Your Personal Continuity

Let's just get a biggie out of the way: I doubt anybody would have any complaints about denying Crystal Skull ever happened.

There's only one Highlander as far as I'm concerned. It ends with Conner winning the prize and living happily ever after.

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Originally Posted by Justin Clark 

Let's just get a biggie out of the way: I doubt anybody would have any complaints about denying Crystal Skull ever happened.

Yup. Indiana Jones sure as fuck does not get married.

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Originally Posted by Justin Clark 

Let's just get a biggie out of the way: I doubt anybody would have any complaints about denying Crystal Skull ever happened.

True story, I was in a thread about Spielberg a few months ago, and was astounded that he hadn't made a film in five years. It was only a few days later, I remembered about Crystal Skull. While on the subject of Spielberg I would also add that there's only one Jaws film.

Mankind's encounters with the Alien begin with the Nostromo being diverted off course to investigate a mysterious signal and end with Ellen Ripley diving to a fiery death to kill the monster inside her. Ripley was never cloned, and the creatures were never discovered in a lost temple in Antartica or crashing into small town America in the early 21st century.

Also after years of denial I've accepted that the only reason I ever rewatched the Star Wars prequels was OCD so to hell with them.

I was given the Rocky boxed set as a gift, which was a huge thrill for me, since I love the series. Going through the movies, I found that the DVD that was labeled as the fifth film was, actually, the fourth film. They had somehow added the fourth film twice to this set instead of the fifth, so I have two copies of Rocky IV and no copy of Rocky V. I am okay with this.

I also proudly watch the WPIX TV edit of The Last Dragon taped off my TV back when I was a kid. I watched the DVD and found that the TV edit cut out about twenty or so dull minutes, basically all the fat, stuff so bad it felt like it was added by George Lucas after the fact. Whoever did that TV edit is a genius.

Mine, for the moment, are all TV shows:

FRIENDS: Ends after S4. Ross and Rachel marry each other. Chandler ends up with Janice. They marrry, divorce, remarry, ad nauseum ad absurdum infinitum. Joey becomes the go-to star for a revitalized Troma films. Monica finds fame and success on the Food Network. Phoebe, on her way to see her father, takes a wrong turn on the Jersey Turnpike is never seen again.

ER: Ends after S6. Carter goes on to become the chief of the ER, without Thandie Newton's love child. Or her love. Stays in Chicago.

X-FILES: Ends after S5. Mulder dies of autoeroticasphyxiation, while Scully goes on to teach at Quantico.

Full Metal Jacket is an incredible short film about the horrors of boot camp. (A small-scale example, but still.)

L O S T ends with a bright flash of light, and I'm left to come up with my own final season.

I tend to forget it exists anyway, but my life is happier with the war against the machines being imagined in my head as opposed to the one in Terminator Salvation.

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Originally Posted by Justin Clark 

I tend to forget it exists anyway, but my life is happier with the war against the machines being imagined in my head as opposed to the one in Terminator Salvation.

 Is it derailing the thread slightly if I suggested that during that war the machines constructed fields where human beings were no longer born.... they were grown!

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Originally Posted by Mike's Pants 

 Is it derailing the thread slightly if I suggested that during that war the machines constructed fields where human beings were no longer born.... they were grown!

Take that malarkey here, sir.

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Originally Posted by Justin Clark 

I tend to forget it exists anyway, but my life is happier with the war against the machines being imagined in my head as opposed to the one in Terminator Salvation.

Indeed. Although the end result was far from the level of AVP in the "it should have been left to our imagination" stakes, it still somewhat defeats the point. While we're on the subject, The Terminator leads to Terminator 2: Judgment Day. And that's where I draw the line.
 

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Originally Posted by Mike's Pants 

Is it derailing the thread slightly if I suggested that during that war the machines constructed fields where human beings were no longer born.... they were grown!

Thanks for affording me the perfect transition into my own choice, sir! The Matrix is the only film - the only anything - from that series I have any time for. I tried Reloaded and it just wasn't happening. I've never seen Revolutions and I've no desire to change that.

I still love the film, but Terminator 3 is optional. Always.

I actually prefer TERMINATOR > T2 > SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES.

That's the official timeline as far as I'm concerned.

