Star Wars Episode VIII: The Force Rolls out of Bed and Stretches [Ep VII Spoilers]

[Jon AS]

18 minutes ago, red snow said:

Although I can't even remember whether the planet exploded now. The price one pays for getting caught up in the original viewing.

IIRC it explodes and leaves behind a miniature sun. It makes about as much sense as anything related to the mechanics of Starkiller Base.

[HexMachina]

Not that anyone will be surprised, but Disney does not plan to stop making SW films with episode X

[Jace, Extat]

4 minutes ago, HelenaExMachina said:

Not that anyone will be surprised, but Disney does not plan to stop making SW films with episode X

Don't see any reason they should if the quality remains. Before I got into it with my beloved Cowboy, I meant to remark that TFA did a fantastical job of making me desperate to see more of the Star Wars universe. There were a few (very few) gems in the muck of the EU that occupied a lot more of my imagination than the Holy Trilogy ever did as an adult, and the potential for more mind treasures gets me very excited. I just hope it doesn't get too formulaic.

[HexMachina]

Yeah I'm all for more films right now after seeing TFA, I just hope (like you) that they don't become too stale/formulaic. As long as the ideas are interesting enough I don't really mind. And as is mentioned in the article, it doesn't necessarily mean continuation of the trilogies, but could include more standalones like Rouge One etc.

[Davrum]

11 hours ago, Howdyphillip said:

 JJ Abrams and Kasdan has never said that the film that they released had script problems. There is not one word even resembling this. They did spend more time in production reworking the script, and they both have said that the time spent on it after Harrison Ford was injured made it better. There has been absolutely nothing negative about the script mentioned by anyone who wrote or produced the show. I have even searched today in case I missed something, and couldn't find anything at all. Could you provide anything else on this? 

 As for inconsistent lighting in the battle scene, You are looking for something that just isn't there. The scene right before it is on Rey with BB8, in what is clearly the early morning in a forest. We know this because of the light through the trees and they even mixed in birds chirping in the audio to establish the time. It then goes on to show the tie fighters behind a cloudy sunrise, and then the battle is filmed while the sun is overcast by the clouds using the exact same light. It is probably one of the most consistent use of lights I can remember in a film, and I actually do this for a living. It is also probably one of the reasons that the film was nominated for a best editing Academy Award.

 I also don't understand why you are bothered so much by the cantina scene. It seems to do the job of establishing that Maz is the one running the place, and gives the audience a little back story before you meet her. She is a brazen character who demands respect, and that is exactly what was shown. If there is any complaint to be had about it, the bar scene does feel reminiscent to the original movie, and to some people, that could seem like lazy writing, but I personally enjoyed the throwback there and in many other places that the movie attempted to emulate the original trilogy. 

 Just to clarify with you, What movie play or book ever doesn't go between set pieces in the narrative? I am really not sure I understand what you mean by this. I did see some writing choices that were based on convenience, like Han and Chewie hanging around Jakku to run into our new heroes, and R2 powering on at the final stage, but that is a writing critique I personally have, and it has nothing really to do with how the movie was edited. 

 Just a note. I don't think this movie was a perfect movie either. There are things within even its own script that I would have done differently. I do however feel, that it was the best example of this kind of story that has been told for this generation, and have said that several times. I can not think of another heroes journey that has been more compelling since I was a kid. I am at a loss for thinking of other examples, but the last time this kind of story was really well told was The Matrix (original only), and because of my personal love for Star Wars, I prefer this one over even that. 

 Thank you though for clarifying your outlook. It is so much easier to have a discussion when you provide background to your opinion. I'd also like to apologize to you if I came across as too harsh in the old thread. I can sometimes be smug and dismissive. 

 A film professional like you knows that the phrase "the film that they released had script problems" is effectively meaningless. Because the film they released wasn't the film that was in the script. The film they released was "written" in the editing room, not on the page. They shot a dozen scenes which were in the screenplay which were not in the finished film. That's not at all out of the ordinary in filmmaking, but what it is is evidence of a screenplay that was a long way short of tight.

 As for inconsistent lighting in the battle scene, there is but a single magic hour shot in that whole sequence that sticks out like the dog's bollocks. The Falcon lands at Takodana during non-magic hour, the gang enters Maz's during non-magic hour and the invasion and battle takes place during non-magic hour. And yet there's that single beautiful but ill-fitting Ties At Magic Hour moneyshot. You don't need to be a film professional to notice that one, nor do you need to see the film more than twice.

