Showing posts with label george lucas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label george lucas. Show all posts

7/01/2012

Clerks (The Snowball Edition) Review

Clerks (The Snowball Edition)
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I'm not going to tell the plot of Clerks, since tons of other reviewers have already done that, but instead I'm going to focus of the DVD, because I don't feel enough people write about that.
First off here's the special features:
Audio Commentary: This commentary features a nearly countless amount of people, but mostly Kevin Smith with the occasional tid bit from actor Brian O' Halloran (also known as Brian Christopher O' Halloran) or producer Scott Mosier. Funnily, Jason Mewes showed up drunk for the recording of this and lies on the floor past out most of the time, sometimes waking up to swear or scream "Snootchie Bootchies." Obviously only one mike was used for this, but that never bothered me much, because the commentary is a load of fun, with tons of interesting things and laughs. I like this much better than the overrated Mallrats commentary.
Deleted Scenes With Introductions by Kevin Smith: There are about 6 deleted scenes, almost all of them extended bits, but all of them interesting. Ones I particularly liked were the longer Gum Guy's speech, the longer conversation with Dane and Veronica, and the longer talking between Veronica and Randal. The only completely additional scene is in #3 where Randal tries to pursuade a customer to rent Smokey and the Bandit 3. Not very funny, but interesting. The introductions to the scenes by Kevin Smith are very good, short and to the point, where as in all the other DVDs he rambles on for about two minutes about why you should visit Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash or mumbles or wastes time going "Um," you get my point. In these intros he simly states what you'll find new in the scene and then you view, I think the longest intro is about thirty seconds. Excellent.
Original Ending: The shocking original ending is included for your enjoyment, and it is obvious why it was cut, although I personally love the scene and think it'd be a great ending to the film. Why? Because it ends on a downer, just like Dante and Randal talk about early in the film, and is more realistic (OK, maybe not, but I like it). Sit through the short set of credits for a breif cameo by director Smith. The ending features an introduction where Smith states how happy he is that the scene was cut. Interesting.
Music Video: The funny music video for Soul Asylum's "Can't Even Tell", featuring a recreation of the hockey scene, in color no less! It's an interesting look at what if would be like if the movie was in color, but it's also a pretty good song, and the video is entertaining, measuring around four and a half minutes. Introduction by Smith is included, which is pretty interesting.
Theatrical Trailer: The film's original trailer is included with introduction by Smith, where he states how crazy he is for it and that it's one of his favorite trailers ever. It's a nice trailer and all, but really, it is just a trailer, and I think he sees into it more than most people will (though I read a review that called the trailer "a piece of film itself").
Anyway, those are the extras. It doesn't look like much, but quality overwhelms quantity, and all these extras are very cool, and worth your time.
The sound and picture on the film is fine, at least when you think about it. Remember Clerks cost less than a car to make, and the picture is consistently grainy throughout, as well as black and white (oh boo hoo to all you people who can't watch a black and white movie), but I could always tell what was going on, and after about two minutes, I got used to the grain (you will, too). The sound is a 2.0 surround sound that is always clear and never bothersome. There's minor hiss, but barely irritating (or noticeable).
Anyway, I like CLerks a lot, although most people won't watch it because of the black and white picture and a lot of people find it boring, but I just don't understand how anyone could find a movie with such great acting and dialouge boring. Well, if you need an explosion or a bunch of action every ten minutes.....
Hope you liked my review (kind of long, sorry), and please vote if it was helpful. Thank you for reading.

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9/27/2011

THX 1138 - The Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition) (1971) Review

THX 1138 - The Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition) (1971)
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The world seems to be divided between two kinds of people. The people who think George Lucas is a talented legitimate artist, and those who think he's a business man unbothered by aethetics. For those who feel Lucas has (or had) talent, THX-1138 is a testament to it that. The use of color (or lack thereof), sound and editing in this film is truly unique. Lucas is often accused of lacking in writing skills, but THX-1138 doesn't rely on complex character backstories, or inspiring dialogue. In fact, THX, SEN, and LUH are rather one-dimensional characters. (Just to settle a common argument about the film, I do not believe SEN is intended to be homosexual, as beings in this world aside from THX and LUH are asexual because of their sedations) While images and sounds typically supplement dialogue as the force that progresses a story, it seems to be backwards at times in THX-1138. The title "visual storyteller" has been applied to every director at one point or another it seems, but for this work Lucas truly earns it. The sound effects of Star Wars have been copied so many times we all are numb to how good they really were, but watching this movie gives us a fresh idea of how incredible sound can be. These days most movies just use digital catalogs for all of their sound effects - Lucas had people go out with tape recorders and find things. While the sound is crude by today's standards, it is richer and warmer.

If I had any complaints about the film, it would be that there are moments where its quite obvious that its being made by an amateur director fresh out of film school who is used to making short features. Although these aspects also supplement the film as a whole, it does detract from the watchability (and rewatchability) of this film for some people.

