STAR WARS : Episode VIII December 15, 2017 4 4

[Rip]

13 hours ago, jsilverjanet said:

I’ve heard the some of the best 4K are the Nolan films 

I thought TDK was mostly solid. But I hear Dunkirk and Interstellar will knock your socks off. Haven't had the chance to see em yet in 4k.

[Rip]

For those curious about importing the 3D disc, its very much worth it.

The first 15 minutes alone feels like the movie was made for 3D. Very strong 3D in the space battle with the camera zooming through the escaping ships and exploding tie-fighters.

It does lose some of the pop on some of the non action scenes, but the action sequences like the Falcon at Crait are really immersive. 

The black level is also a bit better than the 4K. While the 3D isn't quite as consistent as say Thor Ragnarok the actions sequences feel a bit stronger.

[mattn792]

My normal process with new releases these days tends to be "Hey, x is at theatres now!"  Then 5 months pass, and my wife comes home with the blu ray.  So yes, I finally saw The Last Jedi last night. And I...ummm...yeah...I kind of feel like I got saved from watching Attack of the Clones again only because of the big four (Ridley, Driver, Boyega, and Isaac) making the best out of a lousy --script.

The Force Awakens certainly had some faults, but it felt like we had finally gotten another "real" Star Wars movie (meaning IV-VI).  With actual acting to elicit real emotion from the crowd (not Hayden Christensen endlessly whining like a little twerp).  Heck, when TFA first hit cable TV, I found myself dropping whatever I was doing to watch the rest of it on more than one occasion. 

But on first viewing of The Last Jedi, it seems like a movie that was very well premised conceptually, but really poorly executed.  Trying to do too much at once, and doing it all at a merely average level (at best).  And Luke?  Totally botched.  I will watch TLJ again, if for no other reason than to fully wrap my head around what I saw, but it definitely won't be a drop everything and watch type of event.

I definitely find myself hoping Disney isn't tied to Rian Johnson and will seek out someone new to helm Episode 9.

Edited April 30, 2018 by mattn792

[Larryw7]

J.J. Abrams is returning for 9, but I don't know how he'll salvage Rian's mess. There's no real hook for the next movie, and that's a big problem.

[mattn792]

15 minutes ago, Larryw7 said:

J.J. Abrams is returning for 9, but I don't know how he'll salvage Rian's mess. There's no real hook for the next movie, and that's a big problem.

My first bit of advice would be to keep Kylo Ren's wardrobe as is, rather than have him start dressing like Liberace.  In the get up they put Snoke in, I wouldn't have batted an eye if he had interrupted one of his diatribes to grab a mic and launch into "Viva Las Vegas".

[fantastic_four]

Just now, mattn792 said:

My first bit of advice would be to keep Kylo Ren's wardrobe as is, rather than have him start dressing like Liberace.  In the get up they put Snoke in, I wouldn't have batted an eye if he had interrupted one of his diatribes to grab a mic and launch into "Viva Las Vegas".

[valiantman]

On 4/30/2018 at 2:34 PM, mattn792 said:

In the get up they put Snoke in, I wouldn't have batted an eye if he had interrupted one of his diatribes to grab a mic and launch into "Viva Las Vegas".

I thought he needed to grab his mitre and force General Hux kiss his ring.

[fantastic_four]

A campaign to reshoot the film has begun.

Seems to be coming along well:  

Not everyone is on board:  

But Rian Johnson is fully on board.  

 

Edited June 25, 2018 by fantastic_four

[Rip]

Poster. Pure Gold

https://www.cnet.com/news/star-wars-the-last-jedi-remake-poster-mocks-angry-fans/

[mattn792]

3 hours ago, Rip said:

Poster. Pure Gold

https://www.cnet.com/news/star-wars-the-last-jedi-remake-poster-mocks-angry-fans/

Yeah...it’s really not.  Satire is great when done well, this is just a half az’d attempt at ”Rarrr, take this Star Wars nerds!” displayed in a mediocre photo collage.

[jsilverjanet]

On 4/30/2018 at 2:34 PM, mattn792 said:

My first bit of advice would be to keep Kylo Ren's wardrobe as is, rather than have him start dressing like Liberace.  In the get up they put Snoke in, I wouldn't have batted an eye if he had interrupted one of his diatribes to grab a mic and launch into "Viva Las Vegas".

more shirt off Kylo if you ask me

[Chip Cataldo]

1 hour ago, jsilverjanet said:

more shirt off Kylo if you ask me

Bwah-ha-hah! 

