UPDATE! New Oscar Isaac Interview. Talks Special Edition Changes, Shooting on Film, Episode 7, Stormtroopers, the Original Cast, Recent Leaks, and More.

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Star Wars Episode 7 star Oscar Isaac had a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly regarding the past few films he’s been in, the forthcoming A Most Violent Year, and – you guessed it – how it felt to sink his feet into the Star Wars universe. A new interview with Huffington Post was added.

 

Entertainment Weekly: Is being in something as high-profile as Star Wars affecting the kinds of decisions you’re making about your own career going forward?  

 

Oscar Isaac: I’ve never been good at those kinds of calculations. It’s more like, if I get something and I read it and I think that there is something to do here or it’s different in some way or, like, that’s a psyche I’d like to inhabit—it’s more about that. It’s impossible to know what you’re going to get, you know? That’s how I look at it. 

 

EW: Have you had much interactions with the original trio of Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, and Mark Hamill on or off-screen? 

 

Isaac: Yeah, I have. Both. They’re such funny people. Carrie is hilarious and doing such cool work. Harrison is back. He went on hiatus for a little while, but he’s 150 percent back. It’s pretty amazing to see him bounce back. He looks incredible. Everyone’s having a really good time. J.J. sets that tone. There’s a lot of enthusiasm and it’s being done with a lot of heart. There’s nothing cynical about the way we’re doing this. Even the in way he’s shooting it—he’s shooting on film and actually building the sets, so you’ve got hundreds of Stormtroopers or whatever, and hundreds of extras and all the ships. You actually see it. It’s all real. Everyone can interact with the world. 

 

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EW: What do you think of this culture of leaked photos from set and this insatiable hunger for specific details about this new installment? 

 

Isaac: People want to know all those special things and when those iconic moments are going to happen, but if all that gets revealed beforehand I feel like it robs people of that moment when they’re sitting there watching it for the first time. 

 

EW: The original Star Wars, of which you’ve said you’re a big fan, are filled with cheesy lines and dialogue which the actors have not shied away from criticizing over the years. How does this compare? 

 

Isaac: Yeah. [Laughs] I’m constantly looking for a cheesy line to say to harken back to the old ones. No, what they’re trying to do and what’s really great is J.J.’s been loosening it up a little bit and trying to make it alive and energized. It’s not formal. They’re messy, energized people. We’ve all intentionally tried to do that. Just make it a little more fiery and messy. 

 

 

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UPDATE!

 

Here’s another interview with the star with Huffington Post:

 

What is it like working within the secrecy surrounding “Star Wars”?

 
Isaac: You can’t say anything. You can’t say shit. But it’s fine! I don’t know why people are so obsessed with finding out stuff before the movie comes out. It’s so much more fun to just go. I mean, I don’t do that. I don’t go looking for stuff that I’m interested in, you know, to try and find out pictures and what the movie’s about. It’s so much more fun to be surprised.

 

Is there anything you are excited about that won’t reveal anything about your mysterious, yet-to-be-announced character?

 
Isaac: There’s not anything that I can say about the character, but I can say that I’m most excited and, I know this seems nerdy, but I love the fact that J.J. Abrams is shooting it on film. And that’s not just from an aesthetic standpoint — it really does matter — but it’s about how a movie is filmed and the set, it changes it. It changes so many things. I mean, I’ve had to do things over again because there was a hair in the gate, which is so old school, but it just feels better, and movies are all about feeling, so I think that’s something that I’m so very excited about apart from the fact that it looks amazing, so textured and alive.

 

Okay, here’s a nostalgia-based question that you’ll be allowed to answer: How do you feel about the “updates” George Lucas has made to the films?

 
Isaac: Well, it’s a funny thing. I mean there’s two things. As an artist, like, he made the shit, so why can’t he do whatever the heck he wants with it. There’s a part of me that appreciates that he doesn’t really care if people are upset about it. He decided to share it with all of it and he wants to go back and do stuff, whatever. But as a fan, I’d much rather go back and watch the old thing, because it’s a product of the time. It’s what did you do at the time with the things that you had. And that’s what made that movie so amazing. At that time with that technology he made this thing and it was fucking awesome. So, you know, to go back and kind of tweak it with new stuff, it doesn’t make it more interesting for me as a watcher. It makes it less interesting, but I can’t fault him for doing that.

