Emily my dear, tisk tisk. False modesty, becomes you it does not. EVERY call you make is the best call ever. Do you have any idea what kind of withdrawl symptons we go through when a podcast is devoid of an Emily fix?
No offense taken. I think I did file that bit away, unconciously.
That’s how creativity actually works. That whole bit about the best artist stealing? Is true.
You are very kind Thot, thank you. I do hope that I didn’t come across as a hater, because that is not my intention nor my purpose. I am a person who has read some of the expanded universe. I read the Thrawn trilogy and even recall reading the book of short stories from which Chuck cited the Sandpeople sugarwater story.
I feel that I am the person these movies were written for. I grew up with these stories and in no small part loved them. I can laugh at the silly bits in the original Trilogy with everyone else, I don’t hold them up as gospel.
I think about the prequels and I get a pit in my stomach…not because I am a hater, but because I am deeply and completely disappointed. These films could have defined another generation, taught the world something new and left us a little better for it. One of my favorite quotes of George Lucas when he was asked why he created the original trilogy he said,
“I wanted to give heroes to a generation without one.”
That has always stayed with me because, you know what? He succeeded. That is why I had high expectations for the prequels and why they failed in my book. These films were not a well executed story, they were a visual and graphic experiment peppered with occasional dialogue even gifted actors couldn’t deliver on.
I will remain frustrated by people who defend them by saying, “Let yourself go”, “Enjoy the ride”, “Lower you expectations…it is all good…”
You know what? Bullcrap. Wrong. This is the equivalent of saying, “Oh, look at this piece Michaelangelo just finished. I know you love the Sistene Chapel which is considered to be the high point of art…but these finger puppets really are good if you just accept them for what they are.”
…and yet, I do not consider myself a hater…I am not bashing on these films, I am bashing on the missed potential and my personal standards which were set by this very filmmaker in the films these are supposed to build up to.
Because of these podcasts I will go and seek more background, more supplimental literature to help flesh out the story…and yet…if one point comes through in this, I hope it is this:
No matter how much background knowledge I acquire, no matter how much I understand the nuances that the expanded universe brings I will never believe that these films are successes…these other gifted authors capitilized on the giant gaps and inconsistencies in the narrative and built a rich tapestry to fill those holes…to think that this was intentional or the plan is to be blinded by the elephant in the ballroom…Lucas not only failed to give us a consistant well constructed complete story, he failed to give meet the expectations he set.
That is all I will say on this, and I apologize to you all for giving me the opportunity to speak my mind. This is a very old wound that will never heal, but this discussion has brought back into focus. I don’t like long posts and have half a mind to wipe this one. For the time being I will let it stand…it may be removed later if I think it is not appropriate. The only reason I continue to comment is that I do care…if I didn’t, well…
Thank you.
- Solai
I’m listening to the podcast, and one thing actually bothered me: The Sand People only ever kill and raid the settlements.
To be fair, the reason we haven’t seen them do anything else is because they’re indigenous, and don’t want the extrasolar settlers taking their land. It’s a very American Indian V. White Settlers dynamic.
And on the topic of separating from the Republic: the Republic is a big huge bureaucracy that controls everything. If systems separate from the Republic, the Republic can’t use their resources. One of the things that the films don’t touch on, but are touched on more in the comix and the books is that a lot of battles in the clone wars are fought solely because there’s one resource that both sides want. The settlers or natives on this planet? **** them. A good illustration of this is in the end of Clone Wars/Republic and the beginning of Dark Times (comix both) where Dass Jennir is fighting with the GAR against Seps and Nosaurians on the Nosaurians’ home planet. After Order 66 he has to hide with the Nosaurians, and ends up leading them against the Empire. The reason the Nosaurians sided with the Seps is because the CIS told them (falsely, perhaps) that they’d have greater economic freedom than under the republic, where Nosaurians were heavily restricted.
/dissertation on Clone War local politics
//probably more to come
///run, luke, run!
No problem Solai everyone is entitled to their own opinion. When I first saw each PT in the theater I wasn’t disappointed. There was never an earth shattering moment where the new movies made me hate Star Wars There were certainly exceptions that I don’t like about the PT. Maybe it’s because I’m such a SW nerd and I knew what was going on in each movie. Every episode of Star Wars delivers in one way or another. The saga overall, for me, is the complete story that I was promised by GL. The PT didn’t turn out the way I expected it to be, but at the end of the day I love it.
I think my anger and nit picking of the PT has come over time. This is especially true since I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the quality of BSG. The high caliber of that show has really colored my view of Sci-Fi in general over the last few years. I don’t know why, but now it’s like I expect all science fiction to be as good as BSG.
As for your argument about a generation of heroes… You know what? GL has given a new generation of heroes in the PT. Just because they are not your heroes doesn’t mean the PT characters can’t be heroes. Go on any Star Wars forum and you will see a whole generation of kids who grew up on the PT who actually prefer the PT to the OT. They may not be my heroes either, but to someone they are.
