Star Wars: The Thread Strikes Back

[Reply #560 on:]

I eard of a guy here in the same theather where i saw it first .. he went to a nearby restaurant to reserve table for he and his friends while they were about to enter the cinema and while he was waiting to talk with the staff he was behind a father and son and it went literally:

Son: dad why was Chewacca so angry?
Dad: he was angry, Han had just died

just like that... talk about this:




I think i allready said it.. we couldnt buy tickets for our group (26 people) in the premiere.. despite being offered tickets to see it in the premiere day i took the risk to watch it the second day with the rest of the group.. well between the restaurant where we had dinner and my hotel was the cinema .. and in my trip the day of the premiere back to the hotel it matched perfectly with the end of the sesion of the bigest theather (1000 people)
So i found myself being surrounded sudenly by 1000 people who just had seen the movie..

how i managed to avoid any spoiler? i still dont know.. but i didn somehow.. i hope i didnt killed anyone in the process

[Reply #561 on:]

To avoid the insanely large crowds, I waited a couple of weeks to see it. And I and took along earplugs to wear in line to prevent the situation above.  What actually occurred was that there were no lines at the ticket counter at all (only one person in front of me) and no lines at the concession stand, either.  The theatre was about 70% full but I got a seat that was only a little too close to the screen and no one was talking about the movie at all.  I got lucky

[Reply #562 on:]

Does anyone know if stormtrooper armour was originally supposed to be effective against (hand-held) blaster shots?

I know that hasn't been how it was depicted in the movies but I'm sure I had read somewhere, back in the days of the original trilogy, that one-handed blaster shots had to hit the joints or face-plate to have a chance of injuring a stormtrooper, and I've always felt vaguely disappointed that it had been nerfed in the movies.

[Reply #563 on:]

How did they want Han Solo to die?  I mean, he couldn't just die of old age.  That would be too unfitting for Solo.  If he died in a pointless fight, that would also be stupid.

I am not saying they killed him in the best way, but it was definitely one of the better ways.  And in my mind, as fun as Solo was as a character, I think it's time for him to be put aside and let the new kiddos shine.  This ain't a fucking reunion.

I like your sentiment here.  Early on I opined that Han's arc should end like Ulysses' in that poem, "Ulysses", and it seems like his inter-episode story went that route, which was great.  His death was far more significant in the movie than it would have been in my imagination, but it was still fitting.  I totally agree that keeping him around would have been a mistake.

That's movie talk though.  You know the EU (and other, non-movie canon)...






...

[Reply #564 on:]

Wow. Star Wars characters have the "stay-dead" rate of comic book characters.

[Reply #565 on:]

That's movie talk though.  You know the EU (and other, non-movie canon)...

Maul surviving is now canon... it was on Clone Wars wich is considered canon..

Show spoiler

Actually is even worst than that.. he is still alive tecnically.. we dont see his demise in CloneWars and Palpatine said he didnt intended to kill him .... yet. So he can perfectly be alive to show up on rebels, Rogue One (or any antology film) or even in episode VIII/IX ... tecnically until he is canonically killed

[Reply #566 on:]

Does anyone know if stormtrooper armour was originally supposed to be effective against (hand-held) blaster shots?

I know that hasn't been how it was depicted in the movies but I'm sure I had read somewhere, back in the days of the original trilogy, that one-handed blaster shots had to hit the joints or face-plate to have a chance of injuring a stormtrooper, and I've always felt vaguely disappointed that it had been nerfed in the movies.

A assume they went the same way they took with Starfighter shields:
While those thoretically should offer some protection, the movie depicted only killing hits (at least for Redshirt-like characters). Even the fighters of characters meant to survive seemed to catch "glancing hits, not damaging too critical systems", that still directly hit the hull, instead of being somehow deflected.

[Reply #567 on:]

Computer Analysis Reveals the Stunning Complexity of the Star Wars Expanded Universe

[Reply #568 on:]

Starfighter shields:
While those thoretically should offer some protection, they movie depicted only killing hits (at least for Redshirt-like characters). Even the fighters of characters meant to survive seemed to catch "glancing hits, not damaging too critical systems", that still directly hit the ship, instead of being somehow deflected.