 

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Grant has been a fan of Star Wars for as long as he can remember, having seen every movie on the big screen. When he’s not hard at work with his college studies, he keeps himself busy by reporting on all kinds of Star Wars news for SWNN and general movie news on the sister site, Movie News Net. He served as a frequent commentator on SWNN’s The Resistance Broadcast.

Grant Davis (Pomojema)

Grant has been a fan of Star Wars for as long as he can remember, having seen every movie on the big screen. When he’s not hard at work with his college studies, he keeps himself busy by reporting on all kinds of Star Wars news for SWNN and general movie news on the sister site, Movie News Net. He served as a frequent commentator on SWNN’s The Resistance Broadcast.

88 thoughts on “UPDATE! New Oscar Isaac Interview. Talks Special Edition Changes, Shooting on Film, Episode 7, Stormtroopers, the Original Cast, Recent Leaks, and More.

  • September 23, 2014 at 7:12 pm
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    “Hundreds of Stormtroopers”. #nerdgasm

  • September 23, 2014 at 7:13 pm
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    It’s like these actors are contractually obligated to mention that they’re using real sets and props every time there is an interview. Enough of this.

    • September 23, 2014 at 7:16 pm
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      Enough of this? I want to hear more. The sets are much more interesting to hear about than the greenscreen.. What’s the problem anyway? With all their non disclosure agreements are they supposed to talk about the weather instead?

    • September 23, 2014 at 7:43 pm
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      Yeah, I do wonder why that is. Back in the days of the takeover, in one of those videos with Kathleen Kennedy and George Lucas, Kennedy promised us a “more balanced” approach to the special effects, not a completely retro one.

      • September 23, 2014 at 8:15 pm
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        I suppose we’ll actually see the balance in footage from post-production, when digital stuff is actually added to the shots.

        There have been a couple of blue screens and green screens confirmed for the set, though.

      • September 23, 2014 at 9:39 pm
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        She also said people (you, the fans) might be surprised in the transparency during production.

        Regarding digital effects, there are a total of (roughly) 788 digital effects in this movie. Compare that with the prequels and you might sleep well tonight. It’s important to note that this film has a very focused scope. It’s not small movie, but the scope is simple.

        • September 23, 2014 at 9:59 pm
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          “It’s like these actors are contractually obligated to mention that they’re using real sets and props every time there is an interview. ”

          How obnoxious… I think they are all mentioning it because of the over saturated CGI which helped ruin the Prequels. I love how It’s only a *minority* of people who disliked the PT, until you enter the real world.

          • September 23, 2014 at 10:12 pm
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            Shut up, Aras. These actors are talking way too much about the practical effects, that much is certain. If you like this kind of repetitive reassurance, that’s fine with me. Personally, I’d like to hear more about how the special effects crew is breaking boundaries by trying something new instead of reverting back to old fanboy wishes by doing the same tried and true methods. At least the PT tried to do something innovative with their CG work. They failed, sure, but there’s no need for you to bash PT fans for wanting to see some innovation, or originality on the actors’ parts.

          • September 23, 2014 at 10:17 pm
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            “They failed, sure, but”- I’m going to stop you right there and point out that that’s all you needed to say..

          • September 23, 2014 at 10:49 pm
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            They failed in the OT using pieces of plastic, toys and teddy-bears suits, they failed in the PT, they will fail in the ST on using fake snow instead of real. Is there anything about the SW saga to like? Yes, the scripts. But they’re irrelevant because no one ever mentions them. The ST crew is more practical oriented than making a good script. Will Ep 7 suffer? Yes. But at least there will be the real men in the suits.

          • September 25, 2014 at 8:16 pm
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            Funny that you mentioned scripts when that was the true downfall of the PT…

          • September 23, 2014 at 11:11 pm
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            I’m not going to shut up. The only people complaining about Episode VII seem to be PT fanatics… I’ve had enough. So they are going *somewhat* practical… get over it! If you want Micheal Bay to do Star Wars then sign a petition.

          • September 24, 2014 at 9:29 am
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            Who’s says you can’t do something innovative with practical effects. You pt fanatics are so insecure because no one else likes your crappy movies you look for any reason to get bent out of shape

          • September 24, 2014 at 6:59 pm
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            Failed!? That’s an understatement, if I ever heard one.

