It's fun.
Sometimes when you know you only have a short amount of time to get some sleep you sort of pressure yourself into sleeping. I got to get 4 hours in this six hour window.
I am imagining tables that don't exist. Cause you know I'm in bed.
Yawning, but not sleeping.
I want to sleep/ I can't sleep.
Tomorrow is going to suck balls.
Pardon the language it's 6:03 where I am in the AM.
Matt
Truth of the matter is I've actually got lots to talk about and no time to write.
It was Kristen and my 6 month yesterday and we both spent it at work... and today I'll be working 8:30 to midnight... some one's father died so I picked up their morning opening shift in the back hopefully I'll be out before 3 catch some shut eye to be back in at 5 to close the bar.
Oddly enough my horoscope said today "That there is more to life than work. Take some time to find some more profitable ventures." I read this only after I pick up the 8 Am shift.
Anyway, Kristen Ryan and I are driving to Springfield on Wednesday to visit with friends and family and a giant float trip on Saturday. Prolly be an update on Thursday, as we'll be spending time at my sis' with a little bit to do. It's okay I like vacations where we do nothign but rest. Nothing like a vacation that's too busy full of crap only to make you tired and feel like you never went on one in the first place.
Well that's enough for tonight as I'm up in 6 1/2 hours. Have a good memorial day. Hope yours is full of bbq and beer cause mine won't be.
Matt
I've been reliving EP III alot the past week. I have the video game which uses clips from the movie. The novelization is outstanding. Well written. I loved Matt Stovers Shattpoint... it's a Heart of Darkness take in the Star Wars Universe with (chiki chiki) Mace Windu.
So I've really been able to let the amazement that is EP III stew about in my brain and my conclusion. Amazing. It's everything I wanted to see. Every little thought I needed an answer for (though I hate the tacked bit on about Qui-Gon, but more on that in a minute.)
I mean right from the start we're reminded that Anikin's this exceptional pilot. We're reminded of his 9 year self winning Pod Races. It's important to remember how innocent he was cause in a about 40 minutes he won't be anymore.
So they rescue the Chancellor who's not so subtle in his trying to manipulate Anakin. (Not so Subtle to us anyway.)
The visuals are amazing and the final battle between Obi-Wan and Anakin is what I dreamed about since I first heard about the lava battle when I was 10.
I was reading recently in Entertainment Weekly that said that Lucas had all of the prequel stuff written years ago but that 60% of it occurred in ROTS. Leaving the other 40% to the first two films. The first movie mostly, was a sketch of what was to come and why it really feels like the first part of a much longer movie. Cause it is. In the end these movies aren't supposed to stand on their own their pieces to one giant 13 hour movie. EP I introduces us the characters. Ani, Padme, Obi-Wan, yoda, Mace, Palpatine. It's the first act of the giant movie. Anakin begins training. Act I. The set-up.
And the final, Revenge, stands up to the original trilogy. I've always thought that part of what missing in the prequels was the lack of real danger. There was too much optimism. When IV begins the Empire is squelching everything it's gritty. Things aren't as pretty as they look 20 years ago. The rebels are on the run constantly. And III brings about that lack of hope... despite the new one the son Skywalker brings about in VI.
My brother has posted about Lucas on his blog... click HERE.
Matt
4:38 Arrival.
I had a bad morning. I was supposed to drive to San Marcos to pick up Kristens Birthday/graduation/ 6-month anniversary gift. First I got off to a late start and then worse than that... it wasn't availble for pick up. *anger* So we're in line with about 30 people ahead of us, who prolly have friends (on the other hand it's Star Wars so maybe not) so it could be as many as 90. An hour later than I wanted to be here.
4:40 Can't connect my wireless card. SO I can't upload all this information. Which would be much cooler for you. And me.
5:00 it's hot
5:43 It's still hot. They just played the entire soundtrack for EP III. It's killing me now. I've beeen so hot and angry over the days events that I hadn't really considered the magnitude of why I'm sitting here. Than that awesome Imperial march they use in EP III starts playing and I get some chlls. Man when we see that Lucasfilm fade out and the Long Time Ago appear,.... I may just tear up. I know my goose bumps will be exploding.
6:12 Most of the people in front of us seem pretty normal... with the exception of the guy dressed like a Jedi. In leather... on this hot day.... but we had a pack of geeks form around us. Sometimes you just want to shoot them for discussing the number of cabins on the Millinuem Falcon
6:28 Jeff and Donnie arrive. We stand. They think it's hot, too. Ryan has bought us some crossword puzzle books to pass the time but 85 degrees in the sun is too much for me to think. Jeff attempts to secure a wireless network but all them are secured. We've been out secured.
7:00 They split the lines. They do our show first since we're the 11:20 show. We all take 5 steps to the right and I start to notice three groups in front of us. We're technically third in line. All my frustration of the day dis-bleeping-appeared. We're third. They move our line to the front of the building. It's shaded. It's cooler.