No matter how much background knowledge I acquire, no matter how much I understand the nuances that the expanded universe brings I will never believe that these films are successes…these other gifted authors capitilized on the giant gaps and inconsistencies in the narrative and built a rich tapestry to fill those holes…to think that this was intentional or the plan is to be blinded by the elephant in the ballroom…Lucas not only failed to give us a consistant well constructed complete story, he failed to give meet the expectations he set.
Fair enough, but you should at least know what you are talking about. GL does in fact mandate that everything in the EU be consistent with his vision. He has prevented some things in the EU because he wanted to use them in the PT. GL himself has drawn inspiration from the EU and vice versa. The planet Couscant was the name given to Imperial Center by Timothy Zauhn, Dash Rendar’s ship the Outrider from Shadows of the Empire (An idea by GL BTW) is seen in the SE of ANH, the Jedi Aayla Secura seen in episode 2 was originally created in the comics and GL liked her so much that he put her in the movie. As for GL’s influence on the the EU… The Tales of the Jedi series is based on some of GL’s original notes about the Jedi. I could give more examples, but you get the point. GL doesn’t read every last thing created. He does at least give a final approval b4 shipping the product out the door and sending something back if he’s not happy.
Insight like that raises my spirits in thinking that the George Lucas that gave us the original trilogy still has his hand on the tiller. Thank you. This adds to my admiration, but doesn’t forgive some of the blatant missteps of the prequels. This is why I hold to my feeling that he shouldn’t be completely ejected (see Star Wars without Lucas thread). If I felt Lucas was beyond salvation I would think that the Zahn books would have never been published. I know he can recognize good work, I simply no longer believe he can be at the helm.
I agree with that. Just look at my comment about the TV shows in the thread you mentioned. 
Isn’t there a yoda lookin chick on the council in TPM?
Oh, good call DP. I completely forgot about Yaddle. LOL As it turns out GL wants to forget about Yaddle as well. That’s why she disappears in the second film. Something about wanting Yoda to be more mysterious. Cool little fact for everyone, Yoda’s species has never been named and if Lucas has his way it will remain that way.
Yoda is actually human with a skin disease
There are no movies about the timies when the Jedi Council had a few women on it, because during those times, better decisions were made, and things ran smoothly, and there wasn’t much conflict.
I bet, at one point, there were a few women on the council, and a promising young Jedi needed to take some time off to return home and help his family. And instead of nudging him toward the dark side by denying him personal time, they talked to council into letting him go. And he came back, happy and loyal.
Now, now. We all know that trivial things like dialogue, believable acting and a understandable plot are not what is really important. I mean please, why worry about the details when you can wrap everything up in a pretty little package. If a picture paints a thousand words, why write a few sentences when a $5,000,000 digital effect can say so much more. Come to think of it the Sistine Chapel is a little 16th century for me. Maybe we can get the boys (and girls) at ILM to give it a face lift? Maybe replace Adam and God with C-3PO and R2-D2?
I think that the prophecy is being forgotten. Everything that everyone did wrong led Ani to do what was his destiny. Darth Vader did have good in him even after everyone gave up on him except Luke. Now if everyone was kind to that little boy, his mother and wife lived, he stayed a Jedi would he have been able or willing to save everyone at the end?
There were many woman Jedi. They were doing all the important work as the men just sat around and talked. 
Good point. I haven’t watched Ep. #3 lately, but if I recall correctly, a disproportionate of the field operatives mowed down in Directive #66 seemed to be women.
Yoda: “Sitting in the office and talking are we. Far from danger it is.”
Sean nailed it: Dudes, get out of the Jedi temple, go check out stuff. Put some boots on the ground. See the streeets. Upper management killed the Jedi Order.
Ah, a Felix Culpa interpretation of Anakin’s fall! 
Chuck, Audra … How did you guys miss the female Jedi who WAS on the council in either episode 1 or 2 !!!
Rewatch, and when you see the council, look for the dark-skinned chick with the funny looking head-dress.
It’s like a kind of head-dress with these finger/tentacle-like things hanging down behind her ears. Her name is Adi Galia.
You guys should have caught that.
Looking forward to more 'casts !
Yeah, someone had to do the cooking, cleaning and laundry. Come to think of it, I don’t think Light Sabers grow on trees. No matter how many Ani breaks.
Wow, I did not know I was so profound. 
Do not underestimate those around you.
my friend and i were arguing that when vader threw the emperor over the rails it wasn’t necessarily anakin’s redemption…to become a sith master, the apprentice must kill his master which anakin finally did…maybe he was duping luke into becoming HIS new apprentice…as a mom, it has never sat well with me that they take babies away from their families and force them to be jedi…i know he was going for a samarai/eastern thing, but this is the west and i think it strange that a collectivist organization is in charge of protecting the individual freedoms of the rest of the galaxy…