Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)

[McParadigm]

Every teaser and piece of press so far has been a great big "fuck you" to George Lucas.

That seems as much a practical approach to building excitement and developing your market as anything. Sort of like giving geeklord Simon Pegg more screen time than major new faces in your promo video.

[epilogue]

Every teaser and piece of press so far has been a great big "fuck you" to George Lucas.

That seems as much a practical approach to building excitement and developing your market as anything. Sort of like giving geeklord Simon Pegg more screen time than major new faces in your promo video.

Well it was a Comic Con promo. Know your audience, and all that. And whatever faults Abrams may have that ain't one of 'em.

[McParadigm]

Well, I'm hardly complaining about it. I'm complementing his business sense.

[epilogue]

Well, I'm hardly complaining about it. I'm complementing his business sense.

GET JJ'S D*CK OUT OF YOUR MOUTH FOR ONCE CHRIST

[Jorge]

Do we know that JJ Abrams is in control of the marketing here? That would surprise me.

[epilogue]

JJ Abrams controls everything. The marketing. The rotation of the Earth. All of it.

[Simple Torture]

Well, I'm hardly complaining about it. I'm complementing his business sense.

For sure. When you've got the Disney machine behind you, I'm sure there are some very smart people thinking about the public's reactions to the prequels and trying to avoid the larger pitfalls. It's not so much about making money--because the prequels made boatloads of it--but more about building a reputation that will allow them to make a movie every two years into infinity. I do respect what Abrams seems to be doing with his world-building and attention to detail, but it's going to be impossible to do that for a sustained period--there have already been reports that Rouge One is shooting on the same sets. It'll be a shame if the films get same-y.

I'm almost...allllllllmost considering going into blackout mode at some point when it comes to this (as impossible as that sounds). It'd be nice going into the theater not knowing anything about the plot.

[epilogue]

Well, I'm hardly complaining about it. I'm complementing his business sense.

For sure. When you've got the Disney machine behind you, I'm sure there are some very smart people thinking about the public's reactions to the prequels and trying to avoid the larger pitfalls. It's not so much about making money--because the prequels made boatloads of it--but more about building a reputation that will allow them to make a movie every two years into infinity. I do respect what Abrams seems to be doing with his world-building and attention to detail, but it's going to be impossible to do that for a sustained period--there have already been reports that Rouge One is shooting on the same sets. It'll be a shame if the films get same-y.

I'm almost...allllllllmost considering going into blackout mode at some point when it comes to this (as impossible as that sounds). It'd be nice going into the theater not knowing anything about the plot.

I don't know anything about the plot other than what's shown or (more accurately) alluded to in the trailers. It's not that hard to avoid that kinda stuff at this point. I think you can do it. I believe in you!

I can't imagine that Rouge One will feel too same-y. My guess is that won't start happening until further down the road. But we'll see. It's a legit fear.

[Strat]

I mean it is Star Wars so shouldn't it be kind of samey-y?

A reason why the prequels were so shitty was due to it not feeling like star wars.

[McParadigm]

A reason why the prequels were so shitty was due to it not feeling like star wars.

Ha, no. That was a very tiny part of why they were shitty.

[Strat]

A reason why the prequels were so shitty was due to it not feeling like star wars.

Ha, no. That was a very tiny part of why they were shitty.

McP that is why i said A REASON!

[LoathedVermin72]

Rogue One is not going to be anything like this at all, guys.

[Strat]

But they’re not stuck in the past.

“Because we love it and care about it so much, our job is to not be blinded by that. You can’t be a fan and say you’re going to make a good movie because you’re a fan,” Abrams said. “That’s not enough. I’ll tell you from personal experience, when you’re directing a scene on the Millennium Falcon, it doesn’t make the scene good. Now it’s bitchin’ that it’s on the Millennium Falcon, but it doesn’t make the scene automatically good.

"It has to be fun, it has to be scary. The power of what has come before is so fun, is so deep, but you can’t be blinded by it. You have to parse it. But we needed to know what it means and why we were doing it.”

