Howdy ladies and gents of the internet, as some of you may have seen, last year I started a film podcast entitled Film Focus and on this podcast, I talk about various topics in film and reviews as well on a biweekly basis. As for the latest episode, it is an in-depth review/discussion of Star Wars: The Last Jedi!
Anyway here’s the episode 44:
I’ve done already done my written review for The Last Jedi, however, this film more so than a lot of the other films that’s come out this year has a great deal of stuff to talk about. My written review on scratched the surface. So in this podcast episode, returning guest Drew (drewreviewmovies.wordpress.com) and I dive deep into this film, and for those wishing to avoid spoilers, you can still listen to the first 30 or so mins… However After 32:29 we get into full-on spoilers! :O So for those who have seen the film and want to hear our thoughts about some of the more specific aspects of the film in terms of the story, characters, impact on the franchise and the stuff that worked and the stuff that didn’t, then that section is for you.
I once again have to thank the awesome Drew for joining me in the discussion as he really brought a lot of smart and interesting thoughts to the table with stuff I forgot to bring up in my own review, but also opinions I hadn’t considered, so like the summer recap episode, this one was a lot of fun to make and I really think it is worth your time. 😀
As I mentioned before I’ll cover a different topic or review in each episode and since I don’t have much in the way of listeners or promotion, I’m here to spread the word about my podcast. 🙂
So if you have some spare time on your hands and would like to listen to the ramblings of a passionate/strange man then please check it out, and share it with your friends if you can. Also, you have any feedback or if you’d be interested in joining in future episodes be sure to let me know, until next time, laters! 😀
Howdy people of the internet, how are you all? With Star Wars Rebels set to return to TV next month with its second season I thought I’d just give you my thoughts on the show since I have been watching since the beginning but haven’t had the chance to review anything that I’ve watched.
Initially I was hesitant to watch Rebels, I mean I had a lot of concerns. While the show had some interesting ideas and was focused on the most respected side of the Star Wars films (the Original Trilogy), the show still had a questionable art style, a kid friendly approach and a batch of new characters that I wasn’t sure I could get attached to. But Rebels, once it found its feet got better and become a show I wanted to watch out of choice rather than just being something to watch because of the “Star Wars” label.
From the time I started watching with Spark of Rebellion I knew that this was a totally different beast from The Clone Wars series. For me TCW just had stories, characters and a tone I wasn’t too interested in, plus it didn’t help that the art and animation just didn’t agree with me either. And while there are a few similarities when it comes to the visual presentation, Rebels just sported a much sleeker and polished look. The art was a little more detailed, use of colour and lighting was more noticeable especially when it comes to locations and action sequences, and while the fluidity of 3D animation looked a little questionable at times, for the most part it was more impressive than TCW. But beyond the visuals, Rebels just had the spirit of the film embedded into the stories and characters more so than the former show, and it had more interesting scenarios to discover. I will say that I didn’t love this show at first, I liked it, but around halfway through the show really started tapping into the Star Wars mythology, but also started developing its own stories too and got a little more serious in tone too. By the time I’d watched The Siege of Lothal I knew shit was getting real, that film really raised the stakes and drama, and having Darth Vader appear and show why he’s a force not to be messed with was awesome.
But what would a show be without its characters? Luckily Rebels has a great bunch of main characters but also has some cool secondary characters and utilizes other famous faces in guest appears too. When it comes to the main protagonists you have Ezra, Kanan, Sabine, Hera, Zeb and Chopper, they’re a group of individuals who are totally different, but at the end of the day they’re family. The reason they work is as a team is because they are fleshed out characters, either having episodes dedicated themselves or having interactions that build them up. This especially the case with Sabine, Kanan and Ezra. Ezra especially was a character I didn’t think I’d like but he grows, gets better and becomes someone you want to root for. I love characters like the Inquisitor, Agent Kallus and Minister Maketh Tua who are essentially the bad guys, but they are portrayed in such a way where you’re just as curious to see what they’re up to, how they fit into the grand scheme of things and whether they’ll succeed or fail. Also inclusion of characters like Senator Bail Organa, Lando Calrissian and Grand Moff Willhuff Tarkin are great too.
