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Who's Ready For Star Wars: The Last Jedi?


elsongs

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IMO, despite all the criticism, Revenge Of The Sith is actually the best film of the series.

 

Wow I thought I was alone in my appreciation of that movie. The emotional charge I had watching the inevitable and long awaited confrontation between the Jedi and Palpatine in his office make it one of my top if not THE top moment in the series for me.

Kawai C-60 Grand Piano : Hammond A-100 : Hammond SK2 : Yamaha CP4 : Yamaha Montage 7 : Moog Sub 37

 

My latest album: Funky organ, huge horn section

https://bobbycressey.bandcamp.com/album/cali-native

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What the hell was Lucas thinking when he cast them? How could he not see that the central role in those movies needed someone (well, two someones) better at acting, better at...well...everything? Ugh.

 

This is the knock on Lucas and why many argued that he needed to step aside from directing the franchise. He is not a people director at all. He has no ideas about getting performances out of actors, no notion of what dialog would sound natural, and views the actor scenes as something to film as quickly as possible so that he can get back to his effects.

 

For my money, Natalie Portman consistently had the worst possible dialog in every scene, in all three movies. It's a friggin' miracle her career survived the role.

 

After doing The Professional so magnificently while so young, in my book she gets a pass for life.

Moe

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IMO, despite all the criticism, Revenge Of The Sith is actually the best film of the series.

 

Wow I thought I was alone in my appreciation of that movie. The emotional charge I had watching the inevitable and long awaited confrontation between the Jedi and Palpatine in his office make it one of my top if not THE top moment in the series for me.

 

I know!

 

And the way ROTS ties the old and new trilogy together is brilliant, and the sense of impending doom throughout the film is palpable.

 

And let's not forget it boasts one of the best movie quotes ever: "So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause."

 

I guess it is some innate conservatism that causes fans of the original trilogy to hate on the prequels. Sure, JarJar is unforgivable, and the acting is not great, but in terms of storyline, the prequels were actually more intricate than the overly simplistic originals.

 

Or that's what I think, anyway.

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And let's not forget it boasts one of the best movie quotes ever: "So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause."

 

Yep.

 

Even more resonant today than it was when it came out and it sounded pretty pointed, even then.

 

Unfortunately, for me the rest of the movie wasn't on that same level.

 

Grey

I'm not interested in someone's ability to program. I'm interested in their ability to compose and play.

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I lost all respect for the Empire when they built a second Death Star and then made the same stupid tactical mistakes. Squandering resources like that is the realm of banana republics, not galaxy-spanning military powers. Tsk! Tsk!

 

On opposite ends of the spectrum, "Justice League" was an enjoyably distracting melodrama sporting some great laughs, whereas Daniel Day Lewis as "Lincoln" makes history fascinating. If the next flick I gamble on is as good as those two, I'll feel like I'm on a roll. :thu:

 "I want to be an intellectual, but I don't have the brainpower.
  The absent-mindedness, I've got that licked."
        ~ John Cleese

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I like SW, but not what most would call a big fan.

 

I just read the review in the LA Times though. Seems like they really hit it out of the park...

 

http://beta.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-star-wars-last-jedi-review-20171212-story.html#nt=oft13a-2gp1

 

Looks like I'll be going over the holiday break!

 

 

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Saw it yesterday! (well, Sweden is 6-10 hours ahead of the US so...)

 

And all I can say is... I agree 100% with zephonic! Now I just want to see it again...

Too much stuff, too little time, too few gigs, should spend more time practicing...!  🙄

main instruments: Nord Stage 3 compact, Yamaha CP88, Kurzweil PC4, Viscount KeyB Legend Live

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I saw it last night with my son. he had a huge grin and all thumbs up afterwards. I fell asleep somewhere before a big fight between the two protagonists. I awoke as they were fighting, didnt know why, and never really caught up.

 

Sort of a microcosm of every SW movie I have ever seen in my life. I never quite understood wtf they were all doing beyond laser zapping, light swording and flying cool special effects crap. Its not that im slow, or dense, i just have never been able to care. All that SE stuff wore off for me in movie 2, which we all learn later was really movie 5, and dont even start me on that prequel stuff again

 

So again, to recap

 

My son loves Star Wars - he asserts it was awesome. Epic. Huge grin of delight and satisfaction.

