PT The Prequel Trilogy Interview Thread - Currently interviewing jaimestarr !)

@clone commander bossk you have until tomorrow to reply or else I am moving on and you can sign up again

 

Okay @clone commander bossk you can reply later. Don’t worry I know this is a busy time of year

 

@DarthFixxxer

1.) How did you find the JCF?

2.) Why did you choose that for your username?

3.) What is your favorite lightsaber color?

4.) What is your favorite line in the prequels?

5.) When did you first see the prequels?

 

Well first of all, happy new decade to everyone in here, and thank you for including me in this beloved section of the forum!

1) I had grown tired of not finding people to communicate with about Star Wars, and I did a google search for official Star Wars forums. I mostly wanted to vent my frustration about the direction that Disney has taken in the past few years with one of my most beloved things in life, but I also wanted to talk about positive things. Specifically the Clone Wars, Rebels, the Legends novels, and of course the Prequels. I had been disappointed with the 2-3 music forums that I followed, because they are pretty much dead at this point. So I thought I would engage in Star Wars conversation instead. Google gave me this link as the first result for "official SW forums".

2) I am a Jedi at heart, but there's something cool about being a Darth Whatever. Fixxxer is one of my most favorite songs by one of my most favorite bands, Metallica.

Spoiler: Metallica - Fixxxer

It also has amazing lyrics, and I strongly suggest it to everyone who is even remotely into rock and/or metal. This song was released in 1997.

3) Now that is a tough call. I play SWTOR, so that has given me the option to use a very wide variety of lightsaber colors across my characters. I will give multiple answers:

• If we go by standard/classic colors of lightsabers in the movies (blue, green, red) then I will have to choose green. ROTJ Luke is my fav SW character.
• If we go by extended colors (blue, green, red, purple - Mace, white - Ahsoka, gold - Rey) it's tough. I love all these last 3. I will go with white.
• If we go by SWTOR/EU/Legends then I will choose teal. There are beautiful color schemes in videogames such as SWTOR and perhaps one day I'll share a bunch of GIFs.

4) So many.... I can't choose, I can't. I mean I love so many lines in the prequels. I will go with "You were supposed to bring Balance To The Force, not leave it in darkness". This is one of the most powerful deliveries in all of cinema in my opinion. It shows the master class of Georce Lucas. Six movies culminating into this very moment, where you feel the pain, the hate, the humanity in Obi-Wan, and the tragic loss of Anakin who fell to the Dark Side, triggering basically every major event in any of the movies. It truly IS the Vader saga.

5) I saw all of them at the movie theater when they came out, and since the 90s were simpler times, the movies had not been spoiled to me AT ALL, including ROTS. The internet was prominent in 2005, but it was not like it is today. The amount of information was not as immense as it is today, and the most that one could get is the trailer for the movies really. I went to watch TPM at the age of 18, after already having watched all the original movies in their Special Editions, and I was not disappointed one bit. I loved every single prequel movie from the moment I first watched it, and that is true for every single one of my friends. I don't remember any prequel hate throughout 1999-2005 but it could be because I was not in the US. The fanbase outside of the US is just not the same. I watched TPM twice, AOTC 3 times and ROTS another 3 times.

 

6.) What is your favorite deleted scene in the Star Wars prequels?

7.) If you could extend one of the prequels which would you do?

8.) What is your favorite type of food?

9.) you say you have played SWTOR what do you think about how that game handled Revan?

10.) Which character in the prequels is the most underrated?
@DarthFixxxer

 

Favourite animated tv show or movie?

Since you mentioned music, fave soundtrack, both within Star Wars and generally?

 

6)What is your favorite deleted scene in the Star Wars prequels?
I was torn between Yoda arriving on Dagobah and Yoda communicating with Qui Gon Jinn at the end of ROTS, where QGJ explains to him that he has learned the secret to eternal life basically. I don't think I can decide. The Qui Gon Jinn scene is more important and should have been included for sure. Yoda's arrival on Dagobah is just beautiful visually. And it connects the PT with the OT.

7) If you could extend one of the prequels which would you do?
ROTS for sure. I feel that it was the most powerful movie, and it could have been even longer with the above mentioned deleted scenes actually being included. I also wish the fight between Sidious and the 4 Jedi that went to arrest him was a little longer. He shouldn't have finished 3 of them within 2 seconds.

8) What is your favorite type of food?
A tie between chicken tacos and spaghetti bolognese.

