Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens (spoiler-free thread)

I wonder what involvement Lucas will have in the new Star Wars movies. The guy can't write dialogue or direct a scene to save his life, but he can certainly tell a story, and JJ Abrams cannot. JJ seems to get caught up in too much story, and loses the soul of the main narrative arc. In his movies you always end up saying "this this and this were good... but then there was all this other stuff."

BTW, I liked "Star Trek: The Final Frontier" if only because it was directed by William Shatner, and like Shatner the movie is overblown and ridiculous and WTF (isn't that the one with Uhuru's dance?), but also kind of fun and seemed to have an insight into true Trekkiness that some others of the Trek movies do not.

First off, thank you for the Big Bang compliment.

I have to reject the multiple universes thing - just too "magic-y" for me. I think the 're-imagining' was just a way to make some cash out of the franchise. The real (yes, I know it's not real) back stories of all the original characters are set... no need to re-start, and while I never saw the movie I'd be willing to bet $2,500 that the Uhura character has some steamy love scenes with the Kirk character. I'm less sure that there's a tween character as well (to appeal to the tween market) and possibly a lovable little scamp (call him Cousin... err... Ensign.... Oliver) to appeal to the pre-teens. That's a Brady Bunch reference, by the way.

In terms of the Star Wars fiasco: midichlorians? Darth Vader building C3PO? Well... much like Highlander 2, there's just no explaining it. The best possible thing I can say about that whole trainwreck is that when Lucas decided to sell out, he made a fortune doing it. I have some other, less savory analogies including thai hookers, meth addicts and Lucas doing the artistic equivalent of a porn actress willing to do DVDA, but you know... the guy DID give us the original movie so I have to cut him a little slack.

case said:

the guy DID give us the original movie so I have to cut him a little slack.

though he somehow can't stay away from the editing room. Han shot first? Not any more.

LOST said:

You folks are like the guys on "The Big Bang Theory"

Except we're funny.

case said:

First off, thank you for the Big Bang compliment.

I have to reject the multiple universes thing - just too "magic-y" for me. I think the 're-imagining' was just a way to make some cash out of the franchise. The real (yes, I know it's not real) back stories of all the original characters are set... no need to re-start, and while I never saw the movie I'd be willing to bet $2,500 that the Uhura character has some steamy love scenes with the Kirk character. I'm less sure that there's a tween character as well (to appeal to the tween market) and possibly a lovable little scamp (call him Cousin... err... Ensign.... Oliver) to appeal to the pre-teens. That's a Brady Bunch reference, by the way.

Well, luckily none of that happens.

case said:

First off, thank you for the Big Bang compliment.

I have to reject the multiple universes thing - just too "magic-y" for me. I think the 're-imagining' was just a way to make some cash out of the franchise. The real (yes, I know it's not real) back stories of all the original characters are set... no need to re-start, and while I never saw the movie I'd be willing to bet $2,500 that the Uhura character has some steamy love scenes with the Kirk character. I'm less sure that there's a tween character as well (to appeal to the tween market) and possibly a lovable little scamp (call him Cousin... err... Ensign.... Oliver) to appeal to the pre-teens. That's a Brady Bunch reference, by the way.

In terms of the Star Wars fiasco: midichlorians? Darth Vader building C3PO? Well... much like Highlander 2, there's just no explaining it. The best possible thing I can say about that whole trainwreck is that when Lucas decided to sell out, he made a fortune doing it. I have some other, less savory analogies including thai hookers, meth addicts and Lucas doing the artistic equivalent of a porn actress willing to do DVDA, but you know... the guy DID give us the original movie so I have to cut him a little slack.

Nope, Uhura is involved with someone else, not Kirk. And with Rick Berman thankfully not involved, there was no Cousin/Ensign Crusher or other tween type character, either.

I accept Paypal, by the way.

What is this Highlander 2 you mention? There was only ever one Highlander film. Shame about that.

Rick Berman and (*shudder*) Brannon Braga need to be kept as far away from Final Draft as humanly possible. Only good thing Rick Berman ever did was Deep Space Nine and that he stole from J. Michael Straczynski.

case said:

First off, thank you for the Big Bang compliment.

