SPOILERS: The Force Awakens

[Brock Beauchamp]

While we're talking about upcoming films, have you guys seen the trailer for 10 Cloverfield Lane?

 

It's a fantastic trailer. It tells a compelling narrative without a single line of dialogue... And then he speaks at the end and kinda ruins it.

 

Still, fantastic use of music to accompany the trailer's descent into darkness. I've watched the trailer two dozen times because it's a classic example of "show, don't tell" done right.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQy-ANhnUpE

[Mike Sixel]

 

I loved the movie and thought it was a lot of fun. The editing style made it watchable... It's over-the-top but not in a Michael Bay "WTF IS HAPPENING WHY IS THE CAMERA SPINNING BACK AND FORTH SO MUCH" sort of way. By keeping the focal plane consistent and the action in the center of the screen, it could cut scenes extremely quickly and the audience could keep up with the visuals. That led to a bonkers feel for the movie without going into incomprehensible territory.

 

Not that Suicide Squad should emulate that visual feel... But it was interesting for Fury Road.

 

I had fun, but I think my expectations were really high, given all the love for it. One of my son's friends must have seen it a dozen times......

[Mike Sixel]

 

While we're talking about upcoming films, have you guys seen the trailer for 10 Cloverfield Lane?

 

It's a fantastic trailer. It tells a compelling narrative without a single line of dialogue... And then he speaks at the end and kinda ruins it.

 

Still, fantastic use of music to accompany the trailer's descent into darkness. I've watched the trailer two dozen times because it's a classic example of "show, don't tell" done right.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQy-ANhnUpE

 

I haven't even seen the first one. Any good? 

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

I haven't even seen the first one. Any good? 

Eh, it was whatever. It's one of the early examples of shaky cam gone wild. It was an enjoyable film on some levels but mostly forgettable.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

I had fun, but I think my expectations were really high, given all the love for it. One of my son's friends must have seen it a dozen times......

I also went in with absurdly high expectations, which was too bad. My view of the movie was tainted by people going insane over the film when it should have just been a fun, rollicking movie.

 

I still liked the film a lot but people were trying to make the movie into something it's really not (some high-minded feminist political piece).

 

Sometimes, it's okay to just say "good on you, filmmakers, you showed me a different take on action movies" without trying to turn a ****ing insane action movie into a political talking point.

 

I thought the movie's anti-patriarchal points were great fun and an added twist to an already fun movie but I'm not going to grant the movie some kind of vaunted status for doing stuff we should have done 30 years ago, nor is the movie truly "better" for it. It grants the movie footnote status in history, maybe, but it doesn't make the film substantially better from a storytelling aspect in the here and now, certainly not to the extent it was played up in some circles.

[nicksaviking]

I actually didn't have such high expectations for Fury Road. I loved Mad Max and The Road Warrior, but that was back when I was a kid and loved action movies without being able to discern what makes them good or where they have problems. Fury Road was getting good reviews, but so have Marvel movies and Rocky sequels, so I was expecting to see another fun but still explosion driven action movie.

 

But it was really, really well made and I'm only surprised that it got a Best Picture nomination because I didn't expect the Academy had the capability to recognize this in an action film.

[Craig Arko]

The happy family.

 

 

[Squirrel]

Hahaha ... I saw that on FB somewhere recently. Good photoshop job there.

[ashbury]

The happy family.

 

That seems like SUCH a long time ago. So far far away.

[biggentleben]

The better one was a one I saw that said "dysfunctional family" and it showed a tear with the lower right corner torn away from the picture.

[PseudoSABR]

http://i.imgur.com/cJ6pDMq.jpg

[nicksaviking]

 

http://i.imgur.com/cJ6pDMq.jpg

 

I knew it, Leia wasn't really into Han, she just has a thing for pilots. Her brother included.

[Mike Sixel]

My issue with that picture is that Han and Leia  look waaaaaaay too young in it. Way. Way. Super way. the Force must really age you badly.

[Squirrel]

 

My issue with that picture is that Han and Leia  look waaaaaaay too young in it. Way. Way. Super way. the Force must really age you badly.

Yeah ... I think Harrison Ford looks okay, at least close to his age at the time of the first films. But Carrie Fisher ... that looks like a high school graduation photo, or a school photo.

 

But it's still funny.

[Craig Arko]

Not Star Wars news, but close enough.

 

Indy 5, coming in 2019.

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-35817121

[Mike Sixel]

 

Not Star Wars news, but close enough.

 

Indy 5, coming in 2019.

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-35817121

 

W

T

F

[Craig Arko]

 

W

T

F

Indy crawls out of his own tomb.

[Mike Sixel]

I really wish they'd find another actor. That last one was so bad, so bad. And I usually eat that stuff up.

[Squirrel]

While at my workplace, we will be showing 'Raiders' with live orchestra performing the soundtrack. Good times!

[nicksaviking]

 

I really wish they'd find another actor. That last one was so bad, so bad. And I usually eat that stuff up.

 

New director too. I love Speilberg, and he's still making quality movies even if they aren't the hits from the 70's, 80s and 90s.

