The Miscellaneous Thought Thread

[smooch]

Theatrical cuts of the Original Star Wars Trilogy.

In case you aren't aware, you should look into Star Wars Despecialized. There are fan made remasters of the closest you can get to a high quality version of the theatrical releases of Star Wars. There are a few projects along these lines, another one being 4K77, where people go and take scans of original theater reels of the movies and clean up the footage quality and create high definition versions of the Star Wars movies in their original forms. I have a 720p folder of all 3 of the OT but I also have a higher quality, I don't think 4k but a high definition copy of A New Hope, but that is 17.8 GB alone, where as the 720p collection of all 3 films is only 5.2 GB. I don't ever watch the OT on Disney+ since I have these bad boys downloaded and ready to go!

 

[smooch]

The original cuts no longer exist. when they made the special editions they updated the original negatives.

Check my last comment, there are fantastic fan made recreations of the original films using scans of original film reels that weren't updated to the special editions. They may not be official but they are fantastic quality and (according to everyone I've seen online talk about them, as I wasn't alive when the OT was released in theaters) are the same as watching the original movies in the theater when they were each released. Really cool stuff, I can never watch any of the updated versions of the movies anymore.

 

[DrAlice]

Maybe I've chosen the wrong ones, but the ones I've seen just don't hold a candle to the BBC docs that used to be all over Netflix.

Which National Geographic series/specials do you recommend?

My daughter and I really enjoyed the Disney's Animal Kingdom show and the Weird but True show.

I enjoyed "Mars Inside SpaceX" (but that's another "fandom" of mine, so YMMV) and the various Albert Lin shows. He's a little over the top, but the archeology topics are interesting. I haven't watched a lot of the geography shows, but I enjoyed the "Japan between Earth and Sky". It's like taking a helicopter tour of Japan. The "Drain the..." series is just silly, but there are nuggets of interest in some of them. And the James Cameron show where he thinks he's found Atlantis was facepalm-inducingly bad. So maybe watch that for the entertaining mockability.

Like I said, not everything was worth watching but I did anyway.

 

[Rich T]

Really disappointed with Ready Player Two.

In hindsight, I can’t even say I’m surprised. I should have learned my lesson after reading his other two books, but saw it available through my library’s e-book section and curiosity won out.

Ugh.

The entire John Hughes World section was possibly tbe worst thing I’ve ever read. Wait, no... The battle against Prince was even worse.

 

[Mac Tonight]

The entire John Hughes World section was possibly tbe worst thing I’ve ever read. Wait, no... The battle against Prince was even worse.

I just... WHY!?!?!?!?!?!!

Spoiler: Also...

I really hated how they got the 6th Shard... Cline sets up this nigh-unbeatable monster and they what... sang him to sleep?!?!! WTH!!! Also, why wasn't Wade even a part of the final battle!?!?!?! So infuriating.

 

[Sailor310]

As an aside from the Washington Post,

Miami Heat to use coronavirus-sniffing dogs to allow some fans back into arena​

DL could train Goofy and Pluto and we'd be all set.

 

[DrAlice]

Really disappointed with Ready Player Two.

In hindsight, I can’t even say I’m surprised. I should have learned my lesson after reading his other two books, but saw it available through my library’s e-book section and curiosity won out.

Ugh.

Same. I think I liked the other two books more than you, but this one was pretty Meh. I almost didn't finish it.

 

[DrAlice]

The entire John Hughes World section was possibly tbe worst thing I’ve ever read. Wait, no... The battle against Prince was even worse.

The John Hughes stuff didn't bother me, because well... I was a pre-teen and teenage girl during those years.

But yeah, the Prince thing was a head scratcher for sure.

My biggest problem in this book was Wade. All character development from the first book was tossed out the window as a plot device.

 

[Mac Tonight]

Same. I think I liked the other two books more than you, but this one was pretty Meh. I almost didn't finish it.

I got about to the Prince section and started skimming the rest. Though I had to re-read some parts in full because I couldn't believe they got through certain Quests with as much ease as they did.

 

[Curious Constance]

As an aside from the Washington Post,

Miami Heat to use coronavirus-sniffing dogs to allow some fans back into arena​

DL could train Goofy and Pluto and we'd be all set.

As if the world needed another reason to love dogs

 

[Curious Constance]

My daughter and I really enjoyed the Disney's Animal Kingdom show and the Weird but True show.

