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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Lit Literature member interviews

Discussion in 'Literature' started by Point Given , Jun 6, 2013.

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  1. Jedi Ben

    Jedi Ben Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Jul 19, 1999
    I'm guilty of slipping in the "I will complete your training" line at work, whenever the opportunity arises.
     
    AdmiralNick22 likes this.
  2. The Loyal Imperial

    The Loyal Imperial Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 19, 2007
    Last time I used a chair with moving parts, it ended up dumping me on my head. I have sworn vengeance against all swivel chairs since then.

    [​IMG]

    Now that is a chair.
     
  3. GrandAdmiralJello

    GrandAdmiralJello Comms Admin ❉ Moderator Communitatis Litterarumque star 10 Staff Member Administrator

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2000
  4. The Loyal Imperial

    The Loyal Imperial Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 19, 2007
    Jefferson invented the swivel chair?

    No wonder we don't get along.
     
  5. AdmiralNick22

    AdmiralNick22 Retired Fleet Admiral star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 28, 2003
    Any American patriot knows the best chairs we had during the Revolution where the Windsor chair:

    [​IMG]

    Granted the chairs were originally of British origin, but they were quite loved in the States as well, especially in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

    --Adm. Nick
     
  6. CooperTFN

    CooperTFN TFN EU Staff Emeritus star 7 VIP

    Registered:
    Jul 8, 1999
    Imagine if the founding fathers had had Ackbar chairs--the Bill of Rights would've had, like, seventeen amendments.
     
  7. GrandAdmiralJello

    GrandAdmiralJello Comms Admin ❉ Moderator Communitatis Litterarumque star 10 Staff Member Administrator

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2000

    I'll have you know that the Founding Fathers were also originally of British origin! HAH!
     
  8. instantdeath

    instantdeath Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2010
    I think we can safely say that the preceding conversation is infinitely more insightful and entertaining than anything I'm about to churn out.

    Unfortunately, I wasn't asked my preference on chairs. But I'll give it to you anyway: rolling chairs. Sorry TheLoyalImperial. Of course, the fact that I have trouble sitting still for long periods of time might have something to do with that; I think better when I'm moving, and with a rolling chair I can accomplish that and be lazy. Truly, Jefferson was a genius.


    5. What are your favorite Star Wars movies? Why?

    Because I don't have an original thought in my head, I'm going to be like everyone else and say Empire Strike's Back, both as a movie fan and a Star Wars fan.

    As a film, TESB strikes a near-perfect balance in fun pulp-adventure and in serious storytelling. Luke reaches the most poignant and arguably the most fun to watch part of the Hero's Journey: self-discovery, which was touched on in ANH but reaches its true crux in TESB. We see the beginning of wisdom, of a kind, bloom in Luke, but it's still coupled with that youthful impulsiveness. Han is at his most compelling, a Knight in Sour Armor trapped between the idealistic rogue with no qualms about gunning a being down in public and the compulsive hero and general we see in ROTJ and beyond. And as a bonus, it has a love story that doesn't make me groan (at least not much; take away my fan card if you want, I'll confess I still groan at the "scoundrel" line).

    And Vader. Vader is perfect in this film, which is to be expected: if ANH made Darth Vader a memorable villain, TESB made him a cultural icon. Losing the quick temper he had in ANH, he becomes nothing less than the quin-essential genre villain: cold and calculating, as demonstrated in his emotionless execution and his continuous Lando smackdowns, but with the potential to be completely terrifying (that part of the lightsaber fight, when Vader throws subtlety to the wind and charges at Luke like a supremely pissed off battering ram?).