          • September 24, 2014 at 12:24 am
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            “How obnoxious… I think they are all mentioning it because of the over saturated CGI which helped ruin the Prequels. I love how It’s only a *minority* of people who disliked the PT, until you enter the real world.”

            No, in the real world the actual people who went to the films that grossed billions of dollars had a grand old time as do the new generation of fans who saw the films and to them that IS Star Wars. Your “real world” consists of a very narrow band of people who agree with each other how terrible they were and ignore the reality of what actually happened.

          • September 24, 2014 at 12:55 am
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            Well again, if you have a problem with the ST, then by all means petition for Micheal Bay.

            Every person involved seems to indicate that this production wants to erase the mistakes of the past. Why do they express these views so blatantly?

            When Peter Mayhew gave his impressions of practical effects, the whole crowd applauded . Not a handful of OT fanboys.

          • September 24, 2014 at 2:28 am
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            Ryan, can you just shut your mouth and realize that a lot of people don’t like the prequels and a lot of people do and that’s completely fine. You opinion is no more valid than those who don’t like the prequels buddy. And if the people who don’t like the prequels are such a minority, doesn’t seem weird that the whole goal of Ep. 7 is to get back to the original trilogy and stay away from the prequels. I will not respond to you until you either watch all of these https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9A12F8F947849C30 and gain an understanding of why people don’t like the prequels (over like 10 million views combined on those videos, big minority if you ask me) or admit that there are a lot of people who like and dislike the prequels and that’s perfectly fine because everyone is subject to their own opinion.

          • September 24, 2014 at 10:40 pm
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            “Your opinion is no more valid than those who don’t like the prequels buddy.”

            Listen I don’t really care at all if anyone likes or dislikes the prequels. The problem I have is that I keep reading over and over again people who don’t like them because they were “all-CG” or “not lived-in” or “There was no emotion” etc etc.

            Those are invalid statements. They simply are not true. Anyone holding those opinions is factually wrong. It’s that simple.

            Why those people don’t like them I don’t know. I can’t at all relate to them. I saw Star Wars in 1977. Love the originals and love the prequels. So no matter what they say I always win because I enjoy all the films. Chances are pretty good I’ll at least like and enjoy the new ones. They can’t say the same as history shows anything that isn’t exactly to their liking they turn on. They can’t stand the success of the prequel films.

            I got news for everyone of them about all Star Wars films. It’s all fake. Every bit of them is fake. So why one part of fake is real to them and another part of fake is fake I don’t know.

            I think one of the problems is that they actually think that the OT is so perfect and that the methods used to make them were so perfect that making them any other way is wrong. If they actually think that JJ is doing some retro production that will return to the 80’s they are going to be devastated to find that the new movies will look like the prequels and JJ’s Trek films and all modern films.

        • September 24, 2014 at 10:56 am
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          Where did you get that number from?

          • September 25, 2014 at 12:39 am
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            “Those are invalid statements. They simply are not true. Anyone holding those opinions is factually wrong. It’s that simple.”

            LOLZ @ this form of logic, it’s sort of like saying “I’m right because I say I’m right.”

            If there is no truth in the validity of complaints… then where was Jar Jar in episodes II & III? Oh yeah… he just became a politician, because, you know… just cuz.

          • September 25, 2014 at 12:50 am
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            Does anybody actually believe this Ryan kid is any older than 12?

          • September 27, 2014 at 8:13 pm
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            I guess the logic behind ‘Representative Binks’ was politics was the safest profession for him. After, what could he possibly screw up there?

            Oh, wait..

        • September 29, 2014 at 6:51 pm
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          How would you know that 7?

    • September 23, 2014 at 8:35 pm
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      Yeah boo I much rather want to hear the actors talk about how they are standing in front of green screens and have no clue what they are doing.

      • September 23, 2014 at 10:15 pm
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        Ree Yees,
        you do realize that they used props and sets in the prequel trilogy? I’m sure you were posting in sarcasm, because your comment sure sounds stupid.

        • September 24, 2014 at 12:30 am
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          You guys can’t have it both ways. For 15 years the PT defenders have quoted Lucas in saying he could never make the PT until CGI yet now you keep saying how many sets there were, etc.

          CGI worlds like Kamino, Geonosis, Utapau, Mustafar just don’t hold up visually like Tatooine, Hoth,and End or.