To conclude Star Wars Rebels a show I like a lot, it started out little okay but it got better and now I’m really looking forward to seeing how this show progresses with man characters and how it will continue to tie into the film universe as well.
So have you seen Star Wars Rebels and if so what do you think of it? Be sure to comment below and let me know and I’ll see ya on the next blog post, laters! 😀
Good day to you ladies and gents, time for a special little blog post dedicated to the Star Wars film universe. Since The Force Awakens (Episode VII) will be out in cinemas in the coming months I’ve been recently catching up with the previous instalments in anticipation, and yes that includes the prequels. While there are a large number of fans that continue to act like those films never happened, I’m not one of them and I don’t hate those films either. Are they perfect? Heck no, but I’ve always found aspects of those films to be enjoyable. So with that in mind I wanted to give you all my thoughts on the prequels and how they’ve changed.
My Thoughts in the Beginning
For the longest time I had very specific thoughts on the Prequel Trilogy, but in recent years I’ve had time to learn and understand the process that comes with making such epic films and learn about the production behind each of the Star Wars films. What was once awesome to me as a child doesn’t look that awesome these days and I’m not talking about the special effects only, these were films I liked watching (well at least episodes 1 and 3), but after watching so many online video reviews and other forms of analytical videos criticising the prequels I have changed my opinion somewhat. Though a lot of my feelings have been changed from watching the Original Trilogy in recent years and seeing what new filmmakers have been able to do with stories, sets and technology.
So with that in mind I’m going to give you my thoughts on each of the prequel films starting with The Phantom Menace!
Thoughts on The Phantom Menace
Technically I’ve already given my thoughts on this film around 3 years ago, but for those who haven’t read that review I’ll try to sum up my thoughts the best I can. The Phantom Menace is infamous for being the film that ruined SW for a lot of fans with its focus on politics, a child Anakin Skywalker, Midichlorians and Jar Jar Binks and most consider it the lowest point in the series. When I first saw this film I thought it was awesome. I never paid attention to the story, all I saw was lightsaber fights and Podracing, and that’s all I needed. Bare in mind I was around 9 or 10 years old when first saw this film and I was very much into my action and spectacle coming off of films like Terminator 2, Jurassic Park and Aliens to name a few. TPM was a film I watched a lot until my late teens, I didn’t see the film again until it was re-released in 3D, it was at that point I really saw the film for what it was; a film with good special effects, action and music, but nothing else. The plot isn’t overly interesting as the starting point of the series and there are just a lot of odd decisions made for the characters and overall mythos. One thing that was super apparent was the lack of practical sets and real locations, there’s so much green screen and CGI, it just makes you wonder if the people behind this film were afraid to use anything but computers to craft their new worlds. As for Jar Jar, I used to thing of him as harmless, fun, but seeing TPM a dew days ago I can understand the hate. That guy is ridiculous, he’s like a frigging Looney Tunes character who has no business being in a SW film and even as the main source of comedy you don’t find him funny, he’s more infuriating than anything else. Oh and the additional scenes added to TPM don’t really add much to the film and are really noticeable when it is a scene with CGI. A lot of the acting is questionable ESPECIALLY from Natalie Portman as Padmé Amidala, she’s so monotone and boring. With all that being said, everything I like about this film still stands, I love the lightsaber fights, the special effects are good, Darth Maul is cool, I like Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi and the soundtrack is great especially “Duel of the Fates“.
