Mr. Binks returns...in 3D!

A couple of weekends ago, I went to see the cinema re-release of "Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace" - now converted to 3D - with three fellow "Star Wars" fans and friends, who I've known for about twenty odd years.

It was an easy going day, as we planned to see a matinee locally (well, sort of locally!) around lunchtime. Mandy popped down to stay with us for the weekend, so after she arrived early on the Saturday morning, we had a quick cuppa, and then jumped in the car and drove to Toria's, where we passed some time at her lovely house and chatted about her cats, while drinking yet more tea/coffee and eating some rather nice chocolate biscuits. Then, it was on up the motorway to the North side of Birmingham to pick up Gerald. His house was easy to find - I has happy to report I remembered the route in my head from the map I had studied the night before, so no wrong turns! For some reason in his area, the locals like to store sofas in their front gardens. Must be a brummie thing. Anyway, when we got to Gerald's it was yet more catch-up chat, drinks, and more cat talk - are we seeing a trend here?!

The cinema at the Star City entertainment complex (just off the M6) is only a short distance from there, so after driving underneath one of the stands of Aston Villa Football Club Stadium (impressive building) we arrived and had a look around before the film started. The venue certainly has a lot to offer: restaurants, bars, cafes, sports, kids entertainment, and the huge and impressive VUE multiplex cinema, although the place seems a little soul-less, and perhaps it's showing its age a bit now. We went into the cinema and took our seats, and found the auditorium pretty empty, only a few families here and there. The film had been out a couple of weeks so the core fan audience had already seen it I guess, and the kids had all been over the school half-term holidays. Anyway, after some really lame trailer for a flick called "Street Dance 2 - 3D" - the only vague highlight was seeing Sofia Boutella bend over and present her bum to us in 3D, which made us all snigger - "Episode 1" started with a really nice 3D Lucasfilm logo. Woohoo!

The film is the same version as presented on the 2011 blu-ray release: it has the addition of a couple of tiny scenes, as well as the full digital Yoda replacing the *really bad* puppet featured in the original cut. Other than that, the film is the same that premiered in May '99. I don't mind it actually, in fact, I rather enjoyed seeing it again after a few years away from the feature. I will admit that it is a bit clunky in the middle section - pacing issues and some poor acting, and some of the logic doesn't work, what with that treaty being signed stuff, but the production design and visuals are generally excellent. I made a point of carefully watching the CGI effects on Jar Jar and Watto, and they stand up very well after years of CGI effects development. Maybe the characters are annoying (I don't agree though, in fact, both make me chuckle in places) but the CGI effects to put them up on the screen should have won ILM a visual effects Oscar.

Anyway, as for the film presentation, we all were generally impressed with the conversion, although it is subtle in places - there isn't much obvious 3D 'coming out at ya!' stuff here (although the pod race sequence does feature some into the camera action), but you do get a greater sense of depth to many of the scenes, which we liked. I would guess it is hard to create a 3D effect with film scenes filmed for two dimensions, so what Lucasfilm have done was very good. Other 2D->3D conversions have been less successful, such as the rushed "Clash of the Titans" remake conversion from early 2010.

For a positive review see my friend Mary Jo's blog here, and a for a negative review see the film critic who makes a profession of hating *everything* "Star Wars"/George Lucas, Mark Kermode, here. I was glad I got to see it on the big screen again, and hopefully we can all get together next February for "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones". Oh, and just a few positive words about the cinema - we were very impressed with the gradient of the seating, the leg-rom, the screen size and projection/sound. 10/10!

After the film finished, we spent quite a while chatting and drinking in the cafe, then I took everyone home. After we had some wonderful tarka dal, aubergine curry, rice and wholemeal pittas for dinner which Carla had made, the three of us settled down to watch the dvd of Aliens as Carla hadn't seen it years. Good film (Mandy's favourite of all time!) but Carla and I prefer the original, Alien.

Halloween pumpkins, a collectors show at Coventry Football club, and Daniel Craig!

Last Friday, Halloween, I was able to get out of work a bit early, and after a doctors visit and a little shopping, head off home to get the house ready. I put up my usual array of halloween decorations, mostly comprimising of pumpkins in various guises that I've collected over the years, including two new real ones that I carved. Of course, we had to name them after Russell Brand and Jonathon Ross this year! The display was ok, but I think previous years have been better. Never mind, it looked ok.

Carla and her work pal Teresa were at a work event until 8pm (see her blog), so I went and picked them after that and then we all came back to the flat to have a bit of a horror film session! Whilst eating a schlubby dinner of saugages and chips, and then cake to follow, the three of us watched the DVD of the John Carpenter 1978 film, "Halloween" (this DVD version contains four new scenes, which were actually shot for the 1980 TV screening) as it was the film's 30th anniversary, and it being the proper night and all, it seemed appropriate! Also, Teresa had never seen it, so it was interesting to show this classic to a new viewer! As Carla says, it's good to analyse a 'classic' and explain to somebody new why it was a success - the most successfuly independent released film of all time - an honour it held for about twelve years. I love the film, even though I have some issues with the plot, because Carpenter has a wonderful skill of achieving a creepy atmosphere through moody photography, and simple yet effective theme music. The way the film is edited builds the tension slowly. Anyway, after the film finished, I was all up for watching "Halloween II", but Teresa had to go, so I lent it to her the DVD instead (she hadn't seen that either!) Maybe I can get her to watch "Halloween III: Season of the Witch" (a guilty pleasure of mine - I love that film even though everyone else thinks its rubbish!)