 The "cantina scene" is undercooked in terms of the cinematic language it uses to establish the geography of the situation. As film professionals like yourself know, when characters in a Star Wars movie enter a new environment establishing shots are used to convey to the audience the relationship between the characters and their surroundings. Consider the way we encounter Mos Eisley Cantina or Jabba's Palace, where the scene is allowed to breath as we - and our characters - take in the exotic locations. A perfect opportunity is missed to have Finn stare at everything, allowing us to take it all in as he does, only for Han to scold him, "Hey Big Deal, I said not to stare."

 As for the connective tissue thing, that's going to have to be a story ... for another time.

[Davrum]

33 minutes ago, HelenaExMachina said:

Not that anyone will be surprised, but Disney does not plan to stop making SW films with episode X

I'll take all they got. 

It'll probably end up like the Marvel films - 45% clunkers, 45% fun but forgettable and 10% gold. I can live with that.

[red snow]

4 hours ago, Jon AS said:

IIRC it explodes and leaves behind a miniature sun. It makes about as much sense as anything related to the mechanics of Starkiller Base.

Thats the kind of BS nonsense I'm willing to accept in a JJ film

3 hours ago, Davrum said:

I'll take all they got. 

It'll probably end up like the Marvel films - 45% clunkers, 45% fun but forgettable and 10% gold. I can live with that.

I probably wouldn't be as harsh in terms of clunkers as there's only AOU I've come to actively dislike. I'd say all the rest have been fun while at the cinema. They've all made Disney a lot of money which is the bottom line.

4 hours ago, HelenaExMachina said:

Yeah I'm all for more films right now after seeing TFA, I just hope (like you) that they don't become too stale/formulaic. As long as the ideas are interesting enough I don't really mind. And as is mentioned in the article, it doesn't necessarily mean continuation of the trilogies, but could include more standalones like Rouge One etc.

For Disney it will be "as long as they make money" so over time we have to be wary of formulaic kicking in (saying that I really enjoyed TFA despite the cries of "formulaic").

I also think we'll get a trilogy/core film every few years or whenever one of the anthologies pulls in less money than expected. Then they'll episode X the shit out of us and stir up enthusiasm again.

[koudoulis]

If nobody has called it , i am calling a double lightsabre for bastil... eh Rey. Other than that cool thread

[Myrddin]

13 hours ago, ab aeterno said:

Am I the only one beginning to think that Disney is holding someone important to Harrison Ford hostage?

Yes. Indiana Jones.

As an aside related to the updating theme parks, I really enjoyed the new portion of the Star Tours ride with Jakku. Very well done and included a guest star on the side monitor.

The new Launch Pad (Hollywood Studios) is mainly a place to get Darth Vader and Chewbacca's signatures and photo op. The rest is a museum area with models, props, costumes, posters, and the like scattered about. Though there is a cool little room decorated like the cantina. The bar even has glasses of blue milk sitting there (glued in place). Yes, I succumbed to temptation and had my wife take a picture of me lounging against the bar nursing my drink.  All was good until a Jawa tried to pick my pocket...

Oh, and there was a Disney Infinity area with about 10-12 Xbones set up to play an exclusive toy box. Best part, is they give you a code to download the Toy Box to your home machine (assuming you have DI 3.0). If anyone wants a code, pm me. We have annual passes and will be back...

[Corvinus85]

41 minutes ago, koudoulis said:

If nobody has called it , i am calling a double lightsabre for bastil... eh Rey. Other than that cool thread

I, too, thought of that. Since she has been using a staff for many years, it would be more natural for her.

[Howdyphillip]

7 hours ago, felice said:

If that was meant to be implied, then there's your example of really incredibly awful editing, because that didn't come across at all. At this point I think it's more likely you're trolling, though...

 I am certainly not trying to troll, but I can see where it might come across this way. I still believe that the films intent was to show that time had passed in the cantina rather than just poor continuity control, but you guys may be right about this. I will have to pay closer attention to the whole piece next time I see the movie.

 

 

[Corvinus85]

I'll have to watch the movie again to better analyze the lighting/cantina scene you guys are talking about, but let me re-iterate, TFA did receive an Oscar for film editing.

