Anchorhead

I'm with Bingo on this. Look to our own world as a perfect example.  Bad is never really defeated. It suffers blows and setbacks, but there's always someone thinking they can reassert their power and bring down good.

That's one of the things that worked so well in the Zahn EU.  On top of someone trying to build the Empire back up, they were amassing the equipment to do it, or at least thought they knew where they could get it. They had the desire and the ability, so they had to be dealt with.

lit doesn't have to be spectacle, it has to be interesting.

SilverWook said:

The first photo leak is inevitable.

Dammit!  I'm on the verge of weighing the pros and cons of considering whether or not I should be excited about this film.

;-)

I'll let you guys know if it ever happens.

Mrebo said:

Obvious jokes are not funny. It makes a mockery of the story to put people in a movie just to constantly talk about how they're old. I think they should go out of their way to avoid age jokes...... It was not the fans who missed the prevalent humor. A bunch of jokes about Han Solo being older than "space dirt" will not be a service to anyone who likes Star Wars. We don't need to be "weened" off of any characters, we need to enjoy the new ones and appreciate the story arcs of all of them. We don't need to be convinced to not care about the old characters.

This  100%. 

And this;

Nobody advocates hiding their ages and of course they are making new/younger characters the main focus.  The only objection is to making a whole joke out of the thing

There is a big difference between Indiana Jones comedy and Star Wars.  I have ZERO interest in a comedy film set in the Star Wars universe.  Considering what a huge fan Abrams is of the original, I have to think we don't have to worry about a comedy or age jokes.  He's keenly aware of how Lucas trashed the franchise.  I suspect he'll try to right the ship.

I respectfully submit the boat chase from Live And Let Die as my favorite film chase.

Sorry, just can't get on board with any Return discussion.  I've seen it twice for sure (the last time about fifteen years ago) and I just can't stand a single moment of it. 

xhonzi said:

Ah, a Tales of the Mos Eisley Cantina sort of job?

I was thinking the same thing.  I would love to see a feature-length film of Hammertong. Great characters, Shada and Karoly.  A wonderful introduction to just how well Zahn handles Star Wars. 

One of the things I found really great was just how little some of those stories intersected that one scene from 1977. For a few of the stories in that book, that brief moment where they are in the cantina could be really interesting to see. They could be character cameos or even peripheral, in-the-background shots.

In Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes there are a few scenes like that.  Calling back to the first film, yet so subtle they could be missed.

Never mind that, how much for the TARDIS and the dog?

For peripherally-related origin or introduction stories, it goes without saying that I'd absolutely dig a Mara Jade film.  The novels Allegiance or Choices of One would work very nicely as tangent Star Wars films. Enough to feel familiar, yet get away from the mess that the franchise has become.

They could stay away from our heroes almost entirely (name checks only) or recast them.   If Spock, Kirk, McCoy and James Bond can be successfully recast (and they have been) - anyone can be recast.

Hal 9000 said:

 I've got a stocked Kindle (app) and a revised, though still ambitious, reading list. I've got a good 2+ years for all this catch up reading

To echo what Tim said earlier, read what you think you'll enjoy, not what you think will have any bearing on VII.  At least not until we start getting reports and blurbs from the filming after it begins.

If Hamill, Ford, & Co are in the next film - and it appears they are - there is no way any of the Zahn stuff will be part of the story.  Well, not unless there's quite a stretch.  The Zahn EU (all of which is fantastic, by the way) takes place when our heroes are in their 30s and 40s.  The original cast are much older than that now.  It would be a weird leap filming Thrawn stories with Luke in his 60s and Solo in his 70s.

That said;  As a devout follower of all things Zahn EU (my personal canon), I would love an occasional name-check to some of the novels.

Tyrphanax said:

The fact that Alderaan is never mentioned again, and especially not during this key scene always bothered me.

Because Lucas had no story beyond 1977 (no matter how many times he says otherwise).  When you write on the fly for marketing tie-in revenue, you fail. Return is a directionless mess.

TV's Frink said:

Anchorhead said:

Bingowings said:

¡BANG!

Are we still talking about Star Wars?

;-)

Washbot is Star Wars.

Sounded to me like Bingo was bragging.  ;-

Bingowings said:

¡BANG!

Are we still talking about Star Wars?

;-)

Ryan McAvoy said:

-When you compare it to all 3rd movies of any franchise its the best 3rd film ever made

Goldfinger would like a word with you.

*edit*

Sorry about that Bingo.  I should have read through first.

My problem wasn't how they did, but that it was done at all.  To me, he was much more dangerous and scarey when he was a mystery. 