7:28 Stomach growling. I need food. We don't expect to be let until 9:15 or soo and that's two far away. Take a walk down the parking lot toward a Thundercloud subs get a 6 inch and a coke. I'm fully refreshed.
8:15 We put the few chairs we have away and stand leaning against pillars. The manager of the night decides he'll send a few servers out for some drinks. We grab a bucket. MMMM beer.
8:30 By know Stetson arrives. Let the frivolity commence.
9:00 With luck in 15 minutes we're in. My ass is a little sore from the concrete so that'll be happy. We discuss some Star Wars geek stuff. I'm slightly amped, but all day I've been trying not to think about the heaviness of it all. EP III 25 years in the making. I remember hearing WAAAYYY long ago that Kenobi and Vader had a scuffle that caused him to be all gross and burned. Would we ever see it? And tonight we will. I get chills.
9:30 We have to wait till ten before getting in because a media screening was in our theatre before us. This is good and bad. Bad cause we have to wait while others file in happy to their theater. Good because we have the best sound and biggest screen to see it on.
10:15 We're in. I'm a little worried about Cecil cause I suck at giving directions and wonder if he's lost with a broken cell phone. I hope to hear from him soon. But we have great seats. Third row at the NEW Alamo... stadium seating. I love this place. A pint of Sierra Nevada's on the way.
10:30 both Cecil and Kristen are on the way. Cecil got caught up in a wife thing and Jon and Kristen were working. But they're coming now. I have a beer while we watch some Season 1 Clone Wars interspersed with Random fan films and interviews with the stars. Including and uncormfortable one with Letterman and Harry Ford back in his first season.
11:00 They've started playing Season II of the Clone Wars. That will take us right into the start of Ep III. Getting excited now.
11:15 Pumped. Another beer. Can;t wait.
11:46 the Ads have started... I feel we're seconds away.......
( A gigantic explosion of the senses occurs. And everything I love about Star Wars flashes across the screen.)
3:36 We're on the way home... I can't believe it. It was everytning I wanted and more. Some things I wasn't expecting (like just how dirty Anakin becomes) and how a Super Jedi gets taken out by Sith. There's so much for me to process. You're going to have to wait for the final review. Know this.... if you have any love for Star Wars you willnot be disappointed. At all. At all.
Oh and allow me to now say disregard my question from the other night concerning how one brings balance to the force... cause as I thought, our questions are answered.
Matt
I've said it before and I'll say it again... I like the prequels. This includes Episode I. Some people don't like Ep I because it's "made for kids". But I've decided that doesn't bother me. The movie's about Anakin's (and technically our) introduction into the world of Star Wars. Aiming it in a kids point of view fits. How better to tell the story of a little boy than through the awe that exists in one.
Another arguement I've heard is it doesn't "feel" like Star Wars. But that,too hasn't bother me because the two trilogies take place in seperate times. It's nice to be able to move from one decade to another and have the movie feel different. The oppression of the Empire looms over 4-6. While Eps I and II feel much more care free and grander as the Republic is. Surely EP III will bridge these two I'm sure.
But even if it doesn't it will end the first part and start the second part.
The two biggest gripes I have about those first two are the long-ass Pod Racer Scene. It was time you could have spent telling stuff we care about. Jedi, for instance. Show us a little more about the order. Give us some more back story on Darh Maul. SO many other things they could have played with EP I.
And in II it's the useless Droid factory scene. More waste of time. How about taking the time to actually develop that OH SO important relationship between Padme and Ani a little more. There's a great cut scene where Padme takes Ani to visit her parents. It's a nice little scene they could have kept to give us look into Padme's life and to bring them a little closer. Those stilted scenes between Padme and Ani are according to Lucas, on purpose. As part of the genre of the film. True or not, it just doesn't work.
But all this talk has lead to a question of how, exactly, does Anakin bring about Balance to the force. Is it by killing the Emporor in ROTJ as Lucas says. Or is it as some, like Donnie and Jeff, who supposite that Anakin's fall to the Dark Side brings balance. The purging of the Jedi bringing an end to the riegn of the good Jedi. Or is it the killing of Palpatine that brings balance by bringing only one side to the top.
That's the question how can just a good side be balanced without and evil. However, Anakin killing of all things good, including, *cough* padawans, bringing balance.
Well we have one more day to find out.
It's kinda hard to believe that it's only three days away. Star Wars by no means rules my life. It's wierd but I just get swept up in it. A year from now the words Star Wars may not even be uttered from lips for weeks at a time. (well, excpet for the live action TV show there doing but who knows how long till that premieres.) But yeah, I got Star Wars stuff I hope mostly becomes an investment. Specially the 12" figued which everyone assumes is going to be the big sellers in the future.
But I don't have a Star Wars costume. No part of my house is built like the Flacon cockpit, and I've never been to a Star Wars convention. (I did attend a Star Trek on in Springfield once, but Counselor Troi was here and who wouldn't want to see her in person. And I did pick up a second draft of Star Wars which is pretty unlike anything you see in Ep Iv. With the exception of the Death Star.) But the movies are just something I allow myself to get swept up in. As I will Superman in 2006. But that probably won't involve me spending 80 bucks in figures.