Thoughts on Attack of the Clones
Attack of the Clones, oh dear. While there is still this consensus out there that this film is better than its predecessor I respectfully disagree. While AOTC rectified some of the issues with the first prequel film, it still followed the same mistakes while creating a whole new bunch of them too. My thoughts were quite strong on this film when I first saw it when I was 12 years old and 13 years later not much has changed. This film wins points for having closer ties to the older films with interesting references, first appearances of classic characters and locations, and there was an overall sense of progression towards the Original Trilogy with the choice art design, costumes and locations. Also I appreciated some of the drama this film tried to create especially with Anakin, you can see what Lucas was trying to do and in more capable hands this could have been so much stronger, but I will give props to Lucas for the scene when Anakin and his mother are reunited briefly. That scene was pretty decent, it was a quiet, subtle moment and I thought it worked (even with Hayden Christensen’s acting skills), and what I really like is that Anakin’s found his mother and she’s alive just long enough to see him grown up, but then she dies and Anakin pretty much loses his shit on the Tusken Raiders with that beastly John Williams music swelling in the background. Other things I still like about this film was the improved CGI, cool action sequences, McGregor again as Obi-Wan and the introduction of Count Dooku played wonderfully by the late Christopher Lee. Oh and seeing Yoda actually battle in a lightsaber fight, awesome. Some people found it ridiculous and terrible but I found it hilariously badass…
HOWEVER! A lot of the good/decent aspects of this film are undone by the bad stuff, and trust me there’s a lot of it. This film’s main issue is the love story between Anakin and Padmé as it is one of the worst love stories ever put to film. The dialogue is terrible, there is no chemistry and acting is beyond bad. Their relationship just doesn’t come together well and feels forced, rather than a natural progression of a friendship into a partnership, and it doesn’t help that every line spoken between these two is really awkward or painful. That being said, I’ve memorised the dialogue to the point where I’ve quoted it with my SW friends and taken the piss so much that when I watch the film I can’t help but laugh. There are also wasted opportunities when it comes to Jango Fett, adding new mythology and the final battle between Obi-Wan, Anakin and Dooku (especially with Anakin and Dooku, that fight was half decent, half weird with spinning lightsabers). And like before the overuse of CGI and green screen when it comes to locations is very apparent, I think there were more real set locations than in the last film, but it was crazy how much of it I noticed with my film studies brain switched on.
Thoughts on Revenge of the Sith
Okay so now we arrive at the final film in this series and I still like it. Now back when I saw ROTS in the cinema 10 years ago, I thought this film was SO cool and after I got it on DVD I watched a fair amount until my early twenties. This film more so than the previous films creates a tale full of action and drama that for the most part works, sure the love story aspect is still questionable and some things happen without explanation, but overall it is the most creative and strongest of the newer films. What I appreciated about this film was the darker tone, sense of scope and of course the closer ties to A New Hope. This film does a really good job with marrying the new with the old with the appearance of classic characters, costumes, set design and spacecrafts. I also love the action sequences, whether it is the introduction with that space battle, the lightsaber fights or the battle on Kashik, it is all handled in a really cool manner with awesome CGI and cinematography. Oh and the lightsaber fights are the bets so far. I loved the fight between Obi-Wan and General Grievous or Yoda vs. Dark Sidious or the final battle between Obi-Wan and Anakin, that stuff gets me giddy every time. Some other stuff I liked was the introduction of General Grievous, Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine/Sidious, the line “Unlimited Power!” and the ‘Execute Order 66′ montage. And once again I have to say that Ewan McGregor kills it as Obi-Wan Kenobi, he’s the most consistent aspect of the prequels and with each film he gets better and by this film his performance was very in line with Alex Guinness’ performance.
Of course this film is safe from scrutiny. The film still has some of that bad dialogue not just for the scenes between Padmé and Anakin, but for some of the other characters especially Dark Sidious, and speaking of Sidious… Ian McDiarmid, he was clearly having fun with the role in this one, but sometimes he was hamming it up a little too much and sometimes you can’t take the guy seriously. Again this film has some good ideas with the story, specifically with Anakin’s transfer to the dark side and his issues with Padmé, but again the execution was questionable and left a lot to be desired. The use of special effects is great but again you can see that there wasn’t much that wasn’t green screen of CGI. Oh and Darth Vader, I loved his introduction and seeing him get angry, use the force, stumble along, but that “NOOOOOOO!” line, damn, it just ruins that scene really.
