BlahCade Podcast #14 - #Continbute

[Kratos3]

The problem with CGI is that our eyes become accustomed to the latest and greatest and then can spot all the flaws in older attempts. Practical effects? They were always 'real' to begin with, so even when fake looking, they age much better. Check this video out...

There is a companion vid of 10 worst CGI instances, but it's not nearly as fun to watch!

This was one of the issues with the Star Wars prequels.

 

[shutyertrap]

This was one of the issues with the Star Wars prequels.

One? Hehe.

I actually don't mind Phantom Menace. I dig the pod race, and love the final saber battle. There's plenty of eye rolling moments, but I can find those in the original trilogy too. There is absolutely nothing I like in Attack of the Clones. Just a CG mess and a completely awkward love story. Revenge of the Sith, it has moments.

The biggest issues I have are twofold. The political intrigue is rubbish, and not what I like the original trilogy for. I liked clearly defined good vs. evil, with small underpinnings of redemption. I never cared why Vader turned to the dark side. The Emperor was a greedy world domination villain. Storm Troopers shot and killed innocent things. Good enough for me! Political double crosses and policy shifts for farther reaches of power? Turning evil because your mother was killed and nobody understands how awesome you are? Lame. On top of all that, telling the prequel in a manner that pretends we don't already know what happens later? Well now I'm just bored.

I've never been a fan of prequels, because they take all the danger out of the equation. We know who survives, so when those characters are in peril, we aren't concerned. That being said, I enjoyed the Hobbit more or less because they never played up whether Bilbo would survive, merely how was he going to get out of a situation. The enjoyment was in seeing how clever he was. I also really enjoyed Promethius, deeply flawed as it is, because it was all new characters. The thing I didn't like? Seeing the Alien at the end (go figure).

 

[Kratos3]

One? Hehe.

I actually don't mind Phantom Menace. I dig the pod race, and love the final saber battle. There's plenty of eye rolling moments, but I can find those in the original trilogy too. There is absolutely nothing I like in Attack of the Clones. Just a CG mess and a completely awkward love story. Revenge of the Sith, it has moments.

The biggest issues I have are twofold. The political intrigue is rubbish, and not what I like the original trilogy for. I liked clearly defined good vs. evil, with small underpinnings of redemption. I never cared why Vader turned to the dark side. The Emperor was a greedy world domination villain. Storm Troopers shot and killed innocent things. Good enough for me! Political double crosses and policy shifts for farther reaches of power? Turning evil because your mother was killed and nobody understands how awesome you are? Lame. On top of all that, telling the prequel in a manner that pretends we don't already know what happens later? Well now I'm just bored.

I've never been a fan of prequels, because they take all the danger out of the equation. We know who survives, so when those characters are in peril, we aren't concerned. That being said, I enjoyed the Hobbit more or less because they never played up whether Bilbo would survive, merely how was he going to get out of a situation. The enjoyment was in seeing how clever he was. I also really enjoyed Promethius, deeply flawed as it is, because it was all new characters. The thing I didn't like? Seeing the Alien at the end (go figure).

Like I said, one of the problems.

 

[WhiteChocolate]

i'm afraid i've reached the point in life where i've already watched the orig tril so many times, "i don't know if i ever need to watch them again"... the prequels less so. but what i -did- absolutely love about the prequels - other than the overall graphic designs for a "pre-sw" universe, the spaceships, larger (hell, big-ass!) cities and worlds - was the SOUND FX, omg... the new sound tracks (minus j.will's mostly overly-redundant music scores ;0) was PHENOMENAL and really made me feel i was back in the same universe as the old ones. supreme-o... if i "watch" the prequels, it's usually more like "listening" to them, in the background while i type/code away at something!

the bad fanboy feelings, at least for me, comes down to the fact that uncle george had -three movies- to create something intriguing with (and even with the "we know how this ends" bit, he -could- have created something really interesting to watch, and i don't mean just show off his computer fx!) it could have been possible to make a more interesting story, or at least more interesting characters (which would usually have naturally created a more interesting story).

he assumed -everyone- walking into the theater already knew that anakin skywalker would become darth vader, when (i don't recall) anakin ever being mentioned by name in the original tril... and even if you -did- know, you kinda really wanted to see a set of movies where, you see this kid really have potential to come out good (maybe potential for a surprise ending?) - but then, in the end, feel disappointed that he fell so far. instead, we just kinda got to see a "pbs" kid suddenly turn into a self-centered, surly teenager... then realize we have to sit through -two- movies worth of that! kind of a continuous downslope, insteada starting good, and going up and up (with some downs along the way) - then "the fall".

the prequels seriously deserved to be "epic" like the orig tril... instead i think unca george was instead more concerned thinking "how cool the lego videogame versions" would be... ;0

p.s. i rather enjoyed "prometheus" too, if only because at that time there still hadn't been too many big "space" movies in 3d, plus the revisiting a parallel "alien" universe (i didn't mind the coming back full-circle to the exomorph at the end myself; was just a fun little dessert to finish with, i thought!) since it was originally supposed to be, i guess, a direct sequel, but then got a bit of rehash to it... still wasn't a ridley best, and lately his track record's getting spottier... :\ i put it in a bit with "tron legacy", being perhaps a bit more of an "easy cash-in" prop to update and do in 3D. i have mixed feelings about whatever the "blade runner sequel" he and harrison had chatted about the past year or two... still if it's decently done, i'd do like "legacy" and "prom" - go see it, just to revisit that world, in 3d! (as long as the reviews don't suck -too- much!)

 

[Kratos3]

Oh yes, being more of a sound guy myself, the prequels definitely killed it in the sound department. Technologically, they are incredible. My biggest issue with them(besides Jar Jar, some of the story, and some of the acting) is the heavy reliance on CGI.

 

[Chris Dunman]

Can anyone think of a special effects house that's sucessfully gone from practical effects to more digital than Industrial Light and Magic?

 

[shutyertrap]

Can anyone think of a special effects house that's sucessfully gone from practical effects to more digital than Industrial Light and Magic?

I can't think of an effects house that has been in business as long as them. I did find it interesting that ILM dumped their model department around the same time WETA Digital started making a ton of models for LotR. And if I heard correctly, ILM actually is having to go back to modeling a bit fir JJ Abrams' new Star Wars, because he wants that original trilogy feel.

 

[SilverBalls]

Great listen. Many thanks fellas.

 

[Chris Dunman]

I can't think of an effects house that has been in business as long as them. I did find it interesting that ILM dumped their model department around the same time WETA Digital started making a ton of models for LotR. And if I heard correctly, ILM actually is having to go back to modeling a bit fir JJ Abrams' new Star Wars, because he wants that original trilogy feel.

I was wracking my brain and couldn't come up with one either SYT. Funny how Mr Abrams wants practical effects for SW7 and settled for an entirely CG Vengeance for STID. I say settled, anything by ILM is going to be epic any which way they do it to be honest... I'm all for new ideas mixing with the old.