Saturday, May 24, 2014

How Much Do You Want to Know Before it Comes Out?


So, by now we are all hearing bits and pieces of actual news about this movie.  It is becoming more and more real that it is actually happening, and now we can at least relax in the knowledge that our favorite characters are, in fact, coming back.  And likely in fairly substantial roles (especially one ex smuggler in particular).  But I find myself wondering how much and what I really want to know before it comes out.

Many of you are probably hearing these rumors swirling around that Han Solo will die.  Now, I think I said a long, long time ago, when all we knew was that there would be a new movie and that our favorite characters would likely be back, that if done well, I could live with that.  I don't really want to argue over whether or not that is something they should do, because they're going to do what they're going to do there and there is nothing we can do to change it.  I'm more curious to know how "spoiled" you all want to be going into this movie.

I have mixed feelings here.  I know for a fact that I do not want to know everything.  I mean, how fun would that be?  I also know for sure that what I mostly wanted to know was that Han, Leia and Luke would be back, and that Han and Leia would be an old, married couple.  Since that fact has been basically verified, I am feeling a lot more at ease and a lot less interested in scouring movie news for information.  I think we are all also basically assuming that at least one of the young actors will be their child, so that also makes me happy.

Beyond that?  I'm not sure what I want to know.  Back when Episode I was coming out, it was truly exciting.  I was in college at the time and the internet was just starting to become a thing that you really used quite a bit, though not quite as big that you spent hours and hours on it like we do now.  Although that was probably just because it moved a lot slower.  I was so excited for these prequels, and had also felt much like I do now, that I'd never get to see a new Star Wars movie.  I made a conscious decision to try not to read/see too much about it before it came out so I could go in with fresh eyes and see it all as new and exciting.  So I could really see it all unfold before my eyes.  I remember that the first trailer coming out was a huge deal, but I don't remember if I let myself watch it or not.  I probably did, but after that, I'd avert my eyes when it was shown on TV.  I would save magazine articles to read later, after I'd seen it.  I never looked at message boards or web sites that would tell me anything about it.  Although to be fair, at the time I don't think I ever went on message boards anyway.

So, I went in with those fresh eyes.  And I wound up being bitterly disappointed.  Well, not at first.  Honestly, at first, I think we all wanted so badly to like it that we wouldn't admit even to ourselves let alone out loud that we didn't really like it.  We'd waited our entire lives to see it, and it was mostly crap.  It was hard to really accept that, let it sink in, and vocalize it to see if everyone else felt the same way.  But oh, it was painful.

I don't expect this one to be nearly as painful.  Now, do I expect it to be amazing?  Right now, no.  I won't let myself get my hopes up.  But I do know I'm debating in my head what I want to know going in.  I already know the most important things, that Han and Leia are still together and have at least one child.  Do I want to know more beyond that?  If Han Solo is going to die, do I want to know that before I see it?  I don't know!  Although honestly, if that is slated to happen, I actually would find it hard to believe that a living soul could go into that movie and not already know that.  The internet is a crazy place, and for better or worse, information like that would be impossible to keep under wraps.  I mean, if we had the internet in 1980 I'd be willing to bet that most people would've known before they saw ESB that Darth Vader was Luke Skywalker's father.  I think it's kind of sad that we've lost the element of surprise, but it is what it is and there's no going back.

But still, will I avert my eyes when the trailers come on?  Will I be able to not watch clips that are shown before it comes out?  Will I try not to see much media before?  I still don't know.  I will say though, I've had this thought in my head that sooner or later there will be the first shots of Han and Leia as their old, married selves, and I'm not sure I'll be able to not look at that, or contain my ridiculous excitement upon seeing it.  But specific plot details?  I don't know!

Have any of you given any thought to this?  I'm all about spoilers when it comes to things I don't care about that much, but if it's something I really want to see, I kind of like to be surprised.  I just wonder how surprised I'll really let myself be.  Really it'd probably just be easier to go into a coma tomorrow and wake up in December of 2015 but then, well, that's actually probably a terrible idea.  

24 comments:

  1. I'd be happy with minimal news. I knew nothing about SW Episode IV when I went to see it, other than the fact that people were raving about it. But if they want to leak stuff, I always have the option of not reading it :)

    I think they'll do a much better job with this movie than they did with Episodes 1, 2 and 3 -- only part I liked was Yoda being a total badass in 3.

