What Could Have Been: George Lucas' SEQUEL Trilogy

https://youtu.be/nUDNtspH1bI?si=Sc7XO7PotKHxBGue

Why is "The Empire Strikes Back" considered the best Star Wars film? (Star Wars Discussion)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbUdTONl8MY

@john2001plus

0 seconds ago
I had just barely graduated High School when I drove to Indianapolis to see TESB at a big theater with a large curved screen.  I sat in the front row.  At one point my head had to turn quite a ways to follow a ship flying across the big curved screen.  It felt almost 3D.

I grew up in the 1970s.  The country was in a state of malaise for the entire decade.  We had suffered through the Vietnam War, Watergate, the oil crisis, stagnation, and inflation.  China and Russia were evil empires trying to take over their neighbors.  

Star Wars was a beacon of hope.  It said that good could stand against evil.  The Empire Strikes Back became my favorite movie and it still is.

I'm slowly turning into an old man but I am still a die-hard Star Wars fan.

Matt Walsh Ranks The Top 5 Most OVERRATED Films

@john2001plus

2 minutes ago

Matt, You could not be more wrong on Star Wars. Adults loved these films too. I was 17 when the first movie came out, and 20 when The Empire Strikes Black came out, which is still my all-time favorite film. On a scale of 1 to 10, the Louisville movie critic gave Empire an 11. Siskel and Eibert gushed over the first two films.

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@john2001plus

9 minutes ago

I remember being blown away by Avengers Infinity War. I am not a huge Marvel fan, but this one impressed me.

THE EMPEROR (Ian McDiarmid) meets George Lucas! #starwars #shorts

https://youtube.com/shorts/0EP1kJj46qU?si=5Pxpb-nfGLBxeX5X

As Astra: A Massive Missed Opportunity

https://youtu.be/DUwlliWrcYY?si=LZ27VgAb5NzIYttR

A is for Alien Read-Aloud

I saw this book advertised on Facebook and thought it was a joke.  Let's take the scariest movie monster of all time and put it in a children's book.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vidgv0Ea0UA

STAR WARS JUST CANCELLED ANOTHER MOVIE! (maybe)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCn_MhDQeCk

I liked the Acolyte better than most people, because most of the fans hated the show, but the finish failed to deliver and turned the series into a daytime soap opera.  However, most YouTubers judged the show negatively before it even aired.  The ratings were abysmal, and almost nobody watched this show.

Disney and Lucasfilm failed partly because their Star Wars shows pushed a woke agenda, which I can live with, but the shows mainly failed because the writing was weak.  

However, Rogue One is a great movie, and Andor season one is a fantastic television spin-off of Rogue One and the best Star Wars Disney has made.  

The Mandorian season 1 was pretty good and the second season was excellent.  However, the third season was barely passable.

'The Acolyte' Canceled: Disney's Star Wars Spinoff Done After One Season

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/the-acolyte-canceled-star-wars-1235978593/

No surprise. Disney made a mediocre show that at best split the fans. I liked the first six episodes but the payoff wasn't great.

Best wishes,

John Coffey

The Reagan Era | Dennis Quaid

Shave and a Haircut

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jUVWn3csvSw

I knew the name because it was mentioned in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" which I saw 35 years ago.

This other video is interesting...

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1RUAe32TBPM

George Lucas On The Problems With Big Studios!

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7rRFd_uLCnw

Manny Jacinto on why some don't like "The Acolyte"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqIEIirZ9so

@john2001plus
5 minutes ago 

Hey Thor,

I don't interpret the message of The Acolyte in the same way you do.  I don't think that it is saying that the bad guys are the good guys and are justified in murder, any more than Tony Soprano is portrayed as the good guy and is justified committing murder.  You can have a show where a good character turns bad, a show where most of the characters make bad choices, and a show where the bad guys are the main characters.

I know that Leslye Headland made a bunch of statements way out in left field showing her own biases.  However, in the show, these biases aren't so clear.  Yes, the characters do bad things and make bad choices, but it is not clear that the show is defending those choices or saying that the Jedi are bad.

The pre-release comments by Leslye Headland convinced many YouTubers that this was what the show was going to be about, and there was a backlash before the show even started.

In my opinion, the first six episodes are not excellent, but just good enough to be entertaining.  Unfortunately, the show failed to deliver and the payoff was disappointing.

I doubt that Disney would waste another 180 million dollars on a lackluster show, but I would like to see a second season that adds some clarity to the story.  I want to see the bad guys get justice and maybe for Osha and the Jedi to get redemption.  There is still enough mystery in the series for us to get a follow-up.

Best wishes,

John Coffey

P.S.  I think that the series accomplished what it was supposed to; it got people like me to subscribe to Disney+.

Orson Welles tells a brilliant Churchill story

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/r41PPe_Hcrk

The Bad Batch || We're a Family

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbU3lFEonu0

The Beauty of BAD BATCH FINAL SEASON

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDz1bArDzIg

ABOUT STAR WARS George Lucas

https://youtube.com/shorts/5azoEzwTi60?si=BF-3Y5SLiTsmyq7i

The Star Wars: Concept Trailer

I'm impressed.  Before the original Star Wars movie was created, George Lucas commissioned artist Ralph McQuarrie to create some beautiful concept paintings of what the movie might look like.  These paintings helped inspire the visual effects and the look of the film.

