That's something I've always loved about OS X: it comes with the developers' tools built-in (at least, it does if you buy a copy of the OS; not sure about OEM versions). I'm not a programmer, but I've spent some time monkeying around with XCode and compiling software with GCC. I find it comforting to know that the barrier to entry into the Mac software development community is so low. I guess it kind of has to be when your "market share" is so low, eh?
Since you apparently haven't read any of the numberous news stories reporting this phenomenon, I'll tell you that several major cities have reported dramatic increases in muggings, particularly on subways, due to to criminals seeking out people with the white earbuds. Why would they want to mug people over an MP3 player? They're expensive. I don't know for sure, but I would expect that the same cities where this phenomenon is being reported would also find a correlated increase in the number of iPods available in pawn shops.
In a way, you're right. Lucas should produce them. PRODUCE them. Not write, not direct - produce. He's a great producer. The rest... I'm not so sure about.
What's your point? All you've done is prove to me that my opinion that religion is the source of most of society's evils is a valid one. But this has nothing to do with Star Wars.
Well, most of the reviews I have read so far have made the comparison, and most didn't seem to think it was a bad thing. I'd like to think that I'll be able to see the movie, at least for the first time, without making the comparison, but I doubt that will be possible.
And, for the record, none of my posts on this topic were meant as flames towards/.'s more conservative readers. I'm just stating the obvious, as the reviewers see it.
Except that most of the reviewers, even the ones who praised it glowingly, acknowledge that the dialogue is pretty damn bad in some places, particularly any scene involving love.
"Adults will understand it a little more specifically, of course. A hurt Obi-Wan speaks for a widespread modern faithlessness in leadership when he blurts to Anakin, "You were the chosen one!" Lucas refuses to be coy this time: Bush-bashing shares screen-time with the usual cautionary Leni Riefenstahl quotes (in 5.1 digital surround sound, droid stormtroopers jackboot their way from good to bad). When Anakin tells Obi-Wan, "If you're not with me, you're my enemy," and Obi-Wan replies, "Only a Sith deals in absolutes," Lucas deals out poetic justice to America's "Chosen One" du jour, heir to an Empire that believed "Star Wars" were not fantasy but a natural outgrowth of our manifest destiny of military expenditure."
Well, if that's the way you feel about RotS, then you likely didn't enjoy any of the Star Wars movies. These things are what melodrama is all about. I don't think any of us truly believes that good and evil are "simple." But they can be very entertaining when presented that way.
Actually, I think the people who are going to dislike this movie the most are the ones who really do see the world in terms of black and white, good vs. evil. Draw your own conclusions on that one.
Considering the website on which that "review" was posted, I think Mr. Podhoretz's opinions are unsurprising.
From some of the existing reviews:
" imagine that Revenge of the Sith is very much the film Lucas's fans want to see, but are some of them ready for an anti-Bush diatribe? Though every Star Wars film until now has existed in an insular comic-book world, a lot has happened since 1999 and 2002 in the real world and Lucas dares, for the first time, to address how the hollow political conflict in his franchise correlates with the reality outside its panels. (It would have been stupid not to strike a parallel.) Revenge of the Sith's two greatest moments tap into the uncertainty of our own political climate: the dazzling battle between Yoda and Darth Sidious (an outstanding Ian McDiarmid) inside the beautifully spiraling Senate hall evokes Democrats and Republicans scrambling for power and, during an obscenely over-the-top duel in Mustafar, Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) declares, "Only a Sith Lord deals in absolutes," after Anakin says, "If you're not with me, you're my enemy." Lucas's political gestures would be easier to appreciate if he himself didn't trade in absolutes and generalities (you know the drill: the darker the couture, the closer you are to the dark side), but it's still a welcome step forward. Pity we had to wait so long for it, but, as they say, better late than never. "
"This glimpse of intergalactic hell inspires moments of epic grandeur that haven't been felt since "The Empire Strikes Back." It's hard not to feel that Lucas's engagement with this story has a contemporary urgency, as line after pointed line invites us to see a parallel with today's wartime climate. As the Senate cedes power to Palpatine under the guise of intergalactic security, Natalie Portman's Princess Padme exclaims bitterly, "So this is how liberty dies--to thunderous applause.""
And my personal favorite:
"With familiar rhetoric, Palpatine declares the end of the Republic: in the name of peace, freedom, democracy, and security, he must accept the burden of power. Devastated, Padme remarks: "So this is how liberty dies... with thunderous applause." It is a shockingly serious moment, bitter and real. But the film's bluntest political statement comes when Anakin, lightsaber in hand, paraphrases George W. Bush's first State of the Union Address: "If you're not with me, then you're my enemy!" Obi-Wan, representing the forces of good, doesn't flip-flop. His damning answer? "Only a Sith deals in absolutes!" Mark my words: somebody is going to put that on a bumper sticker."
I think neocons are going to have a hard time with this one. Everyone else should enjoy it, though... so long as they can get the last two prequels out of their minds.
Nope, that was Lucas dropping us a hint that Leia also possesed some of the same power that Luke had. Only someone in tune with the force could have heard Luke.