I just love the good/evil dynamic that makes Star Wars. The Light Side/ Dark Side struggle is in all of us. How many times have you good natured people just wanted to pull the choke hold Vader has. Sometimes people just piss ya off. We all like the idea of redemption. it gives us hope. We think that no matter how angry we become we come back to the light. Assuming you want to, of course, you may just like dweelin in the dark and kill you kids because they're riding too late at night like that guy in Zion, Illinois.
We all have visited the other side. We've seen how fun it is to be dark, getting under people's nerves just for the hey of it. We've felt the beauty of just ripping into the occasional person.
Are you light? Are you Dark?
Next time, how does Anikin really bring balance to the force. Some interesting arguements have been seen out there.
Matt
As a sort of warm up for the big night on Wednesday, Donnie, Jeff, Ryan and I got to together played the Star Wars version of Life then played the new Edition of Trivial Pursuit. No edition of Trivial Pursuit has ever lived up to it's name more than the Star Wars version. What was the name of the Grand Moff that Darth Vader found his "Lack of Faith Disturbing."
I won. I didn't know that one. But it wasn't my queastion. The others took another hour to win. A lot bad rolling and drunkeness took to that, I think.
Been working on my Homer impersonation in case in another 10 years they all have to call it quits due to old age. Not sure if this quote is real, but I think I wrote it and it's pure Homer:
Homer: Marge, nothing beats your pork chops.
Marge: Thank you, Homey.
Homer: Except for Pizza.
(Marge growl.)
Homer: I like Pizza.
My grilfriend's getting the run around at work. She's trying to become a server but they're giving her the running around. I wanna kill some people but Kristen's telling me not too. She's prolly right no reason to get my job up for grabs. But it's trypical Applebee's. When Ryan was fired from the Apple in Spingfield it was because they stood behind a manager who had no XP being a manager and not behind a 6 year employee. Not that Ryan didn't love to stir the pot, but Kristen's not doing that. She's just being attacked mostly, because we're dating, not that a key employee and a certain server aren't caught making out in the cooler, nightly.
But I don't want rant off on that... I've already blown up at some poor unsuspecting people because of it so it's not why you tune in.
6 days.... I can't wait. I'll be updating the blog over Wednesday as time grows near. And my review which will be up Thursday.
But I'll come up with something for the Mondasy before I promuise.
Matt
Well I'm a die hard fan. I've probably read the first book a dozen times. Back in 87 I recorded the BBC version of it off PBS. I played the Infocom game, I still know how to beat the Ravenous Bug Platter Beast of Traal and how to simultaneously have Tea and No Tea.
And most of the revews I've read of Hitchhikers have said Average fans will love it Die Hards will probably loathe it.
I knew three important things about the script going in. One: Douglas Adams wrote all the new stuff before his untimely death. Two: Every time Adams rewrote the script: First fot the radio show, then the TV show and then finally what became increasingl inaccurately named Trilogy of five books, he changed events. It's all the same universe it's just different.
And this movie now is no different. I liked it. I probably liked it more since I knew the book. References that I'm sure flew right by people. Stuff from the TV and Video games. I laughed. A lot. And I saw it with Jeff and Donniw who probably knew the books about as well (better in Jeff's case who can nactually recite Vogan poetry, not that you'd want him too.)
Now being a die hard there are were great lines lost. Which by the way is number 3: The movie could only be two hours long. Great lines like:
Arthur: (After being told the earth's been destroyed) I'm a bit broken up about that.
Ford: (with a shrug) Oh well.
I also missed the scene where Ford is trying to convince the Vogan guard into another like of work. But the movie great. It does veer sharply away from the book. Bringing bits of it back. But if you've never read the book... check it out. Please. It's Adam's descriptions and spot look at human life through odd things that makes the books so great.
But back quickly to the movie. I loved Sam Rockwell as Zaphod and Mos Def is an all right Ford just goofy enough. But from day 1 when I heard that Martin Freeman was playing Arthur I was ready. I love Freeman as Tim in the Office, probably my favorite character after all I'd put Gareth's stapler in Jello too. But his perfect "I can't believe this is happening" dead pan is awesome.
I love the use of the towel as well especially Ford chasing the Vogans off with it. Something that's lost in the previous incarnations.
The towel, it says is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Parlty it has great pratical value... ... wet it for use in hand to hand combat, wrap it around your head to avois noxious fumes or avoid the gaze of the ravenous BugBlatter Beast of Traal ( a mind-boggingly stupid animal, it assumes if you can't see it, it can't see you-- daft as a brush, but very very ravenous) ... Hence the phrase: there's a Frood who really knows there his towel is."
Go see it. Read the novels. Be happy.
Oh and Day 3 of our trip to Vegas is up. Our tourney at Binion's.
I kept a few notes here and there on the trip. Go back to April and you should be able to view them. I have the next couple of days off so I should be completely updated and even with, Karen, a review of Hitchhikers.
And for the record 17 days until Ep. III.
Matt