On the Star Wars films. Most of the big fans of the original three movies (IV, V & VI) are either those who saw them when they were new, as children, or who were older and saw them as they came out, having had enough experience to really be drawn in by how ground-breaking the first one in particular was.

In terms of story and especially script they’re low to lacking, but Lucas’ genius was in bringing us a very comfortable, lived-in sci-fish world, where characters generally didn’t feel the unnatural need to explain every bit of tech they were using, treating it all much as we do our own, modern surroundings. Most sci fi before this had way too much exposition and everything was scrubbed unnaturally clean and in pristine condition. Luke’s speeder looked like something he had to keep making constant repairs on to degree that he left some access panels open, never bothered to wash, and that it was there for daily, casual use, not for show. Too much of what had come before was as if one moved through his daily life narrating our actions for unseen spirits from a century ago, saying things such as “I’ll use my infra-red remote control device to activate my video screen!” as he turned on the tv.

Visually and dramatically Empire remains the peak of the series for me, though I would be foolish to not count my nostalgic attachment to it. I well remember Wednesday, May 21, 1980*, when the much-anticipated movie premiered. A friend and I hit the first matinee showing, sat through the credits, and because there was a second showing immediately following – and some of the audience for that had come in during the closing credits of the first one – we stayed put and watched it a second time. (We’d likely have stayed for a third, but the gap between that and the next showing was too broad.)

I’ve wondered a few times how the run of six movies, if played in story order, will strike first time viewers. Aside from the family tree revelations in Empire and Jedi being effectively blown by episode three, I imagine much confusion on the part of the audience when they reach episode IV and wonder why The Force has suddenly become such a weak, wimpy thing – little more than ESP with some projecting aspects. Some of this has me wondering how much digital tinkering Lucas plans to do as he retools the entries from the seventies and eighties for re-release as 3D items over the next few years.

*Yes, I had to check for the exact date, though I remembered the year and month and knew it would be a Wednesday as that was the day all new films hit theaters back in that era.

And, finally:

I must point out in all candor that I find this link far more disturbing than the “sexy teacher” one that kicked off the topic, which wouldn’t even seriously register as soft core pornography. As that would take us outside the boundaries of allowable topics on this forum, though, I’ll refrain from explaining that for fear that it would become the reason for this thread being shut down.

I do appreciate that it was posted to answer the question of where one might find browser-monitoring, email-notification software, though. While I would find it an uncomfortably intrusive course of action, so long as the parties involved are fine with it then it’s not my business. It does strike me as... demeaning, though; this sort of monitoring is something I’d expect to be used on a family computer as a means of watching over what one’s children might get up to – -- a back-up to filter software. Again, though, if that works for a couple then it works. All the best to you -- and I understand there are career ramification elements involved, too. It's a bit sad to me that we're being reduced to a 1984 security state, and hope that much like the 1950s redux, neo-McCarthyism we're currently moving through this will just prove to be another historical cycle most people will be openly disdainful about in another 10 years.


Never a fan of actual porn, most that I’ve seen falls either into Amusing or Off-putting, with the former generally being observations about the bizarre expressions on their faces, awkward poses and/or odd surroundings. The latter mostly speaks for itself.

I think it really took a lot away from the mystique of Star Wars when they started trying to give an actual explanation to "The Force." Why can't they just leave it a mysterious/spiritual power rather than saying it's essentially a parasite in their blood? I think the problem is nobody would tell George Lucas, "Umm, while we respect your ideas, that one sucks."

Just before Hrbek, there was another guy named Craig Kusick who played first base for the Twins. Not extremely well known, but he was my high school Phy Ed teacher. Not everyone can say their PE teacher hit a home run off of Nolan Ryan.

I believe it was 1982 when Boggs and Hrbek were both in the running for rookie of the year, finishing second and third to Cal Ripken.

Absolutely. That was, for me, the most egregious misstep in Episode I.

Honestly, I'm a bit disappointed in the adult entertainment industry. There's no way that that url should have been available. Some cassock/habit/priest's collar fetish filmmaker should have snatched it up long ago.

I find this fairly amusing. Only because my friend a self proclaimed big star wars buff commented about the all the chrome in episodes I - III. That none of the ships in the following episodes had very much. All I said was "you just couldn't get a good chrome after that". Which gave us both a good laugh and may have been one of those had to be there things. I figured I would try and share anyhow.

Yeah I was thinking something along the same lines. I'm sure it probably helps draw in possible lost sheep or some such thing.

As it's a visual effect I suspect that this will be just the sort of thing Lucas is adding to the older films during this digital retooling. I suspect we'll see a wide array of retroactive tech upgrades - along with more aliens and droids in the backgrounds. I'm curious to see if he decides to do much to improve the look of Vader's budget costume in the 1977 film; to be honest, he may have already done something about that when they did the digital re-releases to videotape in the late 90s, along with the well-intentioned but ill-conceived "Greedo shot first" adjustment.

If you ask me he really should just leave them alone. It's getting to where I'm going to start feeling sorry for the guy. I'm sure he has plenty enough money to last him the rest of his days.

I'm convinced he genuinely believes he's making them better, and isn't doing it with a profit motive. Oh, he'll want to make money from it, but he knows he doesn't need it.

It's important to remember that his creative ideal is to dispense with actors (aside from them providing source images and voices) and have a system that allows him to work with everything in a digital animation format. Now that he has the tech and the power to do it, he's trying to do them as he believes he'd really wanted to do when all of this tech was at best loosely imagined.

I couldn't agree more.

I cringe every time I hear someone endorse the notion of government-installed cameras in public places --- whether it's in the name of "public safety" (?) by catching motorists who blow red lights or identifying vandals who believe in property damage as self-expression.

Just my two cents.

Well not to defend or condone a police state but public places are public. One shouldn't have a high expectation of privacy so to speak.

As I have said a few times already, I am still recovering from the flu, and my common sense meter is far from par at the moment. When I posted that link, it was merely as an answer to a question, and I have already mentioned that I wasn't thinking about the fact that the question I was answering was 2 pages back and such. Furthermore, I didn't even think about the content pretty much breaking all of the forum no-nos, and I didn't post it as a means to tell everyone to install it, merely answering a question.

I know that I have not really offended anyone, and that most of you know my beliefs and everything, but I do apologize for the lack in common sense I had in posting it.

IT IS OKAY CHIROCKER I FORGIVE YOU.

This time..?

Edit: Although I guess opening a thread in the politicals board about something along those lines might be interesting. Or not. Whatever.