The only thing that could make me reconsider T3 for inclusion, Justin, would be if someone could show me a rough cut of the unmade edition co-starring Sophia Bush as Kate Brewster. I was digging through an old issue of Empire this morning and found the comment from Nick Stahl where he mentioned that she was replaced late on for some reason. This is in no way a slight at Claire Danes - who's one of my favourite ladies - but, being the personal continuity thread and all, I felt it behooved me to mention that.

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Originally Posted by The Rain Dog 

There's only one Highlander as far as I'm concerned. It ends with Conner winning the prize and living happily ever after.

I'm one of the bigger 'Highlander' apologists around here, and even I must 100% agree with this statement.  I did dig the TV series, though.

What I tell myself:

Alien3 & Alien: Resurrection do NOT exist. Those are nothing but Ripley's hibernation fever dreams. She, Hicks, & Newt are still floating out there in the ether in perpetual, neverending hypersleep.

As far as I'm concerned, the 'Godfather' movies end with Michael on a bench, watching the leaves, contemplating what he's turned into.  The third film does not exist.

I always feel weird liking all of the Alien movies except for the first AVP. And I'm really looking forward to Prometheus. For the Terminator saga I actually 3 the most. Disliking 2 and Salvation out of the Terminator movies. Sarah Conner Chronicles works well as sort of a tangent time line created as a bi product of all of the time traveling.

I'd say ignoring Godfather 3 is perfectly reasonable to keep that series untarnished. There only ever were three Star Wars movies.

For video games I cut Metal Gear Solid 4 out of continuity since it's just an excuse for a very shitty story with no game play to make up for it.

This also helps with comic books but that's a rant for another day.

I'm still waiting for X-Men 3 to happen.

Agreed on Highlander and would also add that in my mind (and on my DVD shelf) there is only one Matrix film.   Another biggie - the prequals never happend ether.

If I squint really hard, those Stormtrooper murderin' Ewoks look like Wookies. It doesn't make a lick of goddamn sense otherwise.

edit: Whoops, just realized this point is slightly askew of the topic. It's true nonetheless.

In my continuity, Spider-Man 3 is a nonstop dance number, replete with gammy dames, showstopping choreographed gang fights, and a talking pig sidekick a la Spider-Ham.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer ends with her epitaph:  "She saved the world . . . a lot."

And this one might be controversial:  the Star Trek movies end with Wrath of Khan.   It's the only Trek movie I've bothered to see more than once.

I agree with - I think it was Mattioli - who laid out a bitchin' continuity for the FRIDAY 13TH and NIGHTMARE franchise involving FREDDY VS JASON taking place way earlier than its release suggests.

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Originally Posted by bendrix 

In my continuity, Spider-Man 3 is a nonstop dance number, replete with gammy dames, showstopping choreographed gang fights, and a talking pig sidekick a la Spider-Ham.

I'm becoming more and more comfortable as time goes on with Raimi's series ending with that frightened hug at the end of 3. It's a pretty bittersweet statement to make on heroism, really, even if the whole film doesn't quite gel as well as it should.

By resolving a paradox in the script of its predecessor, Terminator 3 actually goes back and makes Terminator 2 a better movie, which is itself a form of time travel.  That buys a lot of forgiveness from me, as does the decision not to bring back Eddie Furlong.

The Matrix sequels, however, can simply fuck straight off.  Neo was abducted by a modern day Symbionese Liberation Front, his awakening in the pod full of goo was a bad trip brought on by the pills the cult brainwashed him with, and the assault on the Federal building where Morpheus was being held was a headline-grabbing atrocity.  Neo wasn't the Kung Fu Gnostic Jesus of the 25th Century; he was simply a confused young man with Stockholme Syndrome.

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Originally Posted by Bobby Bear 

Indeed. Although the end result was far from the level of AVP in the "it should have been left to our imagination" stakes, it still somewhat defeats the point. While we're on the subject, The Terminator leads to Terminator 2: Judgment Day. And that's where I draw the line.
 

 

Thanks for affording me the perfect transition into my own choice, sir! The Matrix is the only film - the only anything - from that series I have any time for. I tried Reloaded and it just wasn't happening. I've never seen Revolutions and I've no desire to change that.

 

The Matrix Reloaded was the most disappointing film I have ever, ever seen. The Matrix was my "A New Hope" Reloaded was my "Holiday Special"  

Derail over...

I like to stop watching L.A. Confidential right after Exley shoots Captain Smith in the back, and then stands there holding up his badge for the incoming police cars.

