Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (USE SPOILER TAGS!)

[K1NG J0RDAN]

Originally Posted by stvn1974

If the movie is good the 6 inch Black Series action figures are going to kill my wallet.

You think that's bad.. Wait until the Hot Toys start coming out. Those are the real wallet killers.

[K1NG J0RDAN]

Luke's latest trip to the Dagobah System.

If you want a good laugh. And remember to hit the HD button.
http://imgur.com/gallery/rd5jhzV

[VictoryAtNight]

It's just a coincidence, but I have a day off on the very same day of this premier opening release.
I am seriously thinking about seeing if I can get a ticket to watch the first showing on Friday. It might be the first movie I see this year.

[aiman04]

My ticket should will be the first ever show which is Wednesday night. Gonna take a day off on Thursday to see it one more time with the wife and kids. I'll probably see it again on Saturday with some friends, then sneak out from work for a matinee on Monday. So I'm all set.

Only the next sessions will depend on how good the film is. So 3 times minimum is confirmed.

[Moviefan2k4]

Its been a very long time since I saw any film multiple times in the theater, so this will have to be "most impressive", if they want my money twice. I'm really hoping it lives up to the hype.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by Moviefan2k4

Its been a very long time since I saw any film multiple times in the theater, so this will have to be "most impressive", if they want my money twice. I'm really hoping it lives up to the hype.

I went to see Interstellar three times in 70mm IMAX but only saw it once.

First time, Fandango on-line ticket failed. By the time I was trapped waiting for a manager to figure it out, the movie started. Went home...

Second time, showed up but the projector was down. Was offered the digital version, said no. Went home...

Third time, I called the manager ahead of time, was assured everything was fine with the print...

Glorious.

[Moviefan2k4]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

I went to see Interstellar three times in 70mm IMAX but only saw it once.

First time, Fandango on-line ticket failed. By the time I was trapped waiting for a manager to figure it out, the movie started. Went home...

Second time, showed up but the projector was down. Was offered the digital version, said no. Went home...

Third time, I called the manager ahead of time, was assured everything was fine with the print...

Glorious.

Did you at least get refunds, for the two mess-ups?

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by aiman04

I thought we're done with this argument. While they did go too far with the CG sometimes (Clonetroopers, superimposed ground even though is usually done for reshoots only due to time constraints), the prequels used tons of practical effects, probably no less than The Force Awakens. Do I have to post the pictures again, I would love to because they're just beautiful.

The prequels have more that CGI look because of the alien worlds they're in. Geonosis, Utapau, Kamino, even Coruscant mainly shot with large model, but they used computer to give alien-look to the atmosphere or the sky that does not register with our definition of real. Our eyes have problems adjusting to it, we need to be able to connect to some reality.

Again JJ Abrams is smart to not use any alien world, all the planets we see so far have atmosphere and environments that exist on Earth. We can take it as real more easily. I have no big issues with that, but the way they're boasting it to be the "king of practical effects" is too much in my opinion. They're really selling the film with the nostalgia, I just hope we will be able to go past that and enjoy it as a brand new film without too much callbacks to the previous films or thinking "this is practical".

PS: Even each of the planets in our own solar system is so unique, we have all kinds of weird environments out there. Then look at the the exoplanets that Kepler has found!

Sorry, I don't buy that at all. When I'm watching Avatar I'm not thinking "gosh, it looks so fake because it's so alien", I'm thinking "**** me, thems effects are amazeballs". The prequels look so digital to people because Lucas was pushing tech that wasn't quite ready to its absolute limit. I don't think anyone's denying that they used loads of miniatures and whatnot, but when Lucas was done tinkering it looked so cheap and plasticky and fake that it might as well have been all digital, you dig? Phantom Menace holds up best in that department (DNR'ed Blu-ray version aside) because they had to work harder to get the VFX to match up not only with the film acquisition but also the distortion of the anamorphic lenses.

That's why I said before (when talking about how Mad Max Fury Road seamlessly integrated the real with the digital) that I'd love to see what the prequels would look like if they were made today, especially Episode II as the perspective on the numerous miniatures was ruined by how slow the lenses were, so they look terrible when comp'ed with the real actors. Clones and Sith are so flat and uninvolving in terms of the 'look' compared to the anamorphic shows that preceded and succeded them (inc. the new movies), but Lucas had to shoot them flat because AFAIK there were no quality anamorphic lenses for 16:9 digital sensors at that time. (It's not a problem for digital these days anyway because modern cameras have a 4:3 sensor or mode so they can use regular 2x anamorphic glass, never mind the 1.33x/1.5x lenses developed for 16:9 sensors). That would've also allowed him to use more of that digital real estate instead of throwing away 280-odd lines of vertical information right off the bat, which is also true of today's stuff but at least they're often working with oversampled sources (2.8K, 3.4K, 5K etc) so that fine detail still seeps down into the final 2K product, unlike the low-rez video game 'cut scene' kinda feel that Clones has.

