star wars thread

[Yavuz]

It's close; Sheev is the viewpoint character in all three prequels. That's to say the reason the prequels have this hyperreal aesthetic in the props, set design, etc., is because you're watching those events through Sheev-o-vision. He is watching events and saying 'look at these fucking puppets, with their plastic cars. What a bunch of maroons. This is going to be easy.'.

The reason fans reject the prequels is that they denial of Sheev's basic observation that Star Wars is fake, crass, silly.... It's a multibillion franchise with logos on fruit. Lightsabers are stupid. But Sheev revels in that stuff: "fuck it - I've got a lightsaber too!"

The correct response to Sheer's challenge would be to agree. And that's precisely what Luke does: he attempts suicide in order to reject Star Wars and everything it stands for. He's like "fuck this universe. If the entire stupid universe is set up to reward only violence and power, then I quit." He throws his lightsaber away.

But Vader steps up and does something far more radical: he dies for Star Wars' sins. And, as a consequence, he redeems Star Wars.

But that's only if you truly believe.

First things first: the narrative structure of the Star Wars film series is ever-shifting. As each film is introduced, the meaning changes.

Three extremely different films were grouped together and are now understood as 'The OT', the story of how Luke Skywalker killed the evil robot Darth Vader and saved his father - Anakin. This killing of the robot ultimately represented the triumph of liberal democracy over the various failed utopian projects of the past. In general, the OT can be summarized as naïvely optimistic.

Subsequently, three films were introduced that called out the OT for its naïveté. The human Anakin, it reveals, was a fascist stooge. The bad robot monster that everyone had rejected was none other than Christ Himself. We were fooled: liberal democracy was the enemy. It was all a sham. We killed Him for plastic toys, and His blood is on our hands. With the addition of these three films, the context of the originals had changed. The entire six-film series became the tale of Darth Vader's crucifixion. It can be summarized as brutally honest.

And now we have a seventh film.

The Force Awakens is a story of willful ignorance and self-deceit.

Who are the Republic? Who are the Resistance? Who are the First Order? People are confused because they are not reading the imagery.

The basic story is simple: it is the story of a USB key that travels across the galaxy and gradually morphs into a laser sword. Max Van Sydow is the personification of this object; it respresents his legacy. And he explains exactly what he stands for: "only the Jedi can bring balance to the force." He supports Leia's Resistance because 'she's royalty to him.' The Resistance heroes are all working to bring back feudalism, and the New Order is working to prevent that.

If you've read the previous thread and seen the previous films, you know that nobody ever mentions a 'light side', because there isnt one. The entire Force - the entire universe - is darkness, and to believe otherwise is to have your vision clouded. The light side exists only as the holy spirit - the community of believers in Christ/Vader. Vader was the incarnation of the Force and, when he died, the Force died with him.

Force Awakens, on the other hand, is constantly talking about the light side, and visualizing it as literal light: the ships all have massive headlights attached, the recurring image is of a dark ball of tentacles being obliterated by a burst of light (e.g. When that thing is attached to the windshield). The light cleanses, and the light purifies. this is what Van Sydow means by 'balance'.

But this literal light is not the Holy Spirit. It's the dark side, rebranded. It's sheer, burning power. Audiences cheer when Rey displays her insane power. Her mutant powers, aka 'force sensitivity', aka midichlorians - make her stronger than anyone else. Her mind-tricks are not subtle manipulations, but a direct reprogramming of the enemy's mind. She wins by being darker than Kylo.

So: why would a family abandon their child in a junkyard?

The simplest answer is that they're terrified of her.

Basically, JJ Abrams has tricked you into worshiping the dark side. Maz runs a temple devoted to herself, and nobody is suspicious? Whoops!

Where's that stuff from?

[Mu.]

Where's that stuff from?

This guy, http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3755790&userid=118075 , in this unending hell of a thread, http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3755790 .

[Yavuz]

Where's that stuff from?

This guy, http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3755790&userid=118075 , in this unending hell of a thread, http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3755790 .

Okay, good. I was worried that it was someone who was getting paid to write that shit, as opposed to some idiot trying to sound smart on the Internet. Seriously, who the fuck actually calls Palpatine by his first name (outside of the books, where they're probably required to use it)?

[Ambious]

Where's that stuff from?

This guy, http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3755790&userid=118075 , in this unending hell of a thread, http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3755790 .

Okay, good. I was worried that it was someone who was getting paid to write that shit, as opposed to some idiot trying to sound smart on the Internet. Seriously, who the fuck actually calls Palpatine by his first name (outside of the books, where they're probably required to use it)?

4chan.org/tv/

They're obsessed with it.

[Kaleidoscope]

Quick question: anyone have any good Star Wars comic? I just started reading the new Princess Leia series and I am loving it

[cyclopeantrash]

Star Wars is my favorite Dune fanfiction.

[Fanzay]

Where's that stuff from?

This guy, http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3755790&userid=118075 , in this unending hell of a thread, http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3755790 .

Okay, good. I was worried that it was someone who was getting paid to write that shit, as opposed to some idiot trying to sound smart on the Internet. Seriously, who the fuck actually calls Palpatine by his first name (outside of the books, where they're probably required to use it)?

