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Bud Brewster Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)
Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 17160 Location: North Carolina
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Bud Brewster Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)
Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 17160 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Wed May 09, 2018 3:05 pm Post subject: |
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Speaking of people changing as they get older . . . here's a few comparisons of the way the actors changed as the years rolled by.
~ I suggest you turn off the annoying music. It ain't exactly John Williams, folks . . .
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_____________ Star Wars Actors Then And Now
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958) |
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Bud Brewster Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)
Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 17160 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Tue May 29, 2018 7:31 pm Post subject: |
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Enjoy this fine Starlog article about Star Wars: A New Hope from the year the movie was mnade — and before it had actually be released!
Click on each page here to see a large, easy-to-read version you can zoom in on. Click on the large version again for the maximum size!
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958) |
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Bud Brewster Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)
Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 17160 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Tue May 29, 2018 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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This is a terrific article about this legendary movie! At no point did I feel like I was just reading info I already knew. Author David Houston did a fine job.
The author's statements about how the robots were done in the movie seems to be inaccurate. He claims that the robots in Star Wars are NOT men in robot suits, other than “one which appears for about three minutes of screen time.” Some of the robots, he says, "are animated by “various trick photographic means, but a number of them are real robots with internal motors and radio controls.”
The source of David Houston’s information on this subject is his interviews with Charlie Lippincott, a classmate of Lucas at USC who eventually worked closely with Lucas on the film. I suspect Mr. Houston may have just misunderstood the explanation for how the robots were done, and Lippincott may have also exaggerated the number of radio controlled robots that made up the total “doid” population.
However, the article reveals that George Lucas originally planned to have the robots be (in many ways) real, and spent considerable time and money researching the possibilities. Sadly, he was informed that the technology in 1977 just wasn't able to do what he wanted.
Another interesting fact the article reveals is that Lucas initially wanted the film to have a “documentary look”. But cinematographer Gil Taylor persuaded Lucas at to abandon that idea.
The cantina scene was the source of considerable difficulties for the crew because famed makeup man Stuart Freeman was hospitalized for a serious illness after only finishing one alien for the film — Chewbacca. The crew did their best to create aliens and get the scene shot, but Lucas wasn’t happy with it, and after principal photography was completed he had new aliens created, photographed, and edited into the scene.
All in all, this is great article — which is surprising in view of the fact that it was written before the film’s release, and countless articles have been done since then about Star Wars. I was impressed by the fact that it contained so much I didn’t know after all these years! _________________ ____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
Last edited by Bud Brewster on Thu Jun 14, 2018 10:29 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Gord Green Galactic Ambassador
Joined: 06 Oct 2014 Posts: 2948 Location: Buffalo, NY
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2018 1:50 am Post subject: |
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My oldest son gave me the Darth Vader prop accurate mask for Fathers Day.
What an awesome mask! When you press the hidden button on the side the mask makes the breathing sounds from the movie and your voice is changed to a Vader timber.
The mask is absolutely accurate from the inside out!
Really great gift! _________________ There comes a time, thief, when gold loses its lustre, and the gems cease to sparkle, and the throne room becomes a prison; and all that is left is a father's love for his child. |
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Bud Brewster Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)
Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 17160 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2018 10:41 am Post subject: |
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What a wonderfully appropriate gift for Father's Day. Let me guess. You put on the mask, pressed the button, and spoke in the Vader voice as you said haltingly —
"Your mother never told you the truth about your father. Luke . . . I am NOT your father!" *
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958) |
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Gord Green Galactic Ambassador
Joined: 06 Oct 2014 Posts: 2948 Location: Buffalo, NY
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2018 3:12 pm Post subject: |
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Close Bud!
I said "Chris....I AM your father!"
And.....he knows he'll inherit all my goodies eventually! _________________ There comes a time, thief, when gold loses its lustre, and the gems cease to sparkle, and the throne room becomes a prison; and all that is left is a father's love for his child. |
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Bud Brewster Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)
Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 17160 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2019 3:46 pm Post subject: |
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Here's a sweet piece of nostalgia for Star Wars fans who saw it when it was first release, the original 1977 trailer. I wish the picture quality was better, but it sure brings back memories.
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__________ Star Wars A New Hope 1977 Trailer
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And if that puts you in a Star Wars mood, enjoy these three excellent one-hour documentaries with plenty of behind-the-scenes footage, most of which has surprisingly good picture quality.
I'm not sure that these are actually three separate documentaries. The first one might be the same as one of the other two (or portions of both). I've downloaded all three so I can watch them on my TV instead of my laptop.
After watching just twenty minutes of the first one below, I had learned more about the production of Star Wars than from any previous documentary during the last 40 years.
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Behind the Scenes of Star Wars: The Original Trilogy ILM Special Effects Makers
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__ Making of Star Wars Original Trilogy Part 1 Of 2
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__ Making of Star Wars Original Trilogy Part 2 Of 2
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958) |
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Bud Brewster Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)
Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 17160 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2019 5:18 pm Post subject: |
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Folks, you’re are going to LOVE these documentaries!
First of all, the picture quality of the Youtube downloads rivals Blu-ray, and the audio is rich, beautiful stereo.
The framing backgrounds around the video image changes periodically, and they're absolutely gorgeous. Rather than detract by causing the video images to be somewhat smaller, I realized that it made the documentary even more visually appealing!