    Speaking of the lightsaber fight, I don't think I'll encounter much disagreement in saying that it's by far the best lightsaber fight of the trilogy, even beating out the thoroughly entertaining Anakin vs Obi-Wan fight from ROTS. I've spoken before in defense of the OT lightsaber fights, on the grounds that, as fun to watch as the PT fights are, they often wear the choreography on their sleeve, and resemble a dance more than a sword fight. In the OT, the two combatants, if nothing else, always look like two masters trying to kill each other. Well, except in this instance. The choreography in this fight is meticulous. On one end, we have Hamill, who with every savage, inelegant swing sells the fact that he is doing his absolute best to cut Vader in half. In the other, Prowse (or whoever is performing the stunts for Vader in this scene), with absolute minimal movement, sells that he's completely toying with him. For all the subtle nuances in the way he plays with Luke, he might as well be slapping him in the face. But as the fight goes on, we see Luke adapting, learning as he gets closer and closer to landing a solid hit (which he of course eventually does), and Vader conversely having to actually start trying. I can't say enough good things about this fight sequence. It's one of the many scenes I use for people who claim that action scenes exist to do nothing more than to titillate audiences with short attention spans and eat away time that could be used for character development; the best fight scenes are character development. They reveal things about the characters that would never come up in conversation. For all who say that fight sequences lack the human element, when do humans fall back on primal, humanistic instincts more than they do with acts of violence? Well, except for that other thing.

    But that's enough about that one. I know the accepted view on the OT is TESB>>>ANH>>>ROTJ, but I actually put ROTJ on an equal tier with ANH, if not outright preferring it. ANH is the most fun, pulp-adventure inspired story, and admittedly Han is a much more entertaining character in it than he is in ROTJ (y'know, when he bothers to shoot first), but as Luke is my favorite Star Wars character, I can't help but love ROTJ. From the moment he calmly walks into the hideout of the most dangerous crime boss in the galaxy and threatens him, to kicking the most feared man in the galaxy down a flight of stairs, to the look of pure, unadulterated rage the Emperor gives him when he all but spits in his face, Luke is easily the highlight of the film for me. Sure, ROTJ has its problems: the Ewoks are nothing but a constant reminder that you're watching a movie with both eyes set firmly on merchandising, and in many ways Vader's inner conflict is conveniently handwaved away from the moment Luke sets foot on the Death Star (I could write a whole separate post on this subject), but none of that outweighs the stuff I love about it. I think this is where the distinction between "movie fan" and "Star Wars fan" I made earlier comes in. ANH is technically a better written film, but in terms of a piece in the larger Star Wars canon, ROTJ just has more "wow" moments.

    Also, confession time: yeah yeah yeah, Special editions= evil and all that, but I have, and always will prefer the special edition ending theme of ROTJ. That's just a brilliant piece of music, perfectly encapsulating both the celebratory nature of the scene, as well as the sorry Luke feels while he's cremating his father. That's damn impressive for one piece, guys.

    I suppose I have to at least touch on the subject of the prequels here, don't I? Well, I don't hate them. Well, I sort of hate Attack of the Clones, but don't tell anyone. I actually have a huge affection for the setting, characters and background detail of the PT era: it's why I think it's made such fantastic EU material. And within the frame of the prequels, there is a damn good story hiding there (just look at what Stover was able to do with ROTS). It's just the dialogue, man, the dialogue. I have a really hard time getting past god awful dialogue, which is what the PT has in spades. Granted, the OT doesn't exactly have the best dialogue in the world, but dammit, it's serviceable, and has a hint of personality. I imagine this has a lot to do with Lucas believing he can do no wrong, taking much greater creative control, and generally not having people who are willing to polish up his ideas.

    All that said, I still grew up with the prequels. Hard to be too critical of something you grew up with and loved, you know? Revenge of the Sith, in particular, was a movie I had my parents take me to see at least twice, maybe three times. And I still really enjoy all of them (except AOTC) to a certain degree.


    6. What are your favorite books, in and out of the EU?

    Considering I have the capability of stretching a very simple and straightforward question into an essay that no one asked for, that question is really asking a mouth full. So I'll try to keep this brief(ish).

    I'll start with the easier one: favorite EU books.

    Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Stover

    This is the best book in the EU (that I have read). It only reinforces my theory that George Lucas is brilliant when it comes to broader ideas, but he really should get people to bring out the best in them. Stover does that in spades. Every character, characters that had the tendency to resemble cardboard more than people in the films, is fully realized and fleshed out. His use of second person viewpoint is effective, poignant and not at all gimmicky. Perhaps most importantly, this book made me not only sympathize with, but understand why Anakin fell to the dark side, an area in which the film failed spectacularly.

    And that ending. I don't even need to go into that. I've already got the powerful urge to go back and reread it. I'm not joking when I say that if I could only read one book for the rest of my life, this one would be high up there.

    You know what, anything with Stover's name slapped on it.

    Shatterpoint did what so many EU books either don't attempt or fail at: fully integrated itself into the Expanded Universe and, you know, expanded it. Stover created a fully realized world, one that feels just as real as Tatooine or Hoth, with the detail of both combined. It created a villain that ranks up there with the absolute best in the EU. It took a Jedi with the personality of a Michael Bay movie and made him into an intricate, compelling protagonist. It questioned what it truly means to be a Jedi and explored the deeper nature of the Force, and also kicked lots of ass.

    Shadows of Mindor is like a Brian Daley book on speed. It somehow manages to embrace pulp adventure while at the same time deconstructing it, leaving it up to the reader if the events even occurred. Luke Skywalker is wise, but shell shocked and, despite all he's been through, still barely more than a kid. So close to the Jedi he knows he has to become, but not quite there. Great, great stuff.

    Haven't read Traitor, but I'm sure it's good.

    Thrawn Trilogy

    This trilogy, like anything popular, gets a lot of criticism, some fair, some totally unfair. All I can say about it is that it captures the feel of the original movies, perhaps better than any other work, while also allowing Zahn to imprint his own personal stamp on it (which annoys a lot of people, for whatever reason). As someone- I believe Havac- said in a great post, a work that was in many ways meant to function as a "sequel trilogy" needed big characters that could function alongside the originals. This trilogy delivered that. And, having reread them recently, I found a lot of the charges that Zahn spent more time dwelling on Mara, Karrde and Thrawn to be unfounded: the original characters occupy the most time in the books, and with the exception of Mara killing C'Baoth (which I would argue was appropriate), the big three easily take the spotlight. And love him or hate him, you will remember Thrawn.

    X-Wing series

    I really love Michael Stackpole's contributions, but I love Allston's even more. An incredibly fun series that at time feels like a well written TV show, complete with a revolving cast, it stands out as one of the more unique entries in the EU. I only wish the Wraith squadron would have been incorporated into the ongoing narrative of the EU, in the NJO and beyond.

    Darth Plagueis

    I think this one, in many ways, depends on how you read it. Luceno is not what I'd consider an ambiguous author, but he is in this novel, in many somewhat jarring places. In my reading of this novel, Palpatine is completely truthful at the end, when he's taunting a dying Plagueis: Plagueis was nothing more than a pawn, being manipulated by a true master. Like everything in Palpatine's world, he was meant to be used, and discarded when he was no longer useful. Considering the natural confines of the story (Plagueis having to be killed in his sleep), I felt it was handled well, and Palpatine's verbal smackdown remains one of my all-time favorite Reason You Suck Speeches in all of fiction.

    And of course, the continuity. You can't talk about this novel without mentioning the continuity. I love it. If there's any novel (outside of the sourcebooks/guides, of course), that makes the EU feel like one unified story, it's Plagueis. It's almost scary how much Luceno references. The Star Wars GFFA feels alive and breathing in this novel, and it's great.

    Yoda: Dark Rendezvous

    It's been awhile since I've read this one, but even so, it's not difficult to remember how good it was. This is the best depiction of Yoda ever, and that includes the movies. No other work has ever come close to marrying the impish, fun Yoda from TESB and the wise, solemn Yoda from the PT. Plus, he's given some of the best quotes in the EU.

