AVForums Podcast: Episode 205 - 18th December 2017

Phil Hinton

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This week:

00:00:00 – It’s the last podcast of the year
00:01:24 – Current competitions
00:02:22 – Interview with Danny Tack from Philips
00:42:02 – Phil and Steve review Star Wars: The Last Jedi
01:08:57 – Quentin Tarantino wants to make an R-rated Star Trek film
01:11:09 – Films opening this week – Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Pitch Perfect 3
01:12:02 – Disc releases – The Christopher Nolan 4K Collection, In My Mind and The Apartment
01:13:56 – The Walt Disney Company buys 21st Century Fox for $52.4 billion
01:17:54 – Goodbyes

Presented by Phil Hinton with Steve Withers and Mark Botwright

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Time: 01:19:08 | File Size: 108mb | Direct Link
 
Great podcast and have a happy Xmas

Glad it wasn't just me that thought TLJ was an abomination of a movie...and your thoughts summed up mine pretty well
Looking forward to the spoiler podcast next year
 
Great podcast guys. Looking forward to another year of your guys making my commute to work and back as much fun as this year

I and no more than 4 others on the site seemed liked TlJ.

It has issues of course. Mary Poppins and the slowest chase in the world my biggest. But honestly I don’t see the things others detested about it.

I’m not a die hard fan though. I loved the original (untouched) trilogy. But it wasn’t a big part of my childhood. Parts of this you don’t need to be a die hard to have issues with, but it just didn’t effect me enough to have such vitriol towards it.

Perhaps if I didn’t have to drive through inches of snow I would have hated it more! Perhaps it would have been so good if I didn’t have to try so hard to see it and try and justify the journey.

But enough, as this will turn into another Star Wars thread.

I won’t be buying the Nolan Boxset. Probably just Batman and Inception. I hated The Prestige and don’t think Dunkirk will be worth it on a 65” TV and puny sound system

Might have to pick up the Apartment though. My Arrow collection is steadily growing.

Anyway good show guys and can’t wait for the spoiler Star Wars discussion
 
Had to listen to the TLJ review section. I can't disagree with most of the comments made, but on balance i enjoyed it more. 7/10 as per Steve's original review.

It was the badly timed comedy and pacing that i didn't like (which made the tone all over the place). With those sorted, i would have easily glossed over the other negatives. The family-guy-esque banter at the start was way too early in the film to work. You need to establish the gravity of the situation for a while before you bring in the humour.

All in all i think the good stuff was good enough to balance out the bad stuff. No repeat viewing though and i'll only buy the BR for the kids to watch sometime.

MB
 
I'm guessing that you weren't too keen on TLJ then gents. :rolleyes:

As far as the eventual release of the 3D / 2D BD combo of this film is concerned I will let it drop in price at "cex" to ten or twelve quid as I did with "Rogue One" before purchasing even though I felt RO was a pretty good film. I was also fortunate to get the boxed collectors edition of TFA 3D / 2D when it was released at the mistaken low price in "Asda" some time ago at £13.

I look forward to the next podcast in 2018 plus before that all the news from CES in sunny Las Vegas. In the mean time I wish you PH, SW and the other contributors on the poddy's, plus all forumites, a good time over the festive period (even though I will be working) and a happy, prosperous but far more importantly a healthy New Year. Yours truly LT. ;)
 
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I thought TLJ was excellent. Very smart and knowing in places with some great callbacks to other films in the franchise.

I love the AVF podcast, but film reviews from folks who might watch one film a month at the cinema are never the best part.
 
Thanks for the podcasts throughout the year guys, kept me entertained on many a dog walk!

Regarding your Star Wars reviews, you are obviously huge fans which comes over strongly, but I can’t help think that factor prevented you from being a bit more objective.

When you start dissecting the inertia of the space ships, then we are entering a different realm than probably most movie goers!

I went with my son last night and he enjoyed it, as did I. It is what it is, that is a couple of hours entertainment. Nothing more or less for me.
 
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I thought TLJ was excellent. Very smart and knowing in places with some great callbacks to other films in the franchise.

I love the AVF podcast, but film reviews from folks who might watch one film a month at the cinema are never the best part.
Everyone's entitled to their opinion but I'm going to have to disagree with you about TLJ, easily my most disappointing cinematic experience in decades. In fact even TPM didn't suck this much at the time or kill my love of Star Wars the way TLJ has. And just for the record, I see a lot more than one film a month at the cinema, not that the amount of times you go to the cinema makes any difference to someone's ability to review a film.
 
Thanks for the podcasts throughout the years guys, kept me entertained on many a dog walk!

Regarding your Star Wars reviews, you are obviously huge fans which comes over strongly, but I can’t help think that factor prevented you from being a bit more objective.

When you start dissecting the inertia of the space ships, then we are entering a different realm than probably most movie goers!

I went with my son last night and he enjoyed it, as did I. It is what it is, that is a couple of hours entertainment. Nothing more or less for me.
The plot holes you could get a star destroyer through were bad enough but there was clearly an attempt to wipe the previous slate clean and thus simply abandon 40 years of history in order to fuel commercial aspirations and pursue a fairly blatant feminist agenda.
 
I think I am going apply to next year’s apprentice. My business plan for Lord Sugar is to start selling “Rian Johnson ruined by childhood” t-shirts!
 
fairly blatant feminist agenda.

Reading this has made me rather sad. For you Steve as much as AVForums.

I wrote a much longer response then removed it. After all what's the point? If watching a Star Wars film makes you angry because of the gender roles in it then I'm not going to have any words that will change your mind.

