well, i think that at the very least, it has to be better...

[acroyear]

My general thought when asked about what I thought of Star Wars 2 was that it was ok, but the best thing about it was the music.

I'll probably say the same thing about Star Wars 3, but already its better -- I just bought the soundtrack and cranked it out last nite and it is amazing.  A lot more action sequences (since the movie itself has more) and some of Williams's best "battle music" since Empire. 

Since Luke and Leia are effectively the key to the movie's ending, he's able to pull in more of their themes from A New Hope which is nice, and in being able to play with themes from all 6 films (there are battle moments that follow exactly the same rhythm as the ewok battle, just with completely different notes), he avoids (perhaps accidentally) ripping off some of his works from other movies (the Trade Federation theme from Phantom Menace is almost indistinguishable from his "Nazi" theme from the first and third Indiana Jones films).

So, I'm groovin' today.

back to work...

Comments

[capi.livejournal.com]

*just back from reading about it in the news*

*perk* Hey, when does it open? And.... i mean, my memory is well known for being flaky, but i thought the original plan was for NINE movies, three trilogies? It sounds like we're stopping at six?

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

somewhere around may 22nd (its *always* close to May 25th, the opening day of A New Hope 28 years ago (before it even got that title ;-) ).

as for the 9? that was the original plan, and was his plan well through the completion of Jedi in '83. At the time, he wanted to take a break from effects films 'til the technology could catch up to his vision. after the experiments of the special edition films (most of the changes I have no problem with, myself) he decided it was time and did the first three.

Sometime in the early 90s when saying he was starting the new trilogy he said he'd stop with just those. He's waffled a little bit on that in interviews over the recent years, but I think this is it. His latest is that he's going to produce TV stuff again, with expectations that i'll be better than those 2 ewok specials (much less the dreadful Holiday special of 1978), and closer to the Young Indiana Jones series in quality (which I thought was pretty good at the time).

both series he's sketching supposedly will take place in between episodes 3 and 4 and building up on secondary characters. one may be all CGI.

some day, he may write down enough of his original vision for films 7-8-9 for someone to novelize, otherwise they'll just be locked in his head 'til he's gone.

[capi.livejournal.com]

*heh* I just *knew* you were the right person to ask! ((HUG))

I did not realize the final three had never been *written*!! I do hope he puts it down in writing! I've enjoyed the movies enuf that i never felt inclined to read the books, but i'd surely be willing to read the final three *especially* if he's not going to turn them into film!!

[selkiesiren.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Joe...

That is an altogether unique way of looking at it, and very refreshing indeed. Movies can fail or succeed on multiple levels, but (and this is surprising to me), I had never thought to look at how sequels tie their music together. That really does give me a fresh perspective from which to look at this and future sequels.

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

Harry Potter's been pretty good for that to a point. The second HP film was done like the second Superman, though -- "themes by John Williams" and music composed and arrainged by some other guy. (the mad-bludger Quitich game sequence is almost indistinguishable from the Corosant bounty-hunter chase in Clones, and perhaps for that reason, was actually left off the Chamber of Secrets soundtrack CD.) Williams returned to do HP3 himself, and is doing 4 himself as well, last I read.

At the time, JW was really working night-and-day to get the love theme that Lucas wanted for Clones *just right*. Personally I think he succeeded, but it did mean a change in plan for how JW wanted to build up the music for Anakin. the Anakin theme in Phantom has a 4-note motif taken from the Vader theme of Empire, and JW in interviews said that he wanted to build on that so the Anakin theme from 2 would have 2 or 3 such motifs thrown in, and by the time Vader arrives, the Empire theme can come out in full force.

By changing the focus and trying to build strength to the love story (since the actors weren't going to do it ;-) ), that plan kinda got thrown to the wayside so for familiarity's sake the Empire theme shows up at the end of Clones, much earliar than I (and JW) thought was necessary.

yeah, the thing about Williams's work is that when he's doing sequels, he's able to take the work of the first film (usually very Mahler and Holst influenced) and build it up Wagnerian style to a cycle. Shore did exactly that up front when working on Lord of the Rings, though i've heard the Symphony on tour kinda over-emphasizes the first film.

so i'm a music analysis junkie. go fig. I actually like it when albums need liner notes ;-)

[selkiesiren.livejournal.com]

By changing the focus and trying to build strength to the love story (since the actors weren't going to do it ;-) )

:::ROFLMAO!!:::

You just leveled both me and the Hubby on that one!

[rennfoole.livejournal.com]

Read some good stuff online about the music. Listened to clips on Amazon. I thought what I heard sounded pretty fabulous. And, yesterday, I ordered it. It should be here next week just in time for me to listen to it for a week before the 5/19 opening.

I still haven't decided if I will watch the DVD it comes with (there is footage from Episode III). I am pretty excited to the see the missing link in the Star Wars saga. I have already read too much and know WAY too much about this film. Being a film fan, I am also a fan of the Star Wars Universe. I am really looking forward to the time when I can watch the six films in their chronological order to see if it all works together and makes sense. The only film I think will suffer (even after the SE tinkering) is Ep. IV. It still looks like a 1970's film. V & VI seem to have transcended the 80's - in most respects. I may be wrong. And, I cannot wait to actually be able to do this.

Man, this sounds like a post from a SW Fan board! Sorry.

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

the DVD doesn't show anything more than any of the trailers have shown for SW3. only 1 track about 3 minutes long. the rest is all from the main 5 (dvd-editions, as in the finale sequence does show the "young" aniken at the ewok celebration).

so don't worry about spoilers. or just "next" skip that chapter when watching.