My Ideas for The Star Wars, Episodes 1-3 • j********o@***.com 05/01/1997 00:00:000 UTC Here are some ideas I would put in the prequel Star Wars movies (although I doubt Lucas has the 'cran' to do it this way, and I'll only really believe that he's truly going to make them when the opening credits roll!) Themes: 1) A la the novelization of the original movie, the Republic rotted from within: everyone is always yearning for the "_Old_ Republic," that is, what existed before it decayed. The President-turned-Emperer and his minions restored some sense of order to a collapsing galactic civilization, where pirates raided at will, planets and races made war upon each other, commerce was dwindling, and noblemen bickered while entire worlds starved. The Empire is thus a force for order and civilization, with considerable residual good-will among the public, if a force lacking in concern for freedom and democracy, and increasingly, for the lives of anyone in its way. The Imperial Navy is a relativly new professional military force, replacing the personal fleets of the old aristocracy, which were as likely to fight each other as protect the public. Even the Jedi Knights had become decadent: at best ineffectual ("It is not our place to act."), even corrupt in some cases. 2) Anokin Skywalker wasn't lured by a lust for power into taking the easy route of the Dark Side. Just as Luke was tempted by other emotions (fear, hatred, empathy, compassion), his father felt that what he was doing was right, and necessary. Perhaps the other, Yoda-trained Jedi, disdained him (never even telling him why). With all the crap going on in those days (Clone Wars, etc.), it's easy to imagine him feeling that the public good overrode any concern for himself or niceties. Vader isn't a monster: the Empire isn't Nazi Germany, it's just a sometimes-brutal autocracy. I would have Anokin Skywalker lose his human body bit by bit just as his son did, sacrificing a leg in the liberation of Narenga V, an arm to save a unit of his newly organized Storm Troopers (who should be human, not clones, by the way), etc., before the final confrontation with Obi-wan which we've been told caused his ultimate cyberization. Note that Vader and the Emperer never bothered to hunt Kenobi down: as long as he kept out of public life, they didn't care. 3) Elements of social division: the high aristocracy (i.e., the old power-players, like the Organas of Alderaan) hate the low aristocracy which dominates the Imperial Navy, and vice versa, the latter of which disdain the common Storm Troopers, and vice versa, who love Darth Vader, and vice versa, etc.. Vader is the founder and leader of the Storm Troopers: his courage and leadership has turned him into their idol, and earned their total devotion. Bits and Scenes: 1) A nobleman telling off Obi-Wan Kenobi: "If the Republic wants ITS ships back, it is welcome to try to TAKE them back!" 2) Resued captives (the survivors) cheering Anokin Skywalker for his kick-ass rescue. 3) Anokin Skywalker rallying his ambushed proto-Storm Troopers: (Trooper): "There's No way out of here!" (Skywalker): "I will SHOW you the way!" [BZZZ...ZOT, ZOT, sizzle] Ends with him holding the rear so his men can escape and losing his arm in one of those metal-toothed doors: "ARRHKGH!" 4) Obi-Wan cautioning Anokin against the Dark Side: (Obi-Wan): "You've sacrified your flesh and blood for the Galaxy, but will you sacrifice your soul for it?!" (Anokin): "YES! If I must, yes." 4) A newly disfigured Vader lies wounded in the sick bay; outside, the ship's Captain wants to speak with him; Vader shouts his refusal to a Storm Trooper: "Never let _them_ see me like this! NEVER!" Storm Troopers disobey indignant Captain for their hero, Vader. 5) Vader developing his command style on a balky officer: "You will enter the asteriod belt and fight _there_, or you will die _here_!" 6) The Empire getting stuff done: "The Pirate King's forces are crushed: they will never threaten the Galaxy again." etc. Gorno • s******j@**.com 05/01/1997 00:00:000 UTC That was GREAT, but you forgot the two elements that are a must for any modern SF movie: i) Sappy New Age stuff. No moral ambiguity; just too confusing. ii) Toy tie-ins. Lots of neat vehicles and creatures are always a good idea. Seriously, I doubt Lucasfilm would do anything as good as what Gorno suggested. The days when people like Leigh Brackett are tapped to do scripts are long past. --SEJ -- +-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-+ ***@***.com ~ s*****s@a*****.