    Another character that has never been portrayed better is Dooku. There's no mustache twirling to be found. He's just a prideful, talented, idealistic man who, like many staunch idealists, isn't afraid of getting people hurt to achieve his goals, in the name of greater good. The most tragic thing in this book isn't the fact that he didn't come back from the dark side: it's the fact that Yoda almost reached him. Almost saved him. That kind of thing can come off hacky if not done well, but it's definitely done well here.

    The Han Solo Adventures

    The most fun you can have reading a Star Wars book. Excellently paced, high adrenaline adventure with a colorful cast of support characters, the books read like an Indiana Jones movie. It also gives us one of the best villains of the EU, Gallandro. And of course, as great as the original characters are, these books stand as the best depiction of Han out there.

    Also, it contains the only truly hysterical "Han shot first joke", considering it was made 20 years before they became cool. And before they existed.

    The Darth Bane Trilogy

    Just kidding.

    The Jedi Prince series

    Not kidding.


    Aaaaaanyway, favorite non-EU books? Damn. I'm gonna keep this short. If I list a book, it's hard for me to refrain from saying exactly why I like it. So maybe two or three entries max.


    1984 by George Orwell

    My favorite novel, which if you know anything at all about my taste in fiction, this might seem very uncharacteristic. After all, Orwell's work often come across as more a political essay than a story. That's true for 1984 as well as much of his other work: the characters aren't especially deep, and it spends pages, and even chapters, at a time putting forth an ideology or message. But there is something very, very resonant within these pages: a feeling of utter hopelessness.

    When people ask me why I like Black metal music, or shoegaze music (if you've never heard of shoegaze, fix that immediately: it's brilliant) that's the answer I give them: no other artform can create such a profound sense of loss and hopelessness. No other, that is, except for 1984. I'm not an overly emotional person, and while I love fiction, I don't often allow it to effect me in any large sense. When I finished 1984, though, at age 17, I don't remember feeling angry, or sad. I remember feeling nothing. Not a "that was boring, I'll forget about that in no time" sense of nothing. Total nihilism. I just kind of stared at the ceiling for awhile after I finished.

    Considering Orwell does not believe in the happy ending, I was not surprised when it came. But I was hoping, beyond hope (spoiler alert for a 60+ year book) that Winston would at least hold onto his hatred for Big Brother. That would have been a victory. But Orwell doesn't allow even that small victory: he doesn't rest until the characters entire sense of identity is shattered. There's nothing more sacred to a human being than their thoughts. If that can be taken away, can be molded, what do we have left? The last line of the book, "He loved Big Brother", like like an icy dagger to the chest. Like I said, hopelessness.

    Now, why would I want to feel hopelessness? I dunno. I read fiction to be effected, don't I? It certainly did its job there. And considering the book was meant as a warning more than anything, that goes double for it.

    Yikes, way more than I meant to write. I'll just skip to the genre fiction, fair enough?

    Nerdlit

    I actually haven't read nearly as much sci-fi as I'd like. I haven't even read Dune, though I plan to get right on that. I have read a decent bit of fantasy, especially since I only truly "discovered" the genre about two years ago, when I read A Song of Ice and Fire. Which, of course, is a brilliant series that practically everyone on this forum reads (or watches and refuses to read, in which case you must be flayed because my own pretentiousness makes me stronger). I'm also a big fan of Joe Abercrombie. The Malazan series, from what I've read, is fantastic: it combines the expansive world building of the ASOIAF series, with arguably even better prose and an incredibly detailed sense of history and mythology infused into the world, and it's a work that both celebrates and deconstructs typical fantasy tropes. It is truly the most grand work I've ever been exposed to: when gods collide, you feel it reverberating through the pages.

