Indy IV (beware... spoiler pics)

[Doctor Strange]

For those interested, pictures of Indy's leather jacket from the new film have surfaced at Club Obi-Wan:

http://www.indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?t=22712

It appears to be in the same style as the jacket from The Last Crusade - it's got a large collar and a visible snap at the bottom of the windflap. (I prefer the original Raiders style jacket myself, but I'm not complaining: maintaining continuity to the previous film is fine.)

NOTE - Since I first posted this, they seem to have taken down the COW thread I linked to above, probably because Peter from Wested had jumped in and announced that he could make Indy IV jackets at once, and COW is trying to maintain a no-Indy IV-vendor-activity policy.

 

[jake_fink]

Here's more video; it shows the jacket.

http://www.indianajones.com/community/news/indyarrives.html

For someone who hated Last Crusade and has no intention of going to see this IJIV I sure am following the production. Weird.

 

[RondoHatton]

Like the motorcycle!

But were disc brakes in use in this time frame on American iron?
I'da long ago bought a slash five toaster tank for it's look, save for the drum front brake - call me spoilt by good discs.

Correct or not, offer me one like that with it's modern brakes, and don't price it in the stratosphere, and I'll hop off my Yamaha of many years...

 

[AlanC]

NOTE - Since I first posted this, they seem to have taken down the COW thread I linked to above, probably because Peter from Wested had jumped in and announced that he could make Indy IV jackets at once, and COW is trying to maintain a no-Indy IV-vendor-activity policy.

Couldn't they just have removed his post? Seems like throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

 

[Forrestal]

I watched the “Indy Arrives” video, and I must say with great sadness, that Harrison Ford more closely resembles Grandpa Jones from HEE HAW than Indiana Jones from Raiders.

It’s Hell to grow old……but much better than the alternative…..
Regards,
Forrestal

 

[DanielJones]

Personally, for a man of 60ish HF looks to be in spectacular shape. He appears to be in better shape than most 30ish men I know. Just an observation.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Dr Doran]

Personally, for a man of 60ish HF looks to be in spectacular shape. He appears to be in better shape than most 30ish men I know.

I concur.

 

[dhermann1]

Uhhh . . . . excuse me for sort of stumbling into this thread but. . . .
I just saw "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" on the tube, and while it's everything the reviewers said it is (or rather isn't, i.e. not great but lots of (stupid) fun), it got me Googling. Which led to "King Solomon's Mines", which led to Frederick Courtney Selous, which led me to Indiana Jones, which led me to . . . . geez I hate to admit this, Young Indiana Jones. I mean I had vaguely heard the name, but it never really impinged on my consciousness before.
So, where are you going with this, Dan? So, where I'm going is, OMG!
THAT'S what all the fuss is about. Not just 3 movies, but a whole alternative reality! Why didn't somebody inform me? Am I going to have to sit through 20 hours of background stories to understand what going on in Indy IV? Am I forbidden from owning a certain type of hat and whip until I've completed the journey? Excuse, me, didn't want to interrupt the conversation, but I'm suddenly violently boggled. I'll be all right. But, wow, man! Wow!

 

[Travis]

Uhhh . . . . excuse me for sort of stumbling into this thread but. . . .
I just saw "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" on the tube, and while it's everything the reviewers said it is (or rather isn't, i.e. not great but lots of (stupid) fun), it got me Googling. Which led to "King Solomon's Mines", which led to Frederick Courtney Selous, which led me to Indiana Jones, which led me to . . . . geez I hate to admit this, Young Indiana Jones. I mean I had vaguely heard the name, but it never really impinged on my consciousness before.
So, where are you going with this, Dan? So, where I'm going is, OMG!
THAT'S what all the fuss is about. Not just 3 movies, but a whole alternative reality! Why didn't somebody inform me? Am I going to have to sit through 20 hours of background stories to understand what going on in Indy IV? Am I forbidden from owning a certain type of hat and whip until I've completed the journey? Excuse, me, didn't want to interrupt the conversation, but I'm suddenly violently boggled. I'll be all right. But, wow, man! Wow!

Take a deep breath. Now have a cocktail. All will be alright.

 

[Dr Doran]

Am I forbidden from owning a certain type of hat and whip until I've completed the journey? Excuse, me, didn't want to interrupt the conversation, but I'm suddenly violently boggled. :

Is this thread about IJ or SM?

