Kevin Smith says that they showed TFA footage to European distributors

No, I completely disagree again. Your attitude sounds perfect for you. I am glad you have come to know how best to enjoy the franchise. But it is not my way and it is not Kevin's way.

High expectations and a sense of wonder are vital ingredients to my enjoyment of the franchise, it is apparently the same for Kevin. It doesn't make our disposition inferior to others, but it's a valid way to enjoy Star Wars.

I just gag on this idea that if some fan didn't like Episode III that it its the fan's fault, or that his nostalgia and wonder for Star Wars is the culprit. It was a lie PT-apologists spread constantly, shaming people who didn't like the film, suggesting their personality was aberrant, even unwelcome. That it was their fault they didn't like the film. They had the wrong attitude about it. So if I seem sensitive to your argument, that's why, it was the root of a bludgeon that a lot of us got run out on a rail with.

Nice discussion, thank you for taking the time to explain your point of view.

I think Smith may have made a bit of a mess for Star Wars when there is no trailer, but let's see. I'm hopeful and excited for today's events.

 

See, I think we are agreeing on one aspect and disagree on another aspect and I will explain.

No doubt a good movie is a good movie, and if someone makes a quality movie then the audience will respond. I agree with you that its not our fault that the PT turned out badly for many fans who didn't like it. It isn't nostalgia that blocked us from liking the films, its just the fact that we didn't think they were good films. The same goes for TFA, as if its a good movie, then fans will respond.

What I am talking about is recreating the magic of an original movie through sequels, and its just rarely done in successful movie franchises. The Rocky franchise is a perfect example, where Rocky 1 is one of my favorite movies of alltime next to Star Wars, Back to the Future, The Godfather. I enjoy most of the sequels, as they are entertaining (except for Rocky 5). But none of them have ever captured the true magic of the original, as I can't explain something is lacking in the sequels that works in the original. The same goes for Back to the Future, as the originals are entertaining, but just dont' work for me on an emotional level like the original. The Original Back to the Future is a true classic, the sequels are fun movies and thats it.

Now when we get to SW Franchise. I love the Original, and ESB is one of the few sequels that works for me on an emotional level that the original does, and in many ways it does it better. As much as I enjoy ROTJ, its just lacking something and just doesn't work for me like the other 2 movies.

So that's all I'm saying is that its just natural that a sequel probably won't resonate the same way with you that an original film does as you can go though pretty much every franchise with few exceptions. Why should I think that the 7th installment of the SW Saga (or lets say the 4th installment if you want to discount the PT) all of the sudden resonate with me the same way SW did in 1977? I can still like TFA, heck I can even love the movie, but it still may not resonate with me the same way ANH & ESB did.

 

Well stated again sir, thank you.

The diminishing returns of sequels should never damper your enthusiasm though. For some of us, that enthusiasm only helps us love the sequel more, even if it can't measure up to the original. This debate began on whether high expectations are the "right attitude" to have for a Star Wars film, not the general truth that most sequels yield diminishing returns.

I'm saying my attitude (which is similar to Kevin's) is one of the key ingredients to appreciating these films in the first place, whether they are diminishing returns or not. That this idea that "well if you just reduced your expectations you'd enjoy the film more" isn't true. It would mean I'd enjoy the film less, sequel or not.

And you are right nothing lasts forever, but its close. I believe Superman has been with us now for 77 years now. I have some reason to believe he might be around 77 years from now as well.

But I don't want you to interpret my rebuttal here as disrespect or lack of understanding. I get it. I respect it. And if that does not come across, chalk it up to my poor writing style.

I just won't ever go to a action/adventure/fantasy film with anything but a high sense of wonder and the heart of a child. It's how I can still watch a Pixar film at nearly age 50 and love every tender moment of it.

I'm not the most talented man by any stretch, but one talent I have that I am proud of is I can still rediscover and link to my 8-year old self, he's still there, I have not lost him. And that's the little boy I like to take to the theater for a Star Wars film.