Also we are talking about an alien planet. Just because it's a lush, green planet doesn't mean there cannot be more than one sun in the system. From what I remember of that TIE fighter shot, there was at least another celestial object in the sky, probably a moon.

Edit: Or the planet's rotation could be slower, so the whole scene takes place in one morning. There could be loads of other variations that could cause the light to stay relatively constant. The point is we are arguing about something that could be easily explained by making something up that no one can disprove.

[Good Guy Garlan]

Speaking of lighting and such, at the very beginning of the movie, when the First Order ships came down and there suddenly were lots of lens flares up in my Star Wars, I really thought, "C'mon, Abrams, again?!":

But then I started seeing less lens flares till I stopped noticing them altogether. I don't know if I was just engrossed with the story or if there really were fewer, but I was pleasantly surprised nonetheless. 

[Corvinus85]

Besides the lens flare from Starkiller's beam, I did not notice any other lens flare. And we knew about that one from the trailers.

[ab aeterno]

10 hours ago, red snow said:

Said hostage is probably called "dollar"

Money could probably make him do it, but he's not just half-assing it. He's acting as though he really enjoys it. It's so un-Fordy.

[ab aeterno]

4 hours ago, Myrddin said:

Yes. Indiana Jones.

As an aside related to the updating theme parks, I really enjoyed the new portion of the Star Tours ride with Jakku. Very well done and included a guest star on the side monitor.

The new Launch Pad (Hollywood Studios) is mainly a place to get Darth Vader and Chewbacca's signatures and photo op. The rest is a museum area with models, props, costumes, posters, and the like scattered about. Though there is a cool little room decorated like the cantina. The bar even has glasses of blue milk sitting there (glued in place). Yes, I succumbed to temptation and had my wife take a picture of me lounging against the bar nursing my drink.  All was good until a Jawa tried to pick my pocket...

Oh, and there was a Disney Infinity area with about 10-12 Xbones set up to play an exclusive toy box. Best part, is they give you a code to download the Toy Box to your home machine (assuming you have DI 3.0). If anyone wants a code, pm me. We have annual passes and will be back...

That's really cool. I hope what they announce is strong enough to make up for losing Star Wars Weekends. As in, depth and residual value, rather than just facades. Disney are usually pretty good, but they've made some weaker efforts too.

[red snow]

5 hours ago, Corvinus said:

I'll have to watch the movie again to better analyze the lighting/cantina scene you guys are talking about, but let me re-iterate, TFA did receive an Oscar not for film editing.

Also we are talking about an alien planet. Just because it's a lush, green planet doesn't mean there cannot be more than one sun in the system. From what I remember of that TIE fighter shot, there was at least another celestial object in the sky, probably a moon.

Edit: Or the planet's rotation could be slower, so the whole scene takes place in one morning. There could be loads of other variations that could cause the light to stay relatively constant. The point is we are arguing about something that could be easily explained by making something up that no one can disprove.

Exactly, I think this can easily be solved by saying both sides are correct and it's a planet with a different rotational speed. Or another sun although I always thought (although I could easily be wrong) binary stars were orbiting each other so it wouldn't affect night and day unless the planet was in between them?

[Howdyphillip]

 Speaking of lighting, There is the potential for Episode VIII's filming will be delayed due to negotiations with production and lighting techs. I have only seen this so far, but I will be paying close attention.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/star-wars-episode-viii-among-films-facing-delays-as-lighting-technicans-threaten-revolt-a6837796.html

[Myrddin]

9 hours ago, Howdyphillip said:

 Speaking of lighting, There is the potential for Episode VIII's filming will be delayed due to negotiations with production and lighting techs. I have only seen this so far, but I will be paying close attention.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/star-wars-episode-viii-among-films-facing-delays-as-lighting-technicans-threaten-revolt-a6837796.html

They were offended that their lighting wasn't more appreciated in Ep VII.

[Arya442]

I was too busy loving the nice subtle touches, like Rey just stopping to take in the scenery, smell the air, feel the breeze (since she had spent pretty much her entire life in a desert), or the cool trippy vision, or the effective horror movie-vibes of her first confrontation with Kylo, or the awesome X-Wing stuff, to really care about if the sun was right or not.