There's a few of the ship-to-ship shots in the initial sequence of ANH that show the bolt hitting home and spreading over the surface slightly, for capital ships. Only some of them seem to cause damage. ESB and TFA have a couple of shots fired at the Falcon which behave in this way, too. This and the mention of ray-shielding in ANH imply that the shielding systems absorb the laser blast, but possibly not the associated particle damage from the plasma in which it is contained (a derivative of the tibanna gas mined by Cloud City). Light armour plating such as an X-Wing's won't stand up to that very well, and the damage to the ship might well knock out the shielding to allow the second shot to hit with all the force of both laser and plasma. Heavier armour plating like the Falcon's will fare slightly better, allowing it to withstand more shots before both shielding and plating fail.

Superheavy armour plating like that of a Star Destroyer is going to require sustained turbolaser bombardment (or a few asteroids) to punch through.

In ROTJ, capital ships are shown to have much heavier shielding than starfighters, too. The bridge of the Star Destroyer Executor was hit by an A-Wing fighter - before they lost their deflector shields, they weren't worried. But once they were vulnerable in this manner, the crashing fighter was enough to punch through the armoured viewports and destroy the bridge.

Starfighters have armour and ray shields. Midsize ships have thick armour and beefed-up shielding. Possibly hybridised to stop a certain amount of particles. There's no reason for the big ships not to have full planetary-scale deflector shields which will atomise incoming debris as well as absorb laser blasts. Remember, the asteroid field surrounding Hoth is the only thing that we've seen Star Destroyer captains reluctant to tackle (and a particularly stubborn, large, asteroid is the only thing we've seen destroy a Star Destroyer via physical impact if you discount the tag-team action of the A-Wing and the Death Star on the Executor).

So I'd expect any small ship to have ray shields, not particle shields, as well as some armour plate. If only to save them needing a generator the size of Echo Base's to power the thing.

[Reply #569 on:]

I have a fuzzy recollection in ANH of one or two Tie fighter blasts hitting an X-wing and being dissipated by the shields.  Does anyone else recall that?

And I have a very strong recollection in ESB of Luke's airspeeder taking one or two AT-AT cannon shots right to the windscreen and being dissipated.

[Reply #570 on:]

I have a fuzzy recollection in ANH of one or two Tie fighter blasts hitting an X-wing and being dissipated by the shields.  Does anyone else recall that?

Yes... there is effects in the death star attack that suggest shots being disipated arround..



But .. those exact same effects are used too when the TIEs attack the Falcon.. so using that logic we could asume TIE Fighters maybe were suposed to have same shielding as rebel fighters... at least in ILMs mind back in 1976.






I have talked about this in the past.. there is charts that say that for ILM in 1982 a Y-Wing was as fast and maneoverable as a X-Wing or even a TIE Fighter


TIE Fighters not having shields is canon since its clearly stated in Rebels.

[Reply #571 on:]

Maybe the characters in Rebels were just EU fans who didn't realize that if it didn't happen in the movies it doesn't matter.

[Reply #572 on:]

lol


changing topic and back to force awakens..

While i dont want Finn to be a force user and i actually like more the fact of him being just a defecting storm trooper...  Do you think they actually threw hints about him being force sensitive?.. for any reason? or might it be just another Abrams "Lost" game of throwing hints wich causes debate on internet and then ends being nothing?

I say this because i realice that there are 2 parts in the movie where is "sugested" he might be .. One is just after his friend dies in the village.. Finn then begins to ear voices or strange sounds and look arround in clear confusion.

The other and the more clear.. was when the Starkiller destroyed the Hosnian system.. when the beams are still about to hit their targets he ears screaming.. like many people screaming.. wich is what makes him look up and see the stupidhyperspaceriftthing beams... i didnt realiced until now that there is actually no people arround to scream seeing some beams far up.. he is in a spacers outpost where everyone is kinda a badass.. people there are not going to scream in terror seeing a beam go past by very very far away...