          • September 24, 2014 at 4:13 am
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            @Jedi 77-83

            If there was a time machine to transport you back to 1977, you would be the one complaining that the new optical effects of Star Wars would be evil because it wasn’t as authentic as tinfoil spaceships held together by strings like Flash Gordon.

      • September 24, 2014 at 4:44 pm
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        “I much rather want to hear the actors talk about how they are standing in front of green screens and have no clue what they are doing.”

        You do of course realize that is exactly what the actors on the OT said? They were standing in front of far less green screens that the prequels did or sequel actors will be. So what was their excuse? They didn’t see ships in the air or walkers on the ground or the monsters at their heels but had to pretend they were there. Oh the poor actors! Like Sam Jackson said to anyone who complains “Use your imagination Suckas!!”

        I suggest you look at the Star Trek Into Darkness enhanced commentary. Greens and blue screens are consistently around because they need to be. Without green and blue screens which by the way are practical film-making the OT couldn’t exist the way it does. They wanted to use rear projection but that didn’t work.

        You do realize that what is added in is done digitally now not optically as then and that what is added in afterwards isn’t exclusively CG? In the prequels what was added was all the miniatures and models and matte paintings as well as CG. It was all a mix of methods using sets, props, etc.

        • September 27, 2014 at 6:38 pm
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          I would also like to say I’m a whiny PT fan

    • September 23, 2014 at 8:46 pm
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      Well imagine if you were in the newly casted actors’ shoes, and your job is making these movies. They have never experienced anything like this before. Of course you would remark on how surreal the sets, props, and hundreds of extras are. I imagine even Gwendoline Christie from GOT is in awe over the experience, and those actors from that series used to make similar remarks. I remember Ewan McGregor and Samuel Jackson also said things of this nature when TPM was being filmed. I would think that throughout this entire experience, that is the first thing that comes to their mind.

    • September 24, 2014 at 12:17 am
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      As long as people continue to get it wrong I will have to continue to write this. The prequels used TEN TIMES PLUS the practical effects of the OT. Those “CG environments” were not “all CG”.

      Usually not at all as most of them were a combination of sets, locations, props, models, miniatures, matte paintings and CG as well. It was digitally composited as everything today is as the sequels will be. The OT was composited by analog methods.

      For whatever reason some people confuse the design with the methods used to achieve them. They also forget that Star Wars was most inspired by Flash Gordon. Lucas wanted to make Flash Gordon, didn’t get the rights so decided to make his own. Look at the curved designs,the ships,castles and cities in the sky. That is where the basis for Naboo and Coruscant come from. Must Star Wars be stuck in one design mode forever? I don’t think so.

      Thank goodness Lucas imagination wasn’t just locked into the thought process of “Well that’s what it was so that is all it can be.” like so many people seem to think it should.

      It’s also true that prequel environments like Tatooine,various parts of Corsucant, Geonosis, Utapau, Mustafar and various other settings look far more “lived-in” then various places in the OT. Yavin, Hoth and Endor among others look far “cleaner” as there was nothing to be “dirty” there in the first place. It’s only dirty as far as it’s in the wild.

      What’s also obvious is that in the OT they went to these essentially barren worlds like Yavin, Hoth, Dagobah that only had animal lifeforms or Endor with the primitive Ewoks and not places with advanced civilizations.

      Look at the ships in EPIII after 3 years of the Clone Wars. Look at Grievous’ Invisible Hand and compare that to any imperial ship interior you see. No comparison to which one is more “lived-in”. The Imperial ships are have nicely polished floors.

      • September 24, 2014 at 1:49 am
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        I don’t want to get in a debate of the number of CGI and practical effects between the PT and the OT, but I am personally relieved to hear the actors talk positively about the environment on set, both in the way that JJ sets the tone for the crew and having physical sets/actors to act with. It won’t necessarily translate into better performances or a better film, and I have no doubt the new trilogy will have thousands of CGI shots, green-screens and digital touch-ups, but I think this overall approach is exactly what this new trilogy (and the actors specifically) need. For comparison, I thought the Lord or the Rings trilogy (not the Hobbit trilogy that I felt over relied on CGI) did a masterful job of finding the appropriate ‘mix’ of CGI, models, practical effects, miniatures, green-screens, etc.

      • September 24, 2014 at 7:23 pm
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        The PT lacked the charm and the heart the OT had in abundance. They used excessive CGI which was not very realistic and some of the lead performances were bland and far from engaging. Lucas also created what he probably believed was a ‘pop culture’ character in Jar Jar Binks, but in fact was one of the most annoying abominations ever inflicted on an innocent, unsuspecting audience.