SuperMechaGodzilla is an institution on SA. Half-insane pretentious ramblings and a politization of everything is his MO. And a love of Zizek.

[Ashto]

I'M SKINNY, GOODBYE I don't like Star Wars.

Speaking as an outsider though, I recall hearing an interesting theory about why the movie's plot is the way it is. By revisiting the plots from Episodes 4-6, the directors are hoping to prove to audiences that they are capable of making and old-style Star Wars movie. Yet, by revisiting all those plots in one film, they're making it clear that the movies have no choice but to move forward in the next set of films.

Setting aside the fact that you don't like Star Wars (HEATHEN), I agree but I'm going to challenge you on this: "the movies have no choice but to move forward in the next set of films." What are you even talking about here?

I liked it. More screen time for the mosquito aliens in the pub, less Maz Kanata.
More X-wings thank you bye

Before the movie came out, some of my friends who do like Star Wars wondered where they were gonna take the story. One of them expressed doubts that they were probably going to redo the original trilogy  just to give fans more of what they want. As in, episode 7 would be episode 4, 8 would be 5, 9 would be 6. If that did happened, that might have been a letdown. Instead, episode 7 turned out to "redo" episodes 4-6 in one sitting. So what I'm saying is that, because they did this, they're forcing themselves to move on into new exciting territory.

[Fanzay]

Oh. Then yeah. I completely agree.

[Knitting Machine]

My niece met Vader at Disney World and is now the biggest Star Wars fan. It's adorable.

[Ashto]

I honestly thought the whole Chewbacca "heroic death in the expanded universe" thing was just something that only the nerdiest of nerds complained about. I did not expect it to come up as a subject over dinner with friends. Go figure. Also, if you really want to piss off a fan of the Expanded Universe, I think I found a new method: ask them about what they think of the 80's Ewoks cartoon series, and whether their existence in the Star Wars universe implies that magic is a thing, or if Ewoks are just really good at using the force. I got a mild reaction out of the people around me, so I can only imagine what it'd do to someone like Knitting Machine's relative.

[Nikaer Drekin]

Also, if you really want to piss off a fan of the Expanded Universe, I think I found a new method: ask them about what they think of the 80's Ewoks cartoon series, and whether their existence in the Star Wars universe implies that magic is a thing, or if Ewoks are just really good at using the force. I got a mild reaction out of the people around me, so I can only imagine what it'd do to someone like Knitting Machine's relative.

I consider myself a nearly-obsessive Star Wars fan who's seen the Holiday Special more than once, and I've actually never seen a second of the Ewoks cartoon. Is Ewok Magic actually a thing they tried to do?

Speaking of the Holiday Special, has anyone had any interesting experiences with that? I was having a Rifftrax get-together with a few friends, and we picked that out to watch. A little bit into it, a friend asked how long it was, and I said, "About 2 hours."

They thought I was joking. Turns out Harvey Korman in drag hosting an alien cooking show and VR Wookiee porn aren't that compelling to some people!

[Ashto]

I consider myself a nearly-obsessive Star Wars fan who's seen the Holiday Special more than once, and I've actually never seen a second of the Ewoks cartoon. Is Ewok Magic actually a thing they tried to do?

One of the characters was training to practice magic, so I'd have to say yes.

[Yavuz]

Also, if you really want to piss off a fan of the Expanded Universe, I think I found a new method: ask them about what they think of the 80's Ewoks cartoon series, and whether their existence in the Star Wars universe implies that magic is a thing, or if Ewoks are just really good at using the force. I got a mild reaction out of the people around me, so I can only imagine what it'd do to someone like Knitting Machine's relative.

I consider myself a nearly-obsessive Star Wars fan who's seen the Holiday Special more than once, and I've actually never seen a second of the Ewoks cartoon. Is Ewok Magic actually a thing they tried to do?

Speaking of the Holiday Special, has anyone had any interesting experiences with that? I was having a Rifftrax get-together with a few friends, and we picked that out to watch. A little bit into it, a friend asked how long it was, and I said, "About 2 hours."

They thought I was joking. Turns out Harvey Korman in drag hosting an alien cooking show and VR Wookiee porn aren't that compelling to some people!

Have you ever seen Ewoks: The Battle for Endor? It's a live-action TV movie that's supposed to take place before Return of the Jedi. Apparently, it's hilariously terrible, even if you know nothing about the backstory.

[Dawnswalker]

Speaking of the Holiday Special, has anyone had any interesting experiences with that? I was having a Rifftrax get-together with a few friends, and we picked that out to watch. A little bit into it, a friend asked how long it was, and I said, "About 2 hours."

They thought I was joking. Turns out Harvey Korman in drag hosting an alien cooking show and VR Wookiee porn aren't that compelling to some people!

At least Rifftrax did the version with the commercials, which are far and away the best things about the Star Wars Holiday Special.

Harken back to a time when unions were an institution that proudly and openly existed in America, an institution that brought ad space on television during prime-time and had their own choirs and theme songs. It makes you feel just like an archaelogist!