COMMENTARIES -
AUGUST 2008
Goodbye GG... -
08/21/08
Goodbye General
Grievous Site, welcome Star Wars Epica.
If you think
about, it is not such a big change. After all, the site url was
already "www.starwarsepica.com.pe".
All I had to do was to change some banners and text, and that
was it. I did it because it has been more than three years since
Episode III was released, because we're entering a new
era in the history of Star Wars (with the release of the
new videogames, the Clone Wars movie and show, and the
live-action TV series), and because there was no use in having a
Star Wars site named after ONE particular character. This
is not longer a "General Grievous Site" - this is a Star Wars/Indiana
Jones/Film Criticism website, and I wanted to convey that
with the title. (Well, at least the Star Wars bit.)
I hope it doesn't
bother my readers, and I do hope that you like the new
banners and logos. (It's amazing how in two years I've perfect
my technique at creating banners and mixing images, although the
resolution of said banners is still pretty crappy.) This site is
now called Star Wars Epica, and from now on, I'll be
using my real name - Sebastián - instead of the nickname.
(Unless I decide to open another forum apart from the "Fan
Forums", but that's another story.) As you may have already
noticed, I've also changed the name of my
film criticism website - it is now called Star Reviews,
a name that, while a little cheesy, is still pretty
cool-sounding.
Anyway, with a new
name and new banners, expect my review for the Clone Wars
movie to arrive tomorrow night. I hope the film isn't as bad as
many critics are saying it is. I'm sure it won't be.
The important
thing is that you'll keep being loyal to Star Wars and
its whole universe, and that you will keep enjoying this site.
Sebastián "GG"
Zavala
Victory of the Dark Side – 08/15/08
This
week is Clone Wars and Tropic Thunder weekend… for
those who live in the United States. The Ben Stiller movie
hasn’t been released in here yet (actually, I haven’t seen any
posters or trailers for the movie in local cinemas, so I have no
idea when I’ll be able to watch it), but the Clone Wars
flick was released here today. The problem was, it was
supposed to be released yesterday (and I was supposed to see
it yesterday), but there was a problem with the delivery of film
cans or something… so I ended up watching
Made of Honor with my girlfriend. I won’t be able to see
Clone Wars today, so I guess I’ll do it on Saturday or
Sunday and post my review on the same day.
And
yes, I do want to watch the Clone Wars. The thing is, I’m
getting a little afraid. Believe it or not, I still have a
little faith on the Star Wars franchise and George Lucas,
but the film is being received very poorly by both critics and
audiences. Normal people (aka not critics) who have seen the
film don’t seem to like it, and professional reviewers have been
giving pretty bad reviews to the film. As of today, Clone
Wars has a tomatometer score of 22% in
Rotten Tomatoes, (I
mean, even
The Phantom Menace was “fresh”!) which is worse than the
likes of
Hancock or The X-Files: I Want to Believe.
(Well, at least it seems to be better than
The Mummy 3, although I’m not sure how exactly that’s a
good thing.) My point is that I’m getting scared because I’m a
Star Wars fan, I want to like the film, and because this
could mean the TV series could also suck. Also because I’ve
already ordered the soundtrack CD through amazon.com, and some
critics don’t even seem to like the friggin’ music. I’ve always
liked Star Wars, but if the film ends up disappointing
me, I would be very sad.
Regarding this week’s reviews: I reviewed
Inside Man because it is one of my favorite films of
recent years, and I ended up watching Made of Honor
because my girlfriend wanted to, and because the Clone Wars
release was postponed until today. The film itself is not
bad; actually, it is suitably enjoyable as a by-the-numbers
romantic comedy, but its fatal flaw is that it contains
virtually no comedic material. Considering it’s supposed to be a
romantic comedy, the movie should have been much funnier.
Still, I’m pretty sure teenage girls and women in general
have/will enjoy it.
So
yeah, that’s it, I guess. I still have about six or so DVDs to
watch (Citizen Kane, The Great Debaters, Before
the Devil Knows You’re Dead, to name a few), but I haven’t
had the time to do so. And since my MOCK exams start next week
(if you don’t know what a MOCK exam is in the context of the IB
programme, Google it), I don’t think I’ll be able to watch them
any time soon. I’ll try, though. Oh, and regarding
Stranger in Peril, we’re just about to finish principal
photography, and the editing of about 70% of the movie is
complete. I’ve also released the first trailer, so if you have
any interest on my work, you should watch it. I’m really
excited… things are actually working beautifully!
Sebastián “GG” Zavala