And even though I unabashedly love Rocky III and Rocky IV, it's fun to imagine the franchise as a duology in which only Rocky and Rocky Balboa exist.

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Originally Posted by TCD 

 

And even though I unabashedly love Rocky III and Rocky IV, it's fun to imagine the franchise as a duology in which only Rocky and Rocky Balboa exist.

 I've always thought that too, I've done it in fact. They work really nicely together, like the bookends of Rocky's life. 

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Originally Posted by Ratty 

And this one might be controversial:  the Star Trek movies end with Wrath of Khan.   It's the only Trek movie I've bothered to see more than once.

I've done several double features with Wrath and the recent reboot, and haven't watched the other films in years.
 

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Originally Posted by Dave Beattie 

Also after years of denial I've accepted that the only reason I ever rewatched the Star Wars prequels was OCD so to hell with them.

 

I'll go you one better - as far as I'm concerned, the only Star Wars I consider these days are the three original film I grew up with from 1977, 1980 & 1983, known as Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi. They're fun, awesome, epic and exactly as good as I remember them.

I'll go farther than that, RD. I'm fully prepared to convince myself some horrible group catastrophe struck the cast and crew of JEDI, and they all died after filming the rescue from the Sarlaac pit. What happens after is entirely up to our imagination.

Babylon 5 ended at season 4.

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Originally Posted by Art Decade 

What I tell myself:

 

Alien3 & Alien: Resurrection do NOT exist. Those are nothing but Ripley's hibernation fever dreams. She, Hicks, & Newt are still floating out there in the ether in perpetual, neverending hypersleep.

Wrong. Ripley, Inc continues to roam the spaceways, slaughtering xenomorphs as a family for fun and profit.

For TV stuff, Seinfeld ran from the second(first? I mean the one after the pilot) episode, to the next to last episode.

I think it's common knowledge that Ghostbusters 2 is a followup to the TV cartoon, not the original feature film.

Tony S. gets his brains blown out over a bowl of onion rings. Accept no substitutes.

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Originally Posted by Hammerhead 

Wrong. Ripley, Inc continues to roam the spaceways, slaughtering xenomorphs as a family for fun and profit.

Today, still wanted by The Corporation, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have aliens, if no one else can help, & if you can find them; you may be able to hire...*

*If it's wrong to know the A-Team intro by heart, I don't wanna be right

Out of respect for the President following his daughter's kidnapping, the entire White House ceases operation after the recovery of Zoe Bartlett. The Executive Branch does nothing of note until the campaign between Santos and Vinnick.

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Originally Posted by Art Decade 

If I squint really hard, those Stormtrooper murderin' Ewoks look like Wookies.

This totally qualifies and not just because it's infinitely superior to what we got. This coming from someone who's never had a problem with the Ewoks, but a choice between an army of Ewoks and an army of Wookiees is no choice at all.
 

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Originally Posted by Ratty 

Buffy the Vampire Slayer ends with her epitaph:  "She saved the world . . . a lot."

I loved Buffy until the end of the third season. As far as I'm concerned, all that was great about it died along with Armin Shimerman's Principal Snyder in the wake of the graduation day snake catastrophe. They survived high school. Fin.
 

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Originally Posted by Reasor 

By resolving a paradox in the script of its predecessor, Terminator 3 actually goes back and makes Terminator 2 a better movie, which is itself a form of time travel.  That buys a lot of forgiveness from me, as does the decision not to bring back Eddie Furlong.

I think the only way Terminator 3 makes Terminator 2 a better movie is by showing how well it stands up for a blockbuster 12 years older than its successor at the time. Even now, the effects are still as good - or better - than anything in 3, and they're in service of a more engaging story which is really what matters at the end of the day.

Even if the story of T2 is essentially a suped-up version of the original (right down to another isolated industrial complex final showdown) it's still more entertaining to me than the hokey, self-referential fan pandering nonsense Danes and Stahl were saddled with. I think the idea of what Terminator 3 wanted to be isn't completely without merit. It was just handled so clumsily I find it hard to match the enthusiasm some of the other board members have for it. But I take no pleasure in saying that. I'd prefer every Terminator sequel/spin-off to be good.
 

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Originally Posted by Mike's Pants 

The Matrix Reloaded was the most disappointing film I have ever, ever seen. The Matrix was my "A New Hope" Reloaded was my "Holiday Special"  
Derail over...

