moff Tarkin appearance? The only thing that can go wrong with this movie is the dialogue, so we still have to be careful.........however I just cannot stop drooling......

Palpantine: Lord Vader?

Darth Vader: Yes Master?

Palpantine: Rise......

/me has goosebumps

Amaurote

01-03-05, 03:49PM

Did you see the look in Anakins eyes? I am now beginning to see why the casted Haden as him, he really does look like a not nice guy.

Absolutely, although the coolest thing about the trailer is the shot of Sidious, who actually looks like he's enjoying himself nearly as much as he was at the end of RotJ...I'm seriously looking forward to the way they handle Palpatine in Ep. 3, I think he's been far and away the best-handled character in the two so far. If what we're hearing is correct, Mace Windu confronts Palpatine, who reveals himself as Sidious - apocalyptic fight ensues, Anakin interrupts, Palpatine says, "Evening, Anakin - will you be joining me for chicks, power and Death Stars, or do you want to stick with Mace and spend the rest of your days picking daisies telepathically?", whereupon he cuts Samuel L Jackson in two. Hopefully from behind.

Amaurote

01-04-05, 05:15AM

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v480/punkboi/sidious_teeth.jpg

Evilpoptart

01-04-05, 07:40AM

Hey Am, I've been having no luck finding a decent pic of the hooded Anakin with red eyes looking over his shoulder, you have any links that might help me out? I'm tryin go for a new avatar...........

Amaurote

01-04-05, 07:43AM

Hey Am, I've been having no luck finding a decent pic of the hooded Anakin with red eyes looking over his shoulder, you have any links that might help me out? I'm tryin go for a new avatar...........

No, sadly not, EPT - you mean the Darth Maul-esque shot from the trailer, I take it. The only really new images I've seen lately are:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v480/punkboi/sidious_teeth.jpg

and

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/swifty28/palpy1.jpg

which is less striking, but a great visual cue for the RotJ shot, which is the most memorable image from that film.

Although this is nice (http://www.9ballproductions.net/duelforweb.mov)