    One series that some may scoff at, but I'll freely admit to being a fan of, would be The Wheel of Time. This series has numerous problems. Generally horrid pacing. Female characters that seem to take the entire series to grow separate identities. But the final few books truly draw them all together. What I love about the series is its infusion of myths into its own lore, and how in turn the characters are written as both larger-than-life myth and as small, fragile people (you especially see this in the last book). All-in-all, I love Wheel of Time for the same reason I love Star Wars: not for the dialogue or the nuances, but for the grandiose nature of it, and for the deep level of connection the author is able to forge between you and the characters.

    The Acts of Caine series is a true gem within the fantasy genre, and I'll forever have Star Wars to think for having me discover Stover. I read somewhere that Stover's goal, in writing Heroes Die, was to make a book that crossed all the boxes in a "fantasy cliche" list, and make it not suck. He succeeded with flying colors. Blade of Tyshalle, however, takes things to a whole new level. Philosophical and very, very ugly, the book is nothing less than an all out assault on the senses. Finally finishing that book is like gasping for air after being held under water for an extended period of time.

    I could go on, and on, and on, but I clearly already have. I'll save you guys the trouble of posting a response by doing it for you.

    [​IMG]
     
  9. CooperTFN

    CooperTFN TFN EU Staff Emeritus star 7 VIP

    Registered:
    Jul 8, 1999
    These two things don't go together.

    That's because you're not insane.
     
  10. Todd the Jedi

    Todd the Jedi Mod and Loving Tyrant of SWTV, Lit, & Collecting star 6 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Oct 16, 2008
    I'm curious, ID, how much of Republic have you read? Because Stover references it a bunch in Shatterpoint, doing as you say, integrating itself with the EU and expanding it.

    And don't worry, ID. I hate the Yub Nub song, probably because I saw the SEs with that Williams ending theme first. :p
     
  11. GrandAdmiralJello

    GrandAdmiralJello Comms Admin ❉ Moderator Communitatis Litterarumque star 10 Staff Member Administrator

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2000
    bah n00bs. Yub Nub is the best, and anybody who doesn't know all the words to that song by heart isn't a true fan.


    ..... what? Why is Imperial Intelligence suddenly taking an interest in me?
     
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  12. dp4m

    dp4m Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Nov 8, 2001
    Also, unofficial Celebration in VEGAS!
     
  13. s65horsey

    s65horsey Otter-loving Former EUC Mod star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 24, 2006
    That one was so much fun! I totally miss you guys!
     
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  14. instantdeath

    instantdeath Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2010
    Sure they do. You're most likely thinking of death metal- another genre that gets a lot of stereotyping, as contrary to popular belief the best death metal requires some seriously intricate composition: I'm not exaggerating when I say bands like Atheist rival the most talented Jazz groups out there (though admittedly they're overshadowed by absolute garbage)- which is arguably where metal gets its "angry and br00tal dood" image, perhaps deservedly so for choosing such a superficial name to label their music. Conversely, black metal is all about atmosphere. It's about creating a restless wall of sound and not letting up. It's vocals are never in the forefront, but are used as another instrument, almost as a Darkwave band might use a synthesizer. In fact, black metal actually has the reputation of being the "arty" genre, since the better bands are more interested in creating auditory collages than they are in creating songs. Stuff like this. Most people will utterly despise what I just linked, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

    I'm actually not that big of a metal fan, at least in comparison to the true enthusiasts (alternative all the way for me). But it does have much more musical merit than most want to give it credit for.

    I've seen way too many people say replacing that damned Ewok song was the greatest travesty of the special editions =P~

    I've read all of the Republic comics, though it's been awhile. Yeah, if I recall correctly, Shatterpoint is also referenced in a pretty big way in the comics, as Depa-in-a-coma makes a cameo appearance.

    I don't remember which I saw first myself, but I know for a fact that the first time I watched it as someone who pays a lot of attention to film scores, I was instantly drawn to the SE ending song. When I watched the original, my only thought was, "this is seriously the song they used to end this trilogy? Seriously?"
     
