Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!wivax!decvax!harpo!seismo!hao!hplabs!sri-unix!Meehan@YALE.ARPA From: Meehan@YALE.ARPA Newsgroups: net.movies.sw Subject: RotJ Message-ID: <1953@sri-arpa.UUCP> Date: Wed, 15-Jun-83 02:22:30 EDT Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.1953 Posted: Wed Jun 15 02:22:30 1983 Date-Received: Tue, 14-Jun-83 05:09:44 EDT Lines: 27 From: Jim Meehan1. "Mark Terribile, Duke of deNet" was unhappy with the emperor's getting physical in the final scene. "It would have been far better if he sat with his eye [sic] closed as the sparks engulfed Luke..." I think he misses the chief effect of the emperor. As illogical as it may seem, it's scarier to see this shriveled, old wight coming at you, hands all gnarled in spell-casting mode, etc. As a friend of mine pointed out, it's the Wicked Witch of the West all over again, and that's why it's so powerful: there's no terror like a old terror, and no one forgets the Wicked Witch of the West. For me, the emperor is by far the most memorable character in RotJ; DV is next; the utterly and wonderfully repulsive Jabba comes third. It is for creating (and resurrecting) images like this that Lucas deserves a great deal of credit. 2. The next time you see it, listen carefully when Chewie and the Ewoks swing onto the top of the walker. Yep, a Tarzan yell. 3. If you get a chance to see it when there are lots of little kids in the sudience, pass it up. Go to the midnight show if you have to, but the second time I saw it, some nearby tots made me wish I had the powers of the Dark Side. The first time I saw it (at the first local performance), the crowd went wild, and the tension in the scene where Vader is deciding whether to grab the emperor ran high -- chants of "Do it! Do it!" Great. -------