Well that’s my take on these films. I can tell there’s a lot people who won’t agree with my opinion on these films and I say bring on the hate. These films haven’t always been looked at in a positive light but I’m seeing more and more these days with people voicing their favourable aspects of the prequels and I want to add to it. 😀 But anyway how about you lot? Do find anything redeemable about the prequels? Do you even like the prequels or do you despise them like everyone else? OR are you like, “Huh? What prequels?” Please be sure to comment below, laters! 😀
Howdy people of the internet and welcome to a new trailer review! I was going to review the Terminator Genisys trailer at some point soon since the new trailer dropped, but since the second teaser trailer for the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens. dropped online today I just had to talk about that instead.
Here’s the trailer:
So my thoughts after seeing this trailer? It sounds something like this: “Why is December so far away? I want this film now!”
With all the big films coming up this summer like Avengers 2, Jurassic World, Terminator 5, Mission: Impossible 5, Ant-Man and Fantastic Four just to name a few, it is easy to forget that a little old franchise by the name of Star Wars is getting the 7th entry in that film series since the last film in 2005. The hype for the first teaser nearly broke the internet back in December and that was only 90 seconds, but here we get more, we get more scenes of characters, action and spectacle and it looks GORGEOUS! I know that it is just a preview of what is coming up and the film could still be bad, however, with footage like this it is hard for me to feel anything but joy. It looks like J.J. Abrams and the people behind this film has everything under control.
Since there’s so much going on in this teaser trailer, like the last review I’m just going to talk about the main things I took away from this trailer. No bare in mind I’m no Star Wars boffin so there will be things that go over my head or I won’t be able to discuss in nerdy fashion, so don’t kill me.
Fallen Star Destroyer
Having this as the opening scene is perfect. For fans of the Original Trilogy this is a scene that is nostalgia as I believe we’re on that sandy planet that looks like Tatooine again (it is apparently called Jakku) and we see a speeder driving by in the background, and as the camera pans to the right we see the remains of a HUGE old star destroyer. Just that moment put me in a state of awe. That ship was insanely big and it really establishes the scale and scope of this new film in contrast to the original films and to some degree even the prequels. I just like how the remains from the old films still exist here in an old, decayed, but visually distinctive manner, and the fact that the old Star Wars music is playing in background with it, that just hits home in such a lovely way.
That Old Vader Helmet
Bloody hell, this was another really chilling and nostalgic element. Seeing that helmet of Darth Vader was both cool and super creepy. I love Vader and I was gutted when he died in Return of the Jedi, but the man did die a hero and was burnt in fire. But seeing is old, deformed/melted helmet, it was so creepy and horror-like to me. I can’t look at it too much, it just creeps me out. I assume that it is look possibly looking at the helmet, unless it is someone else, if so who?
New Kids In Danger
We get to see a few new looks at John Boyega and Daisy Ridley individually at different points, but this trailer establishes that they are not only in the same location but how they also have to work together too. And this shot is awesome, seeing them running for their lives from the destruction behind them. And this shot is even better before BB8 is along for the ride too.
Action, Spectacle & Chaos!
The Star Wars films have always been known for their incredible attention to detail when it came to visual effects, cinematography and action sequences, and looks like this film will take what we’ve come to expect and improve upon that foundation tenfold with the use of improved CGI and modern styles of cinematography. The action in this film looks off the hook, the amount of madness going on whether it is X-Wings flying above water on a Earth-looking planet or Tie Fighters chasing down the Millennium Falcon through the remains of huge ship or some crazy battle in a hangar bay with a Tie Fighter shooting at Stormtroopers, it all looks SO clean, detailed and shiny and I want a piece of it!
Stormtroopers & Crazy Cool Sith Man
Firstly I’m really liking the new look of Stormtroopers, they look new, but familiar. I like how there are still a good number of them lurking around after all these years and I can’t wait to see them in action/ They look cool standing around and getting blown away, but I want to see more from them and understand just how John Boyega fits into his role as one of them. Oh and that dude in the dark hood from the first trailer, we can see his face! Well, sort of. I know the guy has a name but I forget what it is. Anyways, he wears a cool-looking mask and looks like he’s going to be throwing down in this film swinging his lightsabers and using the force too, I just want to know how much of a force he’ll be and who he’ll run into over the course of the film.