[revat]

I just watched it again for the first time since seeing it in the theatres.  I liked it a little bit more, looking more for detail and nuance in scenery and dialogue, since I already knew what happened.  The movie was fine, though not great by any stretch, and ranked in the bottom half of star wars movies.

Here's my observations NOW upon second watching.

Rose:  A little more likeable, BUT her story line with FINN is totally and completely unnecessary, and the aliens on the planet and the animals chase are unwatchable.  Could have cut the character and the entire casino story.  Literally ANY other FINN storyline would have been better.  He could have been a 2nd apprentice to Luke, he could have been Rose's mechanics intern, he could have become Leia's personal chef, anything.

Luke had no red footprints on the sand on the planet when fighting Kylo.  Nice touch.  Also, a lot of people didn't like crotchety Luke, but he was pretty mopey in his youth too.

I thought Rey was the best part of Force Awakens, I thought Adam Driver was the best part of this one. Very compelling.

Leia frozen scene looks much worse on second viewing, the whole thing is very forced.

Laura Dern was all FORCED (her acting, her scenes, her wardrobe).  And why didn't she sacrifice herself earlier?  And why didn't those other sacrificed ships jump to hyperspace through the Imperials?  She cannot be the first person to ever think about doing that.

Snoke was trash then, he was trash now.  But I don't feel robbed of anything like I felt with Darth Maul.  So I guess that's ok.

When Poe kept asking for "Hugs", it was pretty rad.  I laughed harder the second time.  Yes its dumb.

 

[mattn792]

36 minutes ago, revat said:

Laura Dern was all FORCED (her acting, her scenes, her wardrobe). 

No doubt, Vice Admiral Laura Dern was about as wooden as you can get in an acting performance. 

37 minutes ago, revat said:

And why didn't she sacrifice herself earlier?  And why didn't those other sacrificed ships jump to hyperspace through the Imperials?  She cannot be the first person to ever think about doing that.

THANK YOU!!!!  Well there goes the Corvette...and the Frigate...and...oh wait!  NOW we should ram that First Order ship at light speed...

[bentbryan]

36 minutes ago, mattn792 said:

No doubt, Vice Admiral Laura Dern was about as wooden as you can get in an acting performance. 

THANK YOU!!!!  Well there goes the Corvette...and the Frigate...and...oh wait!  NOW we should ram that First Order ship at light speed...

Agreed. The entire thing is just not thought out well. Going to hyper-space isnt just going fast. It’s travel through a worm hole. If it was only going fast why not just hyperspace the DeathStar and call it a day?  

I just don’t know where this next movie is headed. There’s only like, what, 12 rebels left and they’re all onboard the Falcon.  I doubt RJ knows where it’s headed either . 

[revat]

8 minutes ago, bentbryan said:

51 minutes ago, mattn792 said:

No doubt, Vice Admiral Laura Dern was about as wooden as you can get in an acting performance. 

THANK YOU!!!!  Well there goes the Corvette...and the Frigate...and...oh wait!  NOW we should ram that First Order ship at light speed...

Agreed. The entire thing is just not thought out well. Going to hyper-space isnt just going fast. It’s travel through a worm hole. If it was only going fast why not just hyperspace the DeathStar and call it a day?  

I just don’t know where this next movie is headed. There’s only like, what, 12 rebels left and they’re all onboard the Falcon.  I doubt RJ knows where it’s headed either

Yah if you think about what the rebellion had at the beginning of TLJ (a full fleet, albeit somewhat small, probably 4-5K people, hope in Luke Skywalker), and what they have at the end (30 people on the Falcon and no more Luke), its like wtf is the next movie even going to be about?  Is there anyway to get a reasonable and positive resolution that's even remotely believable?

I say 'yes', and here's why:

1.  The First Order is not the Empire.  They are in the process of empire building, but they aren't as big or powerful or ubiquitous as the GALACTIC EMPIRE we remember from Episodes 4-6.  The First Order has a significant amount of systems, and the republic capital has been destroyed, but I'm pretty sure the First Order doesn't have the infrastructure to rule in the same way as the Empire did (which essentially commandeered existing infrastructure).  So while the First Order might be very very strong with lots of resources, its also relatively new and unstable and probably stretched thinly and struggles much more to hold to the systems it controls.