  15. dp4m

    dp4m Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Nov 8, 2001
    [Luke]We miss you too![/Luke]
     
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  16. Point Given

    Point Given Manager star 7 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Dec 12, 2006
    7. What are your favorite movies outside of Star Wars?

    8. What made you interested in chronicling the Jedi Prince series?
     
  17. CooperTFN

    CooperTFN TFN EU Staff Emeritus star 7 VIP

    Registered:
    Jul 8, 1999
    Remember the feeling you got the first time you saw the BR Jedi with the "Nooo!" stuck in? That's the exact feeling I had the first time I heard Yub Nub--having seen the SE first.
     
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  18. GrandAdmiralJello

    GrandAdmiralJello Comms Admin ❉ Moderator Communitatis Litterarumque star 10 Staff Member Administrator

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2000
    You saw the SE first? Get out. You're not allowed to be a fan anymore. In fact, I'm confiscating your site too. And your icon. It's mine now. You no longer have the right to be punched Tycho.
     
  19. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    Your Emperor is dead and your Imperium has fallen admiral, you have no longer any authority here
     
  20. CooperTFN

    CooperTFN TFN EU Staff Emeritus star 7 VIP

    Registered:
    Jul 8, 1999
    *achem*


    June 12, 2007

    March 25, 2008

    April 5, 2008

    December 18, 2012

    March 13, 2013

    One hour later: your response to the above

    Two days ago
    You, sir, are the one who should get out. [face_not_talking]
     
  21. GrandAdmiralJello

    GrandAdmiralJello Comms Admin ❉ Moderator Communitatis Litterarumque star 10 Staff Member Administrator

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2000
    Oh, I can't be bothered to keep track of such things. That's what servants are for. :p


    ...know where I can get any?

    I'd have you thrown in the brig for that, but it's a snappy line so I'll spare you this time.
     
  22. instantdeath

    instantdeath Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2010
    Sorry it's taken me so long to get to these questions. I'm about to have to do a six hour drive, so it will be a little longer still. If you'd like, you can post another question or two, and I can do them all at once tonight.
     
  23. Point Given

    Point Given Manager star 7 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Dec 12, 2006
    9. What places have you traveled to? Which one is your favorite?

    10. What were your thoughts when Disney announced the purchase of Lucasfilm? Have they changed since then?
     
  24. instantdeath

    instantdeath Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2010
    Sorry for the delay. The crappy motel I stayed at last night had ridiculously expensive wifi. You guys are great, but not $40 for an hour of wifi great.


    7. What are your favorite movies outside of Star Wars?

    This one's a bit easier than the favorite books question, because I've seen so many less movies. I only even started watching a lot of movies last year, so I've still got some major gaps; I think GrandAdmiralJello is still threatening me about seeing Jurassic Park and Back to the Future.

    I also don't watch nearly enough indie films, so don't expect any inspired/different choices. Here's a few of my favorites.

    Reservoir Dogs

    Better than Pulp Fiction, in my opinion. Pulp Fiction was great in the way that it played with viewpoint, its quirky dialogue and interesting situations. If pressed, I might even concede that Pulp Fiction is the better film (maybe). But I just love Reservoir Dogs. Love the characters. Love the premise. Love everything about it.

    Trainspotting

    Now this is a fun film. Remember how I said I pay a lot of attention to film scores? That's the biggest reason I love Trainspotting; it has a unique and never, ever boring film score that perfectly complements the subject matter, especially in the more "trippy" scenes.

    Also, I can't see this movie and not see Obi-Wan. Mad, he had a problem before the Jedi found him...

    The Matrix

    Oh man. Now this film is nostalgic. You haven't seen The Matrix until you've seen it through the eyes of a 10 year old boy. It's enough to turn your world around. In a lot of ways, this is my Jurassic Park; that movie you see that just enthralls you as a kid, to the point where you just can't watch it the same way everyone else does.