Chewie & Han!
And after that incredible short chase sequence with the Millennium Falcon, the icing on the cake was clearly last scene, seeing Harrison Ford back as Han Solo alongside Chewbacca with him saying “Chewie, we’re home.” That was just perfect and sort works both as return for the characters in the film but also for us fans that have been waiting to see them in this universe again after so many years. On and I just want to highlight how good Ford looks, sure he’s old for sure, but the make up and costume people have done well to make him look like a more seasoned version of Solo, I just hope he can still move a fair amount though.
In conclusion the second teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens is frigging amazing. It feels like the perfect blend of old and new, again it is only a teaser, there isn’t much information on the story or characters, but what we do see is hella cool and exciting. It is only the second trailer and I’m already feeling like this film will be the amazing experience I hope it will be. There is so much to like and again, I can’t wait for December to come, MY BODY IS READY! 😀
So how do you feel about the second teaser for Star Wars: The Force Awakens? Are you hyped more or less than before or were you unimpressed? I would love to hear your thoughts, please be sure to drop them in the comments below and I’ll see ya on the next review, laters! 😀
Howdy people of the interweb, and welcome to the 35th edition of my series of blog posts dedicated to some of my favourite songs ever in life. Today I’m going be talking about one of the most epic songs to have ever been created not only in film but in life, I am of course talking about the beastly “Duel of the Fates” by John Williams.
Yes, yes, YES! This is what I’m talking about. For the longest time I have loved this song, it has always evoked a sense of epincess and badassery that have always known since childhood and since then my love for this song has only gotten stronger.
Check out this awesome tune below:
How do you feel after hearing this song? Do you not feel like you’ve been taken on an epic adventure? Like you’ve experienced the most amazing thing your ears have ever heard? That’s how I felt after hearing this the first time and every time since that feeling has never faded.
So what makes “Duel of the Fates” one of the best songs ever? BECAUSE IT IS! Sure that’s no description, but does there really need to be one? Everyone knows the epicness of this song, it is almost of legendary status. For the sake of this review I will try to describe why this song is awesome. This song has the best combination of bombastic and omnipotent classical music and incredible choir work. From the time it begins, you are introduces to a gorgeous choir and then a building load of instruments that later explodes into an immense sound of intense beauty. The song winds down to be calm, but then builds up and gets fierce as hell, like the heavens are opening up, hell is rising from the depths of the earth and both forces are clashing.
Those who are familiar with their Star Wars material will know that this song debuted when Qui Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi fought Darth Maul in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Sure, certain fans always argue that The Phantom Menace is not only one of the worst SW films, but also one of the worst films of all time. But one can not deny the epicness of the lightsaber fights, ESPECIALLY the major fight sequence mentioned above and this song was one of the main factors that made it work so well. And then there’s the man behind the music, John Williams, one of the most important and famous film composers in the history of film, crafted this piece along with the rest of the Phantom Menace soundtrack. Williams knows his music, his collection of work is varied and delivers different levels of awesomeness and while he crafted so many good pieces in the Original Star Wars Trilogy, I feel like this is on another level. The intensity of this song sets my soul on fire and is pretty much the best song of the Prequel Trilogy.
So to conclude “Duel of the Fates” by John Williams is simply one of the best songs in existence. It is so gorgeous, ferocious and manly! Over the years I have come to love this song more and more. The super kick ass nature of this song is just off the radar and as a fan of classical music and an overall fan of film soundtracks, this is godly to me. This is perfection. If you haven’t experienced it, stop what you’re doing, check it out and get back to me.
Well that’s another song review done, what do you think of my song choice today? Whatever your thoughts are leave me a comment below and be sure to come back next time for another song review yo! 😀
Good day to you people of the internet and welcome to a very special blog post, today is one of the most important days for me in recent times as a fan of film, as it is, on this day, that we finally get to see the first trailer for the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Now two other teaser trailers dropped this week, the interesting but underwhelming Jurassic World and the bizarre and unpleasant Pan, both haven’t really gotten me that hyped. So with Star Wars: Episode VII dropping at the end of the working week, I wanted to be impressed, and luckily, I was not left disappointed, AT ALL.