2.  The First Order just lost Snoke, and even though we don't know his background, he must have been reasonably adept at administration and strategy to build the First Order into what it was.  The odds are that Kylo Ren has neither the training or experience in administration and logistics nor the appropriate temperament to lead as effectively as Supreme Leader.  That is actually pretty important.  Tone at the top of an organization is extremely important.  Additionally, Kylo doesn't have the loyalty of Hux (and consequently the troops) in the same way that Snoke did.  Potential infighting can weaken the First Order as much or more than the Resistance. *Deep Cut Side Note:  Having the Emperor involved in a battle almost certainly made his forces more effective when fighting, through the Force he could keep troops motivated and sharp with clear goals and occasionally strategies.  Over a number of battles, that type of edge has impact.  Snoke almost certainly helped his troops in the same way, and I doubt Kylo can do it as effectively, if at all.  In general, his decision making appears suspect.

3.  It's pretty clear that Rey will be stronger at some point than Kylo in the Force, if she isn't already.  Clearly that has some value.  And what does Kylo really want anyways?  Does he really want to rule?  Does he want to hook up with Rey? Train her? Grow old on Jedi Island with her?  What is his motivation at this point?  He must know Skywalker is dead, he doesn't want so badly to kill Leia.   Does he seek power for power's sake?  Does he really want galactic peace?  I don't think you can be the head of a fascist state effectively if your heart isn't in it, not in the build up anyways.

4.  Other rebels in the outer rims.  Nobody outside of Leia/Rey knows if/when Luke died, but they know he showed up to face Kylo Ren, and they know Snoke is dead.  And the First ORder lost their biggest ship.  And there's a new boss young Jedi.  That stuff can build momentum to get other rebels involved.  I anticipate some help from Lando (as has been rumored) and other Donnie Yen style faux-Jedi Asians.

5.  With these movies, they usually let a lot of stuff happen offscreen between movies.  In this case it will probably be Leia's death and Rey's training to become a Jedi and infighting between Hux and Kylo.  And possibly/probably the rebuilding of the Resistance so they can have a final war. 

[fantastic_four]

15 hours ago, revat said:

And what does Kylo really want anyways?  Does he really want to rule?  Does he want to hook up with Rey? Train her? Grow old on Jedi Island with her?  What is his motivation at this point?  He must know Skywalker is dead, he doesn't want so badly to kill Leia.   Does he seek power for power's sake?

[mattn792]

17 hours ago, revat said:

1.  The First Order is not the Empire.  They are in the process of empire building, but they aren't as big or powerful or ubiquitous as the GALACTIC EMPIRE we remember from Episodes 4-6.  The First Order has a significant amount of systems, and the republic capital has been destroyed, but I'm pretty sure the First Order doesn't have the infrastructure to rule in the same way as the Empire did (which essentially commandeered existing infrastructure).  So while the First Order might be very very strong with lots of resources, its also relatively new and unstable and probably stretched thinly and struggles much more to hold to the systems it controls.

2.  The First Order just lost Snoke, and even though we don't know his background, he must have been reasonably adept at administration and strategy to build the First Order into what it was. 

Come on man, you can't be throwing out words like "infrastructure" and "administration" when it comes to Star Wars!  Someone from Disney might be listening!  We already got trade routes in The Phantom Menace, imagine something likes this....

 

                           EPISODE IX

                   THE REITSISTANCE

There has been an initial public offering. 
GENERAL LEIA ORGANA, short of manpower
but rich in funds, has stealthily assembled the
Intergalactic Stock Exchange's most popular new
commodity - LS Capital Management, bravely
named in tribute to her late brother, LUKE.  LEIA's
bold new Real Estate Investment Trust has taken
the galaxy by storm, quickly ascending to the fourth  
highest market cap of any publicly traded REIT.

As LS Capital's stable dividend and access to favorable
interest rates continues to attract new inflows of public
and private equity capital, LEIA, through her carefully
assembled network of real estate professionals, has
stealthily enticed the nefarious FIRST ORDER into
hundreds of triple net leases, slowly draining the resources
of its leader, her son, KYLO REN.   With her FFO now at all
time highs, LEIA stands poised to strike at the very heart of
the FIRST ORDER's real estate portfolio.

