bsu legato

Where is that first picture from? The Gold Book, maybe? I don't recognize it.

Yes, but I mentioned Kershner because he's a notable example of a director working on somebody else's material, much as Jackson is doing with LOTR. For better of for worse, Phantom Menace was 100% Lucas, so it's not really the same thing.

Thanks for the pic, Apollo Leader. Slightly OT, has anybody produced an accurate kit of the F-22 yet, or is everybody just repackaging the older YF-22 kits as an F-22?

I think that, without a doubt, the success of the LOTR films lies in the strength of the source material, Tolkien's original novels. Given the amount of detail that was lavished on the books and all of the licensed material since, all a competent director had to do was "connect the dots" so to speak. Jackson, whatever his faults and merits, was smart enough to surround himself with some very talented people on both sides of the camera, and the results show. The LOTR films are good, and if nothing else Jackson must be given credit for juggling all of the variables to get everything onto the screen. I know he had a hand in writing the trilogy, but I'm not sure to what extent, so I can't really comment on that. That said, I do think that Jackson isn't "all that and a bag of chips." If you look at the way the trilogy was filmed, there isn't anything truly new or revolutionary. In fact, I've noticed an overreliance on a few cinematic tricks to make us "feel" in numerous spots. For example, have you noticed that every time a character dies we cut to a dreamy slow motion scene, replete with the mournful angelic choir? Ok, they're dying! We get it! Or what about any of the numerous travelling scenes? Each time somebody goes somewhere, we get treated to a swoopy, circling helicopter shot where the main star is New Zealand's scenic landscape. The notion that Jackson is suddenly the savior of modern cinema is just plain dumb. The LOTR movies are undeniably good films, but if he's going to truly prove himself to me, he's going to have to make something original that will be entirely his own creation. For example. critics like to attribute The Empire Strikes Back's success to Kershner and Kasdan while simultaneously minimizing Lucas' involvement. But remember, Kershner went on to make Never Say Never Again and Robocop 2, while Kasdan recently treated us to Dreamcatcher. Likewise, I'll judge Jackson on what he'll do next.

Does his forthcoming remake of King Kong count as a franchise?

I gotta agree with Max & company on this one. While Hollywood seems to be slowly exiting that dark period of filmmaking, called the 80's and 90's, and allowing some intelligent films to escape, the average IQ of the moviegoer has dropped sharply over the last few years. How else can you explain the continued success of Adam Sandler and Rob Schnieder?

No, but I should have been.

And that, my friends, speaks volumes about the future of Max & Milia. IMHO, anyway.

There was talk of 9 possible films up until they wrapped Empire. By that point, I think Lucas was beginning to feel burnt out, and the story was changed to the current 6 films. There isn't much information out there on what, if anything, was planned for the last 3 episodes but we do know that the story elements were truncated to fit into Return of the Jedi.

I don't think Kawamori is as hung up on stats as some of us are. Simply put, if he needs to VF-1 to be superior to the SV-51 and/or the VF-0, then the VF-1 will be superior. It's just that easy. Personally, I agree with those who've said the VF-1 is due for an update. Let's be honest, the real world of aviation has come a long way since Kawamori first dreamed up the VF-1, so why shouldn't his fictional world follow suit. I feel that if Kawamori was to design the VF-1 today, it's performance and design would be much like the VF-0.

That's pretty much how I'd have preferred them too, ComicKaze. In fact, my Hasegawa FAST packs are just a smidgen darker blue than that.

Wow. It's official, the anime industry has run out of ideas. Maybe we shouldn't complain. After all, we had a pretty good run, but I guess it had to end. So whaddya guys want to do now? Start collecting Star Trek, or maybe Space 1999?

It baffles me that people have such a hard time with Anakin as a teenager. Just how exactly should he have been portrayed? Should they have had 10 year old Ani strutting around in a tiny cape, force choking people and saying stuff like "Don't fail me again, Watto." Should he have threatened the Jedi council by saying "If you will not train me, then you will meet your destiny." Sheesh, this just proves that people aren't interested in any actual story, they just want to see black-suited Vader jumping around in bullet time, killing Jedi with a snappy catchphrases. Come on people, even Hitler was a teenager once. By AOTC, Anakin is not supposed to be a nice guy. Sure he's whiny, but he's also arrogant, headstrong and...oh yeah, a mass murderer. That doesn't sound like somebody who'll grow up to be the Emperor's right-hand man? The PT is slow, or poorly paced? Some of you really need to go back and watch the OT again with a more critical eye, particularly ANH and ESB. Both of those moves have loooooong middle sequences. And the acting? Suddenly Carrie Fisher and Mark Hammil are considered master thespians? Puh-leeze. Ironically, Hammil actually gives the best performance in ROTJ. Ford didn't even want to be there, and Fisher was high on God-knows-what for half the shoot. Boba Fett plays about as much of an important role that he does in the "holy" OT. Which is to say, not very important at all. In fact, I vastly prefer his origin as presented in AOTC over the crap that EU has doled out for him. Anakin's Rodian buddy was not Greedo. His name was "Wald." Greedo only showed up in the deleted scene where Anakin punches him out after the pod-race.

Dangard Ace has obviously not seen "Where the Heart Is"... <_< Where's my :puke: emoticon when I need it?

Interesting...they've even gone somewhat olde school on the character designs.

Wow. Completely cut & pasted from the various other spy reports and speculative timelines that have been circualting the SW sites for the past few months. Good job, slashdot. Here's a cookie.

Just think of it as "Historical Fiction" with a strong basis on factual events.

Sorry, it's trash. You should box it up and ship it to me.

I have to wonder why they chose to mix CG and cel animation in the first place. Could the cel animation be a last minute addition or reshoot? Yep. Shin had better get his dress uniform pressed, because he's gonna need it for the funeral.

We're behind you guys, MMX. Go get 'em.

I have to wonder...would people be so hard on it if they hadn't called it "Galactica?" In fact, I think that might have been a better idea since they made so many fundamental changes to nearly every aspect of the show. But of course, Sci Fi had to cash in on the name instead of having the balls to make something truly original.

Great pics, A7. Must be nice to live "where it's at." These days, I don't think Jericho even comes back to Winnipeg more than once or twice a year. Is anybody getting "Armageddon?"

Keanu - I know Kung-Fu. Trebeck - No you don't.

This thread is really starting to scare me, and I don't scare easily. That "Sabrina" stuff was pretty f*cked up, and I won't even comment on the furries.

Well, aside from Diamond Comics (aka, the Evil Empire), is it going to show up in retail stores? Can I go to Toys R Us and pick one up, or am I condemned to comic & specialty shops?