Could be deliverate to throw us off to who is the real force user now? I dont think so because by this point its clear thats Rey (the vision scene was right before this...and after escaping with the Falcon Finn asks her how she can fly that good to wich she answers she really doesnt know, she just does.. ..wich is a clear throw away of force user)

As said i really hope Finn isnt a force user.. but cant help but think about those 2 hints.. at least the Hosnian one

[Reply #573 on:]

Eh.  If people think that indicates Finn to be a 'Force user' as you suggest, then they clearly don't understand the Force.  Anyone can experience the Force without being able to control it.

Nah, I took those two instances to mean that someone or something (or just the Force) is controlling Finn's destiny by first making him break ranks, then later having him confirm that doing so was the right thing to do.

Which also makes sense, because if there is a grand plan to get Rey to Luke, then it did require the help of a stormtrooper.  Why Finn was picked before the others may seemingly be random.  So far - at least - there seems to be nothing special about Finn beyond hearing voices.

[Reply #574 on:]

I didn't pay much attention to the voices when I saw the movie, but it seems like I wrote the Starkiller instance off as being from bystanders who, evidently, weren't there.

I still like the idea that Finn is an unwitting plant, a kind of Manchurian candidate/time bomb sent by the First Order to infiltrate the Rebellion.  I suppose he could be simultaneously manipulated in two different ways by two different forces, the resolution of which would be interesting.

[Reply #575 on:]

One is just after his friend dies in the village.. Finn then begins to ear voices or strange sounds and look arround in clear confusion.

99.9% certain that this is just to get across that he is clearly uncomfortable with the situation and/or having a panic attack. A lot of people say they feel like time slows down during fight or flight moments, and your senses/reactions work differently.

[Reply #576 on:]

Yes.. i agree that the village one can pass as confussion or panic and that its probably just meant as that.. but i couldnt help to think as a bit weird when i realiced that the starkiller attack voices couldnt come from anyone arround him in Tokadana

Or it could just be a classic JJ massive f-up .. its JJ Abrams... we are also talking about a scene in wich the characters in a planet see beams about to hit other planets that are literally half galaxy away .. (wich Pablo Hidalgo had to badly "fix" on twitter) .. same guy who in Star Trek made Spock see Vulcan being destroyed from a planet wich was suposed to be hundreds of lightyears away.. (unless retconed to be in same system and pretty close) and that made the Enterprise do in 5m a travel that was stablished as taking 3 days (unless they retconed the speeds as well...im not a treekie and noticed that)

BTW.. While Dave Filloni is doing a good job in Rebels and did in Clone Wars he is doing an even better job in turning the rebelion into Star Trek redshirts... man rebel pilots in this era seem as utterly expendable and forgetable.. not much above stormtroopers in that area.. every time you see main characters acompanied/escorted by other anonymous fighters... bad news.. guess who wont make it home

[Reply #577 on:]

Speaking of Star Wars, some people has restored the old 35mm print of the original Star Wars.

[Reply #578 on:]

Which is an awesome thing, and I heartily congratulate them!  The DeSpecialized version also looks very close to the theatrical release (film grain and colour), but does clean up the very distracting matt boxes.  I strongly recommend watching it!

This is an overview of the years-long and very painstaking fan edit and restoration, and NOT a link to pirated material!  Original Trilogy

[Reply #579 on:]

Yes... there is effects in the death star attack that suggest shots being disipated arround..

Here is the sequence from Empire Strikes Back where Luke's airspeeder is attacking the AT-AT.

Show spoiler

Approach



AT-AT bolt about to impact



IMPACT!



Bolt dissipates

And speaking of video, every site I've seen discussing the issue indicates that Force Awakens will be released to DVD / blu-ray on April 5^th, about six months before I'd expected.  HOWEVER, they all seem to be basing this information solely on a blurb on an Amazon page, since removed.  Has anyone heard of a DVD release date other than 05APR, or originally from a non-Amazon source confirming the April date?