[LoathedVermin72]

A reason why the prequels were so shitty was due to it not feeling like star wars.

Ha, no. That was a very tiny part of why they were shitty.

If anything, I appreciate that the prequels had a unique aesthetic that felt different from the OT.

[epilogue]

A reason why the prequels were so shitty was due to it not feeling like star wars.

Ha, no. That was a very tiny part of why they were shitty.

If anything, I appreciate that the prequels had a unique aesthetic that felt different from the OT.

I agree. Very little of what I like about Star Wars has to do with it's same-ness or lack thereof. Or whatever.

I'm banking on Rogue One feeling completely different and still being immensely successful, so that we can final break out of the same-y-ness. The Episodes are one thing. But these stand-alones really need to test the limits, I think. Push, press, stretch, go out on some limbs and do some really different and creative things.

That's my hope.

[epilogue]

But they’re not stuck in the past.

“Because we love it and care about it so much, our job is to not be blinded by that. You can’t be a fan and say you’re going to make a good movie because you’re a fan,” Abrams said. “That’s not enough. I’ll tell you from personal experience, when you’re directing a scene on the Millennium Falcon, it doesn’t make the scene good. Now it’s bitchin’ that it’s on the Millennium Falcon, but it doesn’t make the scene automatically good.

"It has to be fun, it has to be scary. The power of what has come before is so fun, is so deep, but you can’t be blinded by it. You have to parse it. But we needed to know what it means and why we were doing it.”

He's got the right attitude.

[LoathedVermin72]

A reason why the prequels were so shitty was due to it not feeling like star wars.

Ha, no. That was a very tiny part of why they were shitty.

If anything, I appreciate that the prequels had a unique aesthetic that felt different from the OT.

I agree. Very little of what I like about Star Wars has to do with it's same-ness or lack thereof. Or whatever.

I'm banking on Rogue One feeling completely different and still being immensely successful, so that we can final break out of the same-y-ness. The Episodes are one thing. But these stand-alones really need to test the limits, I think. Push, press, stretch, go out on some limbs and do some really different and creative things.

That's my hope.

And it sounds like that's exactly what they're doing.

[epilogue]

A reason why the prequels were so shitty was due to it not feeling like star wars.

Ha, no. That was a very tiny part of why they were shitty.

If anything, I appreciate that the prequels had a unique aesthetic that felt different from the OT.

I agree. Very little of what I like about Star Wars has to do with it's same-ness or lack thereof. Or whatever.

I'm banking on Rogue One feeling completely different and still being immensely successful, so that we can final break out of the same-y-ness. The Episodes are one thing. But these stand-alones really need to test the limits, I think. Push, press, stretch, go out on some limbs and do some really different and creative things.

That's my hope.

And it sounds like that's exactly what they're doing.

Exactly. I hope he has the freedom to really do what he says he wants to do. I think they'll give it to him. But again, money and comfort and all that business stuff can cloud shit like a Jedi mind trick. Rogue One, without dipping too far into hyperbole, has a chance to be a real game-changer. Fingers-crossed.

And, again, I've got high hopes right now. But I need to wait until I see some trailers and all that.

[B]

If anything, I appreciate that the prequels had a unique aesthetic that felt different from the OT.

Yeah, it makes it easier to believe that all that bad acting had nothing to do with Star Wars.

[Simple Torture]

I mean it is Star Wars so shouldn't it be kind of samey-y?

A reason why the prequels were so shitty was due to it not feeling like star wars.

Well, I dunno. Star Wars and Empire really set the bar for engaging, fun, and interesting atmospheres. You've got your Tatooine, your star destroyer/Death Star, and Yavin. There really wasn't much else, and they all felt unique. Empire had Hoth, Dagobah, Bespin--really helped raise the bar. Jedi had...Tatooine, and Jabba's Palace (where they tried to recapture the magic of the cantina, but it felt too manufactured)...Dagobah...a Death Star...at least we got Endor. I know setting/atmosphere isn't everything, but I feel like it's something the first two films nailed and something that was either "meh" to "boooooring" in the other four films.