REVENGE OF THE SITH DVD Review up and running...(let the flood begin)(SNEAK LOOK POST #146)... (1 Viewer)

[Brent M]

Wow, this guy is registered here for one day and he's already stirring up s**t. Word to the wise, buddy: Don't start down the Lucas apologist vs. Lucas bashers road in this thread because it's a quick way to get yourself banned.

 

[TravisR]

Am I the only one who finds it truly sad that something that is supposed to be fun like Star Wars just starts arguments now?

 

[Tim Glover]

It's still fun. Utilize the ignore button. It works wonders. Hey, I love debate. Just glance over the past 3, now closed, Star Wars threads and they are filled with posts from members like Chuck Mayer and others who state their objections on what hasn't worked in eloquent ways that don't put down or insult those who find the PT mostly positive. Even the members like myself-the more PT accepting types Ha (Chris Atkins, Richard Kim, Ricardo, Bryan, Brent, Larry, and countless others) can and have clearly stated their own issues with the PT.

Differences, objections, aggreements, debates, all welcome and needed. But so is good taste, manners, and perspective.

 

[Robert Anthony]

I got left out of the prequel love roll call?

I've been gone too long.

 

[Kevin Lamb]

Hey Robert did you manage to see Revenge of the Sith digitally projected onto Cinetopia's 50 foot screen over the summer? It was awesome.

 

[Robert Anthony]

no, and I was mighty pissed about it. I tried to get out there but life kept getting in the way. That pesky life. Then again, I did get to see it early due to the radio station gig, so I'm not TOO mad.

 

[Bryan X]

I would have loved to have seen ROTS digitally but didn't get too. I saw AOTC digitally in Pinellas Park, FL and it was fantastic.

Man it's going to be a long 2 weeks waiting for this DVD. Like many others' experience, the sound at the two theaters I saw ROTS at left a lot to be desired.

 

[ShaunG]

*ROTJ (DVD SE)*

Well I suppose I would be more accepting of the new changes if the celebration song didnt song soooooo much like the song on Romance in the Stone.

Go watch Romance in the Stone and everytime you watch ROTJ you'll think of that movie. That's really my biggest complaint, other than the audio issue on ANH :p)

 

[Robert Anthony]

Do you mean "romancing the stone?" Not a single piece of music from that film is memorable--I had to track it down to give it a listen--and it's not all that similar. to me, at least. There's a couple phrases here and there, though, I'll give you that.

 

[Bryan X]

Maybe he was referring to the lesser known film, 'Romancing the Bone'.

 

[Chris Atkins]

That's cause you went to the dark side on AOTC...

 

[Robert Anthony]

Hey, what can I say--it holds the single WORST Star Wars scene ever--the fireplace scene.

But maybe this will help: I unabashedly love the "Yodaman!" commercials, and always did.

"Who Da Man?
"YODA MAN!"

 

[Chris Atkins]

You know, the dialogue in the fireplace scene is bad in the beginning. BUT, I love the cinematography, lighting, etc. And the acting is decent near the end of the scene, and the "keep it a secret" stuff is important for later on, and it gives us a peak into the rebellious nature of young Skywalker.

Is that apologizing?

 

[Sev Bragg]

Here's what Lucas said about the fireplace/couch scene, he knew full well he was in for some flack when he wrote it.


"He (Anakin) lets himself go there...he's spilling his guts out to her (AOTC couch scene). It's intended to be overly dramatic, even operatic... You've got to remember that this whole series of films is based on a
30s genre, The acting style is very much from the 30s,conceptually it's using the influence and the inspiration of the 30s films as its basis, the most central of which are the Saturday matinee serials."--GEORGE LUCAS on AOTC DVD COMMENTARY

"I wanted to write a love story in a style that was extremely old-fashioned, and frankly I didn't know if I was going to pull it off. In many ways this was much more like a movie that from the 1930s than any of the others had been, with a slightly over-the-top, poeticstyle-and they just don't do that in movies anymore. I was very happy with the way it turned out in the script and in the performances, but I knew people might not buy it. A lot of guys were going to see this movie, and most guys think that kind of flowery, poetic talk is stupid--'Come on, give me a break.' More sophisticated, cynical types also don't buy that stuff. So I didn't know if people would laugh at it and throw things at the screen or they would accept it. Let's face it, their dialogue in that (couch) scene is pretty corny. It is presented very honestly, it isn't tongue-in-cheek at all, and it's really played to the hilt. But it is consistant with the over all Star Wars style. Most people don't understand the style of SW. They don't get that there is anunderlying motif that is very much like a 1930s western or Saturday matinee serial. It's in that more romantic period of making movies and adventure films. And this film is even more of a melodrama then the others."--George Lucas in "Making of AOTC" book.

 

[Simon Massey]

Lucas' comments still dont take away from the fact that this is the worst scene in the entire series of film. There are other bad moments in all the films but this is is just one bad moment after another. Just when you think it cant get any worse, Anakin says something else. Its also fascinating in a way because you want to look away but you just can't. Its mesmerising in its awfulness.

Perhaps he should have altered the style for the sake of improving the scene. Lucas managed to convey far more of the love story with the looks the actor's were giving each other and the music than any of the dialogue. Take the scene where Anakin kisses Padme for the first time. Remove all the dialogue except for Padme's and Anakin's last line where she draws away and the scene is much improved IMO. Hasnt Lucas also commented that the films can play as silent films with the music conveying what is going on ?

And this is coming from someone who likes AOTC before you lay into me

 

[Sev Bragg]

It's still a matter of opinion whether or not it's good or bad. I guess I can identify with it because I've spilled my guts in a similar way to a girl before. Sure someone else would thing what I said was corny, but love is almost alway considered corny to someone.

 

[Cory S.]

Simon,

The Prequels can play as silent films...and they do for the most part. But, sometimes, no matter how much you try to avoid it, you have to have the dialogue in there.

I'm a fan of the fireplace scene only because it's an honest scene. Everything about, for me, works except for Anakin's opening dialogue. I have nothing against the style at which Lucas was using for the love story but I would've changed the words a bit here in there in that opening dialogue. Other than that, I love the scene as is.

In this day and age of cinema, Lucas tells more through his visuals than most. Dialogue has taken over the medium, for me, in a way. I love dialogue, when it's good. What I don't like is when the characters basically tell me the theme of the film in monlogues and what I should be feeling at this point. Great example; Crash. The characters rant on and on about the theme of the film. Let the images tell me that. Let me make up my own mind.

For the most part, Lucas avoids that. His long dialogue patches deal with the plot of the story most of the times. And you're right Simon...all of the Anakin and Padme scenes in Episode II work extremely well with just the images and the actors.

Lucas, at no time in the Star Wars films, tells the audience what the theme of the film is through character dialogue. We are left to decide that.

 

[Andrew Pat]

"The day we stop believing democracy can work, is the day we lose it." "Let's pray that day never comes."

My faves (right now)

ANH
ROTS
ROTJ
ESB
AOTC
TPM

 

[Sev Bragg]

"I've always been a follower of silent movies. I see film as a visual medium with a musical accompaniment, and dialogue is a raft that goes on with it. I create films that way - very visually - and the dialogue's not what's important. I'm one of those people who says, yes, cinema died when they invented sound. The talking-head era of movies is interesting and good, but I'd just like to go to the purer form.--George Lucas UK Guardian.

 

[Magnus T]

"I wish I could just wish these feelings away."

Wonderful dialog indeed.