Addendum--Review and Thoughts

Review--Good Flick.

I'll review the movie more seriously later--

Now "The Rest of the Story" by Paul Harvey--uh, TeeCee...

Thanks to Chris, Steve, and those that worked with the O'Rion Freebooters to make this one memorable premiere. We had good coverage from the media, and with the news crews and KALA-FM broadcasting live, NO other FM station, and no non-talk radio station covered the event. This really meant a lot.

Thanks especially to Chris Bornhoeft, Darlene Bornhoeft (She is a REAL mom, no "mere" seamstress), and Matt of QCJO who graciously did interviews with us. Great jobs, and the retrospective should be on Saturday and also next week on 88.5/105.5 FM in the QC's. Gary LaRoche is also to be thanked, for he and the National Amusements bunch made all this possible.

We did it...Despite the critics, naysayers, the "Sticks in the mud", and despite a few mundane snobs out on the line during the event, despite the flurry of comings and goings, and of course despite the weather, this was a true success. This is proof that Group events like this can work, and that two separate groups can work together. This answers those that could only think of self, and not for the good of the group. We had fun, and there it is.

Thanks to those also who stuck out the people snoring next to them, saw the flick and then came for a "burger-breakfast" at Steak n Shake--thanks guys, and those that missed it we hope can do that some other time.

This may the "last" such event for the QCJO, but never say never. There are many ways to skin a Sith. And Jedi.

The Orion is going as a group to a matinee at the Rocket around 6-5, the 10am or noon showing--if anyone is interested, please contact TeeCee or Admiral Greibel.

We have an open invite to our activities, folks, and know that you are welcome, anytime. Till later--TeeCee.

 

The Review:
Good Flick...

OK, okay I'll behave...Seriously good flick.

The film finally brings into focus the "throwaway" lines and apparent flubs in the classic trilogy, and manages to make coherent the tedious paint-drying scripts of the first two films.

The action sequences are on the money, in fact on a par with either the recent asian action epics like Jet Li's "Hero" and "House of Flying Daggers" or the we-must-never-mention-the-Ring-thingy.

The acting of Hayden Christensen (!), Ewan MacGregor (!!), Frank Oz as Yoda (!!!) and surprise-surprise, Ian MacDiarmid as Palpatine (Fanfare: DUM-dum-dum!), make the scenes flow. Though Natalie Portman was much better in "Closer" than this swansong for Amidala, even here you still get the roots of her deep acting talent here (despite all the wood).

The only, ONLY disappointment in the film, is Samuel L. Jackson. Mace Windu was building to be Da Man on the Jedi Council. The fears he had in Attack of the Clones didn't manifest and his powers in the Force couldn't let him have insight as to the potential evil in Skywalker/Vader. The quiet performance Jackson gave, good though it was, was still swallowed by the large changes in the characters acted by the people above--it came off as sleepwalking. Windu's demise was startling in its violence, but more a victory for Palpatine than a tragic end to a very respected Jedi hero.

Anybody see the cameo by Bob Hoskins?? The ARC-170 Pilot Red Leader. Blown up before he could be a real part of things in this picture.

What was Chewie's role and relationship to Tarrful?? I was kind of wondering was he a General himself, an aide, or just Yoda's friend, soon to be slave for the Empire? and what was up witht he farting dragonfly planes on Kashyyyk (cash-SHEEK)--they and the hooting Parrot lizard (the Boga Obi-Wan rode) were in their way almost as annoying as Jar Jar Binks.

At least Jar Jar didn't talk this time. (As Vader) "Binks, I find your lack of personality and talent disturbing." (Gawwwk)

Well, here is hoping that somehow the proposed Clone Wars/During-the-Empire series is a continuation of Palpatine's drive for "Ul-tim-ate Power!" Also how Vader becomes the unfeeling machine he is in "A New Hope."

Till later--TeeCee.

 

Dude,

Imagine you're Darth Vader just coming off the operating table.

You just embraced the full strength of your anger and hatred using it to murder or assist in the murder of almost every friend, colleague and mentor you ever had. You betrayed the trust of everyone who ever put that trust in you to begin with. You've destroyed everything you worked so hard to achieve in one fell swoop. What's more is that as far as you're concerned you unwittingly murdered your wife and unborn baby in the process. You just woke up to the horror of being confined to an iron lung suit after nearly being burnt alive and are now deformed beyond recognition.

And you wonder how he became an feeling jerk?

I don't need a tv series to tell me that.

 

Dude--

Um, I had no problem whatsoever with Vader's transformation...My perspective is that it would be interesting to see how he plays out his rage over the years into the truly E-Vil person we see striding onto the Alderaan blockade runner in A New Hope. But check out my thoughts below on the series.

I thought the performance of Christensen as Vader was good, lightyears beyond the stuff he did in Phantom Menace and most of Attack of the Clones. After he found Shmi Skywalker and then went after the Sand People, he pulled a Johnny Depp-like "be the character" acting job. He pulled it off again in this entire film.

Make no bones about it, PsychoJedi, this Jedi thinks Vader, though one bad bad man, is "verrry inter-est-ingk" to watch.

I think the TV Series actually will possibly focus, perhaps not on Vader, but on the minor Jedi characters (read, people like the late Kit Fisto, hint hint ), and play out during the period between the Empire's founding and the loss of the Death Star's plans to the Rebel Alliance.

I would like to think that beside Masters Yoda and Kenobi, that there may be at least one or two others laying low while the Sith are having their heyday. It would be cool to see how that play out in a series.

What do you think?? Till later, MTFBWY--TeeCee.

 

Clarify for others reading - Jake Lloyd played Anakin Skywalker in TPM.

 

I sure as hell hope they don't do a tv series leading up to ANH. The script for my film shows how Han got the Falcon, how he set the record for the Kessel run, how the Death Star Plans were stolen, and how the Empire came to trace the path to Leias Tantive IV.

It also makes some insightful hints at some droid things as well. I worked very hard on making it a Star Wars film in every way. Including the "I have a bad feeling about this" line, including 1138 in the script as well. I have interweaving storylines and a run time of nearly an hour and a half. I've been dreaming and collaborating on this for years. The script is finally done and the feedback I've received from every star wars fan I've shown it to loves it from the dialogue to the creativity of how the scenes play out.

I'm going to make the film regardless and I would never second guess an official tv series but if the stories don't match up that would be very disconcerting. Hopefully if they do explore that era of time they will focus on secondary charcters.

I think they would because it would be risky to try to do young Luke, Leia and Han. Those identities are so tied to the actors who play them (unlike batman for example) that treading on that becomes too taboo.

Besides all their best stories are told in the films. Here's hoping anyway

 

Thanks for the clarify there, my fellow Jedi. The young fellow isn't so young anymore, and he talks about his TPM experience in the Rolling Stone interview about the Faces of Darth Vader, from young Ani to James Earl Jones. Cool stuff--MTFBWY--TeeCee.

 

The best of luck on the film concept, QCPsychoJedi, Re: the fan film...I wonder if you could get airtime from atomfilms.shockwave.com for 2006's Star Wars Fan Film Awards? You might also apply to Bravo Channel's Green Light Project, that reality show where they "green light" independent films, with celebrities as judges and help on the process of making your film. I too hope that this proposed series is not the Star Wars Droids, live action this time. The series needs to stand on its own in its shared univers, like Stargate Atlantis is separate from Stargate SG-1.

Again best of luck with this project. Till later, MTFBWY--TeeCee.