But danger lurks in the stars above.  That guy played
by Benicio del Toro, through a series of trusts and shell
corporations, has quietly acquired eight percent of the
outstanding shares of LS Capital.  As he attempts to
rally his fellow stockholders to his plan to split LS
Captial into three companies - commercial, residential,
and digital - the prospect of a hostile take over looms
over the impending shareholder meeting, threatening
to derail LEIA's most well laid plans and saddle LS
Capial with heavy short term expenses, negatively
impacting FFO and EPS...

[RedRaven]

 

1 hour ago, mattn792 said:

Come on man, you can't be throwing out words like "infrastructure" and "administration" when it comes to Star Wars!  Someone from Disney might be listening!  We already got trade routes in The Phantom Menace, imagine something likes this....

 

                           EPISODE IX

                   THE REITSISTANCE

There has been an initial public offering. 
GENERAL LEIA ORGANA, short of manpower
but rich in funds, has stealthily assembled the
Intergalactic Stock Exchange's most popular new
commodity - LS Capital Management, bravely
named in tribute to her late brother, LUKE.  LEIA's
bold new Real Estate Investment Trust has taken
the galaxy by storm, quickly ascending to the fourth  
highest market cap of any publicly traded REIT.

As LS Capital's stable dividend and access to favorable
interest rates continues to attract new inflows of public
and private equity capital, LEIA, through her carefully
assembled network of real estate professionals, has
stealthily enticed the nefarious FIRST ORDER into
hundreds of triple net leases, slowly draining the resources
of its leader, her son, KYLO REN.   With her FFO now at all
time highs, LEIA stands poised to strike at the very heart of
the FIRST ORDER's real estate portfolio.

But danger lurks in the stars above.  That guy played
by Benicio del Toro, through a series of trusts and shell
corporations, has quietly acquired eight percent of the
outstanding shares of LS Capital.  As he attempts to
rally his fellow stockholders to his plan to split LS
Captial into three companies - commercial, residential,
and digital - the prospect of a hostile take over looms
over the impending shareholder meeting, threatening
to derail LEIA's most well laid plans and saddle LS
Capial with heavy short term expenses, negatively
impacting FFO and EPS...

 

[revat]

1 hour ago, mattn792 said:

Come on man, you can't be throwing out words like "infrastructure" and "administration" when it comes to Star Wars!  Someone from Disney might be listening!  We already got trade routes in The Phantom Menace, imagine something likes this....

 

                           EPISODE IX

                   THE REITSISTANCE

There has been an initial public offering. 
GENERAL LEIA ORGANA, short of manpower
but rich in funds, has stealthily assembled the
Intergalactic Stock Exchange's most popular new
commodity - LS Capital Management, bravely
named in tribute to her late brother, LUKE.  LEIA's
bold new Real Estate Investment Trust has taken
the galaxy by storm, quickly ascending to the fourth  
highest market cap of any publicly traded REIT.

As LS Capital's stable dividend and access to favorable
interest rates continues to attract new inflows of public
and private equity capital, LEIA, through her carefully
assembled network of real estate professionals, has
stealthily enticed the nefarious FIRST ORDER into
hundreds of triple net leases, slowly draining the resources
of its leader, her son, KYLO REN.   With her FFO now at all
time highs, LEIA stands poised to strike at the very heart of
the FIRST ORDER's real estate portfolio.

But danger lurks in the stars above.  That guy played
by Benicio del Toro, through a series of trusts and shell
corporations, has quietly acquired eight percent of the
outstanding shares of LS Capital.  As he attempts to
rally his fellow stockholders to his plan to split LS
Captial into three companies - commercial, residential,
and digital - the prospect of a hostile take over looms
over the impending shareholder meeting, threatening
to derail LEIA's most well laid plans and saddle LS
Capial with heavy short term expenses, negatively
impacting FFO and EPS...

I can't imagine that the financial markets would be stable enough to take any company public after blowing up the Republic Capital Planet, blowing up the Star Killer base, the rediscovery and death of Luke Skywalker and the death of Snoke, the ascension of Kylo Ren to Supreme Leader, all in probably two (?) or less calendar years.  Although I guess Leia could essentially 'short' property on planets where she plans to move the rebellion, knowing they're about to get wrecked.  Or take bribes to NOT house the Resistance on certain planets, as they're likely about to get wrecked. 

 

 

Can you direct me to some fanfic about Gringots bank in Harry Potter?  I'd be just as into that, if not moreso.