Here’s the trailer:
After watching this trailer, all I can say is, “I’m sold. Give me.”
It is hard to describe the crazy emotions that are flying around in my heart and soul at this point in time. For so long I have wanted to see just a glimpse of this film in action and damn, I was not expecting to see what I saw. Sure, none of the classic characters were around and the people that were shown wasn’t shown to a great deal, we didn’t get any idea of what the story was about and it was like a short collection of clips put together into a short montage, but hell, it was one hell of a montage!
We got creepy-sounding narration, storm troopers, some Sith-looking dude carrying a crazy light saber, there are X-Wings and TIE fighters and the frigging Millennium Falcon! REJOICE! It is hard to describe but this teaser, for a use of cruder words, is making me so wet for this film right now. Haha. I told you it was crude!
But seriously this trailer literally left me in a state of awe, happiness and mystery.
So now I’m going to talk about the top 6 things I took away from this trailer.
1. John Boyega… As a Stormtrooper?
This is a striking moment in this trailer and it does make you question a few things like: is this a disguise? Is he really a stormtrooper and if so when did they become black? Is he on the run or in hiding and if so, who is he trying to escape? Loads of questions, and so many possibilities for speculation!
2. The Presentation
One thing that the Star Wars series has never skipped on was the presentation especially on the visual side of things and this film looks to possibly outdo every film that has come out before it. What I really appreciated about the film was its use of locations, practical-looking effects (I can not be sure on some of those things at the moment) and this sort of film filter and grittiness that felt like it was straight out of the Original Trilogy but with a new coat of paint. I’m not sure if it was just me, but the way certain things looked like the cockpit of the X-Wing, that weird rolling droid, the girl on the speeder, it looked like the old films but done with today’s style of cinematography when it comes to speed, lighting and camera shots. From only a few seconds of footage I can already feel like this film has found that right blend between today’s visual effects and paying homage to the older films.
3. That Lightsaber, Man!
Even though that mysterious figure with the cloak in the woods is definitely worth talking about, I’m more interested in the weapon in his hands. I have seen a great number of lightsabers in my life, but this, this just takes this to a whole new level of interesting. Like what the hell? Just when you think you’ve seen in all, something new and unexpected comes out of the woodwork and you’re like “Damn.” But it is in a good way. I like the design of this laser sword and from its colour we can all assume is owned by a Sith right? I mean who else could it be?
4. Other Cool Tidbits
That voice over used in this trailer, so cool, sinister and badass, and it comes from none other than the beautiful Andy Serkis, well at least that’s what Superhero Feed’s tweet says. Some people reckon its Benedict Cumberbatch, but heck until its confirmed, its just assumptions at this point. Then there’s all this desert, is all Tatooine ir are there other sandy locations which we’ll be travelling to? Also that quick shots of Oscar Issac in the cockpit of the X-Wing and the side shot of the X-Wings flying above water with the mountains in the background, so nice! Also what’s the deal with that droid? It has the head of R2-D2, but its body is super round and rolls along at quite a speed.
5. The Millennium Falcon!
And then there’s the final scene in the trailer, the moment that pretty much stopped my heart. That final tracking shot with the Millennium Falcon flying through the air just before engaging TIE fighters in battle, is FRIGGING AWESOME! It is just the way this ship flies in this incredible tracking shot with such velocity and force, it looks and feels kick ass and I love it. And if it is Han still driving that thing, that frigging hell that old man still has skills!
6. It Teased & Left You Wanting More
I feel like this trailer will get a lot of hate from certain fanboys for not giving any story details, not showing off classic characters like Luke, Han, Leia, Chewie, Yoda, etc. And probably showcasing a teaser trailer that is incredibly short when compared to some of the previous ones we’ve gotten over the last month or so. I think some people will not even like the new lightsaber design. I feel like this trailer did just about enough to give you an idea of what to expect, but still be very illusive and coy about the material to come and it was executed wonderfully, similar to what happened with J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek, that teaser was baring anything, however it teased and gave you a rough idea of what expect.
