But in this era of CGI excess and the summer blockbuster, that concept is lost on most people making sci-fi movies.

I’d like to see one, just one, movie where there is no scene of the hero/heroine walking slowly towards the camera and then a devastating explosion happening in the background.
CGI is necessary to today’s movies because good writing and acting talent is in very short supply. And without the “F” word, there’d be no movie dialogue.

R.I.P. R.M.

CArrie Fisher did five million billion crunches to be able to wear that stupid gold bikini thingy in the Jabba scenes. I’m sure she would have preferred the Elvis-type gold suit.

NahnCee on January 16, 2009 at 7:26 PM

And five million billion times hotter than Portman ..

James on January 16, 2009 at 10:34 PM

I didn’t say they don’t have a right to post anything they damn well please, they certainly do. It’s not up to me what bloggers blog about. I enjoy reading this blog because I find most of the subjects interesting and the opinions thoughtful. Maybe I can’t relate to a post like this because I don’t have 13yr old daughters. I found it more strange than funny and don’t think it is one of AP’s best selections. I can only try to offer respectful feedback as just one reader of this blog and nothing more. I suspect you might have projected more into the meaning of my simple post than was intended

Absolutely nothing.

I’ve been there.

Saw Episode 5 opening night (Family friend was a DeeJay at a local station – score!). And Episode 6 the second day of release.

Can’t stand the re-mastered works…

Do, or do not. There is no try.

World B. Free on January 16, 2009 at 6:57 PM

It all comes from Joseph Cambell’s “Hero with a Thousand Faces” about hero archetypes in human literature. We have been telling the same stories over and over again for 5000 years.

James on January 16, 2009 at 10:34 PM

One of the more creative ways to make that point I’ve seen. Well done Sir. LOL

This is posted for what reason?

Dollayo on January 16, 2009 at 10:14 PM

Yeah, who do they think they are, what with charging subscription fees and hijacking people’s home pages to set them to this post and all that?

I do belive that is the first instance in recorded history of a movie like Casablanca being compared in the same vein as Star Wars as a classic.

Roger Ebert wrote that The Wizard of Oz, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Star Wars were the three most likely to be remembered in a few hundred years because they are great cinematic myths. I’d agree. Some of the references in Casablanca are a little dated even now though I personally prefer it over the others.

Anyone who has never seen the films would not remember any of those details, however mixed up.

keep the change on January 16, 2009 at 7:34 PM

I’m not sure that’s true. I’ve never watched Top Gun, but I’ve been in the building while other people were watching it, 3-4 times. I think I could give a summary that’d hit most of the major plot points.

“Who are you?”
“I am… a… PUPPET!”
“I’m sorry?”
“From beneath the floor… the man does control me, yes!”
“I feel in my spirit that that I am to train under you, so that I too can be a Thumb master.”
“Train you will I? Train you I *will*! YEEEEESSSSSSS… Step one: Touch your tongue to mine.”

I am so putting that “Noooo” link into some of my own posts in perpetuity. Awesome!

catmman on January 16, 2009 at 8:38 PM

NOOOOOOOOOOO! :-D That link is hilarious!

You have all been had. This girl has been coached exactly what to say. … Anyone who has never seen the films would not remember any of those details, however mixed up.

keep the change on January 16, 2009 at 7:34 PM

So certain are you? Strong with the force you must be…

The acting minus Jar-Jar and (sometimes) Hayden and – unfortunately – sometimes Portman as well is fine. I’ve enjoyed seeing the films several times now on cable and dvd.

hadsil on January 16, 2009 at 8:43 PM

FIFY :) Yes, FWIW I agree – it’s usually the *lines* of the prequels’ characters that are so bad. So many opportunities missed for real levity, natural dialogue, or genuine chemistry between the players.

AP, what’s w/the amnesia? Can’t believe the memory’s completely gone: there was the “squishy” asteroid scene, space junk, the Hyperdrive busted, Vader chewing through senior officers like candy, C-3PO getting ripped to pieces in Cloud City, “refreshments” with Vader, the whole Yoda/Luke lifting-the-rocks thing, … ;)

apollyonbob on January 16, 2009 at 9:18 PM

I dunno, I kept seeing him doing the same thing over and over again in Shattered Glass, too…but as we weren’t supposed to be sympathetic to the character, I assumed that was what they were going for in the first place. To me it seemed like good casting of a bad actor.

You mean, Mannequin Skywalker?

James on January 16, 2009 at 8:52 PM

I heard Christiansen did fine in Shattered Glass. And I know Natalie Portman can act.

So really, the real blame for the poor acting in Star Wars lies squarely on George Lucas.

It’s like if you went to a concert and the sound sucked. It’s easy to blame the band, but sometimes? It’s the sound guy.