rodeo_joe1 Posted July 13, 2019 Share Posted July 13, 2019 (edited) Take a look at this link. It appears that now, not only do we have to compete with other camera users and collectors for gear, but with Star Wars fanatics as well! In case you didn't know, the props department of the original Star Wars movie used the handle of the above flashbulb 'gun' as the grip of the fictitious light sabre; hence the ridiculous bid for a lot that should have gone for about one-fifth of the price at most. Adding in the auctioneers' commission, that little light sabre toy (or part of) cost somebody over £2100 UK - about $3000 US. That's just crazy! I only hope the rest of the camera equipment was re-sold to a genuine camera user at a bargain price. Edited July 13, 2019 by rodeo_joe|1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy Vongries Posted July 13, 2019 Share Posted July 13, 2019 "May the 'farce' be with you!" :D 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben_hutcherson Posted July 14, 2019 Share Posted July 14, 2019 My local camera store hoards every Graflex flash gun they run across and dumps them on Ebay every time a new Star Wars movie comes out. When I bought my 4x5 Speed a few years ago, I had to tread VERY cautiously onto the forum. They're a friendly and helpful group of people(with some cross membership between there and here) but among other things I had some questions about flash gun set up and how to use the solenoid(I've yet to do the latter). I spent a bit of time establishing myself as an actual Graflex user and asking about some other things plus posting photos taken with my camera before I even dared ask anything about flashes. They-understandbly-are very leery of new members who immediately come in and start asking out of fear that they're only looking for a cheap source of flash guns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodeo_joe1 Posted July 16, 2019 Author Share Posted July 16, 2019 ....every time a new Star Wars movie comes out. Shouldn't that be "....every time the same Star Wars movie comes out under a different title"? Change the record Lucas, we've heard that one before.... many times. Yawn. And how a child's fairytale set in space ever became a worldwide cult... well, there are more baffling questions, but not many. "In space, no-one can hear you scream" but you can hear a laser-beam, apparently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Seaman Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 It's Space Opera, not Science Fiction. True SF from the 1940's and 1950's, as found in Analog, Galaxy, F&SF etc, was amusing, thought provoking and disturbing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDMvW Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 (edited) A very good friend of mine in secondary school had a pilot father who was a huge Sci-Fi fan. He took virtually all of the pulp magazines. When he had read them, he allowed me to read them. As a result I can still look for the publication date for most stories and tell whether I have read them or not. was amusing, thought provoking and disturbing. is not exactly the description I would have chosen, but the amusing is right, at least. 1959 SF -- the golden age of science fiction was 12. However, Star Wars proper was constructed as envoking the spirit of movie serials, but was purposely modeled on the myth theories of Joseph Campbell (LINK). Whatever you may think of it, it's not really "space opera" - It is in some sense the mythology of our own times. I wish I still had my old 4x5 with the laser sword flash :( Edited July 16, 2019 by JDMvW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Seaman Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 The covers of the magazines, especially the more sensational ones, often bore little resemblance to the contents, for promotional reasons. They knew what they thought the buyer wanted. Likewise with paperbacks, if you have ever read Olaf Stapledon's "Odd John" you might wonder exactly which scene is depicted on the cover of the Galaxy Science Fiction Books edition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodeo_joe1 Posted July 17, 2019 Author Share Posted July 17, 2019 ....but was purposely modeled on the myth theories of Joseph Campbell (LINK). If so, Lucas completely missed the point, not to mention the underlying philosophy. The first Star Wars film was simply a mishmash of Snow White and the legend of King Arthur. It has a princess/damsel in distress, two knaves that aspire to be knights, a black knight, a white knight, a wizard/guru figure, a magic sword, a fire-breathing dragon (death star) controlled by an evil ruler and an unexplained war as a background. In short, just a thinly disguised and unoriginal fairytale set in space. It is in some sense the mythology of our own times. If that drivel is the mythology of our own times, then we live in sad, shallow and unsophisticated times!:( And "Attack of the Clowns" (sic) was a couple of hours of my life that I'll never get back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDMvW Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 (edited) OK if you think so. I'm not prepared to feel so passionate about it, but it's not just my idea Star Wars and Campbell I quite agree that Campbell is overrated, but he himself saw the links, so maybe it's your understanding that is lacking: Moyers & Campbell on Star Wars' Mythological Influences | BillMoyers.com Edited July 17, 2019 by JDMvW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodeo_joe1 Posted July 18, 2019 Author Share Posted July 18, 2019 (edited) ...so maybe it's your understanding that is lacking: In what way are my parallels between Star Wars, and Geoffrey of Monmouth's and Sir Walter Scott's fictionalised accounts of King Arthur 'lacking'? Is Stars Wars not a thinly disguised rip off? In balance, I think the first Star Wars film was a very entertaining piece of nonsense, which I enjoyed at the time. My 'beef' is with its totally undeserved elevation to almost religious status, and with the endless and trite se/pre-quels that are spewed out every time George Lucas feels in need of some extra pocket money. And who is Bill Moyers anyway? Am I supposed to have heard of him? Edited July 18, 2019 by rodeo_joe|1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ed_farmer Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 It was once said of Tolkien's Middle Earth, that his fans not only believe in it but actually wanted to live there. The same can really be said of the "long ago and far away" galaxy of Star Wars. As far as the use of the flash gun handles . . . It pissed me off when the glove on the space suits in Alien were just painted hockey gloves . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDMvW Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 And who is Bill Moyers anyway? Am I supposed to have heard of him? Yes you were supposed to--and notice it is Campbell himself thatis being interviewed. And of course, the point of Campbell's discussion is that myth tends to be the same stories over and over.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob_salomon Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 And those white packs on the soldier’s backs were just stock Boblebee cases painted white. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick_van_Nooij Posted August 7, 2019 Share Posted August 7, 2019 The Star Wars Droid-caller prop was a side flash for something I think. (The Graflex side flash is also one of those things that gets turned into mini light sabres! :( ) It's so bad I had to pick up a REPRODUCTION 3-cell Graflex flash synchronizer -_- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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