9) you say you have played SWTOR what do you think about how that game handled Revan?
I had not played KOTOR 1 and 2 religiously, so I actually loved what they did with Revan in SWTOR. I loved the idea that he was kept in a prison for 300 years and then reappeared as a neutral factor and as one of the most significant enemies whether you side with the Empire or the Republic.

10) Which character in the prequels is the most underrated?
Padme Amidala. I think her story arc is beautiful from start to finish and I did not really have a strong reaction to how she was portrayed in ROTS. In fact, I didn't know there were people so passionate about that prior to joining these forums. She did not seem weak to me at all in ROTS. She was still the leader of her planet, and fell victim to the events as much as everyone else, and ended up losing everything. But she was loyal to her cause and her character, and I do not think she regressed at all. She had to have a somewhat smaller role because the movie needed to focus heavily on Anakin and how he fell to the dark side, and the Emperor's plan, that I don't see how it could have been done differently. I think she still made an impact in the movie though.

11) Favourite animated tv show or movie?
There are so many in both categories. I will have to go with Star Wars Clone Wars for the TV show category, though I grew up watching the Thundercats and that was pretty awesome.

When it comes to movies, I want to say Up. Wall-E was pretty great too.

12) Since you mentioned music, fave soundtrack, both within Star Wars and generally?
Favorite Star Wars soundtrack.... this is really hard because Duel Of The Fates, Across The Stars and Battle Of The Heroes are three compositions that for me encapsulate perfectly the movie they are part of. I will go with Revenge Of The Sith because I have listened to it more than the others for sure. Great replay value.

Non Star Wars soundtracks that I absolutely love:
The Dark Knight - Hans Zimmer
The Fountain - Clint Mansell
Lost Highway - OST/Various (David Bowie, Marilyn Manson, Rammstein, Trent Reznor and more)
Batman Returns - Danny Elfman
Donnie Darko - OST/Various (Echo and the Bunnymen, Gary Jules, Radiohead etc)
Drive - OST/Various (Kavinsky, Cliff Martinez, etc)
Last Of The Mohicans - OST/Various

and many many more.

 

Greetings @DarthFixxxer ! Here are my questions for you (IIRC, I also asked you some questions when you were interviewed in WNU a while back...hopefully, these are not the same questions--but with my increasingly middle-aged brain, one never knows)

(IIRC, you are an astronomy professor?):

1) When/how did you first get interested in pursuing astronomy as a career?

2) What's one recent discovery/concept/theory in astronomy that you think would be particularly interesting and/or important for the general public to be aware of and why/how? (no need for a particularly lengthy answer--a brief "nutshell for the layperson" summary of whatever it is along with a link for more info is fine!)

3) Have you had ever had instances in which students express to you that they feel a conflict between some aspect of their religious background/beliefs and something you're teaching them in one of your classes and, if so, how do you tend to handle such an issue? (feel free to skip if you feel that's too specific of a question or just prefer not to answer and I will come up with an alternate one)

thx in advance for your answers (and Happy New Year!)

Edit: I just went back and checked the WNU interview questions I asked, and no, these are not the same questions!

 

I will continue the numbering from previous posts just to have a good sum at the end

13) When/how did you first get interested in pursuing astronomy as a career?
It kind of just happened, and it is not a career I will have forever. I attended a Computer Science school for 1 year when I was 18 years old, but I decided that I find programming to be very boring, even though I was pretty good at it. I then got enrolled into a Polytechnic University and finished my studies with an Applied Math and Physics degree, with specialization in Nuclear Physics and Lasers & Optical Electronics. I then got accepted into a PhD program in Physics, where I thought getting it in Astronomy was the most interesting option. Through that program, I got a teaching job where I usually teach Astronomy and/or Physics labs and/or lectures. I guess the short response would be "I followed a path after doing what feels right, and this felt right in 2011".

14) What's one recent discovery/concept/theory in astronomy that you think would be particularly interesting and/or important for the general public to be aware of and why/how?

• In 2009 the leap towards discovering extrasolar planets was the largest one yet. With the Kepler and the TESS mission, we have now confirmed almost 5000 exoplanets, many of which could be very similar to our own planet in terms of atmosphere, temperature etc. I find Exoplanet Science the most fascinating right now.
• About 3 years ago we confirmed the first ever detection of gravitational waves from extreme sources such as black hole mergers or neutron star collisions. Detecting gravitational waves gives us a powerful tool in observing and understanding this universe better, and in 200 years this might be considered one of the most groundbreaking discoveries in the history of Astronomy
• Various missions to planets or moons that might have huge pockets of underground water are also pretty fascinating. They might make us understand life better. And there is a slight chance we might find bacteria or viruses in other places of the solar system. Who knows? The implications could be huge.