I've played Baldur's Gate 2, Fallout 2, Ultima 5, and Ultima 7 (parts 1 and 2) more than 5 times each. I think you mean to say that RPGs aren't replayable unless they're good or unless they offer multiple ways to play through or a world so large that it's nearly impossible to explore it all in one game. A good RPG like BG2 offers enough quests, areas, NPCs, etc., that are mutually exclusive that you have to play multiple times to see them all. I agree, the ultimate conclusion is almost always the same but, as someone here said, in an RPG it's the journey, not the goal, that counts.
Personally, I love RPGs that go on for 100 hours or more. I feel disapointed if an RPG is less than 80 hours. But I don't need all that time to develop a character. I want that much time to explore the world, do interestng things. I've played through Baldur's Gate 2 (with expansion) at least half a dozen times, spending god knows how many hours each time. Not a minute of that was mediocre or boring. Sure, having a job and going to school means I don't have as much time to play as I once did, but that's why someone invented the "save" command.
"Quest? What quest? I'm going to go to New Reno and become a prizefighter-mafioso-porn star!"
Seven years old and it's still more fun to play than RPGs released this year. I only hope Bethesda doesn't destroy Fallout 3 by turning it into some hack 'n slash, rock soundtrack, bore-fest.
Actually, he didn't even start at "Episode IV." Those words were added retroactively to the intro scroll after he realized Star Wars was going to be sucessful enough to allow him to make more movies. "A New Hope" officially became "Episode IV" after it's first re-release in '79, I think.
Personally, I'm looking forward to the series. I think if he lets someone else write and direct the episodes, it could be very, very good (both of them). Think about how much better Stargate SG-1 is than the movie it was based on. I remain optimistic.
You can honestly say that you find Paris Hilton believable? Or any of those overdone, made-up singers on American Idol? Please. It may be "reality", but there's not a damn thing real about any of it.
Slashdot Mirror
No, this is having grits poured down your pants lessons.
That's something I've always loved about OS X: it comes with the developers' tools built-in (at least, it does if you buy a copy of the OS; not sure about OEM versions). I'm not a programmer, but I've spent some time monkeying around with XCode and compiling software with GCC. I find it comforting to know that the barrier to entry into the Mac software development community is so low. I guess it kind of has to be when your "market share" is so low, eh?
A statement like that... posted anonymously. What a surprise.
Yes. We sure are "hated," aren't we?
Currently they're invested a total of NOTHING in Apple. They sold that nonvoting stock back to Apple several years ago. And it was only $150 million.
Since you apparently haven't read any of the numberous news stories reporting this phenomenon, I'll tell you that several major cities have reported dramatic increases in muggings, particularly on subways, due to to criminals seeking out people with the white earbuds. Why would they want to mug people over an MP3 player? They're expensive. I don't know for sure, but I would expect that the same cities where this phenomenon is being reported would also find a correlated increase in the number of iPods available in pawn shops.
In a way, you're right. Lucas should produce them. PRODUCE them. Not write, not direct - produce. He's a great producer. The rest... I'm not so sure about.
Wait a minute. Of course I'm sure.
Except for this:
"When gone am I, the last of the Jedi will you be."
What's your point? All you've done is prove to me that my opinion that religion is the source of most of society's evils is a valid one. But this has nothing to do with Star Wars.
Wow... uh... thanks. I think.
You have got to be kidding me.
Well, most of the reviews I have read so far have made the comparison, and most didn't seem to think it was a bad thing. I'd like to think that I'll be able to see the movie, at least for the first time, without making the comparison, but I doubt that will be possible.
/.'s more conservative readers. I'm just stating the obvious, as the reviewers see it.
And, for the record, none of my posts on this topic were meant as flames towards
Sorry about that.
The first excerpt came from this review.
The second excerpt came from this review.
But all of them are collected on rotten tomatoes.
The third excert came from this review.
Except that most of the reviewers, even the ones who praised it glowingly, acknowledge that the dialogue is pretty damn bad in some places, particularly any scene involving love.
And this is why he didn't like it:
"Adults will understand it a little more specifically, of course. A hurt Obi-Wan speaks for a widespread modern faithlessness in leadership when he blurts to Anakin, "You were the chosen one!" Lucas refuses to be coy this time: Bush-bashing shares screen-time with the usual cautionary Leni Riefenstahl quotes (in 5.1 digital surround sound, droid stormtroopers jackboot their way from good to bad). When Anakin tells Obi-Wan, "If you're not with me, you're my enemy," and Obi-Wan replies, "Only a Sith deals in absolutes," Lucas deals out poetic justice to America's "Chosen One" du jour, heir to an Empire that believed "Star Wars" were not fantasy but a natural outgrowth of our manifest destiny of military expenditure."
I think the rest of us can go on anticipating it.
Well, if that's the way you feel about RotS, then you likely didn't enjoy any of the Star Wars movies. These things are what melodrama is all about. I don't think any of us truly believes that good and evil are "simple." But they can be very entertaining when presented that way.
