Ain't that a fact...
Posted on 05/21/2002 8:43:46 AM PDT by KMC1
Ok I admit it, I looked forward to the release of the movie. I watched the previews on line ahead of time. And yes this weekend - I went to see it twice. As someone who was but a mere kid when the original Star Wars film came out in the seventies, this is a storyline that has me captivated. Even though the Phantom Menace lagged considerably behind the others, the newest Star Wars film has definitely re-energized the entire LucasFilms Franchise.
One of the things I have loved about each of the movies is the way they articulate right and wrong. Morality is a hard thing to ever communicate in the public forum, but the great PC'ers of our time have not been able to touch the Spidermans or Jedi Knights of this world yet!
Too bad Washington DC couldn't come away with a little inspiration from this summer's big blockbuster hits.
Last week when the ignorant Tom Daschle and Richard Gephardt trotted out their press conferences, they fully believed that had the knock out punch for the Bush administration.
"What did he know, and when did he know it?"
It seemed a resoundingly familiar phrase. One that even the Senator from New York couldn't restrain herself from uttering.
It's utterly laughable that these three could feign such ignorance on the issue of a threat of a possible, yet vague, no information specific, but maybe, possibly, someday in the future, a plane might be hijacked kind of warning. It is laughable because in the case of Senator Daschle (no relation to Amidala) and Representative Gephardt (who does resemble Representative Binks a bit) is that they KNOW exactly what the President knew.
Carl Cameron on Fox News was the first to report it. Within eight small hours of going on international news stations and banging the drum on why they were left out on the information about the warning. It turns out, despite all of their melodramatic (gosh don't I look presidential) dronings, they DID know! Had they only taken the time to call up their own party's representatives on the intelligence committee in each of their respected bodies, they would have discovered that Congress had been given the same information!
Getting their soundbites out there of course was a part of the whole imperial plan that they had in place, and on that level, their secret plans were a success. (plus the fact they felt it necessary to hide them away in a droid)
However, when the light-saber rattling came to a halt, the force was with the republic. How can you tell? Well CNN for example...24 hours after the droners (who may indeed be from a planet that has been erased from the universal archives), CNN (Darth Sidious' network) released the results of their polling data that said in nearly 80 percent numbers that the American people saw what Senator Daschle (not Amidala) and Representative Gephardt (cousin of Jar Jar) as nothing more than a ploy to grant the Democrats sole chancellery powers into our intelligence investigations.
Master Jedi's Bush and Cheney, not to be fooled by this tom-foolery, are gladly cooperating with any inquiry of legitimacy.
Now what about Jabba the Hut, standing there on the Senate floor rambling about security issues in the White House today? Hmmm, I know that Jabba's language was always subtitled in the films - so maybe I'm missing some of it. But maybe she should look into the reports that made our intelligence and security information so readily available, like when her husband decided to declassify everything and then sell it?
No the battle that lay ahead of us is a harsh one. The Vice-President reminding all of us of the fact that evil people do exist and wish to harm Americans.
Unfortunately simple minded people exist and are wishing to harm Americans too, and quite tragically many of them are occupying way too many offices of Congress.
Where is that Master Yoda when you need him?
Meesa thinking that's weally wude!
Ain't that a fact...
Of course she isn't. Everyone knows that billary is actually the Emporer. Here's proof.
And all I could think in the factory scene was, "Whoever wrote this episode should die!" (from Galaxy Quest).
Many have maligned a certain dynamic character in Star Wars: Episode I and II (and, hopefully III). I write, of course, about Jar Jar Binks, the wacky Gungan from the proud city of Otah Gunga on the planet Naboo. Previous Star Wars fans turned their backs on George Lucas, the creator of the epic saga, because of the simple creation of a minor character. The hatred has grown more powerful than you can possibly imagine. Now, it has become chic to be an anti-Gungite.
Hatred is ignorance and must be stopped.
In the early 1800s, nobody understood Pablo Picasso. When he painted the Campbell's Soup Cans, everyone thought his creation was too bizarre… too hideous. They shunned him and stopped attending his exhibit openings until he went back to his earlier painting style. Picasso was ahead of his time and so is Lucas.