[Reply #580 on:]

I'm not quite sure why you're so surprised by that date when it's pretty typical of a home release schedule these days? I know you mentioned Star Wars movies had long waits for home release in the past, but that was literally decades ago, and when the franchise was in the hands of a totally different company. For several years I would say the case has been that anything approaching eight months after the theatrical run is considered an especially long and unusual release wait, even for the biggest blockbusters. If anything, the studios want to release home versions as soon as possible after a movie is no longer in theaters to capitalize on the hype and profits right away.

[Reply #581 on:]

They don't want to milk the PPV/digital rental market first?  But you're right; I was definitely going off of impressions from the previous era.  I had also been thinking that the Avatar disc didn't come out for something like 9 months, but looking now I see that it was only 4 months.

So... yay, I'll preorder one from Amazon.

[Reply #582 on:]

And speaking of video, every site I've seen discussing the issue indicates that Force Awakens will be released to DVD / blu-ray on April 5^th, about six months before I'd expected.

I had known the release date for over a month and it was allways suposed to go arround april/may

[Reply #583 on:]

I ordered it from Amazon last night, along with the first two Rush Hour films.   I want it now, dammit

[Reply #584 on:]

That reminds me that i really should buy a blue ray drive unit....  but i keep saying that i will put that into the next computer (wich has been due for over 3 years) and i keep procastinating that forever

Ooor.. maybe this time they will do things right and let to buy it digital along with the disc extras?

[Reply #585 on:]

I watched 1971's Shaft last night.

Ellie: I love you.
Shaft: Yeah, I know.

Yet another reason why Star Wars sucks.

[Reply #586 on:]

That's a dumb reason.

[Reply #587 on:]

Straws break camels' backs. Allegedly.

[Reply #588 on:]

I think Star Wars sucks because one of C-3PO's legs is silver.

[Reply #589 on:]

Look what poped up recently on rebels:

[Reply #590 on:]

I've only watched one ep of Rebels, and the dialog and interaction in that one didn't really draw me in.  Is there a particular season that stands out above the rest?  If so, I'll keep an eye out for it when channel surfing.

Also...

* Tachy is filled with anticipatory excitement *

Hello,

We now have delivery date(s) for the order you placed on February 22, 2016: 
    
  "Star Wars: The Force Awakens [Blu-ray]"
    Estimated arrival date: April 11, 2016 - April 15, 2016

Oboyoboyoboy!

I've never been so excited for the arrival of Tax Return Filing Deadline Day

[Reply #591 on:]

Look at all those happy tax faces.

[Reply #592 on:]

Is there a particular season that stands out above the rest?  If so, I'll keep an eye out for it when channel surfing.

only 2 seasons.. 2 is ongoing... it has its good parts.. but you might find it overly lame many times.. but its the civil war time.. if they might make some character actually interesting and not ...kill him/her ...

[Reply #593 on:]

Apropos of nothing…

 Why are Stormtroopers so named?

 Did the empire have other types of foot-soldiers for all those situations where storming wasn't required?

[Reply #594 on:]

Why are Stormtroopers so named?

Short answer:  Because Hitler.

[Reply #595 on:]

Inappropriate and rude answer: Because, Hitler.

They did get talked about like they were an elite branch of the Imperial forces, but they were always depicted as more or less regular infantry.  This is probably because of budget constraints in the original film, but it always seemed odd that the only bare faced Imperials ever seen with blasters were a few crewmen on the Death Star and that one "You Rebel scum!"-guy on Endor.

[Reply #596 on:]

What a trolling season 2 ending

when Filony was insisting SO much in giving mid-spoilers about the season finale i knew he was up to something JJ style

[Reply #597 on:]

"Hello Curt,

Your order of 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' has shipped.

Arriving: Wednesday, April 6"



How many of you watched it after it became available digitally last week? 

[Reply #598 on:]

It wasn't a shitfest. But I don't care enough about it to watch it again until just before the next one comes out.

[Reply #599 on:]

I find your lack of entertainment disturbing...

But that's because my love of Star Wars approaches religious fervour.  Hell, I can even watch the prequels, now that there are edits where the wretched-amphibian-who-shall-not-be-named doesn't speak<sup>*

*</sup>Well, where he doesn't speak English with a cringeworthy faux-Jamaican accent, anyway.