This was one of the first art films I ever watched as a young man, and this had a huge impact on me. To know what was happening, I had to pay attention to everything - not just words.
Without having seen this movie, I wouldn't have learned to appreciate so many other films in the way I do. Every so often we viewers have to have our artistic perspectives broadened, and this film continues to do that. I would recommend this film to anyone - Star Wars fans (be warned... it is different), young film students, anyone.

Personally, I consider it a real shame that he burned out after directing the first Star Wars (those familiar with Lucasology know that he only directed the first feature and the newer prequels), since he obviously was capable of so much. I'm not dumping on Star Wars here, but the while the world doesn't end with the Star Wars movies, unfortunately Lucas's directing career did.

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Two-Disc Special Edition: * Digitally remastered with THX certified sound * Commentary by George Lucas and co-writer/sound effects editor Walter Murch * Theatre of Noise sound-effects track with branching segments to 13 master sessions with Walter Murch * 2 New documentaries: "A Legacy of Filmmakers: The Early Years of American Zoetrope" and "Artifacts from the Future: The Making of THX 1138" * George Lucas's original student film "THX-11384EB" * "Bald": 1971 production featurette * Five new trailers from the 2004 theatrical release* Original theatrical trailer

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7/13/2011

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (Widescreen Edition) (2005) Review

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (Widescreen Edition) (2005)
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It has been interesting, to say the least, to follow the buzz surrounding the final Star Wars prequel film, from the time before the film was released in theaters to now, 4 years afterward. In the beginning, people were claiming that "no one cares about Star Wars anymore" after the first 2 prequels (despite their having made nearly $750 million total in domestic box office, and that Ep.II was generally considered an improvement and a step in the right direction after Ep.I), and that Ep.III was going to be another "bomb". Then, lo and behold, just when some people were salivating at the chance to rip apart yet another SW film, the critical reaction to "Revenge of the Sith" came back positive, with accolades from Time, Newsweek, the NY Times, USA Today, and others who had hated the previous films; many declared Ep.III the finest entry since "The Empire Strikes Back", and one reviewer even liked it more than the original "Star Wars". The film would go on to make over $380 million to become the biggest blockbuster of 2005. It seemed that rumors of Star Wars's death had been greatly exaggerated.
That is...until after the movie had been out of the theaters for a few months, and then all the usual suspects came out, nitpicking and complaining like they always do. It became "cool" and "hip" to trash this film just like its predecessors, and soon things were right back to the way they were before, with people claiming that Ep.III was also a "flop" that no one really liked, pretending that the film's critical and commercial success never happened. And so here we are again, with the perpetually disgruntled fanboys crying about their "raped childhoods", etc. (It is ironic that this time the mainstream critics were mostly more forgiving than those know-it-alls who think George Lucas personally OWES it to them to make his movies to their exact specifications.)
Anyway, it is THEIR problem if they don't "get it", NOT Lucas's, or anyone else's. "Revenge of the Sith" completes the prequel trilogy in fine form, and brings SW full circle, as well. Ep.I began in a rather muddled fashion, trying to balance introducing the characters with a plot focused on small, localized events. In Ep.II (which was a decent movie in its own right), the grand plots sweeping the entire galaxy began to take shape, and events began on a galactic scale to lead inexorably to Ep.III, wherein we witness the fall of both the Republic, and Anakin himself.
In the crucial role of Anakin Skywalker, Hayden Christensen is clearly more comfortable this time out, capturing Anakin's conflicted emotions and insecurities that rage beneath his ostensibly heroic persona, which cause him to become disillusioned with the Jedi and his own lot in life. This leaves him open to the manipulations of Palpatine -- the second crucial character here. Ian McDiarmid does a masterful job as the Emperor, who is revealed as the driving force behind the events in the saga to that point. The relationship between Anakin and Palpatine, his trusted father figure who leads him astray into making his Faustian bargain, is the heart of the movie, and is what makes it work. Indeed, one of the most emotionally powerful sequences is > when Anakin betrays Mace Windu and pledges his loyalty to the now disfugured Palpatine and his cause, then receives his first orders as Darth Vader -- effectively marking the birth of the evil Empire. Yet, it seems clear that Anakin is still conflicted and unsure of himself, even as he commits more evil acts, up until his final transformation at the end -- by which it is too late.
The third player is Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi, who continues to fight for the doomed Republic ( I especially like the battle with General Grievious, who swings multiple light sabers like whirling neon helicopter blades) until he is forced to take action against his former pupil; the aftermath is particularly moving, inspiring pity not only for the mortally wounded Anakin, but also for Obi-Wan, who seems to suffer just as much. McGregor has practically made the character his own; he could almost be the "Han Solo of the Prequel Trilogy" -- which lends a bit of irony to Han's remarks about Kenobi in Ep.IV...
Finally, there is Yoda, who seems to feel the final defeat of the Jedi as a personal loss. His duel with the Emperor, where they both unleash their powers to the greatest extent yet, was also one of my favorites. The deleted scene on the DVD showing Yoda's arrival on Dagobah, while not vital to the story, did capture the melancholy of his situation perfectly.
All these elements, wrapped up in the usual barrage of sights and sounds that can only be found in a Star Wars film, make Ep.III a classic that ranks right up there with the Original Trilogy; the entire last act of the film has a pervasive mood of sadness and melancholy, coupled with the exhiliration one gets from watching the best tragedies. All the cards are laid on the table -- the covert plots and foreshadowings of the previous 2 episodes are finally brought to fruition, and the previously hidden conflicts are now waged openly, leading to the civil war of Eps.IV-VI. The fall of the Republic is symbolized by the transformation of Anakin into Vader, and the original series can now be viewed as his struggle for redemption, as much as the Empire vs. Rebellion conflict. Vader has been redefined as a tragic figure, rather than a purely evil one; it is impossible for me to see Vader now without imagining the brooding, grieving Anakin behind the mask. It also sheds light on the true nature of Vader's and the Emperor's relationship as master and slave, having been from the beginning based on lies, deception and betrayal -- a theme that would resurface throughout the original films. (In fact, this was hinted at even before the Anakin/Obi-Wan duel, when Anakin refers to "his empire" in his speech. It suggests that he was NOT acting purely for unselfish reasons [saving Padme, etc.] when he chose his path, but also for his own secret desire for power.)
As for the Emperor, he shows his true nature in his reaction to Vader's scream when he realizes what has happened. (Many criticize this scene, but it is a fitting illustration of the Faustian themes of the film, with the Emperor as the grinning devil and Vader as the tormented soul in Hell.) Yet, at the same time, when Palpatine rescued Anakin after he was burned and near death, he showed hints of the fatherly affection that he may have indeed felt for him, despite his twisted motives.
At the end of the day, the Prequel Trilogy, with Ep.III as its crown jewel, effectively fleshes out the background of the Star Wars saga. While some parts of the PT were uneven, it makes it possible now to view the original movies with a new sense of the history behind them. And "Sith" is a film that actually improves after repeat viewings, which enable one to catch all the nuances that might be missed the first time around. With this movie, Lucas rewarded the fans who stuck with him, and brought the Star Wars series full circle.
...And now, the saga is complete.