 

I never really liked SWs from v2 (5) and on. I thought this was a good movie though I will warn that falling asleep for 15-20 minutes sort of screws up comprehension. My like quotient for SW did nt change. My conclusion is if you love SW, you will love this. So go see it.

 

Now my son is whining and moaning about getting up for school. Meh.

The baiting I do is purely for entertainment value. Please feel free to ignore it.
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Hmmmm, a few problems have developed there in Sweden...

Haha, I actually grew up within half an hour from where the chef, who is supposed to be the inspiration for the Muppet chef, has his restaurant, in the town of Rättvik. Every Wednesday evening in July, you can find him cooking at a street music festival in another small town - Orsa, and while there he now and then joins the musicians, on the on some percussion instrument, but if you're lucky you might even catch him singing... :P

 

[video:youtube]

Too much stuff, too little time, too few gigs, should spend more time practicing...!  🙄

main instruments: Nord Stage 3 compact, Yamaha CP88, Kurzweil PC4, Viscount KeyB Legend Live

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If you need help getting ready, this should put you in the mood...

 

[video:youtube]

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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Adam Driver is definitely a lot more interesting this time around.

 

Just got back from a Friday matinee in IMAX. I was expecting the battle scenes to expand into full IMAX like in last month's Thor Ragnarok or last spring's Guardians 2, but The Last Jedi stays firmly letterboxed in 2:35 throughout.

 

3D doesn't do the muted color schemes of the Star Wars universe any favors either, although the final battle scene does open up nicely in 3D and may be worth it for some 3D fans.

 

Bottom line is that if you have a big screen alternative to IMAX in your area, it would probably work just as well.

 

I'd give The Last Jedi a B - not the creative game changer I was expecting based on some reviews. Standard Star Wars plot devices move a standard Star Wars story along - just at a slower pace.

 

And at 2 1/2 hours in length, not a heck of a lot happens really.

 

It does it's best to recall previous Star Wars movies - sometimes to a fault. I think I saw more single pull double throw toggle switches than I have since 1977 :D

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Loved it as a Star Wars movie. Turning it into Ragnarok would have been a mistake for me. Also don't enjoy movies in 3D at all - purposefully saw Guardians 1 and 2 in 2D because of this. All characters are given time for thoughtful dialogue, personal interaction and to make important decisions you don't already know the outcome to - unlike Episodes I, II, III. Enjoyed Hamill's performance in particular. Like V - my personal favorite, questions are answered but bigger questions posed, our heroes are placed in dire straits and we'll have to return for episode IX to see the story arch to fruition. As much here for the kid in you that pines for the feelings you associate with IV that I-III had difficulty tapping into. IMHO

 

Now, movie goers are split according to rotten tomatoes. Only 50% are thumbing up the film where critics gave it 93%. I'd be curious to see what the demographics are for those that liked it and those that didn't. Disney is in a tough spot here, as they have to please the Star Wars geeks and ween the whole audience away from the characters we all know and love. We have a Han Solo picture coming with a younger actor. I think Hamill is young enough to do a Luke film between Return of the Jedi and VII, VIII, IX. There's tons of inspiration in expanded universe to see how the Jedi Master becomes so powerful.

Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560

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Haven't seen it yet, and I may even see the new Jumanji first, and The Shape Of Water if that ever goes into wide release. Not that I'm not looking forward to seeing The Last Jedi, but I figure if it's totally awesome then anything else might be a letdown, so it might be safest to see everything else first.

 

I actually enjoyed all of the Star Wars movies, even the three prequels. And I thought Attack Of The Clones was the best of the prequels, or at least the one I enjoyed the most.

 

A few weeks ago I caught a bit of a show on TV-- PBS, maybe?-- where they happened to mention that Star Wars was the movie that put a stop to the common practice of people staying to watch more than one showing on the same ticket. I'd never stayed to watch another entire showing of a movie, but I do remember going to the movies as a kid, missing the beginning of a movie, and waiting in my seat with my mother after it was over so we could watch the beginning of the next showing and see what we'd missed.

Michael Rideout
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