Didn't expect AVF to be one of those places. Logging out for the last time.
 
Wish you guys would of pressed Danny Tack on the lack of availability of Philips OLED's in the UK. It's almost impossible to get one :(
 
I liked some of TLJ, I just didn't love any of it.

I would mention that my 12 and 15 year old kids both absolutely loved it. To me, that said a great deal about this film (perhaps TFA, too) and the audience it's aimed at. It's a Star Wars film for the Snapchat generation; all about moments, rather than narrative.

Gentlemen, I'm not sure we're needed anymore.
 
Hated the film, yet both are going to buy the UHD. :D

Can’t hate it too much then fellas hey...? ;)

I think Phil’s comments have turned you to the Dark Side Steve.

Picked up TDK Trilogy, Inception and Interstellar today so that’s my Nolan fix sorted for Christmas.

The podcasts are a staple of my Monday morning commute so I thank you for all your hard work that you put in, wish everyone concerned a Merry Christmas and look forward to having you back in 2018.
 
Without sounding too loquacious.... Wooow such dissonance within our forums. I didn't think that there would be such ambivalence on a film which is let's face it pure fantasy. I don't think i've known Phil or Steve to describe a film, fantasy or otherwise, with such egregious and excoriating comments.... apart from describing Johnny Depp. It would appear this is one film that will expostulate peoples opinions, a lot like "Marmite" in as much one either likes it or hates it. But I can understand those who berate the direction it has taken, obviously being big fans, with (apparently) forgoing all before it from over forty odd years and therefore possibly (Disney.... naaa :rolleyes:) being a massive merchandising excercise. Or a bold decision to go forwards with new characters even with the reported naff jokes. Having said that the vast majority of the reviews over here and in America have been positive.

I haven't seen it yet and i'm not too sure whether I will see it at the cinema or (as mentioned above) just wait for the eventual BD release and buy it at "cex" when the price drops. One things for sure you've certainly caused vexatious feelings to Grumpyrocker. :suicide:
 
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Agree with most of Steve's and Phil's comments.
I left the cinema deflated after watching TLJ.
 
I enjoyed TLJ, BFI IMAX looked great apart from the 3D.

I don’t personally have an issue with the word “God”speed in Star Wars the themes have always had many religious undertones including the word Lord used both as a swear and referring to Siths. I feel the review was very harsh I was surprised Steve didn’t care for it as he enjoys Star Wars Rebels.
 
I enjoyed TLJ, BFI IMAX looked great apart from the 3D.

I don’t personally have an issue with the word “God”speed in Star Wars the themes have always had many religious undertones including the word Lord used both as a swear and referring to Siths. I feel the review was very harsh I was surprised Steve didn’t care for it as he enjoys Star Wars Rebels.
The use of the word Lord has no religious connotations whatsoever, it's an honorific, and although the Gungans for example worship various gods the idea of 'God speed' is directly taken from the monotheistic Christian religion which is utterly anachronistic in the Star Wars universe. All the character had to say was "may the force be with you" but Rian Johnson couldn't even give us that. As for Rebels, that is light years better than rubbish like TLJ and is made by people who really understand Star Wars.
 
I enjoy Rebels and looking forward to the 2nd part of season 4. Many of the themes of that series is present in the TLJ including the force projections. Also Virgin birth of Anakin is a bit Christian I would say!
 
Thanks for all the podcasts this year, really enjoyed them, hope you all have a great Christmas and CES.

I actually thought your reviews of TLJ were very fair (The morality messages were unnecessarily overbearing). I'm really looking forward to the spoilers allowed review. Please keep giving your honest opinions, they are part of what makes the podcast great (even if I don't always agree with them).

Enjoy CES and thanks once again
 
I enjoy Rebels and looking forward to the 2nd part of season 4. Many of the themes of that series is present in the TLJ including the force projections. Also Virgin birth of Anakin is a bit Christian I would say!
I hope you haven't just spoiled season four of Rebels for me. I'm not sure using The Phantom Menace as a defence is a good idea but the concept of a virgin birth isn't unique to Christianity, it's actually quite common amongst various myths and religions, George Lucas was merely distilling all these general ideas as he had from the very beginning.
 
You quoted The Phantom Menace first with the Gungans when you could of used C3PO With the Ewoks instead. No spoilers for rebels what I’m referring to happened in season 2. Also there is a scene where both Leia and admiral Holdo interrupt each other to say let the force be with you so Rian Johnson did give you that! Pic n mix religion is fine for George but not for any other directer?
 
I have no problem with women in film playing all sorts of roles, but it seems ALL the women(Phasma is a micro character) in this film are noble, wise strong, nurturing and GOOD!

true equality would allow women to fail, or be utter reckless or totally EVIL you know like they can be in real life.

Why couldn't Snoke have been female or Huxx....the reason is because the film makers are too scared to go for the real equality of allowing women to be shown in ALL LIGHTS not just shining ones

imagine if the Poe Character was a woman and the Leia character was male and when she\comes back from the failed bomber run the Male character slapped her round the face?

There would be an outcry, brutality etc etc.... but it barely gets a second glance.
 
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The more critiques I read about this the more negative my feelings about it become. I think at the time I glossed over some of the flaws due the sheer spectacle of some of the set pieces. That light sabre duel was very well done though.

I'm not sure I get the feminist agenda thing. Leia has been a string character since the start, as has Rey. There were a couple of others- purple haired Jurassic park woman who came across as pretty stubborn and difficult, and Finn's annoying sidekick who ruined his big moment.
 

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