  • September 23, 2014 at 7:16 pm
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    and so concludes what may be the last bit of Episode VII news for a month… starting now till the end of October, Disney is going to be promoting the heck out of Rebels, and nothing must interfere with their business plan.

    • September 23, 2014 at 9:43 pm
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      Until November, when we get a surprise teaser attached to Interstellar

      • September 23, 2014 at 10:03 pm
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        I’d love a teaser but realistically no trailer for Into Darkness was released up until about 5 months, prior to the premier. The PT went the same way I believe, along with the title being announced (6 months?) before release. We have a loooong way to go yet I believe. Hope JJ will toss us some *real* bones in the meantime.

  • September 23, 2014 at 7:29 pm
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    Messy, energized and fiery.

    That’s my kinda production! ;^)

  • September 23, 2014 at 7:32 pm
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    why you guys want so much information from the actors? there’s already a buttload of of leaks that hundreds of extras and bored people of the world have diligently provided you. Count your blessings (is a spoiler a blessing? hmmm….)

    Wait, I wanna watch the movies, why am I here again? whatever

  • September 23, 2014 at 7:35 pm
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    Is “messy, fiery, energized” the new “faster, more intense”?

    • September 23, 2014 at 7:41 pm
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      To me it sounds like everyone is participating in the creative process, rather than the CEO>employees relationship that was apparently the general pattern with the PT productions.

      • September 23, 2014 at 7:47 pm
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        Too many cooks, etc.

        • September 23, 2014 at 8:11 pm
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          “Too many cooks” was never a problem during the making of Empire Strikes Back, arguably the most collaborative effort of all 6 Star Wars films. They had the story and script, but when a scene didn’t quite work in rehearsal the way it was supposed to on paper, Kershner would brainstorm with his actors and come up with a way to make the scene work. Had he not done it this way the carbon freezing scene, for instance, would have been trite and cheesy rather than the classic that it became.

          If this is the dynamic on the Episode 7 production, then IMHO it bodes very well indeed.

          • September 23, 2014 at 9:00 pm
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            I agree completely. I think it’s really important to have a flexible director with dialogue. You can convey the same message for the scene but have it executed much better if you allow feedback from the actors. It also gives actors the freedom to develop their characters more, give them personality, and form a relationship with their role.

          • September 23, 2014 at 9:25 pm
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            Well, to each their own.

          • September 23, 2014 at 9:45 pm
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            ….”I Know”

      • September 23, 2014 at 7:56 pm
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        Same thing happened with Clone Wars. George would walk in and change the entire storyline (both of the episode and the EU) and everyone would just say OK. Because its George. Filoni was pretty honest about it in numerous interviews, never complained about it, but he said it happened.

  • September 23, 2014 at 7:45 pm
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    ‘No, what they’re trying to do and what’s really great is J.J.’s been loosening it up a little bit and trying to make it alive and energized. It’s not formal.’ This is actually the biggest news since shooting began imo. They are actually leaving the ‘Star Wars feeling’ behind. Good luck with that.

    • September 23, 2014 at 10:59 pm
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      I thought Oscar meant more punchy OT-type dialogue and less formal/stilted PT-type, unless he was referring to formal dialogue of most of the Empire and Rebels’ characters.

  • September 23, 2014 at 9:27 pm
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    Kyle,….I mean Oscar has, by far, the coolest outfit in the whole movie.

  • September 23, 2014 at 10:05 pm
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    ..i meant they could talk about the story, plot, characters, theme of the movie, when the movie will finish filming, what character he’s playing, where luke sky walker’s been in the past 30 years, what is the state of the empire, is there a new republic, is he playing a villain, is he playing a good guy, who has he performed with, has he seen r2D2 etc. etc etc…

    clearly, there’s more he can talk about than simply a green screen or the weather, jerk.