Now someone has taken those paintings and animated them with CGI.  It is short but looks terrific.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7JKT9e-c7E

George MacKay Reveals His Most Dramatic Scene in 1917 Was a Mistake

1917 is one of my favorite movies.

The Bad Batch Is Beautiful - YouTube

The Creator

 

After an atomic bombing of Los Angeles by AI, the United States is in a war with Japan to destroy all the intelligent robots.  Whereas the Japanese live harmoniously with the robots, the United States is hellbent on their destruction.

Some of the robots aren't that different from human beings. They feel and possibly suffer, and mourn each other when they die.  

Sergeant Joshua Taylor is sent on a mission to capture a new AI weapon, and this weapon turns out to be in the form of a little girl.  Taylor begins to bond with it and he is also on a side quest to find his wife behind enemy lines and uses the "girl" to help find her.  This creates a conflict with his commanding officer who is a little too gung-ho about killing robots.  She is trying to hunt down both Taylor and the girl.

This movie has shades of Blade Runner and the film A.I. Artificial Intelligence.  Both movies make you question what it means to be human and if a machine can have human qualities.  The ending is reminiscent of Elysium.

The film shows the suffering, destruction, and utter pointlessness of war, which is emotionally powerful for the audience.

The Creator received positive but mixed reviews.  Some criticized the overall tone and the complexity of the story.  However, the movie was made on a shoestring 80 million dollar budget, and it deserves credit for looking gorgeous, like a much bigger budget production.  It is visually impressive and unique.

This is an epic story that I think will age very well.  It could be remembered alongside Blade Runner.  However, the movie's ideas are better than their execution, and the complicated story feels a bit messy.

Rating A-.

The Creator is available for streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

This is what Tarantino HATED about 1917 Movie

Jodi Benson - Part of Your World

Band of Brothers Actor on Filming Iconic WWII Miniseries | James Madio

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zq2WMxOhz0

1917 Extended Featurette - The Making of 1917 (2020)

Band of Brother's Cast Visit Paris With The Real Band of Brothers Soldiers

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VkTPCrDrBCQ

How to Create your own Worst Enemies: A Disney Story

Good video:

George Lucas reveals TRUTH about "THERE IS ANOTHER"

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/i2V3uIiTk7Y

Is the problem that some Star Wars fans don’t understand or care about the "story" of Star Wars?

@john2001plus
7 minutes ago

Hey Thor,

First, I love your analysis; your channels are my favorite on YouTube.

But I wonder if you have taken the wrong approach toward this show.  You seemed so concerned about preserving canon and the message, you appeared to be worried about this show before it started and formed a negative bias.   You make assumptions about the show's message and what it will say about the Jedi.

I previously said that it was too early to come to this conclusion.  I don't yet have reason to think that the show will say that the Sith aren't so bad and have some good points, or call into question if evil isn't really evil, or that the Jedi are responsible for evil.

But I can see why you think these things.  If your assumptions prove correct, and the show breaks cannon and/or blames the Jedi for evil, I will be forced to admit that the show is poorly written in the context of the Star Wars universe.   However, I don't yet know that this is where the show is going.  You very well may be correct, but my impression is that it will go in a different direction.

The cast and director made comments about the series that many YouTubers possibly took out of context.  They developed a negative bias before the show started.  I could be wrong and they were right to be biased against this show, but I am willing to let it play out and see where it goes.

I make these comments because I have really enjoyed the series.  If the show doesn't work for you, I respect that.  We disagreed on the quality of the first four episodes.  I felt that there was plenty there to hold my interest.  

A show lives or dies on the quality of the characters.  You stated that you had little reason to be interested in them.  I became invested in the characters which is a big part of why I have enjoyed the show, despite any flaws it might have.   My first impression left me a bit uncertain, but when I rewatched the episodes I got sucked into the story and the mysteries it presents.

You made comments about the vagueness of the series, but I expected the show to drag out its mysteries.

I hold TV series to an entirely different standard than I do movies.  I realize The Acolyte has a high budget, but it is still not as high as the movies.  It could be better, but not everything is going to be another Andor, and a halfway-decent TV show in the Star Wars universe is enough to be entertaining.

Best wishes,

John Coffey

"The Acolyte" Episode Five: A spectacle without substance

@john2001plus
In the end, the show will either make sense or it won't. If some of Thor's predictions are true and the show breaks cannon, then I will be forced to admit that the show is poorly written in the context of the Star Wars universe.

However, I think the reason why I have enjoyed the series is that I haven't tried to 2nd guess and overanalyze where it is going, what its motivations are, and how it is all going to make sense.  I'm willing to wait and let it play out, especially since the show presents itself as a mystery. 

I already agree that it could be better, but I wasn't expecting another Andor or a Game of Thrones.  I didn't have high expectations.  For me, the show is good enough as entertainment. 

I am invested in these characters, especially, Mae, Osha, and Sol, which is a big part of why I have enjoyed the show. 

If the show doesn't work for Thor (and all the other YouTubers) then I respect that. People have different tastes.

The Acolyte" would be better (or worse) if it wasn't Star Wars? And many more questions...

@john2001plus

5:45 The difference between Thor and me is that I have enjoyed the series so far.  The mystery has kept my interest.  

I am dumbfounded about why so many YouTubers hate the show.