***u.edu ~ s******j@**.com http://www.ini.cmu.edu/~sjones/ CHARGES APPLIED FOR UNSOLICITED COMMERCIAL EMAIL! • g*****o@j******.****t.net 06/01/1997 00:00:000 UTC : That was GREAT, but you forgot the two elements that are a must for any : modern SF movie: : i) Sappy New Age stuff. No moral ambiguity; just too confusing. : ii) Toy tie-ins. Lots of neat vehicles and creatures are always a good : idea. : Seriously, I doubt Lucasfilm would do anything as good as what Gorno : suggested. The days when people like Leigh Brackett are tapped to do : scripts are long past. Here is a cute "...When I become an Evil Space Dictator" notes to remember; 1. My legions of terror will have helmets with clear plexiglass visors,not face-concealing ones. 2. My ventilation ducts will be too small to crawl through. 3. My noble half-brother whose throne I usurped will be killed, not kept anonymously imprisoned in a forgotten cell of my dungeon. 4. Shooting is _not_ too good for my enemies. 5. The artifact which is the source of my power will not be kept on the Mountain of Despair beyond the River of Fire guarded by the Dragons of Eternity. It will be in my safe-deposit box. 6. I will not gloat over my enemies' predicament before killing them. 7. When the rebel leader challenges me to fight one-on-one and asks, "Or are you afraid without your armies to back you up?" My reply will be, "No, just sensible." 8. When I've captured my adversary and he says, "Look, before you kill me, will you at least tell me what this is all about?" I'll say, "No." and shoot him. 9. After I kidnap the beautiful princess, we will be married immediately in a quiet civil ceremony, not a lavish spectacle in three weeks time during which the final phase of my plan will be carried out. 10. I will not include a self-destruct mechanism unless absolutely necessary. If it is necessary, it will not be a large red button labelled "Danger: Do Not Push". 11. I will not order my trusted lieutenant to kill the infant who is destined to overthrow me -- I'll do it myself. 12. I will not interrogate my enemies in the inner sanctum -- a small hotel well outside my borders will work just as well. 13. I will be secure in my superiority. Therefore, I will feel no need to prove it by leaving clues in the form of riddles or leaving my weaker enemies alive to show they pose no threat. 14. I will not waste time making my enemy's death look like an accident: I'm not accountable to anyone and my other enemies wouldn't believe it. 15. I will make it clear that I _do_ know the meaning of the word "mercy"; I simply choose not show them any. 16. One of my advisors will be an average five-year-old child. Any flaws in my plan that he is able to spot will be corrected before implementation. 17. All slain enemies will be cremated, not left for dead at the bottom of the cliff. The announcement of their deaths, as well as any accompanying celebration, will be deferred until after the aforementioned disposal. 18. My undercover agents will not have tattoos identifying them as members of my organization, nor will they be required to wear military boots or adhere to any other dress codes. 19. The hero is not entitled to a last kiss, a last cigarette, or any other form of last request. 20. I will never employ any device with a digital countdown. If I find that such a device is absolutely unavoidable, I will set it to activate when the counter reaches 117 and the hero is just putting his plan into operation. 21. I will design all doomsday machines myself. If I must hire a mad scientist to assist me, I will make sure that he is sufficiently twisted to never regret his evil ways and seek to undo the damage he's caused. 22. I will never utter the sentence "But before I kill you, there's just one thing I want to know." 23. When I employ people as advisors, I will occasionally listen to their advice. ****************************************************** • j*******i@i*.******m.com 07/01/1997 00:00:000 UTC In <5are9g$**@r****.****t.net> g*****o@j******.****t.net (Glen) writes: >Here is a cute "...When I become an Evil Space Dictator" notes to >remember; 24. While invading a planet I will not use computers with an operating system common there.