On Saturday, our pal Mandy came down to stay, and we went off to the 'Collectormania Midlands' event, held at the Coventry Ricoh Arena. At the show we met up with our friends Kevin and Gerald. Like the last one held there I went to, it was a bit quiet, but fun to attend. It was the usual mix of dealers selling old and new tv/film related merchandise, and had the added attraction of some celebrities signing autographs. As the leading guest was Dirk Benedict from the "A-Team" and "Battlestar Galactica", the organisers had two "A-Team" original vehicles on show, the van and the corvette. My pal Kevin was in his element getting Dirk's autograph and having a picture with the van! We also went to a free talk by Dirk, where he rambled on a bit about various things including his son playing for Southend United Football club, and how Mr T and George Peppard didn't talk to each other on the set of the "A-Team" - quite a mix! After the show, we all went back to the flat for a bit of a chat and drink (and to finish the cake!)

After Kevin and Gerald left, and after a quick dinner, the three of us headed off to the cinema to see the latest James Bond flick, "Quantum of Solace", which was released the day before. It had been raining heavily since the early evening, which put a damper on the local authority-organised firework display which we passed. At the cinema, we ran from the car trying not to get too wet. Unfortunately, as we just turned up at the cinema without booking, we had to sit only five rows from the front, which made the screen very big and too close for our liking. Oh well.

The film picks up 'about an hour' after the the last scene in "Casino Royale". We see James Bond in a high octane car chase on the Italian coast. Well, I say 'see', because to be honest, I couldn't make out what on earth was going on for that whole opening sequence. It was edited very choppy and fast - too fast! Anyway, I was irritated by that, and the film seemed to be playing ok in the non-action sequences, but every time there was a chase, fight, explosion etc, the director and editor seemed to go a bit over the top with the fast editing. Arrgrghh!! Films that give me a headache in the opening five minutes don't really appeal.

The most effective part of this rather disjointed (and ultimately disappointing) film was the opera scene, which was very thrilling and well thought out. Funnily enough, his choppy editing style worked at this point. So, to sum up....the plot? Fine - an interesting continuation of the first film. Acting, locations, photography, sound, visual effects, all good. Editing on the action scenes? DREADFUL. That's a word you don't want to appear in an action film. It would have been nice just to have some of the action scenes edited like previous Bond pictures. If somebody could re-edit the action scenes to tone down the over the top cross-cutting, it would be a 10/10 movie. I'll give it 6/10 until that happens. Shame.

Hmm, I'm thinking the film might work better on the small screen. We'll see when the DVD comes out.

Sunday was a lazy day. I wandered into town after Mandy left, and picked up the DVD of "Star Wars: Robot Chicken": the silly frame by frame animation show, which in this episode lampoons all things "Star Wars". I adore the Jar Jar Binks/Darth Vader skit when Binks dies and comes back as a Jedi ghost. "Mee-sa all spark-lee glow-ee!" After that, we watched another DVD, the 1960 drama "Peeping Tom" - a superb (if unsettling) tale of a deranged film-maker, Mark Lewis (played with surprising sympathy by the excellent Carl Boehm - pictured on the right with glamour model Pamela Green) who murders women and films their deaths in order to catch their fear on film, all to become "a martyr to psychology". A stunning film. The old Channel 4 documentary included on the DVD was very interesting as well - particularly the piece about the negative reaction to the film on its original release.

Star Wars 30th anniversary cake!

Tomorrow, the 19th of February 2008, is my 30th anniversary for seeing the original "Star Wars" film! Yes, the film is *that* old and I'm even *older*. Eeek.

I'm amazed that it was 30 years ago that my brother, Peter, took me to the lovely old Regent cinema in Great Yarmouth on a Sunday afternoon to see the newly released space blockbuster. What an amazing experience that was though! The excitement of queing up, getting a 'Star Wars' baseball cap (a cheap and nasty piece of tat is was though!) jaw-dropping visuals, cheering, and dropping my ice cream in the cinema. I guess it was a life changing/creating moment. Three decades on and I'm still a film geek!

Have a look here and here about the original release.

So anyway, Carla and I are going to watch the original cut of the film on DVD, and eat some cake to celebrate! I may take a photo of this if I get around to it. I know it wont be anywhere near as good as the cake that Craig and the rest of the 'Star Wars' fan group had at their recent 30th anniversary get together (see picture) but hey, it will taste nice: Sainsbury's cakes usually do!

Theatre show review

Something our friend went to see. Sounds fab!

"One Man Star Wars Trilogy" - a review by Sarah

If you love "Star Wars" and possess just one (preferably more) funny bone in your body then give yourself a massive treat and buy a ticket to see Charles Ross perform his "One Man Star Wars Trilogy" show! Ross is a Canadian actor who is currently touring the UK and who claims to have seen "Star Wars" 400 times. Boy, does it show. In his hour long performance he re-creates the entire original "Star Wars" trilogy on stage on his own through sheer energy, physical flexibility, speed, and originality, performing the dialogue, action (including the battles), sound effects and even John Williams' wonderful score. All the character's personalities are there, such as Luke's whining, Han's swagger, R2's cuteness etc. In particular I thought his impression of the Emperor was scarily accurate. Like most people I have seen the original "Star Wars" films dozens of times and seeing Ross compress the stories in such a concentrated yet hilarious manner brought about a comforting feeling - these are films you can cut down to a fraction of their running time and they are still amazing to watch! Overall Ross is magnificent and I can honestly say this is the only show I have come away from with a big smile on my face!

Verdict 10/10

http://www.onemanstarwars.com/star_wars.html