I feel exactly the same, mate! I still remember being 16 and standing around outside with my friends right after we came out of the cinema. I was dismayed. It mystified me how it could be so monumentally disappointing when the first was, to all of us at that time, just about the coolest thing ever. To make matters worse, all of my friends really enjoyed it! They just kept saying why they thought it was great and how wrong I was. I didn't realize it at the time, but I think some of them were in denial. That's still the only reason I can fathom for such a positive take on that film.

This is the Chili Peppers discography:

Self titled

Freaky Styley

Uplift Mofo Party Plan

Mother's Milk

Blood Sugar Sex Majik

Californication

By The Way

Stadium Arcadium

and then they broke up.

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Originally Posted by Bobby Bear 

 

I loved Buffy until the end of the third season. As far as I'm concerned, all that was great about it died along with Armin Shimerman's Principal Snyder in the wake of the graduation day snake catastrophe. They survived high school. Fin.
 

While I agree that Season Three was Buffy's high-water mark, quitting after this year excises, at minimum, Hush, The Body and The Gift which I am not willing to part with.   They never got the High School Horror mission statement back, but they had a couple more great years after that.

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Originally Posted by Raspberry Leper 

This is the Chili Peppers discography:

Self titled

Freaky Styley

Uplift Mofo Party Plan

Mother's Milk

Blood Sugar Sex Majik

Californication

By The Way

Stadium Arcadium

 

and then they broke up.

In a similar fashion, here is my Queensryche discography;

EP

'Warning'

'Rage for Order'

'Operation Mindcrime'

'Empire'

'Promised Land'

And then they all died in a bizarre gardening accident.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Rain Dog 

I'll go you one better - as far as I'm concerned, the only Star Wars I consider these days are the three original film I grew up with from 1977, 1980 & 1983, known as Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi. They're fun, awesome, epic and exactly as good as I remember them.

I've been charged with introducing certain nieces and nephews to the Star Wars universe (it's good work if you can get it) and upon viewing Return of the Jedi, the parents invariably ask me if Episode I is next. I tell them they are free to raise their children as they see fit, but I will have no part in what is clearly abusive behavior. Then I knock over a lamp or maybe upend a table, and storm out of the house.

      Quote:

Originally Posted by Nexus-7 

For TV stuff, Seinfeld ran from the second(first? I mean the one after the pilot) episode, to the next to last episode.

I like to include the reunion special from Curb Your Enthusiasm in the Seinfeld continuity. I genuinely think that's the way Larry David intended it.

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Originally Posted by Judas Booth 

In a similar fashion, here is my Queensryche discography;

EP

'Warning'

'Rage for Order'

'Operation Mindcrime'

'Empire'

'Promised Land'

 

And then they all died in a bizarre gardening accident.

 

In my world, Rage for Order was their last full album. The songs "Empire" and "Best I Can" were later unearthed and released as part of a retrospective collection.

And at the risk of derailing, "Neue Regel" is, IMNSHO, one of the best hard rock/metal songs ever recorded.
 

I agree with the choices for Higlander, Matrix and the rest.

Also, there is only one Robocop film and one Starship Troopers film , which was followed by an animated TV series.

Also, in my personal universe Dr Seuss took legal action to make sure his works were never adapted in live action form.

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Originally Posted by TCD 

I've been charged with introducing certain nieces and nephews to the Star Wars universe (it's good work if you can get it) and upon viewing Return of the Jedi, the parents invariably ask me if Episode I is next. I tell them they are free to raise their children as they see fit, but I will have no part in what is clearly abusive behavior. Then I knock over a lamp or maybe upend a table, and storm out of the house.

 

Same. My brother is honestly p[erplexed that I only want to show his seven year old son the films he and I grew up with. "Can't we just do a 6 film marathon?" he asks.

He's welcome to show those other three things to his son whenever he wants, but Uncle Isaacs is an Original Trilogy Only abode.

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Originally Posted by MichaelM 

 

 

In my world, Rage for Order was their last full album. The songs "Empire" and "Best I Can" were later unearthed and released as part of a retrospective collection.

 

And at the risk of derailing, "Neue Regel" is, IMNSHO, one of the best hard rock/metal songs ever recorded.
 

 

Fuckin' A RIGHT on 'Neue Regel'.

Still, to dismiss 'Operation Mindcrime' through 'Promised Land' is a bit extreme.  Those are all great albums and worthy of the praise bestowed upon them.  They turned to utter and complete shit after PL, though.