There are four overwhelming factors to sway anyone into the realm of Jar Jar aficionado:
1. PERSONALITY - Lucas took the underlying personality of one of the 20th century's greatest personalities, Bob Marley, as a tribute to peace and love. (As Eric Clapton put it, "Marley is a great leader of men." I am sure he would include Gungnas, if Clapton were still with us.) Marley is a unifier of races, cultures and peoples. He was unique, humble, sensitive and accessible. He had a strong spiritual and social message. Everyone loves Bob Marley. Don't you? Lucas took 5% of Marley and blended him with 95% of the priceless buffoonery of Carrot Top. A winning combination in any galaxy!
2. TECHNICAL BRILLIANCE - The sophistication of this computer-generated character blended with live action was the dream of Disney (Cooper Comedies), Fleischer (Out of the Sinkhole) and McCay (Gertie the Diplodocus). The creation of Jar Jar is as brilliant as The Pagemaster and Poppin' Fresh.
3. MEMORABLE VOICE - Every once in a while, a voice is so distinctive, it lilts to the top of the sound pile. Gilbert Gottfried achieved brilliance as Iago in Disney's "Aladdin." As did Fran Drescher in "The Nanny." Or, Gilbert Gottfried in Andrew Dice Clay's "Ford Farlaine." Jar Jar is among stellar company.
4. DANGEROUS SEXUAL ELEMENT - People tend to fear things that scare them. Seven-foot phalluses are among these fears. Jar Jar's uncircumcised face leads many to be hesitant, but Lucas knew what he was doing when he created him. (Scramble the letters in "Jar Jar Binks" and you get "Skin Barge," almost. I don't know what that means, but it sounds sexual.) The licensing of Jar Jar's image focuses on his tongue and the child's interaction with it. (Note the Mechanical PEZ Hander and Gummie-Tongued Jar Jar.) This is Lucas' exploration into a new movie genre: Porn for kids. This makes people nervous. He is simply ahead of his time.
Please reflect on what I have written here and, perhaps, start to reevaluate your disdain for one of the most loveable characters of our generation… and a long time ago.
--John Sprengelmeyer Co-Creator of Captain RibMan
I was thinking of The Dark Star and hoping Captain Doolittle couldn't talk smart bomb #20 from self-destructing.
Let there be light!
How sad that Stranglemeyer would even mention Winsor McCay's sweet and slow Gertie the Dinosaur in the same paragraph as that foul creature, much less compare the two. The crass buffoon.
You don't get it. The people of Naboo are stupid and gullible. Apparently, they elect their primary leader based upon youthfulness and fashion sense (you've seen the elaborate dresses and hairstyles) and not based upon their ability to lead the nation. Their form of government is really messed up. And that is what Palpatine saw and why he chose Naboo to propel him to the office of Senator. He knew he could lead the morons of Naboo around by their noses and gain office.
Then he used the planet to continue his plot to rise to Supreme Chancelor by setting up the Trade Federation blockade. He knew the current Supreme Chancellor was controlled by the bureucrats and he knew he could get Amidala to call for a vote of no confidence. He also knew that he was going to be a front-runner to replace the Supreme Chancellor and the additional sympathy from the fact that it was the planet he represents - Naboo - that had been invaded by the Trade Federation would be the edge he needed to beat out his competition. And he succeeded, didn't he?
And in Episode II you see his plans come in to further fruition. < Spoiler > He along with Darth Tyrannus/Count Dooku splintered the Republic. He had Tyrannus set up the secession and its droid armies so that he could set up the clone Army of the Republic to fight it. Again, he used a resident of Naboo, the idiot Gungan, to call for a vote that gave him emergency powers - war-time powers that will eventually lead to him becoming the Emperor and dissolving the Senate. His clone army will easily bring down the seccessionists and Sidius/Palpatine's overarching goal will have been achieved. He gained the power he needed and raised the army he needed to build the Death Star and take tyrannical control over the entire galaxy. < / Spoiler > It kind of reminds you of the War Between the States, eh?
Let there be light!
My God ... you mean someone else actually watched that movie besides me ?
Best line from that movie
Find me something to blow up.
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