    For the record, I also loved the sequels when I was a kid, and still enjoy them, though they're not as good as the first. Revolutions in particular gets a lot of criticism, a lot of it well deserved, but again, I have a hard time finding fault with it, since as a kid that last fight was like watching a live-action Dragon Ball Z fight. That's pretty much all I ever wanted out of life.

    The Shawshank Redemption

    A fairly obvious one, but it's a film I saw young and it's stayed with me ever since.

    The Dollars Trilogy

    I haven't seen many Westerns, so saying these are the best Westerns I've seen isn't really saying much... but they're damn good films regardless.

    Lord of the Rings trilogy

    These are movies that I just didn't get as a kid. I'd try to watch them and inevitably get bored. Flash forward a few years, I give them another shot, and what do you know, turns out I not only like them, I absolutely love them. Also, again on the film score thing, Howard Shore's film score is simply perfection.

    Oldboy

    The movie that completely convinced me that very little is truly lost through subtitles.

    I'm sure there are lots of others that I'm forgetting.



    8. What made you interested in chronicling the Jedi Prince series?

    Heroin was getting boring.

    Anyway, the Jedi Prince reread thread was originally going to be an NJO read-through. As I've mentioned quite a few times in the years that I've been here, the NJO has been something I've been building up to; for awhile, it was meant to be the "grand finale" of my reading of the Expanded Universe. My pitch for the thread was going to be a reaction to the NJO from someone who is viewing it as the finale of the Star Wars universe. While I still somewhat like the idea, I have backpedaled on it a bit. For one, the NJO is undoubtedly the biggest source of controversy in the EU. It's been debated and picked apart in a level of detail I can only imagine in the past decade, and I sincerely doubt I can provide any new insights, especially since it would be a first reading. Also, a secondary goal, one that would probably be of greater interest to everyone who isn't me, was a kind of "NJO in retrospect"; while I'd be discovering the NJO for the first time, everyone else could discuss how their opinions on it might have changed. This too, I eventually realized, was pointless, since the NJO remains a widely discussed topic on these boards, and it now has what might as well be an ongoing thread. I may still do something with the NJO, even if it's just writing reviews in whatever thread happens to be discussing the NJO when I get to it, but I'm not sure.

    But I didn't want to throw the idea out completely. I thought doing a reread feature could be fun. The answer came to me suddenly, like being thrown into a lake of icy, cold zoochberry juice: the Jedi Prince series. It was perfect for a variety of reasons. I had already read it, for one, and I wouldn't have to attempt to deeply analyze it, I could just make fun of it (that's what I thought at first: anyone who reads the thread knows that I was sorely mistaken on this point, as the summaries keep getting longer and longer). Plus, as an added bonus, a fairly large portion of the board hasn't actually read it, so this way I can provide a meager service by letting people discover what I truly consider to be one of the hidden gems of the EU.

    The format was directly inspired by the TOR rereads, which covers quite a few great book and television series'. My style of doing it is slightly different, however, in that it's actually a bit of a parody. The TOR rereads tend to give summaries, complete with the best or most important quotes placed for dramatic effect, with long commentaries that open up the door for further discussion. I do the same, but tend to quote a lot more (because let's face it, Jedi Prince is infinitely more quotable than most books out there), and do slightly less commentary in favor of more detailed summaries, since this is a work most will not be familiar with at all.

    I am glad the Jedi Prince reread is decently successful. I was thinking everyone would lose interest around the end of the first book. Of course, I'm only halfway through; there's still plenty of time for everyone to bail on me. I'm looking forward to picking it back up, though it won't be for at least another week.

    I'll answer the next two later tonight. No, I really will this time.
     
  25. Todd the Jedi

    Todd the Jedi Mod and Loving Tyrant of SWTV, Lit, & Collecting star 6 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Oct 16, 2008
    [face_rofl]

    And yeah, I think Reservoir Dogs is Tarantino's best work, and probably Harvey Keitel's best performance of his career.
     
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