Mercurial Morpheus

I had heard about this the other night, and I can't say I didn't have misgivings. I loved the 53 WotWs as an entertaining with well-done(for it's time) special effects. It's one of my favorite 50s Sci-Fi films. I hated ID4 because it was a rip-off of it and an all around terrible film. As for this version, I'm not that big on Tom Cruise. I haven't really bothered with his films and only really enjoyed his work in "Interview With the Vampire". I also liked "The Last Samurai" and am considering seiing "Colateral". In Spielbergs case, he is all he's cracked up to be. My favorite films of his has to be the Indiana Jones series, Jurassic Park, ET, so on. I haven't been very fond of his recent work though. Especially, SPR. I saw it in theatres, enjoyed it, then afterwards, it just wore off, for lack of a better term. I got tired of all the "Spielberg can do no wrong" when it comes to these things, found parts to be a bit contradictory, and all around only really remember the veteren sitting next to me. That, and my dad annoyed the hell out of me about it. It's not about lack of action(I actually didn't like the first 20 minutes, accurate or not, it's overkill, and no other director would have gotten away with it). It just lacked lasting impact, so I'm not interested in Band of Brothers either(dad yet again). Personally, my favorite WWII film is "Memphis Belle" which probably has to do with my grandfather serving in the Army Air Corp. I'll watch this with interest, and am glad his going with the book this time around,

Some over at OriginalTrilogy.com have though of de-SEing the DVDs. So there will be attempts. I too was greatly pleased by seeing the original crawl, Yavin battle, Sarlaac and such in the documentry. Especially since Lucas maintains that they don't exist to him. Even the fact that the SE itself was nothing more than a footnote was surprising. There's still about an hour of footage missing from it that's only on the DVD, so one doesn't know for sure. I'll probably rent the extra disc, as I can't condone a purchase merely for extras(Star Trek IV and Tarzan were the only exceptions, being obtined cheaply). i wouldn't mind a set of sequels per-se. They would most likely be post-NJO, and not follow Luke and crew. They would have to be done with a more coopertive Lucas, as his ideas work best through others.

Pretty cool stuff. I'll have to check that out later. I loved his work on FFVI and Vampire Hunter D.

That would predate my by five years. I saw this guy a few years ago, and it looked great. Thanks for the info.

I skipped the first film as it appeared to have little to do with the games. Is this closer to the videogames storywise, and is it worth seeing if you skipped the first one? I've seen Shaun of the Dead as well, and found it rather amusing.

I've heard the commentary for that scene. No, he doesn't. If I didn't delete it, I listen to it again, but if he did, it was to vaugue to remember. The IGN review isn't very good.

I once saw a guy with his homemade R2 at Baycon one year. It looked awesome. I definately wouldn't mind building my own, but have no clue where to start. You're doing a great job.

To each their own, that's my view. I hate just about every change in the SEs. The only reason most people are getting upset is that not only is Lucas denying us the versions we want, but also making changes without telling anyone. I know that if I have these DVDs pre-ordered, waiting for the 97 SE and then I find out that there's even more changes, I'd be none too happy. i'm all for him streaching his creative muscles, but it'd be nice if he were as considerate of his fan as they are to him.

LOL It is indeed.

Sorry Anubis, I posted that once I read the thread. As for bthe legality of downloading these if you have the original laserdisc, yes, you are permitted to burn them for personal backup reasons. That's what I've always been told. Just read the thread for details, links to reviews and whatnot. I hear the Magnoliafan edits are superb.

That last line was meant to be lighthearted.... I know Lucas brought it on himself, and I know that both versions are illegal. My point is why pay some guy 32 bucks when you can download it and give considerably less money than that to, say, Walgreens. I hate seeing fans getting ripped off for something they shouldn't. We're all in the same boat here, I'm just pointing out a different oar.

Guys, don't buy HK boots. The quality sucks and at 30 bucks a pop, its not worth it. If you have a DVD burner, head over to this thread at OriginalTrilogy.com and get the TR47 set, or the new anamorphic set for the price of a DVDR. Don't support the darkside and buy bootlegs, burn your own.

You've got to remember, Manga lied about extras on the End of Eva disc, didn't include the original sound mix, and mis-translated a very important line that fans begged them not to. I also heard that they also passed on Orguss when US Renditions went belly up. Not to mention that the only copy of Dangaio they released is completely and utterly butchered. Their promises aren't worth the time it takes reading them. As for the sequel, I'm holding all judgements aside until I see it in its entirety. I have faith in Gainax, and know that there has to be some value, however small, to this project. I just refuse to crucify something simply because of an artstyle. i already know that no matter how good this new show may or may not be, it's not going to be like watching Gunbuster. It could be better than Gunbuster, and I still won't prefer it. Trust me, having that simple knowledge definitely helps. It's like the Star Wars prequels. I enjoy them, but not on the same level as the OT.

I'm not buying these, no matter how good they look. I hate the SE's and this is even worse. First Lucas disrespects David Prowse by killing Vader and not telling him. Then he robs him of appearing on screen by hiring Sebastian Shaw to play Anakin. Now he removes half of Shaw's performance with Hayden Christiansen, giving, as one member of a different forum put it, "his daughter a , 'Hey, you're cute' look". While Lucas has the right to mess with these films, all I want to know is where it will end.

