SHUT THE FUCK UP

[TordelBack]

You're all mad.  Having just watched Star Wars (A New Hope, 4th edition) last weekend with an easily distracted 3-year old, I can confirm that it is a minor miracle of a film that stands the test of time to an incredibly satisfying degree (Jabba's awful appearance aside).

This time out I was struck by just how many points in Alec Guiness' performance in particular it's possible to 'retro-read' little nuances 'back' into the Prequels and Cartoons.  Example:  in the guard room on the Death Star, Obi-Wan announces out of the blue that Artoo should be able to tap into "the whole Imperial network".  Eh?, I always used to think at this point.  Random astromechs can do that?  That's some pretty crap security right there.

Except of course that Obi-Wan knows that this isn't a random astromech, this is a hugely experienced military droid intimately familiar with Republic, and by extension Imperial, procedures and codes.  I'm not pretending for a moment that this is intentional, but it is fun.  There are many other fine examples I won't bore you with.

[Kerrin]

Oh go on.

[Eric Plumrose]

Have to say, my fave nuance in STAR WARS is when Ben has to explain what happened to Luke's daddy.

[Richmond Clements]

Have to say, my fave nuance in STAR WARS is when Ben has to explain what happened to Luke's daddy.

Probably my favourite shot in any of the moves is when C-3PO is selling himself to Uncle Owen, and R2 turns his head slowly to look at him. How an al but featureless metal tube manages to convey the disbelief and sarcasm that it does in that shot I'll never know.

[Eric Plumrose]

Yikes. It's been over ten years since I last bothered watching STAR WARS in its entirety. And that was at the flicks when I took the old man to see EPISODEIVANEWHOPESPECIALEDITION.

[Bolt-01]

One of my fave things about Star Wars these days is interpreting R2's language as tourette's based profanities, especially when he's teasing 3P0.

[Mike Gloady]

I've always thought the reason he beeps (apart from not needing a full-on speech circuitry since he mostly communicates with machines) is because, like every mechanic I know, his every other word is a profanity. 

There's mileage in someone putting vulgar subtitles on certain scenes with the strongest "sexual swear words" (as Mike Reed used to call them) thrown with glee at the idiotic camp butler he's cursed to wander the universe with.

[Proudhuff]

Except of course that Obi-Wan knows that this isn't a random astromech, this is a hugely experienced military droid intimately familiar with Republic, and by extension Imperial, procedures and codes.  I'm not pretending for a moment that this is intentional, but it is fun.  There are many other fine examples I won't bore you with.

go on...

[Mike Gloady]

Yeah, Tordelback, more.  I'll be watching episodes 4, 5 and 6 soon, I'd like to be able to watch out for hte ones that have occured to you, and maybe spot others.....

[Rio De Fideldo]

                                    THREEPIO
                         What a desolate place this is.

               Suddenly Artoo whistles, makes a sharp right turn and starts
               off in the direction of the rocky desert mesas. Threepio
               stops and yells at him.

                                     THREEPIO
                         Where are you going?

               A stream of electronic noises pours forth from the small
               robot.

                                     THREEPIO
                         Well, I'm not going that way. It's
                         much too rocky. This way is much
                         easier.

               Artoo counters with a long whistle.

                                     THREEPIO
                         What makes you think there are
                         settlements over there?

Yes he's on a mission but it helps that Artoo has been on Tatooine before.

[SamuelAWilkinson]

  Yes he's on a mission but it helps that Artoo has been on Tatooine before.

Yeah, but so has Threepio.

[Mike Gloady]

And Threepio's last line in ROTS?

"OH NO!"

In response to Leia's adopted daddy telling the guy who runs the spaceship they're in at the beginning of Episode 4 to "have the protocol droid's memory erased" to merciless laughter from R2.

[Mardroid]

 Yes he's on a mission but it helps that Artoo has been on Tatooine before.

Yeah, but so has Threepio.

Ah, but his memory was wiped remember? (Although, much as I like the characters, they really shouldn't have put the droids in the prequels, but never mind.)

Oh no-no-no-no-no, TPM had absolutely outstanding design, Qui-Gon Jinn, Darth Maul and some actual (if failed) ambition

See, I actually rather like those parts myself. The sets are beautiful in that film, and I like the characters of Qui-Gon and Darth Maul. In fact I thought Maul was a brilliant villain. 1 dimensional, but in a way that worked.

I think it's the worst of the prequels though (although there are parts of the other films that are worse). I do like all the Starwars films though, I'm just talking comparatively here.

[Eric Plumrose]

Did R2D2 have his memory erased, too?

[Mardroid]

Did R2D2 have his memory erased, too?

When I wrote that, I didn't think he did. But now you mention it... yes I think they were both wiped. How ironic. My own memory is on the blink. Beeeep!