15) Have you had ever had instances in which students express to you that they feel a conflict between some aspect of their religious background/beliefs and something you're teaching them in one of your classes and, if so, how do you tend to handle such an issue?
Honestly, I have never had such an instance, and you would feel that after having taught Astronomy lectures to at least 1000 students over the course of years, there would be at least ONE person, right? But no. I have had a couple of people approach me after class to express their questions about how does all of this fit with religion and what do A and B mean, if their religion says C, but it has always been in the form of inquiry. I tend to explain very early in the semester that both I, and this course, do not approach the subject of religion, and that anyone is free to believe in whatever they want, and that I will be teaching all the things that we know about our universe and how it came to be, without entering that area at all.

 

Ever had a student submit anything so terribly awful you had to do a double-take?

As a recent graduate of Physics I can certainly relate

 

Very interesting replies, @DarthFixxxer --thanks!

one more: What are two or three of your all-time favorite science fiction films, and for each, what element(s) of that film make it truly special/noteworthy to you? (These would be other than Star Wars films, though I see SW films as examples of the "fantasy" genre rather than sci fi anyway).

 

@DarthFixxxer

Which droid do you like better C3PO or R2?

If you could have anyone besides George direct the prequels who would it be?

Are you more of a cat or dog person?

Have you ever cried watching/reading/playing starwars?

seeing as you have played SWTOR which do you like better canon or Legends?

 

16) Ever had a student submit anything so terribly awful you had to do a double-take?
Hmmmmm..... I have definitely received awful submissions, but I don't do a double-take, I just give them the minimum acceptable grade so that they are not fully discouraged but at the same time they don't receive an unfair amount of credit.

17) What are two or three of your all-time favorite science fiction films, and for each, what element(s) of that film make it truly special/noteworthy to you?
OOOOF I could type a novel about this question @Pensivia

• The Matrix (1999) It is an excellent movie in story, characters, direction, visuals, themes, questions, plot twists. It truly changed film making when it comes to science fiction. This is the movie that I watched at the movie theaters and blew me away more than any other movie ever.
  
  
• Donnie Darko (2001) If I had to choose just one film, which is impossible, this would be the one I would choose as my favorite film of all times. The original version, not the director's cut, which is much much worse.This movie sets its own rules for time travel (the only way that time travel can work in a movie), it shows teenage love (I am a softie for those), it has amazingly vivid and memorable scenes and quotes, and is haunting.
  
  
• Alien (1979) Space horror at its finest. It changed the genre and initiated a new era in horror in general.
  
  
• The Fly (1986) Now if this isn't one of the most f'ed up movies of all times, I don't know which one is. I absolutely love it. Even if I was completely terrified when I watched it at the age of 10-11 years old.

18)What is your favorite Prequel planet and why?
Geonosis. The entire third and last act of AOTC is one of my favorites from the prequel trilogy. This was a close call between this and Mustafar, but I went with the highest degree of worldbuilding. The arena scene is a dream come true for so many years. Finally, a team of Jedi fighting against overwhelming numbers of the bad guys. I feel that the Jedi could have been shown a little more powerful, but that's a minor complaint. I would have gone with Felucia if we had seen more than 10 seconds of it.

19) What place in the Prequels would you love to explore more and why?
Felucia! Visually I find it one of the most gorgeous alien places in the movies. I would have loved to see what can happen with current technology in showing a planet such as this one. I hope that some day maybe Star Wars will show more places like this in big productions and not just in shows like the Clone Wars. If I want to see deserts and oceans and jungles, I can always watch any BBC documentary.

20) Do you have a favorite Prequel Jedi and why?
Qui Gon Jinn for sure. I feel that he is an underrated character, but I am happy his legacy was expanded in ancillary material. It feels that sometimes he might have been somwhat of an "outcast" but he was probably the most suitable to start a new Jedi order.

21) Do you have a favorite Prequel Sith and why?
Well it's not like there are many of them Well I love both Maul and Dooku, but Sidious is the epitome of evil. Amazing character. That should have stayed dead after ROTJ.

22) Which droid do you like better C3PO or R2?
Tough one. I will say R2D2 by 51% but C3PO had the best lines in TROS and is also adorable.

