Indiana Jones - I believe this is worthy of its own thread.

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There's a fight scene inside of a giant clock that looks ripped directly out of the end of The Hudsucker Proxy.

Don't know what to make of this so far.
 
It's better than the version we got to see, I think, but still inherently flawed. Either Darabont created some of these set pieces/ideas himself and it carried into subsequent drafts or they were Lucas' ideas shoe-horned into every script - I'll put my money on the latter. It's still an interesting read, along with the other 2 available Indy 4 scripts.

Would you like me to send it to you?
 
It's better than the version we got to see, I think, but still inherently flawed. Either Darabont created some of these set pieces/ideas himself and it carried into subsequent drafts or they were Lucas' ideas shoe-horned into every script - I'll put my money on the latter. It's still an interesting read, along with the other 2 available Indy 4 scripts.

Would you like me to send it to you?

Sure! ostentatioustourist@hotmail.com
 
Sent.

If anyone else would like a copy of that script or the Jeb Stuart's The Saucer Men from Mars and Chris Columbus' The Monkey King, lemme know.
 
Sent.

If anyone else would like a copy of that script or the Jeb Stuart's The Saucer Men from Mars and Chris Columbus' The Monkey King, lemme know.

LMP, I'll take the other two Indy 4 scripts you've got (I snagged the Darabont one before it came down). Where do you get these?

utooguy AT gmail DOT com

thanks!
 
Sure thing. They were on some Indy site, I believe.

I got about 15 pages into Saucer Men the other day and it was alright.
 
^Thanks! I'm on call tonight...hopefully it'll be slow enough to read some of this
 
No problemo. Would like to know what you think of the Darabont script, for sure.
 
No problemo. Would like to know what you think of the Darabont script, for sure.



So far, I'm up to drunken Indy in the museum. I have to say, while the opening scene in the Darabont script dragged a hint and hasn't touched on any of the alien/skull stuff yet, it got to be pretty exciting and I think that I prefer it to the opener of the film. For one, he seems to have nailed Indy's character, especially with his dialogue. Also, I can even buy flying fridge scene a little more without mention of groundhogs...;) I'm also a fan of the Darabont interrogation scene compared to the film's---no blatant laundry list of Indy's WWII exploits (which I never felt really fit with the character), and his lines on the US and nukes seem to fit better, too. My only gripe so far is the part that I'm at----the drunken Indy in the museum bit. In a way, I can see how having him try to steal the museum's goodies can impart some sadness in the viewer--kind of a "this guy was great, now he's old, drunk, and sacked and look what he's come to" feeling. At the same time, I don't think that stealing the goods really fits in with Indy at all, even drunk, which is a little disappointing seeing as how I think Darabont hit the nail on the head with what he's done with him so far.

Okay, back to reading......:D
 
I agree with you about the opening. Skull's opening packed a bigger punch, but like you said, Indy feels more like Indy in this draft. I did like the idea of Indy unwillingly letting Yuri into the base - that element could have stayed instead of Mac. The museum sequence gets better during the fight sequence and the story really picks up some steam.
 
I haven't had a chance to finish the D script yet...hopefully this weekend. I like it so far. I'm going to the beach this weekend, so I'll have to print it out----which means a nice big print job at work tomorrow! ;)

They had the trilogy on last weekend on USA or TBS or something. Caught the end of Temple.....I really need to watch that again. I haven't seen it straight through in years...I think I might appreciate it a little more now than I did back in the day. I wonder if anyone's ever made a Kate Capshaw fan edit like the Jar-Jar-less 'Phantom Edit' of Ep.I. :hmm:
 
the action scenes are better than I remember, but most of the middle act is still a little slow. Short Round's the best though.
 
I watched the original trilogy this week and for what it's worth here are my thoughts:

Raiders of the Lost Ark
I honestly can't fault this. I know it's a tacky way to start a review, but I honestly can't say a bad work against it. Sure there are a fair few moments where after repeated viewings you kinda go, "but surely..." but that's missing the point. Any implausible moments are discreet and work well with the subject matter, rather than sticking out like sore thumbs or gaping plot holes.

Marion Ravenwood is by far the best Indy girl of the three. Indy clearly cares about her and the way their history is a masterclass in exposition (filling us in with enough instances of events but never what they actually were) and she's a strong, sympathetic character in her own right. Not to mention the chemistry. Speaking of exposition, the way Indy / Dr. Jones explains the story of the Ark of the Covenent is brilliant. Passion and a chalkboard is all that's needed and it works seemlessly into the film. Also, the truck chase is one of my favourite action scenes ever.

Interesting point: the truck chase is technically the last proper action scene of the film. Sure we see Indy hide from Nazis and sneak aboard a sub and then later on see the Ark opened, but the sneaking is low key and Indy is tied up with his eyes closed during the grand finale. It's the CGI spirits that deliver the knock out blow to those fiendish Nazis at the end and it's done in a more visceral way rather than the style of everything preceding it.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
YLB summed up my thoughts on this one: great action, weak middle section. With a lack of globetrotting and action, we basically follow Indy through the jungles of India while Kate bloody Kapeshaw shrieks her head off at every possible opportunity until some goon tries to strangle Indy. The dinner scene, in my eyes intended to liven things up, is simply embarassing. But going back to that bedroom scrap, I love the way Short Round totally expects there to be some nookie going on while he sleeps in the same room. I wonder how many times Dr. Jones banged some bimbo broad in a cheap motel while Shorty took notes on the next bed? Guess we'll never know because presumably somebody offed him in the year between this and Raiders.