 

[Edward]

Uhhh . . . . excuse me for sort of stumbling into this thread but. . . .
I just saw "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" on the tube, and while it's everything the reviewers said it is (or rather isn't, i.e. not great but lots of (stupid) fun), it got me Googling. Which led to "King Solomon's Mines", which led to Frederick Courtney Selous, which led me to Indiana Jones, which led me to . . . . geez I hate to admit this, Young Indiana Jones. I mean I had vaguely heard the name, but it never really impinged on my consciousness before.
So, where are you going with this, Dan? So, where I'm going is, OMG!
THAT'S what all the fuss is about. Not just 3 movies, but a whole alternative reality! Why didn't somebody inform me? Am I going to have to sit through 20 hours of background stories to understand what going on in Indy IV? Am I forbidden from owning a certain type of hat and whip until I've completed the journey? Excuse, me, didn't want to interrupt the conversation, but I'm suddenly violently boggled. I'll be all right. But, wow, man! Wow!

If memory serves, the TV show was made after the films, and isn't at all an essential part of the cannon. It might be nice gonig into this one having seen the first three, but IMO if this one doesn't change direction drastically, you won't necessarily need to have seen the first three to understand it. Certainly any one of the first three stands alone perfectly well and does not require you to have seen the others to get it. Think Bond rather than Lord of the Rings...

 

[Doctor Strange]

Of course, the three feature films are the only stories that really matter.

While Lucas had a worthy idea in making the Young Indy TV series a history-teaching tool, he went at it with his usual absurd obsessiveness. By adding in all the related Indy materials that Lucas approved over the years - comic books, games, novels, make-your-own-adventure multi-thread paperback books, etc. - it does make up a mega-detailed history:

http://www.theraider.net/information/timeline/index.php

(Though it's interesting that the 1950-1990 period was left undocumented - obviously, more film sequels were always vaguely planned.)

Personally, I find this to be nutty overkill on the same level as Lucas's compulsive creation of names and backstories for every single background character appearing in the Star Wars films (e.g., Jabba's court sidekicks Salacious Crumb, Max Rebo, Sy Snoodles, etc.), not to mention detailed technical specs and manufacturing histories for every spacecraft, weapon, etc. Some would argue that it's brilliant world-building a la Tolkien, but I consider it too superficial for that...

 

[Edward]

Yeah, well. I've been a big detractor of Lucas in recent years (Star Wars died the day Greedo shot first, etc)... Definitely not of the depth of Tolkien, though I have to admit I've always been a sucker for in depth background stuff on characters I like. I'd love to see a publish biography of Jones, written as if he was a "real" person, you know what I mean? Definitely one of those most iconic figures in cinema history, IMO - and probably the reason i got into brown leather jackets and fedoras, lol

 

[jake_fink]

No homework required

There isn't any particular continuity to the films. They go back and forth in time and there isn't any real development of the character(s) from film to film - unless turning everyone into an idiot in Last Crusade qualifies as development.

 

[Edward]

There isn't any particular continuity to the films. They go back and forth in time and there isn't any real development of the character(s) from film to film - unless turning everyone into an idiot in Last Crusade qualifies as development.

I liked the LC a lot. Funnily enough, I lean to the view that ToD was the weakest, but it's still great - I love it. Was the first one I saw, too. Most action heroes don't do great development, though I liked Jones, I felt he was a pretty well rounded character. It's gonig to be interesting to see what 20 years and impending retirement do to him.....

If you want a character wil pretty much nil development over a long period of time, try Bond!

 

[jake431]

I second the sentiment that ToD was the "worst" of the three films - interestingly (and to me, not surprising) if you watch the making of that comes with the box set, you will discover that ToD was the one Lucas was the most involved in. Spielberg cites his divorce as the distraction during filming which sounds reasonable to me, although, perhaps trying to romance the leading lady could have provided further distraction; who knows. Anyway, it's the film that feels the most like SW to me, and Indy acts too much like Han Solo through much of it. I suppose you can blame the fact that chronologically it's the first (1935) movie and it's Indy at his most youthful. But I don't personally think so.

 

[Dr Doran]

I liked Last Crusade way better than Temple of Doom. I couldn't stand Short Round at all.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

ToD had a fantastic soundtrack, and perhaps the best music of the series.

LC had a comic-bookish charm. It suffered a bit from the hero's background syndrom that we still see in films like "Batman Begins," where you learn why the hero has certain attributes. Perhaps, the most egregious is "Young Sherlock Holmes," also connected with Spielberg, if memory serves.

 

[jake431]

Eh, I like learning about why a character is the way they are. Just my preference.

 

[Dr Doran]

LC had a comic-bookish charm..

This describes the feeling and, as far as I understand, the purpose of all the IJ movies, doesn't it? I have not seen them in a decade, but the only moment of true pathos I remember was when Indy thought Rachel was dead in the first one.
I like hearing about someone's formative influences too. I agree, though, that it is not good when they are too heavy handed.
I do remember the marvelous Cole Porter song in the beginning of ToD - that was great but I cannot remember the rest of the soundtrack.