...Did I just watch the crystal skull again?

As the night transitioned to late, I found myself unable to rest these eyes. So, at the behest of the Big Bad Baseball Gypsy (who, after he saw the NY premiere of The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, left a message telling me to be very disappointed with it) I put the DVD into my computer ready to give it another shot. I hadn't seen it since it opened (I can't believe it's been 5 years), and the ridiculousness of it had come around to the Voodoo Guy, allowing him to have a blast with it recently. So I figured, "What the feck?" (Clearly, though, I should stop watching baseball games with the guy; something I failed to mention about Friday night.)

...I'm not exactly sure where to begin with this one. I guess we should all start with the control for bad movies: The Star Wars Prequels. So, where does The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull rank in terms of Star Wars Prequality? Not....really close to there, but by no means ranking near the Originals, or a good movies in general. But when you throw all concern of not having a good time out the window, you don't feel like you've wasted your time, and you could even come close to enjoying yourself (rather than sleeping.)

Let us then start with the good, and preface it by saying that I watched it through the credits (if only to give John Williams his due.) 

Automatically, Steven Spielberg at this stage of his career is far and superior to George Lucas in terms of execution. This immediately is evident and is thankfully there throughout. The acting holds up (to an extent, with the script given [though it's not TERRIBLE]). My man Ray Winstone is always awesome, and of course there's Harrison Ford, who has an absolute blast being back in the Indy role. And Shia Labeuf is actually a pretty good actor, and unlike other young actors in other shitty movies, because Spielberg has honed his craft over the years (unlike Lucas) he actually knows how to take care of business in that regard. AND he is mostly (relatively) using real sets or locations, and you can feel the actors interacting with things that are actually there. The Indy portion of it is good as well (to an extent.) Ya know, all the archeology stuff and what not. Though it wasn't necessarily at it's best, you mostly got a feel you were in the Indy universe, and it wasn't totally disgusting (though South Park may think otherwise, and I generally agree with them, especially 'cause it's hysterical. I'd link it...but it MIGHT be a little to early in the morning for what I would link...) 

And there's plenty of over-the-top stereotypes that...let's face it...we American moviegoers have eaten up over the years (or have been spoon fed...)

There were other good things...liiiiike.....illustrator Rudolfo Dimaggio...

But it was mostly over lit. In that modern oversaturation of white light that can be found in CBS dramas quite a lot. And yeah, the Russians were the natural place to go in the story of Indiana Jones, and since they've established long ago it was a supernatural universe, aliens were actually a "natural" place to go too since the 50's were big-time into space and sci-fi and all that shit. And hey, I like aliens. I even believe pretty firmly there is no way there ISN'T life out there. But the way it was delivered, especially the climax, didn't really punch me across the face the way a good climax punches you across the face and you're all like, "Whoa! Thanks, wow. I wasn't expecting that but I'm very glad you punched me. Wow. That was GREAT," and was more like, "Wow. You punched me. What the hell?- Asshole." 

...And they kept clearly dying (in real life.) You know what I mean? I know I've already established that I've excepted the Indy universe as being supernatural. But there were TOO MANY close calls after all these years of us being ok with every hero escaping all those bad guys' bad shots and falling off waterfalls THREE times and shit like that. When it happened in this installment, everything just felt TOO unbelievable, and I just....it just didn't work.

At least NBC gave them the rights to Howdy Doody...

Anyway, I've made it this far. I might as well watch Japan and the Netherland Kingdom at 6...

Enjoy waking up everyone.

Here's some Random Thieves in the Night.

SLEEP. WILL. COME. SOON.
LET'S. GO. METS.

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"The Expanded Universe IS THE END-ALL BE-ALL OF STAR WARS!!!!" (?)

Over the weekend, I met a man at a party who could not open his mind to the new Star Wars ventures because the creative people have said they are using a blank slate for the creation of the story, AKA ignoring the Expanded Universe. I'm not sure if it was mostly the alcohol or his personality, but he was extremely passionate and extremely loud about it all as we grilled in the snow outside in Brooklyn Saturday night (which was pretty cool to do, actually.) I told him I understand his firm stance and that he cannot be dissuaded, but I asked him if he could, just for a second, take a gander at the creative team that is being put together for the endeavor (including the producer, who might be the biggest reason I'm excited since I read this Kathleen Kennedy Hollywood Reporter profile.) I also asked him to consider the fact that the filmmakers are fans, they just happen to be filmmakers. And as far as we know, though they said they are going into it with a blank slate, they might have read some of the Expanded Universe books and take elements of them into their blank slate. Of course, I don't know these people personally and I don't know their relationship with the world outside the films. I was just suggesting the idea and asking him to consider it. He said he didn't care.

I don't recall what provoked it, but he also said, at some point while calling what's about to happen an "abomination," that you're not a real Star Wars fan if you don't follow the Expanded Universe.

Hold on a second there. I am not, in my adult life, into the Expanded Universe. I probably have not read a Star Wars novel since I read Shadows of the Empire in 1998 (by the way: Pixar should MAKE THAT.) Does that make me less of a Star Wars fan than somebody who has read all the books?

I think not.

