|
|
Post by TrekBeatTK on Jan 13, 2014 11:28:07 GMT -5
I've decided to take January and watch Indiana Jones all month. So for the past couple weeks I've been working my way through Young Indiana Jones and I'm enjoying it. I watch one "movie" a day (as on DVD episodes were combined into a movie format). While some of the shifting around of chronology annoys me in the way the DVD was put together, on the whole I think the show does a good job with its continuity (despite a couple hiccups). I am going to try going back and watching all the Old Indy bookends that originally aired but got cut for home video after I finish the Harrison Ford movies. Or at least, the ones I can find on the internet.
Anyway, I'm about halfway through Young Indy and it's fun because there's a lot I haven't seen.
Anyone else a fan of Young Indy?
-TK
|
|
|
|
Post by Mel on Jan 13, 2014 12:09:07 GMT -5
I hadn't heard of the show before!
|
|
|
|
Post by TK on Jan 13, 2014 13:41:50 GMT -5
It can sometimes be hit-or-miss, and if you go in to it expecting it to be all fast action, archaeology and escapes you might be disappointed. It was a short-lived series on ABC in the early 1990s, fueled by the success of Last Crusade. It jumped around in time which probably didn't help. Each episode was "bookended" by a 90-something Indy reminiscing about his early days. One episode (actually aired as a TV movie) was bookended by Harrison Ford to boost ratings. Not every episode is a gem, but George Lucas wanted to use Indy to teach kids history. So Indy bumps into a lot of famous people (this can wear thin for some viewers), but we see a bit of his childhood, when he left home, and his adventures serving in World War I. There are some really good stories.
On DVD, all the stories are in chronological order (well, mostly). The pilot movie featured half the story with 10 year old Indy and the other half with 16 year old Indy. They've split this up on the DVD, so it's a little awkward that the story just stops. They paired up episodes as "movies", most of which didn't air that way (though some did, and others were two-parters). And they 10-year old Indy stories ordered more thematically than strictly chronologically.
But despite these editorial changes, I think the show is worth checking out. If you try it and get bored with the really early ones, jump ahead to the World War I stuff and catch up on the back ones later. There is a sense of the old Indy spirit in some of the later ones.
-TK
|
|
|
|
Post by CRAMBAM on Jan 13, 2014 20:32:01 GMT -5
I remember liking the show, and I remember Harrison Ford's guest star.
|
|
|
|
Post by captainbasil on Jan 15, 2014 7:41:59 GMT -5
I never cared for it , but I have not seen it since it aired. I would take another shot.
|
|
|
|
Post by StarFuryG7 on Jan 15, 2014 12:09:43 GMT -5
Anyone else a fan of Young Indy? -TK I believe I saw them all when they first aired, although I may have missed one or two without having gone back to check them out later. It's hard to say, but I did see most of them at the very least, and frankly I never really cared for that show and wasn't surprised that it didn't catch on and ended up getting cancelled. It was different from the movies, which were more action-oriented, and I know they used computers often to increase the size of crowds in scenes where it was called for, and to enhance the settings --something you generally don't see filmmakers of today resorting to for some reason even on shows like "Game of Thrones", where it would most certainly enhance the experience for viewers. I just don't understand why the technology has existed going back that far, with Lucas and his people who worked on that series being pioneers in that regard, and television producers of today not viewing it as a useful tool in their arsenal that they can resort to when needed. At any rate, I have no desire to go back and look at that particular show to be honest. When it was cancelled my reaction was very much along the lines of "Good riddance", having felt very much that way about a Spielberg show of the same period, which I generally referred to as "Amazingly Bad Stories" back then. So that's pretty much where I stand on both of those shows, although of the two, if a gun were put to my head, I'd choose "Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" if I were forced to watch one of them ...if that's any conciliation. |
|
|
|
Post by TrekBeatTK on Jan 15, 2014 16:36:04 GMT -5
I believe I saw them all when they first aired, although I may have missed one or two without having gone back to check them out later. It's hard to say, but I did see most of them at the very least, and frankly I never really cared for that show and wasn't surprised that it didn't catch on and ended up getting cancelled. It was different from the movies, which were more action-oriented, and I know they used computers often to increase the size of crowds in scenes where it was called for, and to enhance the settings --something you generally don't see filmmakers of today resorting to for some reason even on shows like "Game of Throws", where it would most certainly enhance the experience for viewers. I just don't understand why the technology has existed going back that far, with Lucas and his people who worked on that series being pioneers in that regard, and television producers of today not viewing it as a useful tool in Yes, it was a real pioneer in terms of digital effects for TV. I think part of what keeps it from happening now is simply time and budget, depending on the series. Part of why Indy got cancelled was it was expensive and the ratings didn't justify going on with it. It may be also that the current programs and tech being used to do effects today are different and need more rendering time or other similar considerations. It seems counter-intuitive, but it wouldn't surprise me. The series is definitely different tonally than the movies, and isn't always consistent within itself. I can't say whether I'd like it when it first aired; I remember being a bit underwhelmed when I first saw it. But looking at it again for what it is, the good ones stand out. There are certainly ones to skip. Yesterday was a Kafka-esque episode (because of course, Indy ran into Kafka) which was goofy fun, but completely unbelievable. Beyond even Temple of Doom believability. I kept expecting it to all be a dream. But the one where he's in the trenches at the Somme is a really good little war movie, especially by TV standards of the day. When the series hits a good action tone, those are the ones that stand out. "Phantom Train of Doom" is pretty action oriented (though not as tightly paced as an Indy movie), and "Attack of the Hawkmen" really felt like Indy to me. Indy hanging off the wing of a biplane while the Red Baron shoots at them? Great! They had stories ready to go for a third season, only a few of which were shot. There were plans to introduce Belloq and the Ravenwoods, and it's a shame that didn't happen earlier. The series was definitely a mixed bag. In retrospect it reminds me a bit of the Clone Wars series, though that tended to be more action-oriented. -TK |
|
|
|
Post by StarFuryG7 on Jan 15, 2014 20:39:28 GMT -5
I've only seen a few episodes of Clone Wars, but couldn't deal with the way the characters were drawn.