I wouldn't say that they're like night and day, but the pics definately do not represent the quality at all. I badmouthed the remaster after seeing the pics. Then saw some of it, and realized that they actually did restore them and not just mess with the contrast. All in all, they look great, minus the dumb Unit01 eye's darkening in episode one, the 5.1 sounds great;though Anno issisted on the film being in stereo when it was released, so I'm kind of against it; Gainax's R2's contained the original stereo, ADV and Manga did not. However, it's just something I can't justify buying. Better quality or not, I can't imagine forking over more money to ADV for something I already have on a format I actually like. It's also kind of sad that something that used to be a con-exclusive(the decal) is now owned by everyone. Though that's just a nitpick. It just comes off to me as another move by both ADV and Gainax to squeeze more money out of the fandom.

For Pete's sake, go anywhere but there for anime reviews. I've found that the webmaster wouldn't know a great anime if it bit him. Just sample around and form your own opinions. Don't let some guy on a website who gets his copies for free advise to you what to watch. Also, I honestly want to know what's so "kick ass" about Hellsing. Did I miss something in the two run throughs I had?

Full Metal Panic - (recommended)The first Gonzo show I liked. Not bad mix of action and comedy with some fun characters. Doesn't shove CGI in your face(BIG plus). Fumoffu, its sequel, has no real plot, but is downright hilarious. It can be watched without knowledge of season one. Its all based on a series of novels(which I'd love to read) that were made into manga, which were then animated by two companies. (Gonzo-season one, Kyoto Animation-season two) El Hazard - (highly recommended)Which one? "The Magnificent World" is practically a modern masterpiece. Everything works, story, characters, animation, music. Heck, even the dubs great. See this version first. "El Hazard 2" is a throwaway sequel, but still good. "The Wanderers" is a TV remake of the first OVA. Like Tenchi TV(Universe) it's a watered down retelling. Good if you're a fan, but no where it's equal. Finally, "The Alternative World", a TV sequel to the two OVAs, I have yet to see this fully. Slayers(breakdown by seasons, movies) - (recommended) All around, a funny and enjoyable show. It's all basically the same. If you like one season, watch the rest. Hellsing - (not recommended) An extremely overrated piece of animation. Gonzo took what I hear was a good manga, and ruined it. The characterization sucks(Alucard is one of the very few fictional characters I downright despise) with the hero being an immortal, one dimensional, "I'm such a badass" type character. The plot goes nowhere, the animation isn't anything special. The only redeeming qualities it has is a cool opening song and a cameo by Mika Doi. X the Movie - (not recommended) Rintaro decides to take an extremely character driven story and start on volume 10. It's a shame, since I love this manga. No characterization, non-sympathatic characters, no plot, all action and sakura. If all you want is beautiful animation and some action, get it. If you want to actually like the characters before they die, read the manga or watch Yoshiaki Kawajiri's excellent TV series. Vandread - (recommended) Another one of the few Gonzo shows that I like, this one seems like their take on Nadesico(which, being the fan of that series that I am, is probably the draw). All around a cute fun series with some action. My biggest beef is the CGI cut scenes. Gives it all a video game look and can be jarring(something Gonzo is known for). Basically, their CGI, fanboy banter, Blue Sub 6, and butt-kissing reviews like those found on ANN(listed above) have kept me from liking most of their stuff, even Last Exile(Crispen Freeman playing Alex in the dub of that doesn't endear the character to me since he reminds me of Alucard, and I watch subs). Dirty Pair Flash - (highly recommended) A remake that actually works, the DP are always great when you are in the mood for "girls with guns" action. I'd recommend the original series and OVAs over it more though. Especially "Dirty Pair: The Movie" also known as "Project Eden" That movie is one of my favorite ever. Even the Streamline dub is highly enjoyable(not the DVD dub). Soul Hunter (neutral) Looks interesting. I've liked some of what I've seen, but too little to really comment. I wouldn't ruch out for it. In case you screwed up(happens to all of us) Sorcerer Hunters is a very amusing series, though read the manga for the plot.

ADV's removing the overlays from Nadesico, so I doubt they'd readd them to Eva, after the fuss over it last time. The Nadesico re-release will only be three sets at about 15 bucks a piece, much more worth considering than Eva Platinum. I have Eva on video, without the DC. I too thought it was sad that they announce it right after DC was released. "Oh, we're sorry, if we had told you, there'd have been no reason for you to have given us 40-60 bucks for the DC." Sounds like the reasoning of the man who got his start selling 150 dollar Famicons for 1,500 here. As for the pics, I've seen the remaster through fansubs, those pics look awful by comparison. When I saw those pics the first time, I thought that all they'd done was up the contrast, darken the brightness, increase saturation, and add a yellow tint.

I actually bought Miss DJ at a local used store. It was nine bucks, perfect condition(minus obi), first CD edition. Not much music, but nice to relax to. I noticed that it was listed in the main sites music section, except for the bootleg, which has different cover art.

The box is nice, and I usually don't care for boxes(too much of a scam at times). The points mute however, as I'm not buying this set in the least. I already spent over 200 bucks collecting Eva(including the 90 I was ripped off of). I might buy ADVs new release on Nadesico, since they removed the overlays, though the masters are probably the same.

Lat - 37° 41' 9" Long - -121° 1' 3" Modesto, Ca

Ah, my faith in the Force is returning. George, if you mess this one up, you are truly the enemy of all fans everywhere. Do not screw this up! That's all I have to say.

Hope these help. There a few that need scaling down, but I need to get to bad. Maybe later I'll start up the Gimp and work on something. Not sure yet. Here's one more for now.