Conclusion
In the end the teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens is awesome, period. It gives you a rush of nostalgia and new things to come in just under 90 seconds and leaves you wanting more, but in a good way and that is hard to pull off. I was already hyped fort his film, now I’m off the hype radar, I’m on another level of hype. I want this film now. Now messing around J.J., Lucasfilm and the people at Disney, give it to me now. I’m frigging ready!
So how do you feel about the teaser for Star Wars: The Force Awakens? Does it get you hyped up for the next saga in the Star wars franchise or were you underwhelmed? Also as a fan of the series how did you feel during and after the trailer? Was your nostalgia radar on a high, were you fearing you’d experienced another flash of the prequel films? I’d love to hear your thoughts, please be sure to drop them in the comments below, thanks! 😀
Howdy ladies and gentlemen, time for a mini news update that just hit the web within the last few hours. So Star Wars: Episode VII, we all know it’s happening, it even finished production recently and now we have a new title for the film and I thought I would just give my quick thoughts on it.
Check out the official image below:
So the next episode in the Star Wars saga will be known as Star Wars: The Force Awakens? I’m down with that. There are worse titles that this film could have adopted, this name is simple and only allows fans to go mad with speculation as to what the film will entail.
I really like the name and I can only assume it has something to do with the rise in Jedi and the Sith coming back into play after Return of the Jedi where everything was pretty much concluded. That’s all I have in terms of speculation, I don’t want to think too much about it though, I want to be surprised when the film eventually comes around.
So what do you think of the new title for Star Wars: Episode VII? Does it make feel happy, disgusted or indifferent? And what do you think it means for the not only the new film but also the sequels? Whatever your thoughts are, be sure to leave a comment below and let me know. Until the next time, laters! 😀
Howdy ladies and gents, today I’m here to talk about some new cast additions to the upcoming Star Wars Episode: VII. Now so far the casting has been fairly unexpected, interesting and full of talent and now it seems like we’ve been given our most unknown cast members yet. The following information comes from ComicBookMovie:
“At the end of last year Lucasfilm and Disney invited all young aspiring actors to attend an open casting call for roles in J.J Abrams’ Star Wars Episode VII. The casting calls spanned 11 cities across the US and UK and over 37,000 hopefuls attended, with a further 30,000 submitting applications online. Having hunted high and low for young and undiscovered talent, the filmmakers are delighted to announce that two actors from the open call have been cast. Crystal Clarke is an American actress studying in Glasgow, UK, who has both stage and screen acting experience and is soon to be seen in her first feature, The Moon and the Sun (to be released in 2015). British actor Pip Anderson is a skilled practitioner of parkour, a discipline that involves propelling oneself through any given environment with incredible grace and agility. Pip recently demonstrated this remarkable skill in a Spider-Man ad for Sony. “The Star Wars universe has always been about discovering and nurturing young talent and in casting Episode VII we wanted to remain absolutely faithful to this tradition. We are delighted that so many travelled to see us at the open casting calls and that we have been able to make Crystal and Pip a part of the film,” said producer and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. Meanwhile, principal photography continues at Pinewood Studios in London after wrapping on location in Abu Dhabi in May. In August, the team will take a brief two-week hiatus while adjustments to the current production schedule are made as actor Harrison Ford recovers from a leg injury. Harrison is doing well and is looking forward to returning to the set soon. Shooting remains on track to wrap in the fall with the film scheduled for release on December 18, 2015.”
