Macon, GA LOL

I was just reading this fascinating guide to Star Wars mistakes (www.egosystem.com/starwars/bloopers.htm) when I came across one entitled Saber Shadows. The error seems legitimate, but it begs the question: Does a lightsaber beam cast a shadow? Without getting into an extensive physics lecture, I'm not sure if a beam of light is even capable of casting a shadow, since it has no mass, and is just light particles.

Furthermore, a few pages later, an article titled The Lightsabers Have Lost Their Shine cites the instances during the Vader/Kenobi duel where ILM forgot to animate the glow of the lightsabers in post production, specifically the scene where Darth Vader approaches the blast doors. I've noticed that mistake for a long time, but it never really bothered me until Allie Fox mentioned it during our discussion en route to the IMAX. Now I feverently hope that ILM fixes that scene for the DVD. Dear God, please make them fix it!!!

These things keep getting better and better! In the Empire Strikes Back section, I was extremely amused at the revelation that during the Battle of Hoth, after Luke throws the grenade into the AT-AT and releases his safety line, you can see the tip of a broomstick push the walker so that it will fall over! I have to watch that now! Finally, in Return of the Jedi, it never occurred to me that the rope Luke and Leia uses to swing away from the sail barge seems to be magically suspended in mid-air!

Everybody should check out this page! It's a lot of fun!

-Dale

 

Watch the scene in Empire during the carbon freeze chamber lightsaber duel. After Luke Vader off the platform and jumps down to follow him, you can see him briefly bounce back up a bit after hitting the off-screen trampoline...

As for lightsaber shadows, my guess is this: since they emit light, normally they wouldn't cast a shadow. However, if there's a brighter light source nearby, it might. It all depends on whether or not the blade would allow the brighter light to pass through it or reflect it. Passes through, no shadow. Absorbs, shadow present. If that makes sense.

 

I believe the Empire scene you are referring to is only visible in the widescreen format. Luke is almost catapulted back to the top platform. If you listen closely you can hear the sound of the trmpoline that he lands on too.

SPROINGGGG!

 

Is there any other format? I mean really. All I buy is widescreen. I refuse to watch films any other way. That may seem snobbish, but it's just the way I am.

-Dale

 

While WE in the tightknit film appreiciation community might think that widescreen is the only way, the fact is that most viewers would rather have a pan & scan version.

Star Wars fans are a rare breed in that we will buy several versions of the same movie for the differences that appear only on the wrapper.

How many copies of the films do you have?

 

I have the widescreen version of each film, (The Phantom Menace on both DVD and VHS) and I intend on buying Attack of the Clones on both home formats as well. I could care less about pan and scan, as it is an utter waste of tape and video disc. The mutilation of a director's masterpiece is an unforgivable practice, and should be outlawed. Furthermore, it actually costs the studio more money to produce a pan and scan version of a film because they have to hire an editor to come in and panistakingly go over the film with a special cutting machine. I'm an admitted film purist, and I believe in maintaining the integrity of the director's vision, as well as the work of hundreds of talented effects people. It seems like such a waste to truncate nearly 50% of their work from a movie simply to make it fit a standard television monitor. In the words of C-3PO: "They'll never get me onto one of those dreadful starships."

-Dale

 

I have to agree...I have bought all the movies on regular vhs format...however, now that I have my DVD I will be repurchasing the movies in DVD Widescreen format.

Gotta Love Technology

sabrann