But onto the action, which is the only element that the film has going for it. What kind of villain poisons an enemy and then proceeds to waggle the bloody antidote under their nose? Even Bond baddies weren't that dumb. The lifeboat scene is positivelt ridick but at least looks real on film. The spiky descending room scene is ace, made even better with Ford's insane mugging when he goes, "We... are going... to DIE!!!". But it's not until Indy takes on the whole cult single handedly after awakening from his dark sleep that it really feels like an Indy film. The conveyor belt scrap, mine cart chase, water flooding and finally rope bridge scenes are all excellent and make the film worthwhile. I can't imagine how one must have felt upon seeing it at the cinema and not having Last Crusade next to watch, but in hindsight it's not nearly as bad as it's sometimes made out to be.

To be honest, it's much more cinematic than Last Crusade. The reveal of Indy after he "wakes up" followed by the one-two punch off baddies collapsing into shot is gorgeous, as is much of the underground temple set. It strived for something different and overall is an admirable failure.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Reverting back to the original formula is both a good and bad move. Good in that the original rocks, bad in that it one is constantly reminded of how the original rocks so much more than this one. The old gang is back, minus Marion but plus Sean Connery. He doesn't appear until 50 minutes in but makes such a lasting impression throughout the second half of the film his scenes become much more memorable than anything in Venice. The fact that the Jones boys fucked the same Nazi is a great addition to an already interesting father-son plot. Especially when Henry Sr. knows she's a Nazi way before his more "heroic" son. Also, the earning of each others' respect is nicely down and never feels forced.

As far as action goes this is probably the least memorable of the trilogy. There's the (highly amusing) prologue, complete with brilliant transition from kid to adult Indy, sewer/boat action, fireplace/motorcycle scene, airplane chase, tank chase and finally the three trials. The only ones that stand out among the series for me are the fireplace/motorcycle scenes for the humour and the trials because they're the climax. Whilst never bad, the rest don't elevate themselves above what has gone before.

But my ranking still goes Raiders > Crusade > Temple. Crusade may play safe whilst Temple went for something different, but I'll sooner watch Indy and his Dad bicker than Kate Capshaw be a pain in the arse any day of the week.

As this is really an Indy IV thread I may as well state that I have no intention of watching Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I ummed and ahhed for while but a combination of some of my friends actually getting angry from the new installment plus the perfect finish of the 80s films makes me perfectly happy to remember the trilogy as it was when I found it. Although Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis was a cracking point and clicker.
 
I watched the original trilogy this week and for what it's worth here are my thoughts:

Raiders of the Lost Ark
I honestly can't fault this. I know it's a tacky way to start a review, but I honestly can't say a bad work against it. Sure there are a fair few moments where after repeated viewings you kinda go, "but surely..." but that's missing the point. Any implausible moments are discreet and work well with the subject matter, rather than sticking out like sore thumbs or gaping plot holes.

Marion Ravenwood is by far the best Indy girl of the three. Indy clearly cares about her and the way their history is a masterclass in exposition (filling us in with enough instances of events but never what they actually were) and she's a strong, sympathetic character in her own right. Not to mention the chemistry. Speaking of exposition, the way Indy / Dr. Jones explains the story of the Ark of the Covenent is brilliant. Passion and a chalkboard is all that's needed and it works seemlessly into the film. Also, the truck chase is one of my favourite action scenes ever.

Interesting point: the truck chase is technically the last proper action scene of the film. Sure we see Indy hide from Nazis and sneak aboard a sub and then later on see the Ark opened, but the sneaking is low key and Indy is tied up with his eyes closed during the grand finale. It's the CGI spirits that deliver the knock out blow to those fiendish Nazis at the end and it's done in a more visceral way rather than the style of everything preceding it.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
YLB summed up my thoughts on this one: great action, weak middle section. With a lack of globetrotting and action, we basically follow Indy through the jungles of India while Kate bloody Kapeshaw shrieks her head off at every possible opportunity until some goon tries to strangle Indy. The dinner scene, in my eyes intended to liven things up, is simply embarassing. But going back to that bedroom scrap, I love the way Short Round totally expects there to be some nookie going on while he sleeps in the same room. I wonder how many times Dr. Jones banged some bimbo broad in a cheap motel while Shorty took notes on the next bed? Guess we'll never know because presumably somebody offed him in the year between this and Raiders.