    • September 24, 2014 at 12:55 am
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      Clearly you havent read about the non disclosure. Yeah theyre supposed to talk about the plot costumes etc. Good luck with that

  • September 23, 2014 at 11:11 pm
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    Lucas said when he sold Star Wars to Disney that this will be Star Wars for a NEW generation. Infact there is no way it can be any other way. This movie is being made by fans for fans. Star Wars to one isn’t Star Wars to another and these filmmakers will be focusing on what connected with THEM and made Star Wars what it was TO THEM. Add to that we live in a different time with different sensibilities in pop culture. In fact, this generation that prefers synicism, skepticism, post modern irony, and grey vs gray, nihilistic stories and characters. It’s common for this generation to look back at the positive, warm good vs evil spirit of Star Wars and the old serials that inspired it and label it campy, naive and in need of evolvment and even politically incorrect today.

    I write this to my fellow fans wishing for a full recapture of the OT not to dash your hopes but as a warning that none of us are going to like these movies unless we are willing to go in with clean slate and just let these new movies speak for themselves. We couldn’t do that with the prequels because they were supposed to tie into the previous movies. These on the other hand have no such constraints for good or bad. Just keep an open mind.

    • September 23, 2014 at 11:59 pm
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      If fans don’t like certain parts of VII, just do what many of the PT viewers did: take a short break (a day to several days) to settle your emotions before viewing it again to see if it grows on you. For many the PT failed here, but VII should at least do much better overall.

      The REAL important thing is whether VII will stand the test of time once the hype dies down.

      • September 24, 2014 at 4:04 am
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        @retrotek

        You are wrong. VII is going to be made for the giggling 50 year old fanboys who still cry when watching IV. The new film won’t have modern sensibilities… It’s going to be a retread of 1977, and this rehashing is what the Mouse House does best. For further proof, see StarWars: Rebels or the way they handled Tron.

        • September 24, 2014 at 5:16 am
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          Why then do you even bother to show up at this website to comment when you hold such a negative view of VII?

        • September 24, 2014 at 7:43 pm
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          You miss the whole point about Star Wars. It’s a Space Opera – basically a western set in space. Hopefully JJ will keep it simple, and return to what originally captivated the imagination of audiences of all ages.

          • September 25, 2014 at 10:39 am
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            Star Wars has a lot more than space opera/ western.

            Is it “basically”: Chivalry, Pirates, Knights of the Round table, Wizard of Oz, Dune, John Carter of Mars, Tarzan, Samurai, Star Trek, Sat Mat serials, Metropolis, classic movie monsters, B movie monsters, 2001, WWII aerial battles, chariots of the Gods, Ben Hur, Sparticus, Greek Mythology,Folklore, Bible tales, Fairy tales, Philosophy, allegory in the cave. and about 10,000 other influences. So don’t be going with the typical Space Opera western label, in which space opera already was Western infused.
            Star Wars has always drawn from a larger well and each new movie barrows from other fore told tales.

          • September 26, 2014 at 12:00 am
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            What! No kitchen sink?

  • September 23, 2014 at 11:41 pm
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    Anyone defending the scripts of the PT needs to take Plinkett´s scriptwriting 101…

    • September 26, 2014 at 1:02 pm
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      Anyone can do what Plinkett does to any film.

  • September 23, 2014 at 11:55 pm
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    Retrotek… Seems to me that the decision to bring back Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, and the Droids definitely will tie this trilogy to the previous movies…

    Also, one of the many reasons Lucas originally created Star Wars was because he felt the public should have an alternative to all the dark and cynical films that were dominating the theaters in the early 70’s, so it’d be a shame if Star Wars now became one of those nihilistic movies that it originally sought to counteract.

    • September 24, 2014 at 3:59 am
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      Disney has been trying to mimic lord of the rings since 2001, so what did you expect?

  • September 23, 2014 at 11:57 pm
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    and Oscar didn’t say anything about mark…

  • September 24, 2014 at 12:35 am
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    he said a lot and revealed nothing we did not already know.

    • September 24, 2014 at 3:38 am
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      Shheee-yyyyiiiittt…. didn’t know there were going to be “hundreds” of stormtroopers! xD

  • September 24, 2014 at 12:55 am
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    I guess its just one of those days….

    • September 24, 2014 at 1:35 am
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      Where everyone feels like fighting, that is…

  • September 24, 2014 at 4:11 am
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    Why don’t you all STFU and enjoy it when it comes out?

    • September 24, 2014 at 5:05 am
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      Why do people keep complaining about people complaining? Every article nowadays has at least one of these type of posts. By and large I don’t see this as a regular problem, especially lately.

