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Space Battleship Yamato 2199:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Batt … amato_2199
If, like me, you grew up with Star Blazers, Space Battleship Yamato 2199 will be hugely nostalgic. Star Blazers was the US adaptation of the classic Japanese series.
2199 is a loving retelling of the first season of the anime: There are new characters; the more childish humor has been removed; the enemy motivation and politics is more fleshed out; I think it is just plain better. There is also about 40 years of nerd arguing behind the changes. For example, the original Yamoto was found. And it was busted to sh!t. So, 2199 uses the ship design but the new Yamoto was not built from the wreck of the original.
Just check out the intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEC8bnqux44

From the New World (新世界より Shin Sekai Yori): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/From_the_New_World_(novel)
A story set in a future distopian town of psychics. The first half is children going to school and investigating. the second half is one piece of the distopia going out of control. The story really gives you a chance to get emotionally involved. There are lots of things I liked about the show but shouldn't you watch it just for the FUTURE DISTOPIA? (I am working really hard to avoid spoilers)

Sword Art Online: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword_Art_Online
In the first series, 1000 beta testers are trapped in a VR game and told they cannot leave until they beat all 100 levels. If they die in the game, their game system will kill them. The story is often tense while the characters are a bit thin. It does, however, introduce a few interesting ideas (level 22) and has a good twist mid-series and at the climax.  The second series continues with a fairly light gun-based story arc and finishes with 'Mother's Rosario', a plot involving non-gaming uses of the VR technology. [Log Horizon has a similar premise but SAO seems focused on the main characters' romantic relationship and the PTSD/long-term effects  of the initial event. SAO= Fighting, Romance, Emotional scars; LH= Talking, Politics, Changing the Game World]

I finished The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya this week: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haruhi_Suzumiya

The story revolves around a girl who is bored with mundane life and wants to live in a world of time-travellers, aliens, psychics, and dimensional sliders. It is a combination of slice-of-life and a sci-fi show. [You may want to skip eps 13-18 as they are part of a time loop with VERY small variations. 12 is the start and 19 is the end.]

A sequel film, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, is the wonderful conclusion of the show.

I think Jackson is trolling the world. He took the Star Wars prequels badly and is trying to make a worse prequel trilogy to redeem Lucas'.   L O L .

Kidding aside, the best of the lot, to me, is Fellowship. Each movie afterward, it seems Jackson takes more liberties and puts more of himself into the movie [ie: The ghost army rescue of The Return of the King is not in the book and is a terrible Deus Ex Machina. In the book, the army only destroys the reinforcements to in the south.]

I can understand if someone feels The Hobbit trilogy is supposed to be more whimsical. But, I think PJ (LOL) is doing a lot more than just a bit of whimsy. Moreover, he's brought characters from the very-not-whimsical LotR trilogy into this wacky-silly multi-massacre trilogy. It's hard to feel like it is supposed to be more childish and fun when it mostly just feels more lazy to me. For example, the Tauriel and Kili relationship undermines the significance of Legolas and Gimli's friendship.

Someone get one the fanedit ASAP. Please.

Since Disney has thrown out the expanded universe, maybe. The expanded universe old tech was lightsabers that had belt-mounted batteries.

There is a deleted scene of Luke making his lightsaber. Was Obi-wan there? I can't recall. Regardless, the color suggests Sith and the Sith are the ones who experiment (caveat:expanded universe info). I would guess a new design rather than an ancient one.

Braveheart, I think. More relevant, I think there is a broadsword duel in Mel Gibson's Hamlet. I could be thinking of another movie, though. Or, the wrong kind of sword.

As for 'original intentions' Lucas has claimed to have started the story in his early teens. It's been through countless revisions (and many of his claims have changed too may times for me to believe anything he says) but the earliest full treatments I have seen/heard of were near-exact copies of The Hidden Fortress: same plot, same characters (the General was Starkiller). And, the Vader/Obi-Wan fight is kendo. It is one of only two duels in the OT and Vader/Luke is also heavy with kendo.

That said, who cares if there's a broadsword now? I only question the crossguard because no one in 6 movies needed one...

Also, a quick look at Wiki says broadsword basically just means "not a rapier": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basket-hilted_sword

Agreed.

I watched the teaser. I am still full of reservations. Hopefully, I will be able to enjoy it (unlike Star Trek and ST Into Darkness). Lawrence Kasdan must be able to have some impact, right?

Some choice Phantom Menace Teaser Comments, to cool you down for the year-long wait : http://geektyrant.com/news/read-ridicul … er-trailer

I just finished Baccano! last night. http://myanimelist.net/anime/2251/Baccano!

It's a great story and is stuffed with both fun and disturbing moments.

Warning: The first story ends with episode 13. The anime is 16 episodes and the last 3 eps are starting the next storyline which are not resolved in the anime. It genuinely feels like someone planned a 26 episode series and production stopped on episode 16. If you are interested, the story continues only in the original light novel series (which is ongoing).

I keep looking at my copy of the pilot. Staring for a few seconds and moving on to something else. I think I'm really scared that it's a bad show. Maybe when I'm looking at 5 or 6 episodes I will be able to watch it. Or, maybe I'm still suffering from hoping Doctor Who would be OK (it's not).

Seconded: There is tons of humor in the Bible. And, in lots of other Western literature and culture. You'll find it easier to make the argument exclusively about the USA and it's Puritan roots.

That said, I have ached for years to see Romeo and Juliet performed with the jokes acknowledged. I have a true and deep need to see it performed properly.

No.

Unless I misunderstand your meaning. I read your comment as "Some people say it is a masterpiece and thus you can agree even though it does not work for you." This is not how it works in art. Rather, you apply a set of guidelines for a work to be a "masterpiece" and, admit it is a masterpiece (in this technical sense), but you can also note that it does not move you or work for you. But, this is a story. The technical requirements for a masterstory or 'perfect story' may vary.

The mass of the moon cannot change without introducing a source for more mass. No one is shutting off the power grid for entire countries in the middle of the night (who would even see that broadcast?). There is a long list of problems and any of them could be addressed with a single line of dialogue (ex: "It seems to be *BABBLING* from *BABBLE* to grow"). Star Trek TNG had an entire writing team whose sole job was filling in science nonsense in the script. All I ask for from Doctor Who is that the existence of basic science be acknowledged.

Worse, as stated earlier, the episode once more tries to double-feint the audience. The story looks like a monster story but builds to a 'wonderful' and 'magical' ending with a special, fancy creature and la-la-la. Then *Whoosh*, Clara is angry! Surprise!

Yes, it is a surprise. But, I don't understand it. I didn't understand why Clara (who gave her life for the Doctor in the previous series) was ready to leave after his regeneration. I don't understand why she is pissed at the end of this episode. I thought his explanation adequate and a compliment to her for standing up for her principles. I fully agree, she was introduced as a strong, independent, and willful woman. She can leave the Doctor at any time for any reason.

So, how do we go from him asking if he is a good man to her leaving without a warning? He called her his conscience. But, she wasn't upset about that. There was a problem with her boyfriend but that seemed resolved to her satisfaction. She clearly has no problem with nearly dying on a regular basis or seeing people killed when they are standing next to her. The only reason I saw given was she demanded he tell her what to do and he said it was her decision. And that, to me, was out of character for her. But, she has been written so inconsistently this season that I don't even care. If we had a few episodes that ended with Clara glaring at the Doctor's back as he walked away, I would understand. If the next episode begins with another F*CKING pointless cold open and Clara is infected with a mind parasite, I would understand that, too. I suspect that is not the case and will not be waiting to find out.