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CRMcNeill
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 Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 3:51 am Post subject: |
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I have to say I'm ambivalent about the article. On the one hand, it provided some interesting insight that will certainly help me to appreciate the films more. On the other hand, I couldn't help but feel that the author was really saying, "George Lucas is a super-genius; you're all just too stupid to understand his greatness." Regardless, I wish George could've concentrated a little less on his ring cycle and more on better dialogue...
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Zarm R'keeg
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Joined: 14 Apr 2012
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Location: PA
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| Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 10:30 am Post subject: |
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| Whill wrote: |
Respectfully, that's simply incorrect. I have never sought out "validating" criticisms of the EU. I am fairly well-versed with the EU (at least certain corners of it), I have amassed plenty of experience dealing with it, and I feel confident in forming my own criticisms. |
You know, I seem to have missed a key phrase- namely 'and seeking out more.' I thought you were expressing confusion at people who like the franchise overall, but dislike a portion of it; that's where I was trying to draw the comparison. But, if the focus of that statement was more on the 'seeking out other criticisms' portion, then comparison withdrawn. (And, as always, though I seem to have a talent for causing it, no offense intended.)
The prequels just seem to be a minefield with us. 
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jmanski
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| Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2015 7:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Zarm R'keeg wrote: | | Whill wrote: |
Respectfully, that's simply incorrect. I have never sought out "validating" criticisms of the EU. I am fairly well-versed with the EU (at least certain corners of it), I have amassed plenty of experience dealing with it, and I feel confident in forming my own criticisms. |
You know, I seem to have missed a key phrase- namely 'and seeking out more.' I thought you were expressing confusion at people who like the franchise overall, but dislike a portion of it; that's where I was trying to draw the comparison. But, if the focus of that statement was more on the 'seeking out other criticisms' portion, then comparison withdrawn. (And, as always, though I seem to have a talent for causing it, no offense intended.)
The prequels just seem to be a minefield with us. |
Amen, brother!
And I agree with the earlier comment (Crm, I think) that the dialogue needed some real work.
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Whill
Dark Lord of the Jedi (Owner/Admin)
Joined: 14 Apr 2008
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Location: Columbus, Ohio, USA, Earth, The Solar System, The Milky Way Galaxy
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| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2015 5:53 pm Post subject: Re: Star Wars Ring Theory |
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| crmcneill wrote: | | On the one hand, it provided some interesting insight that will certainly help me to appreciate the films more. On the other hand, I couldn't help but feel that the author was really saying, "George Lucas is a super-genius; you're all just too stupid to understand his greatness." |
I'm not getting the 'Bow down to Lucas the messiah' vibe that people are reacting too.
I think I may have poisoned some of you to the virtues of this thesis when I posted "George Lucas is an utter cinematic genius, and his six-part Star Wars film saga is a literary masterpiece (even despite its shortcomings)" in the OP. It seems that those of you who don't think Lucas is a "utter cinematic genius" or that the entire 6-film saga is a "masterpiece" immediately went on the defensive. My bad. I blew it. I shouldn't have built it up so much, and now some of you are turned away from it.
I do not feel talked down too by this thesis at all, and I am sorry if my biased presentation contributed to that impression.
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Whill
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| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2015 5:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Barrataria wrote: | | I noticed, and enjoyed, many of the little visuals that harked back to some other scene earlier in the trilogy. I've listened to the commentaries for all the films (I think) and read the Secret History ... |
Barrataria, I had never heard of The Secret History of Star Wars: The Art of Storytelling and the Making of a Modern Epic (2008) by Michael Kaminski until reading your references to it. I read some reviews of it on Amazon, then ordered it. When it came this week, I had a total nerdgasm. This book is so awesome! I've read all the Appendices and few other things, but I'll have to put reading the rest of it on hold. I had just finished reading the 3 Rinzler mega classic trilogy Making Of books, so I really need to get back to my Star Wars fiction reading list for this year. I'll hopefully get back to The Secret History of Star Wars next year.
Anyway, thanks for mentioning this book!
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CRMcNeill
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| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2015 6:11 pm Post subject: Re: Star Wars Ring Theory |
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| Whill wrote: | | I do not feel talked down too by this thesis at all, and I am sorry if my biased presentation contributed to that impression. |
Don't worry, Whill. It's not you. 
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"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.
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Zarm R'keeg
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 10:40 am Post subject: Re: Star Wars Ring Theory |
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| Whill wrote: | | My bad. I blew it. I shouldn't have built it up so much, and now some of you are turned away from it. |
For what it's worth, I don't feel that way. You talk up what you're excited about; that's natural. I jumped in on some of the discussion that developed, but I've only grown more excited to read the article through all of this (just haven't had time yet). So I don't think you blew it at all.
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Barrataria
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| Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2015 1:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Whill wrote: | | Anyway, thanks for mentioning this book! |
Prego! It was one of those I pretty much plowed right through, although I did do a fair bit of skipping during the long passages of "in the fourth draft of the script... blah blah blah".
The nitty gritty of script revises is not at all what interested me in the book, but I bet you'll really appreciate them.
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Whill
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| Posted: Thu May 14, 2020 11:41 am Post subject: Thank The Maker! |
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I wanted to bump this thread for George Lucas' birthday. This was posted in 2015 and later than year the Disney film series began and this just sort of fell to the wayside.
There was a 2016 follow-up documentary to Star Wars Ring Theory that I recently found about:
The Prequels Strike Back: A Fan's Journey
Watch the short trailer. You can see that criticisms of the prequels are present, so this isn't just a biased 'Lucas is god' apologetic. I rented this through Prime Video for $2.99 and my family is watching this tonight. I will report my reactions.
And Happy Birthday, George Lucas! #ThankTheMaker
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TauntaunScout
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| Posted: Thu May 14, 2020 12:05 pm Post subject: |
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I am not being snarky at all when I say, in recent years, I have come to suspect that George Lucas has mild Asperger's. It would explain so much. For example, his shyness.
After years of working in camps for teenagers with assorted conditions, I find myself reminded of the kids with Apserger's and related disorders during his interviews. |
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Whill
Dark Lord of the Jedi (Owner/Admin)
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| Posted: Thu May 14, 2020 10:06 pm Post subject: Re: Thank The Maker! |
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We watched it. It's not really a follow-up to Star Wars Ring Theory but the author of that paper was one of the people interviewed. It did go into the basic premise and a few examples of Ring Theory along the way. This is a comprehensive documentary that actually encompasses the classic films too, and deals with both sides of responses to the prequel trilogy. I really loved it and will probably buy it on DVD. They continued it as a web TV series with at least four more episodes that come free with Prime, so I will watch those sometime. I highly recommend all Star Wars fans watch this documentary film no matter where you fall in the spectrum of prequel appreciation, for a more balanced perspective. Parents be warned that Kevin Smith segment has profanity.
George Lucas is an imperfect genius. John Williams is a genius too.
And Happy Birthday, George Lucas! #ThankTheMaker
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TauntaunScout
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| Posted: Sun May 17, 2020 9:38 am Post subject: |
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While ANH is an unqualified work of cinematic genius, it was a collaboration between may capable artists, none of whom would I classify as a genius. They were greater than the sum of their parts. But I am pretty stingy with that title.
Actually I take it back, Ralph MacQuarrie might count as an artistic genius in my book. |
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