Blastr also posted an article last week about how Disney is assembling a committee to determine what is or isn't "Star Wars" canon material, and it looks as though Clone Wars will be counted as out of it by the time they're done.
|
|
|
|
Post by TrekBeatTK on Jan 25, 2014 18:54:30 GMT -5
Just watched Raiders of the Lost Ark yesterday. Coincidentally, this came a day after CBS re-ran a Big Bang Theory episode where Amy ruins the movie for Sheldon by suggesting that Indy is inconsequential to the story, since with or without him the Nazis find the ark, open it, and die.
So I thought I'd float the question here: do you buy that? Does it ruin the movie for you? I would argue Indy is not inconsequential, insofar as without him, Marion would never have gotten back to the States, and more than likely would be dead. And while Indy's actions may not matter in terms of stopping Hitler from getting the ark, he does succeed in getting it back to the States, though cheated by the army guys as it never gets to the museum.
-TK
|
|
|
|
Post by captainbasil on Jan 26, 2014 11:42:49 GMT -5
Just watched Raiders of the Lost Ark yesterday. Coincidentally, this came a day after CBS re-ran a Big Bang Theory episode where Amy ruins the movie for Sheldon by suggesting that Indy is inconsequential to the story, since with or without him the Nazis find the ark, open it, and die. That's true. I never thought about it before. I'm still laughing.  |
|
|
|
Post by StarFuryG7 on Jan 26, 2014 21:24:08 GMT -5
Just watched Raiders of the Lost Ark yesterday. Coincidentally, this came a day after CBS re-ran a Big Bang Theory episode where Amy ruins the movie for Sheldon by suggesting that Indy is inconsequential to the story, since with or without him the Nazis find the ark, open it, and die. I started flipping through channels that night and ran across that scene just after she voiced what her complaint was about the story, so I kept the TV on that channel for about a minute trying to ascertain what it was she said that got him into such a snit, but when it seemed clear they weren't going to elaborate, I moved on to something else. But thanks, because I was wondering. |
|
|
|
Post by Mel on Jan 27, 2014 13:34:44 GMT -5
Just watched Raiders of the Lost Ark yesterday. Coincidentally, this came a day after CBS re-ran a Big Bang Theory episode where Amy ruins the movie for Sheldon by suggesting that Indy is inconsequential to the story, since with or without him the Nazis find the ark, open it, and die. That's true. I never thought about it before. I'm still laughing.  Poor Sheldon.
I read something recently that said the reason Jones shot the guy with the sword, rather than fight him, was because Harrison Ford was sick (as was most of the crew). Ford suggested that Jones should "just shoot the fucker," giving the film it's biggest laugh.
|
|
|
|
Post by TK on Jan 27, 2014 15:33:36 GMT -5
I read something recently that said the reason Jones shot the guy with the sword, rather than fight him, was because Harrison Ford was sick (as was most of the crew). Ford suggested that Jones should "just shoot the fucker," giving the film it's biggest laugh.
It's true. They had a sword fight planned, but by the time the day came to shoot it, Ford was very sick with diarrhea (you can see in his face he's not doing well), and they went with the idea of just shooting the guy. After all, Indy barely uses the gun otherwise. The shooting was so memorable, they even reference it in Temple of Doom, with Indy confronted by TWO swordsman, only to have him realize he lost his gun at the start of the movie. -TK |
|
|
|
Post by Mel on Jan 29, 2014 10:18:07 GMT -5
Funny! If I noticed that at the time I first saw the film, I've long forgotten it.
|
|
Poor Sheldon.