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  2. It's funny, as psyched as I was for the prequels (and I was *very* excited), I don't remember having any problem staying away from spoilers. I was very content to just wait for the movies to come out. And in the build up for Episode II and III, I was very active chatting on the message boards and all that, but again, I had no temptation to find out anything (and I was *still* excited for those movies, even after being disappointed with Episode I).

    But with these new films? I'm finding it much harder to stay away from news. Maybe because it's a *true* sequel, and we now know that all our favorites are coming back. I still want to stay away and be surprised, but I'm finding it waaay harder to stay away this time. Against my better judgement (because I don't want to set myself up for disappointment again), I am soooo excited for these movies. Even more so than I was back in 1999.

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  3. This is the problem I'm having, deciding how much I want to know. Right now I'm regularly browsing the spoiler forums at the Jedi Council, but I'm always thinking that at some point I will stop looking, but when, I don't know. But at some point I feel as though I should stop because too much info can be a bad thing.

    I do think though that once we know 100% that Han and Leia are still together and have kids then I will relax more and not be so hungry to find out stuff. It's certainly looking very likely now that they ARE married and have a daughter, but we still don't have anything official. I think that's the spoiler info I'm waiting for the most before I ease off. I certainly don't want to know the plot, but I feel like certain things I have to know in advance.

    I agree that if Han is going to die it seems impossible they could keep that a secret. I can't see that happening in this day and age. But one theory I have is that all this stuff about Han biting it is purposely leaked false info to throw us all off the scent. Everyone is talking about Han dying like it's a fact, but what if that's what they want us to think? What if it's actually Luke that dies? Or even Leia? No one is talking about Leia dying, so imagine the shock if we all went in expecting Han to die and it was actually Leia? Of course I don't want ANY of them to die. But I'm pretty much expecting ONE of the big 3 to die, but maybe Han is just too obvious at this point.

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  4. Misinformation: how Hollywood keeps people interested.

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  5. Oh, God help me, I just caught myself thinking, "oh please, let it be Luke who dies!"

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    1. God help me, I wanted to "like" this like it was a Facebook comment. :-/

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    2. Lol :) I don't want ANY of them to die, but when it comes to the crunch and if I had to pick...sorry Luke. But you see, Luke has an advantage that Han doesn't. If he bites it, then he'll come back as a Force ghost, so he will still be around, so all the Luke fans still get their Luke fix. But if Han bites it, he's gone for good. Leia is an unknown entity because we don't know if she's even a Jedi, so not sure if she would be able to become a Force ghost. If this movie follows the previous "pattern" of the other two trilogies then the Jedi Mentor figure will die, because we had Obi-Wan in ANH and Qui Gonn in TPM, so using that logic, Luke SHOULD be the first of the Big Three to go.

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    3. I didn't want to say this, but it's just one of the many reasons I'm going to hell :)

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    4. How about all of them die together? That way we don't have to see them get 'really old' on screen. And we get one last picture of them all as smiling force ghosts as the movie credits roll...... (young versions of themselves, like they did with Anakin). Then I wouldn't feel so bad.

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  6. I feel as though it's sort of safe right now to check out spoilers, because at this point, it's really more rumor than actual fact. I'm sure they are keeping a tight seal on everything. I don't go LOOKING for news, though. The big stuff comes through on news feeds without searching and I have enough casual geek fans on facebook that they will share the really big stuff I'm sure I'll feel ok knowing about.

    Leia dying? That'd be something, huh? I doubt they'd ever do that, though. Leia has already sacrificed so much of herself throughout everything, I don't think it would bring anything meaningful to her character. And yeah, unfair that Luke could then totally be a Force ghost, so he never has to be truly gone forever.

    I guess I'd like to say that if someone is going to die, I'd like to be able to not read about it before seeing the movie. That said, I also feel like if one of them is going to die, the news will be way too big to hide from before the movie comes out.

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  7. I'm pretty much not paying any attention to 'spoilers' or 'rumors' at this point, because I don't want to know. If I know ahead of time, I'll be spending the whole moving 'waiting for Han to die' (or whoever or whatever happens), rather than (hopefully) enjoying the movie. I will say that I did read something where Carrie made a comment that she want to 'get Leia right' in this movie. That is encouraging without giving anything away. Though if Han dies, I hope that its not in the first 10 minutes.. How disappointing would that be!