I enjoyed "Mars Inside SpaceX" (but that's another "fandom" of mine, so YMMV) and the various Albert Lin shows. He's a little over the top, but the archeology topics are interesting. I haven't watched a lot of the geography shows, but I enjoyed the "Japan between Earth and Sky". It's like taking a helicopter tour of Japan. The "Drain the..." series is just silly, but there are nuggets of interest in some of them. And the James Cameron show where he thinks he's found Atlantis was facepalm-inducingly bad. So maybe watch that for the entertaining mockability.

Like I said, not everything was worth watching but I did anyway.

Ohhhh, I loved the Animal Kingdom show about all of the behind the scenes animal care at the park. I find myself missing the animals they featured.

 

[CaptinEO]

Check my last comment, there are fantastic fan made recreations of the original films using scans of original film reels that weren't updated to the special editions. They may not be official but they are fantastic quality and (according to everyone I've seen online talk about them, as I wasn't alive when the OT was released in theaters) are the same as watching the original movies in the theater when they were each released. Really cool stuff, I can never watch any of the updated versions of the movies anymore.

I used to be all into the fan efforts like this.

These days I stick to the laserdisc copies. They look great, even on my 110" projection screen.

The 2006 DVDs are another option for people. Just make sure your TV has a zoom function as it is letterboxed instead of being widescreen formatted.

There are also the widescreen VHS copies too. Lots of options for people.

 

[smooch]

I used to be all into the fan efforts like this.

These days I stick to the laserdisc copies. They look great, even on my 110" projection screen.

The 2006 DVDs are another option for people. Just make sure your TV has a zoom function as it is letterboxed instead of being widescreen formatted.

I don't watch on anything with a disc drive, not my computer or the TVs in my room or living room have a DVD player hooked up, so I either watch on my computer or switch the HDMI from my side monitor for my computer to the TV on the wall above my computer and watch from bed. Therefore it's easiest for me to have these despecialized editions downloaded to just hit play and enjoy!

 

[mickEblu]

Think I found what I’m going to put some of those Christmas gift cards toward ...

 

[Rich T]

Think I found what I’m going to put some of those Christmas gift cards toward ...



View attachment 526187

Bobs: “Is that Nemo or the one who forgets things?”

 

[Rich T]

I was about to cancel my Disney+ subscription, but I just found out they’re adding all 5 seasons of the original Muppet Show in Feb. Guess I’ll keep it a bit longer.

 

[Okee68]

I really wish Disney would do an official release of The Fox and the Hound's soundtrack, because I can't stand not being able to listen to that masterwork of an opening piece in its original quality without a dog barking through the entire thing. The best we have currently is this terrible-sounding noise-reduced version.

 

[Rich T]

Eeeeeeew. that new trailer for Raya and the Last Dragon is AWFUL!!!! I was semi-looking forward to this, but... UGH!!! The same tired jokes as most other recent Disney animated films, the same bland, generic-looking CGI, the same modern, snarky dialogue and then the My-Little-Pony-Meets-Mushu-and-the-Genie-But-Just-Grating-Instead-Of-Funny dragon... My interest in this movie just dropped to zero.

Maybe it’s just a bad trailer... ?

 

[lazyboy97o]

Eeeeeeew. that new trailer for Raya and the Last Dragon is AWFUL!!!! I was semi-looking forward to this, but... UGH!!! The same tired jokes as most other recent Disney animated films, the same bland, generic-looking CGI, the same modern, snarky dialogue and then the My-Little-Pony-Meets-Mushu-and-the-Genie-But-Just-Grating-Instead-Of-Funny dragon... My interest in this movie just dropped to zero.

Maybe it’s just a bad trailer... ?

Oh wow, that is bad.

 

[Mac Tonight]

Eeeeeeew. that new trailer for Raya and the Last Dragon is AWFUL!!!! I was semi-looking forward to this, but... UGH!!! The same tired jokes as most other recent Disney animated films, the same bland, generic-looking CGI, the same modern, snarky dialogue and then the My-Little-Pony-Meets-Mushu-and-the-Genie-But-Just-Grating-Instead-Of-Funny dragon... My interest in this movie just dropped to zero.

Maybe it’s just a bad trailer... ?

Well, that was certainly... a trailer?