But it wasn't to be, as ol' flannel-shirted Ahab had to go hunt his analogue whale. Don't get me wrongo, if it wasn't for him making those giant leaps then we wouldn't have had today's wonderful CG wizardry that the industry is sometimes capable of, but that knowledge still doesn't help to mollify people's feelings towards how the prequels look. Ep VII, on the other hand, will have a seamless blend of both worlds. Thanks for taking the hit, George.

[pikeman1]

waiting for high-res

[aiman04]

http://makingstarwars.net/2015/08/tw...-in-australia/

[ajnejedi]

The problem with the cgi in the prequels is that it has aged very poorly. Watching the scene in TPM when the droid army crests the hill on Naboo doesn't just look dated, it looks like dated, bad, video-game graphics.

GL didn't even really try that hard to build sets he was so enamored with CGI. But remember, Jar-Jar was a cinematic achievement, no matter how awful a character he was.

I watch the prequels a lot because of my kids (they love them). They are not as good, but there are good things in them. ROTS was strong if not a little rushed, TPM I saw over 20 times in the theater because it was Star Wars and it was back. AOTC was...well, a terrible waste of a good actress (Portman) and a great actor (McGregor) as they tried to shoehorn in BobaFett and move a weak plot forward.

But they are Star Wars, take them out leave them. Palpatine's plan was very interesting to watch unfold as convoluted and ridiculous as it was...

The things that have been done to the OT have been...well...I don't hate everything. I love seeing the outside in Cloud City. I enjoy the extra banthas ended if they're not needed. The song in Jabba's palace makes me cringe as does Vader's "no" (which destroys an almost perfect scene of emotional depth). Other than those two things I really don't care if Han shot first, even if it does take away from his growth from a scoundrel to a rebel leader. Really, honestly, I don't care, except it was done terribly...

So that's where I stand on the previous 6 movies. I love them, I grew up with the originals, and now my kids will grow up with the new ones!

In the behind the scenes trailer that all the anti-cgi people keep going on about, there are plenty of scenes in there that show CGI...the girl with the weird mask and dots on her face, that's CGI! They are making a point to say they're trying to use practical effects as much as possible because if what GL did to the prequels. They're trying to say these will look and feel like the original trilogy not the prequels. That's what Hamill is saying in the beginning. "You've been here before but you don't know this story."

I for one am very excited and I think they've chosen some great actors, some great directors, and I will be there opening night!

It's a gigantic space opera/science-fantasy escapism...no offense, but if you didn't think they'd be using CGI on this film, thousands of shots of it, then you are an idiot...

[Riddler The Slag]

Damn it's a great time to be a Star Wars fan! That EMPIRE magazine (I love they used the First Order for the cover of EMPIRE BTW) looks great!

[aiman04]

[aiman04]

Notice the old antenna on the Millennium Falcon. Also the stormtroopers on the other cover are of the Empire, not First Order. Are they intentional? Or just some lazy photoshop?

[A.MONK]

I would say it's intentional. They are blending some of the old with the new

[Geoff D]

Can't wait to see what the subscriber's cover is like

[Groge511]

Originally Posted by aiman04

Notice the old antenna on the Millennium Falcon. Also the stormtroopers on the other cover are of the Empire, not First Order. Are they intentional? Or just some lazy photoshop?

Old style Falcon and Stormtroopers! What's going on!?!

[chip75]

Originally Posted by A.MONK

I would say it's intentional. They are blending some of the old with the new

Originally Posted by Groge511

Old style Falcon and Stormtroopers! What's going on!?!

I think they hoped no one would notice. There wouldn't be any need to mix old characters or vehicles. Unless there was some retrospective in the issue and I think it's mostly about The Force Awakens.

[Himmel]

Hasbro Force Friday Catalog Has Been Revealed!!





http://theforce.net/story/front/Hasb...log_165455.asp

[Blu-Benny]

Oh man, this is what I've been waiting for, the Star Wars magazine covers are going to start rolling out now!!

I love Empire magazine.