It's Not Just A Movie
This week was more fruitful in terms of Star Wars news than the previous two. To begin, Nicholas Cage spoke to IGN over his role in the movie Outcast, in which he stars alongside Hayden Christensen, and said some interesting things. When asked about Christensen's performance in the prequel trilogy, he said, "And so, I watched George’s movies, and the work Hayden did with George, and I was very impressed with Hayden’s sort of edgy, dangerous, dark and still soulful performance. I thought it was superb. And so I really connected with him. Plus he has a look in his eyes that I respond to, because it almost feels like a familial, he's got that sad thing going on that I've always been accused of having in my eyes, so I thought we would be a good match together..."
That's really creepy.
But besides that, I'm not sure that he's completely serious. I know it's popular to be "edgy", but that's not what Christensen was during the prequels. He was dark, sure, but only in the sense of skulking around most of Attack of the Clones (and maybe occasionally slaughter a Tusken Raider village). His performance in Revenge of the Sith was better, but stilted. Fans didn't like the character of Anakin Skywalker in he way that the character of Anakin Skywalker didn't like sand. He was coarse, rough, irritating, and he got everywhere (because we weren't allowed to forget that trilogy of movies until the Lucasfilm acquisition). For Nicholas Cage to say that, and then compliment his eyes, is a joke.
J.J. Abrams spoke to Collider, and he was asked about the new lightsaber design and the to use it, he offered, "I will say that what’s been funny is, since the lightsaber’s come out, I cannot tell you how many contradictory emails I have received from people who have both defended it with unbelievably detailed graphics…I’ve gotten things that are nuts, and I've gotten people who’ve shown how it’ll kill you and how it doesn’t make any sense. It’s been the funniest thing to see the arguments that have developed over this thing." While this may be true, I would think that J.J., as a Star Wars fan himself, would understand. As any member of a "fandom" (that word makes me shudder) knows, if part of your world is attacked, you defend it, being plot holes or lightsaber designs. But it is pretty hilarious.
Something big happened in the world of Star Wars leaks. On the website ImageShack, a certain user "Darth-Simi" posted about three hundred photos concerning details from The Force Awakens, including officially released ones. But some were blurry shots of the set, and one in photo in particular, apparently there was a figure with the same lightsaber from the trailer, viewed from the front, wearing a metallic face mask. Now, I haven't actually seen the pictures, after what Disney did next. They ordered ImageShack to delete the photo, which they promptly did, but also began a hunt for the identity of the user "Darth-Simi", issuing a subpoena. Disney also ordered that the user account be deleted, which it was. If the identity of the person who leaked the photo is discovered, this could end in a $150,000 lawsuit. Disney isn't messing around. It's odd. By the description, it's nothing we've never seen before. A cloaked figure with a metallic mask and a crossblade lightsaber has already been leaked. This either means that Disney cracked down on leaked images all of a sudden or this picture was legitimate. I think the latter.
Mark Hamill had some thoughts on the eagerness of fans to want more. He told the Los Angeles Times, "We had problems before with people leaking stuff, but I was saying to them, 'Is it really necessary to put on this giant robe with a hood that hangs down to your chest to go from my trailer to the soundstage?' They said, 'Drones.' I said, 'You’re kidding! Really?'… I wish people would just relax. We’re not trying to play games with people. We just want to maximize their experience at the movies where it should be seen and not have it leaked over the Internet. Believe me, it will be here before you know it. Forget about it, that’s my advice. Look forward to all the summer movies. I’m telling you, it’s just a movie. These people that build it up in their minds like it’s going to be the second coming of, I don’t know what — they’re bound to be disappointed."
Just a movie? Just a MOVIE?! Mark Hamill, of all people calls TFA just a movie, and he misses the point. Of course it's just a movie, but it is much larger than that. It is a continuation of what ended thirty-some years ago, impacting millions of lives. Star Wars has had such a huge impact on culture and movies and people in general that to call the long awaited next installment "just a movie" is insulting. When he said that people are expecting a second coming, it's because they are. A second coming of the adventures of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia, even if other characters play a larger role. It's not fine to just FORGET about the sequel to the movies that had a huge impact on how we watch movies today. And while it's true people might set expectation too high, it's not at pre-Phantom Menace levels. Slightly disillusioned, the Star Wars fan base is expecting something great to help them remember what it was like to be a child, watching Star Wars for the first time. Whatever happens December 18, it will change the face of Star Wars forever.