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    1. I saw the thing about her wanting to get Leia "right" but I thought it was funny because the context of the quote seems to imply she will be sure not to slip into a fake British accent this time when playing her ;) I do hope we get a more light hearted, bantering version of Leia. I know one of Carrie's complaints about Leia in ESB was that she had to be such a bitch, and for the most part, she's right. Then in ROTJ she wasn't given a whole lot to DO so there wasn't much opportunity for Leia to show her wit and humor. I'll be really interested to see how they have Han and Leia acting as an old married couple. If it is anything resembling the more recent books I'll be very happy. I'll be hugely disappointed if they barely interact at all, especially if they kill Han and this was our only shot! I do have to admit I probably only want to see them kiss like, once. I mean, yeah, it's Han and Leia, but it's also two old people kissing. Remember when he kissed Marion in Indy IV? That was such an old people kiss.

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    2. I totally want them to kiss, I admit it. I don't remember the Indy IV kiss, though: must have blocked it out...

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    3. Oh, I want them to kiss, too. But probably just once or twice. I think past a certain age we might lose the desire to actually SEE them passionately kiss. Maybe. I don't know. I just fear it'd be disappointing at this point.

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    4. Eh, it can't be anymore disappointing than that lame kiss on Endor after the Ewoks set our heroes free. Ugh, that one is so awkward to me. I find it uncomfortable to watch.

      I don't mind if they kiss. But if they don't, we better see SOME sign of affection between them. Like a nice hug or something (now that HUG on Endor, that was just adorable). :)

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    5. OMG, someone else dislikes the ewok village kiss. I thought I was the only one!! That is their lamest kiss by lightyears, it just doesn't look natural at all and I really don't like it. I hate to criticise a Han and Leia kiss but that one is awkward and forced.

      I hope we get an episode 7 kiss, but hey, a hug is fine with me. I just want to know they still love each other. And the Endor hug?? That's why I picked it for my avatar. It melts my heart everytime.

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    6. My favorite Endor kiss is the throw-away one when they meet in the Ewok village. Very cute.

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  8. I'm not hunting down spoilers but like others I have geeky FB friends so I see the biggy ones. I'm ok with seeing things like that even with spoilers. Heck I go see movies I've read not only the novel but the entire series so I know what's coming. But then if I find out Han dies.... I may never go see it at all... Sorry Luke. But he'd be my choice to bite it if they do that.

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  9. So glad you brought this up, Zyra!

    I do not want to be spoiled for this movie, and have been slowly withdrawing from my SW haunts. Like you said, at the moment things feel pretty safe. But I know that, eventually, one of the rumors will turn out to be true, and I'd really rather not be around to hear it.

    For the three years before Return of the Jedi, I read everything I could about rumors and filming and possible storylines. In retrospect, all that knowledge ahead of time really detracted from the movie experience for me, not just plotwise, but in terms of mood, scenery, and expectations.

    I went to see ROTJ on opening night, but I'd already seen pictures from so many of the scenes that not only was the Wow factor of new SW landscapes and sets ruined for me, but I lost the flow of the movie, thinking "Okay, when is the forest stuff going to happen?" and "Okay, here's the forest stuff, but I know Han and Leia are going to be captured eventually because I've seen that shot of them with their hands up behind their heads," and on and on. I had imagined that most of the officially-released photos would have been carefully selected to be from early on in the movie, but that wasn't the case at all. It really shocked me how much had been made public beforehand, especially for a film that was deemed to be kept in high secrecy.

    Also, having a decent imagination (and three years to let it run wild) I imagined all kinds of complex plots based on the pictures and rumors, as well as having read some very cool hypotheses about what might happen. Not surprisingly, the actual movie was a let down in the plot department, not so much because of spoilers but because the plot was really quite boring and unsophisticated in contrast to all the cool stuff I'd been imagining and reading about.

    I know I'll only get one chance to see Ep7 for the first time, so I'm going to do my best to go in knowing as little as possible.

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  10. I wanted to not find out information in advance about Episode I but after one day at the convention in Denver I had it pretty much figured out. On ROTJ spoilers I remember wondering why more wasn't made out of keeping a secret anything about Harrison Ford even appearing in the movie since his character was the cliffhanger from the previous movie. There were a lot of pre-release publicity photos and clips of him running around in the forest with the little furry guys so he obviously was going to be in the movie.

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  11. Guess the original casting announcement wasn't the final one.....
    http://starwars.com/star-wars-episode-vii-adds-academy-award-winner-lupita-nyongo-and-game-of-thrones-gwendoline-christie.html

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    1. I saw that and my first thought was that neither of them would be a child of Han and Leia :)

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  12. I've been perusing the blogs a bit more. I'm actually signed to see this on Google because of my You Tube sign-in. The only things that I care about, really, is if Han and Leia are together, if they were separated and then reunited, and if they had kids. Everything else is peripheral to me.

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