 

But, really, that last one was so bad everyone involved should have been blacklisted from Hollywood. If I could, I'd like to lay all the blame on George Lucas, but it would be pretty hard to tell which fingers should be pointed where.

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

New director too. I love Speilberg, and he's still making quality movies even if they aren't the hits from the 70's, 80s and 90s.

 

But, really, that last one was so bad everyone involved should have been blacklisted from Hollywood. If I could, I'd like to lay all the blame on George Lucas, but it would be pretty hard to tell which fingers should be pointed where.

 

I do believe when it came out that there were some posters out there about "Another franchise ruined."  I firmly blame Lucas personally.  He did a bad job with Star Wars 1 and 2 and he had to hire outside help for 3. 

[nicksaviking]

I do believe when it came out that there were some posters out there about "Another franchise ruined." I firmly blame Lucas personally. He did a bad job with Star Wars 1 and 2 and he had to hire outside help for 3.

 

Yeah, it sonded like Frank Darabount wrote a script that Spielberg and Ford liked but Lucas didn't and of course Lucas got his way.

 

After everything that's happened since, I think it's probably best to assume that Star Wars and Empire were created on complete dumb luck.

[Craig Arko]

Empire Strikes Back screenplay: Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan. That explains much.

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

Yeah, it sonded like Frank Darabount wrote a script that Spielberg and Ford liked but Lucas didn't and of course Lucas got his way.

After everything that's happened since, I think it's probably best to assume that Star Wars and Empire were created on complete dumb luck.

Oh, wholeheartedly agree.  He didn't get lucky.  I do think, however, that time can pass you by.. Lucas hasn't done much well of late.  I think he works better in his current role having some ability to shape the franchise but letting more talented writers do the heavy lifting.

[Brock Beauchamp]

After everything that's happened since, I think it's probably best to assume that Star Wars and Empire were created on complete dumb luck.

The guy created the two largest film franchises in history at the time of their creation. That doesn't happen through dumb luck.

 

I don't understand the internet's burning need to **** all over George Lucas because he got old and lost touch. It happens. Tip your cap to what he did right and get on with the day.

[jimmer]

 

The guy created the two largest film franchises in history at the time of their creation. That doesn't happen through dumb luck.

I don't understand the internet's burning need to **** all over George Lucas because he got old and lost touch. It happens. Tip your cap to what he did right and get on with the day.

Thank You!

[nicksaviking]

 

The guy created the two largest film franchises in history at the time of their creation. That doesn't happen through dumb luck.

I don't understand the internet's burning need to **** all over George Lucas because he got old and lost touch. It happens. Tip your cap to what he did right and get on with the day.

 

Well it could be argued that he started losing his touch as far back as 1983 when he added teddy bears to Jedi simply for the merchandising and his legendary ego and stubbornness, which resulted in the split with the Directors Guild of America, caused him not to be able to hire Steven freaken' Spielberg in his prime to direct it.

 

(Jedi - Ewoks) + Spielberg = perhaps the best of them all.

 

But we shall never know.

[Mike Sixel]

I think the geeks are too tough on Lucas.....

 

American Graffiti

Star Wars

Indiana Jones

 

He was also executive producer on a lot of good stuff (or great stuff), and Willow is under appreciated, imo. Young Indiana Jones was a great tv show, that would be raking in money right now on AMC or one of the other networks.

 

He started one of the most successful computer graphics studios ever, and, also Pixar, which he later sold. He also co-founded THX sound.

 

Is he perfect? No. Is he ridiculed unfairly? Yes. 

 

Two huge franchises.

Two huge studios.

Re-invented animation, and sound.

 

What more, exactly, would a man have to do to be considered great?

 

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Well it could be argued that he started losing his touch as far back as 1983 when he added teddy bears to Jedi simply for the merchandising and his legendary ego and stubbornness, which resulted in the split with the Directors Guild of America, caused him not to be able to hire Steven freaken' Spielberg in his prime to direct it.

Frankly, the Director's Guild was being a collective group of asshats over the situation. Lucas refused to add the director's name to the beginning of the films because he wanted the opening text and crawl to remain intact to preserve the mythological feel of the franchise.

 

Notice how the director name still didn't appear in Episode VII. Nobody seemed to care once the word "Disney" entered the discussion.

 

And really, I think George started to lose touch when he divorced his wife Martha, who was one hell of a film editor and one of the few people on earth who could ground George and tell him "no, George, this is a terrible idea".

 

It happens to creators all the time when fame and fortune begins to cloud their judgment. Their peers slowly drift away and the replacements don't have the power, influence, or stature to challenge the person because they're not peers, they're underlings.

 

****, look what Jackson did to The Hobbit. He created the greatest set of fantasy movies in history and then took a Cleveland Steamer all over The Hobbit a decade later. It doesn't mean LotR is somehow diminished because he created bad films later, nor does it mean Jackson was lucky or less capable while filming the original trilogy.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

What more, exactly, would a man have to do to be considered great?

Not get old.