This time of year always feels like a time for watching Star Wars Episodes IV, V and VI.

And also this fantastically nerdy and often funny, and yet compelling, review of The Phantom Menace.

this is so good.

He knows he's being ridiculous but yet somehow he's right about it too.

I think that's all you need to know about film making.

Last night, I watched the Phantom Menace review linked in the first post - absolutely fantastic and strongly recommended to everybody, Star Wars fan or not. Not only is it tremendously funny, but it also doubles up as a Film-making 101 for anybody interested in cinema as an artistic form.

I cannot stress this enough - watch that review. You'll be glad you did. There's fuck all on telly tonight (apart from Glee on E4) so why not give it a try?

[thanks Fritter - I was laughing out loud at it]

Thanks for the endorsement. His Star Trek reviews are just as good, even though I've not seen any of the films he reviews.

I saw this review again last night. I went to see a friend who teaches media, showed him the first bit and he was saying he'd wished he'd seen it at the end of last year because the first part in particular would have been a really effective teaching tool i.e. it is accessible, it works as a piece of film in its own right, it's funny and it's right.

The friend of mine who recommended this (and is a film writer/director of Big Films) wondered whether this sort of thing marked a kind of turning point as to how YouTube's potential might be increased beyond just the current home made videos and uploads of archive material - it wouldn't be the sort of thing to ever get broadcast these, not least for legal reasons, but it does have a real value.

I heard similar kind of things regarding the maturity of Youtube yesterday from my friend. The module he wanted to use it for was for "Single camera techniques for short films", and this review is a masterclass in that, even before you get to the actual content.

Righteous stuff. I can only conclude that the fact that nobody else in posting in this thread, is because they haven't watched the review. If they had, they'd feel compelled to comment on how full of win it is, both from a stylistic and a content viewpoint.

If you are reading this and you've got nothing better to do - and let's face it, if you had, you wouldn't be here - then watch this review. Go on, deep down you know it makes sense.

Watched it and it is most winsome.

Has anyone ever seen THX-1138 or whatever it's called. George Lucas's first sci fi film made sometime before American Graffitti?

I have it, and I love it. Lucas' best film, ever. By a long chalk. Non-linear, haunting and amazing-looking considering the budget restraints. A truly unique vision of the future. B)

Jebus, that was awesome.

I've used a bit from this Phantom Menace review in classes, as it helps clarify how Hollywood-style films are dominated by genre conventions. I also have students read a chapter from Daniel Levetin's book "This Is Your Brain On Music," a discussion of the neuroscience of taste in music (why we like what we like). The insights in tihs chapter can also be applied to movies...

Anyway, the people who made that Phantom Menace review have recently completed a similarly epic review of Attack of the Clones.

Excellent, thanks for the news.

I wish I wish I wish..... they wouldn't do all the serial killer stuff. The reviews are excellent but those bits annoy me and I gave up on the Attack Of The Clones review for that reason.

Yes, the trouble with real geeks is they don't know when to stop.

i prefer lord of the rings.

God, I am loving these :applaud:

**edit, the murder stuff is pretty tedious, still glad I watched it**

Yes, that's the trouble with nerds, they don't know when to stop. In some cases that's fine, but...he does make some really excellent points.

I totally agree Fritter, especially the first three segments or so, great stuff.

what gets me is his voice - he sounds like a dealer in a Cheech and Chong film

just watched it again.. is the whole thing around to watch in one hit??

too good.

It takes special powers of compression to post anything longer than 10 minutes on YouTube.

That bit about Lucas surrounding himself only with sycophants, I've witnessed it today as it happens, and there's nothing anyone can do to stop it, which is a shame as the person in question used to be a nice guy.

What do people see in this 'Sci-Fi' space junk, "STAR WARS" give me "The Family Guy" versions every-time,

( I happened to catch some show that was showing examples of how they made 'Special Effects' sounds before trendy computers and I couldn't believe it when they showed you the way they made the sound of the automatic doors on the Death Star.....all it was was pulling an A4 piece of paper out of an envelope, amplified)

Lucas has made a mint out of promotional stuff alone, I'm extremely happy I never felt the urge to visit my local cinema and shell out good money to see yet another retake on the age old theme 'Good versus Evil' :zzzz:

[I eventually watched them one Christmas one on each night for six days]

I like it when they show how sound effects are done - the Star Wars: Empire Of Dreams documentary is great on this, as is the one about The Exorcist (how they made the sound of her head turning all the way round with an old leather wallet).

Re-Fritter Avatar I' not a 100% sure but I'm 95% sure that Fritters avatar looks like Michael Peterson "Bronson" on the slate roof of Walton prison which I had the misfortune of enjoying their accommodation for 10 weeks in either 1985 or 86 ( I'm sure it was 86 because I'm sure I went to the last 'REAL' Stonehenge where the Police went mad - it was great though you could buy any drug from amphetamines to zantax at discount prices. (thanks to aging hippies).Bronson though was built like a brick shit-house as he was able to grip the the sheet metal covered with barbed wire (supposedly to stop people getting to the roof) the wire and sheet metal went on for 30 foot before the drainpipe became normal, he did impressions for the Scouse school kids running up the roof like 'Rocky' in the "scene" in the film where Rocky ends a jog at the top of some steps.

:applaud:

Sorry, it's Len Lye.

http://www.redlettermedia.com/

The latest review by Plinkett - this time he goes to town on Revenge Of The Sith, which I haven't seen, but still.

This Plinkett isn't as good as the others. It is still good, but not as good. I liked the part where he said why Darth Vadar should have been a minor character.

Funniest Plinkett line ever (not in the new review -- in an older one):

"The urban market stole my teevee."