23) If you could have anyone besides George direct the prequels who would it be?
Honestly, no one. Anyone else would have messed it up. I love these movies exactly as they are. Maybe Filoni, if I really had to. No one else.

24) Are you more of a cat or dog person?
I love both of them. I am not a huge fan of big dogs cause they are not very practical. So I will say small dogs > cats > big dogs

25) Have you ever cried watching/reading/playing starwars?
Definitely not playing. And while reading, I wouldn't say cry, but I definitely got the shivers with some Luke Skywalker moments in the LOTF and the FOTJ novel series. I have only shed a tear with ROTS when it comes to the movies. The moment where Anakin turns to the dark side and the 5-10 minutes that lead to that are just cinema at its best, full of pure emotion.

26) Seeing as you have played SWTOR which do you like better canon or Legends?
From my point of view, the Legends ARE canon

I have not read a single "new EU" novel and I never intend to. As far as I am concerned, all the video games and the novels that were released until 2012 are the most canon we'll ever get besides the movies and the TV shows.

 

Thanks @DarthFixxxer

I also found Donnie Darko quite affecting when I first saw it...it's been a long time, though--I should give it a rewatch sometime. Loved its use of the "Mad World" song. Never did see The Fly--I was way too scared to try it the 80s and then never came back to it

 

Just a heads up not here to argue but there are some really good Star Wars canon books especially the stuff by Claudia Grey I like them because they are just good books. Might wanna give them a try. You can look at them as fan fiction or whatever, but they are damn good books
@DarthFixxxer

 

@DarthFixxxer
27.) What do you think makes the prequels unique?

 

@DarthFixxxer

 

Whatever you do, do not watch the director's cut of Donnie Darko.... it is so much better the way that it originally came out.

Eh, I still have dozens of novels left to read from the old Legends EU, so I think I will pass.

Sorry, was very busy these 2-3 days somehow.

27) What do you think makes the prequels unique?
I am not sure how to respond to this. I mean, so many things. I think that they are the epitome of George's vision, and I quite honestly enjoy everything about them, even the cheesy moments. I feel that all Star Wars movies are very cheesy in their own unique way, so I never minded the dialogue or any of the characters in the prequels. The one thing that stands out I guess is the worldbuilding. I absolutely love the visuals in the prequels, and I wish all Star Wars movies had the same visuals. I am a fan of heightened colors, visuals and graphics, so I can imagine a world that is presented as in the prequels and travel within it with my mind, and it's the best feeling. This is why I love all the ancillary material from it. Novels, video games, The Clone Wars, etc. I think the prequels are space soap opera at its best. The most emotional Star Wars movie is for me by far Revenge Of The Sith, and I can honestly say that I don't understand how it couldn't be. Also, of course they are unique because they are the only movies where we actually see the Jedi at an age where they could be found everywhere in the galaxy. I wish we could see a lot more of that in future Star Wars movies.

 

Batman or Super Man?

 

28) Batman or Super Man?
My favorite movie when growing up was Batman Returns. Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman pretty much shaped what women I am attracted to for lifetime. The Dark Knight trilogy is in my opinion the 3 best superhero films of all times.

And yet, it's a tough question. Cause I also love Superman as a character. And I actually think that Smallville is one of the most underrated TV shows of all times. I like all Superman movies, others less others more. I wish they could have made more movies after Superman Returns because I really loved it, but then again Henry Cavill is great in that role. And while I don't hate on the DCCU movies that have Superman in, I don't either particularly love them. Man Of Steel was pretty good. BVS was ok. Justice League was ok.

I will have to answer Batman but by a small margin. He is just way cooler in many aspects.

 

Now the most important question ever

Xbox? PS4? PC?
@DarthFixxxer

 

29) Xbox? PS4? PC?

Haven't played games on a console since more than 10 years ago, and even back then I would always prefer the PC game mentality. Grew up playing Super Mario and Zelda etc on a classic NES, but then started playing Civilization, Mortal Kombat, the old Jedi Knight games, and many more games on a PC.

30) Do you have a favorite quote or more than one favorite quote from the Prequels?
All of them I guess? For every line that gets mocked by prequel haters, there are 10 lines that are among the most powerful dialogue in all of Star Wars, so....
All of Revenge of the Sith is golden basically. But I also love all Qui Gon Jinn quotes, and a lot of Yoda of course too.
And then for sure Palpatine's manipulation quotes are phenomenal too.