 

@Snazel

That's a fair explanation, as one of my friends feels like you do so I see where you are coming. We had this same argument about Terminator Genesys just last weekend and comparing it to the original an T2.

I used to feel that way about sequels, but have been burned so many times that I just expect the Sequel to be inferior. Now cause its inferior doesn't mean it still can't be great. And that's pretty much how I approach TFA, I may really like it but I just don't see how it will touch ANH & ESB. Maybe it will!

 

This is actually the only thing I want in the lead-up to TFA. (I don't really care about teasers or trailers, whether they are shown at Comic-Con or not, etc. anywhere near as much).

I just want the chance to share the original Star Wars movie with my five year old son in the theater like I first experienced it. I'd almost be willing to travel a reasonable distance to do it. (I even started a thread way back when on the topic, it has probably fallen into the ethos never to be seen again!)

And I'm fairly surprised there hasn't been much clamoring for just this to happen...

 

I was very similar: born in early '92, watched the OT more times than I can remember before age 5, and saw all the PT films in theaters. As a kid, I really liked them; as an adult, I can appreciate them as part of the saga but I vastly still prefer the OT. When it comes to "recreating" the feeling I had as a kid, I think that's a nigh impossible task; when I was a kid, I would watch any of the OT movies on repeat over and over for as long as my parents could stand it. I could suspend my belief to such a degree because reality wasn't all that important to me at the time. I'm looking forward to seeing TFA as an adult, as it will be the first SW film I experience in theaters as such; as a kid, I could be swept away to the GFFA, but as an adult I can feel emotions and connect to characters like I never could before.

--- Double Post Merged, Jul 10, 2015, Original Post Date: Jul 10, 2015 ---

I'm fairly positive that AMC theaters will do a SW marathon leading up to TFA, much like they did with Marvel movies leading up AoU and LotR movies before each new release. Keep watching their site for updates, though it probably won't be announced until closer to December.

 

So you are saying I should wait to show my boy the ANH SE on Blu-Ray this weekend in the hopes that there may be the "de-specialized" version in theaters?

 

Aren´t there fan-made ones anyways that can be watched legally?

 

Not in the theater... yet.

 

Unfortunately, if such a marathon happens, they'll probably show the "updated" versions of the OT. Your best hope would be to show him the unaltered versions that were released on DVD a few years back .

 

Is kevin smith kind of a blast stirrer? I like him, and I like MOST of his movies. But when he pops up and talks about what he's seen, and we haven't, and how awesome it is, and we're gonna love it...it just kinda strikes me like some one who ordered the same food as you and gets theirs first, and it's "the best meal ever, you're gonna love it" but won't give you a bite cuz yours is on the way, but won't shut up about it. Does anyone get that?

Or maybe I'm just on the boards too much...IDK...

 

In fairness he did sign a non-disclosure agreement. Anything more than 'you're gonna love it' will guarantee him a nice court order on behalf of The Walt Disney Company.

 

Then why say anything?

 

Because this gives them attention like they know something about the movies that we don't. Again, I love Kevin Smith's movies, but when he does stuff like this he is all over the place and kinda talks to who he thinks his audience is at the time.
And then he will contact himself at a later time when people feel differently at the movie.

 

Huh...weird...sounds right though...

 

If someone stuck a microphone in my face after I had just sat on the Millennium Falcon set, I'd be doing my best to describe the experience for fans who always wanted to know. He inadvertently stoked the fire about not having a trailer, but I think his enthusiasm speaks volumes. It shows the brand has that cross-generational appeal going again. It bodes well for us all.

Of course, if you just find Kevin Smith annoying in general, I get that. He's made some great films, but also truly horrible ones. Just don't bash him for being a fan dude. Bash him maybe for being a little sly and insincere perhaps, I mean I can see why a cynic would see he's using this to promote himself. So I get the criticism from that angle to some degree, but not because he's just an enthusiastic fan who liked the puppets so much that he likes telling people about it.

 

I didn't know I was "bashing" him. Simply inquiring what his intentions might be. Also, I don't consider myself a cynic.

 

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