Truthfully though, for me, it was just the final nail in the already vastly shrunken universe.  I hated that he was switched to Luke's father between films (more writer's block).  Showing him, while disappointing, wasn't that big a let down at that point.  He was already ruined for me.

TV's Frink said:

imperialscum said:

ROTJ has many great scenes/moments that rivals/surpass things in the previous two films. I think those who complain about ROTJ usually completely ignore them and go on about irrelevant stuff (ewoks etc.)

The Ewoks are both annoying and relevant.

Frink brings up an excellent point.  Yes - you read that correctly - I left off TV's. 

;-) 

The Ewoks are a huge part of the story, the film, and Lucas' use of potential toy sales to generate characters.  They are far from irrelevant.

Personally, they hold a particular relevance because they were the breaking point which pushed me to consider leaving the theater (I didn't).  They also helped sever my following of the franchise and set me on my current course.  The sister fix for George's writer's block and the unmasking of Vader also contributed. 

 Considering what a pile of shit that film was, good thing for Williams he wasn't part of it. 

DuracellEnergizer said:

 

Anchorhead said:

There are even a few prequel references in a couple of his novels. Again, fine.  They amount to little more than name checks. I don't give them a thought because they're throw-away.

Until those names happen to be Padmé and Amidala, am I right? ;-)

 

Unless I've just forgotten, I don't remember any reference to her in Zahn's work. If there was, it must have really been just a name check.  

*edit*

Now that I think about it, if she were mentioned at all, it would have most likely been Outbound Flight.  Anakin and Kenobi are fairly heavy in it at the beginning, but are suddenly and conveniently jettisoned from the story completely.

Their sudden departure from the story had a weird feel, which I was more than ok with ;-)

In fact, I could never figure out why they were in the early part of the story at all.  Their roles felt out of place and served no purpose.

Not a gamer.  For no reason in particular, it just never interested me. 

imperialscum said:

To me it seems somehow hard to consider Zahn's trilogy and discard EBS and ROTJ.

I don't disregard (or discard) the second two films.  I just don't own or watch them.  Yes, Zahn's EU fits with those as well.  However, they don't dwell on them.  I'm perfectly fine with an occasional reference or name check. 

There are even a few prequel references in a couple of his novels. Again, fine.  They amount to little more than name checks. I don't give them a thought because they're throw-away.

His EU novels take place many years later and are separate stories.  He succeeded in doing the very opposite of what Lucas did.  He expanded the Star Wars universe.

I think it depends on level of passion. I'm passionate about the 1977 film and story, but not about Lucas' thoughts beyond that.  My passion is the EU, primarily Zahn. That's why it was easy for me to ignore the last two films and the SEs. I went to the theater to see Phantom out of curiosity.  It was shit, curiosity answered, I moved on.

To further the example; I'm a lifelong 007 nerd. MUCH more so than Star Wars. Because the passion is so deep for the story and characters, I can't imagine not going to the theater to see every film. How I feel about some of them individually doesn't change the passion. 

I'd say pick your battles, but truthfully, it shouldn't be a battle.  It should be an escape to a pleasant experience. 

*edit*

The way I worded the above statement makes it sound as though my preference for Zahn EU figured into my feelings about post-77 Star Wars.  For the sake of clarity and for any new members; My love of Zahn EU came long after I'd said goodbye to post-80s Star Wars.  In fact, it's really what brought me back to the franchise.

Way too deep for Lucas. He's not nearly that talented a writer.  A really interesting idea, by the way.

nightstalkerpoet said:

So how bout that Jabba force ghost we're sure to see in Ep 7? :-P

Khhaaaaaaaaaaann!!!

Puggo - Jar Jar's Yoda said:

I can think of no possible way for the sequels to be as bad as the prequels.  It's hard to imagine what they would have to do to achieve that.

I only have one film to go by, but I have to agree.  Considering how awful Phantom was - no story, terrible script reading, characters created specifically to sell toys and Halloween costumes,  scenes that were style over substance, and CGI so poorly rendered that it's nothing more than the animated portion of the film - they can't possibly degrade this franchise anymore than Lucas already has. 

According to interviews, Abrams is a huge fan of the original.  I have to think that weighs heavily in how he'll make this film.  I still think Star Wars is finally in good hands.

Thanks, man.  I would have struggled to find all that so quickly.

A journey, by the way, that is solely the result of my years on this board.  In fact, I'm about to restart Scoundrels soon.  Just have to finish the Doctor Who novel I'm reading at the moment. 

It will be nice to be back in the Zahn universe again.  Might go with Heir To The Empire again after that. All this VII activity has made me home sick.  ;-)

DominicCobb said:

Episode VII will get people in the doors, no matter what. What will keep people going, however, is a good product. Disney realizes that.

Well put.