midado

Very interesting article highlighting the hard work and innovation that has gone into subtitling over the years. Maybe I’m biased as a former language student who has always watched international cinema but it always annoys me when I hear people say “oh I can’t be bothered to watch a movie where I have to rely on subtitles”. The fact that these subtitles (when done well) manage to make films accessible to people across the world is amazing. Furthermore I find it fun to watch a movie in one of my secondary languages and compare to the message conveyed by the English subtitles, especially when they have the challenge of interpreting a joke or cultural reference.

I’m so pleased you mentioned this as I always think of it as an example of bad subtitles.The changing of Darth Vader’s “Noooooo!” to “Do not want!” cracks me up even though it’s by no means the strangest translation of the script.

Fascinating article with great examples of tattoos that challenge stereotypical designs and showcase the idea of the body as a blank canvas. Tattoos can be a statement to others about our identities, hopes and passions. They can also serve as emblems to remind ourselves of things, people or places we care about as a form of armour. While I don’t yet have any tattoos myself, I use jewellery in similar ways and can appreciate them as a form of personalisation.

I also grew up watching and enjoying the prequels as they were released in the cinema so it’s interesting to see some consideration amongst the usual vitriol.

You made some great points such as the hypocrisy of the age-gap arguments and the reason for Anakin’s general sullen attitude.

While I am a huge fan of the series as a whole, I appreciate the individual movies for different reasons. When watching the prequels again as an adult, I can understand some of the criticism such as an over-reliance on CGI, issues with some of the dialogue, acting and pacing, however my inner-child will always love the universe of the series and take away the best parts of the whole experience.

A key area deserving of praise is John Williams’ wonderful score. ‘Duel of the Fates’ is powerful, epic and haunting. It captured my sense of awe as a child watching the climatic battle of Episode I and the fearsome imagery of Darth Maul as a dangerous foe.

While there is much debate around the depiction of Anakin and Padme’s romance in Episode II especially, ‘Across the Stars’ remains one of my favourite pieces of music from the entire saga. It is beautifully bittersweet and captures the essence of star-crossed love.

While not necessarily my main focus whilst watching the prequels as a child, the machinations of Palpatine from Senator to Supreme Chancellor and eventually to Emperor form an interesting backstory to the villain and highlight the character’s skill and ambition whilst manipulating the lives of the main characters.

Also worthy of admiration is the creativity in design. To those who like myself grew up with the prequels, Queen Amidala’s elaborate costumes and the tattooed visage of Darth Maul are as iconic and synonymous with the series as Leia’s infamous hairdo in A New Hope.

I also found the underwater city of Otoh Gunga’s beautiful art nouveau-esque design and the sunkissed quasi-Mediterranean city scenery of Naboo a welcome contrast to the other more frequent desert and space locales. They both begin as peaceful settings and while cited as some as ‘boring’ they are perfect for the calm before the storm and the start of the Skywalker storyline and foundation of the Galactic Empire.

I totally agree with your point about the public finding something to complain about with each announcement of another Doctor, whether it’s to do with age, appearance or audience awareness of the actor. While I have always been sad to see the lead actors go by the end of their tenure, the use of regeneration as a device gives the show a chance to evolve and explore different facets of The Doctor.

Personally, I am excited to see what Jodi does with the role and hopefully the writing, direction and cast will support a brilliant new era of the show.

Like some other readers, I grew up watching this movie and I still enjoy it to this day. I agree about the bond between the core group of nuns, and I especially enjoy the dynamic between the Reverend Mother and Sister Mary Clarence. The climactic casino scene in which Deloris is validated and accepted by the Reverend Mother after the tumultuous life she had previously led always leaves me smiling; Maggie Smith is perfect at playing stern with a twinkle in her eye.

All interesting points. Dystopian literature not only serves to allude to societal problems and fears of the era in which it is written but also fascinatingly, as illustrated by your Kellyanne Conway example, to reveal concerning patterns and issues in our present.