      ….unless a few expressed concerns make you people nervous. ^_-

  • September 24, 2014 at 5:11 am
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    I tried to watch phantom menace on youtube. I just couldn’t sit though it. The bad nite gunray federation guys with Chinese accents… Ugh…I tried to watch the pod races. Boring. I watched the end fight against maul. That was good… What a departure from the originals. It sums up most of what I dislike in modern films. I think jjj disney and the cast are all aware of what works and what needs to be updated. Let’s hope. Of course it’s my opinion – if people enjoy the pt that’s great for them! They have twice as many films to love! Shame I am so critical and have set standards for what pleases me.

  • September 24, 2014 at 11:31 am
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    Wow, just about this whole thread has been unfathomably tedious to read! Do Star Wars fans (as one would assume we all are) really have nothing better to do but sit around and trash talk Star Wars?

    Whether it’s the original trilogy, the prequels, or even the new film which none of us have seen yet, they are all Star Wars movies and comprise the greatest film series of all time!

    I don’t read the comments of the actors or filmmakers so that I can judge what they say and criticize a film that nobody’s yet seen but rather to let their enthusiasm for what they’re doing fuel my own!

    After we’d all been told that Star Wars was finished, it is reborn! All true fans should be rejoicing!

  • September 24, 2014 at 12:28 pm
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    I just wanted the movie to look different, but it seems thats not going to be the case. I feel as if we’re going to get more of a pseudo remake and blend of A New Hope & The Empire Strikes Back. As far as the cgi vs practical effects, cgi is a’lot better than it was back when the prequels were made, but some things still make more sense to do with practical effects like the orks in the Lord Of The Rings. They look much better than the ones in the Hobbit movies because up close “well done” “man in suit” is better than cgi in in some cases . Other things need to be done in cgi because if it was done with practical effects it would detract from the film, such as the blue naked people in Avatar. You people need to be less concerned about the effects “which will look fine by the way” and more concerned about the writting. Are they going to simplify the movie even more for average moviegoing audience? You’re scared about them making the movie to pander to 40-50 year old fans but what you should really be concerned about is pandering to the average moviegoing audience. With things like flashbacks to make new viewers be initiated into the previous story or “help” remind the audience about specific plot points , overuse of expository dialogue, being patronising by telling you how you should feel about political & social topics, content specifically made to pander to children or other groups in society, simplification of the plot & or characters for the average moviegoing audience, over commercialisation the affects the contents of the movie. These are the things you should be worried about.

    • September 24, 2014 at 4:20 pm
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      Spot on.

    • September 25, 2014 at 1:35 am
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      Thanks, Now I’m terrified!

    • September 25, 2014 at 9:16 pm
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      Yay.

  • September 24, 2014 at 4:58 pm
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    The use of CGI is a non issue for me. Its use has become standard in the industry, especially in the sci-fi genre. I agree that the PT looked more “cartoony” as it went. There were very high demands on ILM and Lucasfilm in the PT and I believe they did the best with what was asked of them. That being said, the technology has come a long way in the last 10 yrs. For ex. the CGI in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was amazing. I think the problem people have with the aesthetic look of the PT is how pristine and clean it looks which gives off that video game vibe. In the end practical effects and sets in the ST will enhance performances from the actors but well done CGI can enhance the viewing experience and transport the audience to another world making us believe what we see is real. I think it can be done, and a blended approach (which I think is what they’re after) will come off nicely. As long as the stormtroopers are real from the neck down, I’m good. But you can’t be too one-sided in your view on practical vs. CGI. I’m a huge fan of practical effects, make-up, and models, but let’s be honest…I’d take a CG taun taun over stop-motion any day. 🙂

    • September 24, 2014 at 7:39 pm
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      Agree totally, except for that last part, what’s wrong with the stop motion tauntaun? stop-motion’s old-school sure, but the execution and inter-cutting was superbly done. No, the Ewok with it’s eyes missing was way worse. And what about general greivous? he looked like a high quality video game boss at best, fitting considering he basically served the exact same screen time and emotional contribution as a videogame boss in one of those less important levels.
      I just don’t see why you pick on tauntaun in specific.