Just a movie, huh?
That's really creepy.
But besides that, I'm not sure that he's completely serious. I know it's popular to be "edgy", but that's not what Christensen was during the prequels. He was dark, sure, but only in the sense of skulking around most of Attack of the Clones (and maybe occasionally slaughter a Tusken Raider village). His performance in Revenge of the Sith was better, but stilted. Fans didn't like the character of Anakin Skywalker in he way that the character of Anakin Skywalker didn't like sand. He was coarse, rough, irritating, and he got everywhere (because we weren't allowed to forget that trilogy of movies until the Lucasfilm acquisition). For Nicholas Cage to say that, and then compliment his eyes, is a joke.
J.J. Abrams spoke to Collider, and he was asked about the new lightsaber design and the to use it, he offered, "I will say that what’s been funny is, since the lightsaber’s come out, I cannot tell you how many contradictory emails I have received from people who have both defended it with unbelievably detailed graphics…I’ve gotten things that are nuts, and I've gotten people who’ve shown how it’ll kill you and how it doesn’t make any sense. It’s been the funniest thing to see the arguments that have developed over this thing." While this may be true, I would think that J.J., as a Star Wars fan himself, would understand. As any member of a "fandom" (that word makes me shudder) knows, if part of your world is attacked, you defend it, being plot holes or lightsaber designs. But it is pretty hilarious.
Something big happened in the world of Star Wars leaks. On the website ImageShack, a certain user "Darth-Simi" posted about three hundred photos concerning details from The Force Awakens, including officially released ones. But some were blurry shots of the set, and one in photo in particular, apparently there was a figure with the same lightsaber from the trailer, viewed from the front, wearing a metallic face mask. Now, I haven't actually seen the pictures, after what Disney did next. They ordered ImageShack to delete the photo, which they promptly did, but also began a hunt for the identity of the user "Darth-Simi", issuing a subpoena. Disney also ordered that the user account be deleted, which it was. If the identity of the person who leaked the photo is discovered, this could end in a $150,000 lawsuit. Disney isn't messing around. It's odd. By the description, it's nothing we've never seen before. A cloaked figure with a metallic mask and a crossblade lightsaber has already been leaked. This either means that Disney cracked down on leaked images all of a sudden or this picture was legitimate. I think the latter.
Mark Hamill had some thoughts on the eagerness of fans to want more. He told the Los Angeles Times, "We had problems before with people leaking stuff, but I was saying to them, 'Is it really necessary to put on this giant robe with a hood that hangs down to your chest to go from my trailer to the soundstage?' They said, 'Drones.' I said, 'You’re kidding! Really?'… I wish people would just relax. We’re not trying to play games with people. We just want to maximize their experience at the movies where it should be seen and not have it leaked over the Internet. Believe me, it will be here before you know it. Forget about it, that’s my advice. Look forward to all the summer movies. I’m telling you, it’s just a movie. These people that build it up in their minds like it’s going to be the second coming of, I don’t know what — they’re bound to be disappointed."
Just a movie? Just a MOVIE?! Mark Hamill, of all people calls TFA just a movie, and he misses the point. Of course it's just a movie, but it is much larger than that. It is a continuation of what ended thirty-some years ago, impacting millions of lives. Star Wars has had such a huge impact on culture and movies and people in general that to call the long awaited next installment "just a movie" is insulting. When he said that people are expecting a second coming, it's because they are. A second coming of the adventures of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia, even if other characters play a larger role. It's not fine to just FORGET about the sequel to the movies that had a huge impact on how we watch movies today. And while it's true people might set expectation too high, it's not at pre-Phantom Menace levels. Slightly disillusioned, the Star Wars fan base is expecting something great to help them remember what it was like to be a child, watching Star Wars for the first time. Whatever happens December 18, it will change the face of Star Wars forever.
Just a movie, huh?
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