Actually, I think the people who are going to dislike this movie the most are the ones who really do see the world in terms of black and white, good vs. evil. Draw your own conclusions on that one.
Considering the website on which that "review" was posted, I think Mr. Podhoretz's opinions are unsurprising.
From some of the existing reviews:
" imagine that Revenge of the Sith is very much the film Lucas's fans want to see, but are some of them ready for an anti-Bush diatribe? Though every Star Wars film until now has existed in an insular comic-book world, a lot has happened since 1999 and 2002 in the real world and Lucas dares, for the first time, to address how the hollow political conflict in his franchise correlates with the reality outside its panels. (It would have been stupid not to strike a parallel.) Revenge of the Sith's two greatest moments tap into the uncertainty of our own political climate: the dazzling battle between Yoda and Darth Sidious (an outstanding Ian McDiarmid) inside the beautifully spiraling Senate hall evokes Democrats and Republicans scrambling for power and, during an obscenely over-the-top duel in Mustafar, Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) declares, "Only a Sith Lord deals in absolutes," after Anakin says, "If you're not with me, you're my enemy." Lucas's political gestures would be easier to appreciate if he himself didn't trade in absolutes and generalities (you know the drill: the darker the couture, the closer you are to the dark side), but it's still a welcome step forward. Pity we had to wait so long for it, but, as they say, better late than never. "
"This glimpse of intergalactic hell inspires moments of epic grandeur that haven't been felt since "The Empire Strikes Back." It's hard not to feel that Lucas's engagement with this story has a contemporary urgency, as line after pointed line invites us to see a parallel with today's wartime climate. As the Senate cedes power to Palpatine under the guise of intergalactic security, Natalie Portman's Princess Padme exclaims bitterly, "So this is how liberty dies--to thunderous applause.""
And my personal favorite:
"With familiar rhetoric, Palpatine declares the end of the Republic: in the name of peace, freedom, democracy, and security, he must accept the burden of power. Devastated, Padme remarks: "So this is how liberty dies... with thunderous applause." It is a shockingly serious moment, bitter and real. But the film's bluntest political statement comes when Anakin, lightsaber in hand, paraphrases George W. Bush's first State of the Union Address: "If you're not with me, then you're my enemy!" Obi-Wan, representing the forces of good, doesn't flip-flop. His damning answer? "Only a Sith deals in absolutes!" Mark my words: somebody is going to put that on a bumper sticker."
I think neocons are going to have a hard time with this one. Everyone else should enjoy it, though... so long as they can get the last two prequels out of their minds.
That's just really, really funny. Do you mind if I borrow that quote? I know some people who need to hear it.
Nope, that was Lucas dropping us a hint that Leia also possesed some of the same power that Luke had. Only someone in tune with the force could have heard Luke.
Though I'm sure you'll keep denying it.
Okay. How about when Luke is hanging on to the bottom of cloud city, all but forgotten. He cries "Leia, hear me." And she does. From space.
That enough of a hint for you.
I've played Baldur's Gate 2, Fallout 2, Ultima 5, and Ultima 7 (parts 1 and 2) more than 5 times each. I think you mean to say that RPGs aren't replayable unless they're good or unless they offer multiple ways to play through or a world so large that it's nearly impossible to explore it all in one game. A good RPG like BG2 offers enough quests, areas, NPCs, etc., that are mutually exclusive that you have to play multiple times to see them all. I agree, the ultimate conclusion is almost always the same but, as someone here said, in an RPG it's the journey, not the goal, that counts.
Personally, I love RPGs that go on for 100 hours or more. I feel disapointed if an RPG is less than 80 hours. But I don't need all that time to develop a character. I want that much time to explore the world, do interestng things. I've played through Baldur's Gate 2 (with expansion) at least half a dozen times, spending god knows how many hours each time. Not a minute of that was mediocre or boring. Sure, having a job and going to school means I don't have as much time to play as I once did, but that's why someone invented the "save" command.
That's why I like RPGs like Fallout 2.
"Quest? What quest? I'm going to go to New Reno and become a prizefighter-mafioso-porn star!"
Seven years old and it's still more fun to play than RPGs released this year. I only hope Bethesda doesn't destroy Fallout 3 by turning it into some hack 'n slash, rock soundtrack, bore-fest.
Actually, he didn't even start at "Episode IV." Those words were added retroactively to the intro scroll after he realized Star Wars was going to be sucessful enough to allow him to make more movies. "A New Hope" officially became "Episode IV" after it's first re-release in '79, I think.
Personally, I'm looking forward to the series. I think if he lets someone else write and direct the episodes, it could be very, very good (both of them). Think about how much better Stargate SG-1 is than the movie it was based on. I remain optimistic.
Actually, I can think of at least two more: "Summoner 2: A Goddess Reborn", and "Skies of Arcadia: Legends". And those are just the ones that I own.
You can honestly say that you find Paris Hilton believable? Or any of those overdone, made-up singers on American Idol? Please. It may be "reality", but there's not a damn thing real about any of it.