I have to reject the multiple universes thing - just too "magic-y" for me.

Ummm... isn't the theory of multiple universes fairly mainstream in physics?

LP said:

case said:

First off, thank you for the Big Bang compliment.

I have to reject the multiple universes thing - just too "magic-y" for me.

Ummm... isn't the theory of multiple universes fairly mainstream in physics?

Yep.

http://host.madison.com/news/video/neil-degrasse-tyson-examining-a-potential-multiverse/vmix_b779311a-9aec-11e1-9128-001a4bcf887a.html

Spock with a beard was hot. Just sayin'...

Yeah, but it can go way too far - I hope and pray that we don't have some kind of star trek / sparkly vampire crossover happening anytime soon.

case said:

Yeah, but it can go way too far - I hope and pray that we don't have some kind of star trek / sparkly vampire crossover happening anytime soon.

Not if Uncle George has anything to say about it.

http://gizmodo.com/5867469/george-takei-wants-to-unite-star-wars-fans-and-star-trek-fans-in-war-against-twilight

Vampires have already subsumed the Jane Austen franchise. Pity no one was still around from her estate to prevent THAT.

PeggyC said:

Vampires have already subsumed the Jane Austen franchise. Pity no one was still around from her estate to prevent THAT.

Well, Mr. Darcy did try, but unfortunately for us all he was overcome by zombies.

goin' back to Eden, yea, brother.

I've got a bad feeling about this...

-s.

Snort! (tm)

Actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker in the new film.



Director J.J. Abrams says, "We are so excited to finally share the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII. It is both thrilling and surreal to watch the beloved original cast and these brilliant new performers come together to bring this world to life, once again. We start shooting in a couple of weeks, and everyone is doing their best to make the fans proud."

Star Wars: Episode VII is being directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and Abrams. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk are producing, and John Williams returns as the composer. The movie opens worldwide on December 18, 2015.

The most exciting thing about this for me is the return of Lawrence Kasdan's name on the script. The prequels cried out for him but Lucas was an *****.

I really like Undiscovered Country. It is very underrated and may be the best of the original cast Star Trek movies.

I expect the original Star Wars cast members will be pretty much just extended cameos like Nimoy in Into Darkness (Shatner apparently could have had a role in that movie as well but rejected the role because it was too small)

Continued re-editing ,i mean butchering, of every re-release of the triology and jar-jar binks. Star Wars gets no more of my money.

Star Trek or Star Wars?

Lucas took the money and ran. He is out the door. For better or worse this is now a Disney property. And in this case I a have a feeling it is better.

zombie_zoinks said:

I really like Undiscovered Country. It is very underrated and may be the best of the original cast Star Trek movies.

I expect the original Star Wars cast members will be pretty much just extended cameos like Nimoy in Into Darkness (Shatner apparently could have had a role in that movie as well but rejected the role because it was too small)

Agreed. I imagine it will revolve around the newer cast of characters rather than being the continuing adventures of Luke, Leia and Han.

But still... Chewie's back. And just after Peter Mayhew had sucessful knee surgery after being almost crippled for years. Makes me happy.

Han shot first. Never forget.

Episodes I-III were so bad I've blocked out the memory of seeing them. When my kids were little they were big fans of the entire series. They used to ask me questions about movies, saying "remember when sucha and such happened and so and so did this or that?" and I'd always have to tell them I had no idea what the answer was. I had no idea what the plot and motivations were while I was watching those movies. There was no way I could recall any of it a year later. What convoluted messes those films were.

there's no way in this galaxy that the next three films could be worse.

I'm fine with the prequels. They weren't what I wanted to see, but they weren't as bad as the Movie That Doesn't Exist.

I used to work with a woman who was Christian Hayden's aunt. It was really embarrassing to talk to her about those movies, which came out around the time I was working with her, because she thought he was so wonderful. Meanwhile, he was easily the most wooden actor I'd ever seen, at least as Anakin Skywalker. Horrible. He could have killed those movies all by himself.