      • September 24, 2014 at 8:25 pm
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        No, Anon,I agree with you on all accounts. The taun taun was nicely done with the technology available between 1977 and 1980. I was just using that as an example that if that specific technique was used today it would look completely fake to today’s audience. I love the creature and the Rancor as well, but today’s audience needs to see something with superb fluidity to make us believe. We have grown to expect more throughout the years and it will take modern effects to make that happen. My point was not to discredit the marvels of modern filmmaking just for nostalgia’s sake. Although I will admit that practical effects (stop-motion included) have made tremendous leaps as well (for ex. The Walking Dead). I agree that Grievous looked fake in ROTS. There’s a happy medium I think. Not picking on either one, just trying to encourage everyone to see the merits of both artistic styles and to look forward to the love child that will be the ST.

  • September 24, 2014 at 8:00 pm
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    CGI? Practical effects? Whatever.
    It’s not the tool, it’s how you use it.
    And when making a movie, it’s all about what is on the screen, period. In terms of casual viewer enjoyment of the flick, the methods used do not really matter, but the end result is everything.
    Lord of the Rings spent months and years making sure the orcs looked just right, and at the same exact time, they also made sure Gollum looked right. They weren’t caught up on Computer vs. Prop dept. quotas and checklists.
    However with the Hobbit, they got a little off track, and I think it started with the decision to make the orcs CG (I blame Guillermo del Toro). The issue is 3D-Frenzy, and this also happened in Attack of the Clones; and the deal is Once you go off the deep end into heavy CGI, an enthusiasm and ambition takes over, like “say, our hard drive is upgraded, how about we have all the clones be done in CGI against Droids in CGI against a digitally composited scenery? sure we can do that because we can.” But can they do it well?
    Digital and Analog can work together very well, but there’s a point where it tips over and loses all sense of reality and proportion and basic taste level. Usually it’s cgi that goes overboard, but analog can get pretty weird too (remember Henson’s Labryinth? or how about original Clash of the Titans?)
    It’s not about format, it’s about self-control. Ep VII is in danger of over-reaching past what it can pull off, but it has an equally good chance of striking that balance like LOTR.

  • September 24, 2014 at 8:30 pm
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    That is one handsome black man.

    • September 25, 2014 at 5:45 pm
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      Hahaha….he’s not black

      • September 28, 2014 at 12:02 pm
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        Booooyyyyyy! I wanna see what Lando hit to make THAT!

  • September 25, 2014 at 11:48 am
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    This is the first time I hear something about the new SW movie that I do not like. I have to admit that I strongly dislike everything JJ has done so far. IMO he degraded Startrek to a teen action movie, Lost started OK, got people adicted by cliff-hanging and ended plain stupid. Yet, I really liked all the descissions about the new SW movie so far. Real sets, more pupets, less CGI – wonderful. So I am happily prooven wrong about JJ.

    I got a bit worried about that “we are changing the old stiff dialog to … more messy”. Ok SW did not have deap philosophical Turbolift discussion like Trek, that one could ruin. But there was something funny about this old “stiff” dialog. I just hope they do not replace that “odd stiff dialog” with “pseudo-cool, pseudo-evil” Holywood dialog” as in “The Hobbit”. From experience I know JJ is perfectly cabable of ruining a frenshise out of his arrogant “I am a fan I know how to do it”-attitude. If he is critisised by fans (like in Trek) we will agressively dissmiss them as idiots. Still, I am quite optimistic that it won’t happen with StarWars, he is more suited for that from the beginning.

    • September 28, 2014 at 7:04 pm
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      I think the main difference were seeing so far is that JJ actually cares about Star Wars. I actually wonder if he secretly feels bad about how he handled S Trek, at any rate, it seems like ol’ JJ is raising his own standards, maybe even “changing his ways” to match up to a franchise he truly loves. Either that or he’s bullshitting us to get sales. (either ways he’s doing the smart thing)

      • January 18, 2015 at 3:13 am
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        Unfortunately caring for Star Wars does not make JJ a good story writer. For the most part he makes ‘check list’ films and rehashes old ideas instead of creating new and interesting ones. Based on his past projects I suspect SW7 will mostly be a bunch of unoriginal homages to the earlier films. It was bad enough that all the prequels had Tatooine in them, but now JJ is using it yet again like the ‘galaxy far far away’ just doesn’t have enough other more interesting planets. Empire was the only movie that the sand planet never appeared in.

        Personally I think bringing the original cast back was a big mistake as now he has to shoehorn in their cameos instead of just moving on with a new and fresh story. I good writer could probably make this work but based on JJ’s past films I doubt he will make it work.

        Anyhow, this is just my opinion and I hope I am proven wrong come December but I doubt it.

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