The abundant pieces of production art displayed during the videos (by Ralph McQuarry, Sid Mead, and the production designers themselves), is breathtaking! There were many pieces I had never seen before, and the even the ones I had seen were as sharp and colorful as any examples I've ever seen.
If I'd made screen shots of all the artwork I was most impressed by, it would have taken me hours!
The documentary consists of 90-second segments which present the various interviews with people like Stan Winston, Lorne Peterson, and even George Lucas himself (in new interviews, not old ones), cutting back and forth between these entertaining people and shots from the movies or preproduction artwork or behind-the-scenes footage in glorious HD.
There seems to be almost NO grainy "home videos" or old 16mm footage in these documentaries! The clarity of the footage surprised me. It looks much better than most of the BTS footage I've seen from other Star Wars documentaries.
The first documentary of the three I posted above (the one I'm watching right now), shows us the design evolution of the starships, from the Millennium Falcon to the Super Star Destroyer. We get to see the production design teams work diligently to figure out which of the proposed designs to use, and then to create the models needed for the finished film.
Seeing the ones they had to reject was a bittersweet experience, but watching the evolution of the designs we've come to know and love was pure joy!
At the halfway point in the first video above, the documentary examines the Ralph Bakshee cartoon which we first saw in the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special. And it presents the entire cartoon in HD!
Watching it on the documentary made me realize that it's part of the reason I have a certain guilty-pleasure fondness for this TV special.
I must confess that 2-D cell animation doesn't hold the same appeal for me now as it did before CGI showed me that cartoons could be presented with movements as smooth as reality. Back in the 1980s my kids and I were huge fans of the Saturday morning show Reboot, and the advancement of CGI as an animated art form has now made old style cartoons look much less appealing to me.
For the record, I'm still a fan of stop motion like the work of Ray Harryhausen. His work and that of others who have mastered that amazing technique still have a special place in my heart.
Guys, I strongly recommend you watch these documentaries. And if you're able to do so, watch a download on yout TV to get the full effect of the great picture. _________________ ____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958) |
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ralfy Mission Specialist
Joined: 23 Sep 2014 Posts: 488
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Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2019 6:10 am Post subject: |
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I think the absence of media saturation through tech like the Internet plus the waiting time between the first and subsequent movies made them more enjoyable. Too bad about the stilted dialogue, though. I'm reminded of what Guinness said about it. |
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Bud Brewster Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)
Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 17160 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2019 12:18 pm Post subject: |
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My goodness, Sir Alec's comments in the video indicates that he had a very low opinion of Star Wars, and apparent of fantasy adventure in general! I was saddened by his story of how he told a little boy who adored Star Wars (and had seen it many times) to never watch it again!
Sir Alec wasn't just criticizing the young boy for watching the movie so often, he was concerned that it would stunt his intellectual growth. To quote Sir Alec, "I just hope that the young man, now in this thirties, is not living in a fantasy world of second-hand childish banalities."
Wow . . .
His highly critical remarks demonstrate that he had no appreciation for the benefits of fiction which can stimulate young minds by encouraging them to use their imaginations and have big dreams for the own lives.
Movies like Star Wars don't hold young people back, they propel them forward.
I wonder what kind of childhood Sir Alec had. _________________ ____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958) |
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Eadie Galactic Ambassador
Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 1695
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Posted: Fri Mar 29, 2019 3:37 am Post subject: |
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TWO interesting thoughts on the STAR WARS universe.
1) Just what kind of a freighter is the YT-1300 Millennium Falcon (a modified YT-1300 Corellian light freighter)?
Designed by the Corellian Engineering Corporation, the highly modified YT-1300 is durable, modular concept. Just how modular:
So it would look like this:
2) The STAR WARS universe is very power consumptive. How much so? Study this chart from Atomic Rockets (Sorry about the length — Eadie.):
This makes sense to me. How about the All Sci-Fi[ members? _________________ ____________
Art Should Comfort the Disturbed and Disturb the Comfortable. |
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Bud Brewster Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)
Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 17160 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Fri Mar 29, 2019 10:34 am Post subject: |
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Hey, pretty cool, Eadie-wan!
It took me a while to read it all, and the battery ran out on my laptop! I tried to recharge it with my light saber, but it went up in smoke!
Guess I'll just recharge it the regular way from now on. _________________ ____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958) |
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Krel Guest
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Posted: Fri Mar 29, 2019 1:40 pm Post subject: |
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Bud, back when "Star Wars" first came out, Alec Guinness talked about he thought the movie was complete drivel, and only did it for the money. Mark Hamill also reported that Alec Guinness slapped him in the face, for using the title "Sir Alec". He did not want to be addressed as "Sir Alec", just Alec.
It has been pointed out for years that the Star Wars universe has a ridiculously high energy generation capacity. They have bot energy and kinetic force fields that shield not only space vessels, but also planetary bases. They have levitating vehicles (probably either anti-grav, or electromagnetic) that just float there when not in use. That's a lot energy surplus. It is also very likely that they have very efficient energy management systems too.
But their power generation capability is just mind boggling.
David. |
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Bud Brewster Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)
Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 17160 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Fri Mar 29, 2019 3:50 pm Post subject: |
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Not to worry, folks! The Star Wars technology runs on the unlimited power of . . . imagination, the true Force of the universe!
Thank God there's an unlimited supply in each and every one of us! (Now, get off your butts and post something, you guys! This message board ain't gonna write it's own stuff, you know! ) _________________ ____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958) |
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