My original interest in Star Wars was as films and the storytelling in those films. AND that's what they were originally intended to be. What has followed is due to the massive creativity the films of Star Wars ignited in not just its first generation of fans, but every generation that has followed, and, most likely, as long as humans exist and live in a media kind of age, every generation to follow. I should probably read more fiction, and I'm sure a good Star Wars book is some of the best fiction out there. The Big Bad Baseball Gypsy has read a select collection of the novels. A fellow Mets Blogger wrote one. If I choose, however, for the majority of my Star Wars fandom to be directed towards the films, that doesn't make me any less of a fan than anybody else, and it certainly doesn't make me "not a REAL fan."

I still believe the best way to tell a Star Wars story is through film, with the right creative group together, and I believe a talented creative group is being put together (including the writer of Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Lawrence Kasdan.)

As opposed to an overweight aging film director who doesn't want to work as hard as he did on the Original Star Wars, which had been the last time he had directed anything since becoming a corporate entity (which probably drained some life out of him over the years as well.)

The parallels to the story are insane...

Speaking of the most recent directing jobs of George Lucas, I have something you all should enjoy, regardless of whether you are a Star Wars fan.

On Youtube, there is a video production company called Red Letter Media. They create many different things, but they are known for their Star Wars Prequel reviews.

The character of Harry S. Plinkett, "aged, insane and hilarious," carefully, thoroughly and uproariously dissects everything that is wrong with every prequel movie. Each review is in 7-9 parts and run almost full-length feature time. Being a screenwriter and somebody who wants to make films, they are very educational as well.

They also have underlying narratives that he only eats pizza rolls and is a serial killer...

I highly recommend you watch all three reviews.

You see, the prequels were classics in bad filmmaking. They are memorable on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. They elicited the exact opposite response (from most of us) than the originals did. They are studies in what NOT to do. The only thing that can rival the majesty of IV, V and VI is the complete and utter train wreck that is I, II and III. I am almost thrilled that they exist the way they do because of the educational opportunity they now represent.

And its probably a good thing for VII, VIII and IX that Lucas screwed those up so royally.

Yes, the conditions of the times came together to create something magical from '77-'83. It will be very difficult, if nearly impossible, to solicit that same emotional reaction from us.

But I have a feeling I'm gonna have a great time in those theaters.

Here's the "Star Wars Track" of the Day.

WHAT'S. UP. HAMILL?

LET'S. GO. METS.

I can't get over this photo.

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"Email me if you want a pizza roll."

How Did I Miss This Information?!

It would appear the news that J.J. Abrams is directing the next Star Wars went completely over my head. I loved his Star Trek, so this would appear to be coming together nicely, and also prompts the next Star Wars Track of the Day.

Think about it like this:

People make fan films of Star Wars all the time. 

Now, a fan, who also happens to not only have sharpened his filmmaking skills over time, but his science fiction chops as well (though I could care less for Lost) is going to make a Star Wars fan film...

But he's being given LUCASFILM MONEY to do it.

Fans know exactly what they want.

Fans want more of the last thing they read and they liked.

That's what fans want. They liked that thing you did...

They would like another one of those, please.

 Neil Gaiman, British Author, interview in The People Vs. George Lucas

NOW. BOUT. HAMILL.

LET'S. GO. METS.

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Wakin' Up With The Cantina

Mos Eisley Spaceport. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villiany.

LET'S. GO. METS.

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Random Ramblings about Star Wars and Stuff

Last night, my nerd self put in A New Hope Pandora station, and...(the nerdiness is making me sigh)...went off to a galaxy far, far away. Other movie themes and soundtracks were abound too, but so were the Prequel soundtracks, which I hadn't really partaken in. Written by John Williams as well, his brilliance couldn't quite make the entire prelogy work when sampling soundtrack and screentrack merged together. On its own, however, it brings out how awesome the prequels could have been.

Star Wars, frankly, has nothing to do with the Mets, but Star Wars, frankly has everything to do with the Mets. I'm not going to compare the Mets to the Rebel Alliance battling the Empire (.............?) or what not. All I know is that there are many a Metropolitan Star Wars fan out there in the universe, one of which happens to write for a pretty awesome blog. R.A. Dickey is a huge Star Wars nut and pictures like this exist. That's enough for this to actually not be that random of ramblings. I've rambled and posted some things on here that have infinite degrees of separation from the Mets, but this is, no degree or 1 degree or somethin'. Us Star Wars fans want to make Star Wars about everything. I'm not the type of Star Wars fan who dresses up and goes to conventions, but I don't mind walking through a Citi Field Star Wars Imaginationland. Star Wars Night should be an annual event.

Some of you may know I've proclaimed my full support for the Disney Acquisition of Lucasfilm. I am extremely excited for Episode VII, and its a good sign that the first big news announced after the merge had to do with the story. That's a writer I can get behind.

The prequels could have been soooooo good. And maybe one day down the road, 30 or so years from now, they will remake those things (no offense, George Lucas who might be dead by then, if he is not being kept alive in a Vader suit.)

Maybe they could just use the same soundtracks again.

John Williams did his best.

Some others, though, dropped the ball.

(Don't forget to listen to the The Rising Apple Report at 6:30.)

JOHNNY. WILLIAMS.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @convertedmetfan. And for Rising Apple twitter updates, click here.