h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

And he killed Kenny!

All the fixing-spaceships stuff was good though. Lucas seems to be forgetting that in a few year's time, people will be beginning their SW life with episode 1 and running through to 6 without the benefit of knowing that Obi-Wan eventually teaches the children of Vader, becomes a ghost, tutors Luke from beyond the grave etc etc.
If you're into fancy twirling stuff (which I've almost mastered with bits of wood) there is a little thing you can do to make it more enjoyable. Get your stick and cover in in fluourescently coloured paper or paint. Buy one of the UV tubes often found in pubs and clubs - look in the Maplin catalogue for a start. Failing that, I suppose you could treat the transmuter stuff found in normal fluorescent mercury tubes to make it go away but that would take too long. Equipped with these things, turn on the light, turn off the others, hire a video camera and twirl the painted stick under the UV light whilst making "fszzzzhhhhp", "hccchooooowwwwwwwisht" and "mgmgmgmgmmgmgMMGMGMMGMMMMnmmmgmgmmm" noises. Avoid wearing any clothes that will also fluoresce as it will spoil the effect. ALternatively, simply pain the stick a normal colour, load it into a PC and go through it frame-by-frame extracting the colour of the stick, making it into a mask, making it really bright and then replacing it in the original film. Takes ages but it works.

Did you know how they got the whizzy noises for the light sabers in the early films? They put a big magnet next to a TV and moved it about a bit. Low budget sound effects for a high budget technical effect.

I just tried to post an answer, but my PC crashed while I was creating it. If it appears, ignore it and read this one instead.

Since we're talking about special effects, I have a question. Why do space flicks insist on making their spaceships make noises as they fly past the camera? The low hum of the Enterprise, the roar of a Tie fighter, the rectum-loosening scream of a Shadow vessel. Dramatic licence I suppose, but I think the drama works better when the sound isn't there, like in 2001 or Silent Running.

I expect they have it as an attachment to radar. As the enemy ship gets closer have it get louder on the noise thrapser. That'll make everyone sit up and take notice.

Of course nobody has actually sat in space and watched any of this happen so, though science does seem to support your theory, you don't have any practical proof that in space they can't hear you scream. It's just play acting, after all.

Thanks for bothering about my apology.
A friend of mine saw ET, too, but he told me that AFTER the film instead of jumping from his seat to shout "Didn´t I tell ya? DIDN´T I TELL YA?!? HAR HAR...there he is...HAR HAR HAR...and you thought I was crazy..." So I think I´ll have to see that movie again. Damn. It´s becoming expensive.

Now that Indy thing is totally new to me, maybe it was just another guy from Tatooine with a hat and a leather jacket... The Darth-Vader´s-breath-in-the-credits thing is true because I always watch credits when the soundtrack is great...

By the way, I don´t know why that friend laughs like a pirate.

IT´S ALIVE!!! IT´S ALIVE!!!!!!! HAR HAR HAR...

Maybe you have strange friends. However, not so strange that they'd alienate 200 Star Wars fans by jumping up and down in the middle of the film. You see, there's something good in almost everyone.

Maybe we can ask NASA to have the next shuttle poke a microphone out of the window to determine the facts. Better still, we could ask the Russians. Those buggers will do anything for money at the moment.

I still think that silence is better dramatically.

I was going to leave this reply blank to see if it had more dramatic effect and test your theory. I felt so emotional about it that I guess you are right.
Have you ever listened to silent pauses on the radio? I tend to go over and hit it with a stick to see if it's still working.

What was the best silent sound effect you ever heard?

Actually, it's entirely inaccurate to have any sound effects whatsoever in space.
Sound, unlike light, requires a medium - space is an (almost) complete vaccuum, and sound can't travel in it.
A microphone stuck outside the space shuttle might have some noise, but it'll be vibrations from the shuttle, not sounds from outside.

Shouldn't that be the best silent sound effect I NEVER heard? It's a tough question though, so guess what? I haven't got an answer! I suppose that belittles everything I've said until now. Go on, laugh at me now I'm down. I don't care, I can take it. (boo hoo, sniffle....)

Silence in space would mean there is less cash to be made in merchandising. No one will buy a game with silent ships!

Personally I blame Star Trek for making space the noisy place it is today. Captain Kirk et al ran a very noisy bridge...lots of dings, boings etc. Starfleet could have serious occupational health and safety breaches.... sue Mr Spock, sue!

I think all SF films involving space travel should come with optional earplugs. Then they could have a little sign come up on screen to indicate that purists should insert earplugs at the appropriate moment. Then of course they could have a little symbol to say when to remove earplugs.

You could also be a little divil and put them in when you're not meant to (giggle) like when the Star Trek bridge is too loud.

Good to see that Ploppy is familiar with Babylon 5. Are the Rangers simply Jedi in an alternate universe? Have they borrowed each other's cloaks? Does Marcus's double-ended Minbari fighting pike remind you of D.Maul's light sabre?

Is this a quiz?

I like quizzes

it sure does, all three of it

yeees...could be.... but I still think edge and lenght of the lightsaber are thought-controlled. Because sometimes someone gets hit in the back with one of those and just stumbles and is not neatly cut in halves (Stupid, D. Maul, you could have killed both yedis, but you forgot to think...). We can have thought-sealed clothes, can't we?
And yes gain, I THINK I saw Indy too, can't be real sure though (have to see it yet again, darn).
I#d have liked a bit more background and characterization for D. Maul too...