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STAR WARS EPISODE III:REVENGE OF THE - DVD Movie

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7/09/2011

Star Wars Prequel Trilogy Review

Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
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I am baffled by some of these reviewers who are climbing a soapbox about the industry and Lucas. For those of us who are patient, a box set with cost saving and a SPECIAL BONUS!! Slim cases so shelf space is minimized!
EXCELLENT!!
About a rush to market, snatching up media related to STAR WARS as soon as it hits the shelf. If you don't like the movies themselves or the packaging or the recording quality that is one thing. Whining about your own gullibility is quite another. Let me clue you in. If Lucas makes or includes special features, enhancements and the like ... he will not fail to promote that. Investigate the product before you buy. And to those of you who didn't even buy any products but are just looking for places to gripe, this is not the appropriate place.
This is the excellent product that I anticipated to the point of not buying any of the movies when they first released to video. It is as much as it promises to be. (I expect the same to be true of the other volume containing ep. 4-6.) If you like space saving box set bundles without a lot of extra bells and whistles, this is for you.
These sci-fi movie fantasy adventures, though a bit juvenile in their scripts and exhibitions, have become family classic adventure movies that inspire the imagination and adequately entertain a growing audience. A series of perennial favorites well on there way to becoming "timeless" classics.

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Disc 1: Star Wars Episode 1 WS Disc 1 **Commentary by George Lucas and companyDisc 2: Star Wars Episode 1 WS Disc 2 **Never-before-seen Making of documentary **Never-before-seen deleted scenes documentary featuring 7 deleted scenes finished in 5.1 Dolby Digital Sound **2 animatics with multi-angles **5 Featurettes **12 original web documentaries **Music Video: "Duel of the Fates" **Production photos, print ads, theatrical trailers, TV spots, DVD-ROM - game demoDisc 3: Star Wars Episode 2 WS Disc 1 **Commentary by George Lucas and Rick McCall **Easter Egg **THX Trailer - "Cavalcade"Disc 4: Star Wars Episode 2 WS Disc 2 **2 Documentaries - "From Puppets to Pixels"and "State of the Art: Previsualization of Episode II" **8 deleted scenes with intros **Music Video, Visual Specs Breakdown **12 Web Documentaries **4 Trailers **12 TV Spots **Easter Egg **Still Galleries **DVD-ROM linksDisc 5: Star Wars Episode 3 WS Disc 1Disc 6: Star Wars Episode 3 WS Disc 2 **Full-length documentary produced by Lucasfilm **2 New Featurettes: One exploring the prophecy of Anakin Skywalker as The Chosen One, the other providing an in-depth look at the movie's eye-popping stunts **15 part collection of Lucasfilm's groundbreaking "Web-documentaries" Episode Description: Disc 1: Star Wars Episode 1 WS Disc 1 Disc 2: Star Wars Episode 1 WS Disc 2 Disc 3: Star Wars Episode 2 WS Disc 1 Disc 4: Star Wars Episode 2 WS Disc 2 Disc 5: Star Wars Episode 3 WS Disc 1 Disc 6: Star Wars Episode 3 WS Disc 2

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