But onto the action, which is the only element that the film has going for it. What kind of villain poisons an enemy and then proceeds to waggle the bloody antidote under their nose? Even Bond baddies weren't that dumb. The lifeboat scene is positivelt ridick but at least looks real on film. The spiky descending room scene is ace, made even better with Ford's insane mugging when he goes, "We... are going... to DIE!!!". But it's not until Indy takes on the whole cult single handedly after awakening from his dark sleep that it really feels like an Indy film. The conveyor belt scrap, mine cart chase, water flooding and finally rope bridge scenes are all excellent and make the film worthwhile. I can't imagine how one must have felt upon seeing it at the cinema and not having Last Crusade next to watch, but in hindsight it's not nearly as bad as it's sometimes made out to be.

To be honest, it's much more cinematic than Last Crusade. The reveal of Indy after he "wakes up" followed by the one-two punch off baddies collapsing into shot is gorgeous, as is much of the underground temple set. It strived for something different and overall is an admirable failure.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Reverting back to the original formula is both a good and bad move. Good in that the original rocks, bad in that it one is constantly reminded of how the original rocks so much more than this one. The old gang is back, minus Marion but plus Sean Connery. He doesn't appear until 50 minutes in but makes such a lasting impression throughout the second half of the film his scenes become much more memorable than anything in Venice. The fact that the Jones boys fucked the same Nazi is a great addition to an already interesting father-son plot. Especially when Henry Sr. knows she's a Nazi way before his more "heroic" son. Also, the earning of each others' respect is nicely down and never feels forced.

As far as action goes this is probably the least memorable of the trilogy. There's the (highly amusing) prologue, complete with brilliant transition from kid to adult Indy, sewer/boat action, fireplace/motorcycle scene, airplane chase, tank chase and finally the three trials. The only ones that stand out among the series for me are the fireplace/motorcycle scenes for the humour and the trials because they're the climax. Whilst never bad, the rest don't elevate themselves above what has gone before.

But my ranking still goes Raiders > Crusade > Temple. Crusade may play safe whilst Temple went for something different, but I'll sooner watch Indy and his Dad bicker than Kate Capshaw be a pain in the arse any day of the week.

As this is really an Indy IV thread I may as well state that I have no intention of watching Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I ummed and ahhed for while but a combination of some of my friends actually getting angry from the new installment plus the perfect finish of the 80s films makes me perfectly happy to remember the trilogy as it was when I found it. Although Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis was a cracking point and clicker.

Glad we agree on Temple, I also agree with you on everything else. You know, it's cool if you don't see Crystal Skull, but I think it fits snugly between Temple and Crusade in tone and overall quality. There are those heavy-handed Lucas CG moments, and the LaBeouf, and the alien presence, but if you can handle them, the rest is pretty gravy. It's almost like the trials at the end of Crusade. :lol:

Plus, I'd be interested in hearing what you'd say.
 
Glad we agree on Temple, I also agree with you on everything else. You know, it's cool if you don't see Crystal Skull, but I think it fits snugly between Temple and Crusade in tone and overall quality. There are those heavy-handed Lucas CG moments, and the LaBeouf, and the alien presence, but if you can handle them, the rest is pretty gravy. It's almost like the trials at the end of Crusade. :lol:

Plus, I'd be interested in hearing what you'd say.

I might catch it on Sky in a year or so but right now I just don't care. Which is a total shame because I'd love to see Indy on the big screen. My main reason for not going is that everyone seems to be very specific about what they didn't like (gophers, fridge, aliens, CGI), but what they did like gets summed up as "yeah parts of it were OK/alright/cool", which doesn't fill me with confidence.

Oriignally Posted by NSW
Monkeyskin, you had me right up until you employed the word "cracking".
[/quote

I was just trying to be cool.

But Fate of Atlantis was ace no matter what adjective you use.

Oriignally Asked by LucasArts
Fists, wits or team?
 
I might catch it on Sky in a year or so but right now I just don't care. Which is a total shame because I'd love to see Indy on the big screen. My main reason for not going is that everyone seems to be very specific about what they didn't like (gophers, fridge, aliens, CGI), but what they did like gets summed up as "yeah parts of it were OK/alright/cool", which doesn't fill me with confidence.

To me, it's no worse than Temple of Doom and at least that's entertaining.
 
So I'm a little less than halfway through the Darabont script---just finished the awesome plane chase. :faint: I have to say, the action in this is great. And like I said before, everything in it really fits extremely well with all of the previous films. I think my only criticism so far is that maybe it fits too well. There's not much of any indication that it takes place 20 years later---Indy seems to have all the same agility, etc., with no reference to his age, Marion is still smokin' hot, etc. Plus, a few gimmicks from previous films are in there....i.e., a sketchy guy with an eyepatch and a parrot on his shoulder instantly bring the sketchy guy with an eyepatch and monkey on his shoulder from Raiders to mind. Still, it's a fun read & really makes me wonder how we'd feel if this version were the official version.
 
Sophia Hapgood would have made a perfect match for Indy in Crystal Skull.

How are the old Indy comics & books? I've never read any of them, but have thought about it from time to time. I think most of the books are Young Indy Chronicles or meant for teen readers or something, right?
 
So....

As lame as KOTC was, the 2-disc dvd is going to find its way onto my Christmas list this year...

:reject:
 
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