So this is pretty interesting. The casting for Star Wars Episode: VII has already sparked up a lot of conversation among fans with the return of the old cast and the new, younger cast too, and now we have these two younglings who I honestly have no clue who they are. They sound talented though. Crystal Clarke sounds like she has a fair amount of acting talent as she has done both stage and screen-based work and will be in a feature film next year, so she’s obviously got something that Disney are looking for. As for Pip, he sounds awesome. ‘m a massive fan of anyone who can do parkour because of its power and speed and the way it forces the individual to get through an environment in crazy ways. I’ve watch both of his parkour videos; The Commute which is awesome and a Sony Spider-Man advert was pretty cool too. Now I don’t know if Pip has any acting experience however any person with his talents would be a welcome addition to the Star Wars film series in my opinion as action and spectacle is what I love in my action and science fiction films. Now the main thing I’m curious about is who these people are going to play, I couldn’t hazard a guess as neither of them have any acting or body features that could attach themselves to current Star Wars characters, but regardless of that I will be patiently waiting for their characters to be become known to the public in the future.
Howdy ladies and gentlemen, time for a news update and what a piece of news it was. Seems like everything is going full steam ahead in the world of Star Wars with Episode VII filming away and the recent talks of the first spin-off going into production pretty soon too. And now news of the next chapter already with an interesting new face in the writing and directing chair. The following information comes from superherohype:
In a major update to the future of the Star Wars saga on the big screen, Deadline is reporting that Brick, Looperand The Brothers Bloom helmer Rian Johnson is making plans to write and direct Star Wars: Episode VIII. Although the outlet is also reporting that he’ll direct Star Wars: Episode IX, TheWrap claims that Johnson will only provide a treatment for the saga-finale and that a director for that final film has not yet been decided on. We’ll update with official word as soon as it’s available.
Johnson joins a seemingly ever-growing slate of top directors that are setting lightspeed coordinates for a galaxy far, far away. J.J. Abrams is currently filming Star Wars: Episode VII while both Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Monsters) and Josh Trank (Chronicle) are planning to helm solo films. The plan is for a new Star Wars film to hit every year beginning with Episode VII on December 18, 2015.
Johnson took to Twitter as news of the deal broke, sharing his thoughts on the announcement via the below video clip from Phil Kaufman’s 1983 film The Right Stuff. (Please be aware, the clip does contain some strong language).
Well this is definitely a surprise, but a pleasant one for sure. While it was never confirmed that J.J. Abrams would direction the next episode in the Star Wars series, I am surprised to learn that they’ve announced plans for Episode VIII already. However if anyone is to handle the next main film in this series I am happy that it is Rian Johnson. I really loved Looper and knew that after that film he would probably direct some great films in the future, but he’s been fairly quiet over the last year and a bit (though he has directed a few episode of Breaking Bad), but now we know he’s taking on the beast that is Star Wars and if his previous directing efforts are anything to go by then I think we’re in good hands. The man knows sci-fi and seems to be able to direct actors pretty well so I’ll be curious to see how Episode VIII will differ from VII in terms of the style and tone of direction and writing too.
So what do you think of this news? Be sure to comment below and let me know yo! 😀
Good day to you ladies and gents and welcome to part 2 of my late news stories that I wanted to blog about. With the information on Josh Trank and his involvement in Star Wars, there was a news story, again Star Wars-related that broke earlier on in the week that I feel that needs to be addressed. The following information comes from superherohype:
Lupita Nyong’o joins the recently announced cast of Star Wars: Episode VII. This year, her breakthrough performance in 12 Years a Slave earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Gwendoline Christie, currently starring in the hit television series “Game of Thrones” as Brienne of Tarth, has also been cast in the production. She can next be seen in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2.
“I could not be more excited about Lupita and Gwendoline joining the cast of ‘Episode VII,’” says Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. “It’s thrilling to see this extraordinarily talented ensemble taking shape.”
So when I read this I was proper happy. Firstly to see that the rumours about Lupita being in Episode VII have come to pass just fills me with we happiness, I always thought it would be cool to see her in the film if she did get the part, but seeing her officially cast is fabulous. But the more surprising side of this story is the fact that Brienne from Game of Thrones is gonna be part of Star Wars, that is just insanely cool. I’ve loved Christie’s work in GoT and her performance in the show especially during season 3 made Brienne one of my favourite characters. She has a great screen presences and is hard as nails so you know she can do action too. I’m just stupid happy for the both of them to see how far they’ve come in such a short time and I’m intrigued to see who they end up playing.
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